PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST
MAY 2013
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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Graduation on June 5 will be
here before we know it. We have chosen Eric Smith, a re-entry student who
studied ethnic studies at Grossmont, as the commencement speaker. Cathy Harvey
was his first instructor and he often returns to campus to speak in her classes.
He is a disabled veteran who now owns a painting business and a nonprofit that
assists seniors living in skilled nursing facilities. Be sure to join us
June 5th as we celebrate our students’ success!
We have had some incredible
events this spring, including the Literary Arts Festival with award-winning
novelist and short-story writer Tobias Wolff and Chaldean poet Dunya Mikhail.
Martha Barnette of “A Way With Words” on KPBS lectured on campus and Rep. Susan
Davis visited the Veterans Affairs Center and the Health and Sciences complex
earlier this week.
The 51st annual
Academic/Service Awards ceremony in April honored our outstanding student leaders and the College Recognition Awards in
May will recognize our wonderful faculty and staff. Pat Murray was busy
delivering Kudos Awards throughout the month of April so congratulations to all
of you who received those well-deserved awards.
We held another successful
College Planning Forum on April 26, with about 50 faculty, staff and students
attending the all-day event. The group identified these top four goals for next
year:
·
Provide an
exceptional learning environment to promote student success (Learning and
Student Success)
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Develop and
maintain an exceptional learning environment (Fiscal and Physical Resources)
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Promote student
success for historically under-served populations (Learning and Student
Success)
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Better serve
students in historically under-served populations (Student Access)
The GCCCD is working to
develop a state facilities funding proposal for Grossmont’s 500 complex, funded
through Proposition V. The state deadline to submit our proposal for the
Liberal Arts/Business and Technology Complex is early July so we are holding
several meetings this month to try and maximize faculty input. The complex will
increase the instructional capacity for English, ESL, foreign languages,
humanities, social science, business, computer science and other related
liberal arts programs.
As we approach the crescendo
at the end of semester, please remember to celebrate the successes within your
department, our college and most importantly, the individual achievements of
our students.
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KUDOS
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The Department
of Allied Health and Nursing was awarded a $221,000 grant from the
State Chancellor’s office for retention in nursing. The one-year grant, which
begins in Fall 2013, will fund the student success advisor and allow the
department to upgrade its simulators. Program attrition has gone from 35
percent to 10 percent, with a 100 percent pass rate on the licensure exam
during four of the last five semesters. Dean Debbie Yaddow credits the success
to the student success advisor and the “hard work of our faculty.”
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Grossmont was
chosen as the site for San Diego’s inaugural STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
Summit May 3. The all-day event attracted 150 participants from colleges and
universities in San Diego and Imperial counties and included Duane Roth
of CONNECT, Ellen Peneski of the San Diego STEM Collaboratory and Chris
Roe of the California STEM Learning Network. Issues discussed included
linking academics with real-world STEM, public-private partnerships to support
STEM education and next generation science standards. A special
appearance by San Diego Unified School superintendent elect Cindy Marten was a
part of the morning as well.
·
The radio
commercial, “Grossmont College 50th Anniversary,” earned a San
Diego Radio Broadcaster’s Association EAR Award. These awards are given to
commercials that produce concrete results. Grossmont was honored for the
Guinness World Record ad campaign for the most signatures on a birthday card
(1,871) at our 50th anniversary open house celebration last April.
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ASGC, INC.
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Congratulations
to the 2013-2014 ASGC, Inc. and Student Trustee election winners. The ASGC,
Inc. board will meet at 8 a.m. May 28 in Room 60-207 for the last
business meeting of the current semester and to swear in new executives and
directors for the next academic year. All are welcome.
o President-elect Esau Cortez, Vice
President-elect Zack Gianino, Webmaster-elect Ryan Jones,
Comptroller-elect Miguel Gonzalez, Executive Secretary of Student
Legislation-elect Peg Marcus and Director of Campus Activities- elect Hala
Mandeel will be sworn in, along with the Board of Directors-elect: Victor
Barajas, Aleksandra Sevostiyanova, Yeabsra Habtegebriel, John Freed, Ryan
Schaub, Nir Shtern, Henry Gaudet, Andrea Rincon and Justin Fatoohi.
The Student Trustee-elect is Peg Marcus.
