President's News Burst for September 2010

THANK YOU FOR WORKING TOGETHER!

As we begin the Fall 2010 semester, let me acknowledge the stressful circumstances that we are all under. Due to the economy, personal stresses, education cuts, increased demand for classes, construction/re-location, and summer heat -- tensions are high.  I want to express my appreciation for your efforts and hard work despite the many hardships. I would like to personally commend every employee -- faculty, staff and administrator -- for your hard work, selfless dedication and personal sacrifices during these difficult times. I am so proud of every one of you, and I certainly appreciate all that you are doing for our college and our students. Many of you have assumed extra responsibility and gone the extra mile, and you should be praised for it. The results have been extraordinary (see below). With an attitude of excellence, enthusiasm and loyal teamwork, you have put forth the effort to our students and to one another. Thank you for working together. With our best minds and combined energies, we will survive these challenging times and continue to change lives through education. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

GROSSMONT COLLEGE IS 2010 BEST LOCAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

Hooray for Grossmont! The results from The San Diego Union-Tribune‘s 2010 San Diego’s Best Readers Poll are in, and Grossmont College has just been named “San Diego’s Best Local College or University for 2010.” Our competition this year included SDSU, UCSD, USD, Pt. Loma Nazarene and Cal State San Marcos. Grossmont was previously selected as “San Diego’s Best” in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. So, this is our fifth time in the past eight years. Like any election, the results represent the total votes received. Behind Grossmont College were UCSD in second place and SDSU in third. It was the U-T’s 14th annual San Diego’s Best Readers Poll. The Union-Tribune said there were more than 1 million page views to their website (last year it was 462k) and about 650,000 votes were cast (last year it was 180k). Winners in more than 150 categories can be viewed under “San Diego Life” at www.sdbestpoll.com.

HEALTH AND SCIENCE COMPLEX GRAND OPENING

Please join us as we celebrate the grand opening of our new Health and Sciences Complex at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, on campus. The celebration will include a ribbon cutting, plaque unveiling and refreshments. The 52,000-square-foot, two-story Health and Sciences Complex houses classrooms with the latest technology, state-of-the-art labs and lab preparation areas, as well as indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for studying. It also has faculty and staff offices for Career Technical Education, Forensic Technology, Physics and Health Professions programs. The Complex features the latest teaching tools and equipment, including high fidelity simulation labs with lifelike mannequins for Nursing, a casting room for Orthopedic Technology, a mock apartment for Occupational Therapy, a blood-spatter room for Forensic Technology and simulated ICU patient stations for Nursing and Respiratory Therapy. The Cardiovascular Technology Program and EKG Training have three specialty classrooms and a dedicated ultrasound scan lab. Additional features of this comprehensive facility include Physical Sciences labs, a rooftop astronomy lab, two computer labs, and a large lecture hall for health seminars, guest speakers and combined class lectures. The $35 million construction cost was financed by the Proposition R bond measure that East County voters approved in 2002. Construction began in July 2008, and was completed this past spring.

GROSSMONT COLLEGE OSHER SCHOLARS FEATURED IN AFFINITY MAGAZINE

Published by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Affinity Magazine features stories that discuss the impact and reach of California’s community colleges. In the most recent issue, “Creating a Legacy,” a story about how the Osher Initiative for California Community College students is delivering on its promise. The story features a photo of Grossmont College Osher Scholarship recipients. Here is a link to the article: www.affinityonline.org/Departments/ScholarshipEndowment/CreatingALegacy/tabid/209/Default.aspx.  For every $1 donated until June 30, 2011, 50 cents is matched and held in the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, and 100 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding $1,000 student scholarships every year, forever. A gift of $13,334, matched by the Osher Foundation, results in a $1,000 scholarship every year, FOREVER! For more information about Osher Scholarship, contact the Grossmont College Foundation at x7109.

