COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY

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1 TO: FROM: DCCCD BOARD MEMBERS JOE D. MAY DATE: NOVEMBER 21, 2014 RE: WEEKEND MEMO #36 COMMENTS FROM JOE D. MAY Good afternoon! Workforce issues, training grants, blue ribbons, and healthy living were all part of a fast-paced group of activities I would like to share with you: Have a safe holiday and a happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Joe May (Note: For the best viewing experience, please use the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, or Apple Safari.) El Centro College On November 11, Cristina Lawson, STEM Center director, and Kristina Every, STEM transfer coordinator, represented the El Centro College STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Center at the STEMtech conference in Denver, CO. They served as presenters at a concurrent session, titled Partnerships that Pop! The presentation reflected the different outreach and retention techniques used in the STEM Center to create awareness in STEM fields. The main highlight was the success stories and quality services provided at El Centro College. There was also an open discussion on how the Center helps build partnerships, with the goal of bridging the gap between education and the expectations from the work environment within those fields. The Big D Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and the 2014 Texas-Louisiana Division IAAP Annual Meeting Host Committee combined funds to establish the new DFW Area International Association of Administrative Professionals Award Scholarship, through the DCCCD Foundation. The Scholarship will be awarded to students majoring in the Business Office Systems and Support (BOSS) Executive Assistant Associate in Applied Sciences degree program at El Centro College who qualify based on the submitted criteria. Two scholarships will be awarded each

2 spring and fall semester. Olivia Frazier Kerr, coordinator/professor of the BOSS Program at El Centro College, accepted the awarded scholarship check in the amount of $2,450 from Pam Morison, CAP-OM, on behalf of the Big D Chapter IAAP and the 2014 TX-LA Division Annual Meeting Host Committee. Morison presented the award at the recent BOSS Program Advisory Board Meeting. (See attached photograph.) The El Centro College Invasive Cardiovascular Technology (ICVT) program is serious about community service. Historically, ICVT students have been avid participants in healthcare-based events in the Dallas area, volunteering for events, such as the (Susan G. Komen) Rock n Roll Half Marathon, The Red Balloon Run (benefiting Children s Medical Center Plano), and the Run for Zachary. The class, however, has taken volunteerism to a new level during the fall 2014 semester by representing the Health and Legal Studies Division of El Centro College at three separate events. The ICVT class participated in two American Heart Association events Heart Walk and the Eat Healthy Day (on the El Centro College campus) and manned the peripheral vascular disease (PVD) screening station at Methodist Dallas Medical Center s recent PVD Awareness event. (See attached photographs.) On November 14, Fashion Group International of Dallas hosted its annual Night of Stars gala at the Fashion Industry Gallery. The event honored noted American designer, Zac Posen, with the Career Achievement in Fashion Award. Also, Lisa Dawson, owner of the Kim Dawson Agency, was honored with the Career Achievement in Business Award; Todd Fiscus with the Career Achievement in Event Design Award; Nancy C. Rogers with the Art Patron of the Year Award; and Linda Gray with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Marilyn Sullivan, El Centro College fashion marketing program coordinator and Fashion Group International of Dallas member, served as a member of the Event Committee; El Centro College was a Runway level sponsor of the gala. Fourteen students from Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design were able to assist with the event set-up under the leadership of Fashion Marketing Advisory Committee member and Neiman Marcus Special Events Manager Chuck Steelman. Other El Centro College students assisted backstage with the fashion show (featuring the Zac Posen Spring 2015 collection) and also with the silent auction. The funds raised at this event go toward fashion scholarships that will be awarded at the Fashion Group International of Dallas Fashion Competition event in April North Lake College Our Students The North Lake College Blazer basketball team participated in the Dallas preseason Junior College Shootout on October 11. The event featured 72 teams from 13 different states. More than 300 coaches from four-year universities came to watch players, with the intent of recruiting them in the future. Tim McGraw is the head coach of the men s basketball team at North Lake College. The North Lake College Drama Department opened its fall production series with Milan Stitt s The Runner Stumbles, October in the college Performance Hall. The play, based on a true story, depicts the forbidden relationship between a priest and a nun, whom he is ultimately accused of murdering. More than 25 North Lake College students participated in the production. Alice Butler is theatre director for North Lake College. Our Employees The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce 2014 Annual Meeting was held on October 24 at the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas. The event highlighted the successes and accomplishments of past-chairman Michael Gonzales and welcomed incoming Chairman Gary Huddleston, who shared his vision for the Chamber s fiscal year. North Lake College staff members who attended the event were Gina Federer, Mike Cooley, Shanequa Whitehead, Gemmy Allen, Greg Newman, and Lynne Smith-Brush. 2

