COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY

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1 TO: FROM: DCCCD BOARD MEMBERS JOE D. MAY DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2015 RE: WEEKEND MEMO #80 COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY Good afternoon! We ve seen many exciting activities and programs this week that gave us many reasons to celebrate. Cedar Valley College announced a new $2.4 million grant it received from the U.S. Department of Education that will help African-American males pursue STEM careers. We saluted active duty and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces during several Veterans Day programs that honored those who have served our country. Our trustees met and discussed proposed employee compensation recommendations and many other items of business for the DCCCD. You play an important role in our forward momentum and in the higher education network we are building. Thank you for those efforts, and keep up the good work. Have a great weekend! Joe May (Note: For the best viewing experience, please use the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, or Apple Safari.) Mountain View College Academic Success Mountain View College nursing students shined on the licensure exam! The Texas Board of Nursing has released the preliminary 2015 pass rates for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)-RN, and Mountain View College students excelled. Those students (who graduated in May) achieved a 95 percent pass rate for first time candidates who took the exam. This is a huge improvement over previous low passing rates. Congratulations to Mountain View College Interim Dean of Nursing Cherlyn Shultz-Ruth and the entire nursing faculty and staff for this major accomplishment.

2 Community Success Mountain View College s Dr. Robert Garza, president, and Dr. Ken Alfers, history faculty, recently paid a visit to Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas. They met with Kate Dailey, president of Bishop Dunne, to discuss increasing its student participation in dual credit classes. Garza expressed there are many opportunities to partner together in serving Bishop Dunne students and that he and Alfers look forward to working with Dailey and her team. On November 7, Dr. Robert Garza, president of Mountain View College, attended the Chorizo and Menudo Community Breakfast where he shared his vision for the college with more than a hundred Dallas-area community members. He touched on the vision for Mountain View College student retention, increased graduation rates, and the desire to continue elevating the school s community footprint. For more than a decade, the Chorizo and Menudo Community Breakfast event has been hosted by League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Chapter 102 the first Saturday of each month in Dallas. These unique breakfast meetings are free and open to the public. Past guests include elected officials and community leaders who have covered major issues facing Hispanics in the Dallas- Fort Worth area. Employee Success Mountain View College hosted the North Texas Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) for a regional training session at the college s Athletic Complex. More than 80 players and their families attended the session. Two members of the Mountain View College family assisted the ODP team; Head Soccer Coach Brad Namdar served as an instructional coach and Assistant Soccer Coach Jaime Ibarra coached the goalkeepers. The top youth players in Texas attend regional training sessions to compete for spots on future U.S. national soccer teams. To learn more about ODP, go to North Lake College Our Students The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) unveiled the winners of its national competition during the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention, which was held in Austin, October 28-November 1. Grant Ziegler, former editor of the North Lake College student newspaper, News-Register, won fourth place in the Diversity category for his in-depth story, Noriega Bill Helps Students. The story first appeared in the November 24, 2014 edition of the newspaper as the fourth installment of the five-part series, Struggles of the American College Student. Ziegler s story was one of five recognized by the ACP. In addition, the 2014 issue of Duck Soup (North Lake College literary magazine), which Ziegler edited and designed, was a finalist in the Literary Magazine category. The student publications manager at North Lake College is Kathleen Stockmier. Our Community The North Lake College Gallery is displaying art created by Diana Antohe and Fannie Brito through November 19. A reception for the artists was held on October 21. North Lake College Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator Lesly Castillo was among the vendors who attended the AAA Texas Teen Driver Safety Fair on October 17 in Irving. As automobile crashes are one of the leading causes of accidents and injuries among teenagers and young adults, the important information shared was very valuable and helpful to the high school and college drivers who attended the Fair. Thirteen representatives from the North Lake College G-Force or the Go Center participated in the event. Our Employees On October 20, North Lake College Director of Learning Resources and Title IX Coordinator Kent Seaver made a presentation, entitled Title IX in Community Colleges: What it Means to Colleges and Students, at the Student Affairs Community College Association (SACCA) Region 5 Conference, which was held at Tarrant County College - Trinity River Campus in Fort Worth. The Conference included representatives from schools not only in Texas, but Arkansas, Louisiana, New 2