SUMMIT NEWSPAPER

The Media Communications Dept. invites you to visit www.gcsummit.wordpress.com. This is the website for the new GC Summit, the student newspaper. On this website you will find news stories, a calendar of on-campus events, links to campus and District publications, sports results and an invitation to subscribe to a blog and receive notifications of new posts by e-mail. Students enrolled in Media Communications 132 are assisting in the content seen on this website, all to the benefit of the Grossmont College population of students, faculty and staff. Donald H. Harrison, creator of San Diego Jewish World, an online newspaper, has been selected as the new instructor for this class. Harrison has more than 40 years of experience in journalism. He was the managing editor of the Daily Bruin as a student at UCLA, and has worked for the Associated Press, San Diego Union and Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

FIRST FOOTBALL GAME THIS SATURDAY

All employees and students are invited to watch community college football up-close this Saturday afternoon, Sept. 4, on our own football field as our Griffins football team plays cross-town rival San Diego Mesa College in the season opener. Kickoff is 1 p.m. All faculty, staff and administrators can enjoy the game with free admission (show your college I.D. at the gate). Coach Mike Jordan begins his fifth year as head coach. Last season’s 2009 team finished 8-3 and ended on a high note as the Griffins beat perennial powerhouse, El Camino College in the U.S. Bank “Beach Bowl” 27-22. The Griffins football program has a tremendous tradition of successes. Grossmont has posted the best winning percentage of all the other 71 teams in California over the past decade. The Griffs have participated in more post season games than any other college in the nation over the past 15 years.

RECENT HONORS

David Weeks, Stagecraft Technician, recently received the Best of Show Award from the International Plastic Modelers Society for his 56-inch tall model of a Saturn 1-B rocket that was used in the 1960s in NASA’s Apollo program. David began his research on this rocket 20 years ago, and it took the past seven years to build it. David’s model won first place in the “Real Space” category and “Space & Science Fiction” class before winning Best of Show competing against about 1,600 other entries.

Michael Golden, Biology, has been honored by the SDSU Bridges program with the 2010 Homer Peabody Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching. The award is presented in honor of Homer Peabody, M.D., executive director of the Rees-Stealy Research Foundation, in recognition of individuals who carry on his commitment to the students of San Diego.

HYDE ART GALLERY EXHIBIT

The Hyde Art Gallery is presenting on display through Sept. 16 an exhibit of 31 paintings from three different artists, Wade Cline and William Glen Crooks, both of San Diego and Suong Yangchareon of Los Angeles. The exhibit is open to the public. The paintings feature local landmarks and sights, including famous traffic intersections and waterfront scenes, from San Diego, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Pasadena, San Francisco and New Mexico. Cline’s 13 paintings includes Adams Avenue and Kensington in San Diego, Crooks’ six paintings feature Humboldt Bay and Leavenworth and Yangchareon’s 12 paintings showcases a railroad crossing in Azusa and an alley in Los Angeles. The Hyde Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free.

WHOOPING COUGH IMMUNIZATION

The Grossmont College Student Health Services Office reports that whooping cough (Pertussis) cases in San Diego are greater than ever. Everyone is encouraged to protect yourself, protect your family and get immunized. Immunizations for Pertussis are available to students, faculty and staff at Health Services for $35, at Kaiser Permanente Nurse Clinics at no cost and at selected San Diego County Public Health clinics for $10. Whooping cough disease causes coughing fits that make it hard to breathe. The disease spreads easily when someone with the disease coughs or sneezes. Early symptoms start mild and are like a common cold, including runny nose, sneezing, low or no fever, mild cough. Symptoms can get worse after 1-2 weeks and can last for months. Bad coughing attacks can include vomiting, red or blue face, a “whoop” sound, problems breathing, extreme tiredness and sweating spells. For more information, contact Health Services at ext. 7192.

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

      Women’s soccer vs. Chaffey, 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3.

      Women’s Volleyball vs. Chaffey, 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3.

      Grossmont Guitar Guild fund-raiser with Grossmont College guitar instructor Fred Benedetti, starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 8, in Room #220. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students.

