Governing Board Meeting Highlights
At the August 18, meeting, the Governing Board:
- Heard Trustees and Chancellor Miles congratulate planners of the GC parking garage ribbon cutting ceremony and Fall ’09 Convocation, two special events held on Monday morning, Aug. 17.
- Heard Board members acknowledge that rough budgetary times are ahead for faculty, staff and administrators, as well as students. Board President Bill Garrett noted that an Adoption Budget Workshop will be held starting at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Cuyamaca College Student Center.
- Heard the Chancellor encourage all District employees to display “excellence with humanitarianism” during the upcoming academic year.
- Ratified the budget revisions from 2008-2009 that will dedicate one-time funds to partially fund employee benefits, salary increases resulting from step, column and longevity increases and revenue accrued for student receivables in 2009-2010.
- Heard Mary Rider, as AFT Representative, state that the GC Convocation was inspiring, and heard Chris Hill, Academic Senate President share a comment from a faculty member who said the GC Convocation was one of the best in years and was complimentary of the emergency preparedness training.
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.
Recognition from Eagle Scout
Tim Flood, Acting Vice President of Administrative Services, was honored at the Aug. 18 Governing Board meeting with an appreciation gift from Daniel Palma, 17, a senior at West Hills High School. As part of an Eagle Scout project, Daniel participated in painting “No Dumping” signs on 44 storm drains on campus last October. In addition to Daniel’s Troop #384 (Santee), other participants included Troop #51 (La Mesa), ASGC and PTK Club.
TOPFall 2009 Enrollment
Below are enrollment comparisons as of August 16, 2009 for Fall 2009 as compared to Fall 2008:
| Fall 2009 | Fall 2008 | Count Variance | %Variance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 16,351 | 15,460 | +891 | +5.8% |
| Units | 151,355.0 | 144,912.5 | +6442.5 | +4.4% |
Parking Structure Ribbon Cutting
A joyous ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Monday, 8/17 for our new three-story parking structure. The program included remarks from elected officials, campus representatives and students, as well as a special, checkered-flag ribbon cutting and vintage car display. The event, featuring the unveiling of a plaque, ribbon cutting and motorcade of new automobiles, marked the culmination of our college’s “Students First” campaign that involved faculty, staff and administrators using different modes of transportation in order to leave extra spaces for students during the past year of construction. Instead of driving alone in their cars, GCCCD employees commuted to their jobs using bicycles, motorcycles and scooters, while others caught a ride to the campus from friends and family members. We also provided free rides on shuttle buses for employees who parked at a 500-space lot near Gillespie Field in El Cajon. Students, in addition, were encouraged to use public transportation or carpool, and avoid parking along residential streets in surrounding neighborhoods.
TOPFall 2009 Convocation
Fall 2009 Convocation held Monday morning marked the start of flex week and Fall semester. The State of the College report included an overview of upcoming efforts as well as appreciation to everyone for their support during these difficult and challenging budgetary times. Our college highlight consisted of a report on our Basic Skills Initiative and the keynote address focused on emergency preparedness.
TOPDistinguished Faculty
At our Fall 2009 Convocation, our two 2009-2010 Distinguished Faculty recipients were introduced. They are Renee Tuller, Counselor and PDC Instructor, and Roxanne Tuscany, Professor of Communication and Director of Forensics. Renee has a special focus on veterans and has played a crucial role by providing encouragement, inspiration and direction that has resulted in life-altering decision. Roxanne has served as leader of our award-winning Speech and Debate Team and founder of the highly respected Griffin Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament, now in its 16th year.
TOPNursing Accreditation
The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) has granted our associate degree nursing program accreditation. The accreditation signifies that the program adheres to the highest national standards of quality in nursing education. The next evaluation will be scheduled for Fall 2013
TOPGrossmont-Cuyamaca Joint Marketing
Further collaboration between the two colleges was seen with the recent display ads in last week’s “Our East County” section of The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. Research studies have revealed that consumers perceive a lack of advertising during a recession as an indication that the advertiser is struggling, while a continuation of advertising indicates the entity as remaining strong with a commitment to customer service. The colleges have collaborated on this ad to save funds over the past two years and have reduced the purchases to run only over one weekend. Grossmont College’s budget for marketing was reduced significantly in 08-09 by 48.74% and 09-10 by 41.45%.
TOPGrossmont College Career Center
The Career Center will present “Where Do I Go From Here,” a career transition management workshop, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9. In addition, the Career Center will present an adult reentry workshop on “Weathering the Economic and Financial Storm” from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, and 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15.
TOPOsher Scholarship
The Grossmont Healthcare District recently donated $13,500 to the Grossmont College Foundation for a perpetual $1,000-a-year scholarship for Grossmont College students. The GC Foundation is participating in a fund-raising challenge for scholarships in perpetuity with the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco, which is offering Grossmont College -- along with every one of California’s 110 community colleges -- a matching grant. Scholarships recipients benefiting from the Grossmont Healthcare District/Osher perpetual scholarship will be selected based on financial need and participation in healthcare training programs. Scholarship funds will be used to help defray the cost of textbooks, equipment, lab fees and other items beyond registration fees
TOPRecent Campus Events
- Men’s basketball coach Doug Weber reports that a successful GC inaugural youth basketball camp was held Aug. 10-14. Participants include 36 boys and girls, entering 3rd through 8th grades. Coach Weber also said 10 campers signed-up after their parents read newspaper stories promoting the camp. The camp featured instruction on fundamental skills, group and individual contests and three-on-three tournaments.
- During this summer, we had several visits of high school students to our campus. Tours were conducted by our Tech Prep staff. Students were from Serra High School in Tierrasanta, the Braille Institute and Court School.
- The EOPS/CARE Summer Institute Program closing ceremony was held on July 30. The Class of 2009 included 30 students who attended English 105 and PDC 120. The Summer Institute Program is a six-week, summer bridge program designed to assist first-semester freshman in making a successful transition from high school to college. One of the graduates wrote, “I want to thank all the people that made this program possible because I found the light to guide my path again.”
- GC hosted on Aug. 8 a one-day film festival featuring 20 films produced by students and independent filmmakers. Workshops were presented on script writing, casting calls and tips on how to make a film for under $500. Speakers included actress Mickey Harrison, filmmaker Michael Gier, cinematographer John Snedden and Kathy McCurdy of the San Diego Film Commission. Films in a variety of genres, including music videos, horror, comedy, drama, mystery, education and documentary, were viewed at the Stagehouse Theatre. The San Diego Union-Tribune published a feature story on the event and profiled Mickey Harrison.
Dr. Sunita V. Cooke