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Funds from the CDBG Economic Development Program and CDIP partially supported the Littleton Area Learning Center (LALC) project.
CDFA recently talked to individuals at Granite State College and NH Community Technical College about the LALC.
Granite State College at Littleton Interview
Kathy Moulis, Program Coordinator; Lisa Bozeman, Learner Services Coordinator; and Debra Lynn Fisher & Samantha Lee Stewart, students recently talked to CDFA.
Please explain a little about who your clients/students are?
Kathy – Our students are nontraditional adult learners. Many of them are first generation college students - working adults with families all with complex schedules of their own trying to blend in a college experience with all of those other multiple priorities in their life.
Why do your students come to Granite State College at Littleton?
Kathy – They come here to find a path to enhance their lifestyle and their economic well being for their families and themselves to be able to go into a direction or career path that they are interested in and aspire to. This gives them the degree that they need in order to move ahead.
Where do your students come from?
Kathy - We have various centers throughout the state. We accommodate students as locally as we can. So, in this location we have students from Littleton, Lisbon, Whitefield, Woodsville, Franconia, Haverhill, Lancaster, and Eastern Vermont.
Are there any other options for higher education in this area?
Kathy - No, there aren’t many higher education opportunities in this part of the state other than the Granite State College and the NH Community Technical College. We provide a service that is accommodating their environmental workplace, as well as their residence in this area.
Lisa – They do have some options for example Lyndon State College in Vermont and other Vermont State Colleges, but they primarily offer daytime delivery. Here at Granite State College we offer alternative delivery of evening classes.
Do most of your students hold daytime jobs?
Kathy - Many of them have daytime, night, and weekend jobs. We just conducted a statewide survey of our students. What we are finding is that in order to create more access for our students, we are looking into having other options such as a hybrid class, which meets half of the time face-to-face and the other half on line. This may be more accessible for them - or weekend intensive courses.
How many students go to Granite State College at Littleton?
Lisa - Between 170 and 190 students. Probably half of them are active learners in each semester. They are in some type of continuous program.
Is there any particular field that people are concentrating on?
Kathy - It is across the board. We have a fairly large behavioral science program, management; we also have a creative option – Self Design degree program. This allows them to pursue a career that we may not offer as a degree.
What do your students do after they graduate from Granite State College at Littleton?
Lisa – Most of our students stay in the local area and serve the community – many of our students go into the human services and others go into criminal justice especially now with the prison coming into Berlin. For the most part, our graduates go back into the communities that we serve.
Kathy –We have a population of educators such as teachers, administrators, and para-educators. We also have students in information technologies.
Typically, we serve the nontraditional adult learner and our mission also supports the mature young adult learners. We are moving towards supporting that as well.
Where was Granite State College at Littleton located before LALC?
Lisa – We were in the Community Center on Main Street with a lab above the park in market square.
Kathy - This is a fantastic facility. It is very conducive to learning. The classroom space is the optimum. It allows for a lot of exchange and interchange by the dynamics of the room design, the furniture, and the layout of the instructional equipment. It is a really nice facility. It is comfortable and it is conducive to the learning environment. Our students and faculty love it.
It was a good investment of federal dollars.
I understand that Granite State College is really good about arranging financing for students. Can you explain?
Kathy - Yes, it is true. At least 75% receive some form of financial aid.
Lisa – We have a proactive financial aid office in Concord. We work very closely with our students and we make sure they know about all the grants available. We walk them through the process.
Are there any questions that I haven’t asked, but you think people should know about Granite State College at Littleton?
Lisa – It gives students a sense of hope. If you are asking if it is worth while having a specific onsite location such as this, then absolutely. It gives students a sense of belonging, sense of being part of something, and sense of physically belonging to a community.
Kathy - We are really here for the students. We are individualized. We give them many opportunities to problem solve and meet with us. They get a lot of one on one support. They know that we care. It is not just a job that we come into and leave at the end of the day. It goes far and above what you would consider a college environment. This college is all about meeting people’s needs, individually.
Debra - In terms of community support…if you are looking for a college that is willing to go the extra mile for you, then this is the place to be.
I am a Work Study student. I provide administrative support a few hours a week. It’s an excellent program. I hope that I provide a little extra support to everyone in the office. I get a regular paycheck done through financial aid.
Samantha - I think that the community within the school itself has helped me to guide my career and all of the teachers that I have come across have helped me in one way or another. A lot of the teachers I am still in contact with. I still call on them for questions and references. It’s made such an impact socially for me as well as educationally.
Right now I am employed as a crisis center advocate. I volunteer for Americore and I work out of Plymouth. I also work at Plymouth State University, but I chose to go to school at Granite State College in Littleton.
Debra and Samantha, how long have you been students at Granite State College in Littleton?
Debra - A year this time. I started about 10 years ago and stopped. I have two sons, so I stayed home for about seven of those years. I have my associate degree credits, so I am ready to graduate with that and I am working towards my bachelor degree. I think I will finish by 2007.
Samantha - This is my fifth year attending. I have about a year and a half left to achieve my bachelor degree.
Why did you come to Granite State College as opposed to somewhere else?
Debra - It is convenient for my schedule – evening classes. The flexibility of one night a week. I chose it initially because of the course offerings and availability of the classes. Since you can now take online classes (from colleges and universities elsewhere), I chose to stay here because the faculty and administration are great.
Samantha - I left school as a junior. This was the most appropriate for me because I was about to have a child and was working full time. I lived in Littleton and it seemed most appropriate.
What motivated you to take the classes? What are you studying?
Debra - Right now I am doing a dual bachelors degree in information technology and business management. I hope when I graduate, I can start my own business in systems analysis and design, working for local businesses and providing tech support.