      Chamber Music Concert with guest artists Michael Dvoskin, violin, and Katherine Petrosyan, piano, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 in Room #220. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students, children 12 and under are free with paid adult admission.

      Odeum Guitar Duo with Grossmont College guitar instructors Fred Benedetti and Robert Wetzel, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, in Room #220. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students. Odeum refers to a small building in ancient Greece or Rome that was used for public performances of music.

      The Scholarship Department and Grossmont College Foundation will present the Fall 2010 Scholarship Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 11, in the 200 Building Courtyard. The breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10 a.m. With questions, contact Selam Gebrekristos at ext. 7121.

      The Grossmont College Foundation’s upcoming Auction and Dinner Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Barona Resort & Casino. The theme is “Griffin Gold Rush, 49 Years of Excellence.”

Presidents News Burst for August 2010

A NEW ERA OF CONVOCATIONS THAT YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS!

How do you hold an all-college Convocation without a Student Center? Answer: Hold Convocation in the gym, ask everyone to dress casually and wear athletic shoes and, then, give-away prizes to those individuals wearing special sneakers. Our gym floor was installed in the summer of 2008 at the cost of $200,000, and it provides a beautiful playing surface for our men and women basketball, volleyball and badminton players.  However, it cannot accommodate heels, dress shoes, pointy surfaces or street shoes.

So, on Monday, Aug. 16 at 8 a.m., please join us for a continental breakfast sponsored by the GC Foundation and the Grossmont Schools Federal Credit Union. The breakfast will be held between the Main Gym and the Exercise Science and Wellness building, overlooking the football field.  Then, just after breakfast, the Convocation program will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Main Gym. If you have a stadium seat, please feel free to bring that with you, too. The gym setting will provide a more fun, relaxed setting. For those of you who cannot get away from your desk, a new mechanism will be piloted which will allow you to participate from your desktop or view at a later date. After Convocation, an all-campus activity focused on “What We Do Best” will be held.  All staff members are encouraged to please check with your supervisor about attending this activity so that there is appropriate office coverage throughout the day.

WIN A PRIZE FOR WEARING SNEAKERS AT CONVOCATION

To highlight a more fun and relaxed setting at Convocation, a competition with prizes will be held for the best athletic shoes worn that day. Everyone is encouraged to participate and possibly win a prize.

• Most grungy/worn sneakers

• Most colorful

• Sneakers that demonstrate outstanding school spirit

• Newest-looking sneakers (shoes that need to be broken-in)
• Most attractive apparel-and-sneaker combination
  
  

"WHAT WE DO BEST"

During the roughly two-hour time period between Convocation and lunch on Monday, Aug. 16, everyone is encouraged to participate in a campuswide dialogue on “What We Do Best.” This activity will be similar to the All College Exercise held as part of Spring 2009 Convocation. This time we will focus on exceptional teaching, learning and student support in an effort to increase dialogue about how we can improve these areas within a very positive context. We would like to get the college focused on three core things: great teaching, great learning and great student support.  

We look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts drawing on your experiences as a teacher and/or student.  We need to hear from you and capture your voice!

PLANNING PROCESS PRESENTATION

All Classified Staff are invited to attend a presentation on how the college planning process works from 3 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, in Room 34-150, in the new Health and Sciences Complex. Presenters will include President Sunny Cooke and Academic Senate President Chris Hill. Please RSVP to Pat Murray via e-mail or ext. 7316 on or before Aug. 10.

CAMPUS GATES LOCKED AT NIGHT

Planning is underway to have the campus security gates installed at the Perimeter Road and locked nightly from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and during emergencies as required, beginning in spring 2011. Public Safety, custodial supervisors and the EOC team members would have keys to unlock the gates to ensure that we can react to emergencies and times when there are late-night events, returning field trips or sports teams, or other events. Feedback or concerns regarding the gates can be forwarded to Tim Flood, Vice President, Administrative Services. Your responses will be helpful in compiling a future FAQ to along with a campuswide e-mail.

