PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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to the 80 volunteers from GCCCD who
helped at the recent Innovations 2011 conference, hosted by GCCCD and the San
Diego Community College District and sponsored by the League for Innovations in
the Community College. The League is an
international consortium of community colleges and their districts, and 150
corporate partners. The efforts of our volunteers ensured that the conference
ran smoothly. Our volunteers did everything from stuffing give-away bags and
registering people to putting together slideshow presentations and manning
exhibit booths. Record attendance was reported for the conference with over
1,700 representatives of two-year colleges came from across the nation, as well
as Mexico and Canada. Our District played a huge role in showcasing innovative
academic programs and the latest high-tech teaching tools. There was a strong
spirit of collaboration and a sense of “we’re all in together,” especially
when discussing with colleagues about unprecedented demand and budget cuts.
More than 400 forums, workshops, keynote
presentations and roundtable discussions were offered on a myriad of topics.
Faculty and administrators from Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, as well as
District Services, presented or took part in eight conference events, including
one presentation – aptly called “Diet for a Small Budget: Thriving on PIE” --
that had Chancellor Miles, President Bob Garber, Vice Chancellor Sue Rearic and
myself talking about how we have sustained our institution through these
difficult years and the use of the acronym PIE to plan for the future. Jerry
Buckley, senior dean for research planning and institutional effectiveness, and
Chris Hill, interim dean of Math, Natural Sciences, Exercise Science and
Wellness and former president of the Grossmont College Academic Senate, shared
the good work of our college integrating planning, budgeting and assessment.
For more information on Grossmont’s PIE, please visit our college’s planning
website at http://www.grossmont.edu/planning/.
The
PowerPoint slides and taped sessions from the recent conference are available
to any member of our college community by visiting League sitehttp://www.league.org/innovations/.
Thank you again to everyone who
participated!
COLLEGE RECOGNITION AWARDS
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Planning is continuing for our 12th
annual College Recognition Awards ceremony to be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday,
May 12, 2011, in Room 220. Calls for nominations have been issued for several
awards. Details and names of previous recipients are available at www.grossmont.edu/awards.
Innovator of the Year nominations can be sent to Linda Daley. Details about
your new degree can be sent to Devon Atchison. Devon also is looking for
information about recent publications, special projects or works of art.
Excellence in Teaching awards can be submitted to the Division Dean; for
details, visit www.grossmont.edu/awards/excellence_teaching.asp.
Kudos Awards can be submitted online. The Kudos Award is designed to thank and
recognize a member of the Grossmont College community who represents teamwork and
excellent service. In addition, everyone is invited to participate in the identification
and selection of the Vice President Support Staff Award. The purpose of this
award is to recognize a classified staff member within each
division for his or her outstanding contributions during the academic year to
his/her department or program area, to the college, to colleagues and – most
importantly – to the students of Grossmont College. The award recipients will
have demonstrated an “over and above” approach to serving students, working
with colleagues inside and outside of the offices, service on college
committees and/or in promoting college events, and advancing the mission of
Grossmont College. The annual College
Recognition Awards is an important way for us to celebrate and acknowledge the
contributions that our faculty and staff make every day to the success of our
students and programs. We encourage you all to nominate a deserving
colleague or co-worker!
50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION UPDATE
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Planning for our college’s
50th anniversary celebration is moving ahead. The 50th Anniversary
Celebration Planning Committee has been meeting to discuss a year-long
(2011-2012 academic year) celebration. A
series of campus and community celebratory events, effective outreach
strategies and event planning specifics that will succeed in appropriately
celebrating Grossmont College’s 50th anniversary of educational service to the
community and generating revenue that will be earmarked for services to
students. Our outstanding creative services staff have designed a 50th
Anniversary logo and decals, t-shirts and notebooks featuring the 50th
anniversary logo are now available at the bookstore. Currently underway is the
development of a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book which will feature
memories and photos.
For an unusual couples
celebration, we are looking for former students, faculty and staff members who
met their spouses at Grossmont College and are still happily together. The
couples who respond to college officials will be invited to attend a free
pre-Valentine’s Day reception to be held on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 on campus.
The reception is planned to feature refreshments and live music, including love
songs from the past five decades. Names can be sent to grossmont50years@gcccd.edu.
The special community event
in April 2012 will provide an opportunity to bring the entire community on our
campus after 1 ½ tough years of renovation.
Events, performances, hands-on demonstrations and other wow-factor
gatherings will be scheduled all over campus.
There will also be a family BBQ.
For updates, please visit the 50th anniversary website at www.Grossmont.edu/50years.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Announcements from Student Health Services include:
March is National
Nutrition Month. Information on healthy food choices will be available at a
booth in the Main Quad from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16.
It’s not too late
to vaccinate. Seasonable flu vaccinations are still advised and available to
all students, faculty and staff. Only one shot is necessary (the H1N1 flu
strain is included in the seasonal vaccine)
March 25 is
Diabetes Alert Day. If you have increased hunger and thirst, fatigue, blurred
vision or overweight, speak with a Health Services nurse today.
