New Employees

A warm welcome to the following new GCC employees, approved by the Maricopa District Governing Board on Sept. 23: Susan Campbell, CAD; Jay Covey, Automotives; Belinda Gardner, Nursing; Bryan Miley, Spanish; Kassandra Mullan, Financial Aid; Marianne Palmisano, Communication; Clarence Ray, Automotives; and Jacalyn Serna, Student Services.

45th Day Enrollment

October 6 was the 45th day of the semester (hard to believe how this academic year is flying by!) and our unofficial enrollment numbers are higher than ever before. Here is the 45th day snapshot, with comparisons to the 45th day of Fall 2002: GCC total: headcount is 20,692, up by 1.4 %; FTSE is 9,583, up by 4.3 % GCC North: headcount is 1,563, up by 3.9%; FTSE is 507, up by 9.5%. I appreciate the continual efforts of Associate Dean of Enrollment Services Mary Lou Massal in updating my office and others with enrollment figures.

Congratulations to Dr. Glasper; Welcoming Reception Nov. 14

I can speak for many at GCC in enthusiastically welcoming Dr. Rufus Glasper as the new Chancellor of the Maricopa District, appointed by the MCCD Governing Board on Sept. 23. He brings strong leadership and stability to the District, and his administration is off to a good start. He has agreed to be a special guest kicking off our first GCC "Campus Conversation" forum on Fri., Nov. 14 at noon in the Student Lounge. This event will be a great opportunity for the GCC community to interact with our new Chancellor, ask questions of him, and present any issues of concern. To receive a copy of Dr. Glasper's bio and the public statement he issued during the search process ("My Vision for Maricopa"), please contact Roxie Helbert in my office at 5-3012. Look for more details soon about this important reception.

Master Plan Copies for Review

Five copies of the GCC Main and GCC North Facilities Master Plans, 2004-2014, dated Sept. 26, 2003, are available for review at the John Prince Library reference desk. This document, submitted to the District Office as part of a District-wide round-up of capital needs in preparation for a possible bond election in 2004, summarizes the various facilities projects needed by GCC as we strive to accommodate growth and to manage our growth

Neighborhood Traffic Discussions Continue

We are continuing our dialog with City of Glendale officials and residents in neighborhoods near GCC about traffic issues and concerns. Some of you may have heard about the City's plans to test a road closure in the neighborhood west of campus. When we became aware of this, we informed city officials that such a plan would have an adverse impact on the College and students. As of this date, the City has canceled the planned closure. Additional meetings are being arranged by the City to discuss further the options available and to try to hear from a broader base of neighbors potentially affected. I'll keep you apprised of any major new developments.

United Way Activities

I am amazed at the creativity and sense of fun our United Way co-chairs have come up with again this year. Don Jensen-Bobadilla and Jeanette Stewart are keeping the campus well apprised of United Way activities taking place through October 31, so I won't repeat those details here. But I do urge all of you to participate as you are able. Our goals for this year are $27,500 and 134 or more GCC employees to donate. The theme of this year's campaign is, "What Matters Most."

Upcoming GCC Concerts, Arts Events

Many GCC arts events are underway or planned. Visit http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/calendar/ for more details about these and other fine arts events: Student Guitar Concert, Oct. 17; Big Band Concert, Oct. 20; Community Band Symphonic Winds, Oct. 21; Choral Concert and Jazz Concert, both Oct. 23. Not enough people realize how much behind-the-scenes hard work and practice is required for GCC student musicians to refine their art. My thanks to all of them and our first-rate faculty for making our arts programming a consistent GCC point of pride.

Adjunct Award in the Spotlight

GCC was proud not only to host the 2003 Arizona Language Association (AZLA) conference Sept. 19-20, but also to honor one of its adjunct faculty at that event. Linda Landrum, GCC adjunct instructor of Italian and Spanish and Spanish teacher at Greenway High School, received the prestigious AZLA Outstanding Secondary School Educator Award. Linda pioneered Maricopa's first foreign language video-conference-network course in Italian. The AZLA conference was a great success, coordinated through the year-long efforts of foreign language faculty member and AZLA President Dr. Joyce Story.

The Traveler Rates High Again

GCC's literary and arts magazine, The Traveler, consistently places very high among its counterparts, year after year. On Sept. 30, I learned that the publication received another Gold Medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, earning 964 of 1,000 possible points for organization, content and design. This rating is one of the highest The Traveler has received in its 35-year history. Congratulations to literary faculty advisors Kathleen "Casey" Furlong, Johnnie Clemens May and Joy Wingersky; to visual arts faculty advisors Pam Hall and Dean Terasaki; and to English student editors Mandy O'Dell and Nicole Robbins.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Community Outreach Highlights

We are reaching out to the community on many fronts through meetings and participation with a wide array of events and functions. Some highlights of my recent activities in this regard include meeting with Glendale Vice Mayor Tom Eggleston and participating in a Sahuaro Ranch Park Board meeting. On Sept. 10, Dean of Student and Community Services Alberto Sanchez and GCC North Coordinator DeeDee Denslow made a special presentation to the Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) Board meeting about GCC-DVUSD partnerships. Meetings with other community leaders--Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Glendale Star/Peoria Times Publisher Bill Toops, and State Rep. Linda Gray--are scheduled. Significantly, Rep. Gray will be the special guest at the President's Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting on Oct. 24. She not only represents GCC Main (District 10), but also chairs the House Education Committee. Also, later this month GCC faculty and others will be well represented at the Midwestern University "Bright Lights" annual awards dinner, and at WESTMARC's annual "Best of the West" awards dinner.

Dr. Phil D. Randolph
President
Glendale Community College