ENROLLMENT
UPDATE
|
Below are
enrollment comparisons as of February 4, 2010 for Spring 2010 as compared
to Spring 2009:
Spring
2010 |
Spring
2009 |
Count
Variance |
% Variance
|
|
Headcount
|
20,950
|
19,471
|
+1479
|
+7.60%
|
Units
|
183,554.5
|
171,926.0
|
+11,628.5
|
+6.76%
|
Please
remember all census drop rosters must be turned in even if you are not dropping
any students. The submission due date for a full semester course is
today, February 5th. Also remember to check your rosters during the third
week of the semester. Remove students from your class who are not
registered in the class or give them a green add card if there are seats
available. Late add cards will no longer be accepted after the 6th
week of the semester.
BUDGET
UPDATE
|
I was part of
a contingent from Grosssmont-Cuyamaca Community College District that recently
visited Sacramento to meet with state legislators in conjunction with the
Community College League of California (CCLC) Legislative Conference. The
district was represented by Trustees Garrett, Barr and Alexander as well as
Chancellor Miles and Dana Quittner. Also present were AFT President, Jim
Mahler and Cuyamaca Faculty member (and San Diego CC District Board Member),
Mary Graham. The budget news is not encouraging. We are not holding our
breath for growth dollars, though the Governor had indicated this in his
January budget. The likelihood of sustained or deeper cuts to our
categorical programs is likely. The word we’re hearing is that we should not
expect improvement for the next three to five years.
The
discussions in Sacramento this spring will be very painful and difficult as
significant cuts are still looming for health and human services. One
thing is certain - we will not have a budget in July!
These difficult decisions may not be made until September or October.
While we will continue to fight for every dollar we can apply to our important
mission, we will need to look at new approaches that will sustain us through
these very challenging budget years. We will not have the luxury to use
our prior solutions and will have to creatively consider process improvements,
simplifications and better, more effective ways to serve our students and our
community.
Meanwhile,
the Legislative Analyst’s Office recently issued a report entitled “The Master
Plan at 50: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts -- Coordinating Higher Education
in California.” The report said that California’s approach to coordinating the
state’s higher education system over the past 50 years has been indirect, and
that institutions have been left to pursue their separate interests with
insufficient mechanisms. This report examined the need for a system- wide
approach to planning and coordination of California’s system of higher
education. To read the report, visit www.loa.ca.gov/reports.
INSIDE
THE ACTORS PROCESS: IMPROVISATION
|
The Theatre
Arts Dept. will present “Inside the Actor’s Process: Improvisation” at 7:30
p.m. on Feb. 5 and 6, and 2 p.m. on Feb. 6, at the
Stagehouse Theatre. Improvisation is a tool for acting. Through the
presentations of scenes and monologues, characters will be developed by the
actors using improvisational skills (timing, team work and listening).
Following this weekend’s performances, the GC students will visit 16 local high
schools in San Diego County over an eight-week period for presentations at
drama classes. It’s the fifth consecutive year for the annual Spring Tour Show.
SPRING
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS BREAKFAST
|
The annual
Spring Scholarship Awards Breakfast will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the
Student Center. Breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10
a.m. We are honored to host many of our scholarship donors
as well as recipients. The event is presented by the Grossmont College
Foundation and Grossmont College Scholarship Department. These scholarships are
competitive and are based on a selection process established by the Grossmont
College Scholarship Advisory Committee and any additional criteria established
by the sponsor. A total of 48 students will be awarded scholarships that exceed
$20,600.
“I
HAVE A DREAM” ON TUESDAY
|
As part of
Black History Month, the GC World Arts and Cultures Committee will present Mr.
David Johnson on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 1 p.m. in the Main Quad, and at 7 p.m. in Room
#220. Mr. Johnson is a “Dr. King Orator” who will perform the famous “I Have A
Dream” speech. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of this great
opportunity to re-live in person the powerful oratory delivery of Dr. King.
David Johnson’s website is www.davidjohnson7.com.
Here is a link to his “I Have A Dream” speech on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/djohnstl#p/u/12/lPit2hpz7Bg.
Mr. Johnson also is scheduled to appear live on Channel 6 at 7:15 a.m. on
Tuesday morning.