The Career Center will present a student employment workshop on “Make
Your Major Work For You In The Workplace” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on
Tuesday, March 8, in Building 36 Room 346. RSVP to Nancy Davis at (619)
644-7614.
State budget cuts have closed
the door to many California public universities because of more selective
admission criteria. It is essential for transfer students to know the stakes,
research their options and develop a transfer plan as early in the transfer
process. The University Transfer
Center offers three weekly workshops that provide the information,
strategies and tools for achieving transfer success. If you would like a
brief classroom presentation on “Transfer Realities = Importance of Transfer
Options” please contact Mary Rider at x7094 or mary.rider@gcccd.edu
to set up a classroom presentation or to put up a Transfer Options poster in
your classroom or office.
The Theatre Arts Department will present Hamlet by William Shakespeare,
Directed by Jeannette Thomas, at 7: 30 p.m. on March 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18 and
19, and at 2 p.m. on March 12 and 19, in the Stagehouse Theatre. Murder.
Betrayal. Lust. Adultery. Arguably Shakespeare’s most profound play, Hamlet
offers up a dark, brooding hero who, like many people at one time or another,
suffers grief, loneliness and fear in the wake of a family tragedy. Full of
introspection and philosophy about the nature of life and death, the universal
themes in Hamlet find a resonance with modern audiences—when faced with life’s
most difficult challenges, do we have the courage to rise up and meet them; or
like many, does “conscience make cowards of us all.” General admission is $12,
GCCCD faculty/staff, seniors, and military is $11 and GCCCD students (with ID)
is $10. For more information, visit www.Grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure.
The Grossmont College Art Council cordially invites everyone to their
Fundraising Auction/Exhibition on Friday, March 11, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00
p.m. The Hyde Art Gallery is exhibiting the work of 18 established local
artists representing a variety of disciplines. Though brief in its duration,
the scope of this exhibition is significant. The work of Bobbie Fisher,
Daphne Hill, David Fobes, Suda House, Terri Hughes, David Hewitt, Jeff Irwin,
Jennifer Bennett, Al Ventura, Ingrid Psuty, Ollie Zinn to mention a few of the
artists that will be providing our patrons with a broad appeal. You can preview
and bid on their favorite works at the following times and days: Monday, March
7, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, March
9, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday,
March 11, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bidding will close at 8:30 p.m., and the winning
bids will be announced at 9 p.m. on that Friday night. Please join us for a fun
filled evening of festivities that will include a Silent Auction of all the
donated art, Appetizers, Spirits and Music. Proceeds from any sale will go
to the Art Council Student Awards Program.
The Grossmont College Guitar Guild will present “Odeum Guitar Duo,” a
performance by two Grossmont College guitar instructors Fred Benedetti and
Robert Wetzel, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at Cuyamaca College’s
Fine Arts Theatre. Odeum refers to a small building in ancient Greece or Rome
that was used for public performances of music. The public is invited to
attend. Admission is $10 per person, and $8 for seniors, students and children
under age 12.
The Grossmont Symphony Orchestra will perform with organist Robert
Plimpton at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18, at First United Methodist Church,
2111 Camino del Rio South in San Diego’s Mission Valley area. Admission is $10
for adults, free for students. Another performance will be held at 7:30 p.m. on
Monday, March 21 at the Paradise Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church in
National City, and admission is free. Selections will be from Widor, Mozart,
Janacek and Elmore.
LOOKING FOR A GREAT
TRAVEL IDEA THIS SUMMER? CONSIDER THE
EDUCATOR’S TRIP TO PERU IN JULY
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The San Diego East County
Chamber of Commerce has announced its third annual Educators Tour for all East
County school employees which will be a nine-day trip to Peru, July 11 to
19. Deposit of $550 and registration
forms are due by March 25. Bookings are secured on a first-come, first-serve
basis. The checks-only price is $2,499, and payment with a credit card is
$2,549. Cost includes round-trip airfare from San Diego, round-trip executive
class rail service in Peru, first-class accommodations, daily breakfasts and
dinners and two lunches, sightseeing and admission to all sites outlined on
program, deluxe motor coaches, baggage handling and transfers and professional
program hosts. Tour highlights include sightseeing tours of Lima and Cusco, a
full-day excursion to the colonial villages of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, a
full-day excursion to Machu Picchu with a guided tour of the ruins, museums and
monastery, previously the Koricancha Temple, Plaza de Armas and the cathedral,
Sacred Valley of the Incas, traditional Peruvian buffet dinner at La Dama Juana
with live show that mixes the principal dances from the different regions of
Peru, and much more. The tour also will include two different school visits
with question and answer sessions with teachers and an official of the
education department. For more information, contact Leanna Rodgers at travel@eastcountychamber.org. On previous Chamber
Educators Tours, more than 150 educators have participated in this vibrant,
international program.
