President's Newsburst November 2012

PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST

NOVEMBER 2012

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

This is it. All hands on deck. Nov. 6 is an all-important election for California’s community colleges. Budget cuts are non-partisan – they affect us all. So, this is our chance to make a difference for the future of education in California.  I encourage all members of the Grossmont College family to exercise one of our most cherished constitutional rights and be sure to vote in the November election, whether via mail-in ballot or in person on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Take a friend, a family member or a co-worker to the polls on Nov. 6.  Thank you.

VETERANS WEEK

In commemoration of Veterans Day, Grossmont College’s Student Veteran Organization (SVO) will host a number of activities, Nov. 6 through 8.  Please wear the yellow ribbon provided in your mailbox to show your support for our veterans, active duty military and their families.  On November 6^th, an opening ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in the Main Quad. Following a color guard presentation and the national anthem performed by the music department, guest speaker Jerry Stadtmiller with the Veterans Village of San Diego will speak about the cost and consequence of war. Stadtmiller, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder program director at Veterans Village, served in Vietnam as a rifleman for the U.S. Marine Corps and was severely injured by two AK-47 rounds. Military vehicles will be on display throughout the day Tuesday in the Main Quad. On Wednesday, Nov. 7, participants can take a physical training challenge between 9 a.m. and noon at the athletic track. Participants will receive a free barbecue lunch provided by ADSOC. To sign up, contact the Student Veterans Organization at svogcccd@gmail.com. Also on Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the SVO will have an information booth set up in the Main Quad, where Student Health Services and the San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile are holding a blood drive. Then, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Building 26, Room 220, a free showing is set of “The Longoria Affair,” a documentary about a funeral home in rural Texas denying services for a Mexican-American soldier following World War II, and the impact the controversy had on the town for years to come. On Thursday, Nov. 8, awards of appreciation will be distributed at a closing ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon at Griffin Gate.

BE WELL!

      The GC Wellness Initiative and Professional Development Committee are committed to helping you improve your health and wellness by providing employee fitness classes at no cost. Join the Zumba class from 5:30 to 6: 30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays in 42-101. An alternative for you may be the Yoga class held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in 42-101, and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Health & Science Complex Lower Lobby. Recreational swimming is available from 4 to 4:50 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 11 to 11:50 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Vilarino, our wellness coordinator.

      A farmers market recently opened about two miles from our campus at Pershing Middle School, 8204 San Carlos Drive, San Diego, 92119. It is open from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday evening.  The market is located in the northeast corner of the school’s soccer field to the street. Some fans have said it rivals the farmers market in Hillcrest with about 10 booths, all with organic produce, a few crafts booths and several food booths. Here is a recent review from Yelp, http://yelp.com/biz/san-carlos-farmers-market-san-diego.

      Volunteer-Led Activity Groups with your colleagues and co-workers offers fun, “good-for-the-soul” exercise. Join Linda Daley for walking at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Laura Murphey at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Join Pat Murray for cycling at noon on Wednesdays.  Beginning jogging is available at 5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays with Denise Schulmeyer. For hiking, contact Will Pines (North County), Bernadette Black (Cowles Mountain) and Anita Martinez (Mission Trails).

RECENT CAMPUS EVENTS

      Thanks to all who joined us for a “spirit-lifting” event on Halloween. We enjoyed caramel apples and a costume contest in the Culinary Arts patio. Here are the top costume winners:

Cutest

Patrick Aure, Athletics, as “replacement referee”

Veronica Romero, Counseling, as “Progressive Flo”

Scariest

Genie Montoya, Business Office, as “zombie”

Nadia Souza, Health Professions, as “Slasher secretary”

Creative
Justin Dile, Veterans Office, as “Tinkerbell”
Maria Castro, Financial Aid, as “poison ivy”

      Six universities attended our campus’ first-ever Nursing Transfer Day, held on Thursday, Oct. 28. The six campuses included: Azusa Pacific University, University of Phoenix, California State University San Marcos, Point Loma Nazarene University, National University, Brandman University (Chapman University system). 

