CAMPUS NEWS

Cañada College Receives $900,000 U.S. Department of Education Grant to Help Underrepresented Students With Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering

Grant will fund recruitment, retention and academic success programs at the college.

Cañada has received a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the interest, persistence and performance of underrepresented minority students, especially women, in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The college will receive approximately $300,000 annually over the next three years from the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Cañada will work with San Francisco State University to increase the representation of Hispanics, African Americans, and other minority groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The money will fund five essential strategies:

• The Summer Mathematics Bridge Program: A six-week intensive mathematics program designed to improve students’ preparation for college-level math courses.

• The Summer Engineering Institute: A two-week residential summer camp at SFSU that will provide real-world context to the study of engineering through practical, meaningful, applied and hands-on problem solving and design-oriented projects.

• A student-centered model of academic counseling and mentoring that involves support structure provided by knowledgeable academic counselors, supportive faculty advisors, and peer mentors.

• A series of personal and professional development activities designed to develop knowledge and attributes needed to be a successful STEM student.

• Strong academic support services through student clustering in key STEM courses, academic excellence workshops, and tutoring.

“This grant allows even more students accelerated entrance into the field, delivers academic personal and professional development opportunities, and provides real-world context to their studies to help maintain motivation,” said Cañada College President Tom Mohr. “To compete in a global marketplace we need a highly educated workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

Amelito Enriquez, professor of engineering and mathematics at Cañada College, said planning and the recruitment of project personnel begins in October and continues through February. In March, the college will hold a series of informational meetings for high school seniors, their families, and existing college students who might be interested in the program. The college will begin reviewing applications in May. The six-week Summer Math Bridge Program will be held at the college next June.

“Our goal is to have 25 students for the first year and a new 25-student cohort each subsequent year,” Enriquez said.

Enriquez said the main challenge faced by colleges and universities is that many students are grossly unprepared for college-level work. “This is especially true in STEM fields and among students from underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged groups. At Cañada College, although many students enter with high levels of interest in science and engineering, their levels of preparation are so low that the majority of them drop out or change majors because the path to STEM careers is too long. This project will increase the likelihood of success among these students.”

Janet Stringer, dean of the Science & Technology Division at Cañada, said the grant helps provide focus for students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. “Not only are we providing students intensive training in mathematics before they enter college, but once they get here we support them with academic counseling, peer mentoring, and tutoring. That’s essential for student success.”

Accreditation Oversight Steering Committee Completes Report For ACCJC

Update for the SMCCCD Board of Trustees is well received

A lot of work has been done over the summer to address the recommendations of ACCJC regarding the college's accreditation. This week, a team of Cañada faculty, staff and administrators updated the Board of Trustees on the Follow Up Report, SLO development and the Educational Master Plan. "The Board was greatly impressed and genuinely engaged in appreciating the immense amount of meaningful work that has been done in putting the entire package together, not just for ACCJC but most importantly for the future of the College," said President Tom Mohr in a campus-wide e-mail. "The team demonstrated the power of planning and deciding together and the practical, down to earth reasons for all of us at the College honoring and refinijng the defined processes and the absolute imperative of total engagement."

The team included Mohr, Katie Townsend-Merino, Patty Dilko, Martin Partlan, Rita Sabbadini, and Joan Murphy. More information about this work can be found at the college's Accreditation Home Page.

Midnight Madness Draws Students to Campus for Registration

A lot was learned as students expressed their gratitude for keeping the doors open late on Friday, Aug. 1.

Midnight Madness drew hundreds of students to campus and was a big success in boosting enrollment for fall semester. The college kept its doors open late on Friday, Aug. 1 to give students who work an opportunity to register for classes, talk with a counselor, and take a placement test. “We learned a lot with this event,” said Melissa Raby, dean of counseling and enrollment. “Because it was the first time we held the event, we weren’t sure what to expect. What we found was a surprising number of students happy that we worked around their schedule with late hours.”

Raby said the event produced 31 new applications, 41 placement tests, and 78 appointments with academic counselors. Even more important, the college had 100 students registered compared to 59 at the same time last year and 241 enrolled credit hours compared to 123 at the same time in 2007.

