CAMPUS NEWS

Accreditation Self-Study Report Distributed

The accreditation self-study report has been mailed to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the next step will be for the campus community to ensure that all of the documentation that was cited is in good order and accessible to the team.

“Arrangements have been made for the team to visit campus and the President’s Office and the Vice President of Student Services will coordinate the logistics of the visit,” said Marilyn McBride, co-chair of the Accreditation Committee. “Schedules will be developed for the team to meet with specific people and will include open forum times for our faculty and staff to interact with members of the team.”

The accrediting team is expected to visit campus in October. Don Warkentin, president of West Hills College Lemoore, is the team chair. McBride said information about each team member will be distributed to campus.

Enrollment Rises 4.9 Percent

The news is good on enrollment. The college was up 4.9 percent on headcount and 3 percent in full time equivalent students.

“That’s very good news,” said Marilyn McBride, Vice President of Instruction. “We saw a significant increase in concurrent enrollment students and first-time transfers.”

President Tom Mohr said the mission of the college during Fall Semester is to keep the new students in school. “That’s our number one priority,” he said. “We can make large gains in enrollment by increasing our retention rate.”

Nancy Renkiewicz Named Interim Dean of Science

Renkiewicz returns to college while Victoria O’Donnell is out on medical leave

Nancy Renkiewicz has returned to Cañada College. After serving as interim dean in Humanities following the departure of Kuni Hay in 2005, Renkiewicz returns to fill in for Victoria O’Donnell who is out on medical leave until December.

Renkiewicz served as president of TransPacific Hawaii College, an accredited private junior college located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and most recently served as a consultant to the college, helping with accreditation and research studies.

From 1986 to 1994, Renkiewicz served as the Chief Instructional Officer at Mission College in Santa Clara. From 1978 to 1986 she worked as the Dean of Community Education, Outreach, and Research and Development and Director of Instruction for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento.

Renkiewicz also worked as an English Instructor at Shasta College.

“Nancy brings extensive experience as a community college administrator,” said President Tom Mohr. “In addition, she has worked in the Bay Area and is very familiar with the California Community College System.”

Library & Student Resource Center Opens With Gala

Nearly 200 people celebrated the official opening of the new Library and Student Resource Center at a ribbon cutting ceremony held on opening day.

The ceremony included speeches by President Tom Mohr, SMCCCD Board President Helen Hausman, and ASCC President Juan Arias. A portion of the Redwood Symphony brass section played a special song to commemorate the opening of the largest building in campus history.

Quad Transforms Upper Campus

With the opening of the new Library and Student Resource Center, the installation of the Deborah Butterfield sculpture, and the revitalization of the fountain, upper campus has been transformed.

“It’s truly amazing,” said President Tom Mohr. “It’s the place to be on campus.”

The upper campus is linked to lower campus by the new amphitheater, which has been a magnet for students. “Everyone understood that the new library would change campus but until the upper quad was finished it was difficult to visualize the importance and beauty of that area.

Jose Peña, Anniqua Rana Honored

Jose Peña and Anniqua Rana were honored with Lucas/Berry Awards at Opening Day ceremonies.

Peña received the classified award for his work on curriculum, class schedule, and catalog. He recently completed a comprehensive review of all curricular offerings at the college and submitted multiple newly required reports to the state with Cañada information.

Rana, a professor of English and ESL, was cited for recently completing her Ph.D. in Education and for being named to the Statewide Basic Skills Advisory Committee. She has also been invited by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to be part of an initiative to create a Basic Skills Resources Center which will provide California community colleges with programs and services designed to support professional development in basic skills.

“These two employees represent the best of Cañada,” said Phyllis Lucas-Woods, Vice President of Student Services and presenter of the awards.

Auditions Set for Fall Theater Production

Auditions for the Fall theater production of “Twilight Los Angeles” will be held Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Flex Theater. Cast size is flexible and all ages and types of people are needed. You should be prepared to read a two to three minute dramatic monologue or cold read from monologues provided. While experience is desired it is not required but everyone must be willing to enroll in DRAM 300 to perform in the production.

For more information, contact Anna Budd at Ext. 3331 or budda@smccd.edu.

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FACES OF CAÑADA

Ana Miladinova Joins Cañada as Dance Instructor

Former competitive dancer Ana Miladinova is joining the college this semester as the new fulltime dance instructor.

“Teaching has always been my passion,” said Ana. “I pursued a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis on Dance in order to broaden my teaching skills. Ever since college I have been involved in teaching dance and fitness classes in fitness centers in San Francisco and at San Francisco State University.”

