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Thank you.

Hello and welcome to Dateline Delta, I'm Paul Barbeau, a member of the Delta College Foundation Board of Directors.

On today's show, we'll preview an upcoming panel discussion and meet the new dean of occupational Programs and Workforce Strategies.

Next, we'll hear how a student is finding their way the Delta Way and take a closer look at Delta's Health Fitness Specialist program.

To wrap up the show.

We'll find out about the Collette Tour's partnership with Delta Public Media and honor Delta's 65 year anniversary.

Delta College will be hosting a panel discussion called from the Red Scare to Cancel Culture: Dissent in Democracy Now & Then.

Four experts from Delta College will engage in topics from the Red scare and McCarthyism to today's debates over cancel culture.

This thought provoking discussion will unpack boundaries of free expression.

To preview the event we spoke with Amy French, Professor of History.

As a historian, when I talk to my students about McCarthyism and I talk about those red scares, the later red scares in the 1950s, I often say conformity was the word of the day, because to be different could be deadly.

We tend to get into an era where we look at how people self-censor themselves in the 50s, and I always worry about could that happen again?

Since we do see that history repeats itself, we want to really nip that in the bud and stop it before it starts.

So, in order to make it so that students don't self-censor or the people as a whole feel safe to say what they want we... I think it's a job as a community college to teach people how to communicate effectively civilly, and with respect for each other's constitutional rights.

So on Wednesday, March 18th, we're going to have an amazing panel.

It's called From the Red Scare to Cancel Culture: Dissent in Democracy Now and Then.

Basically, what the panelists will be doing is we're going to do an overview where we go back and we look at first the history when the first Red scare happened, looking at McCarthyism and giving a brief overview of what dissenters kind of looked like.

And then we'll give the ethical and civic considerations, talk about things like, you know, what does it mean to be an American who decides what is un-American speech?

And then how is it today?

How is free speech today when we have these social media algorithms that are feeding us different points based on what we already, what we already like?

And so then, you know, how do we kind of figure out, how do we express ourselves freely?

And that's what we're going to unpack as those boundaries of free expression.

When Dr.

Curry first brought the idea to me, I thought about, how could we do this in a way that would be very inviting.

The way that could allow people to show off their expertise and invite the community in a way that they could also be active participants in this panel.

So we have some wonderful panelists.

We have Dr.

Lisa Lawrason.

She will be our constitutional rights expert.

We have Dr.

Mark Balawender in there.

He teaches in our philosophy department.

He'll be talking about media ethics.

We have retired communication professor and current Delta trustee Barb Hanley Miller.

She also was a TV news reporter, director for a news station.

So she'll be talking about that from the communication aspect.

And then I, as professor of history, will be giving the background on these various points in American history.

And what do we do about, you know, when there is dissent in democracy and how do we have free speech?

What I fear most as a professor is I don't want self-censorship.

I don't want a student who comes to my course and says, But I'm afraid what will other people think?

And we see a lot of that cancel culture on social media.

We see where someone says something, and then next thing they know, their name is mud.

And we don't want that.

That is the that's when education doesn't occur and we want to hear where is it support, education and success.

So I'm hoping what the panel does is it helps us as a community explore how can we coexist.

How can we have that mutual, you know, conversation that bubbles up and allows for us to understand each other and really get engaged?

Our event is going to be held Wednesday, March 18th from 2 to 3:30.

That will be held in the Delta College Lecture Theater that is on main campus in G160.

It is free and open to the public.

You do not need to, do any type of reservation.

However, if you have any questions, you certainly can send them to history@delta.edu.

Today we will meet Dr.

Ski VanderLaan, Delta's new dean of occupational programs and workforce strategies.

She brings with her 27 years of experience in higher education, most recently as a full time faculty member in the Division of Business and Technology.

Let's learn more about her.

Hi, ski.

welcome to Dateline Delta, thank you.

Can you tell us a little bit about your career and educational background?

Sure, I started my career, kind of by accident in, the mental health field.

Was working on, the floor of a mental health facility, and, was pegged to move into administration.

So, have some administrative experience and, then moved into outpatient surgery center.

So I have some administrative experience working in the health care field.

And then, ended up getting my accounting education and moved into the finance accounting, area.

As I was working at the CPA firm, my partners realized that I was really good at explaining to clients the accounting, and helping them learn how to get better with their accounting practices.