“From an enrollment perspective it was very successful but more importantly, it showed our commitment to the community,” said President Tom Mohr. “We saw parents bring their newly graduated high school student to register; we saw working mothers; we saw students get off work and come up to campus. They were all very happy with the event.” The college is looking to do a similar event for the Spring Semester.

Why Faculty Are Joining the Basic Skills Movement

By Salumeh Eslamieh, Basic Skills Coordinator, Cañada College

When we decided to form a basic skills committee at Canada College, many faculty and staff were eager to be a part of it. The request was sent to the entire campus because we wanted the committee to consist of passionate faculty and staff across disciplines and departments. Faculty/staff from some departments remained unrepresented, but when we explained that they are already doing work that the basic skills initiative is inspiring, they saw the value of joining the committee. Our committee consists of 17 people, representing departments across the campus; the members include Counseling, ESL, Reading and English, Accounting and Finance, History, Learning Center, Math, Art History, and Student Services.

I asked members of the committee to explain why they wanted to join the basic skills committee:

"After reading the poppy copy, I was convinced that this funded statewide initiative is one of the most important educational movements in the state, and I wanted to be part of this important work."

"I wanted to participate in a cross-campus work group to increase student success in the basic skills classes, especially since these are the majority of our students."

"I have a deep commitment to increasing the educational attainment levels of our students and a desire to stop worrying about transfer enrollments-- we will not have any students if we do not help our basic skills students move up."

"I believe that all of our students and faculty have concerns that revolve around the basic skills issues of our students, and the basic skills committee is a place to tackle that."

"I wanted to improve the retention of students in developmental levels."

"I joined to get help developing and expanding the student tutoring program that reaches out to students who lack necessary skills to succeed in transfer courses."

"The Learning Center holds workshops and provides tutoring across the curriculum, so I believe that the basic skills initiative can support us."

Shocking News That You Can Use

Sequoia Healthcare District donates nine automated external defibrillators (AED) to the college

The health and safety of students, staff and visitors to the Cañada College Campus has been significantly enhanced this fall by Sequoia Healthcare District’s innovative HeartSafe Program which has donated 9 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) that have been placed in visible and accessible locations throughout the campus. The campus previously had 3 AED units to serve the 131 acre campus. “A person should be able to get to an AED and back to the victim within 90 seconds, said Pamela Kurtzman, HeartSafe Program Manager, “with the additional 9 units, the campus is effectively equipped to achieve that goal”. In addition to placement of the life-saving devices, several staff have been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation using AEDs.

Sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital setting is responsible for an estimated 350,000 deaths per year in the United States — nearly 20,000 of these annual deaths occur in people under 55 years of age, according to the American Heart Association. Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical disturbance that causes the heart to spasm, without warning. The victim will collapse, stop breathing and have no pulse. Without oxygen, the brain begins to die within 4 minutes. CPR will keep a victim minimally oxygenated until a lifesaving shock can be administered to defibrillate the heart and return it to its natural rhythm.

Automated External Defibrillators are small, portable devices that analyze heart rhythms, provide on-scene operators with voice-prompted instructions and, if appropriate, can provide a lifesaving shock to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. They are compact, lightweight and battery-operated.

Sequoia Healthcare District is placing defibrillators in high-traffic and high-risk areas including first responder vehicles, schools, public buildings, businesses, fitness and recreation centers as part of the HeartSafe program. Approximately 20 percent of our population is on school grounds on any given weekday. “By placing defibrillators in places where large groups of people gather we can increase the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest, from about 5 percent to as high as 50 percent”, said Kurtzman.

“Although Sequoia Healthcare District has made it fiscally possible for Cañada College to acquire the AEDs, the partnership would not be possible if it weren’t for the tremendous commitment and enthusiasm from the administration who have wholeheartedly embraced the HeartSafe Program”, said Pamela Kurtzman. “Student and staff safety is one of our top priorities, so we are thankful to Sequoia Healthcare District for making it possible to offer our students, staff and visitors a higher level of emergency response in the event of a health crisis on our campus.” said Tom Mohr, Cañada College President.

This past April, a man was credited with saving the life of his colleague who had collapsed on the track at Woodside High School by responding quickly with a defibrillator he retrieved from the school’s Performing Arts Center. It was the third life saved since the conception of the HeartSafe Program in September, 2006.

