Philadelphia, PA. (Dec. 6, 2013)—On Saturday Community College of Philadelphia’s men’s basketball team will honor the life of a student and former player, Micah Fisher, who was killed November 9 by gunfire.

The College will retire Fisher’s number 11 Colonials team jersey and hold a moment of silence for him at the start of the 11 a.m. men’s basketball alumni game. The game will be played in the Athletic Center/Gymnasium on the west side of 17th Street between Spring Garden and Callowhill streets.

Fisher, 25, was taking classes at the College this semester, though he was no longer a member of the Colonials, the name of the men’s basketball team. He played on the team during the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons. Philadelphia police said Fisher, an innocent bystander, was hit by gunfire during a dispute in the Hunting Park section of the city.

On December 7, basketball team alumni will gather for a moment of silence and the athletic director, Rogers Gipsy, will offer a remembrance. A replica of Fisher’s number 11 Colonials team jersey will be displayed and eventually encased and hung on a wall in the gymnasium, according to Anita Lewis, the administrative assistant who is helping to organize the event. Fisher’s family and friends have been invited, and his mother, Kasey of the Frankford section of the city, said she will attend.

Alumni games are held annually, but this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Colonials first state championship. Players from 20 years ago, including those who played in that first championship game, have been invited for an hour of basketball where they will play against former team mates and colleagues. The men’s basketball team has a 4-3 record for the current season.

The Lady Colonials (2-4) will also host an alumni game Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. Their game also will begin with a moment of silence honoring the memory of Nyesha “Woe” Whitney, 26, who was shot and killed in June 2009. Her number 13 Colonials jersey, which was retired the year she died, is displayed in the building.

During both the women’s and men’s alumni games, players will wear jerseys that reflect the team’s colors as they were 20 years ago. The women will wear headbands that bear Whitney’s “13”, and the men will wear headbands with Fisher’s “11”. The alumni games are expected to end shortly after noon. A regular basketball game will be held at 1 p.m. with the women playing against a team from Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia.

The College recently joined the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA.) Athletes competed in Region XIX this year as part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (EPAC). The NJCAA is the national governing body for two-year college athletic programs nationwide. The men’s and women’s basketball, cross-country, tennis, and track and field teams have participated in structured conferences, regional tournaments, and national championships.

Larry Thi was a stand-out student at Community College of Philadelphia before transferring to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a scholarship worth up to $30,000 a year.

Now a UNC graduate and a high school teaching fellow with a nonprofit group called 12+, the scholar and alumnus last month came back to the place where his higher education career started, but this time he was looking for new tools to help inner city youth realize academic success.

Thi was among more than a dozen educators and advocates who attended a town-hall style information session for community leaders on November 19 in the Main Campus Pavilion. The workshop was part of an initiative that seeks to give Philadelphia’s influential teachers, mentors and community leaders, who we call Pathfinders, timely access to the latest information regarding changes to financial aid, admissions deadlines and scholarships.

In 2011, Thi was selected to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a national award given to outstanding community college students. The award helped fund his undergraduate degree in history at UNC Chapel Hill, which Thi received in May 2013.

Since August, Thi has taught high school students in Kensington through 12+, which seeks to serve students from the most impoverished sections of the city. His mission now is to empower students and provide a road map to college.

“My current duties as a 12+ Fellow include providing college access to students at Kensington Health Sciences Academy, cultivating a college-going culture and promoting academic achievement,” Thi said. “I facilitate workshops to equip students with necessary skills to succeed, advise students one-on-one, and operate multiple after school programs including Chess Club, ESL Club and Poetry Club.”

The Pathfinders workshop provided useful information, he said. “I attended a teacher-parent conference and the parent asked me about learning disability support services provided by universities and colleges for her son. Having attended the Pathfinders workshop, I informed the parent about the Center on Disability and certain accommodations and support that may be provided for her child,” Thi said.

At the November workshop, Samuel Hirsch, Ed.D., vice president for Student Affairs, discussed the broad range of support services available to new students at the College. The Pathfinders asked a lot of questions about Single Stop, a national initiative that is new to our College. It provides free and comprehensive social and financial services to students as part of an effort to foster economic security and support student retention.

Students around the nation have received an average of $2,000 in public benefits, services and tax credits through Single Stop USA. Community College of Philadelphia is the 16th College in the nation to launch Single Stop.

Jennifer Cardoso, of Philadelphia Academies, Inc., a nonprofit youth development organization that works with several district schools, said she came to learn more about the Single Stop initiative. “I knew about it but was interested in knowing more,” Cardoso said.