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Nine student
leaders traveled to the Student
Senate for California Community Colleges General Assembly, April 25 to 28, in
San Francisco with the Associated Students of Grossmont College. General Assembly is an opportunity for student
governments to represent their students in upcoming state-wide legislation,
discuss and debate on state-wide issues and for sharing ideas for how to make
the community college system a better place. The mission of the Student
Senate for California Community Colleges is to pursue policies that will
improve student access, promote student success, engage and empower local
student leaders, and enrich the collegiate experience for all California
community college students.
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ASGC held its 51st
annual Academic/Service Awards on April 24 in Griffin Gate. Outstanding
student leaders were recognized for their academic, service, and student life
achievements during the 2012-2013 academic year. Among the Division Honor Awards
winners: Darron De Villez, Arts, Languages and Communication; Thirada
Kingphuang, Career Technical Education/Workforce Development; Christopher
Brigante, English & Social/Behavioral Sciences; Leah Chasm-Velasco,
Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Exercise Science/Wellness; and Marie
Orlando, Allied Health and Nursing. In addition, Nina Escobedo and Daniel
Moss were named Athletes of the Year, Tram Thi Thuy Nguyen was named
International Student of the Year, and Evan Hanna and Maire Orlando
were named Woman and Man of Distinction, respectively.
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PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
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Several opportunities for
Professional Development are available this month:
·
Online Instructors Forum, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 10 in Room 51-575
Forum Discussion Topics:
Information related to the Fall Accreditation site visit and its impact on
online instructors; Professional Development opportunities through the
Quality Matters Program. Register here.
·
Muslim Journey's Bridging Cultures-Bookshelf Grant from 2 to 3 p.m. May 14 in
Room 36-325
As recipients of the
National Endowment for the Humanities “Muslim Journeys Bridging Cultures
Bookshelf Grant,” the library has received 25 books, three films, and access
to Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Discover the collection, promotional
activities, and themes you'll want to incorporate into your classroom.
·
Classified Staff Development Series: Time Management from 1 to 2:30 p.m. May 17
in Room 36-325.
For those of you who don’t
know me, I am an avid runner, and have had the great privilege of qualifying
for, and running, the Boston Marathon 10 times. As we all too now
painfully know, a senseless act of terrorism took place at this year’s race
on April 15th, and I was there… Thankfully I had a good
race, and had finished about 17 minutes before the bombs were detonated, but
was still only 300 yards past the finish line. Standing in the street,
I felt the concussion of the blasts and saw the giant plumes of smoke, but where
I was, none of us had any idea what was happening. As news reports
began to
 come in, it was clearly more horrific than I could
ever have imagined. I then began to realize that I had run right past
the Sarnaev brothers as they made their way to Boylston Street… I,
along with 25,000 fellow runners, had been loudly cheered for during the
home-stretch of our 26.2 mile journey by the very spectators that were
injured, maimed, or killed… This makes this terrorist event very personal to
me.
I know I am helpless to do
anything about what has already happened, but I CAN do something to assist
the victims and the city of Boston in their recovery, and I encourage you to
do something as well. A number of funds have been established, some general,
some specific, to provide financial assistance. I have donated
specifically to the Richard family, whose son Martin was killed, their
daughter lost her leg, and the mother incurred serious brain injuries.
(We have all seen the iconic photo of Martin holding his sign…) There
is also a general fund, The One Fund Boston, accepting personal and corporate
donations for dispersal to individuals and businesses requiring financial
assistance in the aftermath of this tragedy. Specific companies, such
as Adidas, are selling “tribute” items, such as T-shirts, and donating all
the proceeds to the recovery efforts.
Here are a few web links of
which I am aware in the event you wish to make a donation. There are
most likely other funds accepting donations that you may wish to search for
online. The people of Boston need our help, and I hope you will
consider contributing somehow.
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UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS
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The Hyde
Gallery’s current exhibition, “Student Art Exhibition 2013” runs May 6
through May 23. A special presentation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. May
16 to recognize student artworks of merit with a Student Awards
presentation. The gallery, located in Building 25 across from Café 200, is open
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Admission is free.
·
On May 20, the Hyde
Gallery is presenting a Creative Capital webinar entitled,
“Creating a Marketing Strategy,” with Dread Scott, who will be sharing
practical and indispensable information for those who wish to pursue successful
careers as professional artists. The webinar is being presented with the
support of a grant from the World Arts and Culture Committee.
