WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

course sections with an enrollment of nearly 40,000 students (duplicated number) that encompass
nearly 37,000 contact hours of instruction at all three campus locations and community sites.
Gold Card Membership and Wellness Activities
WNCC recognizes senior citizens as an audience that needs services and programs. An example
of institutional efforts to engage the senior market can be seen in the Gold Card membership,
which enables residents 60 years of age or older in WNCC’s service area to take as many as 6
credit-bearing classes per semester with no charge for tuition. In 2007, WNCC registered 141
senior citizens into courses through Gold Card membership for a wide range of traditional and nontraditional
academic courses.
The College also sponsors an annual Senior Wellness Festival, a popular event that draws nearly
350 senior citizens to the Scottsbluff Campus for presentations and workshops specifically of
interest to this population. WNCC partners with the Office of Aging to provide workshops to senior
citizens in the area of Medicaid and Medicare information.
Emeritus Distinction
In recognition of outstanding service by a faculty or administration member, provisions for emeritus
distinction have been made by the WCCA Board. The designation, given in recognition of a career
characterized by intellectual inquiry and encouraging the life of the mind in others, is awarded after
a selective process of nomination, review, and affirmation by the Board. The names and
accomplishments of those receiving Emeritus status are announced at the annual commencement
exercises, and a portrait is placed in the hallway outside the Little Theatre so that employees,
students, and members of the public can see the legacy of achievement at the College.
Core Component 4b: The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a
breadth of knowledge and skills, and the exercise of intellectual inquiry, are
integral to its educational programs.
WNCC takes seriously the responsibility it holds in ensuring that students are well-rounded when
they leave the institution. To this end, the College provides diverse opportunities. To develop
students who are multi-dimensional and pursue the exercise of learning, WNCC maintains a broad
structure including general education requirements, student organizations, publications, community
exposure and involvement, library resources, and the assessment of student learning.
General Education
As discussed in Criterion 3 in the context of describing the assessment initiative related to the
general education courses at WNCC, the College stresses the importance of a solid educational
base for all students. They are required to take a number of general-education and liberal-arts
courses in order to provide them with the opportunity to develop a sense of inquiry and particular
skills, abilities, and attitudes correlating with the institution’s general-education goals.
WNCC recognizes that student-learning goals may change during a lifetime; therefore, the general
education requirement for all degrees is collegiate in nature and, as such, should provide an
academic foundation for lifelong learning. The amount of required general education coursework is
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Western Nebraska Community College