September 2023 Volume 7 Issue 2

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be delayed for the 2024-2025 aid year. Typically, the FAFSA opens on October 1st each year for the next fall’s enrollment. This year, the FAFSA will not open until sometime in December 2023, rather than in October. (The US Department of Education has not released a specific date yet).

This means that students cannot complete their FAFSA for next fall until the application opens in December. The FAFSA deadline for the TN Promise students for the fall of 2024 has been moved to April 15, 2024 to accommodate this change. The NSCC Financial Aid Office will be planning some FAFSA events for the month of February. More information to come on this.

Healthcare Update

As the fall semester begins to hit its stride, Workforce is incredibly excited to continue our work! On the Healthcare Workforce front, September has offered a number of exciting benchmarks. In no particular order:​

• 9 Central Sterile Processing Technician (CSPT) Workforce students completed their clinical hour requirements at various Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) locations across Nashville. This is the second NSCC CSPT cohort to complete the program in partnership with VUMC. We look forward to welcoming more CS Workforce students soon. ​

• Medical Assisting (MA) Cohort 5, comprised of 15 students, completed the 12-week MA Workforce Program on September 28th. We’re eager to support them as they complete certification and enter their full-time MA roles.​

• Thanks to the support of Dr. Kimberly Malone-Haddox, Health Sciences Dean, Donna Whitehouse, and the North Davidson Campus team, we are welcoming MA Cohort 6 to the North Davidson Campus on October 2^nd! We’re all aware that as our programs grow, spacing needs change. Because of the adaptability and accommodation of NSCC, the MA program has a new home and firm foundation for future students to grow! ​

Finally, on behalf of the Workforce team, thank you to our Healthcare Instructors, many of which instruct full-time and as adjuncts at the college. 

THANK YOU, Eli Alvarado, Kathy Alwahab, Genevieve El Chaer, Michael Glenn, Molly Jensen, Amber Malone, Piper Sesnan, and Rosemary Theriot for your contributions to CSPT Cohort 2 and MA Cohort 5. We look forward to partnering in the future to support the professional growth of the individuals we serve.

13th Annual Steps of Success 5K

On September 9^th, NSCC had the privilege of partnering with Transformation Life Center and BGSF for the 13^th Annual Steps of Success 5k Run / Walk. Hundreds of participants gathered at Shelby Bottoms to champion and reaffirm our collaborative commitment to student success across the Nashville Area. 

Advancing Workforce Equity Job Expo

In preparation of the Advancing Workforce Equity Grant program launch, NSCC hosted a Job Expo, including 27 employers across various sectors. The career fair was driven by our partnership with Urban League of Middle Tennessee. A special thanks to Dr. Kenisha Burke and Courtney Woodard for your contributions to the event. ​

We look forward to the official program launch in late October! 

Faculty Emeritus

Faculty emeritus is awarded to a retired faculty member to recognize their contributions to the college and encourage their continued association with the college. To be awarded faculty emeritus by TBR, the status must be recommended by the faculty member’s peers and supervisors with the collection of letters of support and then approved by the President.

Marylou Tate, Culinary Arts, Faculty Emeritus, Assistant Professor

Chef Tate started at Nashville State in 2009 and retired in 2023. She was a member of the original team to help Culinary Arts become an accredited program and then part of all three of the American Culinary Federation reaccreditation teams. She has been a member of the Nashville Chapter of Les Dames d ’Escoffier International and a judge and participant in local culinary events. While an incredible culinary student instructor, mentor, coach and advisor, Chef Tate’s industry participation and connections not only helped her students get exposure to employment opportunities, but also promoted the Culinary Arts program at Nashville State.

Tenure

Tenure is awarded to recognize the merit of the faculty member and their ability to meet the long-term staffing needs of Nashville State. For tenure, faculty on tenure-track complete a portfolio that shows their teaching effectiveness, college service, and scholarship. To be awarded tenure by TBR, tenure must be recommended by the faculty member’s peers at Nashville State and approved by the President.

Laura Burridge, English, Tenured Associate Professor

Laura Burridge has enjoyed being part of the Nashville State community for the past 14 years. Her teaching philosophy centers on encouraging growth mindset and highlighting the value of lifelong learning. She currently serves as English and Reading Department Chair. With faculty Bridgette Weir and Michael Kiggins, she has completed three TBR Course Revitalization grants integrating high impact practices in English courses. She has served three years on the Regional Executive Committee for the Two-Year College English Association-Southeast. Laura recently earned the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Effective Teaching Practices credential.

Jeff Green, Biology, Tenured Associate Professor

Jeff is beginning his 18th year teaching Biology at Nashville State. With students, he shares the Nashville region’s scientific history, promoting relevant and tangible connections with course content. He leverages technology, often in the form of free apps, in a way to help make the learning process more organic by assisting in forming connections between course content and the foundational knowledge many students already possess. While Jeff’s primary devotion is to his students, he has also served Nashville State directly by serving six terms on Faculty Senate, and is the current Chair of Sciences in the School of STEM and Chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Promotion

For Promotion, faculty complete a portfolio that shows their teaching effectiveness, college service, and scholarship. To be awarded a promotion by TBR, the promotion must be recommended by the faculty member’s peers at Nashville State and approved by Dr. Jackson.

