It All Adds Up

Pierpont Community & Technical College is dedicated to helping all students, both traditional and adult, prepare for success at the college level. One of the ways we do this is by providing students the opportunity to brush up their skills in math, reading and writing. Student readiness in these areas is assessed through standardized tests such as the ACT or SAT. For adult students or for those students with lower scores in these areas, another test call the COMPASS is used for placement.

Typically, students needing assistance in these academic areas complete Developmental Skills courses as part of the normal course load. This summer Pierpont’s School of Academic Studies is offering students who have been placed in MATH 93, MATH 94 and MATH 95 an opportunity to improve their scores and their readiness for college level course work through self study. We have designed a study review tool specific for our math courses called MyMathTest. For just $10, students can purchase the MyMathTest program which will provide tutorials, worksheets and tests that help improve their math skills. The program is available through the Bookstore on campus beginning June 15 or online at http://www.mymathtest.com/. Completion in the self study program does not guarantee placement in a higher math course. Placement will be based on the official results of the COMPASS re-test. Students who participate and wish to retake their COMPASS Math placement test must do so by August 4th.

Pierpont Celebrates with GED Graduates

Pierpont Community & Technical College had the privilege of hosting the Marion County Adult & Community Education Center's 2009 Graduation and Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, June 2. It was a wonderful evening, with more than 200 people filling the Turley Center Ballroom to celebrate the accomplishments of those students who were completing their GED or being recognized for other achievements. James Skidmore, Chancellor for the Community & Technical College System of West Virginia, delivered the keynote addressed. He told graduates that it was easy to start something but difficult to finish. Their participation in the ceremony as graduates indicated that they were finishers. He challenged them not to look at the evening's festivities as the end of their educational journey, but rather the first step in life long learning. Chancellor Skidmore talked about the kinds of jobs that were available in West Virginia and how many of them paid good wages and only required associate degrees for entry level employment. With 10 Community Colleges to choose from and more than 50,000 students enrolling in those community college annually, there are a lot of options for students to take the next step and enroll.



Pierpont Community & Technical College awarded Tiffany Pysell, one of the GED graduates, with the Francis H. Pierpont Scholarship as part of the ceremony. The scholarship award will cover tuition costs for one academic year. Ms. Pysell hopes to study Veterinary Technology at Pierpont.

Launch into a career in Aerospace!

On May 28, Pierpont's Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center was abuzz with middle school and high school students from all around north central West Virginia. They came to participate in the Aerospace Industry Expo that was sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MACC), Fairmont State Gear-Up and RESA VII. The goal was to get these kids thinking about the possibility of careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and specifically to let them know about local opportunities in the aerospace industry. Nearly 27% of the aerospace manufacturing workforce will become eligible for retirement this year. And with aerospace industry employment at one of its lowest levels in nearly 60 years, there are great opportunities here.

The event featured a bottle rocket launch. 18 teams participated in the event and were judged on an oral presentation as well as on the actual flight time of their rocket. More information can be found about this event at the following link:

http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9812