Globe Education Network (GEN), including Utah Career College, Globe University, Minnesota School of Business, Benchmark Learning, and Minnesota School of Cosmetology, held various fundraisers January 18-29 for Haiti earthquake relief efforts. All combined, 21 campuses and the GEN headquarters office contributed $17,908.06 to the American Red Cross to help serve the people of Haiti.

Campus activities included jeans week, taco sales, popcorn sales, massages, pie throwing and much more!  Congratulations to all on a successful fundraiser.

January 19, 2010 - Three schools within the Globe Education Network, including Globe University, Minnesota School of Business, and Utah Career College, awarded $2.5 million in scholarships to students in 2009.

Twelve different scholarships contributed to the total award amount. Examples of the scholarships include the Purple Heart Scholarship, awarded to qualified student-service members and veterans who were wounded in the Gulf Wars, and the Community Service Scholarship, awarded to qualified students for their community service activities that benefit the community and support education.

Nicolas Spenningsby, a student at MSB-Moorhead, received the $2,000 Community Service Scholarship for his service during the 2009 flooding of the Red River in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Spenningsby says the help he provided to his community came naturally, without the intention of receiving anything in return. “I realize the Community Service Scholarship [application] says to write about service work, but I feel I would rather write about something I had no intentions of receiving an award for, rather than go out and perform service work with the intentions to receive this scholarship.”

For more information about scholarships available at Utah Career College, visit http://www.utahcollege.edu/financial-aid/

Utah Career College’s three campuses, located in Layton, Orem, and West Jordan, will have Salvation Army kettles outside their front entrances on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. The college’s staff and faculty members will volunteer as the bell-ringers throughout the day, from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The college’s associated institutions, including Globe University, Minnesota School of Business, Minnesota School of Cosmetology, Institute of Production and Recording, and New Horizons of Minnesota will also have employee volunteers to ring the Salvation Army bells and encourage donations from passersby. In all, 23 campuses associated with Utah Career College will participate in fundraising for the Salvation Army.

In addition, the online division of Utah Career College is collecting Salvation Army donations through an online kettle. Please visit http://give.salvationarmyusa.org/goto/GENonline to make an online donation.

During Massage Awareness Week in October 2009 massage students from Minnesota School of Business, Globe University and the Utah Career Colleges volunteered their time to raise money for multiple organizations.  The students performed table and chair massage and mini spa techniques.  Participants gave a donation for the services.

The students raised a combined total of $1909.49. The  campuses that participated were in Rochester, MN, Moorhead, MN, Blaine, MN, Elk River, MN, Plymouth, MN, Woodbury, MN, St. Cloud, MN and Layton, UT. 

Some of the Charities that benefited:

• American Cancer Society
• Roger Maris Cancer Center
• Hospice of the Red River Valley
• Toys for Tots
• Our Savior’s Outreach Ministries
• The Red Cross
• Climb for Life Event in Salt Lake City

Congratulations to all of our students and staff for all you did to help these organizations.

On October 26th and 27th, Tom Kosel, GEN director of government relations, and James Cox, UCC regional director, attended the State Affairs Coordinating Council meeting in Chicago. The council is comprised of Career College Association staff, CCA members and the state associations representing career colleges. The Council’s purpose is to discuss public policy on the state level and coordinate with national issues and initiatives.In addition to representing Globe Education Network, James Cox attended as the official delegate from the Career College Association of Utah and Tom Kosel was the delegate from Minnesota Career College Association (MCCA).

Kosel, who is also the legislative chair of MCCA, presented a case study about how MCCA successfully preserved state grant eligibility for career college students. In March, MCCA organized its member schools to collectively oppose Bill HF 1414, which, if passed, would have eliminated students at Minnesota career colleges from state grant funding.

The state of Ohio recently lost a similar budget debate that resulted in the loss of Ohio College Opportunity Grant funding for career college students, who must now take on greater student loan debts. Delegates from Ohio presented the events that lead to this legislative change in their state.

The negative outcome in Ohio illustrates the important role each of our campuses must play to raise positive awareness of the career college sector and the access to state financial aid that students deserve.

From American Forces Press Service:

President Barack Obama pledged his support of military members and their families and said Americans have a “solemn obligation” to preserve their well-being in his proclamation declaring November as Military Family Month.

