On Becoming Your "New" President
I would like to say again that it remains a high honor to be named president of Glendale Community College--two beautiful campuses, dedicated and talented faculty, staff and students, and an exciting future together as we serve the citizens of the West Valley and beyond. Again, thank you for the many e-mails, notes, cards, phone calls, and congratulatory messages I received following Dr. Gaskin's announcement of my appointment. I appreciate your continued support and involvement.

New Employees
Please welcome the following new GCC employees, approved by the Maricopa Governing Board on Jan. 28: Joanne Dunlap, Athletics; Tracy Hokaj, Library/Media Center; Ellen Le'Ar Reyes, Admissions & Records; Lisa Schultz, Instructional Computing; and Susan Tosh, Admissions & Records.

Open House Welcomes Students and Families
On February 7, our fire science/EMT faculty and staff hosted a wonderful open house to welcome new students enrolled in this semester's Advanced Emergency Medical Technology class (paramedic training). Held at Glendale Fire Station 157 on campus, attendees toured the facility and learned what they can expect in this very intense class. I was especially pleased to see the event include students' loved ones, recognizing their importance in providing support throughout the semester. My thanks to Paula Davis, Chris Coughlin, Doug DeSanti and others for coordinating what I am told was the second in a series of welcoming receptions for new classes of students. And, best of luck to the current class as they complete final exams today and tomorrow.

Listening Session Needs Your Voice, Feb. 20
I know the campus community is well aware by now that we will host the MCCD Governing Board--along with possibly hundreds of community leaders--at the Community Voices Listening Session scheduled for Thurs., Feb. 20, 6:00 p.m. in the Student Union Lounge. Please take this opportunity to learn more about our service area and maybe even speak to the Board during the open forum. The meeting will feature West Valley updates from four top community leaders: Elaine Scruggs, Mayor of Glendale; Elaine Maimon, Provost of ASU West; Martin Samaniego, Community Relations, APS; and Diane McCarthy, Executive Director of WESTMARC. I hope to see many of you there.

New Copyright Guidelines
The Maricopa District has issued important new guidelines concerning what may and may not be duplicated. The guidelines are designed to discourage violation of the U.S. Copyright Law and help all Maricopa employees understand and adhere to its provisions. These provisions impact instruction, administration, and other aspects of college operations, so I encourage you to review the new guidelines at http://www.dist.maricopa.edu/legal/ip/index.htm

Governing Board Retreat Highlights
A January 29 MCCD Governing Board retreat with the Chancellor's Executive Committee and the Advisory Councils focused on finance and strategic planning. Significantly, discussion focused on the progress made to date on a Districtwide strategic plan, and how it was being linked to District budgets and colleges' strategic plans. We gained some additional, timely information about the financial condition of the State of Arizona and what the community colleges might expect in the near future. I'll keep you updated.

Applause for Activities and Publications
I would like to mention two quick recognitions for recent impressive work. The GCC Black Student Union and Student Life have coordinated a series of meaningful activities celebrating African American History Month - if you haven't yet attended any of these events, more are planned throughout February; details are on the GCC online calendar. Also, my thanks to Alumni/Community Relations Coordinator Judy Blake and her colleagues for producing the College's first giving brochure and the first issue of a GCC alumni newsletter. Effective teamwork is helping us create these and other tools necessary to encourage more giving to the College.

Dr. Phil Randolph
President
Glendale Community College