CLTCC Recognizes Top 10 Achievements of 2020
Alexandria, La., Dec. 22, 2020 — When the year began, Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) looked forward to maximizing the new opportunities available with the recently completed Downtown Main Campus building as well as the CLECO Advanced Manufacturing Training Center. CLTCC’s plan was building on the positive momentum formed college-wide in 2019. And then, 2020 unfolded with unprecedented events such as a global pandemic changing everything.
“2020 has been unlike any year we have ever experienced,” said CLTCC Chancellor Jimmy Sawtelle. “Our focus has always been to serve the workforce needs of our students and our partners, and that never changed. But to do that, we had to reengineer the ways we interacted with students and delivered our classes to ensure the health and safety needs of our students and our staff were met as well.”
As the year draws to a close, here is a look at the achievements the college saw as the Top 10 of 2020:
Number 10: For the third consecutive year, CLTCC’s Student Government Association President served as Student Representative on the Louisiana Community & Technical College (LCTCS) Board of Supervisors. This year Practical Nursing Student Joshua Turner of the Rod Brady Campus continued the string of service started by Jeremy Gray in 2018 and followed by Shanco Williams in 2019.
Number 9: In a year filled with COVID-19, hurricanes, and stresses resulting from extraordinary circumstances student wellness became even more important.
- A generous donor provided free YWCA Alexandria memberships to all Alexandria Campus students.
- Ochsner Health provided Telehealth to CLTCC and Louisiana Community & Technical College System (LCTCS) students and dependents. As a result, students were able to receive medical information conveniently, affordably, and privately.Number 8: Students working toward a diploma in Practical Nursing gained a new option as CLTCC added an Associate of Applied Science degree in Practical Nursing. The program added five General Education courses that will transfer to all public Louisiana colleges and universities.
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Number 7: To support workers who may be unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19, LCTCS and CLTCC launched the “Reboot Your Career” program for short-term training in high- demand, high-wage careers. Students can receive reduction of tuition upwards of $1,500 per year for career training.
Number 6: CLTCC and LSU of Alexandria partnered to create a Transfer Scholarship to help students save money and remain in Cenla. Students can save thousands towards an Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees by completing General Education classes at CLTCC and then transferring the credits to LSUA.
Number 5: Cammie Hoover, a Ferriday Campus Practical Nursing student, was one of 48 national recipients of Phi Theta Kappa’s “New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar” award sponsored by the Coca Cola Foundation.
Number 4: Last year, reporter Marcella Bombardieri visited CLTCC and Cenla, “looking for insight on how to improve rural college attainment.” Her story, which was featured in the Boston Globe and American Progress, promoted the importance of Career and Technical Education across Louisiana and the United States.
Number 3: CLTCC saw new private investments of more than $600,000. Investments include a land donation from Regions Bank as well as a $110,000 commitment from Hardtner Medical Center, Autumn Leaves Nursing Rehabilitation Center, LaSalle Economic Development District, and LaSalle Nursing Home for a second Practical Nursing class at Rod Brady Campus. Other groups making significant donations to the success of CLTCC students include Haas Automation, Inc., CommCare Corp, Coughlin Saunders Foundation, International Paper Company, Brookshire’s Grocery Company, Brian Caubarreaux & Associates, and Union Tank Car Company.
Number 2: CLTCC achieved five of six Goals in LCTCS’s landmark six-year public agenda, titled “Our Louisiana 2020.” The college united to serve Central Louisiana to:
- Double Graduates
- Double Earnings of Annual Graduating Class
- Double Students Served
- Quadruple Businesses Partnerships
- Double Foundation AssetsNumber 1: The overwhelming choice as the Top Story of 2020 is the way CLTCC students, partners, faculty, and staff worked together to overcome obstacles, demonstrating an indomitable will to succeed in the face of the unprecedented challenges 2020 presented. Specifically, students and staff:• •
- SGA President and LCTCS Student Board Member Shanco Williams volunteered to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) in a community effort to support local hospitals
- Natchitoches Regional Medical Center provided COVID-19 testing hosted at our Natchitoches Campus•
