Fall 2003 is off to a good start, with no major problems or incidents to report. While some challenges seem to be constant, such as parking, demand has been met.

The next few weeks will be critical for GCC as we launch our revised budget development process and take our facilities master planning to the next level. In particular, please read my annual message about budget development, to be sent College-wide next week. In that message, I will summarize the strategic focus and priorities for all of us to take into consideration as we plan for 2004-05 and beyond.

Enrollment Numbers Looking Good

Here's a snapshot of our enrollment, as of August 27: GCC total: 20,658 headcount, up 3.3% compared to the same time last year; FTSE 10,246 (up 4.9%). GCC North: 1,576 headcount (up 2.2%), with 527 FTSE (up 8.2%). At this rate, we may exceed 21,000 headcount this semester--a record high.

Facilities Master Planning Forums

You are invited to attend a College-wide forum on the latest information available about the GCC Facilities Master Plan: Fri., Sept. 12, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.; and Tues., Sept. 16, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., with both sessions to be held in the Student Union Lounge. These meetings follow through on our commitment to make the details of planning available to all faculty and staff before we submit our finalized projects to the District Office no later than Sept. 26. These sessions will summarize the planning to date (for both GCC Main and GCC North), and in particular highlight the general priorities for various new construction, renovation and other projects. For more information, contact Associate Dean of Instruction Chuck Jeffery, at 5-3698.

Network Services Alerts

With computer viruses and unwanted manipulations of the Internet increasing in frequency worldwide, news about our own GCC campus technology is becoming more important than ever. Network Services Director KC Hundere reminded me of this fact recently. So, please read and act on, as appropriate or necessary, any requests, warnings and/or updates from Network Services--especially concerning computer viruses. In the next few days, you will receive from Network Services a message about how we can all take steps to make the e-mail system run more efficiently.

Announcing the GCC News Service

GCC is in the news a lot these days--and for all the right reasons. A number of recent feature stories, notably in the Arizona Republic, have featured GCC faculty such as Ui Luu and Jeffrey Pommerville, as well as many student achievements. This coverage stems from the successful launch of the "GCC News Service," coordinated by College Advancement Services. Wide-ranging, newsworthy material about GCC faculty, students and programs is sent weekly to dozens of print and broadcast media (in both English and Spanish), posted online in both languages, http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/news, with hard copies posted weekly in 43 campus locations, mostly bulletin boards. To keep the good news flowing, please contact Suzanne Higgins (5-3808) with your news and story ideas.

Summer Facilities Upgrades

Some of you may have noticed changes to facilities throughout campus when you returned for the fall semester. Through the efforts of Maintenance & Operations and other units, the Center for Learning has been carpeted and painted, with three classrooms reconfigured for better efficiency; the High Tech Annex and Language Arts (LA) buildings were minimally renovated, again with fresh paint and some flooring replacement; the atria in Faculty Office Buildings 01 and 02 were covered with screen material for shade; the air conditioning unit in the 06 (College Safety) Building was replaced; and the north parking lot was sealed and restriped. Many thanks to the hard-working crews who made these changes possible and to Gary Bond, Jim Tharp, Al Gonzales and Chuck Jeffery for their leadership in managing these projects.

More Resources for GCC Security System In the past few weeks, two existing closed-circuit security cameras have been relocated and five new cameras are being installed in the north and south parking lots as part of our video surveillance program. These changes provide greater coverage and the necessary overlap in viewing areas to allow Campus Safety to monitor all parking lots more effectively. These additional installations increase our total number of surveillance cameras to 30.

Convocation Packets; Online Info. Reminder

In the interest of good communication - here is a quick reminder about information resources available to you: Convocation packets - anyone who may have missed the All-Employee Convocation on Aug. 18 may receive a packet of background information distributed that day by contacting Roxie Helbert in the President's Office, 5-3012. Also, archived online for your reference/use are back issues of the President's Newsletter, http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/president/index.cfm?date=Fall_2003&id=1893; Administrative Group meeting minutes, http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/administrative/; President's Advisory Committee meeting minutes, http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/pac/; and of course, the monthly Gaucho Gazette, at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/gaucho/.

Fund Raising Update

I am delighted that we are making great progress in securing scholarships and bequests. One recent example is a major planned gift from GCC alumni Drs. Michael and Doris Sarullo of Peoria, Ariz. These generous philanthropists asked that their gift benefit "financially strapped but scholastically strong students"--thus helping potentially hundreds of future GCC students. The Sarullos are great role models for others who wish to make a difference through a planned gift. For more information on the basics of planned giving, contact Judy Blake at 5-3481.

A Word About the Gas Crisis

Thank you to KC Hundere and others who helped GCC respond quickly and positively to recent gas distribution problems. Within a few hours of conceiving of the idea of a voluntary online carpool database for all GCC employees, KC and his team created such a database ( http://ns.gc.maricopa.edu/carpool/), and by the next day about 20 GCC employees living all around the Valley had added their names as participants. Now that the worst of the crisis appears to be over, I hope that this new resource will become one of the ways GCC reduces travel and air pollution.

Dr. Phil D. Randolph
President
Glendale Community College