August 21, 2009
York College of Pennsylvania Points of Pride
2008-09
York College was named as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania for 2008. This statewide survey and awards program was created in 2000 to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.
York College was one of 39 colleges named to the Honor Roll of The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For program. Based on the results of an annual survey, the program recognizes small groups of colleges (based on enrollment size) for specific best practices and policies, such as compensation and benefits, faculty-administration relations, and confidence in senior leadership.
York College named its nursing program to recognize a $2-million gift from The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation of Harrisburg. In addition to creating The Donald and Dorothy Stabler Nursing Program, the College will also use the gift to enhance its life sciences program by improving laboratories and creating special nursing scholarships.
York College a received a $2.5-million community development grant from the state for redevelopment of a former manufacturing property adjacent to campus and for enhancements to its engineering, computer science, and natural sciences programs. The College will use the funding to assist with beautification and restoration of the former site of the Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation’s containerboard mill, a 27-acre property located on Grantley and Kings Mill roads that it acquired in December.
The Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center earned national recognition as one of ten winners of a Facilities of Merit award from Athletic Business magazine, a publication that has for three decades sponsored awards recognizing the best in recently constructed athletic/recreation/fitness facilities around the world. The winning facilities, chosen by a panel of seven leading sports and recreation facility architects and consultants, were featured in the magazine’s December issue.
York College was one of 212 colleges named as "Best in the Northeast” by The Princeton Review.
York College celebrated the grand opening of its Collegiate Performing Arts Center (CPAC) with a September gala concert featuring faculty and guest artists and an October performance of “Lend Me a Tenor,” a play written by York County native Ken Ludwig. CPAC features the 750-seat York Collegiate Theatre and the 125-seat Perko Playpen Theatre, an experimental black box-type theatre. In addition to enhanced performance space, CPAC also provides the theatre program with professional dressing rooms, a large scene shop and costuming area, and student lockers.
Political strategist and Fox News commentator Dick Morris discussed the results of the 2008 presidential election at York College in February. Following his visit, Morris penned a story on college affordability to appear on his website that prominently featured York as an institution that contains costs by having its faculty teach a full courseload, keeping down administrative spending, and minimizing debt.
The Kinsley Engineering Center was awarded the LEED® silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first LEED-rated facility on campus and the sixth in York County. LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. The Kinsley Engineering Center also received a Judge’s Choice Award from the Green Education Design Showcase publication, and the Materials and Resources Award from the Green Building Association of Central Pennsylvania.
Michael Zerbe, associate professor in the Department of English and Humanities, was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach the history of American values at South-West University in Bulgaria during the spring semester. Zerbe joined six other current faculty members at York who have earned this prestigious award.
Dean of Academic Affairs Tom Bogart testified before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections of the House Education and Labor Committee in March. The Committee held a hearing to examine green jobs and their role in the nation's economic recovery. Bogart co-authored a joint study, “Seven Myths About Green Jobs,” that analyzed the assumptions, findings and methodologies of green jobs projections that are guiding major public policy initiatives.
York College developed an online community to provide alumni with a number of ways – including career and networking opportunities – to connect to each other and the College.
Sarah Inskip was selected as a Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Employers (PennACE) 2009 JoAnne Day Student of the Year Award winner. Inskip, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, received one of two $500 awards given each year to outstanding interns or co-op students enrolled at member institutions across Pennsylvania.
York College’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was named a champion at the SIFE Regional Competition. More than 25 colleges and universities competed, and York was chosen as one of nine to represent the region at SIFE’s national championship in May. York’s team was also named a finalist in the “Market Economics” competition, which placed them in the top 20 nationally for projects focusing on this topic.
Athletics
York College led the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) in the total number of student-athletes earning All-Academic accolades for 2008-09 for the third consecutive year. The Spartans had 187 student-athletes recognized by the CAC, an improvement of 12 student-athletes from last year’s conference-leading total. Student-athletes must attain a minimum of a 3.20 grade point average to earn a berth on the squad.
The Women's Basketball team notched a school-record 27 wins including 25 straight victories. The Spartans also earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth as they advanced to the Sweet 16 and became the first CAC team to go 16-0 for the CAC regular season. Spartan head coach Betsy Witman was named the CAC and regional Coach of the Year.
The women's basketball team finished the 2008-09 academic year second in the nation academically, according to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Division III Honor Roll. The Spartans finished with a cumulative grade point average of 3.624, which left them just .001 points out of first place. York has now placed in the top two in four of the last six years and appeared in the top 25 in five of the last six seasons.
Senior women's basketball point guard Keli Ward earned numerous accolades for her performance during the 2008-09 season. She became the Spartans’ first WBCA All-American as she earned first-team honors; was named a d3hoops.com Division III All-American; earned the CAC Player-of-the-Year, just the second women's basketball player in school history to earn that accolade; and was one of ten finalists for the Jostens' Trophy signifying the top Division III women's basketball player in the country.
The men's soccer team was the only unbeaten team in the nation as the CAC regular season champions went 18-0-2, earning a berth in their fourth straight NCAA Tournament. It is the first time in school history that a team sport has notched four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. The team allowed just three goals all season as they ranked top in the NCAA in goals per game.
Men's Soccer goalie Kyle Marks was a double NCAA statistical champion as he compiled an NCAA Division III best 0.131 goals against average, allowing only two scores in his 18 games and over 1,300 minutes played. Marks also led the country in save percentage with a mark of .949.
Men's Soccer forward Jon Ports was named the CAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and earned All-American accolades for the second straight season.
The Spartan wrestling team finished ranked 29th in the country while they placed 11th in the nation for the NWCA Scholar Academic Team ranking.
Commenting is closed for this article.