COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY

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1 TO: FROM: DCCCD BOARD MEMBERS JOE D. MAY DATE: JULY 17, 2015 RE: WEEKEND MEMO #64 COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY Good afternoon! The start of the 2015 fall semester is only six weeks away and I know we are all preparing to welcome new and returning students to class. Everyone is busy with projects and plans that will provide pathways to success for our students. Have a great weekend, and we ll share more news next week! 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 Students The Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program, funded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), is designed to provide English language, mathematics, reading, and writing instruction to help students acquire the skills needed to succeed in the workforce, earn a high school diploma equivalency (GED), and/or enter college/career training. On July 7, North Lake College hosted an Orientation for the AEL Program where students completed paperwork for the TWC, the Texas Educating Adults Management System (TEAMS), and North Lake College registration. Details on the AEL program were given through a PowerPoint presentation; participants completed their assessments, which provided each student with a customized curriculum. Our Community Coach Cathy Carter and Clarence Nevels with 360 Volleyball Club hosted an All-skills Camp July 14 and 16, at North Lake College. The Camp, for 7th-12th-grade students, provided focus on passing, setting, hitting, blocking, and serving. Footwork, speed, transition, and positional technique training were also covered during the Camp.

2 Our Employees North Lake College English faculty, Pamela Ice, attended the Institute for Writing and Thinking, July The weeklong workshop was held at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Linda Ye, North Lake College adjunct mathematics instructor, won a number of medals at the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana Bloomington/Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, July The competition was attended by more than 12,000 athletes, ages 50 and up, from across the United States. In badminton, Ye s team won (in its age group) Champion of Mixed Doubles and Champion of Women s Doubles; Ye placed second in the Women s Singles competition. Brookhaven College Student Success Two students from Brookhaven College and two from the Early College High School (ECHS) at Brookhaven College recently volunteered at Camp ihope. Amanda Braswell, student and work-study assistant to Carrie Schweitzer, Brookhaven College sustainability director, volunteered as a camp photographer. Camp ihope serves children who have been diagnosed with or touched by cancer, and are treated at Medical City Children s Hospital. Along with Braswell, Stephanie Mendoza, college student and 10-year cancer survivor, also volunteered. ECHS students, Elizabeth and Marissa Rangel, served as counselors at the Camp; their younger sister is currently fighting the disease. Three Brookhaven College STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Scholars had the opportunity to present findings and research to leadership and executives from Sharyland Utilities (SU), a public electric utility, as part of an internship program that allows students to gain real professional experience. Local companies identified their challenges, and teams of students conducted research before reporting their findings to a leadership team. SU was the first company to sign on to work with students; the initial project team was made up of Brookhaven College students, Bawi An, Dayan Velasquez, and David Yanez. These students evaluated the impact of extreme weather in West Texas on the utility. On May 15, they presented their findings and made recommendations on how to mitigate the weather forces. Employee Success Dr. Thom Chesney, president of Brookhaven College, wrote a chapter for the newly released book, Opportunity Knocking: How Community College Presidents Can Lead a New Era of Advancement, from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). In his chapter, There s a Fundraiser Hidden Within Each of Us, Chesney describes how many of the skills a college president informally acquires through corporate, not-for-profit, board and community service, and social settings are highly transferable to the fundraising role expected of most higher education CEOs. Eastfield College Advance Student Success Congratulations to Eastfield College student, Billy Dennis, who has been selected as a Terry Foundation Transfer Scholarship winner. He will receive full tuition and books for up to three years at The University of Texas at Dallas, valued at up to $54,000. At Eastfield College, Dennis has not only been successful academically, but has been a writing consultant at The Link Learning Center, news editor for The Et Cetera (student newspaper), and peer advisor leader in the Office of Student Engagement and Retention. In addition, he has led a Student Success Series session on social media tips for students. Foster Faculty Success Eastfield College history faculty member, Mike Noble, attended the 2015 World History Association (WHA) Annual Conference in Savannah, GA, June 30-July 2, which attracted more than 300 attendees. In addition to numerous professional development sessions and workshops, the Conference offered more than a hundred sessions that focused on the discipline of world history. 2

