November 6, 2009

Was that the “solid stuff” I saw falling from the sky Wednesday morning!? We had such a nice fall without any serious fog, I guess I had been lulled into a sense of immunity from weather woes. I’m sure the upcoming winter will have some challenges for us, but we’ll get through it as we always do at the Peak of Ohio!

I want to share with you two examples of public acknowledgement of the fine work you’re all doing with our students. Monday I attended a lunch of local leaders and heard a presentation from our State Representative Dave Burke as he gave us an update on the current “state of the state” from his perspective. In addition to budget shortfalls at the state level, he expressed a real concern for workforce development. He motioned to me and asked the group, “Why aren’t we sending more people to Ohio Hi-Point to get the training that will get them ready for the jobs that are available?”

Wednesday morning the Logan County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors met to set our course for the coming year. As we worked through our strategic planning, we focused on the areas of member services, communication, data-driven decisions—but the conversation kept coming back to workforce development and the importance of a well-trained workforce to attract and retain businesses. Ohio Hi-Point, and in particular our partnerships with higher education, was mentioned repeatedly as an underutilized asset that is positioned to provide the skills training needed for our community. I always sit a little bit taller when our school is recognized in groups like these—and I do it on behalf of all of you who make great opportunities happen for our students! Know that your hard work is recognized and acknowledged in our community.

Wednesday at lunchtime I was able to briefly join our OHP Student Bloggers at lunch at Bob Evans (a well-deserved reward for them!) It was fun to sit with them and hear their perspectives on technology today and how kids prefer to communicate. (I’ve included photos of the group at the right--you'll have to forgive me, I don't know how to rotate them!) If you haven’t taken time to read our student blogs on our website, you’re missing a treat! They’re doing a terrific job of journaling their experiences as OHP students.

Thursday morning I ran into the right person (Earl LeVan, Adult Education Diversified Industrial Trainer) at the right time in the front lobby. He shared with me that DIT’s from around the state were on our campus for a meeting and invited me to join them for lunch in the Inn. He didn’t have to twist my arm! I really enjoyed hearing about the training they do with adult students in a variety of areas, including manufacturing maintenance, HVAC, and power line maintenance. I don’t remember the exact figures, but Duke Energy reports that about 75 percent of their line maintenance employees will be retiring within the next few years—which points to huge training needs in this area! We also heard an interesting story from one of the visitors about how he, as a young bachelors-trained engineer, was given a complex project to work on early in his career that became a 30-day valuable learning experience. It made me think of the problem-based learning we challenge our students with regularly. I think it’s the best way to learn, because students use critical thinking and apply knowledge to real-world problems as opposed to textbook simulations. And it’s more fun!

Thursday afternoon as I was walking into the Main Building for a meeting, two students were on the benches out front after school working intently on their laptops. I told them “Good for you—working on homework while you wait for your ride! That is what you’re doing isn’t it?” One of them looked up sheepishly and said, “Uh . . . yeah.” (Not very convincingly.) The other one said without missing a beat, “I’m not!” I told him at least he’s honest. Those kids sure are tuned into the technology; and even though it would be foolish to think they’re always engaged in their studies, at least they’re engaged!

This afternoon, Doug Cox from Bruner Corporation, Robert Walker, and I had the honor of receiving a rebate check for just over $34,000 from Dayton Power and Light as a result of our energy-saving projects on campus. A nice chunk of change to offset some of the costs! And the savings we’re realizing from these energy updates will continue for many years to come—a great investment in the future, I think!

I don’t know how many of you realize, but we have many visitors from all over the country to Campbell Hill (Ohio’s highest point) every month. We provide a log at the landmark for them to sign and make any comments they’d like. This past month we’ve had visitors from Massachusetts, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, Minnesota, California, and even the Czech Republic! Occasionally someone brings the logs to me to read, and we get some funny comments. A couple from Kansas said, “Glad we found it! Hurray for the GPS.” A visitor from California wrote, “Here for USC vs. Ohio State. Decided to visit this unassuming and obscure state high point, but it is rather nice in its own way.” And a clown who didn’t identify his origins wrote, “Wow! Aspen King! Get me down!” OK, so we’re not Mt. McKinley—but I am proud of the beauty of our campus and the fine manner in which our highest point is maintained!

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and stay healthy!