August

Highlights of August 2020

Students attend CCBC tuition-free

CCBC worked to ease the financial strain of enrolling in the Fall 2020 semester with a plan that allowed students to attend tuition-free. By providing students with supplemental aid after the awarding of scholarships, grants and COVID-19 relief funding, CCBC removed the biggest barrier found in higher education – cost.

Knowing that community college students are often the most vulnerable during tough economic times, the college took bold steps to provide students with this unique, tuition-free opportunity. Robust fundraising efforts allowed the CCBC Foundation to offer a variety of grants and scholarships to students in addition to what they received in federal and state aid.

Both degree-seeking students as well as those interested in workforce and career training programs qualified for the tuition-free program.

Health Professions programs have new high-tech home

After 18 months of construction, the Carol Diane Eustis Center for Health Professions opened at CCBC Essex for the Fall 2020 semester. The state-of-the-art 120,000-square-foot facility is named in honor of the late Carol D. Eustis, who served for 12 years as dean of CCBC’s School of Health Professions and enjoyed an impressive 46-year career at CCBC Essex.

As the largest educator of undergraduate health care professionals in Maryland, CCBC’s School of Health Professions offers 15 degree programs, four certificate programs and 20 Workforce Training Certificate programs.

These include Nursing, Respiratory Care Therapy, Medical Imaging, Radiation Therapy, Emergency Medical Technology, Physician Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, Mortuary Science and Veterinary Technology.

Highlights of the new Eustis Center include simulation labs with computer-controlled mannequins, a home environment simulation lab for “real world” emergency response practice, debriefing rooms, simulated exam and hospital rooms, and a cross-discipline simulation lab which can mimic emergency department conditions.

The building also includes a 140-seat testing center with sections for adaptability, including reduced-distraction testing rooms for special-needs students.

CCBC earns Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

The Government Finance Officers Association awarded CCBC a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the fiscal year ended 2019. This certificate is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

According to the GFOA, the association established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program in 1945. Its purpose is to recognize individual governments that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

This is the 22nd consecutive year CCBC has attained this honor.

Middle States accreditation process underway

Every eight years, CCBC’s institutional accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education must be reaffirmed. This accreditation status is essential to CCBC’s ability to offer student financial aid and provide a wide range of student resources and services. Our institutional accreditation also enhances the ability of CCBC students to seamlessly transfer to other colleges and universities.

More than 150 members of the college community—representing the CCBC Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students—are participating in Middle States 2022: Rethink. Reenvision. Reaffirm., a two-year, in-depth self-study process.

During this self-study, CCBC’s accreditation team examines not only the specific requirements of the MSCHE Standards of Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, but also the activities that advance CCBC’s mission and strategic priorities.

A team of external peer reviewers will participate in an virtual visit to CCBC in 2022. The goal is reaffirmation of institutional accreditation by the MSCHE Board of Commissioners.