Ana went to high school in Macedonia and moved to Slovenia to pursue her undergraduate degree. As soon as she earned her bachelor’s degree she moved to San Francisco where she earned a master’s degree in Kinesiology at San Francisco State University. She later worked as a personal trainer at UCSF Bakars Fitness Center and Club One in San Francisco.

“My career path led me to Arizona where I taught ballroom dancing,” she said. While she enjoyed working as a dance instructor in Arizona, she is happy to be returning to the Bay Area.

“I enjoy the Bay Area and I’m looking forward to working at Cañada College,” she said.

How About Some Armed Combat?

It would be an understatement to say that Anna Budd’s acting class is like nothing you’ve taken in high school. How often have you been taught the art of stage combat and encouraged to perform live duels in the amphitheater in front of your classmates?

“I think drama class should be fun and what’s more fun than stage combat?” said Anna, a native of the Bay Area who most recently taught theater arts at the College of the Siskiyous in Shasta. “You don’t have to be a drama major to take drama courses. The only requirement is a willingness to have fun.”

In addition to stage combat, Anna plans to introduce “movie night” at the college where students can watch cutting-edge independent movies and discuss the movies. For more information about theater arts at Cañada go to http://canadacollege.net/academics/degrees/theatre.html.

Anu Pattanayak Bonds With Students to Form a Love of Chemistry

Cañada College’s small class sizes help Anu Pattanayak instill a love of chemistry in her students that was handed down to her from her father. “I’m able to pay special attention to each student,” said Anu, who was hired in January as the new full-time chemistry instructor at Cañada College. “I know each student’s name and I keep track of how they are doing in class. My goal has always been to inspire students to learn chemistry and have fun while learning it.”

“I love working at Cañada because I’m able to work so closely with my students,” she added. “We are very fortunate because not all colleges afford this opportunity for students.”

Growing up in India, Anu was surrounded by chemistry. Her father was a well-known chemistry professor. “Chemistry is in my blood,” she said.

Anu has worked in both industry and academia. Prior to her teaching career, she worked at General Electric’s Research and Development Center (now the GE Global Research Center) in upstate New York. She also published 13 research papers in international journals. After taking some time off to raise her very young sons, Anu became a chemistry instructor at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. She moved to the Bay Area with her husband more than five years ago, and has been an adjunct instructor at Cañada College for the past five years. She also taught at De Anza College for two years. She is listed in the Who’s Who of American Educators for 2007.

Former HP Engineer Joins Faculty as MESA Director

Catherine Lipe, a former engineer at Hewlett-Packard, has joined Cañada as the new director for the Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) Program. Cathy is not unfamiliar with the program, having worked with Judy Liteky, the former MESA director, while working as manager of education grants in HP’s philanthropy department.

“I’m planning to build on Judy’s foundation,” she said. “Cañada’s MESA program is very strong because it has such good support from the Science & Technology Division and it has a great location in the Learning Center.”

Cathy has worked with similar programs at four-year universities and said the level of faculty support at Cañada exceeds anything she’s ever seen. “Cañada’s faculty know the students so well,” she said. “They are the reason this program is so successful.”

Cathy has worked with first-generation, low-income students in engineering/computer science when she managed the HP Scholars program ( www.hp.com/go/hpscholars ). “Managing that program was my favorite job in my career so far and was a big reason behind considering higher ed programs like MESA as a possible career change,” she said.

Cathy earned her undergraduate degree in computer engineering from Vanderbilt University and her MBA in marketing and international studies from Penn. She was involved in research and development at HP before moving into marketing and eventually philanthropy.

“Working in philanthropy at HP gave me a great vantage point to see what type of efforts and programs made a difference for students,” she said. “Cañada has some very talented students that can benefit from a program like MESA so I feel honored to be in this position.”

Denise Hum

Oakland resident Denise Hum has joined the Science & Technology Division this semester as the new math instructor.

Denise grew up in Oakland, earned her bachelor’s degree in math and computer science from San Francisco State University and then earned a master’s degree in statistics from Cal-State East Bay.

She worked as a computer programmer at ChemConnect, sort of an eBay for major chemical companies, before she was bitten by the teaching bug. “Peralta Colleges had an internship program and I was working with students and really enjoyed it,” she said. “Last summer I started teaching statistics at College of Alameda.”

Denise was an adjunct math instructor at College of Alameda, Laney College, Diablo Valley and Los Medanos last year. She taught class six days a week.

“It’s nice to be teaching at one college,” she said. “I was attracted to Cañada because it’s small and it’s in tune with the community.”

After Traveling the World, Jessica Einhorn Settles at Cañada

It became obvious to those around her that Jessica Einhorn had a strong interest in the past when she could name numerous dinosaurs by the time she was six. She would also pretend she was an archaeologist, carefully uncovering rocks that were buried in her sandbox.

