CAMPUS NEWS
Budget Reserves Reduced, New Hiring in Question
President Tom Mohr told the College Council Nov. 15 that the college budget reserve has been reduced to the point that hiring new faculty and staff for next year is in question. More than $416,000 was needed from the ending balance to cover summer school costs and the costs of part-time faculty needed to meet the demands of a growing student body. In the past, new full-time faculty who were hired replaced part-time faculty but last year the college maintained the numbers of part-time faculty because of increased enrollment. "That had a substantial impact on our budget," he said. Mohr said it is possible that a new faculty member could be hired to teach basic skills as the college has some money coming from the state to meet the demands of students who need basic skills, but he said a repeat of last year's record hiring will not be possible. Mohr did say it was the intent of the college to fill any full-time faculty vacancies left by retirements or resignations.
Academic Senate to Discuss Faculty Participation on the Diversity Committee
After withdrawing the faculty appointments previously made to the newly constituted Diversity Committee, the Academic Senate has now placed the issue on the agenda for Thursday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. in Room 3-142. The Academic Senate is expected to discuss faculty participation on the committee. Professor David Clay, reporting to the College Council as a representative of the Academic Senate, said members of the Academic Senate had a number of questions about the Diversity Committee, its relationship to the College Council, and its role in directing diversity activities on campus. Clay said the Nov. 29 Academic Senate meeting is open to the entire campus community.
College Schedules Events to Mark AIDS Awareness Week
The college has scheduled four days of activities to mark AIDS Awareness Week and educate students about HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and the risks associated with unprotected sex.
The events will be held Nov. 26 through Nov. 29 and are sponsored by the Associated Students of Cañada College, the Office of Student Activities, and the Cañada College Health Center.
Ongoing during the week, the Health Center will have an AIDS Wall of Remembrance, a place where students can acknowledge friends and loved-ones who have died of AIDS or are living with the disease. It will be located in the cafeteria. Phi Theta Kappa will also distribute red ribbons during the week.
The “Sex Olympics” will be held Monday, Nov. 26 from 11 a.m. to noon in the cafeteria. This interactive workshop includes games and demonstrations to give students the truth about sex and sexually transmitted diseases – which STDs exist, symptoms, testing, treatment options, transmission, and ways to decrease the risk of infection. The workshop will also cover definitions and information on HIV transmission, testing, the affect on a person’s immune system, and ways to reduce the risk of infection.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 12:30 p.m. the movie “Life Support” will be shown in the Student Club Lounge. Inspired by a true story, “Life Support” uses a mix of actors and real people from the HIV/AIDS community to tell the story of an HIV-positive Brooklyn woman named Ana, who channels her energy and regret over past drug addiction into working for Life Support, an AIDS outreach group.
Ronnie Grigsby of Positively Speaking Silicon Valley will speak to students on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 10 a.m. in the Student Health Center. Grigsby will speak about his experience before and after receiving a positive HIV diagnosis. He will also share information about AIDS/HIV prevention.
The final events of the week include “Cañada’s Got Talent: The World AIDS Day Talent Show Fundraiser.” The talent show will feature students, staff and faculty at the college performing to raise money for a local non-profit organization. The talent show will be held Thursday, Nov. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Main Theater. An HIV/AIDS outreach worker will be in the cafeteria that day handing out condoms and providing information for students.
Holiday Gift Basket Fundraiser Underway
The holiday season has arrived and, at Cañada, that is traditionally a time of giving to our students. The classified staff his holding its annual Holiday Gift Basket Fundraiser with all proceeds going to the Cañada Classified Senate Scholarship Fund. The holiday gift baskets are on display in the Bookstore. You can purchase tickets from the Bookstore, Instruction Office, Student Services Office, Enrollment Services Office, President's Office or any Division Office. Tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5. As always, there is a wide variety of gift baskets up for grabs. The drawing will be held Friday, Dec. 14 in the Bookstore at 1 p.m. More information on each basket is available at Holiday Gift Baskets.
Friend of the College, Catalino Tapia, Featured on NPR
Redwood City's Catalino Tapia, recognized at the 2005 commencement ceremony as the Outstanding Business Partner, was recently featured on National Public Radio and in a front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Tapia was recognized for establishing a non-profit foundation to raise money for scholarships to help low-income students pay for college. The Bay Area Gardener's Foundation has raised money to help Cañada College students and others fulfill their dreams of a college education. The San Francisco Chronicle story can be found here , and you can listen to the NPR story here. A third news story is tentatively planned to air on the CBS Evening News on Friday, Nov. 30. It can be seen at 5:30 p.m. on Channel 5 in the Bay Area.
Blood Drive Set for Nov. 27
The college will host a blood drive on Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Bloodmobile will be parked in the circle between the Main Theater and Bookstore. To schedule an appointment go to blood heroes and enter the sponsor code: canadacollege. Appointments can also be made at the Health Center, Building 5, Room 204.
FACES OF CAÑADA
Jeanette Medina Bonds With High School Chemistry Teachers
Thanks to a National Science Foundation grant, Chemistry Professor Jeanette Medina is strengthening partnerships between local high schools, the college, and private industry to develop a pipeline of students and future chemists. On Nov. 3, Medina spoke with nine chemistry teachers from eight area high schools and presented the NSF proposal, "Chemistry: A Pipeline to 21st Century Careers." The title of her talk was "Paving the Road to a Rewarding Chemical Technician's Career."
"High school chemistry instructors are very excited about this project," she said. "They understand the career pathway that can be developed for high school chemistry students."
