CAMPUS NEWS

Mohr to Engage Campus on Strategic Plan

Interim President Tom Mohr will engage the campus community on a comprehensive strategic plan for the college beginning with Opening Day ceremonies.

Mohr will present an outline for the planning process as part of his presentation to the faculty and staff on Opening Day. He said he expects to work through the shared governance process to appoint a committee that will marshal the project.

"The college has recently been involved in strategic planning so we're not starting from scratch," he said. "Part of the process will include integrating the work that has been done in the past with a vision for the future."

Mohr has extensive experience in developing strategic plans for local school districts. In addition, he has served as a consultant for districts developing strategic plans. While community colleges are different than local school districts, Mohr said the process both use for developing strategic plans is similar.

"It's important to define the institution and develop a clear mission and goals to meet that definition," he said. "It guides everything from curriculum development to hiring personnel to developing partnerships with local industry."

Building 9 Construction Hits High Gear

Construction should be finished late this winter followed by a testing of the building's systems in spring 20007. Employees are expected to move into the building in June and a ribbon-cutting will be held at next year's Opening Day ceremonies.

Construction of the largest building in Cañada's history has gone so smoothly that Swinerton Management & Consulting Campus Construction Manager Anne Daley gets slightly nervous talking about it. The 71,000-square-foot Library and Student Resource Center is on time, on budget, and everyone continues to work well together.

The building will house a state-of-the-art library that will be open to the public, student learning center, admissions and records, financial aid, and the academic counseling center.

"This building, possessing state-of-the-art technology, will be a tremendous asset for our students - a true center of learning," said Interim President Tom Mohr.

Daley said construction workers are currently framing the interior of the building. "When it develops its skin it will really begin to become part of the campus architectural environment."

Daley said that Peter Hempel, Swinerton's project manager, is already planning for a smooth transition into the new building. Construction of the building should be completed in late February or early March, Daley said it's important to remember that it's not a "clean" finish. She said the architect will develop a punch list so workers will likely remain in the building for a couple of months addressing minor construction issues. She said all the new furniture, including the library shelving system, will be installed sometime in the spring.

"March, April and May are going to be busy months," Daley said. "There will be a lot of activities going on simultaneously as we complete the finishing touches and move people into the building."

Phyllis Lucas-Woods Joins State System Planning Process

As a member of the Chief Student Services Officers Executive Committee, Lucas-Woods is working with the State Chancellor's Office to implement a strategic plan for the state system.

The State System is busy implementing a recently developed strategic plan for the California Community Colleges and as a member of the Chief Student Services Officers Executive Committee Phyllis Lucas-Woods is engaged in the process.

"It's a very challenging but exciting time for the state system," Lucas-Woods said. "This plan will help guide the system for years to come."

Lucas-Woods recently spent several days in Sacramento with other student service professionals meeting with state system executives to discuss how the plan will impact students.

"We discussed the state budget related to student services, English and math requirements, and how certain pieces of legislation apply to the colleges."

The state system's strategic plan was developed with input from a wide range of internal constituencies of the Community College system, as well as from external stakeholders and partners, including other segments of education, business and state agencies. A Strategic Plan Steering Committee, with representation from these stakeholder groups, developed recommendations for review by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

The plan addresses the major demographic, economic, and educational issues that California will face over the coming decades. It presents clear system goals, specific strategies and implementation measures, as well as methods for assessing implementation and ensuring the plan's ongoing renewal. Developed through consultation with the College's educational leaders and external partners, this plan builds on the planning and work done by individual colleges and districts, and provides a framework for all constituencies to work together.

Cañada College, San Francisco State University Partner with San Mateo County School Districts to Improve Teacher Training

Center for Teacher Efficacy to open at Cañada College University Center this fall

As a life-long high school educator, Cañada College Interim President Tom Mohr understands the difficulties faced by teachers trying to prepare students for post-secondary education.