“CONNECTIVITY”
SCULPTURE EXHIBIT
|
The
Hyde Art Gallery is presenting “Connectivity,” a free exhibit of 17 sculptures
by Miya Hanaan, through Feb. 25. The exhibit features three-dimensional
sculptures consisting of white fabric and brown thread that represent the
fragility of physical bodies and the
existence of something beyond death. The artist says her work has been
influenced by Buddhist philosophy, cosmology and death rituals. The Gallery is
open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“ULTIMATE
CAKE OFF”
|
Former GC culinary
student Charity George (graduated in December 2008) appeared as a contestant on
the season premier of the “Ultimate Cake Off” show on the TLC
Network, which aired on Monday, Feb. 1. Charity and her team, which includes GC
instructor Greg Smith, built a five-and-a-half-foot-high wedding cake in the
shape of a mountain -- because the couple got engaged on top of a mountain. The
competition consisted of making a wedding cake that had to be at least five
feet high in less than nine hours, with some kind of motorization and lighting
included. Although Charity and her team did not win the
overall contest, she won the best tasting cake award. Some might argue
that taste is more important! She
has been invited to compete again on the TV show, which is scheduled
to film in one month. Monday’s full episode can be viewed at www.TLC.Discovery.com. Charity has
worked for the past year as a pastry chef and cake artist with Sweet Cheeks
Baking Company of San Diego (www.sweetcheeksbaking.com).
OCCUPATIONAL
OUTLOOK FOR 2010
|
The Career
Center will present “Occupational Outlook for 2010, A Slow Recovery” at 11 a.m.
on Wednesday, Feb. 17, in Room 60 627. Presenting will be Nancy Davis, Student
Development Services Supervisor. Topics will include the four fastest-growing
sectors of the economy and 10 best career picks for 2010. To register, call the
GC Career Center at 644-7614.
CENSUS
BUREAU JOBS
|
Part-time
jobs are available with the U.S. Census Bureau. Testing is underway in San
Diego County for recruiting assistant ($18/hr.), office clerk ($12.50/hr), crew
leader ($18/hr.), crew leader assistant ($16.50/hr.) and enumerator/lister
($16.50/hr). To make an appointment to take a test, please call (866) 861-2010,
or visit www.census/gov/jobs. Please
help spread the word about these part time job opportunities to those students,
friends, neighbors and family members that might be interested.
FAFSA
WORKSHOPS
|
The
Financial Aid Office will present free workshops on completing online the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in Room #70-103 on Monday, Feb. 8, 9-10
a.m.; Wednesday Feb. 17, 11 a.m.-noon; Thursday, Feb. 25, 10-11 a.m.; and
Monday, March 1, 9-10 a.m. The FAFSA application, the federal government’s
instrument for calculating need-based aid, is used by colleges to determine
financial aid eligibility for federal and state aid programs. To reserve a
seat, call the Financial Aid Office at (619) 644-7129.
ALERT
SAN DIEGO
|
As a
service to all GC employees, and in partnership with the County of San Diego,
the District is participating in “Alert San Diego,” an emergency notification system.
Utilizing current contact information from Employment Services at the District
Office, listed personnel can be notified of a campus emergency on their
cellular telephone. If you need to update your personnel records with HR,
please contact the Employment Services Department at the District Offices. All
employees are encouraged to prepare, plan and stay informed by registering
their personal cell phone numbers with Alert San Diego.
Registering
your cell phone number with Alert San Diego means you would be called with
critical information in the event of an emergency. The information is submitted
on the Web over a secure, encrypted connection. The County of San Diego will
not share or distribute personal information gathered for this program. For
information, visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov/oes/ready.
SPORTS
REPORT
|
East
County Sports, a local sports news service, reports that six Grossmont College
Griffins recently signed scholarships to continue their football career at the
four-year college level. Defensive end Ja’Rodd Watson will move on to San Jose
State, while nose guard Jericho Maxwell will check in at New Mexico Highlands.
Defensive back Abraham Muheize has landed at Central Washington, after turning
down bids from Florida A&M, Texas State, Delta State (Mississippi), and a
return to Montana State. In addition, El Capitan graduate Cody Furr, a
defensive end, has accepted a football ride to Missouri Southern, a Division II
institution based in Joplin, Mo. Others advancing to the next level are wide
receiver Nick Hill to Baker University
in Kansas and tight end John Adams to Southwest Missouri State.
GC
student-athlete Homer Mauga has been selected as a Scholar-Leader-Athlete for
the 2009-2010 school year by the National Football Foundation and College Hall
of Fame. He will be honored at an awards banquet on Friday, March 19, at the
Scottish Rite Event Center in Mission Valley. Congratulations, Homer.
Both
the men’s and women’s basketball teams play at Palomar College today, Friday,
Feb. 5. The Lady Griffins play at 5 p.m., and the men at 7 p.m. The men’s team
has lost 11 games this season by three points or less. The women’s team is 20-4 overall and 8-1 in the Pacific
Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC). Both the Lady Griffins and Palomar’s women
share the first place lead in the PCAC. The winner today will be in first
place.