THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!
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As we begin the month of October, let me take the time to
acknowledge all the hard work that you do on a daily basis for Grossmont
College and our students, each and every day. All of us -- faculty, staff, administrators
-- are facing challenging times that are unparalleled in the history of the
state. We know that our students are struggling in many ways, including
financially, which can create tension and escalating pressure points. So, as we
continue through this semester, please accept my sincere appreciation for your
determination and heroism on the front lines. I applaud each of you for your
spirit to excel and endure during rough times. Thank you for working together
in service to our students and community during these very difficult times.
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
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As the calendar turns, there is still no budget deal to
announce. Legislative leaders and the governor are very close, with
"pension reform" as the major sticking point. On the community
college budget, all indications are that the budget package will
be at or above the governor's proposal. We hope that enrollment growth will be
included, as well as a small amount of resources to mitigate last year's
categorical cuts. Of course, until there is final agreement, details can
change. There is talk of a budget deal by next week. Nevertheless, GCCCD is
working with a major bank to provide an additional borrowing possibilities if
budget negotiations fail and the dreaded "wait until after the election"
strategy occurs.
GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL TO GUARANTEE CSU ADMISSION TO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADS
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To increase access to the California State University (CSU)
system, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on Wednesday SB 1440 by Senator
Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and AB 2302 by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Cupertino).
These two measures will tremendously streamline the transfer process, providing
a clear pathway to transfer for tens of thousands of community college students
each year. This simplified process will save students significant time
and resources as they transfer from a community college to a CSU campus and
will create greater efficiencies for both the CSU and the community
colleges.
Senate Bill 1440 guarantees admission to a CSU campus for any
community college student who completes the newly established associate degree
for transfer. This associate degree will be
in every community college and will be limited to 60 units. In turn, the
CSU will admit each holder of this transfer degree with junior standing and
require no more than 60 additional units for graduation. It further
provides students who earn this degree with priority consideration for
admission into a similar major and to their local CSU. Assembly bill 2302
requires that the California Community Colleges work collaboratively with the
CSU to inform students and the general public about this new opportunity and
encourages the University of California to examine what it would take to join
in this new transfer reform effort. The bill calls for the UC to examine
the development of a transfer pathway for students which would result in a
transfer associate degree and system admission, and it provides a framework for
student notification of the new transfer pathway created in SB 1440.
WHITE HOUSE SUMMIT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES
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On October 5, 2010 Dr. Jill Biden will chair the first-ever
White House Summit on Community Colleges. President Obama asked Dr. Biden
to convene this event to highlight the critical role that community colleges
play in developing America’s workforce and reaching our educational goals. The
summit will be an opportunity to bring together community colleges, business,
philanthropy, federal and state policy leaders, and students to discuss how
community colleges can help meet the job training and education needs of the
nation’s evolving workforce, as well as the critical role these institutions
play in achieving the President’s goal to lead the world with the highest
proportion of college graduates by 2020. On the agenda will be how
community colleges can ensure that the United States has the most educated
workforce in the world so American businesses can compete in the global
economy. Here at Grossmont, we will be streaming the White House Summit opening
and closing sessions live on October 5th in Room 220. The opening session will
begin at 9:15 am and the closing session is scheduled to convene at noon. We
would like to invite all faculty, staff, administrators and students who would
like to stop by to share in this first-ever event. For more information, go
to http://www.whitehouse.gov/communitycollege.
OPT DAY IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ON SEPTEMBER 27
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In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Office Professional
Training (OPT) program this year, Fred
Allen and Mary Leslie accepted a proclamation on Monday, Sept. 27 from the
County Board of Supervisors. Sept. 27 was designated as “Office Professional
Training Program Day” in San Diego County. The framed copy of the proclamation
is in Mary Leslie’s office. You are welcome to stop by and visit anytime.
As a fundraiser and birthday celebration, the OPT program will host a dinner on
November 4th at the Ronald Reagan Community Center @ 6:00 p.m.
For ticket information or to contribute, please contact Mary Leslie x7533.
MICHAEL GOLDEN TABBED FOR BRIDGES AWARD
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Michael Golden of Grossmont College's Biology Department has
been named the recipient of the 2010 Homer Peabody Bridges Award. Dr. Peabody,
who died in 2005, was executive director of the Rees-Stealy Research
Foundation, and an activist for youth advancement in tennis and education. He
was instrumental in the Bridges to the Future program at San Diego State University,
which assists under-represented students in obtaining degrees in the biological
sciences. Michael Golden received this year's Bridges honor, “for excellence in
mentoring and teaching,” for guiding so many Grossmont students onto the Bridge
to jobs and careers in the biological sciences.
“I have been told by SDSU that we have provided the most
students to the Summer Enrichment Program than any other community college in
the area,” Golden said. The Summer Enrichment Program is “a major portion” of
the Bridges program, Golden said. “Monday through Thursday, students take
classes to help prepare them for chemistry, physics, microbiology and
scientific writing,” he said. “On Fridays, the students work in a research lab
where they may have the opportunity to not only participate in research, but
often present at national conferences.” The students are also paid for the
duration of the summer program, Golden said. The program is funded by grants
from the National Institutes of Health.
