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.

Reading, PA – Lisa Watson, Deputy Secretary of Human Services and Tamila Lay, Director of Bureau of Employment Programs visited Reading Area Community College on Friday, March 29th to learn more about the college’s successful KEYS GED Bridge program.

RACC’s unique KEYS GED Bridge program prepares students to take the GED, or general equivalency exam, but offers case management, financial assistance and academic support to help students navigate college.
     
A recent study shows community colleges using the Bridge program shows these students are 20 percent more likely to complete GED classes and exams and to enroll in higher education courses. “Some of our students have some pretty significant challenges,” says Dr. Susan Looney, RACC president. “Student stories can change every week. Having them think about a career and having that extra support really makes a difference.”

Nationally, less than five percent of those with a GED will earn a bachelor’s degree, compared with 33 percent of those with high school diplomas, according to the US Census. Studies by the National Bureau of Economic Research show that although many GED students take the exam with the intention of gaining a post-secondary diploma, about 77 percent of GED holders do not go on beyond the first semester of college.

Those behind KEYS GED Bridge are hopeful the program gives students the support they need to stick with their studies.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Department of Human Services for our success in the development and implementation of the KEYS GED Bridge Program. We are excited to have Deputy Secretary, Lisa Watson and Director of Employment and Training Programs, Tamila Lay hear about the program’s evolution and to share our student’s success stories,“ says Mary Turner, MS, RACC KEYS Program Coordinator/Student Facilitator.

The mission of the Department of Human Services is to improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania’s individuals and families. We promote opportunities for independence through services and supports while demonstrating accountability for taxpayer resources.

For more information about DHS, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

Learn more about the RACC GED Bridge program.
 

Reading, PA - RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney accompanied RACC Health Professions Program Directors, Alayne Fessler and Mandy Harshberger; and faculty members, Wendy Dunlop, Kim Colvell and Joan Zupicick on a tour of Penn State Health St. Joseph. The tour was hosted by Penn State Health St. Joseph staff members; Senior Physician Liaison, Patty Duncan, Vice President of Clinical Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Sharon Strohecker, Laboratory Director of Operations, Linda Gallagher, and Director of Cardiovascular, EEG, and Respiratory Services Steven Hockman.

Students from the Medical Laboratory Technician, Respiratory Care, and Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs provided tours of their clinical areas at Penn State Health St. Joseph’s state-of-the-art medical laboratories and patient care areas.

“Our Health Professions classes feature an academically challenging curriculum combined with hands-on medical experiences specifically designed for aspiring allied health care professionals seeking practical experiences in the medical field. We are very proud of our success in preparing students to enter a medical or allied health care profession,” says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney.

RACC’s Division of Health Professions offers students career preparation in a variety of programs including the Associate Degree in Nursing, the Respiratory Care, and the Medical Laboratory Technician programs. All of the health profession programs have a strong science base and clinical component in addition to theory to prepare students for certification or licensing examinations in their field.

“Our clinical partnerships provide us with the opportunity for our students to apply their knowledge and gain practical clinical experience. We deeply value the relationships we have with our clinical affiliates. Today was an exciting opportunity for our students to share their expertise with Dr. Looney,” says Alayne Fessler, M.Ed., RACC Medical Laboratory Technician Program Director.

Michael Jupina, Penn State Health St. Joseph Vice President, Marketing and Communications adds, “Reading Area Community College’s educational and training programs have a well-earned reputation for producing quality students, many of whom become valuable employees at St. Joseph. Our partnership is a win-win for both of our organizations. We are appreciative that Dr. Looney took the time to visit so she could see the students in real-life clinical action.”

Learn more about the Health Professions program at RACC

Commencement Ceremony

• WHEN: May 10, 2019
• WHERE: The Santander Arena, 700 Penn St., Reading, PA. Please use the Penn Street entrance.
• TIME: 2:00PM - Please follow instructions upon your arrival.There will be ambassadors available to direct you!

Read more...

Reading, PA- Alpha Sigma Rho, Reading Area Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Chapter, attended the PTK Middle States Regional Convention in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania March 15-17. The Hallmark Awards, one of the major programs of PTK International, engages members to participate in activities which support the Society’s Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship. Chapters submit reports on their work in several areas. These submissions are judged competitively and individuals, chapters and regions are recognized for their excellence in support of these hallmarks. Awards are given on both a regional and international level. The Middle States Region includes eighty chapters from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and D.C.

During the annual PTK Middle States Regional Convention, the chapter received several significant awards:

• College Project-among the top 10 in the Middle States Region for work planning and implementing a college-wide Volunteer Fair 
• Honors in Action-among the top 10 in the Middle States Region for their academic exploration of how people communicate in today’s society.  The aim was to foster connections through various types of communication as a response to the prevailing divisive communication evident in many aspects of our digital society. 
• Honors in Action-the chapter was awarded the best in the region for alignment with Theme 7 (Powers of Connection) of the honors study topic
• Among the top 15 Most Distinguished Chapters in the Middle States Region-this is awarded to chapters based on cumulative scores in the Hallmark activities (out of 80 chapters in the region)
• REACH Award for high membership acceptance rates-RACC’s rate this past year was 19.3% as compared to 18.6% regional average and 14.4% international average
• Five Star Chapter Award and Gold Star Chapter for achieving the Five Star designation as part of PTK’s chapter development program
• Best Pennsylvania Commit to Complete single day event for work with the college on degree completion

In addition to these chapter-based awards, the following individuals received awards: 

• Dr. Danelle Bower-Horizon Outstanding Advisor Award and Five-Star Chapter Advisor Award for completing the online advisor development program
• Judith Croteau (Chapter President)-Chapter President Award; Chapter Officer Hall of Honor Roll award and Five-Star member award for completing the competitive edge soft skills development program
• Valerie Mackey (Chapter Vice President)-Chapter Officer Honor Roll award and Five-Star member award for completing the competitive edge soft skills development program 
• Dr. Donna Singleton-Five-Star Chapter Advisor Award for completing the online advisor development program 
• Kristy Whitekettle (RACC alumna)-inducted into the Middle States Region Alumni Association
• Leann Wolf-Distinguished Chapter Member Award for her significant work supporting chapter activities

To learn more about developing leadership potential through participation in Phi Theta Kappa programs at RACC, contact Danelle Bower at 610.372.4721.