3 On November 8, North Lake College Veterans Affairs coordinators, William Yost and Dr. Horace Ragler, Jr., testified in front of the Texas House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs at the State Capitol in Austin. The congressional invitation resulted from previous collaborative efforts with the Committee. The purpose of the committee hearing was to investigate ways to improve services and develop legislative ideas for the 84th session, and focused on veteran homelessness and veteran higher education issues. Yost and Ragler collaborated with all of the DCCCD Veterans Affairs coordinators, so they could provide testimony that was comprehensive and reflective of the entire District. Richland College Sustainable Community Building In conjunction with America Recycles Day, Richland College and City of Dallas Sanitation Services hosted the city s annual Fall Recycling Roundup on the Richland College campus on November 15. At the Roundup, 440 community members dropped off car loads of e-waste items, such as televisions, cell phones, computers, and printers, along with cardboard, cooking oil, Styrofoam, plastic bags, packaging, medical equipment, tires, and paper for recycling. In its continuing commitment to sustainable practices and community outreach, Richland College and its student volunteers collaborate with the City of Dallas to host this recycle activity each fall and spring to reduce the amount of unnecessary waste sent to the landfill. Student Success Congratulations to six student vocalists from the Richland College Choral Music Department who recently auditioned for and were selected to participate in the Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir. They are: Victoria Serafin (Soprano I), Angel Hare (Soprano II), Bonnie Lanicek (Alto I), Martha Schessler (Alto I), Brandon Jones (Baritone), and Cristian Ruiz (Bass). These students will perform in concert with more than 150 community college vocalists from across the state during the 2015 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, which will be held in San Antonio, February Employee Success Dr. Michael Crawford, Richland College associate dean of performing arts/choral director, has been chosen to conduct the Alaska All-State Choir in Anchorage on November 23. For a three-day period, he will rehearse a choral ensemble of 120 auditioned singers from throughout Alaska, culminating in a concert including the Alaska All-State Band and All-State Orchestra. Crawford, who is in his 10th year at Richland College, directs the Women s Ensemble, RichMen, Jazz Singers, and Chamber Singers. He was honored as the Richland College Administrator of Year for Institutional Effectiveness The Richland College Office of Planning, Research, Effectiveness, and Development (OPRED) conducted four focus groups with students taking Education 1300, History 1301, English 1302, and Government 2506 courses to gauge their experiences with and the effectiveness of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Learning to Learn: Developing Learning Power. OPRED staff asked students questions about their use of Thinking Routines and asked them to share what effect the QEP has had on their thinking and learning. Results from students experiences in this second year of the QEP will be used by faculty champions to advance QEP faculty professional development. Cedar Valley College Our College International artists Faith Scott Jessup and Robert Jessup are featured at the Cedar Valley College Educational Art Gallery exhibit that runs through December 7. A special Artists Talk featuring the Jessups work was held on November 18 in the Gallery. While the Jessups do not collaborate on pieces, they nonetheless are true artistic partners. And though their paintings are quite different in style and technique, they are alike in dedication to pursuing their artistic journeys. For more information, please contact Cedar Valley College Gallery Director Elizabeth Holden or visit 3