Now, after traveling the world and finding adventure, Jessica has landed at Cañada College where she will teach anthropology.

“I feel very fortunate to be working here,” she said. “Cañada is a wonderful college and it really cares for students. That’s very important to me.”

If you have a chance, ask Jessica about her world travels. She has eaten ox tail in Jamaica, hiked four days on the Inca Trail through the mountains to Macchu Piccu, left flowers at Jim Morrison’s grave, skied in Norway, and even worked as a roof layer in Southern France.

Locally, she has taught anthropology at the local community college in South Lake Tahoe, worked part-time as an assistant state archaeologist for California State Parks, and taught anthropology at Sierra College, Folsom Lake College, Sacramento City College and CSU-Sacramento.

“I look forward to making new memories at Cañada,” she said.

Kathy Sammut to Focus on Counseling, Teaching

It would be an understatement to say Kathy Sammut has held a few positions at Cañada College. Since arriving in 1997, she has been a counselor, a Title V grant coordinator, interim student activities coordinator, and coordinator of the First-Year Experience program. This fall, Kathy begins a new role as a full-time counselor.

It’s a job she would like to stay in for a while.

“It’s exciting to be part of the Cañada community,” she said. “I am fortunate to work at a college that puts students first. I enjoy working with my colleagues who are also committed to the success of our students. Collaboration is key for me in my work at Cañada, and I look forward to my continued work with colleagues throughout the campus.”

Kathy will be teaching courses in life and career planning, college success and exploring careers, and majors and transfers. That, coupled with her counseling efforts, helps her make a difference in the lives of students.

“I enjoy my work with students both in counseling and in the classroom,” she said. “I have the opportunity to help students succeed in achieving their personal, career, and educational goals. That’s very rewarding.”

Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream to Teach

Leonor Cabrera has wanted to be a teacher since high school but when she graduated from college she went into business because there were too many teachers. Now, she’s fulfilling her dream as the new faculty member teaching business and accounting.

“I just love it,” Leonor said. “I’ve been a controller and I’ve been involved in accounting in high-tech industries in the Silicon Valley but I’ve always wanted to teach.”

Leonor has been working as an adjunct faculty member at Cañada for the past semester and a half. This fall, she’ll teach Accounting 100, 121, and 131 and Business 103. She said having a background in the high-tech industry helps her provide real-world experience to her students.

Having the opportunity to teach at a small college like Cañada is beneficial, she said.
“The atmosphere here is one where everyone wants students to succeed,” she said. “It’s collaborative education and there is a real family atmosphere.”

The Belmont resident attended Hillsdale High School, went on to the College of San Mateo, earned her bachelor’s degree from Cal-State Hayward and her master’s degree in business administration in finance and administration from Notre Dame de Namur. “I’m very much a local product,” she said.

Life-Long San Mateo Resident Hired as Student Recruiter

Ken Pizzi understands what it’s like to be a student on the Peninsula. The life-long San Mateo resident attended Serra High School, where he went to school with Giants’ slugger Barry Bonds. He then attended the College of San Mateo and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at Notre Dame de Namur, a master’s degree at San Francisco State University and an MPA at the University of San Francisco.

With that background, Ken is a good fit to recruit students to Cañada College.

“I’m a product of this area,” he said. “I understand what it’s like to go to high school and college on the Peninsula.”

While Ken understands the importance of recruiting high school students, he said it’s also important for the college to expand its recruiting base. “We need to reach out to people who are looking to change careers, those that need specific skills for their jobs, and empty-nesters who are looking to enrich their lives with a class.”

During 2002-04 Ken produced and hosted a cable access series in? the South Bay called "Peninsula Speaks" with a focus on notable? personalities and authors from the area (CSM's own David Laderman, "Driving Visions: Reflections of the Road Movie" and Michael Svanevik, ?"Menlo Park Beyond the Gate") as well as several major non-profits ?including the Second Harvest Food Bank, the Menlo Players Guild,? Rebuilding Together, The Riekes Center, and the Lucille Packard? Children's Hospital at Stanford.

Ken has worked in the San Mateo County Community College District for more than 10 years as an adjunct English professor and as a student recruiter for the Technology Division at CSM. He has also taught at Cogswell Polytechnical Institution.

Ken lives in San Mateo with his dog, Becky.

The friendly face – and voice - of Cañada College

Chances are, if you call Cañada College you are going to talk to Katherine Reite. Katherine has worked at the college since 1992 but was recently hired as a full-time office assistant II in Counseling where she answers the switchboard for the college, assists students in making counseling appointments, and helps them find their way around campus.

“The best thing about this position is working with all of our students,” Katherine said. “I also enjoy being in the new building.”