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The Photography
Program will present an exhibition of photographic works from the
Photographer's Portfolio class from 4 to 5:30 p.m. June 5, with a
preview and a closing reception from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Digital Arts
Building, Room 103. As the class is the program's capstone, many of the
exhibiting students will be graduating and moving on to transfer institutions
and into the professional world.
·
Stephanie
Bedwell will present an exhibition
of her sculptural works and giving an artist talk titled, “Leaning Into
Dreams” which will explore the influence of Jungian analysis on her art. The
event 
will be at 7:30 p.m. May 17 at St. Peter’s Church
in Del Mar.
will be at 7:30 p.m. May 17 at St. Peter’s Church
in Del Mar.
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The Theatre Arts
Department’s next play, “An Ordinary Day” by Dario Fo and Franca Rame
and directed by Martin Katz, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. May 9, 10, 16
and 17, and at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 11 and 18 in the Stagehouse
Theatre on the Grossmont College campus, located in Building 21, Room 247.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure, or through the box office at (619) 644-7234. All
major credit cards are accepted. The box office will open one hour prior to all
performances.
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On May 11,
the Grossmont pool will be the site of the second SeaPerch underwater
robotics tournament this month for middle and high school students.
The events will take place between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information
on the event, go to www.seaperch.org/index
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Grossmont College
will be an official pit stop for the iCommute “Bike to Work Day” May 17. The
Pit Stop will include refreshments and support from 6 to 9 a.m. in
parking lot 1 at the intersection of Highwood Drive and Grossmont College
Drive. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 30 people who ride into
work or class. For more information, please contact Student Affairs at ext.
7601 or Pat Murray at ext. 7316.
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Rabbi Caine of
Ner Tamid Synagogue will speak on
“What Does It Mean to be Religious?” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. May 7 in
Griffin Gate. The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies is sponsoring
the event.
·
Javier F. Alonso,
Chris Juracka, Mary Beth Klauer, Kalju, Kotka, Lacey Leonard, Jeanine Spraul
and Debra Tatz, former and current Grossmont photography students, will present
“Discovery Through Photography: The Photography of the f/45 Group” at Gallery
21 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village. The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. May 22 through June 3. An artist reception will be held from noon to 5
p.m. on Sunday, May 26.
·
The Men in
Nursing Workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 1 in
Griffin Gate. Chad O’Lynn, author of “A Man’s Guide to a Nursing Career” is
the guest speaker. Cost is $15 for students and $30 for licensed
professionals. Contact Peter Brooks at peter.brooks@gcccd.edu for more information.
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The Dance
Department offers all levels of jazz dance featuring Terri Best,
a dancer, choreographer and teacher whose television, commercial and stage
credits include “Star Trek: Phase II,” McDonald’s and the “Dolly Parton and
Kenny Rogers Christmas Special.” A beginning class will be held from noon to
1:30 p.m. and an intermediate class from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. May 5 in
Dance Studio 24-271. Cost is $10 for one class or $18 for both. Registration is
required, ext. 7766.
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The Behavioral
Sciences Department will host Mental Health Awareness Day beginning at 9
a.m. May 16 in 30-162. David Diamond, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and
psychoanalyst, is the keynote speaker. For more information, email amy.ramos@gcccd.edu or call ext. 7562.
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MUSIC DEPARTMENT SPRING
SCHEDULE
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Robert Wetzel presents “Solo Classical Guitar” at 7 p.m. May 7 at
the Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Theatre, B-117. The Benedetti/Svoboda
Guitar Duo’s concert is at 8 p.m. May 10 in 26-220. Grossmont Guitar
Ensemble, with director Fred Benedetti, will perform at 2:30 p.m. May 22 in
26-221.
·
The Justin
Grinnell Grossmont Quintet presents “1959: Giant Steps in Jazz,”
featuring the Grossmont College Music Faculty Derek Cannon, trumpet, Melonie
Grinnell, piano, and Justin Grinnell, bass. Special guests are Tripp Sprague,
tenor sax, and Richard Sellers, drums. The concert is from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on
May 15 in the Grossmont College Recital Hall, 26-220.
·
Afro-Cuban
Ensemble 10th Anniversary Concert, with director Derek Cannon, is set for 7:30 p.m. May 16
in the Grossmont College Recital Hall, 26-220.
