Pine Technical College Foundation adopts new logo

The Pine Technical College Foundation Board voted in favor and adopted a new logo at their Nov. 19 board meeting. The logo will be used as the organization’s primary visual identifying icon and will appear on all Foundation brochures, flyers and correspondence.

"Previously, the Foundation was using a logo that did not match the College logo," said Dani Chandonnet, Pine Technical College Director of Marketing. "Looking at the old Foundation logo, it appeared as though the Foundation was a separate organization and not necessarily affiliated with the College. Now, with the new logo, the Foundation is clearly associated with Pine Technical College,” Chandonnet added.

The Pine Technical College logo, or "house logo," was revamped and updated in 2007 and is a prominent feature in all print and electronic communication pieces. The house logo features a graphic image of three aligned, stylized pine trees with the text, "Pine Technical College," and the image and text together comprise the College’s official logo.

"The new Foundation logo is a kind of spinoff of the house logo," Chandonnet said. "The Foundation logo is actually the PTC house logo with 'Foundation' written underneath the text 'Pine Technical College,'" Chandonnet explained. "Additionally, in the future, should more PTC departments wish to develop and use their own logos, this formatting is the template those departments will follow – this template provides consistency in the College’s overall image and message while maintaining unity among our many departments, functions and services," Chandonnet added.

"It’s important that the Foundation’s identity and image match the College," said Foundation Board President Lori Tapani. "The Foundation logo is now a part of the family of PTC logos, and it’s much more stylized and catchy for easy identification and quick memory recall," Tapani added.

PTC Veterans Center helps student veterans transition to college

With more than 50 veterans on campus, the Veterans Center at Pine Technical College is committed to providing student veterans a successful and fulfilling educational experience. The center offers a wide array of services such as social events, GI Bill information, peer support, counseling and more.

"A big issue facing veterans is social isolation – many have difficulty adjusting to civilian life, and even more have difficulty adjusting to college life," says Doug Davis, PTC Veterans Liaison. "The center is open to all our brave men and women from any service branch who may have served in war or peace. We want to help them make the transition," Davis adds.

Davis, a Vietnam War Veteran, served in the Marine Corps from 1964 to ’68 and began his career in academia with PTC in ’91. Davis manages the center with assistance from a representative with Minnesota Veterans Affairs, Ray Bohn. Bohn is available at the center once a week to help student veterans with education benefits and financial resources.

"Our main focus is to serve as a resource center for student veterans. We’re a casual, drop-in center, and students may walk in or make an appointment if they wish," Davis says. "And, although many of our student veterans have recently returned from Iraq or Afghanistan, we welcome all veterans from any era as well as their spouses and dependents. We are a resource and support center," Davis adds.

The PTC Veterans Center is open 12 hours a week, typically Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call PTC's main number, 320-629-5100 or the Veterans Center directly, 320-629-5181.


Photo: Doug Davis welcomes visitors to the PTC Veterans Center.

PTC helps launch region-wide healthcare career awareness event

Nearly 500 junior and senior high school students will attend a daylong healthcare career awareness event, "High Demand Healthcare Careers in Your Community: A Crash Course," on Nov. 20 at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Cambridge campus. The event will provide information on job outlooks, salaries and necessary training regarding 12 key healthcare careers in high demand in Minnesota’s east central region.

"This is the first event the Healthcare Alliance is hosting, and the goal is to offer high school students an exciting look at healthcare careers," said Stefanie Schroeder, Healthcare Alliance Program Coordinator. "There are significant workforce shortages in the healthcare industry across East Central Minnesota, and it's part of the Alliance’s mission to improve the quality and quantity of healthcare workers in the region. It will definitely spark interest in healthcare careers," Schroeder added.

High school students from Braham, Cambridge-Isanti, Mora, North Branch and Princeton school districts are scheduled to attend the event, which is designed to generate interest in pursuing medical careers requiring certificates, diplomas or associate or bachelor degrees. Students will receive information about each key career, post-secondary education options and local scholarship information.

“The day’s activities will be a hands-on, engaging and theatrical experience for students,” Schroeder said.

The event is spearheaded by the Healthcare Alliance, a consortium of area school districts, higher education institutions, healthcare providers and the workforce center system determined to strengthen and ensure a strong, qualified healthcare workforce is available now and into the future for East Central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Partners in the Healthcare Alliance and event sponsors include Pine Technical College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Allina Medical Transportation, Braham Area High School, Cambridge Medical Center, Cambridge-Isanti High School, Fairview Lakes Medical Center, HealthForce Minnesota, Kanabec Hospital and North Branch Area High School.

Check out the Healthcare Alliance on Facebook!

Student Appreciation Day, "Catch-Up Day," and Open House event make a busy week

Photo: Students enjoy Wii bowling at Student Appreciation Day.

