Recap 2009

Better late than never (especially if the police aren’t chasing after you

So, let’s recap the 2009 BEA Two Year/Small College experience.  Thanks to the entire BEA staff and executive director Heather Birks for another stellar affair.  And another thanks to Anthony Moretti, 2009 Convention Program Chair for his outstanding work.  And a marvelous job by our Student Competition Chair, Tom McDonnell of Metropolitan Community College (applause, applause) whose pictures he sent back about May I’ve finally gotten around to posting (sorry for the delay).

A standing ovation please (I’ll wait until EVERYONE gets up . . . ) for our outgoing Division Chair, Mr. Ron Weekes of Brigham Young University-Idaho (thundering applause . . . . .).  A fantastic job moving this division forward, standing up for us in the general BEA meetings and helping to keep the division focused.  Thank you Ron!

Moving up into the big seat is Brian Howard, also from Brigham Young University-Idaho, who’ll be the division’s Chair and heading up the efforts for the 2010 convention.  Also moving up is Shane Tilton of Ohio Univeristy of Zanesville who fills the Vice Chair seat.  And filling the Newsletter Editor/Webmanager seat is yours truly, Roger Badesch of Chicago Vocational Career Academy and I am humbled by the show of support by my fellow division members.  I will strive to bring you informative and entertaining information up through and including the next convention.

Pictures of the award winners from the Festival of the Arts: two year/small college division are up but let’s list them here:
Audio Production Category:
First Place: Nathan Marker, Grossmont Community College

Video/Broadcast Production Category:
First Place: David Kelly, Bethany Lutheran College
Second Place: Ray Gauger, Grossmont Community College
Third Place: Cindy Sanabria, Borough of Manhattan Community College
Honorable Mention: Derek Breitenstine, Bob Jones University
Honorable Mention: Christin Cadieu, Bob Jones University
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Jendrix, Bethany Lutheran College
Honorable Mention: Christine MOitoso, University of La Verne
Honorable Mention: James Nation, Chattahoochee Technical College

Also, thanks everyone who moderated or appeared on a panel during the convention. And to the Two Year/Small College Production Showcase panelists Kurt Paulsen of Bethany Lutheran College, Jonathan Ash of Midland Lutheran College, Troy Hunt of College of Eastern Utah and moderator Evan Wirig of Grossmont Community College for some great videos even though we had to use the hand mic for the audio

As we prepare for the 2010 convention, keep checking back here for updates on panels and schedules, as well as the BEA web site.

Switching gears: As I’ve been advocating for many years, the future of the two year/small college division and the BEA as a whole rests at the high school level. Your future students are waiting for you at your local/regional high school or trade school. So it is with great pride that I see the push by TY/SC and BEA to reach out to high schools for new members. Towards that end, we need to reach out to the high schools for new students. What can you do with your local/regional high school to recruit? What are you currently doing?

Studies are showing that in these tight economic times, two year/small college schools are benefitting as students choose to begin their college life at a two year/small college to take advantage of the lower costs as they take basic courses and begin their major. Students then move to a 4 year small college to complete their major.

Another change is underway on the high school scene that affects colleges and their recruitment. Some of you might already be among the 30,000 members of the nation’s largerst career and technical education association that represents high school and post-secondary schools in America. Many of these members receive their funding through the federal government and are currently undergoing changes in curriculum.

These changes are to ensure that high school vocational students graduate with ‘certification’ in an accredited area. I currently head up the efforts to rewrite curriculum and align it with national goals and outcomes for the broadcast technology vocational division with the Chicago Public Schools. The plan is to have students graduate with three years of intense broadcast technology training AND Apple Final Cut Pro Level 1 certification. This is to show that the students are prepare for the world of work upon graduation from high school.

Either way, if these students choose to continue their education in post secondary schools, they will come to you highly trained and focused on a career in broadcast technology. These are your future students mixed in with students without any previous training in high school who feel they’d like to explore the world of broadcast technology in college. This mixture can present unique educational opportunities for Two Year/Small College staffs. Those are my observations on that topic for now. I’ll keep you posted on any changes during the next year. And if you have any insights on this or other topics related to our profession and/or broadcasting careers, please feel free to post them on the site.

Thanks for reading – ’til next time.
Roger Badesch

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