New Employees

Please help me welcome new employees who were approved at the August 24, 2004 Governing Board Meeting: Roger Bontrager, Network Services; Eric Breikjern, Performing Arts; Anna Crowley, Testing; Angelica Gomez, Testing; Carol Greenwalt, Admissions; Michael Hughes, Nursing; Therese Lyons-Meyer, Nursing; Michael Mesquita, Biology; Jeanne Sasse, Biology; Viktor Serov, Media; and Shamoon Naiema, Student Services.

Master Planning and Prop 401

GCC and all Maricopa colleges are continuing to inform employers, alumni, vendors and many others about our planning for student needs of the future and how it relates to Proposition 401 on the Nov. 2 General Election ballot. Prop. 401 would bring $951 million in capital funding to all of the colleges and skill centers for new construction, renovations, technology and safety upgrades, and land purchases. The GCC allocation is about $105 million. Details can be found at http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/planning/ and in a new publication produced by College Advancement Services; call 623-845-3605 to request copies. Please be looking for a series of updates about Prop. 401 and our renewed community outreach in each issue of the President's Newsletter through November.

FTSE Up

I am pleased that compared to this time last fall, FTSE is up 1.1%, thanks to greater full-time enrollment, more honors students, and more international students. We are expecting robust enrollment numbers in 45th day reports. My sincere thanks to everyone in the Enrollment Center and to the many other staff and faculty who aid and influence enrollment in myriad ways. It takes a unified campus effort to influence enrollments significantly; my thanks to all.

Announcements to Governing Board

At the Governing Board meeting on August 24, I was proud to announce: NSF grant of $360,000 for computer science, engineering and mathematics scholarships; GCC students who completed summer internships with the Glendale Police Department; highly successful Summer Tech Camp that carried college credit for high school participants this year; and upcoming Career and Technical Education Fair sponsored by GCC, five other MCCD colleges, and other partners, to be held at the Glendale Arena on October 16.

Upcoming Listening Sessions

As you know, after the 2002 HLC/NCA visit, the college was asked to provide a follow-up to the 2001 Climate Survey by June 1, 2005. While HLC is not specific, several options are available as discussed at the Fall All-Employee Convocation. I have asked Chuck Jeffery to work with employee and constituency group leaders to schedule listening sessions during September and October, during which climate progress and survey options will be discussed. I encourage all employees to participate and all supervisors to support employee attendance.

PVCC's New President

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Kathryn Kickels who assumed the Presidency of Paradise Valley Community College on September 1. My thanks, also, to Dr. Paul Dale for ably serving as the Acting President of PVCC until Dr. Gina Kranitz's replacement was selected.

No Smoking Signs

In the spirit of the MCCD "Wellness Maricopa" program, and with a desire to promote cardiac wellness, I have authorized Fitness and Wellness Chair Connie La Buhn to order "Smoke Free Area" signs to be placed around campus. Smoking is already prohibited inside all GCC buildings and within 25 feet of all entrances. Other highly-trafficked areas, through which non-smokers must walk to access buildings, will now also be designated as smoke-free areas. I ask all employees to comply with this plan to create a healthier environment for employees, students, and community members who visit our campus.

New Supervisor of Admissions and Recruitment

Please help me welcome the new Supervisor of Admissions and Recruitment, Carol Greenwalt. In addition to other duties, Carol will serve as the contact person for the evening operations at GCC. Her hours are Monday-Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Her office is in the Enrollment Center and her extension is 5-3224.

ACE-Plus Donation

I'm pleased to tell you that the ACE-Plus program has received a generous donation of textbooks for students taking a Computer Information Systems class. The publisher, Course Technology, donated books for 50 students valued at $7,000. I appreciate all the work that Dr. Ibrahim Naim and his staff do to raise donations and scholarships for this stellar program.

New PSA Officers

The newly elected officers of the GCC Professional Staff Association were installed on Tuesday, August 10. Dawn Meyer is now President, Mary Sindel is President-Elect (for the next term of office), Carolyn Percifull is Treasurer, and Scarlet Perry is Secretary. Elected as Representatives to the District PSA Association are Martha Gail Richmond, Esmeralda Acosta, Sally Hervey, Anna George, Jeannie Vaught, Marge Hagerman, Karen Quinn, Harry Singh, Rosie D'Arcy (alternate), and Beth Luper (alternate). Congratulations to all!

Meet Chris Pless

GCC student Chris Pless is the new Editor-in-Chief of The Voice. At Centennial High School he was a general assignment reporter. Julie Knapp, The Voice advisor says, "Chris is one of the best editors I have seen at the community college level in terms of leadership and organization. He is wonderful at communicating with his staff and staying on top of the current stories. He works well at coaching new writers." If you have a story idea for The Voice, contact Chris at ctopper99@aol.com or at 5-3822.

Harry Kaino Art Exhibit

I encourage everyone to visit Harry Kaino's ceramic exhibit in the Student Union Lounge which starts Tuesday, September 7. The exhibit is titled "Identity Incognito" and will feature many of the beautiful and exceptional works for which Harry is famous.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

...GCC graduate nurses, who have a 97.5% first-time pass rate when they take the national licensing exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). That is particularly impressive since the Arizona-wide, first-time pass rate is 93.61% and the national first-time pass rate is 88.45%. Congratulations to GCC's superb Nursing Department.

...Mike Gillispie, who was voted Outstanding Post-Secondary Educator by the Arizona Agriculture Teachers Association this summer at the Career and Technical Education Conference.

Dr. Phillip Randolph
President
Glendale Community College