President's Updates

April 1, 2005

TRIO grant awarded to Skyline: The TRIO Student Support Services project at Skyline College is titled STAARS (Student Retention, Transfer, and Academic Achievement Services).  In the particularly tough 2004 funding competition, Skyline’s STAARS program was awarded $472, 981 per year for four years, from 2006-07 until 2009-2010, with an increase to 330 student participants. Every member of the lab staff contributed to this accomplishment: Director Susan Andrien, Staff Assistant Bonnie Cagno, Counselor Guillermo Villanueva, Tutor Coordinator Felix Perez, English Coordinator Rachel Bell, Math Coordinator John Chavez, Instructional Aides Ira Lau, Larry Coons, Chuck Leach, Manny Peix, and Abdullah Yahya, and Media Services Assistant Kamla Bucceri.  The TRIO program is located in Skyline’s computer learning center in Building 5.  Since 1980, the program has provided intensive counseling and academic support for 300 qualified students each year to assist them in meeting their academic goals of graduation and transfer. Services available to these students include special lab-based courses in English, Math, and Learning Skills; professional tutoring in all subject areas; staff mentoring; assistance with transfer; and grant aid for those students who are Pell-eligible and have an unmet financial need.  For more information about the TRIO program, visit the TRIO website at http://www.askabboudi.com/trio/.

President’s Breakfast:  The annual President’s Breakfast will take place on April 22.  It is a vital activity in terms of building understanding of the mission and values of the college and generating support for our President’s Innovation Fund.  If you would like to attend, call 650-738-4445 for an invitation.

Art on Campus Project:  In my Skyline Shines of March 11, I invited expressions of interest in serving on a new Art on Campus Task Force.  As I said, last fall the Chancellor expressed a commitment to supporting the installation of some art on each of the three college campuses in the district.  Each college is forming a task force to consider how to approach this opportunity.  I noted that the membership of the task force needed to include people with interest and some expertise.  I said I would also like to ensure that it includes representation from both the instructional and student services areas of the college, that there is diversity in the membership, and both some people with a sense of the college’s history and with some who are newer.  I think we have succeeded in that.  Thanks to the members of the Task Force, which will be convened by Donna Bestock and Bridget Fischer immediately:

Elections for Associated Students of Skyline College:  the annual elections for officers of the ASSC Governing Council will be taking place soon.  As you know, the Associated Students have an important role to play in the quality of campus life here and they have made vital contributions to a number of college-wide activities over the years.  Strong and effective leadership makes a big difference in the organization, and involvement in student government is a tremendous learning opportunity for students.  I would appreciate it if you would pass the word to your students that the deadline for filing to run for office will be announced shortly and will be in mid-April.  Elections will be held at the end of April. Thanks for your help.

35th anniversary celebration:  We will celebrate on April 28th.  Here is the link to the schedule for the day: http://www.smccd.net/accounts/skyline/news/042805.html. Plan to join us for as much of it as you can. 

Emergency preparedness simulation: As part of our ongoing work to prepare for emergencies at Skyline College, we will be conducting an emergency preparedness simulation exercise on October 20, 2005.  It will last for a couple of hours.  We are in the process of working out the details of when and where and how, but it will certainly involve some noise, and hubbub and fake blood.  We will seek to learn as much as possible from the simulation in order to prepare ourselves well for emergencies, while at the same time taking into account the ongoing instructional and student support activities of the college.  I will keep you posted as plans firm up.

25 Year Service Award Reception:  Here are the details: 


Victoria P. Morrow, Ph.D.
President, Skyline College
650-738-4111
morrowv@smccd.net
3300 College Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066