"It doesn't matter if a student is going to college or entering the workforce following high school, they will all need to reach post-secondary academic standards in order to succeed in life," said Mohr, the former superintendent of San Mateo Union High School District and a principal of three different high schools in the Jefferson Union High School District. "Today's teachers are faced with an enormous task. How do you teach to a classroom full of students that have diverse learning styles, come from different socio-economic backgrounds, and have different motivation for education?"

To help teachers, Mohr has partnered with the San Francisco State University College of Education to establish the Center for Teacher Efficacy on the Cañada College campus. The concept is simple - provide local high school teachers with a staff development center that will offer meaningful professional development opportunities and allow them to share their classroom experiences.

"This is a very exciting pilot project," said Vera Lane, professor emerita and former associate dean of the SFSU College of Education. "If this is successful we can help local school districts plan meaningful professional development programs for teachers. I think the concept is one that will have broad appeal across the state."

The program will start small this fall. Two cohorts of 25 teachers each from the San Mateo Union High School District and the Sequoia Union High School District will participate in a professional development session focused on differentiated instruction. The two cohorts will be organized by subject matter, one in math and science and the other in English and social studies. Participating teachers will take a full-day, two-unit class on Sept. 27 taught by experts in secondary level teaching from SFSU. Teachers will use the skills in the classroom and get together three more times to discuss what worked and what didn't.

"It's important for teachers to practice what they learn and to come back together to discuss the results with each other," Mohr said.

The Cañada College University Center will donate the classroom space, SFSU has donated Lane's time to develop the program and will provide the instructors and the two school districts will pay for substitute teachers and stipends for participants, who can earn academic credit or 30 hours of professional development. The cost for teachers is $150 plus a $25 materials fee which will be used to offset the cost of instruction.

Lane said the idea to focus on differentiated instruction came from the participating school districts.

"We met several times and brainstormed ideas before narrowing it down to five," she said. Some of the other ideas included classroom management and cultural diversity but Lane said it was clear that the districts felt one of the most pressing issues is how to teach to students with different skill sets and educational goals. "We'll continue to work with teachers to come up with professional development opportunities that are pertinent to their classroom experiences."

Mohr said the center provides teachers with an opportunity to acquire units necessary to complete the second stage of the teaching credential but he said some teachers will participate simply to improve their classroom skills.

"Our goal is to help teachers in San Mateo County prepare students for college-level work," Mohr said. "We know that students need that level of instruction to compete in a global marketplace whether they ultimately attend college or not."

Cañada College Receives 2006 HP Technology Grant

The school is one of 10 higher education institutions in the U.S. to earn the award

Cañada College is one of 10 higher education institutions in the United States to earn the 2006 Hewlett Packard Technology for Teaching Leadership Grant.

The grant is valued at $120,500. Cañada College will receive HP technology, including wireless tablet computers, docking stations, storage carts, inkjet printers and wireless cards, valued at $110,000 and $10,500 in cash.

The Hewlett Packard Technology for Teaching Grant is designed to transform and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology. Cañada College is using HP wireless technology in engineering, math, and physics courses to create an Interactive Learning Network (ILN) that allows real-time student assessment and assistance with individual or group focus. The college has created a system that links notebook computers to allow teachers to monitor students as they work through problems.

"Being able to monitor the work in real-time is a tremendous advantage for the students and the teacher," said Amelito Enriquez, engineering and mathematics professor at Cañada and project leader. "You can see where students struggle and you can help them understand how to overcome the problem."

A team of Cañada professors was selected to present its project at the 2006 Hewlett Packard Higher Education Technology for Teaching Conference held last February in Monterey. It was one of six colleges worldwide selected to present at the conference.

"Receiving this grant for a second consecutive year is a testament to the high-level work being performed in the Science and Technology Division at the college," said Cañada President Tom Mohr. The college earned a $74,000 Technology for Teaching grant from HP last year.

