Special Sections - Olympic College - Aspen Award

CongratulationsNamed one of the top 10 community colleges in the United States by the Aspen Institute

Olympic College enriches our diverse communities through quality education and support so students

achieve their educational goals.

Page 2 Olympic cOllege - ASPEN PRIZE Top 10

Congratulations Olympic College from the Bremer Trust for being selected as one of the top 10 � nalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. OC is such as important part of this community, we are proud of you!

Bremer Trust TrusteesMichael ConnollyJohn MitchellBarbara Stephenson

John Bremer & Ed Bremer Consolidated Trust

C/O Bradley Scott 400 Warren Ave No, Bremerton, WA 98337

Harrison Medical Center

Congratulations to Olympic CollegeHarrison Medical Center, part of CHI Franciscan Health, congratulates Olympic College on being named a finalist for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, placing Olympic College in the top ten in the nation. We applaud your commitment to student success.

Learn more about Harrison Medical Center at HiBestCare.org

Job/File name: Onsies_FY15_20318_Ad-Harrison_9.83x6.5_032515_F1, Publication: Kitsap News Cluster: Bainbridge Island Review, Bremerton Patriot, Central Kitsap Reporter, North Kitsap Herald, Pt. Orchard Independent, Insertion Date: 4/27/15, Trim: 9.83x6.5, Ink Color: 4C, Author: Rios

Olympic cOllege - ASPEN PRIZE Top 10 Page 3

By MICHELLE BEAHMSound Publishing

POULSBO — Olympic College didn’t win the

money, but it won bragging rights.

Every other year, the Aspen Institute picks 150 community colleges in the nation to consider for its prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The 2015 award is only its third, but twice OC has been asked to apply for the honor.

This year, OC was cho-sen as one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation when it comes to student success.

The Aspen Institute, after narrowing down the choices to the top 10, then chose a grand prize winner (Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida) and three runners-up.

Santa Fe College received $800,000. The runners-up — Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, South Dakota; West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, Kentucky; and Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Illinois — each received $100,000.

The finalists: Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Texas; El Paso Community College in El Paso, Texas; Eugenio María de Hostos Community College in Bronx, New York; Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida; Olympic College; and Renton Technical College in Renton.

While OC wasn’t the winner or a runner-up, being in the top 10 in the

entire nation is still a huge achievement for the com-munity college, which is based in Bremerton with additional campuses in Poulsbo and Shelton.

“I think it’s recognition of the hard work that many people at the college have been engaged in, worked around helping students progress, helping to retain our students and helping them complete their edu-cational goal,” said Mary Garguile, OC’s vice presi-dent of instruction.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and poli-cy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. According to its website, its mission is to “foster leadership based on endur-ing values and provide a nonpartisan venue for deal-ing with critical issues.” The institute’s 74-member board of trustees includes former U.S. secretaries of state Madeline Albright and Condoleeza Rice, former Disney Corp. chairman Michael Eisner, former nine-term member of Congress Jane Harman, former CNN CEO Walter Isaacson, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Selection of the Aspen award winner, runners-up

and finalists is no small process.

Leading researchers and community college practi-tioners examine data and advise the Aspen Institute on measures by which community college perfor-mance and improvement in performance can be mea-sured fairly and accurately. Former community college presidents and faculty, along with researchers and policy experts, review applications and data for each eligible community college and select a set of finalists. Teams of expe-rienced researchers and practitioners conduct two-day site visits to each of the 10 finalists. Then, a jury of former elected officials and other prominent business, labor, education and civil rights leaders review the final data and select a win-ner and three runners-up.

The 10-member jury was co-chaired by for-mer Indiana governor Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., and former member of Congress George Miller of California.

Honorees were selected based on student learning, certificate and degree com-pletion, employment and earnings, and “high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.”

“It’s really in line with our mission to serve all students,” OC president David Mitchell said. “We were just thrilled when we heard about it. We didn’t win, but being in the top 10 puts you in the top 1 per-cent in the nation.”

Garguile said being recognized as one of the leading schools in the

areas of student success does not mean the school is satisfied.

“We know that there’s more that we can do, and certainly with more resources and more hard work and more thinking and strategizing,” she said. “We’re going to just keep pressing on and working to do the best we can. There [are] some things we can learn from these other colleges.”

According to an OC press release, OC has a 57 percent student retention rate — 5 percent higher than the national average of students remaining at a school for a second year. And OC’s close ties with its communities are “reflected in dozens of programs in skilled trades, from which 90 percent of students complete and 100 percent are placed in jobs.”

Also, OC’s close part-nerships with Western Washington and Washington State universi-ties, as well as a collabora-tive engineering program on the Bremerton campus, provides students with clear pathways to earning a bachelor’s degree.

