Oak Ridge Today

Reconnect student balances work, family, learning as she seeks degree at Roane State

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Erin Valdez

By Bob Fowler Roane State staff writer

Erin “Tisha” Valdez, a school bus driver in Oak Ridge, enjoys one Roane State professor’s class so much she asked her employer for two afternoons off each week so she could attend.

The company, First Student, was short on drivers but agreed, enabling Valdez to take Dr. Isabel Benitez-Ramirez’s Anatomy and Physiology II class this semester. “She is amazing,” Valdez said of Benitez-Ramirez.

Sticking with Benitez-Ramirez after taking the initial Anatomy and Physiology class with her “is very important to me,” said Valdez. “I love her teaching style.”

“Since the beginning of her time as my student, she has shown great interest in learning,” Benitez-Ramirez said of Valdez. “She always participates in classes and even helps some of her classmates to understand the material. She is one of the best students in my classes.”

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Roane State helps with experiment to provide high-speed Internet access to rural communities

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Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life. (Photo by Yvette Gooden/University of Tennessee)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life.

It’s an effort to bridge the digital divide in Roane County, where about 30 percent of households lack access to robust, affordable broadband internet.

That includes some 6,000 students who must have internet access for online learning.

Internet access “is paramount in current situations such as COVID-19 and the remote learning requirements it presents,” said Egon Hillermann. He’s the director of ROANEnet, an organization that advocates for improving high-speed internet access.

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Williams is new director of Roane State’s Small Business Development Center

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Stephen Williams

By Bob Fowler Roane State staff writer

A local business consultant with vast experience has been named the director of Roane State’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

Stephen Williams, well known in the Oak Ridge and Roane State service area, begins his new duties on Monday, February 8, in his office at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

He replaces long-time director Jutta Bangs, who has taken another job.

“I’m really excited about being a part of Roane State and their efforts with workforce development,” Williams said. “I’ll be able to contribute what I’ve learned in more than 35 years in business and owning businesses.”

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Roane State temporarily closes Coffey-McNally Building

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Roane-State-Coffey-McNally-Building
The Roane State Community College campus in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State Community College has temporarily closed the Coffey-McNally Building because of a recent increase in self-reported COVID-19 cases on the Oak Ridge Branch Campus.

The closure of the Coffey-McNally Building is a precautionary measure, Roane State said in a press release. The building closure took effect Wednesday evening.

The reported cases appear to be isolated, and all those affected are observing quarantine, Roane State said. The Coffey-McNally Building will be thoroughly cleaned before its planned reopening on Monday, January 25, the college said. The Goff Building will remain open.

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Drone class to take flight this spring at Roane State

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A new class in piloting small unmanned aircraft, better known as drones, will take flight this spring at Roane State Community College.

The three credit-hour class – AERO 1030 W01 – will prepare students to take the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Aeronautical Knowledge test to obtain FAA certification, a press release said.

Matt Waters, associate professor of mass communications, is the instructor for the 15-week class, which will be offered completely online, the press release said.

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Roane State will operate remotely for week after winter break

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Roane State Community College Technology Building
Roane State Community College in Harriman is pictured above. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State will temporarily move to remote operations after winter break as part of the college’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Between January 4 and 8, RSCC campuses will be accessible only to essential personnel, a press release said. During this time, students and employees will still be served by email and phone as well as through virtual communication tools such as Zoom video conferencing.

“We have advised students, faculty, and staff to consider the latest CDC recommendations when making holiday plans this year,” Roane State President Chris Whaley explained. “This brief remote work period is an additional step we can take to keep our campus community healthy while still assisting students ahead of the spring semester.”

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Roane State’s Food Pantry On-the-Go in Campbell County next week

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Roane State Community College’s new Food Pantry On-the-Go is addressing food insecurity among students during the pandemic. Following highly positive feedback from its initial effort, the mobile food pantry’s next event is set for Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, at the Campbell County Campus in LaFollette. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State Community College’s new Food Pantry On-the-Go is addressing food insecurity among students during the pandemic. Following highly positive feedback from its initial effort, the mobile food pantry’s next event is set for Wednesday, December 2, at the Campbell County Campus in LaFollette.

The event will be held in Room 101 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Roane State students from any of the college’s nine campuses will have the opportunity to shop—for free—for a wide variety of non-perishable and microwavable food items. Organizers hope the event will help students and their families stock up ahead of the winter break.

