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 ![Description: Description: Description: C:\Documents and Settings\bernadette.black\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\XIDLQYAW\MC900434475[1].wmf](file:///C:\DOCUME~1\DONALD~1.HAR\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png)
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.
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
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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 ![Description: Description: Description: C:\Documents and Settings\bernadette.black\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\10AZD1OE\MC900280512[1].wmf](file:///C:\DOCUME~1\DONALD~1.HAR\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.png)
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 ![Description: Description: Description: C:\Documents and Settings\bernadette.black\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\ZEZ7YAK8\MC900149511[1].wmf](file:///C:\DOCUME~1\DONALD~1.HAR\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image009.png)
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/
