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Community colleges will be focus of Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet

Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College, will join other community college leaders on the panel of the 2022 Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet on Tuesday, October 4. 

Held at The Henry, Autograph Collection, in Dearborn, this prestigious and influential gathering brings together Western Wayne’s business and political leaders in a forum designed to connect people to initiatives and opportunities across metro Detroit.

Dr. Cerny will be joined by Dr. Curtis Ivery, Chancellor, Wayne County Community College District; and Russell Kavalhuna, President, Henry Ford College. Jackie Paige, WWJ 950-AM, will moderate the conversation.

“Workforce is the No. 1 issue for all industries right now, and the community colleges have an important voice in helping us with that challenge,” said Dan West, President and CEO of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to hearing from these college leaders and connecting them with our region’s industry leaders.”

Dr. Cerny speaking at a podium
Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College, will join other community college leaders on the panel of this year’s Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet.

Schoolcraft College’s ongoing partnerships and dialogue with area businesses help to expand program offerings, inform important curriculum updates and better prepare students to enter the workforce. The American Association of Community Colleges Awards of Excellence program recently recognized Schoolcraft nationally in these areas.

Schoolcraft College was a finalist in Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership and was the only Michigan community college named a finalist in this category.

The new Health Sciences Center (HSC), which officially opened this spring, is the latest example of the outstanding collaboration the College has forged with area businesses to create a win-win solution for students and partners

Built on the site of the former Applied Science building, the HSC added 36,700 square feet to the existing 74,100 square feet, of which about 56% was renovated. 

The 110,800-square-foot facility strengthens the College’s commitment to students in the health sciences and will provide a pipeline of talented graduates who are much needed by area healthcare providers. Trinity Health Michigan, Beaumont Health, Michigan Medicine and Henry Ford Health System all have facilities in Livonia or near Schoolcraft College, including the on-campus Livonia Medical Center. 

“I’m honored to be a member of the panel at the Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet and am very much looking forward to what I believe will be an interesting, engaging and meaningful conversation about what community colleges have to offer and how we serve our students and the community,” Dr. Cerny said.

The 2022 Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet is presented by Beaumont Health in partnership with the Livonia Chamber of Commerce and the Conference of Western Wayne.

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Increasing programming for working professionals is a focus

Schoolcraft College’s continuing education department, Personal and Professional Learning (PPL), recently earned program certification from the Learning Resources Network (LERN), recognizing the College’s commitment to and excellence in non-credit courses.

The Learning Resources Network, an industry leader in continuing education, awards the LERN Program Certification to continuing education programs in universities, colleges and public schools across the country that meet the most rigorous quality standards, including:

  • Programming that aligns with the organization’s central mission
  • Running and analyzing critical programmatic data
  • Developing relevant course programming
  • Establishing appropriate customer service standards
  • Identifying marketing channels relevant to top segments
  • Increasing registrations year over year
  • Improving process efficiency
PPL team standing with a large PPL sign
Schoolcraft College’s Personal and Professional Learning team includes (left to right) Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director of Personal and Professional Learning; Trennis D. Sweatt, Programming Coordinator; and Felicia Bannan, Programming and Promotions Coordinator.

“We are excited and honored to be one of the continuing education programs recognized with the LERN certification award and will continue to bring fresh, relevant programming to our surrounding communities,” said Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director of Personal and Professional Learning. “Having our PPL program analyzed by an objective third party with benchmarks and standards assures our students and community that PPL is a leader in quality non-credit programming and has a strong community focus.”

PPL offers a wide variety of non-credit classes to help students bolster their career, support a hobby or just try something new. 

“We offer a variety of career training programs to help people upskill in their profession, or re-skill for a career shift if that is their goal,” Dr. Beckley said. Some of those training opportunities include:

  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation
  • Certificate in Nonprofit Management
  • Certificate in Event Planning
  • Certificate in Dementia Care
  • Part 107 Exam Preparation for the Remote Pilot (Drones)
  • Certificate in Google IT Support
  • Photography Certificate

“One of our goals is to increase the amount of programming available for working professionals in our community,” Dr. Beckley said. “We continue to add new programs to our lineup that support people to better their careers and lives.”

Several new courses have been added for the Fall 2022 schedule. These include:

  • Certified Ethical Hacker
  • Accounts Payable Specialist
  • Java Programmer + Python Developer

The above classes will be offered as online advanced career training programs, which students can complete at their own pace.

In addition, three new photography classes have been added for those pursuing their photography certificate, or just wanting to add to their skill set: Commercial Photography, Travel Photography, and Real Estate Photography. Also new for food enthusiasts are Passion for Chocolates; a holiday desserts class; and a food and wine pairing class. 

The Fall 2022 schedule is available now. For more information, go to schoolcraft.edu/ppl.

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24 students across 8 disciplines recognized

The Kehrl Academic Excellence Awards are awarded each year to the top students in the areas of Art, Communication Arts, Culinary Arts, English, Health Information Technology, Mathematics, Police and Fire. Faculty from each area developed the criteria for each award and then selects the awardees based on the requisite criteria. 

