Darcy Harrod
907-455-2878
11/10/11

Fifteen students will graduate from the 21st session of the UAF Community and Technical College Law Enforcement Academy, Friday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m. at the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer Park.

The graduation marks the culmination of the 13-week academy, which is offered twice a year. The academy is designed to provide students with basic police training, which enables them to receive the Alaska Police Standards Certification. The certification makes them eligible for employment with the 21 state law enforcement agencies or 43 municipal police departments within Alaska.

This session’s students come from all over Alaska and the Lower 48, including Homer, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nulato, Washington, Minnesota, Montana and New York. The class speaker is Alice Williams with the Petersburg Police Department.

The ceremony brings the total number of academy graduates to 359 since August 2001. The next session of the academy begins Feb. 13, 2012.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Dusty Johnson, CTC law enforcement academy program coordinator, at 907-455-2811 or via email at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: http://www.tvc.uaf.edu/programs/lawacad/index.html

DH/11-10-100/107-12

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
9/16/11

A $4 million equipment donation from BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has made the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College one of only a few programs in the nation to offer a working wellhead in a classroom environment.

“The wellhead and equipment gives students in our process technology program the opportunity to train on the same equipment in a classroom environment they will encounter in the field,” said Brian Ellingson, coordinator for the CTC process technology program. “It gives process technology and engineering students the ability to learn crucial safety standards and procedures that will make them smarter, safer, and more efficient operators at oil and gas production facilities.”

“This wellhead and process technology equipment will provide hands-on experience for UAF engineering and process technology students. Training and hiring qualified Alaskans is critical to our business and we believe this investment will help the excellent program at UAF be even better.” said John Mingé, President BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.

The majority of the equipment came from the former BP Gas to Liquids plant in Kenai.  Ellingson said the miscellaneous equipment made its way to Fairbanks over a span of several months, beginning last November. The refurbished wellhead, which had been fully operational on Alaska’s North Slope, arrived in Fairbanks in July.

The wellhead is the only working model located in a classroom environment in Alaska and one of only a few in the country. It functions as a wellhead does in the field, with production flow out and gas injection capabilities. Pressures have been reduced for safety precautions in a classroom environment.

“Our longtime partnership with BP Alaska has impacted almost every area of the university,” said UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers. “This generous gift to the Community and Technical College will ensure our students have the tools and training they need to enter a successful career after graduation and clearly demonstrates BP’s commitment to the future of this industry and to the quality education of Alaska’s workforce.”

The process technology program at UAF’s Community and Technical College offers a two-year associate degree that prepares graduates for employment in the areas of oil and gas production, mining and milling, transportation, refining, utilities, wastewater treatment and facilities maintenance. In addition, the program offers one-year certificates in power generation, safety, health and environmental awareness, and instrumentation technology.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Brian Ellingson, process technology program coordinator, at 907-455-2898 or via email at [email protected]. Steve Rinehart, BP press office, 907-564-5668.

ON THE WEB: www.ctc.uaf.edu/programs/protech/index.htm

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos are available online at www.uafnews.com.

MR/9-16-11/066-12

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
8/22/11

The UAF Community and Technical College will host an open house and registration event Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the newly renovated building at 604 Barnette Street.

The event is open to all new and returning students, as well as people looking for more information about the many degree programs available.

Students will be able to speak with program advisors, register for UAF classes, pay fees, apply for financial aid and more, all in one night.

For more information about the open house and registration event, visit www.ctc.uaf.edu or call 907-455-2800.

ON THE WEB: www.ctc.uaf.edu

MMR/8-22-11/041psa-12

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
8/18/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College will graduate 15 students from the only nationally accredited paramedic program in the State of Alaska. The ceremony will take place Aug. 19, at 1 p.m. in the University Park Building gymnasium located at 1000 University Ave.

The CTC paramedic academy meets the 1998 Department of Transportation requirements for paramedic education. The State of Alaska sets the hourly requirements. The classroom portion of the program must be at least 500 hours, while the clinical and field internships must be 232 hours and 480 hours respectively, for a total of more than 1,200 hours of training. The third semester is spent in hospitals and emergency medical service locations in the Lower 48.