3 Mexico, and Oklahoma. Seaver s presentation focused on the initiatives North Lake College has taken to ensure students and staff understand their rights under Title IX. Brookhaven College Student Success The editors and staff of the Brookhaven Courier student newspaper brought home 24 awards from the 2015 Texas Community College Journalism Association (TCCJA) convention, setting a new record for the group. The convention was held on October 30 in Austin in conjunction with the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention. At the TCCJA convention, the Courier s news team competed both in canned contests, with previously published materials, and in a live competition against newspaper staffs from community colleges across the state. The editors submitted the Brookhaven College student and employee zine, The Windmill (Vol. 4, Fall 2015), in the Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show competition for literary magazines. The edition won sixth place, competing against entries from four-year universities and two-year colleges across the nation and parts of Canada, with 322 member schools represented and more than 1,775 registered attendees. The Windmill was the only literary magazine in Texas to win the award. Institutional Effectiveness On November 7, the Radiologic Sciences program at Brookhaven College celebrated a milestone its 10th anniversary! At the reception, students, graduates, clinical instructors, and program supporters came together to celebrate the program and its successes. Brookhaven College s Christi Carter, Valerie Martin, Shonna Cuffee, Sharon Watson, and Lori Favors coordinated the event with support from donations from Shimadzu Medical Systems, Konica Minolta Medical Systems, and University of Phoenix Dallas Campus - College of Health Professions. Approximately 110 guests attended the event, toured the facilities, and reconnected with classmates and instructors. Community Outreach Approximately a dozen volunteers from Brookhaven College, including students and employees, manned a booth at the annual Carrollton Festival at the Switchyard on November 7. City representatives have indicated that more than 27,000 attendees enjoyed the all-day family-friendly event that offered free entertainment and activities. This festival is the largest city-sponsored event that the City of Carrollton holds each year. On November 6-8, thousands crowded the Brookhaven College campus for the Susan G. Komen Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day, a 60-mile walk for women and men in support of ending breast cancer. This is the sixth consecutive year the college has been the host site for all those who walk, and most who volunteer, for the event. The walk brought more than 300 Komen volunteers and 1,000 walkers to the campus. Brookhaven College Police, Facilities Services, Business Services, and student and employee volunteers worked many hours to see everything ran smoothly at the campus and help make the 3-Day a success. El Centro College Community Partnerships On November 4, the El Centro College Library hosted a visit by students from the entrepreneurship class from Duncanville High School, accompanied by their instructor, Laura Satterfield. Dr. Norman Howden, El Centro College assistant dean of educational resources, Library, led the group on a tour of the Business Growth Center and Library at the Bill J. Priest Campus of El Centro College. The students also heard presentations from Rose Blair, director of the Dallas Metropolitan Small Business Development Center, and Professor Wade Hyde of the El Centro College Fashion Marketing program. Employees Karen Stills Royster, dean of student success at El Centro College, recently participated in the 14th Annual National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA) Leadership Development Institute. 3

4 As an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Institute s curriculum is based on the AACC Competencies for Community College Leaders (Second Edition, 2013). These competencies include organizational strategy, institutional finance, research, fundraising, resource management, communication, collaboration, and community college advocacy. Each year, 30 midlevel administrator applicants from across the country are selected to participate in the Institute. A host of distinguished community college leaders facilitate sessions aimed at preparing African Americans in community colleges for executive leadership roles. Stills Royster and Dr. Chemene Crawford, vice president of student services and enrollment management at El Centro College, have been selected to serve as board members for the southern region of the NCBAA, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Students Students, faculty, and staff of the Food and Hospitality Institute (FHI) at El Centro College played a major role in executing the Chefs for Farmers activities throughout the weekend of October Forty students volunteered and every faculty and staff member played a part in this huge support activity for a very high-profile organization, which is highly visible on the national culinary scene. Beginning on October 22, the teaching and learning kitchen facilities kicked into high gear as a distribution hub for donated food products and production facilities for out-of-town chefs. FHI students were privileged to work with some of the most respected chefs in the country, including Chef Justin Brunson of Old Major in Denver, CO; Chef Craig Deihl of Cypress and Artisan Meat Share in Charleston, SC; and many more. After all the prep work was completed at El Centro College, more work was done in the Design District as students partnered approximately 55 chefs from across Texas and beyond to serve approximately 500 guests on Saturday and more than 