I'm pleased to know that a collective sense of humor is alive and well at GCC. Many thanks to all of you who responded so positively to the special April Fool's Day Edition of the President's Newsletter last Friday. It was great to know that everyone appeared to take that communication in the spirit intended.

New Employees

Please help me welcome new employees approved at the Mar. 22, 2005 Governing Board Meeting: Sheryl Benavides, Business; and Philip Fernandez, Biology.

ACE-Plus Award

I was very proud when GCC's ACE-Plus program recently received an Exemplary Practice Award for 2005 from the National Council for Student Development (NCSD). This is an important national award and Dr. Ibrahim Naim and his terrific staff are to be highly commended for how they have grown the ACE-Plus program. The program has expanded and improved exponentially under Dr. Naim's excellent leadership to the point that GCC has become an exemplar for the ACE-Plus concept in our District. As a result, the lives of many students and are being changed for the better, and dramatically.

40th Anniversary Group Photo, April 12

All faculty, staff and students are invited to gather for a group photo to commemorate GCC's 40th anniversary year on Tues., April 12 at 11:15 a.m. on the Central Mall. Immediately following the photo, a brief kick-off celebration will include cake and punch. Please be looking for more details in fliers and other media. The photo is one in a series of 40th anniversary events throughout 2005. We'll keep you apprised of other upcoming anniversary activities and events.

Historical Vignettes in Student Union

GCC is presenting a nostalgic retrospective, "Vignettes of GCC History," in the Student Union cafeteria. Celebrating GCC's 40th anniversary, the displays feature replicas of the furnishings, art and technology that were in style at GCC during the last 40 years. Students of Interior Design faculty Susan Campbell and Kate Briehl made this wonderful display possible. I encourage you to drop by and see them--brings back a lot of memories.

Anti-Hate Presentation in the Student Union, April 6

I encourage you to attend and take your students to hear a timely presentation GCC is hosting on Wed., April 6, 11:00 a.m. - noon in the Student Union Lounge. Bill Straus, Arizona Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League, will discuss the "Impact of Hate on Communities." Confronting the destructive power of hate is a challenge faced by communities, governments, educational institutions and other public entities. This presentation from a leading authority on equity and anti-discrimination issues will address the concept of hate and cite examples of how it is manifested. He will also discuss constructive ideas and approaches for dealing with hate.

Technology Problems Solved

I am grateful to faculty and others who patiently weathered the recent technology crisis. I know it was frustrating for faculty, exhausting for technology support folks, and challenging for everyone. I understand that the recent problem has been solved and preparations for technology enhancement are already underway to assure smooth operation for Fall 2005 and beyond. My sincere thanks to the people who spent many long days collaborating and working hard to solve this complex problem.

Water Line Break Fixed

It's amazing how many people it takes to fix and clean up a crisis. My thanks to the many people involved in the quick repair of the broken water main that nearly flooded the Enrollment Center on Mar. 16: the repair crew of Harry Baker, Eddie Bon, Manny Delgado, Martin Franco, George Garcia, Jim Hernandez, David Killian, Vern Kimball, Larry Madrid, and Mike Pais; the cleanup of the premises by groundskeepers; the emergency response and job supervision of Jim Tharp; and College Safety's role in closing and reopening all affected restrooms. Thanks to all—this was a great team effort!

Career Expo a Resounding Success

I was pleased with the number of exhibitors and the turnout for the Career Expo last week. There are many people involved in putting on a huge campus event and I thank them all. Special thanks to Ron Gaschler, to M&O for setup and cleanup, and to groundskeepers for the condition of the campus. I heard that many attendees commented on the beauty of GCC. Many exhibitors also said it was the best Expo they'd ever attended.

South Entrance Beautification Project

I'm sure many of you have noticed the progress being made on the south entrance project. The work is on schedule and should be completed before Commencement in May. Many thanks to Al Gonzales and Chuck Jeffery for the planning and supervision of this project. An explanation and overview of this important project will be included in an upcoming President's Newsletter.

Children's Art Exhibit April 1 - 12

The GCC Child Care Center will host the ninth annual Children's Art Show in the Student Union, beginning April 1. I always enjoy attending this yearly event. The children of our students create some very colorful artworks. Opening night was Fri., April 1, with an opening reception at 6:30 p.m. The reception was well attended, with many children participating in hands-on art activities. The show continues through April 12. I hope many of you can stop by the Student Lounge some time during this signature GCC exhibit.

GCC Supports César Chávez Breakfast

I enjoyed attending the annual César Chávez Breakfast on Mar. 31 at the Glendale Civic Center. GCC was proud to be one of the four major sponsors of this second annual event that honored the life and legacy of a great leader. Many of our faculty, staff, administrators and students attended. The grandson of César Chávez spoke, along with several other dignitaries. The mariachi performers even sang a special song in recognition of my upcoming retirement. Our sponsorship underscores GCC's commitment to diversity and enhancing relationships in the community.

CONGRATULATIONS TO…

…Dr. Holly McKinzie Beene, Communication faculty and Dr. Carol Jenkins, Sociology faculty, selected as Fellows of the Maricopa Institute for Learning (MIL) for 2005-2006. This prestigious fellowship is sponsored by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI).

…Dr. Linda Smith, Anthropology/Archaeology faculty, selected for a five-week summer institute in South America, "Andean Worlds: New Directions in Scholarship and Teaching." Dr. Smith is one of only 24 applicants nationwide selected for this institute.

…Ellen Neel, Director of Financial Aid, recipient of one of four statewide scholarships from the Arizona Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators to attend the upcoming Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conference.

…Bruce Thomas, Counseling, who was just named a Fulbright Scholar to teach in the 2005 German Teacher Linkage program to be held in Germany this June.

…José Mendoza, Multicultural Services Coordinator, invited to present on April 6 at the 10th annual Tech Ed International Conference and Exposition hosted by The Community College Foundation. The title of his presentation is "Doing More with Less: Creative Uses of Technology."

…Don Jensen-Bobadilla, Training & Employee Development, recently elected as the new parent representative to the Board of Directors of Phoenix Advantage Charter School. He is the first community college professional staff employee to serve on this board.

…Dianna Dwyer, Library chair, selected as GCC's finalist for the 2005-2006 Netherlands Exchange Program. Dianna will host an educator from the Netherlands in October 2005 and will go to the Netherlands herself in May 2006.

Dr. Phil D. Randolph
President
Glendale Community College