WEB STAFF DIRECTORY

Here is a reminder to make sure you get your photograph taken for the Web Staff Directory. Several hundred of youalready have posed for your photograph, and you look marvelous! However, our college photographer Steven Harvey (ext. 7377) is eager to complete this project. The names directory is accessible only over the Intranet. If your photograph has not yet been taken, please contact our college photographer Stephen Harvey (ext. 7377) for an individual appointment. In addition, appointments can be scheduled so that entire departments can be photographed all at the same sitting.

GRAND OPENING FOR THE HEALTH AND SCIENCES COMPLEX – SAVE THE DATE!

A grand opening ceremony  for our new Health and Sciences Complex will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2010. The celebration will include a ribbon cutting, plaque unveiling and refreshments. The 52,000-square-foot, two-story Health and Sciences Complex houses classrooms with the latest technology, state-of-the-art labs and lab preparation areas, as well as indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for studying. It also has faculty and staff offices for Career Technical Education, Forensic Technology, Physics and Health Professions programs. The Complex features the latest teaching tools and equipment, including high fidelity simulation labs with lifelike mannequins for Nursing, a casting room for Orthopedic Technology, a mock apartment for Occupational Therapy, a blood-spatter room for Forensic Technology and simulated ICU patient stations for Nursing and Respiratory Therapy. The Cardiovascular Technology Program and EKG Training have three specialty classrooms and a dedicated ultrasound scan lab. Additional features of this comprehensive facility include Physical Sciences labs, a rooftop astronomy lab, two computer labs, and a large lecture hall for health seminars, guest speakers and combined class lectures. The $35 million construction cost was financed by the Proposition R bond measure that East County voters approved in 2002. Construction began in July 2008, and was completed this past spring.

IN THE NEWS

Recent newspaper stories have drawn interest of our faculty, staff and administrators.

• A record number of students are expected to transfer to UCSD this fall, primarily from California community colleges.

• “UCSD doors widens for transfers”http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/01/ucsd-door-widens-transfers/

• For the first time since 2008, SDSU will accept applications for spring applications.

• “SDSU to again take spring applications” http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/01/sdsu-will-again-take-spring-applications/

• Legislation would direct both the community college and CSU systems to establish a streamlined process by which students have a clear path to a bachelor's degree “A simple degree path” http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-college-20100802,0,2842251.story
  
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Professional Development Week will be held Aug. 16 to 20.

• The next Governing Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 17, at Grossmont. The Closed Session will begin at 5:20 p.m., the Open Session will begin at 6:30 p.m.

• Regular Day and Evening Classes Begin on Aug. 23.

• A painting exhibit featuring the work of Wade Cline, William Glen Crooks and Suong Yangchareon opens Aug. 23 and runs to Sept. 16 at Hyde Art Gallery.

• The 2010 season opener for the football team begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 against San Diego Mesa at GC’s field. 

• The Scholarship Department and Grossmont College Foundation will present the Fall 2010 Scholarship Awards Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 11, in the 200 Building Courtyard. The breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10 a.m. With questions, contact Selam Gebrekristos at ext. 7121.
• The Grossmont College Foundation’s upcoming Auction and Dinner Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Barona Resort & Casino. The theme is “Griffin Gold Rush, 49 Years of Excellence.”

President's News Burst for July 2010

Happy July!  It’s hard to believe that we are already in the 2^nd of the 3 traditional months of summer.  Time flies when you are having fun!

SUMMER SEMESTER ENROLLMENT

A 50 percent scale-back in available summer sections has severely impacted enrollment. As a result, several thousand students looking to get a 2010 Summer Semester class here at Grossmont were unsuccessful due to state budget reductions and a state imposed cap on enrollment. Students who were hoping to earn extra credits this summer to meet transfer requirements or to graduate sooner had to put those plans on hold. Sadly, as of the first day of summer classes, there were roughly 4,900 active students on wait lists, or, in other words, more than half as many students enrolled in a summer class requested to be placed on a wait list. As of Census Day, Summer Semester headcount enrollment was 5,546, compared to 9,172 last Summer. In a comparison between Summer 2010 and Summer 2009, headcount was down 39.5 percent, with a 44.8 percent decrease in units.

