A short walk and approximately 200 years separate Harford Community College's (HCC) Hays-Heighe House (circa 1808) and the campus' Cyber Cafe' (circa 2001), but the structures represent a fluid merger of traditional and contemporary services on a rural campus that opened in 1957.
At HCC, wild deer graze on the lawn and students converge at the corner McDonald's. The school's educational atmosphere is thought provoking. Foreign students and county residents study a multitude of subjects, from accounting to visual communications. More than 450 credit classes and approximately 600 non-credit courses are offered.
Coursework keeps pace with employer needs
The college, which has prepared many for business and health care careers, now offers training for future teachers. In 2002, after correctly predicting an increased demand for elementary school teachers in Maryland, HCC started an Associate of Art in Teaching (A.A.T.) degree for elementary and secondary education majors. Graduates transfer to an upper level institution to complete their bachelor's degrees.
Prospective teachers who already hold bachelor's degrees in their fields can enroll in a fast-track program. Certification Pathway puts provisional teachers in the classroom before they complete their coursework. To qualify, a candidate must be hired by a school system prior to registration.
The nursing profession is getting a boost from HCC's Associate of Sciences Degree Nursing Program (RN). Also available is a Practical Nursing Certificate Program (PN). HCC dedicated a substantial amount of space to assure growth of the programs when it renovated Maryland Hall (which previously housed nurses' offices, a library and various laboratories). Now the facility is used as self-contained classrooms and laboratories for nursing students, and has some administrative offices.
Nursing students take clinical training at area hospitals such as Harford Memorial Hospital, Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and Franklin Square Hospital Center, as well as at many nursing homes.
HCC also has a strong paralegal program. Despite all the jokes about bulging law firms, the profession needs more support personnel. The Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Paralegal Studies was approved in 1999 by the American Bar Association. Of the 800 or so paralegal programs taught at all levels throughout the United States, only about 250 programs are approved by the ABA. Paralegals do not require licensure, but ABA-approved courses simplify credit transfer and are used by employers as a litmus test to assure quality work.
All students receive a lot of attention from faculty members, who help them obtain jobs and offer advice on upper-level degree programs.
HEAT Center trains staff and managers
The Custom Training Solutions Department (CTSD) of HCC helps employers stay competitive with its result-oriented training programs. Since 1989, CTSD has trained more than 50,000 employees for Harford County businesses, organizations and government agencies. Training takes place at a number of locations, including the Higher Education and Applied Technology (HEAT) Center in Aberdeen, Md.
HCC has three major roles at HEAT. It works as the facility's manager, supervises HCC's non-credit program at the center and negotiates with institutions of higher learning to bring degreed programs to the site. For instance, when HEAT administration decided to include a graduate program in its curricula, it successfully negotiated with the University of Phoenix to bring its Master of Business Administration to HEAT.
Institutions with programs at HEAT, a 152-acre research and development park, include: College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, University of Maryland, College Park, Villa Julie College and Cecil Community College. Each institution provides its own faculty, establishes individual curricula requirements, sets its own rates and confers its own degrees.
The college works with more than 40 different corporate clients. Computer training ranks among the most requested programs, but health and safety, management training, process improvement training and foreign languages are also popular. In 2001-2002, approximately 3,000 students trained at HEAT in more than 100 sections.
Flags welcome international community
In addition to aiding Harford County businesses, HCC provides educational opportunities around the globe. The 39 international flags that fly near the entrance to its student center, which opened in 2001, represent this outreach. The flags symbolize foreign country partnerships and the country of origin of HCC students and faculty. These include Germany, Morocco, India, Cuba and the Russian Federation.
Sports, clubs and activities
On the recreational side, HCC offers sports, 27 special interest clubs (including Bel Air Community Band, the Harford Owl newspaper, literary magazine, dance club and video club) and theater productions.
HCC has an active athletic department that includes men's and women's basketball, soccer, tennis and lacrosse; men's baseball and women's softball teams; and a co-ed golf team.
If they're not in class or enjoying a sporting event, students often hang out at the library's Cyber Cafe, which offers gourmet coffee, munchies and sandwiches. Globe Cafe, located in the student union, is known for its multitude of foods and the occasional live band. Students also meet there to hold club meetings and visit with counselors.
HCC students and faculty have broadened the college's vision to include academic initiatives beyond its own back yard. Perhaps that is why the college is fond of a quotation from the ancient Mayan manuscript, Popol Vuh: "Don't wait for strangers to remind you of your duty, you have a conscience and a spirit for that. All the good you do must come from your own initiative."