The first Food Pantry On-the-Go event was held in October at the Knox County Center for Health Sciences. These mobile events are the latest effort by the college to help students who may have food insecurity issues that have only increased due to COVID-19. Even prior to the pandemic, statistics showed that at least 40 percent of college students experienced some form of food insecurity.

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Street Painting Festival honors pandemic heroes while raising funds for Roane State scholarships

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Best of Show winning chalk art by The Yaun Ladies. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Crisp, clear weather greeted a fall tradition in Oak Ridge’s historic Jackson Square on Saturday, October 17, with artists of all ages creating colorful chalk art on the sidewalk.

By mid-morning during the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge’s annual Street Painting Festival, many of the participant’s creations were taking form, and each artist’s hands were covered with a chalk patina.

Launched in 2000, the festival is facilitated by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge to support scholarships for Roane State Community College students through the nonprofit Roane State Foundation. Both participants and onlookers followed pandemic guidelines, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

“We are so fortunate to continue our partnership between Roane State Community College, The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, and the Jackson Square Merchants Association to present the annual Street Painting Festival,” said Rotarian Jim Dodson, the event’s creative director.

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Street Painting Festival Saturday helps fund Roane State scholarships

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The Street Painting Festival in Oak Ridge today (Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020) helps fund scholarships at Roane State Community College.

The Street Painting Festival in Oak Ridge today (Saturday, October 17) helps fund scholarships at Roane State Community College.

The theme for this year’s event is “HeART For Heroes.” The festival is being held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Chalking began at 8 a.m.

Materials and Chemistry Laboratory, Inc. (MCLinc) of Oak Ridge recently announced it is sponsoring the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge’s Street Painting Festival at the Platinum Level. The festival was launched in 2000, and this year’s event marks the 19th consecutive year that MCLinc has been a major contributor to the effort, a press release said. MCLinc is an applied research laboratory that provides analyses and consultation services in a wide assortment of fields, including environmental chemistry, industrial hygiene, and uranium chemistry.

Festival sponsors make a tax-exempt donation to the Roane State Foundation, providing funds for scholarships for Roane State students. Sponsorship levels include Platinum, or $5,000 and up; Gold, $2,500 to $4,999; Silver, $1,000 to $2,499; Bronze, $500 to $999; small business, $250 to $499; and individual, $100 to $249.

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Online classes offered for lifelong learners

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In a recent Friday lecture offered on Zoom by ORICL, Lane Warmbrod, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University with an Oak Ridge relative, spoke on “Advances in Life Sciences and their Implications for Biosecurity and Arms Control.” She mentioned untrue conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 virus. (Submitted photo)

 

For 21 different courses offered this fall by the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning (ORICL), you don’t have to get dressed and drive to Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge Branch Campus. All you have to do is open your email to the message about the class you registered for and click on the Zoom videoconferencing link. In less than two minutes, you will be admitted to the class.

On your computer screen, you will see yourself, your fellow classmates, and your instructor, who will speak, show Power Point slides., and offer you a chance to ask questions—all from the comfort and convenience of your home.

At least one of the classes—the Friday morning lecture series—will offer talks not only by local instructors but also by speakers from other cities and states. [Read more…]

Roane State Foundation receives $75,000 grant to help small businesses and students affected by COVID-19

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The Roane State Foundation recently received a $75,000 Tennessee Community CARES grant to help Roane State students affected by COVID-19 and provide training for local small businesses, entrepreneurs, and contractors to help them build their businesses and be more responsive during the pandemic, a press release said.

Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis for the following programs:

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Roane State plans to re-open in phases with COVID precautions

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Roane State Community College plans to re-open in phases with COVID-19 precautions, allowing students to access many of the services they need on campus before the fall semester, a press release said.

For the remainder of June, the following offices will operate from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the designated locations:

  • Bookstore (Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses)
  • Bursar/Business Office (Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses)
  • One Stop (all campus sites)

Beginning Monday, July 6, the offices listed above will transition to a Monday through Thursday schedule on the Roane County and Oak Ridge campuses from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., the press release said. Success coaches will also begin a return to campus for in-person appointments. All campus sites will begin offering One Stop services on the four-day summer schedule. This schedule will continue for the remainder of July, the press release said.

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