45th Day Enrollment

We recently reached our major benchmark for enrollment--the 45th day--and here are the unofficial figures for Spring 2004: overall headcount (for GCC Main, GCC North and the University-College Center combined) is 19,734, up 2.1 percent since Spring 2003. Overall FTSE stands at 8,712, a 3.5 percent increase over last spring.

March 30 Campus Conversation Details

I encourage you to submit a comment or question for the next Campus Conversation, Tues., March 30, 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Student Union Lounge. Our special guest will be newly installed MCCD Governing Board Member Scott Crowley. This event will be a great opportunity to hear from Mr. Crowley and to continue our ongoing dialog as a campus community. The Campus Conversation series originated with the President's Advisory Committee (PAC) last semester as a way to enhance communication, supplementing the President's Newsletter and my meetings with specific constituency groups. The event is intentionally simple. To elicit constructive input, a PAC subcommittee/planning group (Joseph Bednorz, Roxie Helbert, Sally Hervey, George Martinez, Ibrahim Naim, and Nancy Siefer) is now accepting questions, comments and issues via e-mail until the deadline of March 25. As a group, they will then aggregate responses, identify patterns, and assist in structuring the conversation based on input received. Also, two drop boxes are available, one just outside the Mailroom in the Admin. Building, and one in the Student Union Employee Lounge. Along with staff, I anticipate hearing about and addressing a wide range of questions and issues.

Date for Possible Bond Election May be Decided March 23

The MCCD Governing Board may vote as soon as its March 23 meeting to proceed with a possible $951,000,000 bond election for November 2004 to benefit all Maricopa colleges and skill centers. Many of you are well aware of general discussions about this possibility and how a bond has been contemplated for some time. If the Board authorizes an election, you will be hearing much more about GCC's plans for future capital development. Almost 40 years of continuous use for many of our buildings, plus explosive growth projections in our service areas, establish a clear need for capital development. An aggressive Community Awareness Campaign focusing on GCC's needs and plans--not on the election itself--would launch very soon after the March 23 vote. Of course, communicating with our many internal audiences will be critical. Please stay tuned for additional developments on this issue of far-reaching importance to our future.

Marquee Construction Update

To follow up to previous updates about our long-awaited electronic marquee sign at the corner of 59th Avenue and Olive, I am pleased to say that construction is imminent. This project has become more than simply a piece of hardware plopped on the corner. Rather, our own Maintenance & Operations expertise has combined with that of the marquee company to create what will be a very beautiful package of related design elements: a low, lighted wall spelling out "Glendale Community College"; the marquee sign itself; a flowerbed behind the wall and flanking the sign; and palm trees behind all. It has taken many weeks of meticulous planning to get us to this point, to include careful re-grading of the site to accommodate these structures as referenced in Chuck Jeffery's recent "Construction Update #12." Special thanks to R.J. Merrill and Craig Wactor in the Art Department for their support in producing color renderings of what all of this will look like, both front and side views: http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~cwactor/marquee.htm

Best of Luck to GCC Basketball Team at National Finals

Basketball "March Madness" affects community colleges as well as universities. I am thrilled, as I know are many in the GCC family, that our own Gaucho Men's Basketball Team will compete in its second-ever trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. The next game in this three-day tournament will be held Wed., March 17 against Penn Valley Community College (24-8; Missouri). The Gauchos (26-7) beat Johnson County Community College (Kansas) last Saturday to win the NJCAA District 1 Tournament. This is an historic moment for our Basketball program and for GCC Athletics. All the best to Head Coach Howard Brown, all the players, coaches and staff.

Congratulations to...

...the GCC Phi Theta Kappa Chapter for receiving the highest possible "Five Star" rating from the national PTK. Great job Chapter President Lauren McGuire and advisors Eileen Johnston and Donna White.

...the Science Olympiad - once again a great success, proudly hosted by GCC on March 6. More than 170 high school students from 16 schools statewide participated. This is a logistically complex event, made possible by many who care about excellence in science, math and technology. Science Olympiad gets better every year, thanks in large part to the leadership of GCC Biology Faculty Karen Conzelman, who serves as State and Site Director, Division C. Thanks to all involved.

Dr. Phillip Randolph
President
Glendale Community College