Golden said he and retired counselor Claudia Thompson began
Grossmont’s participation in the program 12 years ago. Golden was and is the
program coordinator at Grossmont, and working with him over the years have been
Craig Milgrim, Janice Johnson, Gopa Patnaik, Michele Perchez and Arturo Milan.
“Here at Grossmont,” he said, “we identify the students and advise them along
their path toward transferring. We also get the students together as a group a
couple of times a year for both peer and faculty support.”
Grossmont students in the summer program just concluded were
Amira Abdullah, Mark Flores, Kevin Kinyanjui, Sandra Mairena, Sara Roldan,
Fernanda Sanchez, and Alexandria Valadez.
BUY YOUR TICKETS TO THE OCTOBER 16TH GALA
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The Grossmont College Foundation’s 2010 Dinner Gala and
Auction fund-raiser will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Barona Valley
Ranch Resort & Casino. Don’t miss attending this spectacular event.
Festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception
and silent auction, followed by dinner starting at 7:30 p.m., live auction and
live entertainment.. The theme for the 2010 Gala, the ninth annual, is “Griffin
Gold Rush: 49 Years of Excellence.” The theme anticipates the upcoming
celebration of the college’s 50-year anniversary to be held during the 2011-2012
school year, according to Ernest Ewin, Grossmont College Foundation executive
director. Significantly discounted tickets are available for GC faculty, staff
and administrators. In addition, everyone is invited to donate silent auction
items, including gift certificates for merchandise and professional services.
Proceeds again will benefit student scholarships and under-funded programs at
Grossmont College. A donation to the Grossmont College Foundation directly
supports students through scholarships, educational equipment and supplies,
educational programs and improvements to activities. For more information about
tickets, sponsorship and donation opportunities, contact Alexis Popko at the
Grossmont College Foundation office at (619) 644-7109, or via
e-mail at grossmont.foundation@gcccd.edu,
or visit www.grossmont.edu/foundation.
COLLEGE TRANSFER DAY
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College Transfer Day is scheduled next Wednesday, Oct. 6, 10
a.m.-1 p.m., Main Quad. More than 40 colleges and universities will be
represented on campus to provide students with one-on-one contact and to
provide a variety of information
to students on transfer admissions, financial aid, housing, majors and
programs/services available at their specific school. Please get in the
spirit by wearing apparel from your alma mater on this day! If you don’t
have a t-shirt or hat to wear, please pick up an Ask Me Where I
Graduated pin in the University Transfer Center, right next to the Business
Office/Mailroom in modular unit 58D.
CAREER WEEK, OCT. 11-14
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The Career Center will present Career Week, Oct. 11 to 14. Clinics
held in the Main Quad on Monday, Oct. 11 will include: Resume
& Cover Letter, 9-10 a.m. and 11-noon; Dress for Success, 10-11 a.m. and
noon-1 p.m. “How To Be A Star Performer” will be discussed on Monday, Oct. 11,
10-11:30 a.m., in Building 34, Room 255. Clinics held in Building 36, Room 333
on Tuesday, Oct. 12 include: “The Competitive Edge,” 10-11:30 a.m.; “What
Employers Want,” 2-3:30 p.m. The 32nd annual Career Expo, featuring more than
50 exhibitors, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the
Main Quad. On Thursday, Oct. 14, “Lower the Red Flags” will be held 10-11:30
a.m. in Building 36, Room 333 (this workshops is recommended for paroles,
counselors, Career Center directors, faculty, employers and students). For more information, visit www.grossmont.edu/studentempservices.
“THE MISER” BEGINS OCTOBER 7
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The Theatre Arts Dept. will present “The Miser” by Moliere,
beginning Oct. 7. “The Miser,” written by the
great French playwright Moliere, stands out as one of the great comic
masterpieces of all time. Harpagon, a miserly father, creates the ultimate
dysfunctional family when he decides to marry his son’s girlfriend, wreaking
havoc with his daughter and her beau, all leading to a revelation which unveils
the miser’s true nature. Join us as we begin our 2010-2011 season with
Moliere’s classic. The Miser is translated by David Chambers and directed by
Henry J. Jordan. Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 to 9 and 13 to
16, and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 16. For more information, visit www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure.
Culinary Arts will serve a meal in conjunction with opening night. Dinner
begins at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $32 per person.
For reservations, phone ext. 7234.
FACULTY ART EXHIBITION OCT. 4-28
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This
year’s faculty art exhibition features a very diverse and outstanding selection
of work from the various disciplines that exist within the Grossmont College
Art Dept., including photography, jewelry, painting and drawing, ceramics and
sculpture. The exhibition is free and open to the public. An opening event will
be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5. For more information, call ext.
7299.
