Faculty across the nation can expect a bagel and some coffee with their fall general meetings, but the organizers of Grossmont College’s convocation manage to kick it up another notch.

The Aug. 16 convocation in the Student Center was no exception. It included breakfast, kudos, distinguished faculty, new challenges, ongoing challenges, construction dust, the promise of new construction dust, Afro-Cuban jazz music, and then barbecue for lunch.

Speakers included Chancellor Dr. Omero Suarez and Trustee Dr. Tim Caruthers, but Grossmont President Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr., oversaw most of the activity.

Martinez, Academic Senate President Beth Smith and Grossmont College Foundation President Ken Sobel made the presentation of a medallion and a $500 check to Distinguished Faculty Zoe Close.

Martinez also recognized excellence in programs from nursing to football as part of his summary of success on and around campus last year.

He also presented his goals and priorities for the campus year at hand, and pointed to excellence and growth to be achieved in years to come in invoking the campus theme to “Start Here, Stay Near, Go Far.”

Top issues on the president’s priority list for the year 2004-2005 are to fill faculty positions, maintain accreditation standards, to improve communication throughout Grossmont College, to make facilities changes and safety, to coordinate college-wide efforts to identify additional resources, to improve technology and to maintain Grossmont College as the leading transfer institution in San Diego.

The morning’s most detailed presentation fell to Facilities Manager Tim Flood, who presented information about projects completed in the last calendar year, most notably the new Tech Mall which had its grand opening in May. He also pointed to new dust in the air above the Science Quad, where work has begun on a new building to be completed next year. Other projects in the works include a proposed Digital Arts Building and a 900-space parking garage.

At the end, words surrendered to music as Derek Cannon of the Music Department fired up his Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble for a mini-concert. By then the bagels were a distant memory, so faculty adjourned to the wide lawn fronting the 200 area for barbecue, fixings and conversation, and background music from the group Footloose, and from machines fixing up the Science Quad for generations of Grossmont students and faculty yet to come.