At HCC, wild deer graze on the lawn and students converge at the corner McDonald's. The school's educational atmosphere is thought provoking. Foreign students and county residents study a multitude of subjects, from accounting to visual communications. More than 450 credit classes and approximately 600 non-credit courses are offered.
Coursework keeps pace with employer needs
The college, which has prepared many for business and health care careers, now offers training for future teachers. In 2002, after correctly predicting an increased demand for elementary school teachers in Maryland, HCC started an Associate of Art in Teaching (A.A.T.) degree for elementary and secondary education majors. Graduates transfer to an upper level institution to complete their bachelor's degrees.
Prospective teachers who already hold bachelor's degrees in their fields can enroll in a fast-track program. Certification Pathway puts provisional teachers in the classroom before they complete their coursework. To qualify, a candidate must be hired by a school system prior to registration.
The nursing profession is getting a boost from HCC's Associate of Sciences Degree Nursing Program (RN). Also available is a Practical Nursing Certificate Program (PN). HCC dedicated a substantial amount of space to assure growth of the programs when it renovated Maryland Hall (which previously housed nurses' offices, a library and various laboratories). Now the facility is used as self-contained classrooms and laboratories for nursing students, and has some administrative offices.
Nursing students take clinical training at area hospitals such as Harford Memorial Hospital, Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and Franklin Square Hospital Center, as well as at many nursing homes.
HCC also has a strong paralegal program. Despite all the jokes about bulging law firms, the profession needs more support personnel. The Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Paralegal Studies was approved in 1999 by the American Bar Association. Of the 800 or so paralegal programs taught at all levels throughout the United States, only about 250 programs are approved by the ABA. Paralegals do not require licensure, but ABA-approved courses simplify credit transfer and are used by employers as a litmus test to assure quality work.
All students receive a lot of attention from faculty members, who help them obtain jobs and offer advice on upper-level degree programs.
HEAT Center trains staff and managers
The Custom Training Solutions Department (CTSD) of HCC helps employers stay competitive with its result-oriented training programs. Since 1989, CTSD has trained more than 50,000 employees for Harford County businesses, organizations and government agencies. Training takes place at a number of locations, including the Higher Education and Applied Technology (HEAT) Center in Aberdeen, Md.
HCC has three major roles at HEAT. It works as the facility's manager, supervises HCC's non-credit program at the center and negotiates with institutions of higher learning to bring degreed programs to the site. For instance, when HEAT administration decided to include a graduate program in its curricula, it successfully negotiated with the University of Phoenix to bring its Master of Business Administration to HEAT.
Institutions with programs at HEAT, a 152-acre research and development park, include: College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, University of Maryland, College Park, Villa Julie College and Cecil Community College. Each institution provides its own faculty, establishes individual curricula requirements, sets its own rates and confers its own degrees.
The college works with more than 40 different corporate clients. Computer training ranks among the most requested programs, but health and safety, management training, process improvement training and foreign languages are also popular. In 2001-2002, approximately 3,000 students trained at HEAT in more than 100 sections.
Flags welcome international community
In addition to aiding Harford County businesses, HCC provides educational opportunities around the globe. The 39 international flags that fly near the entrance to its student center, which opened in 2001, represent this outreach. The flags symbolize foreign country partnerships and the country of origin of HCC students and faculty. These include Germany, Morocco, India, Cuba and the Russian Federation.
Sports, clubs and activities
On the recreational side, HCC offers sports, 27 special interest clubs (including Bel Air Community Band, the Harford Owl newspaper, literary magazine, dance club and video club) and theater productions.
HCC has an active athletic department that includes men's and women's basketball, soccer, tennis and lacrosse; men's baseball and women's softball teams; and a co-ed golf team.
If they're not in class or enjoying a sporting event, students often hang out at the library's Cyber Cafe, which offers gourmet coffee, munchies and sandwiches. Globe Cafe, located in the student union, is known for its multitude of foods and the occasional live band. Students also meet there to hold club meetings and visit with counselors.
HCC students and faculty have broadened the college's vision to include academic initiatives beyond its own back yard. Perhaps that is why the college is fond of a quotation from the ancient Mayan manuscript, Popol Vuh: "Don't wait for strangers to remind you of your duty, you have a conscience and a spirit for that. All the good you do must come from your own initiative."