Governing Board Meeting Highlights

At the February 17, meeting, the Governing Board:

  • Ratified the 2007-2008 settlement agreement between GCCCD and California School Employees Association, Chapter 707.
  • Heard Trustees and faculty and staff representatives express their appreciation to Chancellor Omero Suarez for his nearly 11 years of service. It was his final Board meeting. Dr. Suarez was presented with a plaque from Board President Bill Garrett and a certificate of appreciation from the Classified Senate. Dr. Suarez said the many accomplishments over the years were due to a “team approach.”
  • Heard Trustees compliment the college on its recent Convocation and Spring Scholarship Awards Breakfast. Trustee Mary Kay Rosinki recently visited the CVT Dept.
  • Heard Grossmont Student Trustee Dan Lewis report that AGSC has launched www.asgcinc.org. Students can read updates about events and how to save money on textbooks. Additionally, he announced Black History Month activities funded by ASGC through WACC.
  • Heard the Board select a date of 1 p.m. on March 31 for the annual Governing Board goal-setting meeting.

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.

Enrollment

It’s official! As of Census, our enrollment is at the highest point in our 48-year history. Below is our enrollment comparisons for Spring 2009 compared to Spring 2008.

  Spring 2009 Spring 2008 Count Variance %Variance
Headcount 19,316 17,926 +1,390 +7.8%
Units 169,513.5 158,219.5 +11,294 +7.1%
TOP

Accreditation Report

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges, has issued its action letter based on our October 2008 follow-up report and the November site visit. We have good news that the Commission accepted our report, and will await our October 2009 follow-up report. The visiting team noted tremendous progress in SLOs and the integration of planning. Meanwhile, our teams are busily working on those recommendations that must be resolved by October 2009 in four specific areas:

  • Diversity in hiring and human resource planning.
  • Delegation of responsibility and authority to the president of the college, including clearly defined policies and procedures for the selection and evaluation of the president.
  • Regular and systematic review of functions and goals, including: (a) Goal setting and self-evaluation by the Board of Trustees; (b) Evaluation of the District’s services to the college and its effectiveness as a liaison between the College and Board of Trustees.
  • Effective working relationships across the entire college community (college, district, Board of Trustees). The entire College community must work together for the good of the institution.

A draft report on these four areas will be shared with our college’s governance groups for input and will be available on the college accreditation website by April 2009. We were additionally pleased with the action because, in this climate of increased accountability, the odds were high that the Commission could have taken some negative action. Throughout the state, many colleges have received actions of warning or probation during their follow-up process.

The ACCJC progress report letter, dated February 3, 2009, is now posted on our website at: http://www.grossmont.edu/accreditation/ . A username and password is needed to access this letter.

TOP

Snow-capped Mountains

Several TV stations, including Channels 8 have visited Grossmont recently for scenic shots for newscasts of the snow-capped Lagunas that are visible on a clear day. Because of Grossmont’s summit locale, local TV stations can easily connect with their transmitters atop Mt. Miguel.

TOP

Parking Update

We survived the first few weeks of the semester, which is typically the most challenging. We are serving roughly 1,100 more students than last fall (19,316 vs. 18,206), and that translates to about 250 additional parking spaces that are needed. Meanwhile, our faculty and staff have returned to parking at Gillespie Field or are using alternative transportation, including carpooling, bicycles, motorcycles and rides from spouses, relatives and friends. In addition, construction is on schedule on the parking structure in Lot #5. Completion is projected for summer 2009.

TOP

Enrollment Outreach Activities

  • About 200 10th graders from Helix High School are visiting our campus for tours and meetings from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays in February and March.
  • Our Financial Aid Office is presenting free workshops in the Tech Center to help students complete their FAFSA form online. Workshops dates are Feb. 25, 27 and March 2. Presentations are made in English, Spanish and Arabic.
TOP

Recent Honors and Recognition

  • The Office Professional Training (OPT) program recently held a graduation ceremony for its class of Fall 2008, which consisted of 29 students. At the event, attendees heard inspiring success stories of major life changes that have occurred as a result of this intense, challenging program that is offered through the Business Office Technology Department. Channel 10 TV news covered the graduation ceremony.
  • The Grossmont College Foundation and the Grossmont College Financial Aid Dept. presented 33 students with scholarships amounting to a total of $13,500 at our Spring 2009 Scholarship Awards Breakfast, held on Feb. 7.
  • The Speech and Debate Team participated in the Southern California Urban Debate League Swing tournament at CSU Fullerton on Jan. 24-25. Grossmont student Colton Salaz finished 2nd place in Open Communication Analysis, 2nd and 3rd place in Open Extemporaneous, and 4th place in Open Poetry. In addition, at the Sunset Cliffs Classic tournament on Feb. 7-8 at Point Loma Nazarene University, Vanessa Estrella was a finalist in Program Oral Interpretation, and Colton won three awards.
  • The Broadcast Education Association, which is the educational arm of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), recently announced its national awards, and several of our students in the Media Communications Department will be honored at the NAB national convention April 21-25 in Las Vegas. Nathan Marker and Christopher Cuilao with KGFN, our student radio station, won 1st place in radio promotion. In addition, in the video competition, Ray Gauger, Kyle Campbell, Cameron Ahern, Bobby Soundura and Jason Schwertz took 2nd place for their “Cram Session” video.
TOP

Upcoming Events

  • Our campus is celebrating Black History Month. The Afro-Cuban Ensemble, Hip-Hop Dancers performed on Feb. 12 in the Main Quad. The Gospel Festival, featuring five choirs from the community, will be held on Friday, Feb. 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 220. Admission is free.
  • The Hyde Art Gallery is presenting “Forms in Metal,” a free exhibit of contemporary jewelry and metalwork through Feb. 26. The exhibit features the work of 17 artists working in different types of metal, including cast iron, sterling silver, copper and aluminum.
  • The Culinary Arts Department will host a five-course dinner served at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday, beginning Feb. 26 and ending on May 14. Cost for the dinner is $15 per person.
  • Planning is continuing for the Grossmont College Science Festival, March 20 and 21. The theme is “Pathways to Tomorrow.” The Festival will celebrate science in our everyday lives with interactive exhibits, demonstrations, sessions and walk-through tours.
  • The Theatre Arts will present “Metamorphoses” starting March 12 through 21. The play examines the fundamental elements of earth, wind, fire and water based on the classic myths and legends of Ovid.
TOP

Spring Sports Report

  • Women's Basketball: The Lady Griffins are 8-2 in conference, 18-9 overall, and are poised for a play-off berth. The team barely lost 64-60 to Palomar College, the fifth ranked team in the state.
  • Men's Basketball: The men are 6-6 in conference, 11-15 overall, and are looking to finish in the middle of the pack in the Pacific Coast Conference.
  • Women's Fast Pitch: The Lady Griffins are off to a fast start at 6-1 and look to be the team to beat in the PCC.
  • Baseball: The men are also off to a fast start at 6-1 with one of those victories coming against the number two ranked team in the nation, Fresno City College.
TOP

Condolences

Our entire campus community extends our sincere condolences to Jim Zuffoletto, a Grossmont adjunct AOJ instructor. Jim and wife Roselle recently lost their only son, Joseph, who was aboard the Congan Air commuter plane that crashed last week outside Buffalo. Joseph, 27, was on that plane as an off-duty captain hitching a ride home to Jamestown, N.Y. A flying enthusiast from an early age, Joseph earned his pilot’s license at age 17, learning to fly at Montgomery Field, even before he received his driver’s license. Jim, a reserve officer with the Chula Vista Police Dept., teaches criminal evidence here at Grossmont.

TOP

Letter to the President