Governing Board Meeting Highlights
At the July 16, meeting, the Governing Board:
- Heard a quarterly program management report from Gafcon, Inc. on capital improvement projects.
- Heard Grossmont College Trustee Dan Lewis discuss the “Students First” campaign and ASGC’s recent purchase of lapel pins, which will be given to faculty, staff and administrators who will be leaving enough spaces for students and parking at a 500-space lot near the Gillespie Field Airport in El Cajon and then riding on shuttle buses to the campus, beginning with the start of the Fall 2008 semester in August.
- Authorized the appointment of Brittanie Martinez, ASGC vice president, to fill a vacancy on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee.
- Accepted revisions to a board policy that called for the full Governing Board to conduct final interviews on the selection of a College President.
- Heard a response from Governing Board President Bill Garrett who said the District plans to submit in late August a response to a Grand Jury Report that concerned citizen complaints.
- 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.
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.
Budget Update
The California Legislature has not yet set a 2008-09 budget. The Conference Committee on the State Budget has closed out its action on the budget. The latest budget plan is not expected to garner the two-third votes in both houses required for passage. Unlike previous years, the governor has been absent from budget negotiations, notes the Community College League of California.
TOPElection Day
Nancy Davis in the Career Center reports that 16 Grossmont students were placed with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters to work on Election Day. Pamela Abuka, Student Services Specialist in Student Employment Services, received a certificate recognition from the County of San Diego for her efforts.
TOPBOT Adjunct Honors
Karen Fox, Certified Medical Transcriptionist and Business Office Technology adjunct instructor, reports that she has been awarded an Advocate of Merit for 2008 from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity and been accepted as a board candidate.
TOPRecap of 07/08 Academic Year
I would like to begin my report tonight by expressing my gratitude to the Chancellor and Governing Board for giving me the opportunity to serve as president of Grossmont College over this past year. The past 12 months have included a flurry of activity along with a few surprises and more than a few challenges. On a daily basis, I have been made proud of Grossmont College’s commitment to students, which is a trademark of our college’s 47-year history. Everywhere I go, I hear stories about what a difference Grossmont College has made in the life of an individual, family member or friend. While all of that is rewarding and certainly is nice recognition, it is my desire to encourage everyone associated with Grossmont to continually dedicate themselves to ongoing improvement as we help prepare our students to successfully contribute to a complex and ever-changing world.
TOPExercise Science & Wellness Complex Grand Opening On August 22nd
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the grand opening of the Exercise Science & Wellness Complex at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 22. Our “Extreme Makeover Celebration” will highlight the completion of remodeling which began October 2007. Our grand opening party will feature food, entertainment and tours of the weight training and exercise rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and classrooms.
TOPParking Update
Work has begun on our three-story parking structure with 1,432 spaces and a new 3,200-square-foot office for the campus police. Construction bids came in under budget. Construction completion is scheduled for June 2009. Because the new parking structure is being built on an existing parking lot, which means the loss of several hundred parking spaces during construction, the college’s faculty, staff and administrators, as well as district employees, will be leaving their parking spaces for students and parking their cars at a 500-space lot near the Gillespie Field Airport in El Cajon and then riding on a shuttle to campus, beginning the Fall 2008 semester.
TOPScience Festival 2009
I am proud to announce that Grossmont College will participate in the San Diego Science Festival in March 2009. The month-long Festival will promote student interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Although planning is still underway, a preliminary schedule calls for our participation to include an open-air science experience at our campus, lunch with a Nobel Laureate in the science lab building’s science learning center and an exhibit at Balboa Park, as well as our own annual Science Decathlon and Math Field Day outreach programs.
TOPTop 100 Associate Degree Producers
Community College Week magazine has announced its 2008 list of Top 100 Associate Degree producers among the 1,158 community colleges in the U.S. Grossmont College has been ranked #77 in the number of graduates from Asian-American populations and our communication and journalism program has been ranked #50.
TOPThe San Diego Union-Tribune's Poll For "San Diego's Best"
I would like to remind everyone to pick-up the Friday, August 1st edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune for its “San Diego’s Best” special section. The readers of the Union-Tribune were recently polled in about 100 different categories, including “San Diego’s Best Local College.” Grossmont College was selected by U-T readers as “San Diego’s Best” in 2003, 2004 and 2007. The readers have spoken, and the results for 2008 will be revealed on Friday, August 1st. Stay tuned.
TOPMilitary Spouse Program
Grossmont College is partnering with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to provide scholarship funds for active duty military spouses. Under the new program, military spouses can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per year for educational expenses, including books, tuition and fees. Spouses can focus on a variety of different majors, including business administration, education, construction trades, financial services, healthcare, homeland security, hospitality, human resources and information technology.
TOPFall Semester Registration
Registration for 2008 Fall Semester classes began July 14. During the summer school sessions, we have worked-out a few bugs from the new web-based registration system. Our A&R staff is providing students with registration assistance in the Tech Mall and many areas are working together to anticipate and respond to student needs.
TOPLouisiana Mission Trip
Our faculty members are spending their summer vacations in a variety of ways. For example, Grossmont Health Science Lab Technician Pat Murray is home after making a trip to Lake Charles, Louisiana, on a church service trip to remove trash and remodel hurricane-damaged homes for Habitat for Humanity. Pat, her husband and daughter and 20 teenagers from Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mira Mesa went on the trip.
TOPHonors At Del Mar Fair
Grossmont video production student Christopher White recently received the “Best of Class” award at the Del Mar Fair for his six-minute film called “Denouement.” He also received several other awards for his video work. The film answers the question, “If you had five minutes to change the outcome of your life, what would you do?”
TOPBaseball Scholarships
Ten members of Grossmont’s 2008 baseball team earned scholarships to four-year universities, according to head coach Randy Abshier. Members are: Bryan Longpre (Cal State Northridge); Tony Justino (Temple University in Philadelphia); Ross Blondin (Lubbock Christian University); Garrett Jenner and David Ruiz (William Penn University); Kevin McClaughry and Garrett Nelson (CSU San Bernardino); Josh Miller (CSU San Marcos); Clifton Thomas (Texas A&M); Cameron Selik (University of Kansas); & Nick Spears (Southeastern Oklahoma).
TOPNew Football Conference
After winning seven championships in the past 10 seasons in the Foothill Conference, Grossmont’s football team will switch to the newly formed Southern California Football Alliance for the 2008 season. The 10-game season begins Sept. 6 against San Diego Mesa.
TOPUpcoming Events
- Ribbon Cutting for Adjunct Faculty Office, August 20 @ 5 p.m.
- Exercise Science Grand Opening Ceremony, Friday, August 22 @ 10 a.m.
- Health/Physical Science Building Groundbreaking Ceremony, Friday, September 12 @ 10 a.m.
Dr. Sunita V. Cooke