DACC Notes: November 2022 -- Find Gratitude

Though gratitude is something we should show all year, many of us wait until November to express it. I’m guilty of this oversight, but I’d like to list my work-related gratitude for you here.

First and foremost, I’m thankful for my co-workers. The past two years have been rough, personally and professionally, for many people, but the faculty and staff at Danville Area Community College have been supportive and understanding of students and co-workers alike. I appreciate that I get to come to a workplace filled with people I genuinely like to see on a daily basis and who seem genuinely happy to see me. I understand this is a rare gift. 

I’m relieved – as are many others, I’m sure – that our campus is fully open, our halls and classrooms are full, and we’re holding events again. Basketball season is in full swing and we welcome everyone to the Mary Miller Gym to take in a Men’s or Women’s game. 

We had a special event on campus today, the Fall Flair Art Show and Sale. Our Art students had their work on display for enjoyment and to hopefully fulfill a few holiday shopping lists. The Phi Theta Kappa Honor students hosted a Bake Sale table full of delicious, homemade goodies, Dr. Jonathon Wade opened his Coffee Cart, and in true Coffee House fashion there was music provided by the talented duo Fletcher and Baird. 

I’m grateful for our students. Since becoming the sponsor of the All Star Jaguars I’ve been much more involved in student life and I thoroughly enjoy it. My group of students is diverse, clever, creative, bright, and entertaining. It is a privilege to interact with them and to know that they aren’t unique among the student body. They simply offer me a glimpse into the lives of all our students. 

I’m thankful for an administration and Board of Trustees who see that economic times are tight for our community and are willing to offer an enrollment incentive to current and prospective students to alleviate the sting of education expenses. Anyone who enrolls for a full-time schedule for spring prior to December 23rd will receive a $600 break on their tuition cost. 

Another incentive is in place for anyone who lives outside of our college district – say for instance, in Indiana – but works full time within the district. These folks, along with all dependents in their households, qualify for in-district tuition. That represents a significant savings over out-of-district and/or out-of-state tuition. 

Finally, area high school students can take advantage of dual credit opportunities for reduced – or sometimes $0 – tuition and get a head start on their college education. Dual credit makes so much more sense than Advanced Placement classes because every dual credit student who passes a class will receive college credit for that class. Only 35 percent of students who enroll in an AP class will ever take the test, and then only 61 percent of those who take the test will pass it with a score sufficient to earn college credit – and that test isn’t cheap! 

Thank you to the Commercial News for the opportunity to bring you information about DACC each month, and thank you, Dear Readers, for giving me five or ten minutes of your attention. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.