New Employees

Please join me in welcoming the following new GCC employees, approved by the Maricopa Governing Board on March 25: Joseph Corne, Automotive Faculty; Troy E. Hofheins, Financial Aid; Thaibinh Ly, Testing; and Phuong Slocum, Testing.

Water Safety Day

GCC can be proud of hosting a huge and highly successful Water Safety Day on April 10, coordinated jointly with Water Watchers/Phoenix Children's Hospital and Mesa Community College. I was privileged to speak at the news conference and greet many elected officials and other supportive community leaders. The numbers for this event speak for themselves: approximately 3,500 children attended; 500 volunteers served; and more than 12 fire and police departments actively participated. The news media coverage was incredible. Four TV stations broadcasted live morning shows from campus; there was great support from the print media as well. More important than any of these details is the fact that GCC played a key role in helping save lives. We knew the event would be big, but we did not fully realize how far-reaching the results could be. Many thanks to the numerous GCC employees who helped make the event such a success, and who helped position our college as a community focal point for safety.

New Student System Update

Plans are moving ahead for the launch of a comprehensive New Student System (NSS) for all Maricopa admissions and recruitment, advising, student records, financial aid and student financial data. Associate Dean for Enrollment Services Mary Lou Massal reports that the District's SIS Executive Team is recommending that the new SIS be implemented no earlier than Nov. 15, 2004. While these dates may seem far off, change of this magnitude requires considerable advanced, thoughtful planning. Communication will be key. To learn more about the Technology Architecture Plan for SIS, a special presentation and discussion led by project leaders will be held Wed., April 30, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the High Tech Center I Teleconference Room. A great deal of training and testing will occur over the next 18 months and beyond, affecting many GCC employees. Please stay tuned for updates. I will keep you apprised as we proceed with this important project, and will indicate where you can get additional information. Questions about the NSS should be directed to Associate Dean Massal at 5-3305.

Graduate Assessment on Upward Trend

GCC assessed a record number of recent graduates this year: 109, compared to a total of 91 last year. While these numbers are not as large as we would like, the trend is in the right direction, and I want to thank the College-Wide Academic Achievement Committee (CWAAC) members and Associate Dean of Instruction Chuck Jeffery for their efforts in making this increase possible. Assessments included critical reading, writing and reasoning; results should be known in three to four weeks. Most of the recent graduates assessed are in their 20s, are female, and have relatively high GPAs. Beyond the assessment itself, we see this activity as one of many ways we reach out to our alumni and offer multiple opportunities for them to remain involved with GCC.

New College Memorials Policy

Teamwork has given us GCC's first set of guidelines for memorial giving to the College. An ad hoc group reviewed types of giving coordinated by our Development Office, as well as best practices for placement of physical memorials on campus (i.e. trees and plaques). The group then drafted a set of procedures and guidelines that will guide donors in their options for memorial giving, and bring order and consistency to the placement and maintenance of physical memorials. On April 4, the President's Advisory Committee (PAC) reviewed and approved the guidelines. The two-part document will soon be available online and is available now from Associate Dean of Instruction Chuck Jeffery at 5-3698. My appreciation goes to Chuck, Judy Blake, Charlotte Cohen and George Martinez for collaborating on this project.

Student Art Show; "Two by Two"

I encourage everyone to take a moment to visit the upcoming GCC Student Art Exhibit, April 22 - May 6, in the Student Union Lounge. Drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and much more from our many talented students will be showcased. Also, the musical "Two by Two" will be presented April 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 in the Performing Arts Center. My best wishes to all of our hard-working students and faculty in the fine arts as you look toward completion of the semester.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Legislative Outreach Activities

Relationships with state legislators representing GCC's service areas are more important than ever. Specifically, GCC has been assigned to work with the nine representatives and senators of Districts 4, 9 and 10. GCC Main is in District 10; GCC North is in District 4. A variety of activities are planned to enhance our legislative relations. Here are some highlights:

• A special breakfast reception on campus for all District 4, 9 and 10 legislators, Fri., May 2, 8:00 a.m., will be jointly hosted by my office and GCC student government. GCC employees living in these districts and all GCC employee group leaders have been invited. Thank you student government leaders Nathan Farmer and Robert Gaytan for partnering with my office on this initiative. Significantly, for the first time we have approximated the number of GCC students living within these three legislative districts. For more information about this event, contact GCC Community Relations, 5-3605.
• Rep. Linda Gray, chair of the House Education Committee, has been invited to attend a President's Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting. She has agreed and we are working with her office to identify a date and time for a special PAC meeting in which she can give an update about the important work of the Education Committee.
• Legislators have been invited to the GCC Student Awards Program, scheduled for Sun., April 27; and will be invited to Spring Commencement, Fri., May 16.
• GCC now hosts monthly meetings of the WESTMARC Public Affairs Committee, which addresses various legislative issues and forwards recommendations to the WESTMARC Executive Committee for action.

A Scholarship Success Story

It was a great pleasure to meet and talk with the nine GCC students who are this year's Dorrance Scholarship recipients on March 26. The meeting was part of a campus visit by Dorrance Family Foundation Executive Director Carolyn O'Malley. The Dorrance Family Foundation generously earmarked $30,000 for GCC scholarships last year. Among other very positive, spontaneous comments I heard that day, one scholarship recipient--a single mother--said, "This scholarship helped me keep my life on track and become a better parent. It's great to know there's someone out there who believes in me." Comments like this underscore the critical importance of student scholarships, as well as the need to respond to and thank our donors.

Dr. Phil D. Randolph
President
Glendale Community College