NEW SEMESTER
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It’s been a good summer, and I hope you are all well
rested as we begin Grossmont’s 48th academic school year, starting on August
25. As I begin my second year as President, I would like to express my
appreciation to all college faculty, staff and administrators. During the
past 12 months, I have seen the willingness to go the extra mile in service
from the Grossmont College family. Last year included a flurry of
activity along with a few surprises and more than a few challenges.
Overall, it has been a terrific first year. I am confident
2008-2009 will be an outstanding school year.
ENROLLMENT
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Registration is strong for 2008 Fall Semester. We spent
part of this summer working out the bugs on the new web-based registration
system, which features a secure web interface where students will be given a
new I.D. number to replace the use of
a Social Security number as a student I.D. In addition, the new system enables
students to print unofficial transcripts and grades, check and print schedules,
register for and drop classes during the registration period, search for open
classes, view fees and payments made, update contact information and purchase a
parking permit and AGSC Benefit Card, all in a more user friendly Windows based
environment. Our A&R staff is providing students with registration
assistance in the Tech Mall.
CONVOCATION /
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FLEX WEEK
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I am looking forward to Monday, August 18, which will be first
day of the Fall 2008 Professional Development Flex
Week. Professional Development Co-chairs, Edda Temoche-Weldele and Judd
Curran, and the entire committee have planned an exciting and enriching week of
activities. The schedule at a glance and additional details, as well as a
division/department meeting schedule, can be accessed on the Professional
Development Committee website, www.grossmont.edu/staffdevelop.
SECOND CONSECUTIVE
YEAR FOR ‘BEST LOCAL COLLEGE’
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It is with great
pleasure and pride that I announce that Grossmont College has been selected by
the readers of the San Diego Union-Tribune as the “San Diego’s Best Local
College” for 2008. The readers of the Union-Tribune were polled and have
spoken. It is our fourth time in the past six years that U-T readers have
voted for Grossmont College as “San Diego’s Best” (previous winning years were
2003, 2004 and 2007). The results from the readers poll -- covering about 100
different categories, including Best Local College -- were announced August
1st.
EXERCISE SCIENCE
& WELLNESS COMPLEX GRAND OPENING
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Please join us at the Exercise Science & Wellness
Complex’s grand opening “Extreme Makeover” celebration at 10 a.m. on Friday,
August 22. The recently completed redesigned and remodeled 28,000-square-foot Building
41 (formerly 400 Building) features new coaches offices, locker rooms and
weight training and exercise rooms. The weight training and exercise rooms have
been expanded to accommodate more students. In addition, the lower gym --
Building 42 -- has new offices, equipment storage and a multi-purpose room for
dance and exercise classes. The ESW Complex is one of several capital
improvement projects made possible by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College
District’s Proposition “R” bond measure approved by East County voters in 2002.
Several special guests, including former coaches and student athletes,
are expected to attend. Please make plans to attend to celebrate this
badly needed renovation.
PARKING STRUCTURE
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Construction has begun in Lot #5 on our new three-story
parking structure, which will feature 1,432 spaces and a new 3,200-square-foot
office for the campus police. Construction completion is scheduled for June
2009. The parking structure, which is another Proposition R project, is
part of a facilities master plan designed to accommodate 20,000 students, which
the college expects to reach by 2015 (or perhaps sooner!)
OFF-SITE PARKING
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A mailer with information about off-site parking has been
sent from the college to home addresses of full-time employees. Inside the
envelope is a map, driving directions, shuttle bus schedule and an entry form
for a drawing at Convocation. It’s all part of our “Students First”
campaign that involves our effort to leave enough spaces for students to park
by having college employees and our District colleagues parking off-site at
Gillespie Field because there will be 800 fewer parking spaces on campus while
the new parking structure is under construction. “Students First” emerged
through our collegial consultation process through the Parking Alternatives
Taskforce, Facilities Committee and Planning and Budget Council. Let me
remind you how grateful I am for your willingness and cooperation to put
“Students First.” I look forward to joining you on the shuttle. If you
have any questions or concerns, please contact Patty Sparks, Administrative
Secretary, Administrative Services at extension 7141. Updated information will
be available during Flex Week.
ACCREDITATION
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I want to express my appreciation for the ongoing work on
accreditation reports in preparation for a scheduled October 2008 visit to our
campus by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Reports will be
making their way through our collegial consultation processes starting
September. Since our founding in 1961, we have been fully accredited on a
continual basis by WASC.
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
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Almost a month into
the new fiscal year, a budget deal is still not in sight. We hope the
budget will be set by late August but don't hold your breath! Locally our
college is prepared with a 5% reduction to accommodate a 3% deficit factor and
increased costs. Our district has implemented travel and hiring freezes
to assist us in meeting our core obligations. Stay tuned for more details
as they emerge.
WEB STAFF DIRECTORY
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More than 350 of you
already have got your photograph taken for the Web Staff Directory. Thank you
very much for being responsive to e-mails relating to this project. The
web directory will enable you to familiarize yourself with those Grossmont
employees you may not already know. If your photograph has not yet been
taken, please contact our college photographer, Stephen Harvey (ext. 7377), for
an individual appointment. In addition, picture taking can be scheduled so that
entire departments can be photographed at the same sitting. Access to the
Web Staff Directory will be available only over the Intranet.
CARDIOVASCULAR
TECHNOLOGY RECEIVES $100,000 GRANT
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The Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors has
approved at $100,000 grant to our Cardiovascular Technology program. The grant
will assist in the recruitment and retention of qualified faculty
and, thus, ensure the continuation of the two-year program, which was founded
in 1972, and boasts about 1,750 graduates. Grossmont College grads are
currently working in more than 90 percent of the available
cardiovascular-related jobs in San Diego County. Grossmont’s CVT program,
the first to be accredited in the nation, is one of three CVT programs offered
at the community college level in the state, and California’s only program to
offer three different specialty areas in a technologist’s scope of practice
(invasive, non-invasive and vascular). The majority of Grossmont grads work in
the clinical area, while others work as department managers, teachers, medical
researchers, authors and applications specialists.
ADJUNCT FACUTLY
OFFICE WORKSPACE RIBBON CUTTING
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Help value the important role our adjuncts play by attending
the ribbon cutting for newly dedicated adjunct faculty office workspace at
5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20. Refreshments will be served outside Room #220.
The ceremonies will precede a new PT faculty orientation meeting that
will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The office space is located in the Stagehouse
Theatre building, on the east side, near the exterior Aztec mural, in renovated
office space that was previously used by the school newspaper. Two of the
three separate rooms each have four workstations, and a third room has eight
workstations, complete with phones, fax machine and photocopy machine.
I look forward to seeing you August 18 as we kick off the
start of our fall 08 semester.
Sunny Cooke
