Office of Academic Affairs

HACC College Archives: Library and Learning Commons working to preserve our shared memory, identity and heritage

Harrisburg Area Community College was established almost 50 years ago as Pennsylvania’s first community college. College archives serve as a primary source of institutional memory. Care for the collection, management, preservation and digitization of archival materials ensures these documents as a source of discovery; providing access to and a chance to learn from past perspectives. In 2013 the Library and Information Resources Department of the College laid the groundwork for preliminary grants and staffing aimed at supporting our College archives. These initiatives grew from an understanding that HACC was, at that time, in dire need of a proper archives. Many of the influential leaders in Pennsylvania have ties to HACC. These are the stories and perspectives that had been left to languish in boxes.

These initial plans included establishing a proper physical space for archive collections, the development of processes for preservation and digitization and a review of proper staffing and funding for continued success.  By 2015 it was clear that proper archival staffing and funding were needed to solve the HACC archival problem. In 2019 multiple factors contributed to a renewed focus on the College archives. As part of the College’s reorganization, Library Public Services moved to the Office of Information Technology and Learning Experience and by March of 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic moved HACC to the world of remote. Library Public Services staff were able to allocate a greater percentage of their time to the review and development of the College archives. Lengthy research was done into the development of collection processes, guidelines, management, preservation policy and procedures. An Archives Working Group was formed and by the summer of 2021 this team was able to begin to go into the archives on a routine weekly basis to inventory and catalog what actually existed in all the boxes and file cabinets. The result is now a robust and extensive inventory of the HACC archives and records. Long forgotten photographs were located as well as mementos given to college faculty, administration and staff.  The team also traveled and met with other college archivists in the area at Elizabethtown College and Shippensburg University. They continue to attend multiple webinars and conferences.

What follows is a glance at just some of the latest tasks that our talented Library and Learning Commons Archives Working Group have undertaken as they continue to work on the archives. This group is comprised of Library Public Services Specialist with experience and advanced degrees in history, library science and archives. They are: Alexis Breinich, Beth Page, Meriah Swope, Mary Wallick

• Classification of Middle States Records, Instructional Reviews, Self-Study Reviews, Vocational   Education, Public Safety Office and Public Safety Programming

• Classification of archival VHS and films

• Catalog 35mm slides sheets and determine identifiers, Board of Trustees framed photographs

• PTK collection review for storage

• Rehouse blueprints into proper archival storage containers

Congratulations to Timothy Cole, Social Sciences major and member of the HACC Honors Program. Tim has recently been accepted into the field school through the Institute for Field Research (IFR) to participate in an excavation at a site called Pinarbasi in Turkey, being directed by Professor Douglas Baird from the University of Liverpool.  He will be participating in active archaeological excavation of this site from mid-July to mid-August of this year.

Under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Jacobson, Tim also presented his paper from Honors Introduction to Sociology at the Pennsylvania Sociological Society this past November, which was titled "Local Challenges Created Through Insufficient Housing Policies." He is currently applying to 4-year colleges and universities with an interest in pursuing Archaeology, Anthropology, and Near Eastern Studies. He came to use as a non-traditional student with a family, also working full time.

Tim has been a great example of how students in the Honors Program have opportunities for research and academic engagement outside of coursework. Many congratulations, Tim! 

HACC, Saint Francis University Sign Expanded Articulation Agreement 

HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and Saint Francis University (SFU) have signed an expanded articulation agreement that will allow HACC business administration graduates to transfer to SFU’s accelerated BS/MBA and accelerated BS/MHRM programs.

The new partnership gives HACC business administration graduates the option of attending SFU’s Shields School of Business on the campus in Loretto or completing their bachelor’s and master’s degrees online through Francis Worldwide. The agreement also provides a 25% tuition discount for HACC students participating in programs offered through Francis Worldwide.

42nd Annual Wildwood Writers’ Festival 

Please join us for the 42nd annual Wildwood Writers’ Festival on Thursday, March 23. This year’s theme is PA Proud, and we’ll host local writers including Susan Campbell Bartoletti, writer of award-winning nonfiction as well as poetry, short stories, picture books, and novels. Bartoletti has been called a “fearless researcher.” She uses primary sources such as images, photographs, oral histories, interviews, letters, and other archival materials to breathe the past to life. Her nonfiction subjects include child labor, the Great Irish Famine, Hitler Youth, the KKK, the woman who became known as Typhoid Mary, and woman suffrage. 

Mauricio Novoa, who published Memorias From the Beltway, his first full-length collection of poetry, will also read. His work has also been published in La Horchata Zine, The Petigru Review, Acentos Review, Blue Mesa Review, Latino Book Review, The Mixtape Literary Journal Vol. 2, and the anthologies The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatinNext, and This Is What America Looks Like: The Washington Writer’s Publishing House Anthology Poetry and Fiction From DC, Maryland, Virginia. 

From 12-1pm, recent HACC graduates and current students will share their work, with readings from Skylee Bragunier, Dani Graham, Jacob Bryant, and Kane Howard. The event begins at 9am in the Cooper Student Center, Room 209A, and online via the code below. 

We are pleased to announce Andrea Hartranft, associate professor, information science, was named the Affordable Learning PA (ALPA) Champion of 2021-22. Andrea was instrumental in significantly reducing the burden of textbook costs for HACC students. Through her direct leadership and guidance, the College-wide OER committee was formed, funding was secured, and OER grant opportunities were created for faculty. Andrea also helped establish extensive OER training and support, including dedicated mentors who have completed the Creative Commons course.

Supporting Affordable Learning and OER is easy to be passionate about because it is all about supporting students and making higher education more affordable for everyone. Meeting with students, hearing their stories, and seeing the drive they have to succeed continues to be a motivating factor. I feel very fortunate that I am in a position, along with many others at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), to help support student success. At this time, HACC faculty have contributed to 42 OER projects. Because of this work, over 5,000 HACC students benefit from free textbooks each semester saving a total of $538,000 per semester. It is inspiring to be surrounded by so many motivated faculty and hardworking students.

The Department of Nursing is happy to announce that at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year both the Associate Degree RN and the Practical Nursing program have met and exceeded the necessary State Board Pass Rates for continued programming.  

• The Associate Degree RN students finished the year with NCLEX-RN Results of 81.24% = 437 tested and 355 passed on the first attempt. 

  • Current National Pass Rate for NCLEX-RN: Associate Degree Schools - 79.23%, All Programs- 82.44

• The Practical Nursing students finished with NCLEX-PN Results of 93.07% = 101 tested and 94 passed on the first attempt.

  • Current National Pass Rate for NCLEX-PN: 82.16%

In this difficult time of remote learning and education during a global pandemic, the Department has been able to continue to exceed our expectations.