The three-year, $270,000 grant is designed to increase the recruitment, retention and academic success of students enrolled in chemistry classes, particularly minority students. It will strengthen the ties between the college and local high schools by providing opportunities to engage and motivate students to pursue careers in chemically-related scientific fields. The college is working with Gene Connection of the San Mateo County Office of Education to administer the grant. "This is a team effort involving all San Mateo County high schools and the college district," Medina said.
Medina said the team will enhance chemistry curricula by integrating computer animations and molecular modeling units to complement the existing content. At the Nov. 3 meeting, Joshua Engberg, a chemistry instructor at Carlmont High School, presented on ChemSense, an easy to use, free software program that allows students to create and share animations of chemical processes. He discussed effective strategies for deploying ChemSense in the classroom.
In addition to partnering with local high schools, a new associate degree in chemical technology will be developed at Cañada as well as a chemistry laboratory technician certificate to help meet the needs of local industry. Medina said members of local industry, government and academia will form an advisory board to identify critical functions and laboratory skills necessary for graduates of the new program to be successful and immediately enter the workforce.
"We are very excited about the golden opportunity given to us by this grant to make a difference in the way chemistry is taught to our students," Medina said. "Providing relevant applied education at both the high school and community college levels is essential to career awareness and success. Our plan is to disseminate our findings to other counties around the state by the end of the three year grant."
Sarah Harmon Featured in Catholic San Francisco
Sarah Harmon, a Spanish instructor, was recently featured in Catholic San Francisco after she received her Ph.D. in romance linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin. Harmon is a native of San Mateo and completed her undergraduate work at UC Davis. In addition to teaching at Cañada, Harmon teaches at St. Mary's College in Moraga.
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.
SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS
Bookstore is Transformed by Students in New Visual Merchandising and Display Class
If you like the artistic displays in the Bookstore you can thank the students in the new Visual Merchandising and Display class taught by Ken Fehrman. The Visual Merchandising and Display class was offered for the first time this semester. It is a part of the new Fashion Merchandising certificate. This certificate rounds out the fashion program at Cañada, which has traditionally been strong in design and theater costuming.
"Predictions are that the retail job sector in San Mateo County will continue to prosper," said Fashion Design Professor Ronda Chaney. "With this in mind, the Fashion Department Advisory Board strongly recommended the development of a Fashion Merchandising Certificate program within the Fashion Design Department."
Fehrman, a professor emeritus at San Francisco State University, approached Jai Kumar and asked if his students could use the Bookstore as a learning lab. "Jai said we had free reign," Fehrman said. The class meets weekly from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Fehrman said the 11 students work non-stop in the Bookstore until 7:30 or 8 p.m. and then break for the classroom to talk about their work. "They are a house-a-fire," he said. "They run full-tilt boogie while they are in the Bookstore. It's great to watch because they are all full of ideas."
Fehrman's Color for Interiors class designed the mosaics on the walls and the Visual Merchandising and Display class used them to help add color to the walls in the Bookstore. "My approach to education is simple - if you don't do it you don't know it. It's infectious with students. Once they get a taste for designing the displays they want to do more."
Chaney said students have been extremely happy with the Visual Merchandising class. "Working as a team to create the bookstore displays has brought a lot of satisfaction," she said. "With pride, they have been excited to discuss plans for the different promotional layouts." She said it also prepares them for a variety of job opportunities.
In the future, Fehrman said he would like to work with the Bookstore to establish a student boutique featuring recycled products for re-sale. This would include both fashions and interior design items for the home. "We have an abundance of creative students on campus and this would be a great outlet for their creativity and it would give them the opportunity to make a little money."
Student Art Exhibit Runs Through Dec. 14
The annual student art exhibit featuring work created in studio courses is on display through Dec. 14 in the new college art gallery in Building 9, the Main Theater Gallery in Building 3, and in the second floor hallway of Building 3 near Room 260. Work produced in the Drawing, Painting, Photography, and Color classes is on display. Much of the work has been completed by students who are taking their first studio art course.
Day of the Dead Altar Featured in Local Newspaper
The altar produced by students that has graced the cafeteria since Dia de los Muertos was recently featured in the San Mateo County Times. Many of the students in Professor Yolando Valenzuela's "Myth and Folklore of La Raza" class decorated sugar skulls for extra credit that were placed at the altar. Aja Butler, student activities coordinator, helped coordinate building and decorating the shrine.
Pre-Med/Health Club Raises Money for Doctors Without Borders
Selling t-shirts, lunch and raffle tickets, the Pre-Med/Health Club was able to raise money for Doctors Without Borders to support the work the organization is doing in Sudan. The event drew a large crowd of students, staff and faculty who bought lunch and t-shirts to support the cause.
Middle East Lecture Series Draws Large Crowds
The three-part lecture titled “The Middle East: Cycle of Power,” drew large crowds and received rave reviews from students, staff, and faculty. The series was organized and sponsored by students in the new Anthropology Club as well as Phi Theta Kappa. Ayad Al-Qazzaz, author of several books on the Middle East and an academic who lectures widely throughout the U.S., Middle East, and England, drew a large crowd for the final lecture "Iraq - A Focus on the Middle East."
Student Dance Performance Set for Dec. 7
The annual student dance performance will take place Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theater. This year's production is titled "Addicted to the Dance." The students have developed the choreography and have worked hard on the performance. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.
Editor's Note: If you have an idea for a student feature, contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340.
CAMPUS CALENDAR
Please see the EVENTS CALENDAR 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 joyd@smccd.edu.
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