College Completes Annual Update of Strategic Plan

Process provides a "dashboard" to gauge progress on key initiatives

The college recently completed its annual progress report for the strategic plan. This process involved reviewing the goals, activities and actions associated with the plan and providing updates. “This is a very important process,” said President Tom Mohr. “The strategic plan guides all of our decisions at the college, from curriculum development to student recruiting.” In 2006 and 2007, the college embarked on a lengthy, inclusive process, that brought the campus community together to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the college. Mohr said it is important to provide annual updates to the plan to determine how the college is doing on meeting its goals and objectives. “This gives us a clear look at how we’re doing as an institution,” he said.

Information on the strategic plan and this year's progress report can be found on the Strategic Planning Website.

Biology/Chemistry Workshops Draw 90 Educators

The professional development opportunity was made possibly by NSF grant

Approximately 90 San Mateo County high school educators attended the first biology/chemistry workshop hosted earlier this month by Gene Connection and Cañada College. The featured speaker was Dr. David Gilchrist of UC Davis who discussed "Biotechnology: fathoming science, society, and reality." Science and biology educators from around the county shared their favorite lessons with colleagues, engaged in networking, and participated in afternoon workshops. The event was made possibly by the National Science Foundation grant obtained by the college last year.

Library Active in "One Book One Community 2008"

The event takes place throughout October

The Cañada College Library will join libraries from around the county for “One Book One Community 2008.” The event takes place throughout October and features “What Is The What” a book by author Dave Eggers. KQED Radio host Michael Krasny will interview the author at the San Mateo County Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Cañada College will host a special lecture by San Francisco State University Professor Sarah Manyika titled “Exile as a Story of our Time”. The lecture, like the book written by Eggers, focuses on the Sudan crisis and the ongoing civil war in the country.

Arts & Olive Festival Seeks Volunteers

More than 100 volunteers are needed for scholarship fundraiser

The 11th annual Arts & Olive Festival, a scholarship fundraiser for Cañada College students, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 5 and more than 100 volunteers are needed. The festival draws hundreds of people to the campus to sample olive oil, listen to music, and purchase hand-crafted art. For more information on how you can help call Julie Mooney at Ext. 3428.

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FACES OF CAÑADA

Denise Erickson Lectures at Stanford

Lecture focused on art saved during Hurricane Katrina

Denise Erickson, professor of Art History, lectured on the rich collection of French art housed in the New Orleans Museum of Art that was spared during Hurricane Katrina. Her lecture was titled “Spared from the Storm: Masterworks From The New Orleans Museum of Art.” The lecture was part of the Stanford Continuing Studies series. Much of the artwork Erickson discussed in her lecture is on exhibit through October 5 in the Cantor Arts Center on the Stanford University campus. “I’ve been lecturing at Stanford for a number of years but this is the first time they used my Cañada College credentials in the program,” she said. “I was thrilled because I received a large number of phone calls and e-mails from people who attended the lecture.” The exhibit features some 80 paintings, drawings, and sculptures by many of the most influential artists active from the 17th through the mid-20th centuries.

Iverson, Enriquez Conduct Tablet PC Workshops

Workshops were aimed at helping math and science teachers

Chuck Iverson, professor of mathematics, and Amelito Enriquez, professor of engineering, conducted a joint Tablet PC workshop for a group of K-12 math and science teachers through the MESA Academy for Science and Math Educators. The workshop was held in August at the PG&E Conference facility in San Ramon. Earlier this year, Enriquez received the Outstanding Community College Educator Award for the Pacific Southwest Section by the American Society of Engineering Education. In 2006, he was honored by his peers at the Hewlett-Packard Worldwide Technology for Teaching Conference for developing an interactive learning network with Tablet PCs.

Townsend-Merino to Serve on Early College High School Initiative Panel

Panel is sponsored by Woodrow Wilson National Fellow Foundation

Katie Townsend-Merino, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, has been invited by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellow Foundation Early College High School Initiative to serve on its advisory panel. The panel is developing the Woodrow Wilson Early College conference agendas for next year. Woodrow Wilson’s Early College Initiative supports bridge-building between institutions of higher education and secondary schools, so that more and better-prepared students from underrepresented and underserved populations graduate from college ready for high academic achievement. “This is a great honor,” said Townsend-Merino. “I’m excited to participate in this effort.”

