Governing Board Meeting Highlights
At the February 19 meeting, the Governing Board:
- Received an Activities Report for the Grossmont College Foundation from Ernie Ewin, Executive Director;
- Received information regarding contracts for full-time probationary instructors within the first 3-4 years of employment;
- Heard a summary report of the Associated Students of Grossmont College philanthropic activities presented by ASGC president Wendy Hutson;
- Ratified the action of the Chancellor to approve final payment for Football Field synthetic turf and other improvements;
- Ratified actions of the Chancellor in awarding bids for the Grossmont College Temporary Parking Surface at Gillespie Field and for the Soccer Field Temporary parking Lot Grading and Base Installation.
Other Governing Board highlights will appear in the Courier which is distributed electronically from the District Office. Hard copies are available in the Mail Room.
Off-Site Parking
Due to delays at the state architect office and other complications, the plans for the multi-story parking structure on campus have been delayed. We anticipate that we will be unable to begin phase II construction until the end of this semester. Parking Lot 5 will remain in service for staff parking.
The Good News: WE WILL NOT BE PARKING OFF-SITE THIS SEMESTER. Our off-site parking will begin in August 2008 and will continue through June 2009 while the new parking structure is being built.
TOPOPT Graduates 30 Students at Mid-year Ceremony - January 24
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Our wonderful Office Professional Training Program celebrated its 46th graduation, celebrating the 30 individuals in the class of Fall 2007 who successfully completed the rigorous 20-week program. Congratulations to Dr. Mary Leslie and all who labor in this intense program that has been changing lives since 1985. There are now nearly 2,000 OPT graduates working and contributing to our local economy.
Dramafest Promotes College Program
Our Drama Department hosted high school students February 2, inviting them to campus for an introduction to Theatre Arts. The next week, there were public performances of our touring group, which visits high schools with the presentation “Inside the Actor’s Process – Silence is Golden.”
TOPSpring Scholarship Breakfast February 9 Helps Scholars Meet Cash
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There were 100 people in attendance the morning of February 9 to help celebrate the presentation of cash awards during the spring Scholarship Breakfast. The Grossmont College Foundation, along with the college’s Scholarship Office and the Scholarship Committee, awarded 27 scholarships totaling $16,000, bringing this academic year’s total to $33,000 awarded to 51 students.
ASGC Inter-Club Council Sponsors Clubs Faire
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Campus clubs are provided with an opportunity to recruit new members, and students have an opportunity to explore their club options in the ASGC’s “Clubs Faire” held Main Quad. Campus staff have been recruited as judges to evaluate the clubs’ presentations in the following categories: Most Informative, Best Decoration, and Best Give-Away. Winning clubs will win cash prizes from the ASGC.
UCSD Upward Bound Students Visit Campus Saturday, February 23
Thanks to our AOJ department, 100 Upward Bound high school students visited campus Saturday, February 23, to explore the world of Fingerprints, Evidence Collection, and Traffic Accident Investigation. Students participated in three 70-minute sessions with lunch during the day. Thanks to Cindy McQuien, AOJ employee and GC Forensics graduate; student Jennifer O’Connor, and SDPD member Bob McQuien.
TOP20th Annual Grossmont College Pow-Wow Saturday, February 23
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If you have not experienced one of our college’s Pow-Wow events, Saturday is a day you should not miss. If you have already attended a Pow-Wow, I know you will be there. This is the event’s 20th anniversary. Congratulations to event originator, our own Tom Gamboa. Activities begin at noon in the Student Center, and the Grand Entry is at 6 p.m. This event is sponsored by the college’s Cross Cultural Studies Department, EOPS, the Viejas and Barona Bands of Kumeyaay Indians. Proceeds benefit the Grossmont College Indian Scholarship Fund.
Black History Month Presents Wide Range of Activities and Performances
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Thanks to our Black Student Union (BSU), we have an incredible array of events and performances to enrich our campus during Black History Month and Beyond. Don’t miss The Grossmont College Gospel Choir on February 21 in the Main Quad at 11 a.m.; the Black Storytellers of San Diego February 22 in Room 220 at 7 p.m.; a performance of African Capoeira February 26 in the Main Quad; and a Gospel Festival Friday, February 29 in Room 220. Events conclude March 4 in Room 220 at 7 p.m. with a play: “I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady from Rwanda” starring award-winning Monique Gaffney.
Speech and Debate Team Wins Again, and Again, And…
An early spring semester swing tournament at CSU-Fullerton provided yet more winners from the Grossmont/Cuyamaca Joint Team, including a First Place in Communication Analysis and First Place in Novice Impromptu for our students. Kudos to our students, and our coach Roxanne Tuscany for her dedication working over the break to help our students succeed.
