The Status of International Business in Community Colleges

North Carolina&

Michigan

Winston-Salem, NC

Alpena, MI

WINSTON-

SALEM (Forsyth

Tech)

ALPENA (ACC)

Community

Population175,000 15,000

Diversity Highly Diverse Nearly NoneOther Area Colleges

5 None

Enrollment 7500 1900International Business Courses

8 1

OBSERVATIONS

• Michigan is suffering economically – a direct result of foreign auto competition, which permeates through the entire state.

• Twenty five years ago, North Carolina’s textile industry was hammered by foreign competition. Today, the state enjoys a robust economy – one of the country’s best.

Paradise Lost : Prosperity Gained

Community colleges in North Carolina became active participants in reinventing the state economy.

• Partnering with the state and local county development commissions to attract industry

• Offering curriculums with high industry demand• Offering customized workforce training to new

industries• Helping the community to embrace the

opportunities resulting from globalization

What Alpena Community College can do

• Work with local development commission by preparing white paper comparisons of communities with shared challenges and how they successfully met them

• Develop and offer more International Business courses and seminars

• Bring world diversity to us - Council for International Visitors

• Offer travel studies abroad

The Immediate Future

I believe that Alpena Community College can provide community leaders and officials with much more than an educated workforce.

ACC can use its position in the community to initiate forums for ideas and to generate platforms for action.

ACC intends to be a part of the solution and I intend to help.

The Beethoven FactorExcerpt from Dr. Paul Pearsall’s book, "The Beethoven Factor"

On May 7, 1824, at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater, “The Ninth Symphony” was first performed. Beethoven, totally deaf, could not conduct the premiere. But, he did stand next to the conductor during the performance to indicate proper tempi.

On the final note of the premiere, the audience exploded with thunderous applause. But Beethoven, standing next to the conductor with his back to the crowd, looked straight ahead - he didn’t know.He had heard nothing.

His “Ode to Joy” was received with rare, effusively raw human emotion. The kind reserved for awe-inspiring moments of a singular human’s triumph over seemingly unconquerable odds. And, most unusually, some of the players in the orchestra wept.

Raucous cheering. Yells and tears echoed, thundered.

None of which Beethoven could hear. He continued to conduct.

The solo contralto noticed Beethoven's introspective incomprehension, and turned him around. One could only wonder what went through his mind at that moment. He could not hear.

But he could see. He bowed before the cheering crowd.

Beethoven lived. Beethoven thrived.

I’ll end on that note…