Budget approved at Glen Oaks

Glen Oaks Community College’s Board of Trustees Wednesday approved the school’s 2010-11 fiscal year budget. The $11.5 million budget is an increase from a $10.9 million amount set a year ago.

Officials from the Centreville-area college said the change in budget reflects a double-digit increase in student enrollment, as well as proportionate rising expenses for payroll and fringe benefits. The new budget also takes into account the recent 3.9 percent tuition and fees increase that take effect this fall.

In another matter, Dennis McCarthy, dean of student and community services, reported that the 2009-10 academic year saw the equivalent of 1,215 full-time students take classes at Glen Oaks. Total student count, including part-time, was 1,700 students. Enrollment for Spring/Summer classes is continuing but figures show 674 students are taking class this semester. The number reflects a 7 percent increase from a year ago, McCarthy said.

College officials said the school is offering 147 courses this summer.

GOCC announces Shaheen award

Glen Oaks Community College has announced that Chad Worthington, an instructor of psychology, was awarded the 2009-10 E.J. Shaheen Chair for Teaching Excellence award. Introduced in the mid 1980s, the award recognizes college faculty for their innovative, quality instruction.

The 31-year-old Worthington, a Battle Creek native, has taught at Glen Oaks for two years. The award includes an engraved oak chair and a monetary prize presented during a faculty dinner. The annual award is funded with an endowment created by the late Eli J. Shaheen, a Sturgis businessman and former Glen Oaks Board of Trustees member who valued quality education.

GOCC seeks to improve student success

Glen Oaks Community College is one of 26 junior colleges in the country to subscribe to the program “Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count.”

As a result, Glen Oaks has committed to take part in the national initiative to identify strategies to improve student success, close achievement gaps, and increase retention and student-completion rates.

Glen Oaks President Gary Wheeler said the two-year commitment will focus on increased efforts to ensure student success across all demographics, including low-income backgrounds.

Wheeler said the Centreville-area school will benefit from member colleges already a part of “Achieving the Dream” and receive assistance from experienced practitioners in using data to identify problems, set priorities and measure progress toward increasing student success.

Glen Oaks wins title

The title of world’s largest meatball officially belongs to Glen Oaks Community College.

Organizers behind the task were notified via e-mail yesterday morning that the 254-pound meatball prepared in April at the Centreville-area community college was validated by officials from the Guinness World Records.

Lester Keith, a Glen Oaks professor of business administration, said he provided Guinness officials 32 hours worth of video, nearly a dozen newspaper clippings and copies of six statements from people involved in the event, including a sheriff’s department deputy and a health department member.

The meatball was more than 30 pounds heavier than the previous record holder, prepared in November by Nonni’s Italian Eatery in Concord, N.H.

Nonni’s owner, Matthew Mitnitsky, offered his congratulations and said he would ponder the idea of attempting to reclaim the record.

Keith, meanwhile, said the Centreville meatball provided about 900 meals. The record will be referenced in the Guinness World Record’s 2011 edition.

Glen Oaks announces scholarships

The highest scholarship awarded at Glen Oaks Community College, the Presidential Scholarships, have been bestowed to nine graduating high school seniors.

The scholarships provide up to $4,000 for each of two years to cover tuition costs and fees. The second year of the award is renewed if a student maintains a 3.5 GPA during their first year at the Centreville-area school.

Presidential Scholarship recipients from the area are Nhan Ho, from Three Rivers High School; Steven Carr, from Colon High School; Mallory Martin and Nicholas Huff, both from Mendon High School; Megan Schwartz, from Bronson High School; Michael Carr, from Sturgis High School; and Kendall Stuckey, from Centreville High School.

Glen Oaks approves tuition increase

Tuition at Glen Oaks Community College will be going up 3.9 percent and fee increases also will be raised starting in the fall semester.

The college’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday agreed to the hikes, citing an expected shortfall of revenue from state appropriations. College President Gary Wheeler said the increases will help the Centreville-area institution continue to provide the best facilities and quality instruction for its students.

The hike will increase in-district costs to $80 per contact hour, up from $77. Among the fee increases, the school’s technology fee will move from $5 to $6, parking lot fee will go up from $16 to $17 for part-time students and from $30 to $32 for full-time students, and student activities fee will go from $30 to $32.

Glen Oaks drew 1,607 students in the winter semester, a 13 percent increase from the previous winter semester.

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