In early February, the Speech and Debate Team earned a 4th Place Team Award, winning over 41 other community and four-year universities at the Point Loma Sunset Cliffs Classic Tournament.
TOPCollege Foundation Announces “Perpetual Status” for Four Scholarship Funds
Ernie Ewin shares that four scholarship funds have reached the necessary level to be established as ‘perpetual’ endowed scholarships. They are: Christy Seiler-Davis Memorial scholarship for reentry students; Todd Longstreth Photo Arts Scholarship; the Albert and June Van Zanten Memorial Scholarship for students entering from foster care; and the Wendell Cutting Fund for Students.
TOPStudent Health Services Sponsor “Take Your Health to Heart Month”
College Student Health Services Department has been busy out on campus promoting “Take your Heart to Health” Month in February. Activities include Blood Pressure Measurement, Smoking Cessation, and low-cost Cholesterol Screening. National Condom Week was featured the week of February 11-15, and Tuesday, February 26, is another “Walk the Walk – Talk the Talk” for a ½ hour walk and talk with a nurse from health services about heart health. Blood drives are scheduled in the Main Quad February 27 and 28.
TOPEnrollment Hits All-time High for Spring Semester
| Spring 2008 | Spring 2007 | Count Variance | %Variance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 17,926 | 16,650 | +1276 | +7.7% |
| Continuing | 11,949 | 11,922 | +27 | +0.2 |
| Units | 158,219.5 | 148,129.5 | 10,090 | +6.8% |
We are enjoying a nice enrollment this Spring Semester, our highest spring ever ( in 47 years)! At last count, our headcount is more than 17,900, in spite of the torrential rains that flooded our soccer field (AKA ‘overflow’ parking) on the first day of class. Thanks to so many of our employees for car pooling, taking public transportation, and finding other ways to make more parking space for our students while the soccer field dried out.
An example of the many ways our faculty helped with this effort is the additional online sections offered by our English Department, as well as their efforts to help fill Friday and Saturday offerings as well as afternoon and early evenings.
We are analyzing a demographic profile of our nearly 6,000 ‘brand new’ students who joined us this semester.
TOPGROSSMONT PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
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Retired Head Baseball Coach Ed Olsen was recently elected to the California Community College Coaches Hall of Fame. Olsen’s record, 516-376-7 is among the state’s top 10 for coaching victories. Eleven former Griffin players went to the Major Leagues, and more than 355 players continued their education with baseball scholarships.
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Geography Instructor Judd Curran has co-authored a chapter of a book about modern cartography with web applications. Their chapter’s title is “User-Centered Design Approaches for Web-Mapping Applications: A Case Study with USGS Hydrological Data in the United States.”
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Beth Kelley, Exercise Science Instructor, is coordinating a group from that department to develop a presentation at the upcoming March conference of the state organization CAHPERD. The organization represents health, PE, recreation and dance professionals in mostly K-college education settings. The presentation will include the department’s ‘core curriculum, including details and their Student Learning Outcomes assessment project.
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Johannes Bruestle, German Instructor, received the Foreign Language Council of San Diego’s “Outstanding Service Award” in recognition of distinguished and devoted service to the profession of world language teaching.
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Kathy Meyer, Dance Instructor, received an award for choreography for her work on “Sailor’s Song” at the New Village Arts during the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards for Excellence in Theatre on San Diego stages in 2007.
Adjunct Instructor (Geology) Jaime Marso has been recently published in a new book, The Yogyakarta Earthquake of May 27, 2006, which is primarily a text/reference book. Jaime spent a month in Indonesia doing research with Gadjah Mada University. She is developing another publication, a guidebook specifically created for instructors to help them better understand and address regulations for Distance Learning websites as well as on campus supplemental course websites.
TOPPlease Join Us For Upcoming Events!
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- March 2 - King of Instruments, Grossmont Symphony Orchestra, 7 p.m. First United Methodist Church, San Diego
- “Company”, Stagehouse Theater, March 6-8, March 11-15
- March 7 – East County Chamber First Friday Breakfast hosted at Grossmont College, 7:00 a.m., Student Center
- Science Olympiad – Saturday, March 8th
- March 16 – Third Annual “A Fine Arts Affaire” 2 – 5 p.m. Art Exhibit and Auction Hyde Art Gallery, Co-sponsored by the Grossmont College Foundation and the Art Council.
- Student Success Conference Annual Retreat – April 10-12th at Crown Plaza Hotel, San Diego
Dr. Sunita V. Cooke