Bir Bohara, Physics, Promotion to Assistant Professor

Bir started at Nashville State and as course lead for all of our physics courses the same year as the derecho, cyber-attack, and pandemic. In these unprecedented situations, he showed his flexibility by teaching physics, physical science, astronomy, and NSCC 1010 classes in online, virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face modalities. He has completed the Quality Course Design Certification through our Office of Online Learning and developed an online course for PSCI 1030 Survey of Physical Science. Bir has also completed the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices credential and The Teaching Center’s Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices certificate.

Kristen Bradley, English, Promotion to Associate Professor

Kristen has a PhD in English with a Folk Studies and American literature concentration. She has taught at Nashville State since 2015. During that time, she taught and developed courses in American literature, young adult literature, composition, and learning support reading and writing. From 2019 to 2023, Kristen acted as the lead instructor for learning support writing. In 2020, she developed the school’s first web-based learning support course as we adjusted to the pandemic. Kristen’s most recent publication was released in spring 2023 by St. Louis University Press in an anthology called Wait Five Minutes: Weather Lore in the 21^st Century.

Jennifer Goncalves, Early Childhood Education, Promotion to Associate Professor

Jennifer is in her eighth year at Nashville State. She finds joy in building relationships with her students and colleagues. This is the focus of her practice in the classroom and community.  Jen has completed the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices credential and is a current member of the Faculty Senate. She is a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations, a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and she received her Infant Mental Health Endorsement through the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee. Jen is also the faculty mentor for the Early Childhood Education Club.    

Mark Helm, English, Promotion to Assistant Professor

Mark joined Nashville State in 2018 to tackle the challenge of teaching college-level English courses to high school students. Mark’s passion and commitment for teaching high schoolers has helped to grow McGavock High School’s dual enrollment English program from eight to twelve courses per year. Additionally, Mark has designed online English and creative writing courses for Nashville State, taught in our prison program, and is a founding member of our Diversity and Equity Committee. His original poems have appeared in several peer reviewed journals, including Quarterly West, The New Virginia Review, and Passengers Journal. 

David Markwell, History, Promotion to Professor

David is currently the Department Chair for Social Sciences in the School of Business and Professional Studies. He serves as course lead for HIST 2010, Early United States History, and designed and maintains the online master shell of that course that hundreds of Nashville State students experience every semester. His research interest concerns labor and working-class history, and he has been published in The Journal of Illinois History and The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. David continues to enjoy working with his colleagues, serving the college, and guiding his students on the journey through American history.

Barbra Mullaney, Mathematics, Promotion to Assistant Professor

Barbra has taught at Nashville State for four years, primarily on the Southeast campus but also in Clarksville and our prison program. She has taught ten different math courses ranging from math learning support to pre-calculus and has been the course lead for four math courses. With a focus on teacher education, she developed a Number Concepts for Teachers course and met with stakeholders for our AST elementary education academic audit. Currently in the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices course, Barbra is committed to meeting students where they are with Zoom access in ground sections and by encouraging texting her for help when needed.

Leah Welker, Biology, Promotion to Assistant Professor

Leah is in her third year at Nashville State and loves every minute of it. She teaches mostly Anatomy and Physiology (her favorite subject) but also enjoys teaching biology as part of Nashville State’s prison program and has kicked off the first semester of 7-week accelerated Anatomy and Physiology courses this fall. A huge proponent of active learning and growth mindset, Leah has completed the ACUE Effective Teaching Practices credential. Leah works to serve her campus as a member of the Curriculum Committee, Committee of Diversity and Equity, and as a STEM representative on Faculty Senate.

Mary Elizabeth Wilson-Patton, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Promotion to Professor

Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages at Nashville State since 2012, Mary Elizabeth has taught reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking, serving as component leader for Reading 2 and Writing 2. She also teaches learning support reading and writing. She is dedicated to mentoring adjuncts and developing course materials to help us be student ready. Mary Elizabeth service to the college includes Faculty Fellow in The Teaching Center (2019-2022), a Faculty Senate representative, (2021-2023) and a faculty representative on the college-wide Advisement Committee (2021).

These faculty also received TBR approved promotions, but they were either impervious to my ‘charming’ requests for information or shy! Please congratulate them too.

• Jesmin Akther, Chemistry, Promotion to Associate Professor
• Audrey Cross, Reading, Promotion to Assistant Professor
• Gail Harris, English, Promotion to Assistant Professor
• Janessa Jacobs, Biology, Promotion to Assistant Professor
• Robert Ladd, English, Promotion to Associate Professor

Congratulations to Bir Bohara, Genevieve El Chaer, and Cliff Rockstead for earning the Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Certificate from the Teaching Center during Fall 2023.

To complete this certificate, these faculty attended a TILT workshop, attended 18 hours of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices professional development, implemented TILT assignments in courses, and analyzed the impact of TILT and culturally responsive teaching practices on their students and courses.

Please join the Teaching Center in celebrating Bir, Genevieve, and Cliff’s accomplishments. 31 faculty at Nashville State Community College have earned the Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Certificate.

Listed below are the Facilities Management September Projects:

• Clarksville:
  • New Campus Design is in final stages
  • General Contractor has been named
• Dickson:
  • New Campus Designer selected
  • Property purchased
• North Davidson:
  • Floors – HVAC – Roof under review

• Southeast:
  • New chiller updates being finalized
  • Refurbishment Project in TBR Value Engineering Phase
• White Bridge:
  • H – K – A – C Building Project Underway
  • Central Plant Project being Awarded – Expanded

We appreciate everyone’s support for the Department efforts to maintain and grow the NSCC campuses.