3 The WHA is the largest organization of university, community college, and high school instructors who teach classes concerning world history. Meet Community Educational Needs The Child Development and Continuing Education departments at Eastfield College hosted the Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children Saturday Special training event for approximately 400 early care and early childhood education teachers and administrators on June 27. The event, which provided training in the areas of language, literacy, special needs, and diversity, helped participants return to their classrooms better prepared to implement strategies to support children s education success. Eastfield College faculty and staff who participated in the training include: Nancy Beaver, Susan Wyatt, Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez, Dawn Hallman, Karan Marshall, Valerie Munson, Elaine Clark, Elizabeth Ardis, Maria Lopez, Marla Ponce, Chemeana Thomas, and Esperanza Villarreal. Many former and current Eastfield College students also attended the training event. On July 10-11, Eastfield College students, faculty, and staff volunteered to hand out vouchers at Eastfield College Pleasant Grove Campus for the upcoming Dallas Mayor s Back to School Fair. The Fair is a collaborative effort among the City of Dallas, Dallas area schools, public health departments, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and hundreds of volunteers to help economically disadvantaged children start off the new school year with many of their school-related needs met in a one-stop destination. This year s Fair will take place August 7, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Fair Park in the Automobile and Centennial buildings. Richland College Employee Success Sgt. Barry Orton, Richland College Police, was recently recognized by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) at its 25th Annual Conference, which was held in Orlando, FL, July Orton began his affiliation with NASRO in 1994, becoming an instructor in 1997 and teaching the 40-hour, school-based, law enforcement instruction throughout the United States, including sessions at Richland College. He has also served on the NASRO Executive Board since 2006 in positions as second vice president, first vice president, president, and past president. Student Success The Richland College Honors Academy has recruited new students during the new-tocollege orientations conducted throughout the summer. The Honors Academy roster currently includes 532 honors students, with approximately 221 students enrolled in 23 dedicated honors sections this fall. Students have the opportunity to enroll in 21 different Richland College honors courses in mathematics, science, psychology, sociology, accounting, arts, English, and humanities. The Richland College Dance Program hosted the Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA) 2015 North Texas Summer Workshop in Fannin Hall on July 15. Gina Sawyer, Richland College dance professor and TDEA Region 3 representative, directed and facilitated the workshops and performance. Participating in the event were 40 dance educators and their students from area high schools in North Texas. Students from Richland College, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Tyler Junior College, and Trinity Valley Community College helped host the event. LeCroy Center Valuing Employees The LeCroy Center honored its professional support staff (PSS) with a PSS Appreciation Luncheon on July 15, in the LeCroy Conference Center. Staff members were treated to a special themed program, Spread Your Wings, which featured messages from LeCroy Center Provost Dr. Pam Quinn and the Leadership Team. Gloria Washington, 2015 LeCroy Center Professional Support Staff Part-time Employee of the Year, gave a heartfelt speech on Working in the District for 34 Years. Mary Bernal, LeCroy Center PSS president, received a special honorary butterfly crystal vase for 3

