Presidents News Burst for August 2010

A NEW ERA OF CONVOCATIONS THAT YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS!

How do you hold an all-college Convocation without a Student Center? Answer: Hold Convocation in the gym, ask everyone to dress casually and wear athletic shoes and, then, give-away prizes to those individuals wearing special sneakers. Our gym floor was installed in the summer of 2008 at the cost of $200,000, and it provides a beautiful playing surface for our men and women basketball, volleyball and badminton players.  However, it cannot accommodate heels, dress shoes, pointy surfaces or street shoes.

So, on Monday, Aug. 16 at 8 a.m., please join us for a continental breakfast sponsored by the GC Foundation and the Grossmont Schools Federal Credit Union. The breakfast will be held between the Main Gym and the Exercise Science and Wellness building, overlooking the football field.  Then, just after breakfast, the Convocation program will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Main Gym. If you have a stadium seat, please feel free to bring that with you, too. The gym setting will provide a more fun, relaxed setting. For those of you who cannot get away from your desk, a new mechanism will be piloted which will allow you to participate from your desktop or view at a later date. After Convocation, an all-campus activity focused on “What We Do Best” will be held.  All staff members are encouraged to please check with your supervisor about attending this activity so that there is appropriate office coverage throughout the day.

WIN A PRIZE FOR WEARING SNEAKERS AT CONVOCATION

To highlight a more fun and relaxed setting at Convocation, a competition with prizes will be held for the best athletic shoes worn that day. Everyone is encouraged to participate and possibly win a prize.

• Most grungy/worn sneakers

• Most colorful

• Sneakers that demonstrate outstanding school spirit

• Newest-looking sneakers (shoes that need to be broken-in)
• Most attractive apparel-and-sneaker combination
  
  

"WHAT WE DO BEST"

During the roughly two-hour time period between Convocation and lunch on Monday, Aug. 16, everyone is encouraged to participate in a campuswide dialogue on “What We Do Best.” This activity will be similar to the All College Exercise held as part of Spring 2009 Convocation. This time we will focus on exceptional teaching, learning and student support in an effort to increase dialogue about how we can improve these areas within a very positive context. We would like to get the college focused on three core things: great teaching, great learning and great student support.  

We look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts drawing on your experiences as a teacher and/or student.  We need to hear from you and capture your voice!

PLANNING PROCESS PRESENTATION

All Classified Staff are invited to attend a presentation on how the college planning process works from 3 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, in Room 34-150, in the new Health and Sciences Complex. Presenters will include President Sunny Cooke and Academic Senate President Chris Hill. Please RSVP to Pat Murray via e-mail or ext. 7316 on or before Aug. 10.

CAMPUS GATES LOCKED AT NIGHT

Planning is underway to have the campus security gates installed at the Perimeter Road and locked nightly from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and during emergencies as required, beginning in spring 2011. Public Safety, custodial supervisors and the EOC team members would have keys to unlock the gates to ensure that we can react to emergencies and times when there are late-night events, returning field trips or sports teams, or other events. Feedback or concerns regarding the gates can be forwarded to Tim Flood, Vice President, Administrative Services. Your responses will be helpful in compiling a future FAQ to along with a campuswide e-mail.

WEB STAFF DIRECTORY

Here is a reminder to make sure you get your photograph taken for the Web Staff Directory. Several hundred of youalready have posed for your photograph, and you look marvelous! However, our college photographer Steven Harvey (ext. 7377) is eager to complete this project. The names directory is accessible only over the Intranet. If your photograph has not yet been taken, please contact our college photographer Stephen Harvey (ext. 7377) for an individual appointment. In addition, appointments can be scheduled so that entire departments can be photographed all at the same sitting.

GRAND OPENING FOR THE HEALTH AND SCIENCES COMPLEX – SAVE THE DATE!

A grand opening ceremony  for our new Health and Sciences Complex will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2010. The celebration will include a ribbon cutting, plaque unveiling and refreshments. The 52,000-square-foot, two-story Health and Sciences Complex houses classrooms with the latest technology, state-of-the-art labs and lab preparation areas, as well as indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for studying. It also has faculty and staff offices for Career Technical Education, Forensic Technology, Physics and Health Professions programs. The Complex features the latest teaching tools and equipment, including high fidelity simulation labs with lifelike mannequins for Nursing, a casting room for Orthopedic Technology, a mock apartment for Occupational Therapy, a blood-spatter room for Forensic Technology and simulated ICU patient stations for Nursing and Respiratory Therapy. The Cardiovascular Technology Program and EKG Training have three specialty classrooms and a dedicated ultrasound scan lab. Additional features of this comprehensive facility include Physical Sciences labs, a rooftop astronomy lab, two computer labs, and a large lecture hall for health seminars, guest speakers and combined class lectures. The $35 million construction cost was financed by the Proposition R bond measure that East County voters approved in 2002. Construction began in July 2008, and was completed this past spring.

IN THE NEWS

Recent newspaper stories have drawn interest of our faculty, staff and administrators.

• A record number of students are expected to transfer to UCSD this fall, primarily from California community colleges.

• “UCSD doors widens for transfers”http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/01/ucsd-door-widens-transfers/

• For the first time since 2008, SDSU will accept applications for spring applications.

• “SDSU to again take spring applications” http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/01/sdsu-will-again-take-spring-applications/

• Legislation would direct both the community college and CSU systems to establish a streamlined process by which students have a clear path to a bachelor's degree “A simple degree path” http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-college-20100802,0,2842251.story
  
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Professional Development Week will be held Aug. 16 to 20.

• The next Governing Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 17, at Grossmont. The Closed Session will begin at 5:20 p.m., the Open Session will begin at 6:30 p.m.

• Regular Day and Evening Classes Begin on Aug. 23.

• A painting exhibit featuring the work of Wade Cline, William Glen Crooks and Suong Yangchareon opens Aug. 23 and runs to Sept. 16 at Hyde Art Gallery.

• The 2010 season opener for the football team begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 against San Diego Mesa at GC’s field. 

• The Scholarship Department and Grossmont College Foundation will present the Fall 2010 Scholarship Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 11, in the 200 Building Courtyard. The breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10 a.m. With questions, contact Selam Gebrekristos at ext. 7121.
• The Grossmont College Foundation’s upcoming Auction and Dinner Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Barona Resort & Casino. The theme is “Griffin Gold Rush, 49 Years of Excellence.”