4 Our Resource Development On November 20, Cedar Valley College representatives attended the City of Dallas Logistics: Catalyst for Economic Growth in Southern Dallas symposium with Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins (District 8), chair of the economic development committee. Cedar Valley College s Patricia Davis, executive dean of community and resource development, was a facilitator of discussion, and Tim Samuels, interim executive dean of continuing education, was selected to participate on the panel for logistics globalization, skilled workforce, and future development. The symposium took place on the campus of the University of North Texas at Dallas. Our Veterans Appreciation Day Cedar Valley College celebrated Veterans Day on November 11 with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson presenting Cedar Valley College staff member, Gerald Andrews, with a Certificate of Appreciation at the Veterans Resource Center of Dallas. On campus, a special ceremonial event was held honoring the many student and staff veterans at Cedar Valley College. Veterans Day is specifically a day set aside to thank living veterans for their service to our country. It is the day we show our appreciation for their dedication and sacrifices to keep our country the land of the free. Our Staff Ruben Johnson, executive dean of business and technology, and logistics technology program coordinator, has been selected to participate on the National Experts Panel (NEP) for the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC). Panel members have the opportunity to serve as guest bloggers, be featured in the MSSC newsletter and listed on the MSSC website as a national expert, and also network with peers in the industry. Members also receive a VIP invitation to the annual reception and dinner with the MSSC Board of Directors and Leadership Council. Brookhaven College Community Engagement Hundreds of bright pink tents again dotted the landscape of the Brookhaven College campus on November 7-9. For the fifth consecutive year, the college hosted the Susan G. Komen Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day, a 60-mile walk in support of ending breast cancer. Dawn Bishop, specialist V for business services at Brookhaven College, coordinates the college s preparations for the event, which include Facilities Services, College Police, Athletics, and others, to support the thousands of workers and walkers who are part of the event. Walkers eat, sleep, bathe, stretch, and celebrate on the college grounds filling an area larger than two soccer fields, plus large sections of the parking lots. This year, Pete Delkus, chief meteorologist for WFAA-TV Channel 8 News, visited with the campers and broadcast the weekend forecast from the college grounds on November 7. Student Success The brisk temperatures may have limited the turnout of well-wishers the morning of November 11, but nothing could chill the enthusiasm of the 15 young women preparing to depart for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Volleyball Championships in Rochester, MN. The Brookhaven College Lady Bears volleyball team returned to nationals this year after just missing the playoffs last year. The Lady Bears were victorious in their first game, but were knocked out of the competition by Madison College, who ultimately took the national title. Two Brookhaven College freshmen players, Erin Terry and Mathis Popelsky, were recognized for their performance and were selected for the All-Tournament Team. On November 8, the Alpha Delta Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society at Brookhaven College hosted a successful and well-attended event on campus. The Texas Honor Society Alumni Association presented an all-day workshop to approximately 200 attendees who represented Honor Society chapters from various parts of the Texas Region. Brookhaven College PTK officers and members, who included Carolina Lunardi, Marietou Diallo, Saliou Diallo, Jacqueline Romero, Jose Maldonado, Ma'Ouli Mbaye, Ange Kobe, BaWi An, Djawad Rahmani, Duraid Alheeti, Sung Hoon Jun, and Tony Thomas, worked diligently to coordinate the event. Presenters focused on best practices for the writing 4

5 process of Hallmark Award entries for the Regional and International competitions that cover the four Hallmarks of the Honor Society Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship. Institutional Effectiveness On October 29, the Brookhaven College Institute for Political Studies partnered with the Open Book Project to bring together a panel of social science, science, and geotechnology instructors from the college for a discussion revolving around climate change. Gerri Bartz, Fred Busche, David Griggs, and Steve Link all shared data, personal research, and opinions about the earth s current climate state and what to expect in the future. The reliability and interpretation of data as well as safety of acts, such as deforestation, burning fossil fuels, and fracking, were also topics of conversation. District Office Through a partnership between DCCCD and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO), more than 60 Brookhaven College students attended a free concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on November 16. The program, DSO Express, gives Dallas-area students free access to high-quality concerts in an effort to connect them to cultural opportunities they may otherwise miss. Professor Melody Gamblin-Bullock of Brookhaven College orchestrated the event for students, with assistance from the District Marketing Department. Additional DSO Express concerts will be held in the spring for Richland and Eastfield colleges. Mountain View College College Outreach On November 21, Mountain View College, in partnership with El Centro College, held the third annual African American and Latin Male Initiative Man-Up Conference. The Conference seeks to prepare males to meet challenges common to college students, and help them recognize and achieve their full potential in pursuing their education. This year s theme was The Metamorphosis from Boyhood to Manhood ; the keynote speaker was Arthur Gregg, assistant vice president of multicultural affairs and director of the Multicultural Center at The University of Texas at Dallas. Institutional Effectiveness The Mountain View College Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Omega Omega Chapter continued its mission to encourage students to complete by hosting C4 Week: The Climb to Success! on November Honor Society activities included success stories from Mountain View College professors Ulises Rodriguez, Celina Vasquez, and Richard Parra, who spoke with students about how they overcame various struggles in order to receive their degrees. Former PTK Omega Omega Chapter President and Mountain View College graduate, Taylor Souryachak, shared her story of completion and how she received many scholarships and awards, including a full-ride scholarship to Southern Methodist University. The highlight of the week was guest speaker, Yannick Tona, youth advocate and ambassador, and survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Tona discussed with students the importance of overcoming their struggles and completing their education. Student Success On November 14, Mountain View College students attended the LeCroy Leadership Conference held at Brookhaven College. Each year, the Conference is hosted and planned by the DCCCD Office of Student Life Council; 15 students from each of the 7 District colleges convene for a day of leadership training. Some of the workshops included in this year s Conference were: Personal Branding in Three Steps ; Followership: The Other Side of Leadership ; and Leadership and Service across the DCCCD. The keynote speaker, Eddie Francis, kicked off the event with his presentation, TMI: From Epic Fail to Career Success. Students from Mountain View College who attended the Conference were: Alex Melton, Lucinda Ipina, Gonzalo Trujillo, Jesse Gonzales, Camila Ramos, and Alexander Sauceda. 5