Samantha - I initially started because I wanted more for myself and more for my child. I ended up starting with an associates degree in general studies to see what it was about and see what was out there. Then, I got the degree and I decided that I had a much better understanding of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I want to work in social services as a school counselor or in trauma therapy.
Do you like the convenience of this facility?
Debra - I LOVE it! It is very convenient. I live in Woodsville and used to live in Littleton. The building itself is very convenient for me.
Samantha - I have moved from Littleton, to Bethlehem, to Franconia, to Lincoln, and I currently live in Sanbornton and it’s 65 miles to Littleton. I drive to Littleton because I like this facility so much.
What were you doing as a career prior to this?
Debra - I am currently a building manager for a large apartment building complex in Woodsville.
Samantha - I was waiting tables and working in restaurants in the towns where I was living.
NH Community Technical College, Littleton Satellite Program - Interview
Melanie Collins, Program Coordinator; and students Jennifer Stone, Katelyn Head, & Mary Crawford, recently talked to CDFA.
Where do most of your students come from?
Melanie - Our catchment area comes from Pittsburg over to Wells River, VT, Woodsville, Lincoln, and over Twin Mountain and then from there they may go to Berlin (the NH Community Technical College in Berlin). So, it’s a large area.
Are most of your students in degree programs?
Melanie - Probably 50% are in a degree program, but some of them are just taking individual classes to gain skills – computer skills and business skills. We also offer the tractor trailer driving program, which has been very successful with high placement rate. We have recruiters that come to visit us from Nebraska and New Jersey that are waiting for our students.
Do you also do training with Hitchiner Manufacturing and other area employers?
Melanie - Yes, we have a Manufacturing Program Advisor who works with Hitchiner and other industries in improving skills for employees. We have Technical Mass programs and Manufacturing Level 1, 2, and 3, that build CNC skills, which are the computerized numerical controls - basically, the programming for running table top lathes for the manufacturing setting, which brings greater skills to those employees which then help out the manufacturers.
Where was the Community Technical College’s Littleton Satellite Program located prior to LALC?
Melanie - We were in another building with a small computer lab, an average size class room, and a very small classroom.
How many classrooms do you have at the LALC?
Melanie - We have four classrooms, two computer labs, and a small library area dedicated to be open at all times for students to come and be able to study.
What is the biggest advantage that you have being at LALC from where you used to be located?
Melanie - Having a dedicated professional appearing location has really helped our students feel that they are part of a larger college and educational establishment. They are no longer in a classroom located in a building in a commercial area. They are now in a learning center. So, it brings professionalism to their education and to our college.
Do you work at all with any of the other educational institutions in the building?
Melanie - Certainly. We work closely with Employment Security – they help individuals sometimes find training and we provide the training for people looking for jobs both through Work Force Investment Act and NH Employment Program.
This summer we are starting a collaboration with Granite State College where we will be offering two classes which will have students from NH Technical College and Granite State College in the same classroom. It will be taught by one instructor. So, we are working together in the North Country to try to avoid duplication.
Are their any questions that I haven't asked, but you think people may want to know?
Melanie - I’m just really pleased that we are able to create an environment that is supportive of students to help them make a difference. There are a number of students that come in without job skills and without confidence, and they can gain the skills and they get jobs.
Jennifer, Katelyn and Mary, how long have you been taking classes at the NHCTC in Littleton and when do you think you will finish?
Jennifer – I have been attending for 10 years. I changed my degree earlier this year from Early Childhood Education and licensed daycare for the past nine years. School helped me to get my certificate program to start my business. I kept taking nighttime courses and now I am fulltime because of changes in my personal life. I am now in Office Technology Management and I will be in the class of May 2006.
Katelyn – Two years. My internship this summer will complete my associate degree in Accounting.
Mary – Since last semester and I have one more year. I am studying Business Administration.
What motivated you to come to this school?
Jennifer – It was based on an ad that the school had in the paper for the certificate program. Once I started attending, I really liked it. I didn’t realize what the school had offered as far as education.
Katelyn – I got engaged and realized that it was time to buy a house and support a family and I couldn’t do that without a degree.
Mary – Someone came to our school from Berlin, but I didn’t know there was actually a Littleton campus until I got a flyer in the mail. Littleton was a lot more convenient for me, so I decided to go here.
I have always wanted to do something with business. I didn’t want to just sit at home. I wanted to continue my education, but I also didn’t want to go away to school. I wanted to stay here.
What career are you focused on and what would be your ideal job?
Jennifer – Technology. I am not sure exactly, but that is why I went into Office Technology Management because when I graduate it will leave a lot of doors open for me with that degree. I would like to get in with the state or a government program with benefits that they offer.
Katelyn – I would like to be some corporation’s accountant—ultimately at the hospital or someplace with nice benefits, maybe with tuition reimbursement. I would like to get my four year degree. I am currently a server at a local establishment.
Mary – I want to work in a hospital—like checking people in and going over their records.
How has the NHCTC at Littleton positively impacted your life?
Jennifer - For me personally they have impacted my life. Because of changes in my personal life, they have been an incredible support. They went above and beyond what an educational facility would’ve done. They guided me as to how to get my student loans, helped me design my resume, helped me with moving, and have been there to support me after hours and weekends. They have continually been there for me with pep talks telling me I can make it with five classes, which I think says a lot about the school and the people that work here.
Katelyn – I did take a year off after high school. No one told me that the NHCTC at Littleton was here – not even my guidance counselor. I got the brochure and I came and thank God this is here because I don’t think I would’ve gotten my degree any other way. The people here have put me in the right direction.
Mary – This particular campus because the classes aren’t very big, so you get more one on one with the teachers. It also doesn’t make you as nervous in a larger class to ask questions. So, I really like the Littleton campus. A lot of the classes here are hands on and I learn a lot better that way.
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