SPEECH/DEBATE HONORS

Congratulations to our Speech/Debate Team for high scores at two recent competitions.  At the Pasadena City College tournament, held Oct. 26-27, awards went to: Cameron Martin, 2nd place Open Division in Program Oral Interpretation; Mayte Gutierrez, finalist in Open Division Program Oral Interpretation; Ali Majed, finalist in Open Division Extemporaneous. Other GC team members included Jeffrey Adams, Darron Devillez, John Price and Samuel Thomas. At the Irvine Valley College tournament, the first tournament of the season held Oct. 12-13, five GC students competed. Eighteen colleges participated, seven of which were four-year universities and 11 were two-year colleges. Awards went to: Ali Majed, 1st Place in Open Division Impromptu Speaking (out of 78 competitors) and 2nd Place Speaker Award in Jr. Parli Debate; Cameron Martin, 1st Place in Open Prose and 2nd Place in Program Oral Interpretation; Vanessa Spear, 3rd Place Speaker Award in Jr. Parli Debate. Also competing was Jeffrey Adams in Nov. Parli and Samuel Thomas in Nov. Parli, who won two debates out of four.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY GROUPS

Our recent professional development efforts have included the formation of professional development advisory groups. Debbie Yaddow is the point person for the administrators advisory group. Debbie is developing a survey for administrators, supervisors and managers to give their opinion regarding staff development needs. Nancy Davis is representing the supervisors. Pat Murray is leading the Classified Staff Professional Development Advisory group. Pat said a recent survey indicated that 60 percent of classified staff are participating in some aspect of professional development at Grossmont College. She said the classified group is planning workshops on such topics as “stress management” and “nutrition and cooking.” Members of the classified group include William Bown, Laura Murphey, Patty Sparks, Joe Balestreri, Irene Bauza, Pat Palma, Lucy Price, Tia Pickens, Rochelle Weiser and Dennis Sigler.

ACCREDITATION UPDATE

Barb Blanchard and Chris Hill, Accreditation Co-chairs, want to thank all who have worked on the draft of the 2013 Grossmont College Accreditation Self Evaluation Report. Now, Barb and Chris need your help for review of the report. You can find the report on the GC intranet at http://www.grossmont.edu/intranet/selfEvalReport13/default.htm. The report is divided into an introductory section and four standards which themselves are divided into subsections. For this review, you will find each individual section listed as an independent .pdf file. Here are some instructions to consider before beginning your review:

#1. Please read any or all of the sections and provide your comments in the feedback box provided below the document links. 
#2.When making your comments, please try to reference the specific section that is the focus of your comment.
Remember, this report is in draft form. There is still editing to be done that will include fixing grammar, correcting acronyms, and elimination of redundancies among other things. We are hoping that you can help us most by focusing on content.  In other words, are we missing anything important or are there inconsistencies in the information?  Thanks again for providing this very important feedback.  If you have any questions about the document or the accreditation process in general, please contact barbara.blanchard@gcccd.edu or chris.hill@gcccd.edu.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

      This is the second year of our campuswide “one-book, one-campus” project. Students in classrooms across the campus are discussing “Silent Spring,” the book credited with helping to launch the environmental movement of the 1960s. A screening of the “Silent Spring” film will be shown held at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 in Griffin Gate (doors open at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.).  For the latest schedule, visit www.grossmont.edu/english/SilentSpring.

      The Occupational Therapy Assistant program will present its annual Assistive Technology Show from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the upstairs and downstairs student areas of the Building #34, Health and Sciences Complex. The show features students using everyday materials to create pieces of equipment to assist people with their daily living after injury or surgery.  The students will present their created assistive devices designed to assist an individual with common daily activities, such as opening doors, making beds or closing hatchbacks. This is truly an amazing event and really showcases the OTA program and students. Please stop by and take a look at the wonderful devices the students have created.

