Written by Marge Rumbaugh/Reading Eagle

Reading, PA — Dr. Susan D. Looney, president of Reading Area Community College, announced at Wednesday's board of trustees meeting that 540 students should graduate on Friday.

That is an unofficial count pending final grades, but it would be the most graduates in RACC's history.

The previous high was 510 in 2012. Last year there were 480 graduates.

This year's commencement at 2 p.m. in the Santander Arena also will feature a lower stage, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for disabled students.

Despite the increase, RACC has the third lowest tuition of all Pennsylvania's community colleges, Looney said.

READING, PA — Alpha Sigma Rho, Reading Area Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Chapter, attended the PTK International Convention (Catalyst) in Orlando, Florida on April 4-6, 2019. The convention hosted the Hallmark Awards, a major program of PTK International, which engages members to participate in activities supporting the Society’s Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship. Chapters submit reports on their work in several areas, and the submissions are then judged competitively. Individuals, chapters and regions are recognized for their excellence in support of these hallmarks. 

Led by RACC Professor Emerita Dr. Donna Hampton Singleton, RACC faculty member Dr. Danelle Bower and RACC faculty member Ms. Denise Strohmayr, the RACC PTK Chapter won three significant Chapter awards, and five individual awards. The chapter awards are: Top 100 Chapters-among the top 100 chapters internationally; Distinguished Honors in Action award-for their academic exploration of how people communicate in today’s society; and the Distinguished Chapter award-this is awarded to chapters based on cumulative scores in the Hallmark activities. 

The following four individuals received awards for outstanding work in PTK: Valerie Mackey (Chapter Vice President)-GEICO Pathways to Completion Bachelor’s Degree Scholar; Judith Croteau-Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholar; Leann Wolf-Distinguished Chapter Member Award for her significant work supporting chapter activities, and RACC President Dr. Susan Looney-Paragon Award for new college presidents. 

“This Chapter worked extremely hard to get here, and now the work, determination and dedication has paid off. This group is a family, and we hope that other PTK members will step up, get active, and continue to lead our team even further in the years to come,” says PTK advisor, and RACC faculty member Dr. Danelle Bower.

PTK students have a 91 percent student success rate, and research has shown that strong presidential leadership and support of PTK increases member success and the depth of their college experience.

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes academic achievement of community college students and provides opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. For more information about Phi Theta Kappa at Reading Area Community College, please call 610.372.4721.

HARRISBURG, PA — At the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges’ Annual Lobby Day at the Capitol today, RACC students, staff and President Dr. Susan Looney joined Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges to advocate for an increased funding level in the 2019-20 fiscal year budget. 

Pennsylvania Community Colleges are the largest provider of public postsecondary education in the Commonwealth and a sector that plays a significant role in the Commonwealth’s education and workforce development systems.

In the 2017-18 academic year, Pennsylvania’s community colleges enrolled more than 300,000 students from all 67 counties in the state. They also provided a foundation for nearly 35,000 students who sought transfer to four-year institutions, saving these students up to $20,000 on the cost of higher education. 

RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney says “Community colleges offer our communities access, opportunity, excellence and hope. When a student walks through our doors, we offer them the opportunity to change their lives for the better.” 
Pennsylvania community colleges offer high-quality education and workforce programs aligned with areas of critical workforce needs across the Commonwealth. The 14 colleges regularly consult with business partners to develop programs to meet state and local workforce needs, while fueling Pennsylvania’s economic recovery.

In his budget address, Gov. Wolf indicated that Pennsylvania needs to address the skills gap to ensure that Pennsylvania has a well-trained workforce. He established a goal of 60 percent of Pennsylvania residents having some form of postsecondary education by 2025.
 
“Pennsylvania community colleges are ready to assist individuals who want to improve their lives by earning a certificate, enrolling in technical training, attaining an associate degree or preparing for further education,” said Elizabeth Bolden, president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. “The colleges are committed to increasing access to quality, affordable higher education in the Commonwealth. We hope the General Assembly will support us in this mission by increasing funding for community colleges.”

Reading, PA – Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) recognized Reading Area Community College President Dr. Susan Looney as a winner of the prestigious Paragon Award for New Presidents during PTK Catalyst 2019, the Society's annual convention, April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida.

These awards are given to new college presidents who have shown strong support of student success by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their college. Recipients were nominated for the award by the students on their campus.

The Paragon Award for New Presidents marks a special accomplishment for Dr. Looney. "I am completely humbled to be honored by PTK, an organization that has meant so much to me over the course of my community college career," says Dr. Looney. She has received a Paragon Award when a PTK student and again when she was a PTK advisor. Dr. Looney joined RACC in 2014 as dean of instruction and was appointed to senior vice president of academic affairs/provost in 2015. 

PTK students have a 91 percent student success rate, and research has shown that strong presidential leadership and support of PTK increases member success and the depth of their college experience. More than 500 college presidents were eligible to receive this award.

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recognizes academic achievement of community college students and provides opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. For more information about Phi Theta Kappa at Reading Area Community College, please call 610.372.4721.

Reading, PA – April 3 – Ninety-five Reading High School seniors earned a head start on college by excelling on their College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) in Spanish I and Spanish II exam. Seventy-nine seniors earned the maximum number of credits possible by taking the exam,12 credits, and 16 students earned 6 credits. 

Students completing the exam can now carry these CLEP credits into an associate degree program at RACC and/or onto many bachelor’s degree programs at colleges and universities. The twelve CLEP credits save $2,000 in RACC tuition and hold even greater tuition savings at state, nearly $5,000, and state affiliated, over $7,000.  

“Reading Area Community College is a great partner in supporting student success,” says Mr. Waldo Alvarado, Reading School District’s Director of Diversity and Equity. “Our Spanish-speaking students who earned college credit through this unique program with RACC are provided a sense of cultural pride and confidence as multilingual individuals.”

RACC waives the test proctoring fees, provides campus tours, and admission orientation sessions. Reading School District pays for the students’ CLEP exams and provides the transportation to RACC’s campus.  This unique and successful partnership program with the Reading School District and Reading Area Community College is in its third year. 

According to the College Board:

• Financial aid recipients earning Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit had dramatically higher bachelor’s degree completion rates (72%) than their non-PLA counterparts (16%). 
• More than 50% of PLA students earned a degree in seven years, compared to 21% of non-PLA students. 
• Hispanic PLA students earned bachelor’s degrees at a rate that was almost eight times higher than that of Hispanic non-PLA students. 
• 91% of CLEP test takers said CLEP made a difference in helping them to complete their degrees. 

For more information on the College Board visit clep.collegeboard.org/about-clep.