With Student Appreciation Day, "Catch-Up Day," and the Third Annual PTC Open House all taking place within two days, PTC students, staff and faculty are wrapping up a particularly busy week.

On Tues., the PTC Student Senate sponsored and hosted the College's first-ever Student Appreciation Day. The day's activities included a free lunch of grilled brats and dogs served by President Musgrove and Dean of Student Affairs Nancy Mach, followed by Wii bowling and karaoke at Wagon Master's Eatery in downtown Pine City. More than 100 students participated in the luncheon, and more than 40 students and staff followed the party to Wagon Master's including President Musgrove and other administrators.

"Student Appreciation Day is a way for staff, faculty and the Student Senate to show and remind all PTC students they are appreciated," Student Senate Vice President Amanda Spencer said. "And, it comes so on time -- right at the mid-term and right when we can use a good party!" Spencer added.

Wed. brought "Catch-Up Day," and the Third Annual PTC Open House. Catch-Up Day, a day for students to catch up with their tutors and advisors, is a day built into the Academic Calendar -- a planned day with no classes. Staff rewarded students "caught" studying on every half-hour with a prize. Prizes given out included imprinted PTC mugs and bookbags.


Photo: President Musgrove and Dean of Student Affairs Nancy Mach serve food in the Student Lounge during Catch-Up Day.

The annual open house event kicked off at 5 p.m. on Wed., and featured "PTC mini-movies" in the auditorium with old-fashioned popcorn. All faculty members and advisors were on hand to show off classrooms and labs and answer questions about enrollment, programs, different degrees and career options. The event was open to the public, and nearly 150 were in attendance.


Photo: The Third Annual PTC Open House saw a record turnout.

"Catch-Up Day" coming Oct. 28

The Pine Technical College academic calendar lists Wed. Oct. 28 as "Student Advising Day," but this year, there's a new twist on the mid-term tradition.

"We've always scheduled a day for student advising, and it typically lands right around the mid-term," Dean of Student Affairs Nancy Mach said. "It's a day where students catch up with their advisors and a day where students catch up with their tutors, plus they can catch study tips and test-taking tips via special workshops or sessions on this day. Therefore, we're calling it 'Catch-Up Day!'" Mach explained.

Catch-Up Day events will start at 9 a.m. Although the day is not a mandatory day for students, all staff, faculty and advisors will be on hand. Catch-Up Day will lead seamlessly into the scheduled evening event, the College's Third Annual Open House, beginning at 5 p.m.

Clever PTC staffers will be serving free food with ketchup throughout Catch-Up Day, and prizes will be awarded every half-hour for students "caught" studying. For more information regarding the day's schedule of events, call 320-629-5100.

Pine Technical College receives 300K grant

The Department of Education awarded Pine Technical College a $300,000 grant in October, 2009 to be used for the creation of an engaging computer game to support learners in developmental math.

John Heckman, Director of the Johnson Center for Simulation at Pine Technical College, is partnering with the Northeast Higher Education District and Mesabi Range Community and Technical College to bring the project to fruition. Heckman will guide the project’s technical development while NEHED, MRCTC and PTC will provide subject matter expertise.

"A big challenge for many people entering the world of higher education is that meeting the mathematics requirements can be very difficult," Heckman said. "Most new students need remedial coursework to prepare for intermediate and college algebra," Heckman added.

Heckman indicates it will take about three years to complete the project, though some sections of the game may be ready for testing by next fall.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded $11.25 million in grants for 29 projects. The grants are to benefit displaced and under-employed workers pursuing degrees or credentials in community or technical colleges, and its funded projects focus on preparing adult learners with marketable skills and knowledge to address employer needs in high-growth occupations.

"A relatively small number of grants were awarded, and ours was the only one in Minnesota," Heckman noted.

Pine Technical College to host Open House event

Pine Technical College will host Set Your Career in Motion: Third Annual Open House, Wed. Oct. 28, 5 to 8 p.m. at the College. The event is open to current and prospective students and their families, business and industry partners, PTC Foundation donors and the public. In its third year, the event is predicted to draw about 100 attendees.

"This is anyone and everyone’s chance to tour the College, meet instructors, talk to advisors and College administrators, and get valuable program and career counseling on the spot," said Nancy Mach, Dean of Student Affairs. "It’s not to be missed!" Mach added.

Set Your Career in Motion: Third Annual Open House will be held at Pine Technical College, 900 Fourth St. SE, Pine City. Refreshments will be served, and valuable door prizes will be given to several lucky winners.

"We host the event to showcase how important and attainable higher education is," said Dani Chandonnet, Director of Admissions. "On top of that, this is the College’s chance to tour its equipped labs and classrooms, and to introduce our knowledgeable and helpful faculty and staff members to students, new students and their families and friends," Chandonnet added.