2,000 on Sunday in a celebration spotlighting the farm-to-table and fresh foods movement. For more information about this event, please visit El Centro College s Fashion Design adjunct faculty member, Michael Einsohn; Fashion Design instructor, Brenda Carlson; and two student design winners attended the Gerber ideation2015 conference in Las Vegas, NV, October ideation is the premier software conference dedicated to fashion and retail professionals who rely on software solutions from Gerber Technology to get products to market faster, minimize costs, and ensure quality. The group met representatives from Adidas, Reebok, Merrill, Express, Venus, Kellwood, and Varsity, to name a few. Learning how these apparel companies have integrated computerized technology in the workplace allowed everyone to see how more technology and software applications could be integrated into fashion courses. It also confirmed the importance of El Centro College s new fashion course offerings. The students garments were shown in a runway show along with the historic fashion inspirations. Tim Gunn of Project Runway served as keynote speaker at the event and was very complimentary of the creations of El Centro College students, Natalia Gilca and Kenneth Espinosa. Not only were their designs featured, but their patterns and tech packs were used for professional training purposes. Gilca and Espinosa also participated in a panel discussion with other design winners. In addition, Barry Fuhrman, El Centro College graduate and current Gerber employee, led various breakout sessions throughout the conference. Eastfield College Ensure Institutional Effectiveness On November 3, the Collision Repair Education Foundation announced that Eastfield College was one of four winners of a GEICO collision school grant for The four colleges will receive $5,500 each to purchase items off their collision tool, equipment, and supply wish list from their application. The other winners were Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA; Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg, VA; and Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, VA. Bill DeGrocco, assistant vice president of GEICO, noted that with the complexity of today s automobile, GEICO recognizes the importance of developing the appropriate skills and having the proper equipment and technical education in auto collision repair. 4

5 Advance Student Success The Eastfield College student newspaper and literary magazine won 24 state awards in the Texas Community College Journalism Association s annual student media contests, including first place in Newspaper: Overall Excellence. Other first-place awards won by The Et Cetera newspaper staff in the Previously Published contest were: Cartoon (Jonathan Wences), News Story (Braulio Tellez), Sports Photo (Jonathan Wences), Layout and Design (Jeff Flores, Jonathan Wences, and Braulio Tellez), and Website (staff). Also receiving awards were Parker Ward, James Hartley, Matthew Rohan, Brad Watkins, Courtney Schwing, Tony Neese, and Sidney Murillo. The Alternative literary magazine also won honorable mention for Overall Excellence in the Magazine category, and Monica Bolton was awarded third place in Cover Design. During the live multimedia competition held at the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association National College Media Convention in Austin, October 28-November 1, Eastfield College placed first in five of six categories, including Best Multimedia Package. The other first-place awards were: Best Multimedia Element (video by Raul Ulloa, Keturah Jones, and Matthew Rohan), Best Story (Parker Ward, James Hartley, and Andrea Carrizales), Best Headline (James Hartley and Keturah Jones), and Best Photo Story (Alejandra Rosas and Brianna Harmon). The students multimedia project, which was produced using only cell phones, can be viewed at Congratulations to Eastfield College point guard, Tevin Corprew, for being selected the National Junior College Athletic Association, Metro Athletic Conference Region V Division III Men s Basketball Player of the Week for November 2-8. Corprew, who has now earned this honor two consecutive weeks, scored 26 points and added 13 assists and 4 steals in a win over the Texas Wesleyan University junior varsity team, which had recently beaten No. 3, Mountain View College. Foster Employee Success Eastfield College speech faculty Courtney Brazile presented two workshops and participated in a panel discussion at the National Council on Student Development (NCSD) Conference in Baltimore, MD, October At the Career Technology + Learning Communities = Completion Success workshop, his presentation focused on implementing career technology learning communities and contextualizing core courses to meet students needs. He also discussed the retention model for the Men s Achievement, Leadership, Empowerment, and Service club at his M.A.L.E.S.: An Engagement Model for Retaining Men of Color workshop, while highlighting best practices to improve student success rates. Brazile also served as moderator for the NCSD Board of Directors panel discussion, Reality of Community College Leaders. Past and present board members discussed their roles and responsibilities at community colleges across the nation, sharing the challenges they faced and how higher education professionals can make a difference. Cedar Valley College Our Veterans and College Male Initiative Grant On November 11, Cedar Valley College President Dr. Jennifer Wimbish; The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. member of Congress; Marcus Knight, mayor of Lancaster; and superintendents of area schools, including Cedar Hill, Desoto, and Lancaster ISDs, along with various faculty and staff from Cedar Valley College and the