And so, it was suggested that maybe I considered doing an adjunct position at one of the local colleges, and I fell in love with teaching.

And so to their, they were sad that I decided then to go into a full time, teaching and have been teaching for the last almost 30 years.

Accounting or business, courses also working in workforce strategies at New Mexico State University, where I combined my business experience with, some manufacturing experience and workforce strategies.

And then ended up at Delta for 20 years as a faculty member.

So your title now is Dean of Occupational Programs and Workforce Strategies.

Can you tell us what that looks like day to day?

I spend a lot of time in occupational programs.

There's a lot of equipment, both in the health and wellness division and in the business and technology division.

So some of it is spent on looking at planning equipment, looking at how we're going to replace equipment, talking about what the needs are of faculty.

Some of it is spent, working on current federal, guidelines that are coming up for that will be important for, students who need to take loans to complete their education.

So making sure that our career pathways are aligned so that students can take advantage of these funds as they change and, with each administration.

So making sure that I stay current on on that.

Listening to faculty, express some of the things that they need to support in their classroom.

Certainly working with their associate deans to help them to make sure that we have all the support that they need so that they can provide the best, classroom environment, whether that's online, face to face in a lab for their students so that students have the best success, best opportunities for success in their courses.

And you've, like you mentioned, spent years in the classroom and, teaching.

So how does that, experience inform how you lead now?

Well, I think because of that one, it's there's a trust factor with the faculty.

They know that I intimately understand what they do in the classroom and am able to, flex with decision making and decision making and initiatives so that I can help them, again, provide the best environment for students.

It helps me advocate for them.

A little more than maybe someone who doesn't really understand the classroom.

In my work as DCFA President, I developed some really, great relationships and workable relationships with administration.

And I think this particular role just is my unique skills, allows me to understand what the initiatives are of the college and mission, vision, value of the college, and then also bring the perspective of the faculty where we meet in the middle and can start to accomplish some things that we would like to see for student success.

So as you look forward a year or two, what are some of the or projects that you're excited about?

Well, the one of the ones that I'm the most excited about, and really in the last week and a half, we've kind of hit some of these meetings more is, the biggest project would be how do we integrate workforce strategies into the academic units, in particular health and wellness and business and technology, so that we can supplement some of the learning that students are doing already in their academic courses, with some workforce strategy, and some workforce skills, that helps them.

It creates just one more step in the ladder into their academic program.

But it also, some of these, initiatives that we're thinking about will also provide students a touchpoint into the industry before they go out into trying to find a job.

They will, have already met some industry professionals.

And so I've been meeting with faculty, disciplines, over the last week and a half.

I still have another week or so, and they've come up with some really great ideas where we can work with, Daren Kench in Workforce Strategies and his team to help bring some of those skills into the academic classroom.

What are some of the ways workforce strategies helps employers train their employees?

So workforce strategies has a catalog of, training sessions and short certificates that they offer.

Those workshops and training sessions range from soft skills, all the way to technical trades.

That employees can come in, learn some quick skills that will improve their current work requirements, or maybe even help them, step up into another role.

Workforce Strategies also offers customized training, so pretty much anything that an employer or a community partner would want.

Workforce strategies will come up with and help them, to provide that training to their employees.

For you, what's one of the most rewarding parts of working at Delta?

It is, again, I'm a problem solver by nature.

As an accountant, I problem solve all of my career and being able to work through those problems and come to solutions that provide, better outcomes for students.

Students who didn't think they were going to be able to succeed, at Delta, but have found, found their path, found their career, found what they were meant to do.

I think that, anyone who works at Delta, we love to be able to see students, exceed beyond what they thought they were going to be able to do when they started their career path.

Ski, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to join us today, and congratulations again on your new role.

Thank you so much.

The next student feature is Racquel Hernandez-Alaniz from participating in collegiate athletics, to her acceptance into the Physical Therapy Assistant Program, her journey is filled with many proud moments.

But the one shes most proud of is where it all began, her mother's positive influence as a 1st generation college student.

Last winter I was in the PTA program and unfortunately had to withdraw just due to something that personal that happened to me and they were very accommodating.

The director of the PTA program was willing to work with me to figure out how I can still continue or be a part of the program.

I can still continue or be a part of the program.

As I take time away for myself.

And they also offered counseling, they also want to make sure that, yes, I'm a student, but also, was my well-being okay?

