President's News Burst September 2012

PRESIDENT’S NEWS BURST

SEPTEMBER 2012

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Welcome to a new semester. I’m eternally grateful to all of you for ensuring that our semester got off to a very smooth start!  Our district collegially determined modifications to the enrollment priorities for students starting this fall and those changes were in line with the statewide enrollment priorities that were just passed by the Board of Governors in its San Diego meeting this week.  Additionally, our district implemented automated enforcement of course pre-requisites this fall.  I am proud of the many people who helped move these efforts along without a negative impact to enrollment.  Our focus was to make the most of each limited seat in every course we offer, enhance student progression through degree and certificate programs, and maximize student success.  There are many individuals and departments to thank for all of this but special thanks to our Instructional and Student Services Departments, Information Systems, the Enrollment and Student Success Taskforce and many, many others.  

I’ve noticed a lot of instructors and students who are enthusiastic about the start of a new academic year, and our outstanding staff appears to already be in their mid-year groove. Let me express my appreciation for your support and commitment to use resources as effectively as possible. Thank you for all your efforts in providing an environment conducive to learning and ensuring the highest quality education for our students, and for your commitment to our college and our vision to change lives through education.

In addition, I would like to say how impressed I was with the results from the recent Institutional Survey conducted by our Institutional Excellence Council. The survey provided important information on the college’s programs, services, processes and opportunities. Among the results:

·         Over 86 percent of full-time employees and 83 percent of part-time faculty are aware of the GC mission, vision and values;

·         Over 71 percent of employees understand the college’s goals and the extent to which they are achieved;

·         Over 80 percent of faculty and students agreed that the college is committed to excellence in teaching and learning;

·         Over 80 percent of the faculty and administrators, and 61 percent of the staff indicated that they had the opportunity to participate in dialogue with colleagues about how to improve student learning and institutional processes.

These numbers are excellent, but we can always do better. The college plans to administer an institutional survey each year as part of our continuous improvement cycle of PIE (planning, implementation, and evaluation), and we hope that you will continue to provide us your feedback each cycle.

NEW DEPARTMENT CHAIRS AND COORDINATORS

There are several new Department chairs and coordinators for the Fall 2012 semester. They include: Administration of Justice, Tina Young; Anesthesia Technology and Respiratory Therapy, Peggy Wells; Cardiovascular Technology,  Liz Barrow;  Nursing, Lisa Maloy; Orthopedic Technology, Tom Byrne and Chris Rice; Telemetry/EKG; Byron Marshall; American Sign Language, Jamie Gould;  Visual Arts/Humanities, Paul Turounet; Media Communications, Evan Wirig; Project Success, Joan Ahrens; Biological Sciences, Craig Milgrim and Shina Alagia, co-chairs; Earth Sciences, Judd Curran; EOPS/CARE & CalWORKs, Michael Perez.

AROUND THE CAMPUS

      If you want your photo to be seen on the Grossmont Staff Directory, and if your photograph has not yet been taken, please contact our college photographer Stephen Harvey (ext. 7377) for an individual appointment. In addition, photos can be scheduled so that entire departments can be photographed all at the same sitting. The Grossmont Staff Directory features photographs, titles and employment dates of faculty, staff and administrators. The Directory can be accessed by visiting www.grossmont.edu/intranet/staffdir.

      Season flu shots are available to all students, faculty and staff at Student Health Services located in Griffin Center, Room 130. Flu shot hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. With questions, call ext. 7192.

      The Print Shop is now offering walk-in copy service or 24-hour turn-around services through Sept. 17. Holly Phan, Printing Services Supervisor says if you use the online job submission system, please bring your original copy when you pick up your job in case the file was not received. The Print shop hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., and Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

HONORS

·         Photography instructor Paul Turounet has been profiled for his work along the U.S.-Mexico border recording the experiences of undocumented immigrants. Here is a link to the article that appeared on the website of the Burbank, Calif.-based public television station KCET:  http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/san-diego/under-the-green-moon-with-paul-turounet.html.

·         Joan Ahrens, English, has been certified as a “Developmental Education Specialist” through the Kellogg Institute for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators, Appalachian State University.

• At a recent culinary competition hosted by the San Diego Chefs Association and American Culinary Federation of Chefs, Joe Orate, our Culinary Arts coordinator received a gold medal and perfect score for his hot foods tapas display. Kris Saradpon, one of our Culinary Arts adjunct instructors, also earned a certificate. David Litke, a Culinary Arts student, also received a silver medal in fruit and vegetable carving. Grossmont student Jessica Church also assisted at this competition, which was held at the Art Institute of California – San Diego.  The event was called a “Culinary Salon” (salon is a European expression for competition). The competition was a prelude to our college’s participation in the Internationale Kochkunst Austellung (IKA), also known as the “Culinary Olympics,” to be held in Erfurt, Germany, Oct. 5–10.

