Charter College Billings: Building a Community for Success
Sean Thomas had high expectations for the Billings campus when he took charge as Campus Manager last March, and he hasn’t been disappointed. He says he has an incredible staff who are passionate about the success of their students. And the students don’t disappoint, either. They’re hard workers, who have often overcome significant obstacles just to reach campus.
And now they’re heading toward success.
One reason Sean sees the odds turning in their favor is that there is a true sense of community at Charter College.
“As a staff we try to make personal connections with our students,” says Sean. “We emphasize community building. I call every student before they start to touch base and let them know about orientation and our pre-mod social. And our campus support specialists are on a first name basis with all the students so the students feel comfortable and know that they can come to us at any time and we can help them.”
Noting that some students need a little extra help, Sean says he concentrates on building “positive expectations” and giving students the tools they need to succeed. He helps individual students build success plans and connects them with their instructors for added support.
“We work really hard to make sure that no matter what’s going on that we can meet their needs and keep them focused,” says Sean.
It’s not just a great campus community that makes Sean proud though; he’s also reaching out to the broader community. He works to build relationships with area healthcare facilities so there’s a natural connection between Charter College graduates and the hospitals and clinics that will need their services.
“What we want is to get our graduates into jobs,” says Sean. “We always want to keep that in sight. We’re not just here to hand them a piece of paper. We’re here to help them find careers.”
One of their outreach efforts involves bringing in a program advisory committee made up of area employers. The idea is to have professionals in healthcare sit in on the Charter College programs and offer their insight.
“We take the feedback we get and we apply it immediately into our programs,” says Sean.
That sort of connection between the campus and those that might be hiring is invaluable, according to Sean.
“Whether it’s for an externship or job, employers understand that when they get graduates from Charter College, they know what they need to know.”
At Charter College, we believe that our students are capable of great accomplishments and they prove us right every day. Are you ready to enroll at a school that wants to be a partner to your successful career? Check out the Medical Assistant program at our Billings campus, or any of our other programs at all our Charter College campuses.