Our campus’ experiences this summer are indicative of a tremendous amount of unmet need, and a sign of the difficult times anticipated this fall, especially in light of local high school graduation numbers at an all-time high and a lagging economy causing a growing number of the unemployed who are going back to school for retraining or a new career. The 2009-10 graduating high school class was the largest ever as a baby boom from 1990-91 crests through our secondary schools. California’s 2.3 million unemployed residents now include more than 1.3 million whose unemployment was lost due to the current recession, and estimates are that it will take five years to rebuild the job base to pre-recession levels.

  

SUMMER INSTITUTE PROGRAM

Thirty students, 20 of them whom are foster youth, are participating in the current six-week Summer Institute Program, which began June 28. Students are taking six units, both English and PDC classes. The program includes trips to local college campuses, free books and materials, free lunch and priority registration for Fall 2010. In a pilot program this fall and spring, the 30 students will see each other again in cohorts of four in either English or PDC classes.  The program is guided by EOPS counselors Michael Perez and Pearl Lopez, both former EOPS students themselves.

  

BUDGET UPDATE

It’s unfortunate, but late budgets are a fact of life in California. The state has again entered the new 2011-2012 fiscal year with no budget, which means California community colleges will not receive checks from the state and will need to use reserves or loans or other means to pay the bills. Either way, it’s a hardship and everybody in education loses because the cost of borrowing means there will be less money to spend on student instruction and services. Meanwhile, legislators have begun their annually scheduled month-long summer recess. No agreement is imminent between state legislators and Gov. Schwarzenegger on how to close a $19 billion budget deficit. A protracted budget delay could threaten to downgrade the state’s credit rating, which would add millions to borrowing costs. Community colleges and vendors who do business with the state have their payments in jeopardy because of the budget delay. State Chancellor Jack Scott estimates 140,000 students have been denied an education at a California community college due to course reductions.

  

EXITING THE PARKING STRUCTURE

In an effort to create a pedestrian safety zone near the modular village area, traffic exiting the parking structure will now be routed towards the east by the Public Safety Building. This change was made because traffic exiting the parking structure sometimes ignored stop signs and crosswalk striping.

  

OFFICE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING (OPT)

      OPT recently received a $5,000 donation from US Bank’s Community Affairs Dept. The money represents expenses covering two OPT students.

      The recent 5K for OPT fundraiser, held on June 12 at the Grossmont College track, raised a record $1,752, and the donations are still coming in. Event sponsors included Al’s Sport Shop and OPT Alumni Association.

  

RECENT HONOR

Former Grossmont College pitcher Brian Longpre, who concluded his amateur career with two seasons at Cal State Northridge, has signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Longpre, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hander, toiled for the Griffins as a redshirt sophomore during the 2008 season after bouncing back from San Diego State as a freshman. He struck out 37 batters in 31 1/3 innings while compiling a 4.31 ERA. Longpre concluded his CSUN career by appearing in 25 games in the 2010 season, finishing the year with a 2-1 record and a 4.54 ERA. The La Crescenta native struck out 27 batters, walked just 12, and finished with three pick-offs, good for the third-highest total in the Big West Conference. In addition to excelling on the baseball diamond, Longpre graduated in May with a degree in finance.

  

CATALOG AND CLASS SCHEDULE COVERS

Photographs have been selected for the covers of the 2010-2011 Catalog and Fall 2010 Class Schedule.  The theme for the year captures scenes around our campus featuring old buildings, new buildings and our very own students.  The catalog cover photo will show students gathering on the steps of the Administration/Student Services Building 100, which will be torn down and will be replaced by a new expanded structure. This familiar location was recognized as the front entrance to the college for the past half-century and will be immortalized on the catalog cover this year.  On the cover of the Fall Class Schedule will be the new 52,000-square-foot, two-story Health & Sciences Complex. The two-story building houses classrooms with the latest technology, state-of-the-art labs and lab preparation areas, as well as several indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for studying. It also has faculty and staff offices for Career Technical Education, Forensic Technology, Physics and Health Professions programs.

