Collin College’s Mock Trail team members Michelle Davis and April Cheney won two major awards in a competition at the Middle Tennessee State University Mock Trail Tournament in November. Davis won Top Attorney with a perfect score of 20 points and Cheney tied for first place as Top Witness with 19 points. During the competition, Collin College competed against larger collegiate institutions such as the University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, University of Florida and Cornell University.
Collin College’s National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) pass rate for the 2012 academic year (December 2011-May 2012 graduates) is 98.08 percent.A total of 102 graduates passed the exam on their first attempt from a total of 104. Programs with 90 percent or more pass rate receive commendation from the Texas Board of Nursing.
Collin College’s Hospitality and Culinary Education program is being recommended for American Culinary Federation (ACF) accreditation in January. The accreditation process involved a self-study of the Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts programs along with a site visit in October. There are approximately 227 accredited schools in the world.
Collin College’s National Convergence Technology Center was highlighted in an article, titled “Insights on successful industry-college partnerships,” in the Nov. 5 issue of Community College Times.
Lisa Vasquez, vice president of public relations and college development, was quoted in a recent Community College Times article, titled “Using social media in a crisis.” In the article, Vasquez noted how Collin College used social media during a shooting at the Central Park Campus a few years ago.
An article appearing in PR Web and other outlets in November discussed the effectiveness of Pearson’s products, MyLab and Mastering. The article titled, “Higher Education Institutions Across the U.S. Achieve Measureable Student Success and Cut Costs Through Innovation Technology Programs,” quotes Collin College Biology Professor Rebecca Orr. Professor Orr discusses the results of utilizing Mastering as a tool to enable students to immerse themselves in the language of biology beyond the classroom. Mean exam scores for Biology 1406 increased an average of 15 points for students utilizing Mastering Biology during the semester at Collin College.
Dr. Terry Hockenbrough, director of the Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement, presented “The Power of Service Learning” at the Southwestern Division Conference for the Community College Humanities Association in Dallas in November.
Spearheaded by the All College Council, more than 350 boxes of food and other items, along with $310 was collected during this year’s Collin County Meals on Wheels program’s Harvest Food Drive. The monetary value of the boxes totaled more than $15,000.
The Military Advanced Education (MAE) has selected Collin College as a Top Military-Friendly School in its 2013 Guide to Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities. Collin College has also been named a 2013 Best for Vets College by Military Times Edge.
Professor of Chemistry Dr. Amina El-Ashmawy was invited to collaborate with colleagues from the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Pennsylvania on a National Science Foundation-funded perceptual learning research project. The project involves experimental studies of learning software in mathematics and chemistry and is designed to optimize learning for individual students. One of the project’s target populations is community college students enrolled in chemistry courses.
Professor of Humanities Dallie Clark successfully defended her dissertation titled, “Lost [or Gained] in Translation: The Art of the Handwritten Letter in the Digital Age.” She will receive her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas.