President's Newsburst - July 2013

PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST

JULY 2013

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 18, law enforcement officers en masse will be on the Grossmont campus to simulate several emergency scenarios that will involve the firing of blanks from their weapons, running, shouting and other disruptions.  Drills will be conducted throughout the day practicing what sheriff’s deputies and other nearby law enforcement agencies would do if there were a hostage situation on campus, and if there were someone on campus shooting a weapon. While such scenarios are, of course, horrific to contemplate, we have seen all too often how school grounds – whether K-12 or colleges– are not immune to gun violence.  Drilling for an emergency that we all hope will never happen at Grossmont College will enable law enforcement to better respond to such an event if it should ever occur.   In preparation for these two days of practice, Parking Structure 5, the two surface lots on either side of the structure, as well as portions of the 500 buildings and part of the back of Griffin Center will all be blocked off.  Classes and other business that normally occur in these areas will be moved to other parts of the campus during the drills.  These measures are intended to minimize operational disruption of the drill or college functions.  Students, staff and faculty will receive emails and text messages and notices will be posted on campus and our website in advance of the law enforcement so that everyone will be informed and no one will panic.   Remember this will be a drill and only a drill.

From unhappy, but very necessary news, let me turn to happy and intellectually stimulating news.  There is growing excitement on campus about the forthcoming “One Campus, One Book” program that will feature many departments studying Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer throughout the next academic year. English Prof. Tate Hurvitz once again is coordinating Grossmont College’s interdisciplinary participation in this project, which also involves such local four-year institutions as UCSD, SDSU, Cal State San Marcos, USD and Point Loma Nazarene College.  Among activities planned so far are a faculty art show Sept.30-Oct.24 planned by Suda House, which will depict experiences with and perspectives on cancer.  Proceeds from the sale of exhibited art will go to cancer research.  Roxanne Tuscany is weighing the possibility of having Grossmont College’s debate team take cancer on as a subject. Nutritionist Christine Zoumas, who takes a special interest in cancer-fighting nutrition, will  help us understand why some foods are helpful and others harmful. And, Donald Harrison, interim director of college and community relations is collaborating with KNSD/Channel 7 in the planning of a “Jeopardy” style game show, in which teams from the different colleges and universities would compete at Grossmont to answer faculty-submitted questions based on The Emperor of All Maladies.  Derek Cannon has accepted a challenge to develop jazz variations on the popular “Jeopardy” theme song.  William Snead is inviting film students to form a working group to make a documentary about the many aspects of Grossmont’s participation.  This is just the beginning of collaborative projects; we are hoping other departments also will become involved. When various projects examine an important subject such as cancer from various perspectives, it creates a wonderful synergy on campus that underscores the excitement of learning!

Finally, I’m happy to report that the Summer Wellness Program is drawing active participation from administrators, faculty and staff.  Participants are learning through a biometrics examination about their body weight and mass; in nutrition class about healthy eating, and in exercise classes the joys of yoga, lap swimming, and zumba.  Organizer Sharon Vilarino says there will be a “scavenger hunt” later in the summer which will be a “fun, easy way to encourage healthy eating, more physical activity and time to de-stress.”

FACULTY AND STAFF

Ann Durham  has been selected by the state chancellor’s office to serve as a deputy sector navigator to coordinate the educational offerings on nine community college campuses in San Diego and Imperial Counties with needs of the health care industry.

Brice W. Harris, California Community Colleges Chancellor along with district and college faculty and staff, toured our Health Science Complex June 19 before announcing a new tool to help students to decide on their careers: Salary Surfer, a chart examining before-and-after salaries of students who enroll in the great variety of associate degree and certificate programs offered at the 112 college campuses.  Here is the website:  http://salarysurfer.cccco.edu/SalarySurfer.aspx  Allied Health and Nursing Dean Debbie Yaddow and Liz Barrow, cardiovascular technology instructor, and their students participated in the tour.

Avelina Mitchell, an assistant cashier at Cuyamaca College, has been selected president of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Classified Senate.  At each campus, a slate of officers has been elected to serve with her. At Grossmont College, they are vice president, Linda Daley; member at large, Tom Fox; and senators Mary Eden, Patty Sparks, Sharon Farley and Cindy Hall. 

GREETINGS AND FAREWELLS

Sara Ferguson has joined us as a full-time ESL instructor.  Sara has a TESOL certificate from UCSD and a master's in applied linguistics from SDSU.  She has taught ESL for over 15 years at various colleges, including part-time at Grossmont.  As the daughter of an anthropologist who lived on the island of Mauritius, Sara is aware of and empathizes with the struggle and difficulties that students have navigating a new culture with limited knowledge of the language.

Kerry Kilber Rebman, Dean of Learning and Technology Resources, is moving to Cuyamaca College July 29th to oversee the various learning support services.  Kerry has gained a breadth of experience at Grossmont College by managing the library, instructional technology, tutoring, distance education, professional development and creative services.  We thank her for her three years of service to Grossmont College and wish her well on this next endeavor. 

Biology Instructor Gail Lillis and English Ass’t Prof. Linda Mitchell have retired from Grossmont College, and our best wishes follow them wherever they may go.

Cathy Miller has been appointed as a full-time English instructor. Cathy received her B. A. in English at UC Santa Barbara and her M. A. in English-Comparative Literature at SDSU.  She has taught the full range of composition courses, from developmental/basic skills through advanced composition, and she moves with ease and fluency between levels, always being completely student-centered in her approaches and assignments.  Cathy was a Project Success adjunct for us from 2007-2009 and then gained a wealth of experience when she and her family moved to Michigan.  She taught both at the University of Michigan, Dearborn, and Washtenaw Community College, also serving as Writing Program Director at the University of Michigan. 

Katrina VanderWoude, our new Vice President for Academic Affairs, will be starting her new post on Monday, August 5^th, after driving cross country with daughter Elyse and dog Lazlo from Michigan, where she had served as vice provost of Rochester College.  I hope you will all join me in giving her a big Grossmont College welcome.

STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES

Middle College High School Graduation -- On Monday, June 10, thirty-six students in Grossmont’s Middle College High School graduated, and were they ever impressive.  They earned an aggregate of $287,000 in scholarships, grants and work study awards, while compiling an average of 255 internship hours over their course of study.  The average GPA of the class was 3.75, with three students including valedictorian Laila Syeda Hamzai earning perfect 4.0’s.  The average number of college credits earned by these highly motivated students was a fraction shy of 30, with Sarah Lynee Gehman earning 43.   It’s just breathtaking how well these high school students do both academically and in the work place.

San Diego County Fair Winners -- Four Grossmont College students who entered various competitions at the San Diego County Fair have won best-of-class and best-of-show awards.  In addition, a number of Grossmont students won “first place” in individual categories within each class. The winners were Cody Johnson, a student in Toni Renier’s digital painting and illustration class, who won best of class and best of show for his digital drawing.  Christopher Glenn, another of Toni’s students, who won best of class for his montage of faces and a boat.  Marianne Blessing in Amanda Quintenz-Fiedler’s creative photography class won best of class and best of show for a studio and nature digital composite. In the short documentary category, L.J. Clark, a student in William Snead’s media communications class, won best of class  for “Louis Rose: The Forgotten Father,” a short film about the life and legacy of  one of San Diego’s pioneers.   Other Grossmont College first-place winners from Toni’s classes included Carlos Garcia, Tommy Gomez, Kim Hyun Jung, Seth Rader, Allison Sedar, Taryn Seidel, Allora Shaw, Judy Tran and Naomi Woods.

Oceanside International Film Festival – Bring Me Home, a film about veterans by Grossmont students Robert Ramos, Christian Vega, Antonie Aaron and Nasser Gortani has been selected as an entry to be shown August 25^th at the Oceanside International Film Festival.  This was a project for William Snead’s class.

Scholarships  -- David Morales-Boroff, one of Derek Cannon’s Afro-Cuban Ensemble students, has been awarded a full-tuition “President’s Scholarship” at Berklee College in Boston, where he will transfer in the fall.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Classified Employees Convocation – The second convocation for Grossmont College’s classified employees will start with a breakfast at 7 a.m., Thursday, August 1.  The program will begin at 8:00 a.m. in Griffin Gate and will continue through approximately 11 a.m.  All staff are asked to report to that location no later than 8 a.m. as offices will not be open during staff convocation. The keynote speaker of the morning will be Mary Carouba, author of Women At Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion, who will relate some of the remarkable things that women did in the aftermath of the infamous terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in Manhattan.  Time has been allotted for Mary to sign books following her talk.  Raffle prizes will also be awarded.

Week of Welcome –Sara Glasgow, interim associate dean of student affairs, who did such a wonderful job on coordinating Commencement activities, will be showing her organizing abilities again August 19-23 during the campus-wide Week of Welcome for new students. Three information booths will be located at strategic spots around the campus on  Monday and Tuesday, August 19 and 20, and on Wednesday, August 21, numerous organizations will staff their specialized booths on the Main Quad from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  If you’d like a booth, please contact Sara.

Dvorak’s New World Symphony – Music Instructor Randall Tweed and Humanities Instructor Gareth Davies-Morris are collaborating on a synchronized concert and power point presentation which, as envisioned, will have the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra perform Dvorak’s New World Symphony against a backdrop of projected images featuring such American minority groups as AmerIndians, Chinese-Americans, and African-Americans.  The performances are scheduled Thursday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in Lemon Grove, and on Sunday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at Paradise Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church in National City.

REST IN PEACE

With sadness we learned about the death in a traffic accident of Grossmont College student Harold Oliver Wise IV, who had been a promising theatre arts major.  In campus productions in the 2010-2011 season, the talented Wise had appeared as Laerte in Hamlet and as Valere in The Miser.  Our prayers go out to his family.

President's Newsburst - June 2013

PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST

JUNE 2013

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

This year Grossmont College awarded 2,179 degrees and certificates to 1,217 students. This is an increase of 32% over 2011/12!  Approximately 450 students walked through the 52^nd commencement ceremony.  Military veterans Derrick Torrence, the student speaker, and alumni Rev. Eric Smith, the keynote speaker, inspired graduates, family and friends with their personal tales of overcoming hardships on the road to success.  We also continued our year-long honoring of Distinguished Faculty Member, Gary Jacobson.  Among students savoring their achievements together were husband and wife Tyler and Monica Schacht, sisters Jessica and Julie Sampugnaro, and the student speaker and daughter Jacquelyn Torrence.  It was my privilege, after their names were called, to personally greet each of the graduates.  What an uplifting experience!  Their smiles of joy and their obvious pride in finally wearing the robes of a college graduate, left me feeling incredibly energized by the occasion.  That same sense of positive energy radiated from the audience of family and friends, who hooted and hollered with delight as “their” graduate’s name was called.  Everything went off according to schedule, and I offer a tip of my mortarboard to Sara Glasgow, who headed the very large and efficient planning committee, and to Pat Murray, who coordinated a wonderful corps of volunteers, for the smooth and delightful functioning of this event.  Additional thanks for our entire facilities, maintenance and operations area as well as public safety for ensuring a beautiful and safe experience.

On Tuesday, June 4, the nursing program had its traditional “pinning” ceremony, in which new RN’s receive an insignia that, by tradition, must be pinned on by either a current or retired nurse.  This year’s graduating class of 35 included seven men, more than ever before.  Dean Debbie Yaddow says “We have guys who are second-career folks.  They are not just out of high school. The medium age here is 35 and they have been former police, former firefighters—big tough kinds of jobs.  Now they want to become nurses primarily because they want to help people and they come from some kind of helping profession.”  Among the graduates welcomed to the profession by an active nurse was Jonathan Robbins, who was pinned by his wife, Cheryl Robbins, who is a post-partum nurse at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.  Jonathan has been working as an Emergency Room Tech at Sharp’s Hospital Chula Vista.  Children Brady and Mallory were there for the special occasion.

I had the chance to tell the nursing graduates that “It's an end to your ADN program here with us, but we know it is just the beginning for you so many, many best wishes to you and thank you for making Grossmont a part of your life.”

Speaking on behalf of the graduating nurses, Noelle Sanchez painted a compelling portrait of what it means to be a nurse. “To be a nurse is to be self-motivated, dependable and willing.  A nurse is not just book-smart and knowledgeable but intuitive and sensitive.  A nurse assesses and monitors objective medical data but never discounts a hunch or gut feeling when it comes to a patient.  A nurse is well versed in the latest evidence-based practice and implements a patient's plan of care… A nurse investigates a problem, advocates for the patient and educates.  In its truest form, to be a nurse is the essence of humility, empathy and compassion.  A nurse shows kindness, promotes health and preserves the dignity of the ill…   A nurse has the ability to build trust with complete strangers. They do it several times a day with each and every one of their patients…” 

Twenty Office and Professional Training (OPT) students specializing in accounting, banking or insurance (or in some cases a mixture of these) received a total of more than $4,000 in scholarship awards at the OPT graduation on June 7th, including a $1000 AAUW scholarship for Therese Camoras; four Insurance Vocational Education Student Training (InVEST) Scholarships of $500 each for Theresa Luu, Corin Moreno, Joanna Gutierrez Pompa and Angel Pulido; and another $500 International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) Scholarship for Trish Feeney.  Speakers at the ceremony were Monica Zech, public information director for the City of El Cajon, and Angel Pulido, who spoke on behalf of her classmates.

Sixty two cadets of the Corrections Academy were graduated in an evening ceremony May 24, including student speaker Tina Sylvas and honor graduate Dajeur Brucemalone.  The keynote speaker was Tommy Marquez, a Grossmont alumnus who is an aide to Congressman Duncan Hunter. He shared experiences he had in the military working with Navy SEALS. Administration of Justice lead instructor Larry Graham and Academy coordinator Tina Young also spoke.  Corrections graduates are eligible to take positions in private correctional facilities, which have been growing in number since the state and counties were required to lower the number of prisoners in public correctional facilities.  Many graduates also enroll, with the benefit of this experience, in government-run law enforcement academies.

RECENT EVENTS

·         Science-loving students from four schools in the Grossmont Union High School District rotated in groups around the campus on Friday, May 31, to participate in four different health-related simulations under the auspices of the Health and Science Pipeline Initiative (HASPI) -- a countywide program to better prepare students for careers in medicine and health sciences. One simulation in 52-522 led by high school teacher Judi Heitz involved diagnostic testing to assess hCG levels to determine pregnancy.  In Building 36-355, students put on surgical gowns and gloves to perform "surgery" on simulated patients made from yoga mats.  Under the supervision of high school teacher and HASPI curriculum coordinator Heather Peterson, they had to locate "organs" inside the bodies, remove them, and then suture the "yoga-people" back up.  In 31-375, Grossmont College pre-med student James Saelens had students work with clay and a skull model to reconstruct a "missing person's" face and to match their results with images.  And, in the Main Quad, Reserve Police Officer Dan Olsen supervised a simulated "drunk driving" test in which students wore goggles distorting their vision and had to drive vehicles around a set of cones and baby dolls.

·         Symbolic Table Set for One in Griffin Center: In the week leading up to Memorial Day, the Student Veteran Organization led by its president, Darron DeVillez and vice president Frankie Rojas, erected Memorial Walls on which students, staff and faculty could write notes of remembrance or praise for our veterans, and set up in Griffin Center a symbolic “Table for One” as a reminder that there still are Americans who are missing in action (MIA) or prisoners of war (POW).  “The table for one is small…It symbolizes the frailty of one prisoner against his oppressors.  The tablecloth is white—symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.  The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing and the loved ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.  The vase is tied with a yellow ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.  A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.  A pinch of salt symbolized the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.  The glass is inverted—to symbolize their inability to share this evening’s toast.  The chair is empty—they are missing…”

·         Bike to Work Day is celebrated the third Friday in May, and this year on May 16 Grossmont College served as a stop for bike riders in our vicinity. Thirty-seven riders who arrived at the stop at the corner of Lot 1 were rewarded with such swag as a free T-shirt, water, and snacks.  Among those who did Grossmont College proud was Administrative Assistant III, MaryAnn Landry, who rode and walked 5.7 miles from the corner of Navajo and Waring Roads to the campus.  Patrice Braswell Burris, interim director of student activities, coordinated the pit stop.

KUDOS

Mathematics Prof. Beth Smith will be elevated July 1 to president of the Academic Senate of the 112 California Community Colleges.  In that position she will represent approximately 50,000 faculty members serving 2.5 million students throughout the state.  Beth has been working with Academic Senate issues at the state level since 2007.  She is an excellent communicator and has been conveying information to and from our college throughout those years. She has served in several leadership roles culminating in the presidency.  We couldn’t be more proud of her and we know she will serve the faculty of the state and also the community college system very well.”

Child care development instructor Sheridan DeWolf, former interim dean of career technical education/work force development, will receive the Barbara Chernofsky Lifetime Achievemen t Award today (Friday, June 6) from the San Diego County Child Care and Development Planning Council.  Sheridan was nominated by the Grossmont Child Care Development Department for her lifetime “leadership, passion and commitment” in the child care community.

Exercise Science Instructor Allen Hazard has been inducted into the Southwestern College Hall of Fame for his stellar performance as a student miler.  He ran both track and cross country.

SUMMERTIME SUMMERTIME

·         There will be only a brief pause before Summer Session starts on Monday, June 10, with 150 classes.  That’s was a whopping 525 percent increase over budget-curtailed summer 2012 when only 24 classes were offered.  Still, it’s a far cry from summer 2008 when 497 classes were offered.  In these numbers, one can see a tale of state spending on education.

·         Wellness opportunities for employees will be provided again this summer.  Yoga – June 18-July 25^th, TThurs, 1:15-2:15; Zumba – June 10^th-July 3^rd, M&W, 6-7PM; and Lap Swimming – June 10^th-July 31^st, M&W, 12:30-1:30.  Information is provided on the website at www.grossmont.edu/wellness

·         For the fourth year, Grossmont College will participate in the eight-week Life Science Summer Institute.  This program brings high school students onto Grossmont's campus for  40 hours of intensive training in biotechnology protocols (e.g.,ELISA, PCR). Students are selected via a rigorous application process. Professors Craig Milgrim and Allison Shearer of the Grossmont Biology department will teach the biotech skills course (Bio 113). In addition to the biotechnology skills, students will receive training from outside professionals in the "soft skills" necessary for working in a research team.  After their week at Grossmont, the students will spend the next seven weeks of the program interning at such venues as the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Scripps Research Institute.  The Life Science Summer Institute is conducted in partnership with the Southern California Biotechnology Center at Miramar College, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and San Diego State University.

·         Among the activities we’ll be seeing on campus this summer will be a four-day basketball camp  for boys and girls ages 6-13 from June 17-20 with Coach Karen Caires, and a four day camp Aug. 5-8 for students entering grades 3 through 9 in the fall. Coach Doug Weber says that in the course, “we will teach skills needed to play basketball successfully. We emphasize the FUNdamentals in a positive and enthusiastic way. We also teach about teamwork, sportsmanship, communication, goal setting and more.”

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

We hope it will never happen, but what should be done if a shooter comes onto our campus?  Denise Schulmeyer, our professional development coordinator, reports that five workshops have been scheduled "to assist staff, faculty and administrators increase their ability to identify potential hazardous situations prior to and during an active shooter situation, and protect themselves from the active shooter."   She adds the workshops are also designed "to explain what to expect from the police officers, once they have on the scene.  In an active shooter situation, your behavior and actions can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of an event."

Here are the dates of the workshops, all on campus:
Monday, June 17, 2-3:30 p.m., 51-575.
Tuesday, June 25, 9-10:30 a.m., 51-575.
Wednesday, July 10, 10:30 a.m.-Noon, 26-220
Monday, July 15, 3:30-5 p.m., 26-220
Thursday, July 25, 1-2:30 p.m., 26-220.