Katherine has worked in the Transfer Center, Admissions & Records, EOPS, the Health Center, both the Downtown and Menlo Park Centers, and DSPS. She said the best thing about working at Cañada is the people.

“They all want to help students succeed and it shows in their dedication,” she said. “It makes me proud to be a member of such a caring and professional organization.”

Christine Huynh Settles Into Payroll

After six months, Christine Huynh is finally settling in as the new campus certified payroll clerk in charge of payroll for adjunct faculty.

“This new job gives me endless opportunities for growth,” she said. “I like the environment and the people that I work with and for.”

Christine said it’s a big change from her previous job as an office assistant for the EOPS Office. “In my old job, I helped students on a daily basis,” she said. “In my new job, I only have contact with faculty and staff.”

In 1994, Christine began taking classes at Cañada and received her accounting certificate and A.S. degree in accounting in 1998. She worked as a student assistant for the Humanities Department, Learning Center, and EOPS.

“I like the environment at Cañada and the people I work with,” she said. “I also like that it is close to my house.”

Mike Walsh Returns to Support the Drama Department

As part of the college’s continuing effort to revitalize the Theater Arts Department, Mike Walsh has returned as theater events coordinator.

Mike started working at Cañada in 1978 as an adjunct faculty member teaching drama. In 1980, he became a fulltime staff member and remained in drama and the theater until he moved to the Learning Center in 2001.

“I really enjoyed working at the Learning Center but I’m excited to return to the theater,” he said. The opportunity to return to the theater became available when theater events coordinator Susan Traynor earned her master’s degree in education and expressed a desire to move into academics. Mike and Susan were able to switch positions in July.

Mike will provide technical assistance for groups using the theater and will support the Theater Arts Department designing and scenery and lighting. “Our goal is to make the Theater Arts Department a destination program for students,” he said. “We have a beautiful facility and the college is committed to supporting the program so I’m very excited about my role.”

Susan Traynor Moves to Learning Center

Following six years working as the theater events coordinator, Susan Traynor has moved to the Learning Center where she will coordinate academic tutors. Susan and Mike Walsh agreed to switch positions.

“Mike wanted to move back to the theater and I was looking for a change so this is a good fit for both of us,” she said. Susan earned her master’s degree in education last year and has been teaching ESL and citizenship at several adult schools.

“I really enjoy teaching and working with students,” Susan said. “I’ve spent most of my professional life working in theater so I was looking to do something different.”

Susan said students should register with the Learning Center as soon as they start school to take advantage of the academic support that is available. “You don’t realize how much help is out there until you come up to the Learning Center. We really provide a wealth of academic support for our students.”

Editor's Note: If you have ideas for the Faces of Cañada section of the online newsletter, please contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340 or by e-mail at hoodr@smccd.edu.

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SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

From High School Dropout to Two Masters Degrees

Sabrina Thompson dropped out of high school, struggled with substance abuse and was searching for a direction in life. That’s when she found Cañada College. Today she has a master’s degree from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University in e-Business Technology and a second master’s degree from the University of San Francisco in Information Systems. She also has a great job as a site support specialist for a project at Kaiser Permanente.

“I always remember Cañada, even after earning master’s degrees from other schools,” she said. “I received personal treatment. It really changed my life. Cañada really set a foundation for my education and staying on track.”

She found success in the classroom and worked in Cañada’s computer labs with professor Romy Thiele. Sabrina’s hard work paid off in the form of a scholarship from the Bill Gates Foundation. “That money was instrumental in helping me get my master’s degrees.”

So how does a high school dropout eventually earn two master’s degrees? “I set little goals for myself,” she said. “I didn’t start out with a goal to earn a master’s degree but as I accomplished my other goals things fell into place. It was made easier by the support I received at Cañada College. That’s where I got the start I needed to succeed.”

Paralegal Studies Student Earns Scholarships

Kristy Yard, a paralegal studies student, has earned the $1,000 Eula Mae Jett Scholarship from Legal Secretaries Incorporated. This is on top of the $1,000 scholarship she received from the San Mateo County Legal Secretaries Association earlier this year and the $1,500 scholarship from the Rotary Club of Palo Alto.

“I’m a single mom that suffers with health issues that cause me to live with chronic pain every day of my life,” she said. “Many of my problems were brought on by injuries from an abusive relationship. I have been blessed with being able to try again after going through a lot in my life and almost giving up. I want to use my paralegal skills to help those that are in a place where I have been – hopeless. I want to help abused women find a new dream like I have.”

Editor's Note: If you have an idea for a student feature, contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340.

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Please see the EVENTS CALENDAR on inside Cañada for the latest event listings.

Editor's Note: If you would like to submit an event to the Cañada Calendar of Events please contact Debbie Joy at ext. 3318, or use the link at the bottom of the Calendar.

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