  

UPCOMING EVENTS

      Fall Registration begins July 12.

      The San Diego Blood Bank will host a blood drive in the Main Quad from 10 a.m. to 3:30 pm. on Wednesday, July 7. To make an appointment online, go to www.sandiegobloodbank.org. Click on “Appointments” and “Make an Appointment at a Mobile Blood Drive.” Enter the sponsor code: GROS.

      The next Governing Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 20, at Cuyamaca College. The CLASS presentation on Student Services will begin @ 4:00 p.m. The Closed Session begins at 5:30 p.m., the Open Session at 6:30 p.m.

      The Adult Reentry Program will host “Your Tomorrow Starts Here,” a free informational meeting for adults interested in returning to school to reenter the workforce, learn a new career, earn a college diploma or upgrade their skills for a job promotion, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3, in Room 220.

      Health & Sciences Complex grand opening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 17.

      The Grossmont College Foundation has announced its next Auction and Dinner Gala will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Barona Resort & Casino. The theme is “Gold Rush, 49 Years of Excellence.”

President's News Burst for June 2010

The culmination of our year is our Commencement ceremony and it was certainly a spectacular event.  As soon as the ceremonies ended, many of us sighed with relief and hoped to take some well deserved rest.  Others of us rolled up our sleeves, wore jeans and packed our offices for impending moves!

Let me take a moment to thank each of you for serving our students this past year under very challenging circumstances.  You are the very best!

Warm wishes for a restful summer.

Sunny

GC CELEBRATES 2010 COMMENCEMENT

About 4,000 people attended our 49th annual Commencement ceremony held on June 3. The entire college celebrated the 1,057 students receiving associate degrees and 341 students receiving certificates of achievement. The Commencement speaker was El Cajon Police Chief Pat Sprecco, who earned his associate degree in administration of justice from Grossmont College in 1976. His career with the El Cajon Police Department spans 38 years. Because he did not attend his own graduation in 1976, Dr. Cooke surprised Chief Sprecco by calling him to be the first name recited. Cami Perez, who graduated with honors in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, delivered an outstanding speech as the student speaker. Also recognized were the two recipients of the 2009-2010 Distinguished Faculty Award, Renee Tuller and Roxanne Tuscany. Roxanne could not attend because she is currently traveling to China for a speech/debate tournament with our students. Diedrea Lewis, a vocal student with the Gospel Choir, sang a beautiful rendition of our national anthem.  Other Commencement notables: 15 graduates earned a 4.0 GPA during their time with us; 181 students graduated with honors; 64 graduates were from Phi Theta Kappa, the international honors society; 59 graduates wore red, white and blue tassels because they are military veterans who attended Grossmont with the support of their veterans benefits; and 44 graduates were international students.  A new addition to the ceremony had graduates recessing past a “line of honor” (faculty, staff, administrators, Board members) and was extremely well received.

Thank you to Agustin Albarran, the entire Commencement team, our music volunteers and our facilities crew for making the event spectacular!

SUMMER SEMESTER ENROLLMENT

Below are enrollment comparisons as June 2, 2010 for Summer 2010 as compared to Summer 2009:

	Summer 2010	Summer 2009	Count Variance	% Variance
Headcount	5,640	7,662	-2,022	-26.4%
Units	22,852.5	33,309.5	-10,457	-31.4%

The 2010 Summer Semester begins June 14.  Because the number of course offerings have been cut in half, enrollment is severely impacted!  More than half as many students who are currently enrolled have requested to be placed on a wait list.  About 4,600 students are remain on a wait list.

Our faculty will see huge numbers of students wanting to crash their courses the first week of summer session. Our Enrollment Strategies committee has been meeting and developing plans to accommodate concerned students as they try to crash that first week. Also, workshops on proactive steps our students can take will be offered.

