Cross Cultural Studies

Program Director or Chairperson: Tom Gamboa

Program Description: Cross Cultural Studies is a multi-disciplinary approach to viewing the humanities in a cultural context. The program is designed to celebrate diversity and broaden the students’ perspectives, and thus to better prepare students to function in our highly diverse society. Our goal is to provide students a thorough theoretical background on most of the cultures they interact with on a daily basis. We offer a variety of current and topical cross cultural courses that the meet the needs and demands of our students and the surrounding community. Our ultimate departmental goal is for our students to develop an understanding, acceptance and tolerance of cultures other than their own. The Cross Cultural Studies program provides general education courses and prepares students to transfer to four-year institutions for continued study in African American Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Asian American Studies, American Indian Studies, or Women's Studies. The department is currently offering classes at the Viejas and Barona Reservations which serves the Mountain Empire School District and Viejas and Barona Casino employees. The department has developed a Tribal Gaming: Culture and Polices certificate which will give students an academic overwiew of the tribal gaming industry and its culture and policies.

Activity #1: Submit the Tribal Gaming Certificate to our Curriculum Committee for approval. This program was denied by the State Community Colleges New Programs but was recommended it be submitted as a Certificate of Proficiency. Our Curriculum Committee and our Board of Directors previously approved it as a Degree/Certificate.

Expected Benefit: Will enable us to market this Certificate of Proficiency to current and future casino employees. This will attract a new student population to Grossmont College.

Activity #2: Present our 2nd Annual Native Speakers Series where over the course of four weeks a different speaker address issues and topics relevant to the Indian Community. This 2nd Speakers Series will be co-presented with San Diego State University American Indian Studies Department and will be held on the Viejas Indian Reservation.

Expected Benefit: Allow students and community members to be exposed to and question speakers on issues and topics relevant to the Indian Community.

Activity #3: Conduct extensive outreach in our East County service area.

Expected Benefit: Attract more ethnic students to our college which will add to our diverse campus climate.

Activity #4: 16th Annual Grossmont College Pow Wow

Expected Benefit: Will expose students to American Indian culture. Will allow Grossmont College to maintain a highly visible presence in the community as leaders in Indian education.

Activity #5: Maintain our two tutoring centers at the Viejas and Barona reservations.

Expected Benefit: Allows our students to interact with others from a different culture. It gives our CCS department exposure and generates good will. This is a win-win situation as both our students and the tribal students interact with others from a different culture.

Additional Planning Activities

• Focus on retention, graduation and transfer of our Cross Cultural Students.
  
• Maintain a high profile in all of the various ethnic communities.
  
• Focus on maintaining an updating of all of our course outlines
  
• Develop classes relevant to Pacific Islander culture.
  

• Presented our 15th Annual Grossmont College Pow-Wow. During the course of the Pow Wow approximately 1200 people attended. We raised $3200 for our Grossmont College American Indian Scholarship Fund. During the curse of the Pow wow had 22 students volunteer for 66 hours.
  
• Conducted our 1st Annual Native Speakers Series where over the course of four weeks had a different speaker address topics and issues relevant to the Indian community. This speaker's series had an attendance of 427.
  
• Spring and Fall 2003 had 318 students volunteer for 1908 hours at the Barona and Viejas Reservation Tutoring/Educational Centers. They tutored K-12 Viejas and Barona tribal members.
  
• Fall 2003 had 58 students volunteer 174 hours at the Barona Pow Wow.
  
• Spring 2003 our first class was offered at Barona Reservation off-site facility.
  
• In November 2002 there was a tragic incident in which a member of the Samoan community was tragically killed by a member of the Indian community. Fearing retaliation the CCS department mediated and brokered a peace between the two communities. At the 15th Annual Pow Wow the Matai (High Chief) from the Samoan community and Anthony Pico, chairman of the Viejas Band attended. In a ceremony they exchanged gifts, a handshake and hug as a sign of respect, friendship and peace between the two communities. San Diego Police Community Liaison Officer Ralph Cummings informed us that as a result of this peace there were no reported incidents between the two communities. We are proud the CCS department is respected in both communities, which enabled us to broker this peace between the two communities and, as a result, saved lives.
  
• We will continue to have our CCS students volunteer in the local tribal community, which gives our CCS Department exposure and generates good will. This is a win-win situation as both our students and the tribal students interact with those from a different culture.
  
• Alexandra Harris, a new adjunct hire, recently spent two weeks and the National Archives and National Anthropological Archives in Washington, D.C. She conducted intensive research into the photographs and communications relating to Barona and Capitan Grande. The goal of this research was to bring these communications and documents back to the communities from which they originated and keep them as an archive located at the Barona Museum for public research.
  
• Danny Martinez, our full time faculty, is a Board member of Excellence and Justice in Education. This is a community-based organization for Latino parents in East County. In this capacity he has conducted extensive outreach in the Latino community. He also held the Latino Educational Summit Conference to Grossmont College in November 2003, which focused on Latino educational issues throughout San Diego County.
  
• Victor Ochoa, adjunct faculty, has painted murals in over two hundred communities over the world including Belfast Ireland, Yokohoma Japan, Barcelona Spain and Guadalajara Mexico. He also, with his students, restored the Grossmont Mural, which resulted in a tremendous monetary saving to the college.
  
• Bachir Idoui, adjunct faculty, in 2002-2003 has conducted various forums and workshops on campus and in the general community. These presentations have helped to diffuse a volatile situation after "9-11" by bringing in accurate information and understanding of our Middle Eastern Community.