6 Eastfield College Meet Community Educational Needs Students and employees at Eastfield College contributed more than a thousand pounds of food for those in need in the Dallas/Fort Worth area during the Harvester Hunger Project. The donations will benefit food banks at Zack Motley Elementary School (Mesquite ISD) and Sharing Life Community Outreach in Mesquite. One hundred dollars was also collected for the North Texas Food Bank; each dollar provides three nutritious meals. The top group in the Hunger Project was Eastfield College Athletics, with 194 items collected. Professor Larissa Pierce English 1301 class was the top class; the Communication Club was the top club; and Social Sciences was the top division. Other groups at Eastfield College that collected food were the Men s Empowerment Coalition, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student Government Association, and professor Ke Shun Walker s EDUC 1300 class. Eastfield College administration and College Police hosted a school safety forum for students and staff on November 19. College President Dr. Jean Conway, Vice President of Organizational Development Larry Wilson, and Police Chief Michael Horak shared new safety measures in place as well as measures planned for implementation. Nineteen suggestions were offered by forum attendees, which will be reviewed prior to the spring semester. Advance Student Success A group of 18 Eastfield College students in the Child Development and Teacher Preparation programs attended the 2014 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference on November 5-8 in Dallas as volunteers. The NAEYC Conference is the largest gathering of preschool teachers in the nation, offering 700 workshops. The students were provided the opportunity to receive updates on quality issues and trends in early childhood education; learn about the latest research and teaching strategies; receive tips from experts in their field; and network with educators from across the country. Also, at the Honoring the Profession Luncheon held November 8 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in conjunction with the NAEYC Conference, Eastfield College students, Angela Uriostegui and Shirley Newhouse, received Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC) scholarships. In addition, Eastfield College graduate Mae Purifoy was presented the Margaret Cone Impact Award for her work with children and families, and former Eastfield College student Hilda Camacho was honored with the Alzenia Hunter Teacher of the Year Award. The Luncheon was co-hosted by Nancy Beaver, program administrator of the Child Development/Early Childhood Education program at Eastfield College and co-president of the DAEYC. This community event is sponsored by 17 early childhood agencies and organizations in North Texas, including Eastfield College. Other Conference participants and coordinators from Eastfield College included Early Childhood Education faculty Dr. Susan Wyatt, Sandra Saucedo Scott, Dawn Hallman, and Karan Marshall. Eastfield College kicked off spring 2015 registration with a Faculty-Student Mixer on November where students could meet with faculty members of all disciplines. A total of 66 faculty members answered questions about the classes they teach, degree plans within their disciplines, and transferring to four-year colleges and universities. LeCroy Center The STARLINK Advisory Committee met on November 14 at the LeCroy Center. As an advisory body to STARLINK (State of Texas Academic Resource Link), the Committee reviews plans and accomplishments, advises on policies/procedures, and assists in determining programs and services. The Advisory Committee consists of 11 members from across Texas, including two ex officio members Dr. Pamela Quinn, provost of the LeCroy Center, and Dr. Rey Garcia, executive director of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. This year, STARLINK unveiled a new website with a dashboard to help it collect valuable data from member institutions. The dashboard is on the front page of the Members Area of the website and can be accessed within every STARLINK course. 6

7 Dallas Colleges Online Academic Advisor Shirlynn Cox attended the 2014 National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Annual Conference, Adventures in Advising, held in Minneapolis, MN, October NACADA is an association for professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators, and students working to enhance the educational development of students. Hundreds of advisors and counselors from across the country attended this year s conference focusing on collaborations and forming cross-campus relationships. 7