COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY

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1 TO: FROM: DCCCD BOARD MEMBERS JOE D. MAY DATE: DECEMBER 12, 2014 RE: WEEKEND MEMO #38 COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY Good afternoon! This week, we have been strengthening partnerships with businesses as we build new opportunities for our students to learn and succeed. I ll be back next week to talk about some of those efforts. Thank you for putting our students first. Joe May (Note: For the best viewing experience, please use the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, or Apple Safari.) North Lake College Our Employees Congratulations to Eddie Tealer, interim vice president of business services at North Lake College. He has earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in leadership studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. He will receive his doctorate on December 13 during fall commencement exercises on campus. Our Students Domestic Violence Awareness Week, October at North Lake College, promoted a movement to end relationship and sexual violence. Several North Lake College departments along with numerous organizations sponsored a variety of events throughout the week. On October 20, the North Lake College chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society sponsored speaker, Jody Plauche, an abused survivor and activist. On October 21, the Student Life Center held a screening of a new HBO documentary, Private Violence. Also, the North Lake College chapter of the Psi Beta National Honor Society and the Student Life Office hosted an addiction seminar on October 23. North Lake College s Psi Beta Fall Induction Ceremony was held on October 11 in the Student Life Center. Psi Beta is the national honor society in psychology for community and junior colleges. The

2 keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Curt Carlson of Texas A&M University. Professor Enrique Otero, faculty advisor for the North Lake College chapter of Psi Beta, introduced the 10 students being inducted into the Honor Society. On October 28, North Lake College North Campus Logistics and Supply Chain Club held its first roundtable event. Jeff Wendt, North Lake College logistics technology program coordinator, and Tony Cope, president of the club, kicked off the event by welcoming more than 25 students, faculty, and industry representatives. The keynote speakers were Misa Kandachi and Greg Darter from Yusen Logistics, and Felix Caban from VIO Integration. The goal of the Logistics and Supply Chain Club is to bring industry experts together with students and community members to provide them an opportunity to learn from and network with business connections. El Centro College On November 14, the El Centro College STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Club made a trip to a lung cancer lab at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. During a 90-minute tour of the facility, students got a glimpse of the daily life of researchers in a lab setting. They looked through microscopes at cancer cell lines and learned about tissue culture techniques. Researchers also discussed targeting vulnerabilities in cancer cells as well as using genetic models to study cancer. The main focus of the visit was to expose students to various scientific research methods involved in cancer therapy investigations. The Workforce Training Department at El Centro College Bill J. Priest Campus has entered into an agreement with the Sherwin-Williams home office/plant in Garland. The agreement includes a paid internship for the Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (IMM) students to work at the plant over the upcoming holiday break. This will provide them an excellent opportunity to shadow a seasoned employee at Sherwin-Williams and gain real life experience. The company has expressed a growing need for trained IMMs and will look to the Bill J. Priest Institute to help bridge the labor gap. Sister DCCCD colleges are invited to contact Project Leader Sandra Mitchell (sandra.mitchell@dcccd.edu) with questions and/or names of possible candidates. Hack the Future - Urban Youth Hackathon will take place at El Centro College West Campus, December More than 50 local middle and high school students will explore technology concepts to address community concerns and social problems. The students will create mobile apps, video games, and web pages in an effort to help make the world a better place. The event is sponsored by the DCCCD, El Centro College, Project Still I Rise, The University of Texas at Dallas, IBM, West Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and Texas Capital Bank. On December 6, more than 30 new members were invited to participate in the El Centro College Fall 2014 Phi Theta Kappa Sigma Tau Chapter Induction Ceremony. The new inductees were invited to the ceremony to celebrate their academic achievements and to be sworn in as new members. They learned about the history of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and were challenged to embrace the sometimes unexpected turns that life takes. A reception was held at the conclusion of the ceremony. The event was organized and led by the current executive officers of Sigma Tau. Cedar Valley College Our Resource Development Cedar Valley College Alumni Services will host the first annual Winter Mix on December 17, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in the Cedar Valley College Fine Arts lobby (E Building). Invitations were sent to more than 300 alumni of the college. The main goals for this holiday kickoff are to raise funds for future Cedar Valley College scholarships, develop an alumni advisory board, and identify community resources and liaisons. It is the intent of Alumni Services to create a successful and 2