“Olympic College is a great school and we’re very fortunate to have it in our community,” Garguile said, “and have the won-derful faculty and adminis-trators and staff. It’s a great benefit for our community that we have the college here.”

She added, “We have to applaud the students. They’re certainly the ones doing the hard work.”

In the Top 10Olympic College is rated one of the best community colleges in the United States

I am proud to announce that Olympic College was named as one of ten finalists for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the

nation’s preeminent recognition of high achieve-ment and performance in America’s community colleges.

The prize, awarded every two years, recog-nizes outstanding insti-tutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 community colleges. With a singular focus on student suc-cess, the prize assesses community colleges’ achievements in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, high rates of employment and earn-ings for graduates, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.

Olympic College was selected as a finalist because:

“Olympic College does an exceptional job meet-ing the growing demand for higher education in its community and among its students, over two-thirds of whom are the first in their families to attend college,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program in Washington, D.C. “With graduation rates on the rise and programs aligned to work-force needs, Olympic is showing how concert-ed, college-wide efforts can deliver what students need most.”

Olympic College stands out as one of the nation’s top community colleges for many reasons, including:

■ Steadily improving retention of some of the least academically prepared students (retention rate 57 percent, compared to 52 percent nation-ally).

■ Close ties with local industry, reflected in doz-ens of programs in skilled trades, from which 90 percent of students complete and 100 percent are placed in jobs.

■ Strong, well-established pathways to a bache-lor’s degree, including a collaborative engineering program at Olympic College in Bremerton.

Olympic College is very proud of this rec-ognition of our collective efforts to make our community college one of the best in the nation. Learn more about the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence at: www.aspeninstitute.org/college-excellence.

— David C. Mitchell, president, Olympic College

Message from President David C. Mitchell

1946: Olympic College opens.

1954: Apprentice pro-gram established.

1995: Olympic College Shelton campus opens.

1998: Direct transfer agreement between

Olympic College and Old Dominion University.

2004: Olympic College Poulsbo campus opens.

2008: Bachelor of sci-ence degree in nursing is offered.

2010: Partnership

between Olympic College and Washington State University established.

2013: Partnership between Olympic College and Western Washington University established.

2014: Bachelor of

applied science in informa-tion systems offered.

2015: Bachelor of applied science in orga-nizational leadership and technical management offered.

— Olympic College

Sound Publishing will use a portion of proceeds from this special section to

establish a scholarship at Olympic College

Publisher: Lori MaximEditor: Richard WalkerAdvertising Director: Donna EtcheyCreative Services Manager: Bryon KempfCover Design: John Rodriguez

OLYMPIC COLLEGE: A TIMELINE


Olympic College is a public two-year community college that educates more than 13,000 students a year.

Founded in 1946, the college now has three cam-puses — in Bremerton, Poulsbo and Shelton — and serves a population of 280,000 residents living in Kitsap and Mason coun-ties.

The college’s ser-vice area contains two major Navy instal-

lations: Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Hospital Bremerton.FOUNDING

Olympic College opened its doors as Olympic Junior College on Sept. 5, 1946. It had 575 students (423 men and 152 women) and the tuition was $35 per quarter, or students had the option to pay for three quarters in advance for $75.

Olympic College has attracted dignitaries and well-known performers during its history. Harry S Truman, the 33rd presi-dent of the United States, visited Bremerton and Olympic Junior College in 1948 and received the

college’s first honorary degree.CAMPUS AND CLASS LOCATIONS

Olympic College serves an area of more than 1,617 square miles.

Here’s a look at the col-lege’s three campuses:

■ Olympic College Bremerton is centrally located in Bremerton, 1600 Chester Ave., on a 33-acre campus. Olympic College also has a presence on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor and Bremerton.

■ Olympic College Poulsbo is located on a 20-acre campus in north Kitsap County, 15.9 miles from the main campus.

The Poulsbo campus is also a satellite campus of Western Washington University.

The Poulsbo campus is an educational gateway for students from Bainbridge Island and the north Kitsap Peninsula. A variety of credit and non-credit cours-es are available.

The land for the Poulsbo campus was donated by the Olhava family in 1993.

■ Olympic College Shelton is located on a 27-acre campus in Mason County, 38.4 miles from the main campus. The Shelton campus is also the site of a trades center.

Features include com-

puter labs, a media center, student services, study and social areas, and the Johnson Library.

The land for the Shelton campus was donated by Simpson Timber in 1990. DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

Olympic College offers two-year degrees and certificates in 56 fields of study, as well as three undergraduate degrees:

■ Bachelor of applied science in information systems.

■ Bachelor of science in nursing.

■ Bachelor of applied science in organizational leadership and technical

management. In addition, OC offers

courses so residents can update their job skills, get job training, or enjoy per-sonal enrichment.

