Barton Community College - Spoke Yearbook (Great Bend, KS)

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Demand increases for specialized seminars. Students at Barton County Community College often see community people on campus for only a few hours or several days. Have you ever wondered what brings them here? One of the major services of the college is to meet the needs of the people and businesses in Barton County as well as the students. According to Mary Misegadis, assistant dean of instruction, more specialized training is being called for in many vocational areas. BCCC tries to meet that demand by sponsoring seminars on topics from petroleum to a successful image. Members of the surrounding communities attend these one or two day seminars. Many are held on campus while students are attending classes. The participants’ presence is usually noticed during the lunch hour; suddenly between 15 and 60 new faces are seen eating lunch in the Union. Students have become accustomed to thinking, “Oh, there must be some kind of seminar today.” Although most people who attend these w orkshops are from the business industry, several students will take advantage of the chance to explore areas in which they may choose to pursue a career. During the two-day Piano Workshop held Nov. 12-13, piano students were required to attend by instuctor Virginia Downing. Three of the students performed and were then critiqued by clinician Dr. Jane McGrath of Oklahoma University. The Rape and Sexual Assault seminar was attended by a few students also. It only lasted one day from 8 a. m.-5 p. m. and was co-sponsored by the Great Bend Police Department. “We’ve had seminars for several years, but we just started them on a full-fledged scale the past two years,” said Misegadis. “There were 16 last year and that number keeps increasing with the demand from local businesses.” There were about 30 seminars sponsored by BCCC during the 1982-83 term. Most were held on campus and in Great Bend with certain workshops being held in Russell or Lamed depending on the request of the business. The process in planning a seminar, once the need has been expressed, is to research the ability of the college and the administration to supplement such a workshop. Then people and space are found to conduct the event. Once all the plans are made, the Office of College Communications designs a brochure for publicity. “Again it depends on the business that requested the seminar, but most of them are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays because they are the most convenient for the work force,” added Misegadis. Students as well as members of the surrounding community are noticing the effect of BCCC seminars. It’s definitely an advantage to all who wish to take it. LISTEN UP - - students give their full attention to auto-mechanics instructor Bob Wagner during a classroom session. (Lower Right) Wagner oversees the class as they put their knowledge to the test. 15

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IUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNITY COMMUNF.

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BCCC; diversity meets the student’s needs! I Both the outreach program and the night classes of Barton County Community College fill a need for every individual. The need may vary as the knowlegde that is sought differs: one student may seek new skills for bettei job opportunities while another simply wants to learn tc keep up with the changes of the world. But, for Wilma Rounkles it was a matter of self- preservation. “I believe every day that I live I’ve got to be able to say that I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done.” At one time her life was very different; she was a wife and she was a mother. Now divorced with six of her seven children away from home, she feels a need for a new vocation. Majoring in criminal justice, she would like to work with young people and “put to use all the psychology and sociology I’ve learned on the injustices of our justice system.” She said she loves children and believes that they are what we make them and that their behavior is learned, not innate. Raising sever children has given her lots of hands-on experience. Hei childre range in age from fourteen to thirty-seven and al seem to share their mother’s drive. The eldest is ar orthopedic surgeon, one is a psychologist and three are attending Fort Hays State University at this time. Hei youngest is a freshman in high school. She has lived in Lucas, sixty miles northeast of Great Bend and has been driving back and forth since January 1980. To supplement her hours and reduce her driving time, she has earned twenty-seven hours in outreach classes in Russell, Wilson and Ellsworth. Many of them are basics like Fundamentals of Math, Biology and American History. She said, “they (outreach classes) gave me an opportuntiy to pick up classes that otherwise would not have been available, because of conflicting schedules.” Although she already has many miles of education behind her, a new road toward her degree lies ahead. Serving a nine county area, the outreach program offers the convenience of futhering one’s education in one’s home town. The classes are a direct extension of BCCC and carry the same credits and hours. Classes are offered by the needs of students usually filling either basic education needs or teaching new skills. According to Mary Misegadis, the night classes are attended by students ranging in age from seventeen tc seventy. The average age is thirty-five. Whether it is arl skills that one wants to sharpen or better business management that one wants to learn, BCCC offers a wids range of classes. 16 Like other students over 65, John Hannah attends BCCC tuition free. In Blueprinting he receives instructions from Russell Westphal. As American women seek new skills in self-defense, BCCC reacts to this need by offering Karate 1. Pam Keenan takes a defensive stance against hei opponent.