Following the successful completion of the required courses, graduates are eligible to take the National Registry Examination for certification as a paramedic. Once nationally certified, students are eligible to apply for licensure as a paramedic in the State of Alaska. Provided all core requirements have been met, students are also eligible for an associate’s degree in emergency services with a concentration in emergency medicine.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Chuck Kuhns, paramedic program coordinator, at 907-455-2895 or via e-mail at [email protected].

MMR/8-18-11/039ma-12

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
5/27/11

Veteran community college administrator Susan Whitener has been named dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College.

“It is an honor to be joining the energetic and dedicated students, faculty, and staff at UAF’s Community and Technical College,” says Whitener, who is currently an associate vice chancellor at West Hills Community College District in Central California.  “I am looking forward to working with Fairbanks and surrounding communities in order to expand on the college’s growth and success.”

Whitener said she found the people in Fairbanks welcoming and was impressed by the quality of programs offered by faculty and staff members who are devoted to their students.

“UAF’s Community and Technical College provides exceptional programs for its students; the range and vitality of these programs is an inspiration to those of us who are passionate about the mission of community colleges,” she said. “Core academics at UAF’s CTC along with technical programs provide students a bridge for opportunities that are relevant to success in the 21st century.”

Whitener has spent more than 20 years in higher education. She worked from 1983 until 2000 at California State University, Fresno in a variety of professional and management positions. Her work for the last ten years at West Hills Community College District includes a variety of positions in distance education, technology, planning, curriculum, grant writing and management, and academic oversight. She currently heads eCampus, which is a distance education program servicing Central California. She is also completing a doctorate in education with an emphasis on community college leadership at Walden University.

“I’m pleased that Susan Whitener has accepted the position as dean of the UAF Community and Technical College,” said Bernice Joseph, vice chancellor of the College of Rural and Community Development. “She brings a wealth of experience in developing and managing programs at the community college level and implementing distance technologies. I am looking forward to working with her and the CTC faculty and staff as they position the school for the future.”

Michele Stalder has served as interim dean since May of 2010, when former dean Rick Caulfield left to become provost at the University of Alaska Southeast.. The search committee was comprised of university faculty and staff members, and members of the local community.

According to Cathy Winfree, committee chair, Whitener was recommended for the position based on her experience with and understanding of the community college mission.

“During her visit to Fairbanks she clearly recognized the importance of CTC to the Fairbanks community. We look forward to working with her to strengthen those relationships and take our college to the next level,” Winfree said.

UAF’s Community and Technical College offers 40 one-year certificate and two-year associate degree and specialized training programs and serves over 3,000 students every semester. With its community college mission, CTC serves the needs of a diverse student population, including first-generation college attendees, traditional and nontraditional students, military students and those seeking job training.

Whitener is expected to begin in July.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Bernice Joseph, vice chancellor, at 907-474-7143 or via email at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.ctc.uaf.edu

MR/5-27-11/239-11

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
5/11/11

Fifteen students will graduate from the 20th session of the UAF Community and Technical College Law Enforcement Academy Friday, May 13 at 1 p.m. at the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer Park.

The graduation marks the culmination of the 13-week academy, which is offered twice a year. The academy is designed to provide students with basic police training, which enables them to receive the Alaska Police Standards Certification. The certification makes them eligible for employment with the 21 state law enforcement agencies or 43 municipal police departments within Alaska.

This session’s students come from all over Alaska and the Lower 48 including Fairbanks, Chugiak, Soldotna, Whittier, Anchorage, Whittier, Nulato, North Pole, Unalaska, Kenai and El Paso, Texas. The class speaker is Alexander “Alex” Sporleder with the North Pole Police Department.

The ceremony brings the total number of academy graduates to 342 since August 2001.  The next session of the academy begins Aug. 15, 2011.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Dusty Johnson, CTC law enforcement academy program coordinator, at 907-455-2811 or via email at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: http://www.tvc.uaf.edu/programs/lawacad/index.html

MR/5-11-11/227-11

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
3/30/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has selected four finalists for the position of dean at the UAF Community and Technical College:

• Stanley Brings, former associate dean and director of workforce education for the College of Technology at Boise State University;
• Susan Whitener, associate vice chancellor of educational planning at West Hills Community College District in Prether, Calif.;
• Kevin Brockbank, executive director for academic and workforce development at University of Montana Helena College of Technology; and
• Frederick Smith, former chief academic officer, vice president and most recently president of Kalamath Community College in Kalamath, Ore.