The proclamation reads:

“No one pays a higher price for our freedom than members of our Nation’s military and their families. As sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and mothers and fathers are deployed, military families endure with exceptional resilience and courage. They provide our troops with invaluable encouragement and love, and serve our Nation in their own right. During Military Family Month, we honor the families of our Armed Forces and thank them for their dedication to our country.

“Though only a small percentage of our Nation’s population, our troops bear the great responsibility of protecting our people. They, along with their families, serve us every day with courage and dignity. Ensuring that military families receive the respect they deserve and the support they have earned is a top priority for my Administration.

“The strength of our Nation is measured not just by our success on the battlefield, but also by our ability to support those families who have made so many sacrifices for us. Time and again, military families have shown their heart in the face of adversity. We have a solemn obligation to ensure that while our men and women in uniform discharge their duties, we do all we can to promote and preserve the well-being of their families. We must also support the families of our wounded warriors and our fallen heroes who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy.

“This month, we celebrate the tremendous contributions of military families, convey to them our deepest respect and appreciation, and recommit ourselves to their support.

“Now, therefore, I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2009 as Military Family Month. I call on all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in the support of our service members and our Nation.”

Utah Career College offers many scholarships for military personnel, veterans and their families. To learn more about what makes Utah Career College a designated Military-Friendly School, please contact our Military Student Services department at 1-866-342-3505 or veterans@utahcollege.edu.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 90% of the jobs in the fastest growing occupations require some level of postsecondary education and training.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has developed a postsecondary education policy that focuses on breaking down the barriers that prevent students who are capable of completing a postsecondary program from doing so. The Chamber is recommending that policymakers examine five key issues, including providing more support for key non-traditional sectors of higher education. The policy includes proprietary colleges and universities, such as Utah Career College, in this category.

Specifically, the Chamber’s policy states:

“For-profit schools have improved the overall quality, accessibility, and transparency of American higher education. Today, over two million students attend these institutions which represent one of the fastest growing segments in higher education. Ground-breaking new models of delivering services, academic content, and financial aid to students from all different ages and socio-economic strata have changed the face of higher education forever. Federal policies should support the growth of these institutions instead of perpetuating a tiered system in which these institutions (and the students they serve) are treated differently than other public and private institutions.”

Utah Career College works daily to provide quality postsecondary education to this group of two million students. We are excited that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognizes our efforts and understands the value we provide to students and the economy.

Please read the complete policy here: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/education/postsecondaryed.htm

August 19, 2009 - Utah Career College (UCC) has made the G.I. Jobs 2010 list of Military Friendly Schools. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.

Utah Career College’s military student services department assists members of the military with enrolling in a degree or diploma program. The college also offers several military-only scholarships for active duty, active Reserves/National Guard, veterans, and military spouses and dependents.  

“This list is especially important now because the recently enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend.”

Utah Career College also considers military experience for college credit. “We understand that military personnel want to take full advantage of their prior learning,” said Mike Blumberg, military support liaison at UCC. “We’ll work with students and their education officers to convert their applicable military training, education and occupational specialties into relevant college credit, where possible. We follow the recommendations from the American Council on Education on transferring and granting credit for military work experience to ensure the process is smooth and thorough.”

Students at UCC have several convenient options for attending classes. Campuses are located in Layton, Orem, and West Jordan, and UCC’s online education allows military service members and their dependents to access classes anywhere in the world. Programs provide students with practical, hands-on training for careers in four high-demand areas: business, health sciences, technology, and legal sciences.

Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students and academic accreditations. A new Web site, www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, will launch in September with interactive tools and search functionality to assist military veterans in choosing schools that best meet their educational needs.

West Jordan, Utah - August 4, 2009 - Utah Career College (UCC) today announced its nursing program has received initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) Board of Commissioners. The two-year associate degree program prepares graduates for the National Council Licensure Exam to become licensed registered nurses.

The NLNAC, and its predecessor, the National League for Nursing, have worked to establish standards of excellence for all types of nursing education for more than 50 years. Utah Career College’s NLNAC accreditation demonstrates that the school meets the highest standards of nursing education.

“This is a significant achievement for our school,” said Janica Johnson, acting program chair of nursing for Utah Career College. “We are very proud to offer the highest standard of nursing education to our students, and we look forward to the contributions they will make to the nursing profession.”

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 — Utah Career College has been selected for the 2009 Best of West Jordan Award in the Vocational Schools category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association