Faculty attending a July workshop may claim 1.5 hours of flex credit for Fall 2013.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FALL 2013 SEMESTER

English Prof. Tate Hurvitz next semester will again lead the campus in an interdisciplinary reading project.  This time faculty and students in numerous disciplines will read Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee.  Previously Tate led us in reading Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.  This year’s selection “gives a very broad perspective on cancer as a disease and its role in our society.”   The book also will be studied on five university campuses in San Diego County: UCSD, SDSU, Cal State San Marcos, USD and Point Loma Nazarene.

Theatre Arts Prof. Beth Duggan has announced that the line-up of plays and staged readings next season at the Stagehouse Theatre will be “family friendly.”   Here’s the line-up:
Sept. 6-7 readings of poetry by Edgar Allan Poe.
Oct. 3-12 Pygmalion, directed by Jeannette Thomas
Nov. 14-23 To Gillian on Her 37^th Birthday, directed by Beth Duggan
Dec. 6-7 Follow Me, directed by Jerry Hager
Feb. 7-8 Inside the Actors’ Process, directed by Jerry Hager
Feb. 21-22 Misbehaving Women, a new play written by Grossmont’s Jeannette Thomas
March 13-22 You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, directed by Susan Jordan DeLeon
May 8-17 Alice in Wonderland, directed by Jerry Hager.
Alexis Popko reminds us that discounted season packages may be obtained online at www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure, or via the box office’s 24-hour message line at (619) 644-7234.

Linda Snider, Associate Professor of Business Office Technology, coordinates the San Diego Imperial County Community College Association (SDICCCA) faculty internship program for Grossmont College. For this coming semester, as in previous semesters, she says, Grossmont College is the most sought-after destination by students in their master's programs at area universities who want to participate in the internship program by working as an intern to a faculty member. There were 20 applicants for 2013-2014 positions at Grossmont College, of which matches could be made for 12, according to Linda. In Spring 2013 mentors were Israel Cardona, Tony Ding, Angela Feres, Robert Henry, Tate Hurvitz, Lisa Ledri-Aguilar, Scott McGann, Todd Myers, Amy Ramos and June Yang.  Next semester, Professors Cardona, Ding, Henry, Hurvitz, Ledri-Aguilar and Yang will repeat as mentors. They will be joined by Carlos Contreras (who has accepted two interns), Steve Davis (who will share an intern with Jenny VandenEynden) Sharon Giles, Gwyneth Mapes, and Michael Perez.

President's Newsburst - May 2013

PRESIDENT’S NEWSBURST

MAY 2013

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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 5^th 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)

·         Develop and maintain an exceptional learning environment (Fiscal and Physical Resources)

·         Promote student success for historically under-served populations (Learning and Student Success)

·         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.

KUDOS

·         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.”

·         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 50^th 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 50^th anniversary open house celebration last April.    

 

ASGC, INC.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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 more information on professional development workshops, click here. MESSAGE FROM LAURA SIM, EXERCISE SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR 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. For the Richard family:  www.richardfamilyfund.org General Boston fund:  www.onefundboston.org Adidas T-shirt:  http://www.adidas.com/us/product/mens-running-boston-marathon-tribute-tee/L89320X?cid=L89321&breadcrumb=1z125b0Z1z13071

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT SPRING SCHEDULE

·         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 10^th Anniversary Concert, with director Derek Cannon, is set for 7:30 p.m. May 16 in the Grossmont College Recital Hall, 26-220.

·         The Grossmont College Gospel Choir will perform at 7 p.m. May 17 in the Grossmont College Recital Hall, 26-220.

·         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.

·         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.

HONORS

• 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.

IN THE NEWS

·         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).

·         A Wall Street Journal item discussed the STEM Summit. 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.

GET HEALTHY

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.

·         Free Fitness Friday-Fitness for the First Timer on May 3

·         Free Fitness Friday-Ideas for equipping a home gym for under $50 on May 10

·         Yoga and Zumba are ongoing; for more information, click here.

IN THE COMMUNITY

·         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 76^th District.

·         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.