Students achieve many of their personal and pro-fessional goals by attend-ing Olympic College.

In recent years, the col-lege has undergone many changes, including con-struction of a Humanities and Student Services building on the Bremerton campus and expansion of services at the Poulsbo and Shelton campuses.

— Source: Olympic College

STUDENT PROFILE(2013-14)

Fall 2013 headcount: 8,087Fall 2013 FTE: 5,794Female: 54%Male: 46%Students of color: 32%Students with disabilities: 8%Full-time (12 or more credits): 48%Part-time: 52%Under 20: 25%20-29: 41%30-39: 18%

40+: 16%Median age: 25

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTB.S. in nursing: 28AA/arts and science: 704Associate in technical arts: 485Associate in science: 46Certificates: 1,549GED certificates: 52Adult high school diplomas: 110President’s Scholars: 1,934Dean’s Scholars: 3,129

OC Foundation scholarships: 108

OTHERAcademic transfer and support : 49%Fulfill freshman- and soph-omore-year requirements for a bachelor’s degree, and provide support for vocational education in areas such as mathematics, English, and science.

Workforce education: 36%Prepare students for entry-level jobs and provide

retraining and improve work skills for the current work force.

Pre-college: 11%Courses that prepare students for college-level classes.

Basic skills: 4%Enables students to achieve an eighth-grade education, complete high school, and overcome deficiencies that may prevent achievement in college-level studies.

— Source: Olympic College

OC now offers three undergraduate degreesAssociate’s degrees, certificates in 56 fields of study

Olympic College’s Bremerton campus is located at 1600 Chester Ave. OC also has a presence on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor and Bremerton. Olympic College

Olympic College’s Poulsbo campus is located at 1000 Olympic College Way. The Poulsbo campus is also a satellite campus of Western Washington University. Olympic College

Olympic College’s Shelton campus is located at 937 W. Alpine Way. The campus is also the site of a trades center. Olympic College

In addition to the two-and four-year degree pro-grams offered by Olympic College, the following partnerships provide peninsula residents with a larger gateway to higher education.

■ Western on the Peninsulas is a satellite of Western Washington University at Olympic College Poulsbo.

Western on the Peninsulas offers commu-nity programs and under-graduate degrees in the following fields:

Business administrationEnvironmental science

Environmental policyElementary educationHuman resourcesContact: Kathy Johnson,

360-394-2733, kathy.john [email protected].

■ Washington State University: WSU offers a bachelor of science in mechanical engineer-ing at Olympic College Bremerton.

Program coordinator: Dr. Marvin Pitts, professor, WSUME at OC Bremerton, Science & Technology Building, Room 110. Call 360-475-7543, email [email protected].

OLYMPIC COLLEGE: PARTNERS OLYMPIC COLLEGE: STUDENTS

“On behalf of the Bremerton School District, congratulations on becoming one of the Top Ten Community Colleges in the Nation. Now the rest of the world knows how fabulous you are!”

Dr. Aaron Leavell, SuperintendentBremerton School District

www.bremertonschools.org

Congratulations Olympic College

from Bremerton

Rotary

Congratulation! Honored to be a part of the Alumni FamilyTracy S. Flood, Attorney at Law Olympic College Alumus –

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King , Jr.

Thank you Olympic College for your leadership, dedication, hard work and continued growth with career–oriented programs!

Olympic College’s most famous alum? The 33rd president of the United States.

President Harry S Truman paid a two-day visit to Washington state June 9-10, 1948.

On June 9, he visited Spokane, Grand Coulee Dam, and Wenatchee. His train arrived in Olympia at 2:10 a.m. June 10. The president got some sleep in the governor’s mansion.

After breakfast with the governor, Truman visited

what was then Olympic Junior College, where he was presented with an honorary associate of arts degree — the first honor-

ary degree present-ed by the college.

Truman then spoke in downtown Bremerton, where another historic moment took place.

HistoryLink.org’s report on the presi-dent’s day omits his honorary degree, but he mentioned the honor in his

remarks downtown (the quote is above).

Here’s HistoryLink.org’s account of the events of June 10, 1948.

■ ■ ■

Truman woke up early for a pre-breakfast stroll. Accompanied by one Secret Service agent, the president walked through the gardens at the governor’s mansion and the Capitol grounds. Police kept onlookers a block away.

After breakfast with the governor, the party left for Bremerton by automobile for an outdoor talk in front of the Elks Club. They arrived just after 11 a.m., and Truman began speak-ing at 11:40. He told of his cross-state trip the day before and the beautiful sights he saw. He talked


History made: The first honorary degree and birth of a famous phrase

President Harry S Truman

“I have just had an honor conferred upon me right here. The Olympic Junior College has made me an Honorary Associate

in Arts. You know, my daughter graduated from George Washington University a year or two ago to receive a degree, and they gave me one too. She worked four years to get hers,

and I got mine right then and there, without any e� ort!”