DCCCD, were in attendance for the awarding of the U.S. Department of Education s Predominantly Black Institutions program grant, Pipelines & Pathways, at Cedar Valley College. The college will receive funding over the next five years to strengthen its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and improve access and completion rates of African-American males. The project will target 6,000 students over the five year period; anticipated results include a 15 percent increase in the number of African-American males who enroll in STEM courses, with a secondary outcome of ensuring those students complete their associate degrees and certificates. Cedar Valley College is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an African American-Serving Institution and a Minority-Serving Institution, based upon its high percentage of African American and minority student population. The project-based learning grant 5

6 will focus on integrated STEM educational outcomes, academic coaching resources, institutionalizing dual credit/early college high school, promoting STEM teacher effectiveness/professional development, student retention, graduation, and Career Pathway opportunities. Our College Recognition Representatives from Cedar Valley College and the DCCCD participated in the second Mentor Connect cohort. The team included Gerald Lemons, Shanese Alexander, and Dr. Ruben Johnson. Also, the Cedar Valley College National Science Foundation (NSF) Logistics, Supply Chain Management, and Manufacturing Technology grant team is being recognized by the South Carolina Advanced Technological Education National Resource Center. The college is using a nearly $200,000 NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant to start a supply chain management and manufacturing program. In addition, Mentor Connect offers mentoring, technical assistance, and other support to help two-year college educators prepare competitive proposals for the NSF ATE program. Our Workforce Development & Continuing Education On November 12, Cedar Valley College Law Enforcement Academy (LEA) hosted the graduation ceremony for its latest class of cadets. The class began with 24 cadets and finished with 19 graduating 16 who passed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement test with an 85 percent pass rate. The Cedar Valley College LEA currently has a day and an evening class in progress with a total of 42 cadets; an overlapping day course will begin in January, adding 20 more cadets giving the Academy a total of 60. Additionally, on October 22, the DeSoto Fire Academy, in conjunction with Cedar Valley College, had 18 cadets in its Class 55 graduation ceremony. The event was well attended with special recognition given to Cedar Valley College and its Continuing Education Department. Representatives in attendance included Gerald Andrews, Cedar Valley College manager of business and sales, Workforce Development & Continuing Education, who has been instrumental in the partnership development with the DeSoto Fire Academy. Richland College Student Success Student athletes on both the Richland College women s and men s soccer teams have advanced to compete for National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship titles in Herkimer, NY, November The women athletes enjoyed a motivational speech by Christie Rampone, captain of the U.S. Women s National Soccer Team and winner of the 2015 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women s World Cup, during a tournament banquet on November 11. On November 12, Richland College percussion music majors, Christian Barrera, Roland Garza, Corey Gamble, Destin Ramos, and John Villalas, performed in the Percussive Arts Society International College Solo Competition in San Antonio. They participated as the only two-year college students and competed against 20 top four-year college and university percussion students. This is the world s largest percussion competition of its kind with more than 5,000 drummers and percussionists participating. Sustainable Community Building Richland College s partnership with Associa Shared Services Center in Richardson was honored with the 2015 EDGE Public/Non-Profit Education Award in the Economic Development, Growth & Expansion (EDGE) initiative of the Richardson Economic Development Partnership and Richardson Chamber of Commerce awards competition during the annual EDGE Awards Luncheon on November 12. EDGE Awards recognize Richardson companies and organizations that have achieved extraordinary success and/or made significant investments in Richardson. Richland College Corporate Services has trained 60 percent of the Associa workforce to enhance productivity and career advancement for Associa employees, made possible by a $449,988 Texas Workforce Commission grant. Richland College observed Veterans Day on November 11 with The Blood of Heroes Never Dies ceremony and display of 5,171 ceramic poppies representing the lives of the Texas soldiers and one 6

