Category — New Programs
NASA Langley – TNCC Co-op Students Involved in Newest U.S. Space Craft
Nearly 20 Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) students are officially part of United States aerospace history. A product of their work at NASA Langley Research Center soared into the stratosphere on October 28 when NASA’s newest craft – its Constellation Program’s Ares I-X test rocket – roared off Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, the Ares I-X lifted off for a six-minute flight test. The launch was the first from Kennedy’s pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program’s Saturn rockets were retired, according to NASA officials. This project is among several initiatives that are part of NASA’s new vision for space exploration to replace U.S. space shuttles that have been in flight since the 1980s.
November 9, 2009 Comments Off
Make it a Safe Ride: TNCC Motorcycle Classes Promote Safety on the Road
According to reports, more people have been killed in motorcycle accidents this year in Hampton Roads than in 2008. As the fall season rolls in with its beautiful mild weather, many motorcycle owners are planning scenic rides to enjoy wonderful autumn views. Now is the perfect time for new and advanced riders to consider taking a Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) motorcycle safety course to reduce their risks on the road.
Motorcycle riders face many more dangers on the road than automobile drivers. TNCC offers year-round Virginia Rider Training Program motorcycle classes to provide riders with the opportunity to continually enhance their knowledge and driving ability while operating a motorcycle.
November 5, 2009 Comments Off
UVa Engineering Program Offer is Open to TNCC Students
Patricia Taylor, TNCC’s Dean of Mathematics Engineering and Technologies, has announced an exciting offer from the University of Virginia (UVa) that TNCC Engineering students can explore. UVa is giving students an opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree in engineering without traveling to Charlottesville.
Taylor asks all TNCC faculty and staff to share this great news.
UVa is now offering one of its undergraduate degree programs fully at a distance. Graduates of an Associate of Science in Engineering degree program (or equivalent) are potentially eligible for the program. For more information, visit the following web site: http://www.seas.virginia.edu/producedinva.
Those interested may contact Dr. James Groves at jgroves@virginia.edu or (434) 924-6261. Groves is an associate professor, Assistant Dean for Research and Outreach and Director of the Engineers PRODUCED in Virginia program at UVa.
November 4, 2009 Comments Off
Student ‘communities’ progress together at TNCC
Tabatha Hankerson isn’t sure she would have stayed at Thomas Nelson Community College if its Communities of Learning program wasn’t recommended.
Hankerson spent last spring as part of one of the communities, which are groups of students who attend classes together. Students are also set up with faculty and staff in common for support and extra help staying in school.
October 9, 2009 Comments Off
TNCC Receives $35,000+ Grant for New Mathematics Program
Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) aims to increase success in developmental math courses with Student Success Using Math Modules (SSUMM). The program was introduced as a pilot this fall for students enrolled in MTH 03: Algebra I and MTH 04: Algebra II and will be added to the College’s offerings in spring 2010.
TNCC was awarded a $65,000 Chancellors E-Learning Enhancement and Development (CEED) grant last year to develop SSUMM. This year, the College received a $36,015 CEED grant to pilot the program. TNCC mathematics instructors Catherine Hoffmaster, Libby Arnesen, Elena Byrd, Heng Fu, Krystyna Karminska-Makagon, Theresa Nystrom and Julia Varbalow developed the program.
SSUMM will divide each course into four sections to allow students to focus on a limited number of concepts at a time. A diagnostic test will be administered at the beginning of the semester to assess student knowledge. “One of the advantages of the SSUMM Program is that students can skip modules if they have already mastered the material,” said Hoffmaster. “Another distinct advantage is that if a student does not master a module, he or she can repeat it immediately. This eliminates a semester of frustration for the student.
A third advantage is that if a student gets through only some of the modules in one semester, the student can re-enroll the next semester and start where they left off instead of starting the course all over again,” she added.
Each section will be taught simultaneously to avoid scheduling conflicts as students move from one module to another during the semester. TNCC instructors will use a customized book for the courses and supplement the text with MyMathLab, an online math program that uses tutorials, homework, quizzes, videos and more to help students work through assignments.
September 17, 2009 Comments Off
Certificate in Fire Science Leadership Added to TNCC Offerings
Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) has expanded its offerings this fall to include a Career Studies Certificate in Fire Science Leadership. The new program was created in response to needs expressed by local fire departments and educates students about the latest advances in the field of fire science. TNCC also offers an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science Technology.
“This is just the beginning of many opportunities our service area can expect from TNCC,” said Norman Hahn, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The College continues to position itself to provide college degrees and certificates to meet the needs of our business partners and the workforce. We continue to Reach. Teach. Serve. as One College. One Vision,” he said.
The Fire Science Leadership Career Studies Certificate will increase the likelihood of promotion in the field for aspiring firefighters. The 29-credit program features an array of new courses, including Fire Instructor and Fire Officer courses and an Emergency Service Supervision course. The curriculum complements the new classes with several existing courses, including Occupational Safety and Health for Fire Service, Building Construction for Fire Protection, Fire Administration and Legal Aspects of Fire Service. Before completing the program, each student is required to participate in a coordinated internship or cooperative education opportunity. Both are made possible by partnerships between TNCC and local fire departments.
Fire science covers many aspects of the fire service profession — the behavior of fire, the basics of fire extinguishment, rescue, and relevant environmental policy. Careers in the field include firefighter, fire inspector and fire investigator as well as forest fire inspector and prevention specialist.
For more information about TNCC’s new Fire Science Leadership program, visit TNCC’s website at www.tncc.edu.
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September 10, 2009 Comments Off
TNCC students learn about their majors in English class
Recognizing that generic material in an English class is, for some, akin to watching paint dry, Thomas Nelson Community College instructors have tailored some English classes for freshmen to specific areas of study.
So as classes started Saturday, TNCC put to the test the idea that reading and writing on topics related to a student’s future profession will hold attention longer.
English 111: College Composition I will be available to coincide with studies in science and technology, social science, business and accounting, liberal arts and pre-nursing, said college officials.
The new courses are part of TNCC’s Communities of Learning program, which helps students successfully transition into the college environment with a team of counselors, advisers and career planners.
It was launched about three years ago to help students in developmental, or noncredit, English classes.
August 25, 2009 Comments Off
Students get first-hand look at STEM career options
Students had to return to classrooms in mid-summer, but fortunately for them, one physics project required riding roller coasters at Busch Gardens.
It was part of a camp designed to introduce a group of local high schoolers to career possibilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Career coaches from Thomas Nelson Community College’s office of outreach and recruitment, who work with students in their schools, sponsored the event this week.
Time for New Career Choices: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) 101 included hands-on activities, presentations by professionals and field trips.
The STEM fields are receiving a lot of attention as areas where workers will be needed in the future. Both candidates for governor — Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell — have made training workers for those jobs a priority and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council’s recently launched Grow by Degrees initiative placed training workers in STEM fields among its seven areas of emphasis.
July 10, 2009 Comments Off