4 her dedication to and leadership of the Professional Support Staff Association. The LeCroy Center is located on a natural butterfly reserve. Cedar Valley College Our Health Services On July 13, Cedar Valley College hosted the annual summer Carter BloodCare mobile unit community blood drive on campus. This was a free community service activity for all Cedar Valley College staff and students (with proper identification). Blood donations will be used to help the Carter BloodCare Center of Dallas with its depleting blood supplies for emergency purposes. The event was sponsored by Cedar Valley College Health Services and college nurse, Mari Brock. For more information, visit Our Workforce Development & Continuing Education The Cedar Valley College Workforce Development & Continuing Education Department continues to prepare for the reopening of the Best Southwest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Cedar Hill on September 30. Since 1992, the Best Southwest SBDC has provided more than 12,000 hours of counseling for over 3,000 clients; helped small businesses create more than 500 new jobs and retain another 430 jobs; provided over 3,800 hours of training for 2,000 attendees; and assisted entrepreneurs and business owners in obtaining more than $26,221,000 in various types of financing. In addition, the Department is currently conducting classes in two Skills for Small Business grants for two prominent companies: Aguirre Roden, Inc. and Interprise/ Southwest Interior & Space Design. One grant is for the LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) Green Associate credential; the online class is providing 30 students with preparatory work for the LEED Green Associate exam, with some concentration on sustainability. On another subject, the Cedar Valley College Law Enforcement Academy continues to grow as it begins its fourth daytime academy for this year (after having only three last year). There are 23 cadets enrolled in the full-time course, which runs from July to November. Mountain View College Employee Success The most recent Coffee with the President took place July 15 in the Treetop Lounge at Mountain View College. The monthly event has become a great way for employees to not only enjoy a break from the office to have coffee with college President Dr. Robert Garza, but to network with colleagues they have not seen in a while. Since May, Garza has taken time out of his busy schedule to chat with employees in an informal setting to discuss anything of interest to the staff as well as answer questions and listen to suggestions regarding the campus. Coffee with the President is intended to connect the campus community and facilitate real administration communication. Community Success The Mountain View College Athletic Department will conduct a Softball Skills Clinic, August 6-7, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mountain View College Sports Complex. The cost for the two-day Clinic is $75. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) college coaches will provide participants exclusive training in base running, catching, beating, and slapping. The Clinic will also provide hands-on training for infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and catchers by current college coaches. This is a cost-effective opportunity to meet and work with divisions one, two, and three NAIA and NJCAA coaches, who will be working with participants throughout the Clinic. For more information, please call or , visit the Athletic Office (East Building - Room E04), or kmckinnon@dcccd.edu. Trinidad Trini Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College Academic Success Trinidad Trini Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College is proud to announce that student, Hugo Duran, has been selected for and will be participating in the High School Aerospace Scholars program. He will be spending a week studying at NASA Johnson Space Center in 4

5 Houston under the supervision and guidance of top notch engineers. Duran continues to soar towards his dream of becoming an astronaut. In the July 6 edition of Dallas ISD s The Hub, there is a great article about his extraordinary opportunity. Congratulations, Hugo, and much success towards fulfilling your dream! District Office Congratulations to a group of Financial Aid staff members from across the DCCCD who recently earned professional credentials from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, NASFAA University; they took online courses to complete those credentials. Ssatis Jones, financial aid specialist at the District Office, completed Cost of Attendance and Student Eligibility. Six other staff members completed Packaging and Notification of Awards : Karen Boston, senior financial aid advisor, North Lake College; Gina Coffman, financial aid advisor, El Centro College; Eli Cruz-Zavala, financial aid specialist, District Office; Carrie Pratt, senior financial aid manager, District Office; Jennifer Williams, financial aid advisor, North Lake College; and Neotashia Willis, financial aid specialist, District Office. NASFAA University offers a nationally recognized, consistent, rigorous program of education to administer the Title IV student financial aid program. Goldman Sachs has released a report, conducted by Babson College, about the success of its 10,000 Small Businesses program, which is garnering national attention for overall success. In the Dallas area, DCCCD is the 10KSB education partner for the program, and area entrepreneurs are taking a series of modules, delivered at the Bill J. Priest Institute of Economic Development, that helps them build successful businesses. Almost a hundred North Texas small business owners have participated in the program; members of the first Dallas-Fort Worth area cohort are working on six-month updates, which will be included in next year s report. Classes have begun for the second cohort, which will be adding its success measures next year as well. Overall, the new report surveyed approximately 2,300 of the 5,000 participants who have benefited from the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program. In only 18 months, nationally, 76 percent of 10KSB graduates increased their revenues after they completed the program, and 57.1 percent created new jobs. DCCCD Chancellor Dr. Joe May led the Dallas effort to bring the 10KSB program to this area. El Centro College El Centro College President Dr. Jose Adames attended the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents in Cambridge, MA, July The Seminar provided participants with a practical and conceptual orientation to the presidency. The five-day program included intensive, interactive sessions that addressed academic leadership, governance, fundraising, financial management, administrative team building, and strategic planning. 5