New market research has shown that the College’s enrollment is being driven in part by community influencers who convince prospective students to enroll. The Pathfinders initiative is designed to support them and create opportunities for them to gather and share new ideas.

For more information about Pathfinders, contact Diane Kae, manager, Student Outreach and Recruitment at dkae [at] ccp.edu (dkae[at]ccp[dot]edu).

This fall, Community College of Philadelphia began offering a new service that allows students to learn about federal, state and local financial resources that they may not know they qualify for.

The model was developed by Single Stop USA, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income families and individuals build economic security. Students can receive access to a benefit screening and on-site assistance filing applications for federal, state and local services and resources.

“Single Stop is here to support all students and help them overcome economic barriers, continue with their education and move toward economic mobility. I firmly believe that our students will greatly benefit from Single Stop,” said Paula Umaña, who recently joined the staff to serve as the College’s Single Stop director.

When a person visits the Single Stop office, he or she has an opportunity to meet with an experienced benefits coach. Using a Web-based software program called Benefits Enrollment Network (BEN, for short), the coach can, in as little as 15 minutes, outline the benefits for which the person may be eligible.

In a recent 30-month period, the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and Single Stop USA have connected more than 48,000 community college students with $97 million worth of financial support.  Students around the nation have received an average of $2,000 in public benefits, services and tax credits through Single Stop USA. The Community College of Philadelphia is the 16^th College in the nation to launch Single Stop, said Diane Adler, of the Single Stop USA press office.

The College’s program is looking forward to serving students from the Main Campus and Regional Centers. In the coming months, offerings will expand to include free tax preparation, financial counseling and legal assistance.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, students should contact Single Stop at 215-516-3710, Singlestop [at] ccp.edu (Singlestop[at]ccp[dot]edu), or visit their office located in the Mint Building, Room M1-21; office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It is priceless to see how the work we do has a direct impact on the students we serve,” Umaña said. 

Honor student Maria Morrero is organizing faculty, students and staff to raise money at the St. Jude Give Thanks Walk Nov. 23 at the Philadelphia Zoo.

The five-mile walk is one of 75 that will take place in cities across the nation that day to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a research and treatment facility in Memphis dedicated to curing and treating pediatric cancer and deadly childhood diseases.

Area colleges such as La Salle and Villanova have teams participating in the walk. Morrero, a Liberal Arts major in her last semester, said she wants Community College of Philadelphia–the city’s only public institution of higher learning–to be represented. Walkers will receive Community College of Philadelphia buttons.

“I can’t imagine a nobler attempt than combating childhood cancer,” said Morrero, who organized the effort with fellow students, Vince Ancona, Adebayo Bello, Dominic Docimo and Kerry Walters. “It’s a privilege to work alongside other dedicated community college students to fight childhood cancer. It’s our role as students not only to further ourselves but to help the wider community.”

The walking team has set a goal of registering at least 25 walkers from the Main Campus and Northeast, Northwest and West Regional Centers. The team’s fundraising goal is $300.

Members of the College family who want to support this student-powered campaign to make a difference either can donate funds or sign-up to join the walk at http://walk.stjude.org/CCP. There is no fee to register. The team also plans to take on-site donations and registration during the Nov. 19 reception ceremony for the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society induction in the Pavilion.

“Any amount can make a difference,” Morrero said. “Donations make up 75 percent of St. Jude’s funding. Donations enable St. Jude to pay for everything so that families don’t have to. This includes care, housing, transportation and meals.”

Community College of Philadelphia awarded 20 two-year scholarships to deserving graduates from Philadelphia public and private schools during the Robert S. King Scholars Award Ceremony and Reception on Sept. 12.

The scholarship honors Robert S. King, the trustee who served the College for 24 years and later became an Emeritus Trustee. King remained an advocate of the College until his death in 2012 at age 90. 

The scholarship is awarded to outstanding local students who have graduated near the top of their class from a registered or licensed diploma-granting high school and seek an associate’s degree.

During this year’s ceremony, King’s daughter, Rev. Gwendolyn King, congratulated the students and their families and encouraged them to make the most of this experience. “What you make of this opportunity is totally up to you, but we believe in you,” she said. “Community college didn’t exist in my dad’s day, but it exists now for you.”

Ashley Mason, a 2012 recipient of the Robert S. King Scholarship, encouraged the scholars to participate in study groups and told them not to be afraid to ask for help. Mason, who wants to become a health care administrator, plans to transfer to Drexel University after earning her associate’s degree. She currently is working for the CEO of Guest Relations at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The College has many scholarships available for deserving students, said Patti Conroy, associate director of Scholarship Programs.