Lorraine Barrales-Ramirez Returns to Cañada

Lorraine is appointed the new EOPS counselor

Lorraine Barrales-Ramirez understands the obstacles faced by today’s community college students. She faced them herself when she graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School and became a community college student. “I’m here to help students out,” she said. “I love working with students and assisting them achieve their academic goals. I grew up in Redwood City. After graduation from M-A I attended community college on the Peninsula then transferred to Cal State Fullerton. As a former EOP and first generation college student I understand the obstacles our students face.” Lorraine returns to Cañada after working for West Valley College.

New Director of Planning, Research and Student Success Hired

Greg Stoup Served Most Recently as Director of College Research at Foothill

Gregory Stoup has been hired as the Director of Planning, Research and Student Success at Cañada College. He has been working since 2006 as the Director of College Research and Planning at Foothill College. At Foothill, he worked with the Administrative Council to develop a research foundation for the college’s Master Plan. He has also been involved in several research and planning efforts that have helped the college decision makers make better strategic choices and helped the institution better satisfy the demands of an evolving regulatory landscape. Prior to working at Foothill College, Stoup worked as Director of a Public Policy Research Center at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

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

Frida Kahlo Week at Celebrates Legendary Artist

A variety of events are planned through Sept. 19

Cañada College will celebrate the life and work of Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter who achieved great popularity for her use of vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by the indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as by European influences that include realism, symbolism, and surrealism. The celebration, which includes two films and a field trip to see the real works of Kahlo, will be held Sept. 15-19 at the college.

Events include:

• "The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo" - This PBS documentary chronicles the life and art of Frida Kahlo, framing her life in relationship to the historical and cultural influences that inspired her and defined the first half of the 20th century. Kahlo became and international sensation in the world of modern art and radical politics. Her life was a drama of personal extremes lived against a backgrop of political, social, and artistic revolution. This 90-minute film is free for Cañada students, staff and faculy. It will be shown on Monday, Sept. 15 and again on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Both showings will be held in Building 3, Room 148 at 12:30 p.m.
• "Frida" - This stunning theatrical film starring Selma Hayek (nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress) as Frida, and Alfred Molina as her husband Diego Rivera brings alive this exceptional woman who lived an unforgettable life. This 123-minute film is free for Cañada students, staff and faculty. It will be shown on Wednesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 18. Both showings will be held in Building 3, Room 148 at 12:30 p.m.
• Filed Trip to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - The college community will tour the exhibition on Friday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Denise Erickson at Ext. 3352.

The Learning Center Hosts Workshop Series on Research Papers

A series of workshops to help students understand research papers debuted on Sept. 10.

The Cañada College Learning Center is sponsoring a four-part workshop designed to help students understand the process of research papers. The first workshop was titled "How To Start A Research Paper" and was held Sept. 10. All of the workshops are open to all students and there is no need to register - simply drop-in.

The second workshop is titled "Understanding The Research Process" and will be held Thursday, Sept. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Building 9, Room 257A. The third workshop is titled "Plagiarism" and will be held on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the same time and place as the previous workshops. The final workshop in the series is titled "How To Cite Your References" and will be held Thursday, Oct. 9. at the same time and place as the previous workshops.

For more information, contact the Learning Center at Ext. 3348.

September is Campus Security Month

September is widely recognized as the most dangerous month for college students nationwide.

Cañada College will join more than 350 colleges and universities across the nation in recognizing September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Activities and speakers are planned to address the dangers that college students face. For more information, contact Debi Joy at Ext. 3478.

Cañada College Blood Drive

Bloodmobile will be on campus Sept. 24-25

The Bloodmobile will be on campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 24-25. it will be parked in Lot 2. Appointments can be scheduled online at www.bloodheroes.com. Click on "find a location" and enter sponsor code: CanadaCollege. You can also make appointments at the Health Center (5-204) or by calling 650-652-4124.

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 for the latest event listings.

Editor's Note: If you would like to submit an event to the Cañada Calendar of Events please contact Robert Hood at hoodr@smccd.edu.