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FACES OF CAÑADA

The Ride of a Lifetime

Gail Kamei, lead operator at Central Duplicating, will join a group of breast cancer survivors in Australia this October riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Sydney to Brisbane .

To say it's been a trying year for Gail Kamei would be an understatement but the Vallejo resident is hoping to turn a corner - literally and figuratively - by embarking on a Harley-Davidson ride in Australia with other breast cancer survivors.

Last summer, Gail was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and subsequent chemotherapy to rid her body of cancer. Before that, her husband was diagnosed with diabetes and went through dialyses, and is still going through it, as his kidneys began to fail. "It was hell," she said of the past year. "I want to put all of this behind me and it begins with this ride."

From Oct. 13-20 Gail will join a group of intrepid breast cancer survivors from Australia and the United States who will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, riding motorcycles up the coast of Australia from Sydney to Brisbane in Amazon Heart Thunder, a unique high-profile advocacy, community building and fundraising event for women living with breast cancer. The event is organized by Amazon Heart, a group that runs support programs for breast cancer survivors in partnership with leading breast cancer agencies around the world. Funds raised by the ride will support peer support programs run by Amazon Heart and the Young Survival Coalition in the United States .

Gail's doctor recently diagnosed her as cancer free and Gail has returned to a rigorous workout schedule that sees her in the gym five days a week. She still has aches and pains from medication she is taking but said they are minor compared to chemotherapy.

"It was very difficult," said the self-described workout fanatic who has participated in several bodybuilding competitions. "I can't imagine how difficult it would have been had I not been in shape."

That's one aspect of getting cancer that still bugs Gail. She did everything right. She didn't smoke, didn't drink, maintained a strict diet and worked out regularly. "I didn't get colds," she said. "I didn't believe in getting sick. When my doctor told me I had breast cancer I couldn't believe it. But she told me something important - breast cancer doesn't discriminate."

Her doctor also advised her to keep as close to possible to her regular schedule as she was going through chemotherapy treatments. At first, Gail would undergo chemotherapy on Thursday and return to work on Monday. As the treatment advanced she needed a week to recover but she said the Cañada community made a big difference in her recovery.

"I don't know what would have happened if I had worked someplace else," she said. "Everyone at Cañada was so supportive. They wore blue armbands to show their support. When I lost my hair I was so worried about returning to work. I had co-workers who told me they wished they could look that good without hair. That kind of thing meant so much to me. Cañada is truly a special place."

To pay for her trip to Australia, Gail is selling her Kawasaki Concours motorcycle. "It's worth it," she said. "I've never been outside of the country and I'm real excited about this trip. I'm looking forward to meeting other breast cancer survivors and making some life-long friends."

You can follow Gail's week-long trip at www.amazonheartthunder.org. You can also donate to support her participation in the ride at http://www.amazonheart.org/AHThunder/gailkamei.htm. All proceeds raised will go to support peer support programs for breast cancer patients.

Sarita Ramos Joins Business Office as Accounting Technician

Sarita Ramos, a former Cañada College student, has joined the business office as an accounting technician. She helps with everything in the Cashier's Office and soon will be responsible for student payroll.

Sarita, 28, is studying to become a certified public accountant. She is transferring to San Francisco State University in the fall and will work in the morning and attend classes in the afternoon. Her major is business accounting.

"This is a perfect job for me because I'm able to work in the morning and go to school in the afternoon," she said.

Sarita arrived at Cañada in the spring of 2002 from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She began studying English as a Second Language and eventually earned her associate's degree in liberal arts. She lives in Redwood City with her husband.

"I'm excited that I'm able to stay at Cañada," she said. "I love the school. Cañada has truly been my home."

Salumeh Eslamieh Joins Cañada as English Instructor

San Francisco resident Salumeh Eslamieh will join Cañada College this fall as a new English instructor.

Salumeh has been teaching at Skyline College for the past year and tutoring at Skyline for the past two years. She moved to the Bay Area a little over three years ago to earn a master's degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University.