“It’s one of our premier scholarships, and it’s a tremendous opportunity for high school seniors to come here, complete two years, including summers, with very little costs . . . That’s a phenomenal opportunity these days,” she said.

Applications for next year’s scholarships are due June 1, 2014. Visit the Scholarships section for more on eligibility requirements and to search available scholarships.

Community College of Philadelphia unveiled a redesigned www.ccp.edu that’s technologically savvy and easier to use on Monday, Sept. 30. The College marked the occasion by handing out free popcorn, soft pretzels, cookies and candy at the Pavilion Building. Colonial Phil shook hands and posed for photos as nearby students participated in live web demonstrations.

The new website is more visual and better organized, with a softer look, and has a greater focus on prospective students, according to Lynette Brown-Sow, vice president for Marketing and Government Relations. It automatically adjusts to the user’s screen size, whether it’s a computer screen, tablet or smartphone.

The center of the new homepage features welcome messages to prospective students and a backdrop of College images that change gradually. Under the College banner, seven well-spaced drop-down tabs provide details on topics such as the admission process, campus life and student services. Under the tab “Why Choose Us,” links take users to pages highlighting college success stories, outstanding programs and faculty excellence. Links to the College’s social media pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube appear on all pages.

Kiaera Mouzon, a Nursing student, gave the redesign a thumbs-up. “The design is different. It’s nice,” she said.  Science major Francis Giron said, “It’s more up-to-date. It’s just more modern.”

Many students began navigating through the new site to look for answers for the scavenger hunt based on the new site. Students, faculty and staff were emailed a link to the scavenger hunt invitation, which asks five questions. To play, participants must search the new website for the right answers to the questions. Players can type the answers into the invitation webpage, and enter their name and College email addresses for a chance to win the prize.

Students participating in the website scavenger hunt were entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card. Faculty and staff participants have a chance to win a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card. The contest ends Oct. 11.

Jamere Lawrence, a Business student, liked the new website and also liked the new MyGPS tool the College launched on the intranet this fall. “I love Community College of Philadelphia. Everything they do is innovative,” he said.  

The next phase of the website redesign will start in a few months and will focus on the internal site accessed through my.ccp.edu. 

On September 7, a group of 23 entrepreneurs will graduate from the inaugural class of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses- Greater Philadelphia program. These business owners are a highly diverse group, representing the city and suburbs, three states and a wide variety of industries from manufacturing to food and technology, but they also have much in common – a proven track record and a willingness to learn from and share with peers.

The business leaders have spent 14 weeks - roughly 100 class hours - at the Community College of Philadelphia studying a business and management curriculum designed by Babson College and customized by Community College of Philadelphia faculty. The curriculum covered accounting, human resources, negotiation and marketing, among other topics. The program also included one-on-one business advising, accounting workshops and advice from Goldman Sachs professionals.

The business owners in the Greater Philadelphia cohort will present their growth plans on Saturday, Sept. 7, and then gather at 2 p.m. for the graduation ceremony in the Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28, 1751 Callowhill Street.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Nicole Pullen Ross, Mid-Atlantic Region Head of
Goldman Sachs, and Judith Gay, Ph.D., interim president at the College, will be on hand to offer congratulations and note the significance of their efforts to the entire region. 

"We are delighted to bring 10,000 Small Businesses – Greater Philadelphia to a region that is rich in history, talent and creative energy,” says Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who will meet with the class at 1:30p.m. in Room C2-5 of the Center for Business and Industry. “Small businesses spur economic growth in our neighborhoods, supply our fastest growing industries and generate new ideas. Philadelphia is a great fit for this initiative because of our continuing emphasis on business growth and job development.”

Dr. Gay says the first class already is lengthening the ladders of opportunity across Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. “As small businesses grow, there are more jobs for our college graduates, greater security for working families and new vitality for neighborhoods. Our College is pleased to be a part of this collaborative approach to economic development. It allows us to expand the range of services we provide to small- and family-owned businesses at the Northeast Regional Center.”

“The small business owners who are graduating are strengthening the Philadelphia economy by the jobs they’re creating and the revenues that their businesses are generating,” said Nicole Pullen Ross of Goldman Sachs.  “We are pleased to work with our local partners in this program as we continue to strengthen our longstanding commitment to the Philadelphia region.”

Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and Community First Fund – in a separate but complementary part of the program - originate loans to small businesses. Businesses do not have to take classes to submit loan applications.

Manuel Trujillo, president and CEO of Swain Techs, has been selected by the 22 other graduates to represent them at the ceremony. He credits the program with teaching him the language of business and financials. “I was able to immediately answer all the bankers’ questions by using the model we were given and simulating real-time scenarios with them. This increased their confidence that I had the ability to manage the growth in my business. As a result, I recently received access to $1.5 million in financing. Just a few months ago, I asked to borrow $300,000 and was rejected four times before eventually receiving a $50,000 loan.”

“It has been a humbling experience to see how much you learn from other successful entrepreneurs and scholars,” Trujillo says. “We all come from different industries and backgrounds, but we learned quickly we share the same struggles. It made me realize we all have been there, and we can learn from each other.”

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million program that will unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. The program is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to this combination of education, capital and support services best addresses barriers to growth for small businesses.  The program is operating fully in 9 sites including Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City, as well as 6 capital-only states including Kentucky, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.  Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation are committing $20 million to the program in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Goldman Sachs opened its Philadelphia office in 1920.  Over this period of time, the office has supported the Equities Division, Fixed Income Division and Investment Management Division.  Today, the office is a Private Wealth Management Office with a team of more than 60 employees.  In July, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced a $375,000 donation from Goldman Sachs Gives, the firm’s donor-advised fund, to the Philadelphia Youth Network to support the 10,000 Summer Jobs Challenge and increase the number of WorkReady enhanced summer internships offered to Philadelphia youth.

Small businesses provide jobs for over half of the city’s private sector workforce. Applications for10,000 Small Businesses are accepted on a rolling basis at CommunityCollege of Philadelphia, with those who apply by October 21 considered for the program beginning in January. The program is open to all residents of the Greater Philadelphia region.   Applications can be downloaded at www.ccp.edu/10KSB.

Community College of Philadelphia mourns the passing of its founding and first President Allen T. Bonnell, Ph.D., a champion of education who died at 101 years old on Saturday, July 20.  He was a resident of the White Horse Village, a retirement community in Newtown Square.

Dr. Bonnell was a leader who sought to “democratize” higher education through public support and open access policies. He spearheaded the development of Community College of Philadelphia by leading an extensive research effort resulting in the creation of the Philadelphia Committee on Higher Educational Opportunities in 1957 and a proposal for a Philadelphia community college in 1962. He retired on Aug. 31, 1983, and has been president emeritus of College since 1993.

Thanks to Dr. Bonnell’s vision and determination, the College has since served more than 630,000 people and is Philadelphia’s only public institution of higher education. Pennsylvania was the 44th state to authorize the creation of a community college system in August 1963. Two years later, the first board of trustees selected Dr. Bonnell to head the College. His credentials were ideal. He had spent the previous 17 years as a senior administrator at Drexel Institute of Technology, now Drexel University.

There were many doubters that the new two-year institution would succeed in opening its doors on time, let alone accomplish its ambitious mission. Dr. Bonnell proved them all wrong. The College opened as scheduled on Sept. 23, 1965, to 1,200 students and Dr. Bonnell was there to greet them amid the sound of hammers and the dust of ongoing construction in the converted Snellenburg Department Store at 11th and Market streets. Under his leadership, the College blossomed. By fall 1967, enrollments reached nearly 5,000.

As the College continued to grow, Dr. Bonnell embarked on a 17-year search for a larger more permanent home. In 1971, he secured the historic federal Mint Building as the center of what has become the College’s Main Campus at 17th and Spring Garden streets. When he retired in August 1983 at the age of 72, the number of programs had grown from the initial five to 52. The College had achieved national recognition for its multifaceted approach to addressing the educational needs of academically disadvantaged students.

Josie DiGregorio, who has served as executive assistant for all five of the College’s Presidents, said Dr. Bonnell held a special place in her heart. “In helping to create the College, Dr. Bonnell gave the city and its residents a gift that is beyond price,” she said. She recalls him as “an intellectual but at the same time a very humble individual. He was a really wonderful human being who loved this College and the opportunity it represented.”

DiGregorio attended Dr. Bonnell’s 100th birthday party in April 2012 and spoke with him in recent months. “His body was failing, but his mind was still sharp as ever,” DiGregorio said. “It remained so until the end.”

Thanks to the firm foundation established by Dr. Bonnell, the College now offers nearly 90 degree and certificate programs with an annual enrollment of nearly 40,000 students at its Main Campus and three regional centers in Northeast, Northwest and West Philadelphia.