SOVIET POET HERE AT GROSSMONT ON OCTOBER 21
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The English Department is hosting Soviet born poet Ilya
Kaminsky for a reading on campus on Oct. 21. The event is open to the
community. Kaminsky’s book of poems, “Dancing in Odessa” (Tupelo Press) was
named the Best Poetry Book of the Year in 2004 by Foreword Magazine. He also is
a recipient of the Whiting Writer’s Award, and the American Academy of Arts and
Letters’ Metcalf Award’s Dorset Prize. In 2008, Kaminsky was awarded the Lannon
Foundation’s Literary Fellowship. In 2009, sections from Deaf Republic, a work
in progress, received Poetry magazine’s Levinson Prize. In March of this year,
HarperCollins published his anthology of twentieth century poems in translation,
the Ecco Anthology Of International Poetry. The San Diego resident teaches
Contemporary World Poetry, Creative Writing and Literary Translation at San
Diego State University’s MFA Program in Classic writing. More information about
the Creative Writing Program’s literary events in Fall 2010 and the 15th annual
Literary Arts Festival in Spring 2011 can be found at www.grossmont.edu/english.
MUSICA LATINOAMERICANO ON OCTOBER 8TH AND 13TH
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The Grossmont College Symphony Orchestra cordially invites
you to “Musica Latinoamericao,” an inspiring performance under the direction of
Dr. Randall Tweed. “Musica Latinoamericao” from the Grossmont Symphony
Orchestra will feature the music of Jose Pablo Moncayo’s “Huapango,” Julian
Orbon’s “Tres Versiones Sinfonicas” and Arturo Marquez’s “Danzon No. 3.” With
guest artists Suzanne Kennedy on flute and Fred Benedetti on guitar.
Performances will be held on Friday, Oct. 8 at St. John of the Cross Catholic
Church in Lemon Grove, and on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at East-Lake High School in
Chula Vista. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. More information is
available at the Music Dept., ext. 7254.
CULINARY ARTS DINNERS
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The Culinary Arts Dept. will host on most Thursdays, from Sept.
23 to Dec. 2, a five-course dinner prepared by students
enrolled in Grossmont’s Quantity Foods class. The dinners, which start at 5:30
p.m., will be held at a new location, #58 bungalow, in parking lot #5, near the
parking structure. Cost is $20 per person. The dinners will feature soup,
salad, entree, dessert and coffee service. Vegetarian dinners are available
with 48-hour advance notice. Space is limited and some dates may already be
fully booked. Dates are Sept. 23 and 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4 and 18, and
Dec. 2. Reservations can be made by phoning Michele Martens in the CTE office
at (619) 644-7550 or 644-7549, or by e-mail at michele.martens@gcccd.edu.
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES – OCTOBER EVENTS
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October is Breast Cancer
Awareness Month!
Be sure to get a pink ribbon from the nurse and remind
the women in your life to get their mammogram!
Seasonal Flu Shots 2010
Now available to all students,
faculty and staff in Student Health Services Office H1N1 flu strain is included
in seasonal vaccine (Only one shot is necessary) Monday and Tuesday 8am-7pm,
Wednesday and Thursday 8am-5pm
Friday 9am-3pm.
Cost: Students: $10.00; Staff/Faculty: $20.
Protect yourself and your
new baby from whooping cough
Get your Pertussis/Tetanus
booster vaccine. Come to Health Service for more information
Professional Counseling
and Screening for Depression
Call 644-7192 or come to
Health Services to make an appointment dealing with depression, anxiety,
stress, or panic
Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
Resource information and
purple ribbons are available in Health Services Office
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
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Grossmont Master Chorale, October 11,
“Liturgical Music for Organ & Chorus,” All Saints Episcopal of San Diego,
7:30 p.m.
Concert Band Fall Concert, October 18,
Cuyamaca College Fine Arts Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Adults $8.00; Students, Seniors,
Children $5.00.
Governing Board,
October 19, Closed Session 5:20 p.m. Open Session 6:30 p.m. Grossmont College
Tin, Stagehouse Theatre, Oct. 22-23 at
7:30 p.m., Oct. 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets $6.00.
“Blurring the Edges” Guest Artists-Peter
Sprague, Tripp Sprague, and Fred Benedetti. Grossmont Recital Hall, Room
26-220. $10.00 General; $8.00 Students. Oct. 29, 8:00 p.m.
The Creative WRITE-A-THON, Saturday, Nov.
13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 575. In this all-day fundraiser for the
Creative Writing Program’s literary arts events, participants who raise a
minimum of $50 will receive a day of inspirational writing prompts in the four
genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama writing; continental
breakfast and lunch; an “I Rocked the Page” t-shirt; and the opportunity to win
a variety of fantastic raffle prizes, including a laptop computer donated by
the Grossmont College Foundation.
The New Voices Student Reading, Tuesday,
Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Room 220. Outstanding students of the Grossmont College
Creative Writing Program’s Fall 2010 semester will stand and deliver original
works of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama. This is always an
unforgettable evening. 