— President Harry S Truman, June 10, 1948, downtown Bremerton

See TRUMAN, Page 7

CongratulationsOlympic College!

On your recent Aspen Award and becoming one of the top 10 schools

in the nation!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OLYMPIC COLLEGE FOR BEING VOTED ONE OF THE

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ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT

ALLIANCEDEVELOPMENT

Congratulations to Olympic CollegeRecognized as among the Top 10 Community Colleges in the

US by the Aspen InstituteKEDA values OC as a key partner in economic development!

CONGRATULATIONSOLYMPIC COLLEGEFINALIST IN THE ASPEN TOP 10

Sound PublishingOlympic College Alumni

Michelle Beahm

Vanessa Calverley

Shawn Elliot

Donna Etchey

Rita Evans

Brandon Giddens

Billi Jean Gurnsey

Jennie Morello

Dave Murray

John Rodriguez

PATRIOTBREMERTON

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Proud to be a part of the OC community

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about the Columbia River and its awesome power.

And then he lit into the 80th Congress.

“You know, this Congress is interested in the welfare of the better classes. They are not interested in the welfare of the common, everyday man. They said if we lifted price controls, and things of that sort, business would take care of prices. Well, business has taken care of prices, for the welfare and the benefit of the fellows at the top. The poor man is having to pay out all his money for rent and for clothing and for food at prices that are cer-tainly outrageous.”

At this point, a voice boomed from the audi-

ence. What was said is still under debate. The news-papers stated that a man yelled, “Lay it on, Harry!”

Presidential notes claim that the voice said, “Pour it on, Harry!” But there are those in Bremerton who insist that what was

said was “Give ‘em Hell, Harry!,” to which Truman responded, “I’m going to! I’m going to!”

A plaque in Bremerton notes that this was the first occurrence of the phrase that would become forever tied to President Harry S. Truman …

After a tour of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, the president and his family boarded the governor’s yacht Olympus and headed for Seattle.

TrumanContinued from page 5

BREMERTON — The Olympic College Foundation will provide more than $300,000 in scholarships to students attending Olympic College during the 2015-16 academ-ic year.

Eligibility requirements for scholarships vary and are not solely based on academic achievement. The foundation has a wide range of scholarship cri-teria based on program of study, career goals, com-munity service, leadership and/or interests.

The Olympic College Foundation works with private donors to provide

scholarship support for students attending Olympic College.

To be considered for any of the more than 125 scholarships, applicants must fill out a scholarship application, which can be found online at www.TheWashBoard.org. Students should make sure the online application is filled out and completed by the scholarship deadline. Deadlines vary from mid-March to mid-April.

For more information, go to www.TheWashBoard.org or www.olympic.edu and click on “Paying for College.”

Olympic College Foundation will award $300,000 in scholarships for 2015-16

A plaque in Bremerton notes the first occurrence of the phrase that would become forever tied to President Truman: “Give ’em hell, Harry!”

Chris Tucker /Sound Publishing

CongratulationsCongratulationsFrom Kitsap County Board of Commissioners

CongratulationsOne of the Nations top Community Colleges

Top 10 finalist in Aspen Prize for Excellence

We proudly support Olympic College!

Congratulations on being named one of the Top 10 Schools in the Nation!

Thank you for all you do for the students of our community!

360.874.7000 www.skitsap.wednet.edu

South Kitsap Schools

Bremerton is home to Olympic College and we congratulate President Mitchell, his leadership staff and all professors that have enabled this academic jewel to

be in the top ten of the Aspen Award nationwide.

Our students at risk, military families and first generation college students continue to be a top priority for the college’s standard of excellence.

In 2017 the City of Bremerton supports and encourages Olympic College to again apply for this coveted Aspen Award.

Mayor Patty LentCity of Bremerton

Congratulations to everyone at Olympic College for obtaining the Aspen Award – one of 10 out of 1000 Community Colleges in the US. I was so proud to be on the Foundation Board for 9 years – I grew to love Olympic College and admire all of those who attended and worked there.

Fondly, Marilee Hansenwww.MarthaandMary.org • 360.779.7500

Caring for Generations

www.MarthaandMary.org • 360.779.7500

Caring for GenerationsCongratulati ons,

OC!

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“Congratulations to Olympic College”

Kathy Davis-HayfieldAdvisory Board Member

101 Shore Drive, Bremerton, WA 98310

(360) 377-2600

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We are proud to be your partner in higher education

CONGRATULATIONS

Olympic

College

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Named one of the top 10 Community Colleges in the Nation by the Aspen Institute


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