In recognition of Dr. Bonnell’s service, the College named one of its major buildings on its Main Campus in his honor. It also created the annual Bonnell Award, given in recognition civic and business leaders for exemplary community service and a commitment to access, opportunity and transformational change.

Dr. Bonnell received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Oberlin College. He attended the University of Bonn in Germany and earned a doctorate in Economics degree from University of Illinois in 1937.He also received an honorary Litt.D. degree from Drexel University in 1969. He taught at the University of Illinois, St. Louis University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Except for leaves of absence during World War II, Dr. Bonnell made his professional career in higher education.

In the early 1950s, Dr. Bonnell was a member of a small group, under the leadership of Dr. W. Laurence LePage, president of The Franklin Institute, which obtained the original charter for the Metropolitan Educational Radio and Television Corporation. He served as a member of the board of directors for that corporation and its eventual successor, WHYY Inc.

He is survived by his children, Thomas H. Bonnell, David W. Bonnell, Ann Maiocco, and was pre-deceased by his son Daniel C Bonnell. He also is survived by his four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A family spokeswoman said many of the family members were away and that a memorial service is planned for the fall.

Meanwhile, the College has created a memorial web page where members of the College Family and others can share their thoughts and memories about Dr. Bonnell at: http://path.ccp.edu/site/about/allen-bonnell.php.

Community College of Philadelphia’s Board of Trustees today appointed Judith Gay, Ph.D., the Vice President for Academic Affairs, as the College’s interim president effective September 6th.

"Dr. Gay is a recognized leader in higher education whose strong focus on student success and persistence has helped to increase the number of students earning workforce credentials and associate degrees,” said Matt Bergheiser, chair of the Board of Trustees. “The College is a critical resource for the city, and its capacity to support students in graduating and transitioning to universities and to employment is the key to developing a dynamic, well-educated workforce.”

With more than three decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Gay, 63, is equipped to move forward with the College’s business as the national search for a new president gets underway. The Board of Trustees voted on Dr. Gay’s appointment at a special meeting. Dr. Sharon Thompson will serve as Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Over the years, Dr. Gay, a native Philadelphian and resident of Mt. Airy, has served in various capacities in higher education including as Division Chair at Montgomery County Community College; Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Chestnut Hill College and as Assistant Professor of Psychology at Gettysburg College.

Under her leadership, Academic Affairs has employed data-driven decision-making to ensure broader student success. The division created the College’s first two academic master plans, which lay out strategic directions and foster a student-centered climate. It also strengthened curricular offerings adding in-demand certificate and degree programs and expanding distance education courses, which offer flexibility, affordability and convenience. Faculty strengthened general education requirements and developed a model for assessment of student learning outcomes.

"I want to assure the College family that the Board of Trustees’ search for a nationally-recognized leader will be inclusive, thoughtful, analytic and grounded in our mutual desire to position Community College of Philadelphia as a destination for residents, a gateway to the finest universities and an engine for workforce development,” Bergheiser wrote in a letter to College employees.

As the fall semester approaches, students new to the College sometimes need assistance figuring out where and how to enroll and register for classes.

At Community College of Philadelphia, these new students get a helping hand from their peers.

A prospective student wandered into the lobby of the 1500 Spring Garden Street Building on July 31, announcing to the security guard she was lost and “looking for a program” on the Main Campus. With a little assistance from a College intern and a friend, the young lady was able to determine the student support program she sought was located in the Bonnell Building.

By the time the student arrived there, she was anxious and worried. As she opened the door, a student orientation leader immediately walked over and greeted her with a smile. “Do you need help with anything?” he asked. The young man then led her to a check-in table, where she was introduced to an experienced student who would guide and mentor her as she navigated the remainder of the registration process.

Student Cassandra Sanchez, who serves as a student orientation leader for Student Life, says she gets a deep sense of satisfaction from helping her peers. “We are the first face they see,” says Sanchez.

Throughout the year, student orientation leaders are on standby during busy enrollment periods to take new enrollees on tours, answer questions, put them more at ease and refer them to campus resources. The leaders are paid student workers at the College.

The initiative began in spring 2010 and has received rave reviews, according to David Greene, the director of Student Life. “Their job is to make sure students feel welcome from the very beginning.”

Research indicates positive interactions with fellow students can foster student success.

“No one knows better what they are going through than students who have recently been through the same experience,” Greene said. “They are seeing a student who is a success, a student who is active on campus. They are seeing themselves and their possibilities. That is what we want them to see.”