And was I mentally okay because I really care about not just like you being a student and going to school.

Yes, that's good, but also making sure that your well-being comes first before student.

They want to make sure that I was all right, too.

I was also from doing basketball last year.

My coaches also reached out to me to make sure that I was all right.

And, it really made me feel like I was part of a big family.

And, it really made me feel like I was part of a big family.

It is hard sometimes to ask for help.

Especially if you're like me, sometimes I can be stubborn, and it takes a while for me to notice okay I need help.

And having that community and knowing, like, my basketball team or that, like, director was there for an open ear.

The Delta way to me would be family.

It's very personal, you can... Your professors and your advisors.

The resources that they offer.

I feel like they want the best for you.

And you make connections very fast with advisors and people in general.

Faculty at Delta and making sure that you're okay and that you're able to pursue the things that you have passions for.

My achievements I'm most proud of is getting into the PTA program and also just going to school because I'm Hispanic.

My mom is a first gen college student, so being able to continue that and to go to school and pursue my education, that's something that's very important to me, especially since my grandparents never had that opportunity.

They always worked, and they worked hard and made sure that my mom and her grandchildren were able to continue that and go to school and better ourselves.

Delta College offers over 140 programs designed to meet student and area employer needs.

Today, we'll take a closer look at the Health Fitness Specialist program, which provides hands on learning of the latest techniques in the field.

Individuals are trying to combat disease through preventative care and lifestyle changes.

Our students in the Health Fitness Specialist program are going to be equipped with the skills to help those individuals make those lifestyle changes.

Where sometimes they need someone there to guide them through the process of making healthy lifestyle changes.

And our students are equipped to be able to do that.

There's a lot more that goes into it than just moving weight, right?

I mean, yeah, like when I was a senior in high school, right?

I could have I could have trained so on and but like I do this, this is what I do.

Right.

But like all right.

What if they have osteoporosis.

Right.

What.

You know, what if they have X, Y and Z disease, how am I going to train them differently?

If something does happen, how am I going to be able to back myself up and be like, look, this is the evidence and the science behind why I did what I did.

I think the biggest misconception at this point in time is that anyone who enters this field is a gym rat.

It's more about navigating health and really meeting people where they're at.

So there isn't a set personality type that should go into this field.

We need all types and then really just spending some time in the field and learning where your niche is.

Where do you want to be in this and not being boxed into?

Well, I had to play sports growing up to understand this.

No students will learn anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics.

They learn exercise techniques, how to appropriately perform different strength training exercises.

They learn how to lead group exercise.

They learn how to personal train a client one on one.

They learn about the behavioral change process and how to walk a client through the steps of behavior change.

In addition to that, they learn great communication skills, how to build rapport with their clients, and how to set clients up on a proper exercise program.

I cannot even explain how amazing it is having the professors available to talk to.

I have not had one professor that has not taken the time to answer my questions.

Help me with anything that I'm struggling with.

It's explained in a very personable way and we are allowed to talk about our experiences and you can apply it.

So what I'm learning in my classes, I can apply right away to myself.

Yeah, I think it's really big, especially for people that learn hands on, because a lot of people can just, you know, read a textbook in a, in a clinics.

Right.

And the same way I need to see it or I need to do it or just to get this degree, it requires you to actually be in the field a lot, which I think is big, because a lot of times people go to college and they leave and they're like, all right, I have this degree, but what am I going to do with it?

And the actual feel right, and I feel like I'm ready.

If you have an interest in improving your personal health and you enjoy improving the health of other people, this is probably a great fit for you.

And take the class.

Give it a try.

See if this meshes with who you are.

Does this resonate?

For the last two years, Delta Public Media has partnered with Colette Travel to offer their viewers the trip of a lifetime.

To tell us more about this partnership we talked with Joe Yezak, Broadcasting Program Manager.

Delta College Public Media has partnered with Colette Travel to bring a great experience to our viewers and our listeners.

Colette travel has been in the travel business for over 100 years, and they work with bringing people to exotic locations in New York all over the world, actually.

We've partnered with them the last two years to bring some of our viewers to Europe.

And with that, we're allowing our viewers and listeners the experience of going with a very trusted travel company and in return are part of the tickets that they pay for goes to our programing.

So it was a great partnership between the two of us.

So our first experience that we went to was to Ireland.

We did that in September of ‘26 with, Mike Redford was our local host.