  

VOTE FOR GC AS SAN DIEGO’S BEST

Every member of the Grossmont College family and friends are encouraged to vote online for Grossmont College as the Best Local College in this year’s San Diego Union-Tribune 2010 Readers Poll. Let’s not miss this opportunity. Here is the link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/bestof/2010/nominate/san-diego-life/college-or-university/. Voting ends on June 27. All voters can enter to win free groceries for a year from Henry’s Marketplace. Grossmont was selected as “San Diego’s Best” in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. So, let’s make it a “high five.”

NURSING PINNING CEREMONY

In front of an enthusiastic crowd of more than 350 on June 1, the GC School of Nursing held a pinning ceremony for its Class of 2010, consisting of 31 two-year ADN graduates and 22 LVN-RN graduates. Student speakers included Lisa Brudvik and Jennifer Smith. The GC School of Nursing began in the fall of 1967 and has graduated over 5300 nursing students.

  

OPT GRADUATION

The Office of  Professional Training (OPT) program graduated its class of Spring 2010 of 23 students at a ceremony held June 4. The graduates received $5,150 in scholarships, which they can use for further education and/or job search expenses. Most of the graduates majored in Accounting or Insurance; 21 students (Fall 2009-Spring 2010) completed the new specialization in Banking/Finance Services. Six graduates completed “double majors” and four completed “triple majors.” Twelve different awards were presented, including the Hugh Leslie Textbook Scholarship, International Association of Administrative Professionals Scholarship, Outstanding Student Awards and Ultimate OPT Award. The OPT program has been training students at GC for 25 years since 1984. With the newest 23 graduates, we have graduated 2,134 students from the program. To graduate from OPT, students must complete 20 week of intense training and attend classes for more than 600 hours and achieve in one semester what a regular Grossmont student might achieve in two or three semesters. The graduation ceremony is an important occasion to recognize their efforts, their families’ sacrifices and the dedication of the entire OPT team.

5K WALK FOR OPT

OPT will host a 5K for OPT fundraiser starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 12, at the Grossmont College track. Entry fees are $20 for each adult entry (ages 13+), $3 for each child entry (ages 12 and under) and $25 for race-day registration. Sponsors include Al’s Sport Shop and OPT Alumni Association. Water and snack stations will be available. Each participant will be entered into a drawing for prizes. For information, contact Mary Leslie at ext. 7533.

  

MOVING IS UNDERWAY

Our relocation efforts into the modular village in Parking Lot #5 are in full swing. Building 100 offices will be relocated in three shifts to minimize the disruption and to shorten the time each office area is down. Moving activities will be ongoing from June 4 to 10. The next few weeks will be extremely busy as departments work to get their offices packed, moved and their office contents put away at the end of the move. We have worked to try to minimize the disruption, but with a move this size, there will definitely be delays and inconveniences to all involved. This is a monumental task and each area has worked extremely hard to prepare for the move and its impacts on students and staff. Thank you for your assistance, patience and support throughout this move process.

  

CHANCELLORS/CLASSIFIED SENATE QUARTERLY AWARD

The Chancellors/Classified Senate Quarterly Award provides an opportunity to honor employees whose job excellence and work ethic inspires others. The quarterly award celebrates a classified employee with recognition for outstanding work. This nomination will give you an opportunity to describe how the employee has “gone above and beyond” the scope of assigned work duties. We know there are hardworking dedicated employees, but what has the nominee done extra for your area and then tell us about it? Please be sure and give specific examples of how the employee embraces the five key values (Academic Excellence, Unity, Standardization, Alignment and Resources – go to www.gcccd.edu/about/mission.asp for an explanation of these values). The deadline for the next quarterly award is June 11. Submit your nomination today. For more information, please access the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Classified Senate website at: www.gcccd.edu/class_senate and click on “Chancellors Award.”