The Kehrl Academic Excellence Awards are made possible by the Schoolcraft College Foundation through the generosity of the Floyd and Marian Kehrl Family, supporters of Schoolcraft College since 1964.

Here are this year’s winners:

Art

  • Annabelle Smith
  • Carrick Hill
  • Penny Livingston

Communication Arts

  • Andrew Kelly
  • Joshua Mohlman
  • Samantha Dul

Culinary Arts

  • Isabella Breazeale
  • Lauren Timm
  • Hannah Folz

English

  • Best Modern English Grammar student: Kyra Dickson
  • Best Building Writing Skills student: Joaquaina Perry
  • Most Improved Developmental English student: Heather Kahler
  • Global Citizenship Award: Daniel Shahollari

Health Information Technology

  • Jarrod Steckle
  • Tallon Ora
  • Lisa Locechli

Pythagorean Prize-Mathematics

  • Olivia Hudson: First-prize winner
  • Joseph Rosato: Second-prize winner
  • Russell Clark: Third-prize winner

Police Academy

  • John Dyda
  • Kevin Koberg
  • Kelly McLaughlin

Fire Academy

  • James Brown
  • Austin Saunders

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Consider attending an event in your area

To help celebrate, recognize and understand more about Juneteenth, TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement, thoughtfully provided the following essay:

Juneteenth, or June 19th, has become one of the most celebrated holidays that marked the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, most confederate states, and slaveholding border states, continued to enslave Black Americans until Union troops arrived to confront the resistance and enforce the laws over the next few years. In fact, owners of enslaved Black Americans would flee the fighting in the East and move to neighboring states like Texas to escape the Union Army’s grasp, bringing along enslaved people with them. 

TaQuilla Kusero headshot
TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement

It was not until two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, June 19, 1865, that Union troops reached the long holdout city, Galveston, Texas. This incident marked the day the Union took control of the area and announced to the enslaved people still held there that they were now free from the horrors of slavery. 

The original announcement stated:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

This day marked the beginning of what would become a second independence day in the United States and commonly referred to as Juneteenth. Celebrations began the very next year and typically included, music, food and religious gatherings. This period also brought about what is known as the Reconstruction era. Between 1865 and 1877 the nation attempted to bring southern states back into the political process and create a new relationship with newly freed Black Americans, but this period was short-lived, as a new wave of segregationist laws and restrictions effectively made black Americans second-class citizens for another 90 years until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. 

During this time Juneteenth celebrations diminished, then experienced a resurgence in the 1970s-1990s. The recognition of Juneteenth has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades as awareness of it has spread through the media, popular TV shows and statewide celebrations. Over 40 states now recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, with a handful of those states working to establish it as an official paid federal holiday.  

How Juneteenth is celebrated is a very individual practice, just like most other holidays. Some celebrate with grand outdoor events, including food, rodeos, live performances, historical reenactments and fireworks. Some use it as a time to reconnect with nature by going hiking, camping or to the beach. Others use it as a time to continue the fight for equitable rights in the U.S. The true embodiment of this holiday is that you are free to celebrate it the way you see fit.  

If you are unfamiliar with the holiday and would like to take part in its traditions, please find an event near you. It is one thing to learn about the history in a book or article, and another to participate in the festival of freedom to which this holiday represents. 

The Detroit Free Press has a list of Juneteenth events.

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Today for our Staff Spotlight story we’re sitting down Chef Heather Moore, our Director of Culinary Operations and Adjunct Professor. Chef Moore, a Certified Master Baker (CMB) and a Certified Executive Pastry Chef, is a Schoolcraft College graduate who has performed a wide variety of roles with the College.

Schoolcraft College: Hello, Chef Moore! You have been a familiar face around Schoolcraft College, first as a student, then as an instructor and a director. Please tell us a little about how you got interested in Culinary Arts and what led you to Schoolcraft College.

Chef Heather Moore: When I graduated high school I was pretty set that I was going to be an elementary school teacher. I even completed the kiddie campus program at Canton High School, which was a program to prepare you for early childhood education. I completed one year at Eastern Michigan University and realized that I really needed a change. 

That’s when a friend of mine mentioned that he heard about a new Baking and Pastry program at Schoolcraft College. It immediately piqued my interest because if I’m being honest I had no idea you could even go to school for baking and pastry arts. From the moment I started the program it all clicked for me and I was where I was meant to be. I loved the environment, I loved the creativity, and I loved being surrounded by others that enjoyed the same things that I did. It is kind of neat that I did still end up teaching just college and not elementary school. 

Chef Heather Moore
Chef Heather Moore, Director of Culinary Operations and Adjunct Professor.

Schoolcraft College: Can you please explain what being the Director of Culinary Operations entails?

Chef Heather Moore: As the director of Culinary Operations I oversee the department that operates all of the food venues on campus, with the exception of American Harvest, which is run by the Culinary Arts program. This includes Conference and Events, Henry’s and Main Street Café in the VisTaTech Center; JC Café in the Jeffress Center; wholesale food or the Livonia Medical Center; Ocelot Market at the St. Joe’s Sports Center; The Elite Market and Smoothie Bar at the St. Joe’s Mercy Elite Sports Center; and Ocelot Market Express at the Fitness Center. (And more to come!)