They went with the tour group and they got to experience all of the Emerald Isle.

So that was a great experience for them.

We're going to be going to Italy in April of this year, so they're going to go all over like northern Italy, starting in Rome and ending in Venice, just to name a few of the locations that they're going to be going to.

The next trip that we're going to be going to is Christmas time in London with our host, Bob Przybylski.

So, we're going to be going over there early December, get to experience some of the lights and the fantastic views of London during the early Christmas season.

So get to see Buckingham Palace as well as some of the Christmas markets.

In early next year, Mike Redford is taking a group to Greece, so they get to experience, Athens and also going on a boat ride to go to Mykonos and Santorini to round out that trip.

So, if you're interested in the itinerary of any one of these trips or get more information, we do offer Zoom presentations so you can go to Delta Public Media.org and sign up for either a future Zoom presentation or if we've already had a Zoom presentation, you can log in and watch that and look for future Zoom presentation.

So if you have specific questions that aren't answered, you can answer it at that time.

If you're interested in going on one of these fantastic trips with Colette and Delta College Public Media, all you need to do is go online to DeltaPublicMedia.org and check out our events page for current and future travels.

2026 marks the start of Delta College's 65th anniversary.

Throughout the year, we'll continue to reflect on defining moments in the college's history and look ahead to exciting initiatives.

Today will highlight some of the innovations and renovations that set Delta apart as a leader college.

Delta College has a long history of leading the charge in shaping the community college mission, including expanding access to a college degree and offering workforce training to meet employer hiring needs.

In the late 1950s, Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties came together to plan and actualize the vision of establishing a community college to represent multiple counties.

To ensure the diverse needs of each community were met, 100 representatives from each county formed the Committee of 300.

Which planned all aspects of the new entity, including the selection of its centralized location.

Since opening its doors in 1961, Delta College has continuously expanded to meet the ever changing needs of its students and the communities it serves.

The first major expansion project occurred in 1962, with the addition of the J Wing to provide more classroom and administrative office space.

The most recent project concluded in December 2025, with the expansion of the K wing to create a more collaborative learning environment for computer science, information technology, and business administration programs.

Over the years, the college has grown from its original 331,000ft to nearly 1,000,000ft of academic space.

And that's not counting the construction of the three downtown centers in Bay city, Midland and Saginaw.

Delta's continuous growth reflects its long standing commitment to innovation.

One key factor behind Delta sustained innovation is the longevity of its executive leadership, and their shared dedication to the advancement of educational opportunities for all its region's residents.

According to an article published by the International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management.

The average tenure of the college president is under six years.

In contrast, over the past 65 years, Delta College has been led by just five presidents.

Samuel D Marble at three years.

Donald J.Carlyon at 28 years.

Dr.

Peter D. Boyce at 12 years.

Dr.

Jean Goodnow 16 years.

And Dr.

Michael H. Gavin five years.

A recent study shows that in fiscal year 2023 to 24, Delta College generated $469.7 million in added income for the regional economy.

This impact supports 6,318 jobs in the region, meaning one out of every 33 jobs is supported by Delta College.

Delta College will commemorate its 65th anniversary throughout the year, with celebrations honoring its history, impact, and future.

I would like to congratulate Delta College on this amazing milestone of serving the Mid-Michigan area and beyond.

Now let's see what's on the Dateline Delta Calendar of Event The Delta College Planetarium will be hosting a series of shows during the month of March.

For more information about these shows and events happening at the planetarium, visit their website at delta.edu/planetarium.

Delta College's Downtown Saginaw Center will be hosting a financial aid afternoon on Thursday, March 26th from noon till 4:30 p.m.

Appointments and walk ins will be welcome.

The annual honors ceremony and Phi Theta Kappa induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 19th from 5 p.m.

till 7:30 p.m.

in the Delta College Lecture Theater on its main campus.

For further information on these events or other campus activities, contact the Office of Marketing and Public Information at (989)686-9490, or visit our website at www.delta.edu Well, that wraps up our show.

Please join us again on March 29th when we highlight what's happening here at Delta College, one of America's leading community colleges.

Now, I leave you with the sights and sounds of Delta College, specifically students using the newly renovated K wing for Dateline Delta, I'm Paul Barbeau, thanks for watching.

Local production scene on Delta College Public Media are made possible with support from viewers like you.

Thank you.