"I enjoy sharing literature with people," Salumeh said. "I introduce a huge variety of literature in my classroom including American, British, African, Indian and Iranian. I like to focus on the multi-cultural aspects in the text."

Salumeh said her goal for students is to learn an appreciation for literature and to develop the ability to interpret and be critical of the text.

After growing up in Los Angeles, Salumeh earned her undergraduate degree from U.C.-Irvine. She said studying at San Francisco State University gave her an appreciation for smaller class sizes.

" San Francisco State is more student-centered," she said. "Rather than 300 people listening passively to a lecture classes were focused on participation."

Salumeh said that's one thing that draws her to Cañada.

"It's attractive to have small class sizes," she said. "It instill a different learning ethic. Students will lead the discussion rather than sit passively taking notes."

In her free time Salumeh enjoys writing both fiction and non-fiction. She has had several non-fiction pieces published. In addition, she likes to sew and make her own clothing.

Michael Stanford Joins Cañada to Teach History

You might call Michael Stanford a world traveler. Over the past 10 years he has traveled through 17 countries and taught U.S. and European history in Paris at an international school. He joins Cañada College this fall as the new history instructor.

This semester Michael will teach U.S. History 201 and 202 along with Race and Ethnicity. In the spring he'll teach the second half of Western Civilization.

"While I was in Europe I developed a strong interest in late 19th and early 20th century history," he said. "It's the birth of modernism and there was rapid change in the daily lives of people living in Western society."

Michael said his classes are multidisciplinary and inclusive. He'll use the arts, film, economics and philosophy to describe history to his students. "It's an active classroom," he said. "There is always a lot of discourse between myself and my students. My goal is to bring history to life and show students how it links to their lives."

Michael grew up in the central California coastal town of Shell Beach. That's where he attended high school and later Cuesta Community College. He earned his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He moved north to San Francisco to study education at San Francisco State University. He subsequently began teaching history at Mountain View High School before returning to SFSU to earn a master's degree in U.S. history.

"When I finished my master's degree I knew I wanted to live someplace else in the world," he said. "I attended a job conference in London and accepted a position in Paris."

While he enjoyed Europe, about a year ago Michael was looking for a change. He was on the verge of accepting a new position in Vienna when he decided to return to the U.S.

"I was teaching university-level courses in Paris and I knew I wanted to teach to that level of student and I was naturally drawn to the community college system," he said. "I like working with community college students and I support the mission of educational access that is the hallmark of the system."

Michael moved to San Francisco and began teaching as an adjunct history instructor at Skyline and Foothill colleges. "I was working under a fantastic dean at Skyline College and we talked about the opening at Cañada College," he said. "She told me good things about the college and I was very excited when I received the job offer."

While he enjoys living in San Francisco Michael said he'll always have a connection to Europe .

"I have an international mindset," he said. "I will always spend some of my time each year back in Europe."

Training for Success

Cañada College Athletic Trainer Cindy Mak's philosophy is simple - she's bringing NCAA Division I service to the community college level when it comes to taking care of the health of her athletes.

"Working at community colleges during graduate school I found that many of the part-time trainers limited the hours that the training room was open," Cindy said. "That won't be the case at Cañada. We're going to be open a full day so that we can focus on rehab and treatments in the morning and practice and game training in the afternoon."

Before joining Cañada in August, Cindy had been a trainer at Homestead High School, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, Foothill and De Anza community colleges, the San Jose Sabercats Arena Football League team and with several sports therapy clinics. That experience, she said, came as part of her graduate training at San Jose State where she majored in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training.

"I love sports and I wanted to be involved but I didn't have the opportunity to play sports when I was younger," she said. "I decided to stick to the medical side of sports and provide care to athletes."