  

DEL MAR FAIR

Discount tickets are available now at the Student Activities Window to the 2010 San Diego County Fair. Here are the details:

·         $13 unlimited admission ticket (Go every day of the fair for the price of one day)

·         $7 single-day child admission (ages 6-12)

·         $7 single-day senior admission (ages 62 & older)

·         $51 value pack (4 single-day admissions, 4 drink coupons, 20 ride coupons, 1 parking pass)

·         $39.95 ride lover’s pack (single-day admission, one drink coupon, 50 ride coupons)

·         $15 ride coupon sheet (25 ride coupons; each ride requires 3-6 coupons).

Please note the following about the unlimited admission ticket:

This ticket is not sold at the fairgrounds. Season pass price is $22 at the fair. Any age visitor may use this ticket. The ticket is not transferable and must be presented with a school, state, or government-issued photo ID.

RECENT HONORS

·         GC Women’s Soccer Coach Howie Hawver has been honored as the 2010 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Female Sport Coach of the Year. Hawver is currently battling ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At the beginning of the season, Howie said he would finish the season, and he did. We applaud Coach Howie for his courageousness, fortitude and determination to finish the season. Hawver is the only head coach the Grossmont College women’s soccer program has ever had. In the past 15 seasons, his teams have made 12 state playoff appearances. This year, the women’s soccer team did not advance to the playoffs. The team finished the 2009 campaign with a record of 7-6-1 in conference play, 8-7-1 overall, and they finished in fifth place out of nine teams.

·         At a San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce breakfast on June 4, special tribute was paid to retiring Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Bob Collins. Several certificates and proclamations were presented to Bob, including a presentation from GCCCD Chancellor Dr. Cindy L. Miles and Governing Board members Deanna Weeks and Rick Alexander.  Dr. Miles presented Bob with a construction worker helmet that was decorated with pipes “since Bob builds pipelines,” she said. Bob later called GCCCD “the best community college district in the state” and “a community treasure.”

BUDGET NEWS

The State Assembly and Senate have both acted to significantly augment Proposition 98 funding, paid for with taxes in the Senate and a combination of taxes and borrowing in the Assembly. The Community College League of California believes the two versions of the budget for community colleges will include:

Assembly:

*          $129 million for enrollment growth (increase of $3 million from governor's proposal, or about 620 FTES)

*          $22.1 million to eliminate negative COLA

*          $35.8 million to maintain federal funds used last year to reduce categorical cuts, and to eliminate negative

            COLA on categoricals

*          $100 million augmentation for Economic Development

*          rejected $10 million cuts to EOPS and Part-time Faculty Compensation

*          rejected $20 million augmentation to career-technical education

*          rejected adding additional categoricals to flexibility

Senate:

*          $22.9 million to eliminate negative COLA (apportionment and categoricals)

*          rejected $10 million cuts to EOPS and Part-time Faculty Compensation

*          rejected $20 million augmentation to career-technical education

*          rejected adding additional categoricals to flexibility

We haven't seen language yet regarding the $100 million for Economic Development approved by the Assembly, but will work with the committees to ensure that the funds are available for a range of activities, particularly short-term career-technical education programs that help Californians get back to work.

  

UPCOMING EVENTS

·         The San Diego Blood Bank will host a blood drive in the Main Quad from 10 a.m. to 3:30 pm. on Tuesday, June 15. To make an appointment online, go to www.sandiegobloodbank.org. Click on “Appointments” and “Make an Appointment at a Mobile Blood Drive.” Enter the sponsor code: GROS.

·         The East County Economic Development Council Foundation will present its 2010 annual fundraiser in support of the industrial arts programs of East County schools starting at 6 p.m., on Friday, June 11, at Cuyamaca College’s Communication Arts Center. The public is invited to attend an evening of live music featuring acoustic performances by Doyle Dykes and the Krueger Brothers. A silent and live auction also are planned. Tickets are $50 per person. To order tickets, visit www.EastCountyEDC.org. Outstanding Career Technical Education students from East County high schools and Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges will be honored. Over the years, the Foundation has provided $350,000 in monetary awards to local shop classes for tools, supplies and raw materials, as well as upgrades to machinery.