Kick-Off Day

Western’s Kick-Off Day was a hit! Hundreds of new and returning students gathered on-campus to celebrate the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. Students flooded into the theater to discuss campus safety, living, and life. Onlookers ranging from Alaska to Louisiana enjoyed entertainment and positive words from student ambassadors and Life Unlimited speaker, Troy Stende. After Troy and the large crowd emptied from the Atrium, students spread across campus to participate in various events sponsored by their academic departments.

Celebrating the West of Wallace Stegner

Celebrating the West of Wallace Stegner

In an event marking the centennial of his birth, Wallace Stegner’s literary work and legacy will be celebrated at the Wallace Stegner Centennial Summit, September 24-25 in Rock Springs.Speakers will include writers Page Stegner, Will Bagley and Lynn Stegner. Events will be held at the Rock Springs Museum and Western Wyoming Community College.“Stegner’s preeminence among American writers who deal with the West cannot be seriously questioned,” said Kevin Holdsworth, co-organizer of the summit. “For many readers and writers, Stegner is an essential guide to understanding our region.”Wallace Stegner (1909-1993) won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. He wrote numerous books including Angle of Repose, Crossing to Safety, The Spectator Bird, Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, The Sound of Mountain Water, The Gathering of Zion, The Big Rock Candy Mountain and Mormon Country.“We are fortunate to be close to South Pass and the Green River, places he wrote about in important books,” added Holdsworth.“We are trying to highlight several areas where his influence remains strong,” said Jennifer Sorensen, summit co-organizer. “These include writing—both fiction and nonfiction, history, conservation and teaching. We have invited speakers uniquely qualified to discuss each of these areas.”The event will begin on September 24 at 6 p.m. at the Rock Springs Museum with an informal reception followed by a showing of the 2009 KUED documentary, "Wallace Stegner." On September 25, sessions will be held from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. in room 1302 of Western Wyoming Community College. All events are free and open to the public.Speakers include writer/teacher and WAC fellowship recipient Holdsworth, who will open the sessions with remarks about Stegner as a mentor and note different types of political change in the West. Historian Will Bagley is set to address the historic and cultural importance of South Pass and propose ways to maintain it as “a good place to sit on a rock and feel history.” Linda Baker of the Upper Green River Valley Coalition will discuss issues related to resource development in Sublette and Sweetwater Counties. Mary Lynn Worl, chair of Citizens United for Responsible Energy Development, will talk about returning to her hometown of Pinedale and organizing citizen involvement to achieve healthier air quality.In the afternoon sessions, writer and teacher Jennifer Sorensen will discuss her own relationship to the places Stegner writes about and reflect on her experiences in teaching his work. Writer and teacher Lynn Stegner will provide an appreciation of Wallace Stegner’s fiction. Writer Page Stegner will relate anecdotes and challenges involved in the process of collecting and editing his father’s correspondence for The Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner.The Wallace Stegner Centennial Summit is made possible by grants from Chevron and the Sweetwater Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Other sponsors include the Rock Springs Museum, the Sweetwater County Historical Museum, and WWCC’s Western American Studies program.FMI: Kevin Holdsworth at (307) 382-1724 or Sorensen at (307) 382-1716 or email kholdswo@wwcc.wy.edu

Back in Action!!

Welcome to Western Wyoming Community College! It is that time of year again for classes to get underway. The students and staff have been preparing campus wide events to start this year off with a bang. Sunday is the official, “Move-In Day.” Faculty, Staff and Student Ambassadors will be available to assist new and returning students with their moving needs. In addition to our move-in day, we invite students and staff to join the Kick-Off Orientation Day on Tuesday, August 25th.

Schedule is as follows:
8:15 a.m. Check –In
8:30 a.m. General Session Located in the Theatre
9:15 a.m Adjusting to College Skit
10:00 – 11:00 Life Unlimited Keynote – Troy Stende
11:00 – 12:30 Icebreakers, Getting to Know Each Other

Please join us as we kick off our 50th year of Education at Western Wyoming Community College!

WWCC Nursing Program Earns Approval

Rock Springs – The Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) Associate Degree Nursing Program has earned continuing approval from the State Board of Nursing and continuing accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). These two entities assure nursing programs meet rigid requirements and high quality standards for nursing education. The WWCC program has been granted continuing approval and accreditation for eight years, the maximum allowable interval.According to program director Marlene Ethier, MS, RN, CNE, the approval and accreditation process is rigorous. “It takes about two years to prepare the self study document. After the document is submitted, the Board and the NLNAC send visiting teams to spend three days on campus confirming the information in the document and the quality of the program. They interview faculty, administration, students, and members of the community. They visit clinical agencies in the community and interview staff to confirm the nursing program is meeting agency needs.”The nursing program was commended for the progressive Problem-Based Learning Curriculum and for the high level of community support. Ethier said, “Problem-Based Learning is student-centered, active learning. Students become expert learners, learn to work collaboratively, and learn how to effectively evaluate themselves and their peers. This is exactly what nursing education should be.” Ethier added, “The site visitors were impressed with the generous financial support and the high level of collaboration between the nursing program and clinical agencies. “ The entire nursing program is available in Rawlins, largely due to community support.The Associate Degree Nursing Program has steadily increased enrollment. Between the main campus in Rock Springs and the outreach facility in Rawlins, there are eighty students currently enrolled. For further information about the WWCC nursing program, contact Crystal Radke at 307-382-1713.

Sen. Mike Enzi's to visit WWCC!

Rock Springs - Friday, August 21Enzi plans to tour the Sweetwater County Hospital (1200 College Dr.) from 10-10:45 a.m., followed by a tour of the Western Oil Technology at Western Wyoming Community College (2500 College Dr.)from 10:55-11:40 a.m. From 12-1:15 p.m. Enzi is scheduled to speak at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon, location to be determined. Check www.enzi.senate.gov under the Wyoming events tab for updated location. Enzi plans to speak about reforming health care and the cap-and-tax proposal. Organizer: Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce (contact 307-362-3771).