Cindy's parents moved to Oakland in 1979 from Hong Kong and her love of sports began early as she cheered for the 49ers. "The Raiders had left Oakland and, technically, I was born in San Francisco so I adopted the 49ers." Unfortunately for Cindy, her parents were old-school and didn't believe a young Chinese girl should be playing sports so she was relegated to the role of spectator.

"They wanted me to learn to play a musical instrument or dance," she said. "I never did learn to play an instrument and I wasn't very good at dancing. I found my niche in sports medicine."

After graduating from high school in Oakland, Cindy earned a bachelor's degree at U.C. Berkeley before finishing her master's degree at San Jose State.

Cañada is Cindy's first full-time training job and she said she's excited to be part of the program.

"There are big things in the works for Cañada and I'm excited to be part of them," she said. "All you have to do is walk around campus and look at the new library and student resource center to see the growth."

While Cindy is currently the only athletic trainer on staff, she said she would eventually like to bring in student trainers from San Jose State to provide more support for Cañada's athletes and provide much-needed experience for the student trainers.

"I'm an approved clinical instructor so I can establish a program to bring in student trainers," she said. "It's something I would like to explore down the road."

Calling all golfers: Cañada needs you

It's not easy building a golf program from scratch but Rick Velasquez is up for the challenge. Cañada reinstated both the men's and women's programs last spring after a four-year hiatus and Velasquez is scrambling to recruit golfers.

"I'm excited about the potential," Rick said. "We have the only women's team in the Bay Area so we have a great pool of talent to draw from."

The men will compete in the Coast Conference League with San Jose City , Foothill, Cabrillo, Chabot, and Monterey Community College. The women will compete in the Central Valley Conference. Cañada will be the only community college in San Mateo County to feature golf teams.

Rick has coached girl's varsity golf at Notre Dame High School in Belmont for the past five years. He brings to Cañada his Notre Dame High School assistant coach, Natasha Hems, a professional golfer from Australia who works as an instructor at Burlingame Golf Center .

Rick and Natasha combined to win league titles in three of their five years at Notre Dame and advanced to the Central Coast Section and Northern California playoffs nearly every year. Last year, one of their golfers earned a scholarship to play at a four-year university.

"We are going to produce golfers at Cañada that will earn college scholarships," he said.

Cañada has a rich history in men's golf. It fielded a team for 24 seasons and won two state titles.

Because this is a rebuilding season, Rick said there will be opportunities for golfers of varying skill levels to join the team. "Ideally, we're looking for golfers that have some experience on a high school golf team," he said. "But because this is the first year, we'll accept players with varying degrees of experience."

Students interested in playing golf at Cañada should enroll in the golf class and expect to practice at least two hours a day three days a week in season. Velasquez said practice will focus on chipping, pitching and putting. Matches will be held once a week.

For more information, contact Velasquez at 306-3411.

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

Former College Dropout Earns $10,000 Scholarship to UC Santa Cruz

San Mateo's Elizabeth Hooshiar plans to study environmental biology in the fall

Cañada College student and San Mateo resident Elizabeth Hooshiar has been accepted into the 2006 Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Program at UC Santa Cruz. For Hooshiar, a 1999 graduate of Sequoia High School, the award represents a remarkable turnaround after she failed to make grades at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo University following high school.

"It's been a struggle but I'm very excited about the opportunity to attend UC Santa Cruz and pursue a career in environmental biology and conservation education," she said.

The Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Program Award consists of a $10,000 annual scholarship as well as a paid or volunteer summer work experience tailored to complement the recipient's academic studies. Hooshiar, who currently serves as a volunteer docent for Save the Bay, plans to volunteer at the Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz while she pursues her degree.

Hooshiar earned a full-ride scholarship to Cal Poly to study mathematics following high school but was facing the emotional fall-out of her mother's death and felt out of place at the school. After leaving Cal Poly she worked odd jobs in San Luis Obispo for two years and enrolled at Cuesta College but failed most of her courses as she searched for something she enjoyed doing.