3 memorable night to usher in a super spring The event is being sponsored by Patricia Davis, Cedar Valley College executive dean of community and resource development. Our Community Outreach On December 4, the Cedar Valley College Athletic Department participated in a Cedar Valley College athletic and community engagement event at the Lancaster Recreation Center. The college basketball teams conducted a basketball camp with the young children of the community. Several members of the men s and women s teams practiced with young men of the local Lancaster Junior Mavs, demonstrating valuable basketball dribbling techniques as well as shooting and defensive skills to help improve their confidence on the court. The event was sponsored by Coach Krasi Kolarov, Cedar Valley College Athletic Department director, and Chris Carter, head men s basketball coach. Our Performing Arts The Cedar Valley College Family Music Theatre (FMT) completed a successful nine-performance run of A Christmas Carol, The Musical on December 6. The next FMT production will be In the Heights, presented through a special arrangement with R&H Theatricals. Auditions for the production are currently scheduled for January 5-6 at 7 p.m., with a rehearsal on January 9 at 7 p.m. Performances will take place February 27-28, March 6-7, and March in the Cedar Valley College Performance Hall. For more information, visit the FMT web page ( Richland College Sustainable Community Building In a continuing commitment to building sustainable local and world community, end-of-year performance data for Richland College indicate that in the college exceeded targets for minimization of pounds of waste generated and increased pounds of waste diverted from landfills. This performance is trending in a 41 percent, 3-year reduction in the pounds of waste generated and a 49 percent, 3-year increase in the amount of waste diverted from landfills. Student Success Congratulations to Richland College women s soccer athletes, Cassandra Andrade and Lauren Vasquez, for being named Women s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III First Team All-Americans, and to Richland College men s soccer athlete, Fernando Arellano, for being named Men s NJCAA Division III First Team All-American. Congratulations also go to Scott Toups, women s soccer coach, and Sean Worley, men s soccer coach, on again guiding their student athletes to highly successful seasons both on and off the field. Employee Success Congratulations to Monique Benatar, Richland College assistant human resources director, on having been selected to receive the Richland College Professional Support Staff Employee of the Year Award. She was honored for her excellence in demonstrating exemplary technical proficiency, timeliness, accuracy, and attention to detail in providing outstanding customer service, patience, and caring for co-workers and position applicants. Institutional Effectiveness The annual Richland College End of Year Report recently published by the Richland College Office of Planning, Research, Effectiveness, and Development provides data indicating that the 1,723 associate degrees awarded by Richland College during exceeds the performance measure target and reflects a 5-year positive trend. Eastfield College Foster Employee Success The first ever DCCCD Purple Hearts were presented to Eastfield College Police Sgt. Melissa Jacobs and Officer Elias Reymundo at the Eastfield College annual staff holiday party on December 10. Jacobs and Reymundo were recognized for their bravery and heroism following an altercation on campus in early November. Both sustained injuries during the incident and the assailant was arrested by Mesquite Police. Other agencies that participated in the search and arrest include police departments from Dallas and Garland, and Mesquite Fire and Rescue. Representatives from all of 3