      Hyde Art Gallery will present its annual photography exhibit from Nov. 13 to Dec. 13. The exhibit, titled “Create, Connect, Client,” features 66 images from 13 different commercial and artistic professional photographers, including four graduates of the Grossmont College photography program. In-kind contributions for the exhibit have been made by the San Diego chapters of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and Artistic Photographers of America (APA), as well as Chrome Digital Labs. A reception with the exhibitors will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15.

      Many people are very insecure about their math skills and taking tests. The Grossmont College Adult Reentry Program will host “Math Anxiety,” a free presentation on managing text anxiety, from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Career Center. Speaking will be Grossmont College mathematics instructors Jeff Waller and Jennifer Vanden Eynden. The seminar will assist students and prospective students with managing test anxiety and basic math study skills.  Usually people are put off by math because of a bad experience in school or perhaps by the scary look of written math, but this workshop will break down those barriers.

      The Office Professional Training (OPT) Program will host a Craft Fair/Holiday shopping event in the Quad from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15.  Invited vendors include Scentsy Candles, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Tupperware, and vendors of handcrafted items, such as Best Friends Craft Club. OPT students will also be selling pizza by the slice with soda. Get a head start on your holiday shopping early at this event.

      The Grossmont College Creative Writing Program will present an all-day creative 'WRITE-A-THON from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, at Griffin Gate in Building #60. The event is open to students, faculty and the public, and is limited to around 80 participants. Participants will be invited to write in four genres, including fiction, poetry, drama and creative non-fiction. For a minimum donation of $50, participants will receive continental breakfast and lunch, raffle tickets for the opportunity to win a laptop computer donated by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges and a limited edition Lester Bangs T-shirt designed by Karl Sherlock, Grossmont College English Dept. faculty member. Proceeds will benefit the Grossmont College Creative Writing Program’s fall and spring literary events, including the 2013 Literary Arts Festival's guest author Tobias Wolff.  For more event information, visit www.grosssmont.edu/english, or call Grossmont College Creative Writing Program Coordinators Sydney Brown at (619) 644-7523, or Karl Sherlock at (619) 644-7871.

      The Grossmont College Theater Arts program will present “My Three Angels,” directed by Jerry Hager, on Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 1,6,7,8 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 1 and 8 at 2:00 p.m. The setting is December 1910, French Guiana. Three convicts, including two murderers and a swindler on work release, ingratiate themselves in the home of the Ducotel Family. On their way from France is an evil-minded cousin planning to oust the father of the family from his business, and a cold-blooded nephew intent on jilting the father’s daughter for an heiress. The convicts’ warm hearts, criminal arts, and passionate belief in the principles of justice intertwine to set matters right and, in so doing, redeem themselves as real life angels. “My Three Angels,” by Sam and Bella Spewack, is based on La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson.”

IN THE COMMUNITY

      The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will host a free workshop on “Critical conversations: Utilizing Feedback Opportunities to Enhance Employee Performance” from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Chamber’s Community Room, 201 S. Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon. Presenting will be Kathryn Rippy, director of organization development with The Centre for Organization Effectiveness. This workshop will discuss the importance of having critical conversations even when they are difficult, weighing the cost/benefit, navigating the difficult conversation to a win-win outcome and making this critical part of your organization or team. The workshop is designed to help East County small business owners improve their employee productivity and performance.

      Grossmont and Cuyamaca students are planning to participate at the Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon on Sunday, Nov. 18th. All members of the Grossmont College family are encouraged to attend the parade and cheer for the students and college mascots as they pass by riding on an antique fire truck. The parade is the largest parade in San Diego County and the largest west of the Mississippi. The parade will begin at Magnolia and Main Street in El Cajon. For more parade information, visit www.mothergooseparade.org. For information about GC students in the parade, contact Peg Marcus, president, ASGC.