Guest contributors discuss their relationships with Washtenaw Community College in the "Keep Up the Good Work" column found regularly in On The Record ...
— February 2020
Washtenaw Community College is a valued partner to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) as we serve the people of Washtenaw County. Both organizations are committed to building and sustaining a strong community by creating safe, just and equitable spaces that support people attempting to experience the highest quality of life.
WCC provides multiple training and educational opportunities in the criminal justice field. WCC Criminal Justice courses help prepare members of the public who are interested in careers in a variety of public service-related professions. The WCC Police and Correction Academies train new professionals seeking service opportunities with the WCSO and other agencies.
WCC also supports in-service training programs for certified law enforcement officers
by offering a myriad of programs and resources to include: WCC MILO training facility,
providing scenario-based training opportunities that better prepare law enforcement
to manage active shooter and other critical situations, Emergency Vehicle Operation
training and Critical Incident Casualty Management. We all know that trained officers are essential to providing service excellence.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office strives to make the lives of all our residents better, including those who have been previously marginalized or previously justice involved. WCC has been a strong community partner in this space and extremely helpful to us as we work to fulfill our mission.
WCC partners with the WCSO through WCSO/ Washtenaw Intermediate School District Education Services in the jail, focusing on: Academic Skills Improvement, Counseling and Support Services, College and Job Skills Development, Individual Tutoring, and GED Preparation. A Michigan Department of Corrections/WCSO Community Corrections grant will pay for felony probationers to obtain vocational certificates through WCC.
Multiple WCC community-based programs (such as the WCC Adult Transitions Pathways Program) help open doors for those trying to increase their education or skills, which improves their lives and strengthens our communities.
As the WCSO and our community partners move forward with the diversion, re-entry and restorative justice initiatives being envisioned in Washtenaw County to reform the criminal /social justice system, the programming offered by WCC will be even more valuable.
Thank you, Washtenaw Community College, for being such a great partner to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and such an asset to Washtenaw County and our residents.
— January 2020
Washtenaw Community College remains one of my favorite stops in Michigan’s 12th congressional
district. Like the thousands of students there, I’m learning too — about the college’s
great cutting edge technical training, its strong nursing program and its overall
academic excellence that prepares students for the next steps on their life’s journey.
In fact, it’s interacting with students, many of whom are first generation attendees, that I enjoy most. Their stories motivate me to make sure there’s strong support at every level of government for higher education, especially community colleges.
I was proud to have been awarded an Honorary Associate Degree in Community Service by the WCC Board of Trustees in 2016 at the college’s annual commencement. In accepting, I told students to learn to listen to each other, that it’s the little things you do that speak the loudest in the big picture. I also urged them to make a difference in the world and make it a better place for future generations.
WCC is excelling at its job of shaping promising futures for its students.
Washtenaw Community College, Keep Up the Good Work!
— December 2019
I have the pleasure of serving as your State Senator, representing most of Washtenaw County known as District 18. I want to thank Washtenaw Community College for hosting a tour of campus so I could get a better sense of the student experience. On the tour, I was able to see buildings like the Advanced Transportation Center. Known for its engineering opportunities, the center serves as a space for students to get hands-on experience.
Joined by a student in the Automotive Service Technology program, I learned more about WCC's process of building cars from the ground up and the development of technology for vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
I am proud to work on behalf of WCC and act as an advocate for the institution in Lansing. Recently, I had the opportunity to ensure the GED-to-School work project got renewed and received funding from the state budget. The project, administered by the Talent and Economic Development department, is designed to support the cost of an applicant taking a high school equivalency test when a test applicant demonstrates readiness through a state approved test preparation process. I look forward to bringing more issues to light and helping to serve the students and faculty as much as possible.
Washtenaw Community College is fortunate to have tremendous leadership in its president, Dr. Rose B. Bellanca. I've worked with Dr. Bellanca for a number of years and she has demonstrated a deep commitment to the college.
Keep Up the Good Work, Washtenaw Community College.
— October 2019
The last half century has seen dramatic economic and technological changes in the automotive industry. Those changes are now accelerating as the industry strives to transform the global transportation and mobility system.
The University of Michigan is leading that charge, but the transformation requires industry, academia and communities to create partnerships to focus on rapid change, technology implementation and, of course, a workforce of highly skilled technicians in the field of intelligent transportation systems, advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.
The U-M Transportation Institute (UMTRI) has partnered with Washtenaw Community College to enable this rapid change. WCC is a consortium member in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Center for Connected and Automated Transportation and as such recently purchased a mobility hacking workbench. This workbench allows students hands-on experience with an exact replica of an auto's communication and computer systems. WCC has been a leader in cybersecurity education and training since the early 2000s, and this workbench will enable them to accelerate their vision. WCC is believed to be the only college in the nation with its own mobile hacking workbench.
WCC faculty, staff and students are on the cutting edge of the revolution in transportation and mobility. On behalf of UMTRI, Keep Up the Good Work!
— August 2019
Washtenaw Community College is a leader in excellence, innovation and engagement in our state, continually striving to improve the lives of its outstanding students, faculty and staff. The college has managed to ensure quality while remaining affordable, retaining students and expanding cutting-edge workforce training and education for our residents.
Whether partnering with the state to attract, grow and develop talent in our county; pulling millions of dollars to support the Advanced Transportation Center; or successfully advocating for hundreds of thousands of dollars to support GED students, the college continues to build a better institution for our community.
I am proud of the engagement and direct partnerships between the college and our local municipalities, K-12 educational institutions, the business community and non-profit organizations like the Parkridge Community Center. WCC works with Destination Ann Arbor to bring world-class skills training programs to our area that strengthen our local economy, provides community enrichment programs for residents, and so much more.
Our county is stronger when we all work together. Our ability to improve the lives of residents is not done in silos, but through thoughtful and smart institutions and people coming together to build a better community to live, work, learn and raise a family.
On behalf of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, Keep Up the Good Work Washtenaw Community College!
— April 2019
On behalf of the University of Michigan, I am honored to join our friends, neighbors and colleagues at Washtenaw Community College in celebrating National Community College Month. Our decades-long partnership is providing tremendous opportunities for the people we serve.
WCC sits atop the list of schools that transfer students to U-M. In the past 10 years, nearly 3,800 students from WCC have enrolled at our Ann Arbor campus, pursuing their educational aspirations and enhancing our intellectual community. We continue to strive to increase transfer pathways, including efforts in our College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
Our successful recruiting legacy at WCC is a testament to the excellent work of your students, faculty, staff and supporters. U-M's admissions counselors regularly praise the talent, commitment and preparation of WCC's students, and academic programs throughout U-M cherish their contributions. Our Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, Transportation Research Institute, and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation are initiatives that work in collaboration with WCC to foster student success.
It is heartening to know that for more than half a century, Washtenaw County has been home to a community college that opens the doors to quality, affordable education. WCC adds immeasurably to the quality of life in our region. I hear it from U-M students and see it first-hand in the community.
I believe the future of our state and its economic prosperity depend on our ability to perpetuate and enhance the great work we are doing as premier educational resources for people in our community. Thank you, WCC, for your commitment ot making lives better through education, and I look forward to our continued collaborations in the years ahead.
Tags: February 2020, Keeping Up the Good Work, On The Record, ousearch_News_On The Record