Breaking News: SGA Election Results!!!

The Student Government Association Officers for 2010-2011 are:

Central Campus:

President: Antonio Marrero

Vice President: Josh Schwartz

Secretary: Fadwa Ferradji

West Campus:

President: Grace Pusey

Vice President: Jessica Judyski

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Community College Students Gain Advocacy/Leadership Skills at ASACC Conference

Pictured from left to right are Student Government Association representatives David Collins, Aaron Cinque, Shaina Goldberg, and Antonio Marrero. Photo by Chris Coia

Four members from Montgomery County Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) attended the American Student Association of Community Colleges (ASACC) National Student Advocacy and Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. March 20-22.

Participants included Aaron Cinque, David Collins, Shaina Goldberg and Antonio Marrero.Goldberg, who serves as the SGA vice president at the College’s Central Campus, helped to plan the conference in her role as the national vice president of student leadership, for which she was elected in June 2009. At the conference, she had the opportunity to meet with Mary Ellen McGuire, President Obama’s senior advisor to education on the Domestic Policy Council.

MCCC’s student representatives joined community college students from throughout the country in learning about issues affecting community colleges and setting priorities for the coming year. The students then met with representatives from the offices of Senator Arlen Specter, Charles Dent, Allyson Schwartz, and Jim Gerlach. They also attended leadership workshops and heard a keynote address by Ralph Nadar.

“ASACC is a great group consisting of individuals whose goals are the same: aiding community colleges and their students across the country,” said Collins, who serves as the SGA secretary at the College’s West Campus. “I am glad to county myself as one of the individuals that make up the team.”

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MCCC’s New Entrepreneurial Certificate Program to Foster Future Businesses

To help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their new businesses and to enable existing entrepreneurs to expand and develop their enterprises, Montgomery County Community College recently launched a new program—the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program.

This certificate program consists of four three-credit courses especially designed to address all facets of starting and operating a viable business.  The courses—Entrepreneurial Essentials, Entrepreneurial Marketing, Entrepreneurial Accounting and Entrepreneurial Business Plan—will be offered each semester in accelerated seven-week terms.

Prospective students will meet with the program coordinator to discuss their skills and appropriate placement. Although the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program can be completed in one semester, it is recommended that students with little or no business background complete the certificate during two semesters.

According to Dr. Amit B. Singh, Dean of the Division of Business and Computer Science, which oversees the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program, there is “plenty of opportunity for small businesses in Montgomery County.”

In a recent study by the independent economic entity, the Milken Institute, the Greater Philadelphia region scored high in the life science industry but ranked low in the small business vitality category. In addition, the overall percentage of small businesses in Montgomery County is slightly lower than the state and national average, according to the Census Bureau. This shortage of small businesses provides an open market for new entrepreneurs.

Additionally, the local region’s assets include a strong economy with higher than average per capita income; a skilled, educated workforce; developed infrastructure with highways, railways, and airports; moderate costs of doing business; moderate cost of living; and a concentration of quality institutions of higher learning.

According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses are critical to the country’s economic recovery and strength, as well as its future and competition in the global marketplace.

“As larger corporations outsource or downsize their workforce, small businesses will offer new opportunities for employees and help to stabilize the local economy,” Dr. Singh said.

In addition to the new certificate program, the College also offers an array of non-credit entrepreneurial courses in conjunction with the Division of Workforce Development and Continuing Education to address each stage of business growth.

Non-credit courses include Marketing Your Own Business, Business Development Strategies, Introduction to Green Entrepreneurship, Launch Your Small Business Using Online Technology Tools, QuickBooks, How to Open an Internet Store, Business Writing Essentials and Creating Your Own Website.

Since 2005, the College has offered a Woman-Owned Business Certificate Program and related courses specifically designed for women entrepreneurs and the skills they need to succeed.

In the near future, the College will launch its new Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which will include a business incubator.  Interested entrepreneurs will be able to rent office space inexpensively in the incubator and receive a network of support services as they start their new businesses.

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New Choices Offers Career Development Program

Montgomery County Community College is seeking participants to attend career development classes through New Choices, a free, state grant program. The program is ideal for individuals who are unemployed, underemployed or who are in transition.

The 10-week program includes career counseling, career assessment and exploration, and job readiness skills, include resume writing, interviewing practice and job search techniques using social media. The empowering classes will help participants to identify and express skills and strengths, explore career options and clarify career direction in preparation for an effective job search.

New Choices classes are held at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. from April 13-June 17.

For more information or to register, call New Choices at 215-619-7390.

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Employment Opportunities for Students Available at the College!

Student Peer Mentor positions are available at both Central and West campus.  Must be outgoing,
enjoy working with students, faculty and staff,  familiar with campus resources, have excellent
telephone skills and be flexible.  Work in a team environment assisting students, facilitating
workshops and helping with outreach to new students.  Minimum 3.0 GPA required and completion
of at least 12 credits.  This position pays $8.00 for 10-15 hours per week.  Summer and evening
availability is a plus

Please email Elinore Leonards at eleonard@mc3.edu for Central Campus or Dr. Ronald Davies at
rdavies@mc3.edu for West campus if interested and let us know why you would do well in this
position.

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MCCC to Screen ‘Cadillac Records’ During Multi-Cultural Film Series

Montgomery County Community College’s Humanities Division will screen “Cadillac Records,” the last film of the 2010 Multi-Cultural Film Series, “Films Directed by Women,” on April 10 and 17.

On April 10, the film will be shown at 7 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room at the College’s West Campus, 101, College Drive, Pottstown. Local bands will provide live music before and after the film.

On April 17, the film will be screened at the College’s Central Campus at 8 p.m., with a pre-film lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Admission is $5, and the screenings and discussions are open to the public.

Admission is $5, and the screenings are open to the public. For more information, contact Tim Connelly at 215-641-6410 or tconnell@mc3.edu.

Directed by Darnell Martin and starring Ardien Brody and Beyonce Knowles, “Cadillac Records” (2008) chronicles the rise of Chess Records in 1950s Chicago. The film explores the issues of race, sex, violence and rock and roll while following the exciting but turbulent lives of musical legends that include Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry. The film runs 109 minutes and is rated R.

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