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The Grossmont
College Gospel Choir will perform at
7 p.m. May 17 in the Grossmont College Recital Hall, 26-220.
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The Jazz Studies
Program “Jazz Night” concert is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 19 and
the Grossmont Jazz Ensemble, with director Manny Rivera-Cepeda, will be
performed at 7 p.m. May 23. Both are in 26-220.
·
The Grossmont
College Concert Band, with director Russ Sperling, will perform its
Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. May 20 in the Cuyamaca College Performing
Arts Theatre, B-117.
General
admission for each performance is $10, $8 for faculty and seniors, and $5 for students.
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The Grossmont
Symphony Orchestra will present its “International Concert,” with director Randall
Tweed and guest artist and flautist Suzanne Kennedy at 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 8086 Broadway, Lemon
Grove. Donations are requested.
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HONORS
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- Grossmont student Darron DeVillez received
the top statewide student award for California Community Colleges
CalWorks. DeVillez is president of the college’s Student Veterans
Organization, a
Student of
Note and active on the Speech and Debate Team.
- Larry Kline, director of the Hyde Art Gallery, and his wife and collaborator, Debby, are winners of the 2013 San Diego Art Prize. The Klines will select an emerging artist and their works will be exhibited at Art San Diego Art Fair in Balboa Park Nov. 7-11 and in an exhibition at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla in 2014.
·
Lana
Abdulrazzaq, a junior at El Cajon
Valley High School, won the “First Female” Essay Contest. Sydney
Brown created the contest three years ago in collaboration with the AAUW.
Lana will receive a $500 prize and two tickets to the AAUW author’s luncheon.
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IN
THE NEWS
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·
Martin Katz, who is directing the Theatre Department’s upcoming
play, “An Ordinary Day,” was profiled in San Diego Jewish World. Access the
story here.
·
Paul Turounet was featured in a U-T San Diego story about his
lecture titled, “Under the Green Moon: A Photographer’s Journey on the Border”
Access the story here.
·
The Literary
Arts Festival was mentioned in a U-T
San Diego story (access here) and in
the online publication scoopsandiego.com (access here).
·
U-T San Diego
wrote a story on Debby and Larry Kline, director of the Hyde Gallery,
when they won the 2013 San Diego Art Prize. Access here.
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GET HEALTHY
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The
Grossmont College Wellness initiative offers Free Fitness Fridays. Click
here to register, or check the wellness website
for more information. Classes will meet 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. in 36-355.
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Free Fitness
Friday-Fitness for the First Timer on May 3
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Free Fitness
Friday-Ideas for equipping a home gym for under $50 on May 10
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IN
THE COMMUNITY
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On May 15, Larry
(director of the Hyde Gallery) and Debby Kline will lecture at the 2013
Qualcomm User Experience Symposium, including other speakers will include presentations
from UX designers, researchers, film makers, animators,
industrial designers and brand managers. They will serve as panelists
for a discussion at Sparks Gallery, as part of the New Contemporaries
VI exhibition.
·
Evan Wirig and
students from the Grossmont College Radio Station, Griffin Radio, have been invited for the fourth consecutive year to
participate in the La Mesa Flag Day Parade as the Grand Stand Announcers
along the La Mesa Boulevard parade route. This patriotic event is an annual
tradition. Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. on June 1 with pre-parade
concerts. The parade starts at 10 a.m., and will proceed along La Mesa
Boulevard from Memorial Drive, through the downtown village to La Mesa City
Hall.
·
Grossmont
College student trustee Samantha Elliott and student Alexander Neofitidis, governor of the Region X Council of the California
Community Colleges Senate, were among a group of community college students
from throughout San Diego County who participated in a town hall meeting
with Rocky Chavez, a newly-elected assembly member representing the 76th
District.
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Do you need some
extra office assistance from trained graduates from Office Professional
Training? The summer internship session (June 10 to July 18) is
rapidly approaching. OPT is seeking sites to provide a place for interns to
practice their newly-learned skills in Microsoft Office 2010 (Word, Excel,
and some have taken Access, Outlook, and PowerPoint), filing, office
procedures, business communications, etc. This is a 60-hour, unpaid
work experience that would last a maximum of six weeks. Please contact the
Internship Coordinator: barb.gillespie@gcccd.edu at ext. 7984.