4 these agencies attended the recognition ceremony. In addition, both officers received flags that were flown over the State Capitol in their honor from Texas State Representative Cindy Burkett. Advance Student Success Seven Eastfield College students won cash prizes in Texas Wesleyan University s 2014 Community College Student Writing Competition. Eastfield College swept the Creative Nonfiction category, with Bridget Menard winning first place, Billy Dennis taking second, and Courtney Schwing earning third. Eastfield College students also fared well in Feature Writing, in which Braulio Tellez took first prize, and Sidney Murillo and Karina Dunn tied for second. Jose Gomez was the secondplace finisher in the Poetry competition. The students were honored at an awards program held on December 2 at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. First-prize winners in each category received $100; second-prize winners, $50; and third-prize winners, $25. The Eastfield College Anime/Videogame Club, in conjunction with the English Language Learning Advisement Center and the Arts and Communications Division, hosted the first Anime Movie Day on November 7. The event included the viewings of two films, Howl s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, in addition to several interactive activities. Cosplay (a ninja game) and sword fighting were popular among students and even some faculty. Eastfield College Foreign Language Professor Leonard Evans and his wife, Motoko Ishihara Evans, also demonstrated Japanese calligraphy skills. Using katakana and kanji, they helped more than 80 students write their names in Japanese on index cards. Katakana refers to the modern syllables used in written Japanese, while kanji is the more traditional form of writing derived from Chinese characters. Brookhaven College Institutional Effectiveness A team of 20 Brookhaven College employees spent December 4 and 5 at the LeCroy Center in an intensive Compression Planning session with McNellis & Associates. The group was focused on aligning the college s goals with the DCCCD Board of Trustees new strategic priorities. The group, which consisted of a cross section of employees across disciplines and departments, discussed hundreds of critical reasons for change, and examined practices and ideas long-held to be beyond criticism, which also serve as barriers to change. The initial outcomes of the session identified four concrete action plans to prepare to integrate the college values into everyday practice, shorten decision-making time and processes, identify potential private sector partners, expand outreach for dual credit programs, and make better use of current software resources. Community Engagement and Student Success The Brookhaven College Civic Engagement Showcase was held on November 25. This biannual event serves as an avenue for service-learning students to highlight their work from the semester. Students compete in the Showcase, which is led by Andrew Deibert, service-learning and civic engagement coordinator at Brookhaven College. Awards and prizes are presented for submissions that effectively explain the student s community partner, reflect on any personal growth experienced, show connections between service and learning, highlight the impact on the community, and reveal any challenges and rewards for participants. Student Success In November, the Automotive Technology Department at Brookhaven College chose to share an item from its unique supplies with the college s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department. A Nissan Infiniti used in the automotive program was re-assigned for use to the EMS program. Alex Stadthagen, associate dean in the Health and Human Services Division at Brookhaven College, stated that having the vehicle would greatly enhance the EMS Department s ability to conduct extraction scenarios and allow students to practice the skills needed for freeing victims of automobile accidents on a more regular basis. Cars used by the automotive area are donated to the program, so sharing resources at this level involved the cooperation of Nissan as well as the generosity and creative thinking of Sandy Wyche, Brookhaven College executive dean of business studies, along with 4

5 Automotive Technology Department faculty members, Don Jones, David McNabb, and John Gattis, and lab assistant, Ralph Downey. LeCroy Center On December 9, LeCroy Center staff celebrated the holiday season with its annual Holiday Luncheon and Awards Recognition; current and former staff members attended the program. Ten employees were honored for their more than 155 combined years of service to the DCCCD: Evelyn Wong - 30 years; Susan Klutts - 25 years; Veraina Boudreaux - 20 years; Valerie Cavazos, Lewis Gonzales, and Craig Wright - 15 years; Ami Stovall, Melissa Turner, and Barbara James - 10 years; and David Wood - 5 years. Congratulations to this year s LeCroy Center longevity award honorees! In addition, the winner of the LeCroy Center Ugly Sweater Christmas Contest was named Luke Barron (Motion Imaging)! Mountain View College Institutional Effectiveness On December 11, Mountain View College held its annual Holiday Brunch with the President. Employees enjoyed a barbecue lunch and desserts, and the company of one another in celebration of the end of another successful semester and year. Community Outreach Thanks to the goodwill of the entire campus and its participation in the Angel Tree program, the Mountain View College Student Government Association delivered more than 75 gifts to the Salvation Army, assisting the agency in helping North Texas children and seniors during the holiday season. This annual event provides an opportunity for students and employees to adopt an Angel and give back to our community. Student Success On December 5, the Mountain View College Omega Omega Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society held its Fall 2014 Induction Ceremony and Reception. The college is proud to have had 48 students inducted into the largest honor society in American higher education and the official honor society for two-year colleges. Mountain View College Interim President Dr. Preston Pulliams delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. 5