9/11 Ceremonies a Source of GCC Pride
The planning and sensitivity of 9/11 commemorative events on campus made a positive statement about our student leadership. Student Life Program Advisor Kristin Bennes, Student Government Interim President Nathan Farmer, and many others pulled together a fine series of events made more significant by how little time they had to prepare. Other student leaders and organizations involved: Duane Heckman and Felicia Uranga; Kait Kaman - German Club and The College Voice; Jeff Miller - Swing Club and Student Support Services Club; Eric Rodriguez - Hip Hop Coalition; Adrianne Haase - French Club and Phi Theta Kappa; Gabriel Romero - Student Leadership Experience. Thanks also to Jim Reed, Associated Students Government Advisor; Don Smith and Bill Humbert, Music Dept.; Scott Kozak, Media Dept.; and Father David Sharp, GCC Newman Club.

Campus Master Planning in the Spotlight, October 4
As mentioned in an earlier e-mail, I hope many of you can attend an important all-College meeting to review and comment on an updated GCC Campus Master Plan, Fri., Oct. 4, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Physical Sciences Building lobby. A community forum will be held Oct. 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the same location.

A New Look for a Campus Gathering Point
Some changes are on the way for part of the campus mall. The two large Ficus trees lost to fire lane construction immediately north of the Business Building will be replaced with comparable trees in large, decorative concrete planters. These planters will be located on the west side of the rose bed and will provide afternoon shade for this popular gathering spot. In addition to providing an immediate solution to shade and safety concerns, the planters can be moved as needed to allow flexibility in set-up for College events in that area, such as Commencement and student gatherings. To maximize space in the reconfigured area, the roses and memorial plaque in the rose bed will be moved to another site on campus. This is similar to what had to be done when renovation/construction dictated relocations for the Catalano and Westenberg memorials A College-wide committee will be appointed to develop a GCC memorials policy that will assist us in these relocations. Finally, bushes and/or flowers will be planted in the existing brick planters to add even more color and ambiance.

New Web Links
We continue to work to bring you more "news you need to know," in a timely, convenient fashion. As internal communication is a renewed priority, you can find several new links on the GCC website with important information for your reference/use:

* The President's Welcome page ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/president) has been expanded into a site containing back issues of the bi-weekly newsletters sent via MEMO ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/president/newsletter).

* A link to the NCA/HLC Evaluation Team's Report is the latest update on the GCC Self-Study and NCA visit at ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/nca2002).

* Construction Updates ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/admin_services/updates) are now archived regularly and coordinated with the map of construction projects ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/index/campus.cfm?see=Construction).

* The Student Handbook ( http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/studenthandbook/) is on-line for the first time this fall.

Many thanks to Project Coordinator Bobby Sample of the Innovation Center, who has been instrumental in creating and maintaining these links.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Meet Candidates for District 6 Elections
GCC will host another "Clean Elections" debate for general election candidates running in Arizona Legislative District 6. Please stop by the one-hour debate on Monday, October 7, at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Union Lounge. Both Republican and Democratic House and Senate candidates are expected to attend. District 6 is bounded, very generally, by 51st Avenue, Thunderbird Road and Pima Road, extending north to Black Canyon City. The event is co-sponsored by the Citizens' Clean Election Commission and the Arizona Community College Association.

Strengthening Ties to Our Partners
My calendar and those of others on campus are busy with a variety of meetings to reaffirm relationships with key community partners, and meetings are going well. Highlights: Don Rinehart, Executive Director, Glendale Chamber of Commerce, Sept. 10; Diane McCarthy, President, WESTMARC, Sept. 11; Bill Toops, Publisher, Pueblo Publishing, Sept. 12; Kathleen Goeppinger, President/CEO, Midwestern University, Sept. 16; West Valley Think Tank (K-16 group), Sept. 19; Elaine Maimon, Provost, ASU West, Oct. 14.

Dr. Phillip Randolph
President
Glendale Community College