7 nurse killed during World War I. The ceramic poppy installation resulted from a Richland College collaboration among Dr. Clive Siegle, history professor; Jen Rose, ceramics professor; and 500 student, faculty, staff, and community volunteers and corporate and individual sponsors. The poppies installed lakeside depict the bright red flowers that survived World War I s devastation and grew among the battlefield graves in Western Europe. The installation will remain on display through November 24 when the poppies, which are being sold to raise funds for Puppies Behind Bars (a project that helps prison inmates train service dogs for wounded veterans), will be claimed by the purchasers. The Poppy Project received news coverage on Channels 5 and 11, and by The Dallas Morning News. District Office The DCCCD Financial Aid Department recently attended the Southwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Boot Camp and Conference. The Boot Camp is designed for new financial aid officers; it provided in-depth training about core federal regulations for attendees, Maury French, Melody Hopkins, and Monica Medina, who represented the District. Several Financial Aid staff members and administrators participated in the Conference, including French, Medina, Debra Knighten, Cynthia Butler, Pamela Shuttlesworth, and Carrie Pratt. Participants in both events were also given the opportunity to become credentialed in various financial aid modules. Knighten, Shuttlesworth, and Pratt completed the Leadership workshop and were certified in that module. DCCCD Veterans Council team members recruited more than 60 college students and staff members to participate in the Dallas Veterans Day Parade, held November 11. The comradery of the studentcentered approach among DCCCD student veterans and other students and staff members received positive recognition from parade viewers. Special thanks go to the District Office Marketing and Outreach staff for providing signs and candy, and to Dr. Fernando Figueroa, DCCCD vice chancellor of educational policy, for supporting the colleges student success initiatives. The DCCCD Foster Care Initiative planning meeting on November 9, convened at the District Office where several members of the foster care community Transition Resource Action Center, Circles of Support, and Preparation for Adult Living programs shared information and resources with DCCCD colleges Foster Care Champions. Networking and sharing information provided guidance as the group enhanced its mission and goals, and worked together to align as a network institution. Dr. Shirley Higgs of the District Office facilitated the session; attendees included Krystal Singleton and Claudette Drake - El Centro College; Patrick Morgan, Brittany Smith, and Lakisha Wooden - Eastfield College; Cassie Bennett - North Lake College; Joe Johnson - Richland College; and Registrars Council representative, Thoa Vo - Brookhaven College. The Las Llaves del Exito/The Keys to Success event, held October 31, was a huge success! More than 1,400 middle and high school students and their parents participated. The free one-day college fair was presented by DCCCD, Dallas ISD, and Mountain View College, where the program was held. Students and parents attended workshops about navigating the higher education system, while learning about related subjects, such as financial aid and scholarships. More than 240 volunteers gave of their time and effort; 39 exhibitors for area colleges, universities, and educational organizations participated; and Dallas County Schools sponsored 31 buses for student transportation. Thanks to the detailed planning of the Las Llaves Committee led by Esther Canales of District Office Marketing and Communications, the event was an immense success. LeCroy Center Supporting Employee Success Audra Barrett, former vice president of student and instructional services for Dallas Colleges Online (at the LeCroy Center), was announced as the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Women of Today Award by Altrusa International of Richardson. Barrett was honored in the 7

8 Education category among a stellar field of nominees from across the Metroplex. The Award is a distinguished honor recognizing her professional accomplishments in her career with the DCCCD and also her important contributions to the local community. Women are nominated for exemplifying determination and innovation, and for making an outstanding contribution in their careers. Altrusa is an international nonprofit organization, making local communities better through leadership, partnership, and service. Barrett s current position is vice president of instruction at Cedar Valley College. Supporting Institutional Effectiveness LeCroy Center s Patti Jennings, Resource Development, and Theresa Roffino, retiree, facilitated a Compression Planning session for the Cedar Valley College President s Cabinet on November 12. The session was the second part in the college workshop to focus staff on envisioning Cedar Valley College as a best place to work. On November 6, several teams from the LeCroy Center participated in the North Texas Community College Consortium 2015 Higher Education Technology Forum, held at Cedar Valley College. Janice Christophel, instructional designer; James Bryan Smith, lead instructional designer; and Kay Hampshire, instructional designer, presented a session on Something Old, Something New: Is Open Source Working for You? Benjamin Nye, instructional support specialist; Stephen Govea, software/systems trainer; Steven Rothschild, information technology facilitator; and June Haldeman, ecampus software trainer, facilitated a lively discussion on Finding Humans in Digital Spaces. Also, Rick Walker, director of STARLINK, and Robert Rosenbalm, managing director of the National University Technology Network (NUTN) presented a session on STARLINK and NUTN: Instructional Technology and Professional Development Resources. The LeCroy Center participated in the national initiative, National Distance Learning Week (NDLW), November 9-13, sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). During NDLW, all USDLA sectors, including pre-k-12, higher education, corporate, government/military, and Telehealth, help to educate their constituents on the growth in distance learning and showcase their accomplishments. The LeCroy Center presented free webinars, resources, and open studio calls for faculty and staff throughout the week. In addition, all DCCCD colleges participated in a social media campaign to promote online learning. 8