Congratulations to Jean Ann Abel

Please join me in congratulating Vice President Jean Ann Abel who was appointed GCC's Interim President by Dr. Rufus Glasper. She will assume her new duties on August 8, 2005. I know she will do a wonderful job; her 21 years of exemplary and conscientious service to this district provide her with a wealth of experience, which will benefit her greatly while the presidential search continues.

AFA Degrees are Approved

On June 28, the MCCCD Governing Board approved three new Associate of Fine Arts degrees specializing in art, dance and theater, which will be offered at GCC beginning this fall. New classes have been developed to broaden the offerings in these disciplines. Examples include acting, tap dancing and theater technical production, among others. Please help disseminate this information to students. Many thanks to the department chairs and faculty who worked hard to put these programs together. College Advancement is already promoting these new degrees as the start of an ongoing marketing effort.

Celebration for Roxie Helbert

It was my pleasure to attend a recent retirement luncheon for my administrative assistant, Roxie Helbert. Most of you know Roxie and are aware of her invaluable role in my office. Her professionalism has helped make my three years at GCC efficient, organized, productive and pleasant. She will be here until early August and then will serve in a 49% capacity at GCC North.

GCC Plumbing is Also 40 Years Old!

Over the last few months it has become obvious to all that not only our college but our campus plumbing is also 40 years old! My compliments to Jim Tharp and everyone in M&O for dealing quickly and efficiently with the recent main breaks and other plumbing issues. I fully understand what a great inconvenience these incidents have been for affected departments. Chuck Jeffery and Al Gonzales are working with District Office to secure funding for overall major improvements to our campus plumbing. Stay tuned for further developments.

Employee Manual Changes Approved

The MCCCD Governing Board recently approved changes to the following employee manuals: Adjunct, All Employee, CEC, College Safety, Crafts, M&O, MAT, Skill Centers, PSA and Residential Faculty. The RFP manual changes can be found at: http://www.dist.maricopa.edu/org/faculty/meetand%20confer/M&C%20Status%20Summary%203_7.htm (The Specially Funded Manual changes have not yet gone to the Board; they will be forwarded later).

GCC North Ed Specs Progressing Right on Schedule

I want to congratulate the committee charged with developing the educational specifications (ed specs) for the upcoming bond construction at GCC North. I understand the work timeline is right on target. I especially applaud the efforts of Chuck Jeffery and DeeDee Denslow in gathering extensive input about facilities needs, drafting comprehensive planning documents and hosting several open community forums to gather citizen input for these projects. Two forums were requested by Anthem for its residents. The remaining one will be held Aug. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the North Valley Regional Library on the Boulder Creek High School campus in Anthem, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway.

Open Architectural Interviews for Student Union Proposals

This is a reminder that six architectural firms being considered for the remodeling of the Student Union will be interviewed this Thurs., July 14, in the Student Union Council Chambers. Each firm will introduce its planning team, provide two examples of recently completed new construction similar in nature to the Student Union and two examples of work where remodeling was integrated into an existing structure. These 45-minute interviews are open to all. The three morning interviews will begin on the half hour, starting at 8:30 a.m.; the three afternoon interviews will begin on the hour, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Tech Camp Students on Campus, July 11-14

GCC's acclaimed annual Tech Camp for high school students runs from July 11 through July 14. Please make welcome the young people you may see in various spots on campus as they spend an exciting week with us. Many thanks to Manny Griego, Carlos Nuņez, Ui Luu, Paula Cheslik, Randy Kimmens and others who have worked hard to prepare a great curriculum for these high school students.

Summer Faculty Development Workshops

My compliments to Tim Sylvester for coordinating (along with Faculty Development and Employee Development) several summer faculty development workshops. This is particularly challenging in the summer when so many faculty are gone. I encourage those faculty who are here this summer to consider taking advantage of one of these workshops, which can be viewed at: http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/facdev/Elements-su05-workshops.htm

Summer Trips

I have spoken to Doug Brenner about his recent trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and know that Bruce Thomas had a busy and productive trip to Germany. Carmela Arnoldt and Cate McNamara will be attending a week-long International Education conference in Salzburg, Austria, and I'm sure will also have good things to report when they get back. I'm very interested in hearing from others of you who have had interesting summer trips--personal or professional.

Dr. Phil D. Randolph
President
Glendale Community College