• James Foran, Culinary Arts, and about a dozen of our Culinary Arts students will prepare desserts and assist other top local chefs at the 10th annual “Celebrate the Craft,” a food and wine event, on Sept. 30 at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. This event will feature the finest food artisans preparing dishes using local ingredients. “Celebrate the Craft” is known as one of Southern California’s premier showcases for regionally grown ingredients and innovative cooking and winemaking. It will be a terrific opportunity for our students to experience the tradition of craft and culinary innovation.

·         Grossmont College was the only local community college selected as the Best College or University by the readers of the U-T San Diego in the 16th annual San Diego’s Best Readers’ Poll. The top five vote-getters (in order of finish) were: SDSU, Grossmont College, UC San Diego, University of San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University.

RECENT CAMPUS EVENTS

      Grossmont College Theatre Arts Guild hosted a successful fundraiser this past Friday and Saturday evening. “An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein” featured performances by Grossmont College faculty actors, including Sue Gonda, Stephanie Mood and Victoria and Judd Curran, along with Glenn Kaufhold. Performers from the Theatre Arts Department faculty included Jerry Hager, Jeannette Thomas, Brian Rickel, Susan DeLeon, Steve Schmidt and special guest Aaron Duggan. The event was a fundraiser for the Theatre Arts Department equipment fund and student scholarship program.

      The Fall 2012 Scholarship Awards Breakfast was held on Sept. 8, in the Student Center. Thirty-two students received $19,600 in scholarships for the fall 2012 semester. In addition, 44 students each received a $500 Osher scholarship for the fall 2012 semester. A grand total of $41,600 in scholarships was awarded. The event was presented by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges and Grossmont College Scholarship Department.

      Nearly 3,000 students were served at our “Week of Welcome!,” known by the acronym “WoW!” Our Student Activities Office organized this event, which coincided with the first week of instruction and featured an Activity Fair in the Main Quad. The mission of WoW! was to provide a unified campus-wide welcome to new students and welcome back to returning students via information and programming. More than 80 members of our campus community came together to make Grossmont’s WOW! a success.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

      The Grossmont College Friends of Music will present two performances of “An Evening of Chamber Music” starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, on campus in Room #220, and at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 at All Saints Episcopal Church in San Diego. Performers will be the Grossmont College Symphony String Quartet.

      The Culinary Arts dinners begin Thursday, Sept. 13. The Fine Dining class will prepare and serve meals starting at 5:30 p.m. on the following Thursday evenings: Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 and Nov. 1, 15 and 29. Cost is $20 per person. Reservations can be made with Alexis Popko, extension #7267.

      The Grossmont College Theatre Arts Department will host its annual "Tech Fest," a community outreach event featuring performances, tours and workshops for high school drama students, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. High school students will learn professional practices in the areas of set construction, lighting and sound, costume construction, stage management, and theatre publicity.

      Constitution Week will be held on campus from Sept. 17 to 20. Activities will include an appearance by the Sons of the American Revolution and a “Constitution Wall” where students can use their freedom of speech to write and post notes about what the Constitution means to them, as well as distribution of pocket U.S. Constitutions and patriotic music from Griffin Radio in the Main Quad. Joe Braunwarth, Political Science, will have an instructional classroom component.

      The English Department’s Creative Writing Program will begin its Fall 2012 Reading Series at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at Griffin Gate with an appearance by novelist and memoirist Anthony Swofford who will read from his new memoir, Hotels, Hospitals and Jails, described by the New York Times Book Review as a “tale of post-traumatic success disorder.” The Fall Reading Series will continue on Thursday, Sept. 27 in Room #220 with an appearance by writer and poet Amy Gerstler. Information is available at www.grossmont.edu/english/creativewriting.

      The Career Center will host a Student Employment workshop from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at the Career Center, Griffin Center, Building 60, Room #140. Pamela Benge will discuss “Doing What Matters to Find a Job.”

      The Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20 on campus in Room #220. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military and $5 for students.

      The Grossmont College Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale will present, “The Planets, a multi-media production,” with special guest Philip Blanco, Astronomy, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 8086 Broadway, Lemon Grove. Admission is free but a free-will offering will be taken.

      The Grossmont Guitar Guild will present Music Dept. Co-Chair and guitar instructor Fred Benedetti in a solo performance of “Bach to Beatles” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, in Room #221. The concert is open to the public. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and faculty and $5 for students.

      Fall sports programs include Football, Men’s Water Polo, Women’s Water Polo, Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Soccer and Women’s Cross Country.  For team schedules, please see link:  http://www.grossmont.edu/athletics/