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President's Updates
Skyline Shines

March 24, 2006

President’s Report to the Board of Trustees: My report from this Wednesday’s board meeting is available at http://www.smccd.net/accounts/skynotes/.

Town Hall Forum next week on Educational Master Plan: As you know, Skyline College has embarked on an educational and facilities master planning process. The educational master planning component of it is now at the midway point. Our consultant, Rick Voorhees, has held two previous strategy sessions with stakeholders since the end of February, making use of an environmental scan of our service area as well as internal college trends. At a Town Hall Forum this Wednesday, March 29, 12:45-2:00 pm, in Room 1219B, he will discuss the challenges ahead for Skyline and present some preliminary recommendations for consideration by attendees. Please join us there and add your thoughts to the discussion. The following week, on April 6, there will be a Town Hall Forum focused on the facilities master plan component of this work. Separate notices are going out college-wide announcing both of these events.

Fresh Look Logo Focus Groups: As part of the ongoing Fresh Look Project, we are developing a new logo aimed at representing the college’s reputation for providing excellent education. To that end, there will be Logo Focus Groups held on campus next week to collect feedback on potential new Skyline College logo designs. Please join us! Your opportunities are:

If you are interested, please confirm your attendance with Donna Elliott, ext. 4270 (for Classified Staff); Carla Campillo, ext. 4315 (for Faculty); or Sandy Irber, ext. 4492 (for Students, Managers, President’s Council). We want to be sure we have sufficient space for each group. Next week the room locations will be published.

President’s Breakfast and proposals for next year’s President’s Innovation Fund projects: The sixth annual President’s Breakfast was held Thursday morning, and it was a wonderful event involving over 250 people. Thanks to all of you who joined us at the South San Francisco Convention Center to share a meal, talk about Skyline and work to build our President’s Innovation Fund. If you would like to contribute to the President’s Innovation Fund, a monthly payroll deduction is very easy.  You can get the form at this address:  http://smcweb.smccd.net/portal/Payroll/Forms/AllItems.aspx Click "Employee forms" and then "Payroll deduction form--Skyline." All of the money goes directly to the President’s Innovation Fund for the innovation projects. At the beginning of April, Sandy will publish the guidelines and application form for proposals for President’s Innovation Fund projects in 2006-07. The deadline will be April 28. I would like to thank the following people for whom this Breakfast is a major annual undertaking, and to which they devote tremendous energy and creativity:

• Sandy Irber
• Shelley Hausman
• Roxanne Brewer
• Victor Eco.

Expanding Your Horizons conference: We held our 26^th annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science conference for 6^th through 12^th grade young women last Saturday, March 18. More than 800 girls participated this year. Each girl attended workshops during the all-day conference, as well as met women who use science and math in their careers as well as women in non-traditional careers. Workshops were held in biotechnology, medicine and allied health, life sciences, physical sciences and computer science, and concurrent programs are available for parents. The keynote speaker was Samantha Mohr, Chief Meteorologist with CBS 5. Thanks to these Skyline people for their role in making it a success:

• Christine Case for co-chairing the event, for securing the grant funding and for taking the lead on other key aspects of the pro

• Shari Bookstaff for co-chairing the event, for coordinating the presenters, and arranging for food for the presenters.
• Sue Lorenzo for coordinating registration.
• Tiffany Reardon for making arrangements for the wonderful workshop presenters and helping with registration.
• Pat Carter and Mousa Ghanma for their help with labs and materials.
• Mike Williamson for coordinating food for the girls.
• J. Bates for coordinating student volunteers.
• Julie Mooney for arranging for donating museum passes as prizes.
• Kim Touneh and Anne Jayne for arranging the Day With A Scientist prizes.
• Linda Ghio for helping to contact keynote speakers.
• Ana Castro for maintaining the database.
• Other invaluable volunteers including: Ed Wodehouse, Nick Kapp, Don Biederman, Daisy Araica, Steve Fredericks, Omer Thompson, and Anne Jayne, as well as the more than 60 student volunteers.
• Judy McKeever and Ron von Brusselen, Skyline alumni who volunteered for their 20^th and 13^th EYH events respectively.
• Sandy Irber and Shelly Hausman for writing press releases and arranging publicity.
• Jennifer Hughes for welcoming the attendees and introducing the president to the general assembly.

College Council update: Here is a summary of the issues addressed this week at our College Council meeting:

1. Accreditation update:  Co-Chairs of the Accreditation Steering Committee, Ray Hernandez and Donna Bestock, updated the Council on self study activities. 
2. Smoking policy implementation:  The Council reviewed the March 15 forum and considered possible next steps. Issues raised at the forum included the suitability of some of the current designated smoking areas, the need for smoke-free entrances and pathways, signage, enforcement and shelter. The Health and Safety Committee will be asked to consider these issues at their April meeting, prepare a proposal to address them and the Council will consider that proposal at its April meeting.
3. Fresh Look Project update:  The Council was updated on the work of the Fresh Look Advisory Group and the redesign of our logo and selection of a "tagline" for Skyline College. It was agreed that our tagline will be "Achieve."
4. Educational Planning Project and District Facilities Master Planning Project:  The Council reviewed the current status and timeline for this project and next steps in it, including the various meetings which have taken place with the educational planning consultant, Rick Voorhees, and the master architect, Steinberg Architects, and the college forums which are planned in the next couple of months. Next week, on March 29, there will be a Town Hall Forum focused on the Educational Master Plan, and the following week, on April 6, there will be a Town Hall Forum focused on the Facilities Master Plan. (Separate notices are going out college-wide announcing both of these.)
5. SEEED plans for "Diversity Days": The Council received an update on the work of the SEEED committee and provided input to its plans for "Diversity Days" next fall. The various ideas for the components of the event which had been submitted by Skyline faculty and staff were discussed. At the next meeting a draft program for the two-day event will be completed and shared college-wide, along with an invitation for any additional components. The event is designed to enhance the college’s work on diversity, not to supplant any of the events already planned.
6. Community College Ballot Initiative:  The Council received a briefing on a ballot initiative related to community colleges which is proposed for the November ballot by the Californians for Community Colleges.
7. Governance model:  The Council reviewed redrafted graphic descriptions of Skyline’s governance model and our committee reporting lines and agreed that they are ready to be provided as drafts for use by the Accreditation Steering Committee and the writing teams.
8. College Council Agenda Planning Table:  The Council reviewed and revised the draft timeline for items that will be coming to the College Council over the next year, to help ensure that they come to the Council in a timely way, having been discussed by the constituent groups in advance. 

Coming up …

For more on this week’s events, see the event calendar at www.smccd.net/accounts/skypio/calendar.html

To add events to the calendar, visit www.smccd.net/accounts/skypio/events.html

The next edition of Skyline Shines will be published on Friday, April 7.

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