She eventually moved back to San Mateo and took a job at a local law firm. "It was a real job with benefits and a decent salary," she said. "I didn't think there was any chance of getting back into school, given my grades."

While she enjoyed the job, she knew it wasn't her career goal. She enjoyed hiking and kayaking and was interested in studying the environment. A friend at the law firm convinced her to try college again and Hooshiar enrolled at Cañada College, first studying paralegal and then biology. "My friends at work supported my decision and they allowed me to flex my hours to go to school," she said. "Those are the people who helped me the most."

Hooshiar said professors and academic counselors at Cañada convinced her she could get accepted at a four-year university. Judy Litke, director of the college's Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement Program, convinced her to apply for the Pister Scholarship. "The people at Cañada didn't worry about my past," she said. "They believed in me and convinced me to apply for the scholarship. I'm very excited and motivated to prove they were right."

Mexican Immigrant Earns College Scholarship After Five Years of Learning English and Studying Literature

Gerardo Pacheco of San Carlos earns $1,000 scholarship from Univision

Cañada College Professor Jennifer Castello calls Gerardo Pacheco one of the hardest working students she's seen in more than 20 years of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).

"I wasn't surprised to hear that Gerardo had earned a scholarship," Castello said. "He has worked extremely hard to succeed in college. It's well earned."

The 23-year-old Pacheco received the $1,000 Univision Exito Escolar Scholarship at a special awards ceremony held in San Jose on Sunday, July 16. Pacheco will return to Cañada this fall to finish a few courses before transferring to a four-year university to study English, creative writing, and literature.

"Eventually, I would like to come back to Cañada as a professor," Pacheco said. "Cañada has given me so much I would like to give something back."

It hasn't been easy for Pacheco. He emigrated from Huhi, Yucatan, Mexico in 1999 and never attended high school. He enrolled in the Cañada College ESL program in 2001 and finished the program in 2003 while working a full-time job. Last spring, Pacheco graduated with honors and received his associate's degree in English. He continued taking college courses and is now in position to transfer to a university to finish his final two years to earn a bachelor's degree.

"I would like to attend college in Los Angeles or possibly Long Beach," Pacheco said. "I'm also applying to San Jose State and San Francisco State universities."

This year, Univision 14 and its partners, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Mi Pueblo Food Stores, awarded $45,000 in scholarships to Bay Area Latino students through the annual Exito Escolar educational campaign. Scholarship applicants are required to live in the Bay Area and must be enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade or an accredited community college or four-year university. Students must submit a fully completed scholarship awards application.

COCA-COLA SCHOLARS FOUNDATION AWARDS CAÑADA COLLEGE STUDENTS $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH THE COCA-COLA TWO-YEAR COLLEGES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Kevin Coughlin of Redwood City and Lizbeth Mendoza of Newark, students at Cañada College have each been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

Through the Coca-Cola Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program, the Foundation awards a total of 400 scholarships annually to students attending higher-education institutions granting two-year degrees. In April, one scholar from each state received a $2,000 scholarship from Coca-Cola through the New Century Scholar Program of the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college scholastic honorary organization. On June 20, an additional 350 students were awarded a $1,000 scholarship. All recipients have demonstrated academic success and participated in community service within the past 12 months.

"The Coca-Cola Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program gives support and encouragement to an under-served population of college students," said J. Mark Davis, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. "This program is an extension of our long-standing commitment to college education throughout the United States. These fine students, who often juggle school, work and family, continue to give back to their communities through volunteer service."

The Coca-Cola Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program is made possible with funding from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation. The Whitehead Foundation provides grants in support of human services initiatives. The late Joseph B. Whitehead was one of the original bottlers of Coca-Cola.

The Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program complements the Foundation's Coca-Cola Scholars Program, which awards more than $3 million annually in college scholarships to 250 outstanding high school seniors. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is one of the most recognized and respected corporate-sponsored scholarships in America.

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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