Western Nevada notes: Spring semester starts Monday
Even though spring semester commences Monday at Western Nevada College, there still is time for individuals to register and continue or resume their educational goals at the Western’s three campuses and online this spring.
Just because spring semester begins on Monday at Western Nevada College doesn’t mean you are too late to enroll in a term that offers a variety of classes and instruction modalities, as well as flexibility. Besides an assortment of in-person classes and an increased number of online courses, WNC provides students with the option of taking short-term, late-start and self-paced courses that begin after the semester has started. Individuals may register for in-person or online classes regardless of vaccination status. To view WNC’s list of spring semester classes, go to wnc.edu/class-schedule/. For students who still want to be part of classes that begin Monday, they can register for them in their myWNC account through Friday. After this date, students can continue to add classes, but they must submit a late registration form with instructor approval to Admissions and Records. To learn about becoming a student at WNC, go to wnc.edu/starthere or phone 775-445-3277. If you need assistance preparing for spring semester, arrange an appointment with Counseling Services at 775-445-3267 or counseling@wnc.edu. Scholarships are also available to current and prospective students. Apply at wnc.edu/scholarships. Pop-up Bookstore Provides Students to Get Online Pickup Orders As students make final preparations for spring semester at Western Nevada College, they should be aware of dates and deadlines for purchasing and picking up their textbooks through Textbook Brokers. Students can order their textbooks, eBooks and digitally delivered coursework at wncbookstore.com. If books were ordered for pickup by Jan. 17, they can be picked up at a pop-up bookstore located in Dini Room 100 in the Student Center on the Carson City campus on the dates listed below. There is no additional charge to students when they pick up their books. Students may refund materials at the pop-up and peruse/purchase WNC emblematic apparel/merchandise. If students order items after Jan. 17, they will need these items delivered to their home addresses and will have three shipping options. The pop-up bookstore will be open to students to pick up their books and return their winter session rentals prior to the semester and Monday-Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Students can order their books using their own electronic devices or at the Textbook Brokers kiosks located in Students Services of the Bristlecone Building on the Carson City campus and in Sage Hall on the Fallon campus. Textbook Brokers will be providing free home delivery on orders for students with Fallon addresses. For information, phone 775-507-4011. WNC Employees Celebrating 35th Anniversaries How have they done it? What has inspired them to make Western Nevada College their home for so long? Yes, Dianne Hilliard and Stephane Arrigotti have literally poured their lives into WNC. Each of the longtime employees reached 35 years of service to WNC in January. They are among 62 employees who are celebrating their Nevada System of Higher Education employment anniversaries in January. Hilliard, the Admissions and Records director and registrar, is a great source of history at the college. She remembers when a bunny — more specifically a jackrabbit — was the college’s mascot and saw the campus grow before her eyes with the addition of the Aspen Building, Child Development Center, Reynolds Center for Technology, Joe Dini Library and Student Center, Cedar Building, John L. Harvey Field and Jack C. Davis Observatory after she started. “It has been gratifying to be part of the WNC community for so many years, witnessing many changes and watching the college grow, although we still have a small college atmosphere which I enjoy,” Hilliard said. While Hilliard is now focused on bringing students into the college, she devoted nearly 15 years to overseeing student government when she arrived at the college in the late 1980s. She also served as a counselor for many years and was the Interim Dean of Student Services. “Working in various areas of Student Services, I have worn many ‘hats’ and have been able to work with and help students in so many ways,” she said. “For me, it’s about the students and helping to make a positive difference in their lives.” Arrigotti actually began working at WNC in 1977 as an adjunct instructor. She became a half-time music coordinator in 1987 and a half-time community service director a few years later. “In the early days of the college, some adjuncts actually helped to run programs, as there were very few full-time faculty members,” Arrigotti said. “I helped hire additional faculty, took them on concert tours, developed curriculum, selected the college piano, played for commencement every year.” Today, she is WNC’s professor of music and director and producer of the award-winning and long-running Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company. Naturally, the college has a special place in her heart and, like Hilliard, has a historical perspective of the college that is indispensable. “I have loved watching it grow from a small technical college into a respected liberal arts institution with excellent workforce training,” she said. “On a more personal level, I am grateful to have been given the freedom to design and nurture our musical theatre company, to pursue my visions for its growth. “No matter the challenges presented to WNC or WNMTC, we have met them as a family, working together to endure. Not all colleges have this spirit, this interpersonal support, that continues even as longtime professors retire and new faculty and administrators are hired. Even our students comment that the personal relationships at WNC are its strength. I am, and will always be, grateful for this family.” January has become a popular month for employees who have remained with the college for a lengthy period. Eighteen employees are celebrating at least their 10th anniversary this month and eight have surpassed 20 years of service. Besides Hilliard and Arrigotti, Julie Lewis deWitt, Kathey Brusseau, Linda Jacobsen, Robert Martinez, Dr. Thomas Kubistant and Darla Dodge are celebrating anniversaries greater than 20 years. Learn More About Transferring on Jan. 27 Students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university following their education at Western Nevada College are invited to attend Transfer Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27 in WNC’s Library in the Joe Dini Building. The informational day includes onsite admission with college and university advisers, a hands-on financial aid workshop and the opportunity to meet with representatives of the University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada State College. In addition, for those students who are undecided about their futures, college representatives will be on hand to guide them through their options. For more information, phone 775-445-3269. Shafer Shares ‘Figure Studies’ in Bristlecone Gallery Best known for her landscape paintings, artist Phyllis Shafer takes visitors behind the scenes with her creative expression in “Figure Studies,” a collection of drawings presented by the Capital City Arts Initiative in Western Nevada College’s Bristlecone Gallery. Shafer’s compilation of drawings was produced during her Life Drawing classes at Lake Tahoe Community College, where she became a full-time instructor in 1994 and served as department co-chair and gallery director for many years. These unfinished drawings were done as demonstrations to her students and provide insight into the working process of an artist. “Drawing from the live model is a dynamic process that requires complete concentration,” Shafer said. “The exhilaration one gets from such an immediate and creative activity is hard to describe. Add to that the dynamic quality of teaching and it made for a very heady and rewarding experience.” The exhibit can be viewed at no cost Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 20 in the Bristlecone Main Gallery on the Carson City campus. “It is our hope that this exhibition provides that behind-the-scenes glimpse into an area of creative expression not normally seen in Shafer’s oeuvre,” Sharon Rosse of CCAI reported on the ccainv.org website. A reception for Shafer is scheduled for Feb. 4 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at WNC’s Bristlecone Gallery. The drawings can be purchased as part of a fundraiser for CCAI.