Schoolcraft College: What does a “typical” day look like for you and your team?

Chef Heather Moore: Busy! Our team has been amazing this past year of adapting to so many changes and dealing with the difficulties of labor shortages and supply chain issues. Because we oversee all of the food venues on campus, being a member of our team means every day could look a little different. Conference and events have begun to really pick back up. Our top-notch service staff is focusing on executing a new menu that provides a variety of comfort levels for large gatherings. 

Our team of talented chefs and culinary art student employees prepare our food from scratch for our venues as well as events. The St. Joe’s Mercy Elite Sports Center has kept our team at the Elite Market and Smoothie Bar very busy with weekly tournaments. Our smoothie bar team makes around 1,000 smoothies a weekend during these tournaments. 

Schoolcraft College: What’s on the horizon for Culinary Operations? Can you give us a sneak preview of things to look for this spring and summer and into the fall?

Chef Heather Moore:  Lots of exciting things are in the future for dining at Schoolcraft! We are currently in the process of opening an Ocelot Market inside the Manufacturing & Engineering Center (MEC) as well as the Masco building on our main campus. JC Café will be adding in a Starbucks barista menu in the next few weeks. 

I am most excited about the VisTaTech 2.0 project, which breaks ground the beginning of August. American Harvest will be remodeled and expanded, and several new things are being built. This includes a state-of-the-art demonstration lab, a beautiful pre-function space that will connect a hallway we use for events to the main entrance of the building, a new Main Street Café, a prep kitchen that is shared space for Main Street Café and the demonstration kitchen, and a brew pub and kitchen to service it.  

With all of that being said, this year will look a little different. Henry’s will continue in a grab-and-go format with expanded offerings, and a temporary Main Street Café will occupy some of the currently unused Henry’s space. 

Schoolcraft College: What are some highlights for you, both as a student and in your career?

Chef Heather Moore: My highlight as a student without a doubt was being able apprentice under Chef Joseph Decker, Certified Master Pastry Chef (CMPC). It was an unforgettable learning experience that I was fortunate enough to have. Another highlight as a student was building relationships with the other students. Your classmates and instructors truly become your family, and that bond lasts a lifetime. 

chefs in a kitchen
Chef Heather Moore, Director of Culinary Operations and Adjunct Professor, works with Crystal Sheeka, student employee (middle) and Chef Allie DiMaria, Pastry Chef (right) on taste testing some new menu selections.

As far as highlights of my career, I can truly say that coming back to Schoolcraft as an adjunct instructor was one of my top highlights. It felt like coming home, and it was surreal at first to be teaching the next generation of culinarians what I was taught within the same walls. 

The other highlight of my career was obtaining my CMB certification through the Retail Bakers of America (RBA). Since obtaining my certification I have also become a lead judge for the RBA. It’s been amazing to be able to travel to different testing locations and meet amazing bakers from all over the country.

Schoolcraft College: What’s your favorite dish to make and why?

Chef Heather Moore: I wouldn’t say there is one particular dish that I like to make, but rather my favorite thing to do is plan events and menus around a theme. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a great theme. I love the whole process of planning and then seeing all of the details come to life. It’s fun to get the whole team involved and be creative together. 

Schoolcraft College: Thank you, Chef Moore! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Chef Heather Moore: I would like to say thank you to the Schoolcraft community for being so supportive and understanding of our department while we undergo so many large changes and challenges. I am very excited about the future of our department and the exciting things you will be seeing in the near future. 

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Your credits from a four-year school could be applied toward an associate degree.

Learning, of course, is the goal of any college experience. Part of that education means familiarizing yourself with some unfamiliar terms. Today, we take a look at what a reverse transfer is.

Reverse transfer: From there to here

One of the main reasons students attend Schoolcraft College is to complete their general education requirements and earn other credits to then transfer to a four-year school to complete a bachelor’s degree.

A reverse transfer works the same way – only in, well, reverse. In other words, if you’ve earned credits at a four-year college or university, you can, in many instances, transfer those credits back to Schoolcraft College and use them toward an associate degree, for example.

The process starts with the four-year school. As an example, the University of Michigan-Dearborn has a Reverse Transfer Agreement with Schoolcraft College with the following requirements:

Four people working together at a table
With a reverse transfer, you might be able to obtain an associate degree while you pursue a bachelor’s degree.
  • 40+ credit hours earned at Schoolcraft College
  • 20+ credits earned at UM-Dearborn
  • Minimum GPA of 2.0 at UM-Dearborn

If students want to pursue obtaining an associate degree, they need to inquire with their four-year institution about the reverse transfer process. Please note there is a form that needs to be completed with the four-year school that must be sent with the transcript. This is how the Records Office of Schoolcraft College knows that the transcript received is for reverse transfer.

So if you’re a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at a four-year school, see if a reverse transfer works for you. It never hurts to have additional credentials on your resume.