Photos, biographies and resumes of each finalist are available at www.ctc.uaf.edu/deansearch.

Finalists will tour campus and meet with faculty and staff members, students, the administration and the broader community in April. Community members are encouraged to attend open forums with the candidates. Feedback forms will be available at the forums and on CTC’s website.

Candidate forums will be held Tuesday, April 5; Friday, April 22; Tuesday, April 26; and Thursday, April 28. All forums will take place from 4:30 – 6 p.m. in Room 119 at the UAF Community and Technical College at 604 Barnette Street.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Cathy Winfree, hiring committee chair, at 907-455-2876 or via e-mail at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.ctc.uaf.edu/deansearch

MR/3-30-11/187-11

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
2/15/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Sustainability has partnered with UAF’s Community and Technical College to install power-saving cords on campus and employee vehicles. The new technology reduces the amount of electricity needed to keep vehicles warm when they are plugged in.

The cords reduce the cost of heating the engine coolant by using power only when the engine coolant temperature drops below a certain temperature.

The goal of the program is to install cords in university-owned vehicles and employee vehicles that are routinely plugged in on campus. To date, 31 cords have been installed on university-owned vehicles at UAF Facilities Services.  Beginning Feb. 14, the UAF Community and Technical College will donate the use of its automotive technology facility at 3201 Industrial Avenue for installation of the cords on vehicles owned by students and faculty and staff members.

Golden Valley Electric Association is donating the cords and Brandon Hoover, a student employee of the Office of Sustainability, will install them. The program was developed by the student RISE board, a group of students with the mission of making UAF a sustainable campus. Appointments can be scheduled through the UAF Office of Sustainability, Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Michele Hebert, UAF Office of Sustainability, at 907-474-5070 or via e-mail at [email protected].

MR/2-15-11/150-11

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
11/3/10

The classrooms at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College are typically filled with students this time of year. This Friday, the students will be a little smaller than usual: 65 sixth-graders from Woodriver Elementary School will spend the day at 604 Barnette Street during the annual I’m Going to College event, which runs from 9:45.a.m.- 2 p.m.

The event highlights careers in the medical, dental, fire science, law enforcement, information technology, construction management and drafting fields, all degrees offered by UAF CTC. The sessions will be hands-on, designed for elementary school students and taught by college faculty members in their respective disciplines.

I’m Going to College is designed to introduce elementary school students to college. It is sponsored by the UA College Savings Program, Northwestern Education Loan Association, Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education and UAF Financial Aid. The program has been in existence for eight years and has served approximately 2,500 elementary school students in the Fairbanks area.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Ashley Munro, financial aid advisor, at 907-474-1934 or via e-mail at [email protected].

MR/11-2-10/082ma-11

Michelle Renfrew
907-455-2833
9/20/10

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has approved a new associate of applied science degree in drafting technology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College.

The new degree combines instruction in computer-aided drafting with building techniques and materials common to construction in Alaska. The degree provides broad training in the vocabulary and skills needed in the architectural, engineering and construction fields, including mathematics, drawing and multifunctional CAD techniques, and building information modeling technologies. Courses also cover many aspects of design and construction, including building materials, codes, and civil, mechanical, electrical and structural technologies. Additionally, internships will give students the opportunity to work side-by-side with local architects and engineers, giving them valuable on-the-job experience.

The new degree meets the growing needs of Alaska industry, said program coordinator Thane Magelky. “With this degree, we will be graduating students who not only know how to use CAD, but who also have the knowledge of design and construction needed to communicate and work with engineers, architects and contractors.”

The Alaska Department of Labor predicts a 19.6 percent increase in drafters employed in the state of Alaska between 2006 and 2016, exceeding the projected state average employment growth rate of 14 percent.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Thane Magelky, UAF CTC drafting technology coordinator, at 907-455-2845 or via e-mail at [email protected]

MR/9-20-10/049-11