September 23, 2005

Foundation award of $25,000 for the President’s Innovation Fund: At its annual donor reception last week, the SMCCCD Foundation handed me a check for $25,000 for our President’s Innovation Fund and student scholarships. Please join me in thanking the Foundation for this vital contribution to the college and our students.

Emergency preparedness training and drill: On October 19 and 20, many members of Skyline’s staff will be undergoing emergency preparedness training and then a drill. This training had been in the works since last spring, and has now become even more relevant and pressing since Hurricanes Katrina and now Rita. There will be classroom training, and then a "tabletop" exercise involving the handling of a simulated earthquake and other related emergencies. Some students will be involved from the EMT program, serving as simulated victims. Staff will practice using our Nextel emergency phone/radio system. The college will be collaborating with the San Bruno Police Department and the San Bruno Fire Department. We hope to hone our skills and also identify areas in which we need to improve our emergency preparedness. Later this term, the regular annual training for Building Captains and Floor Monitors will also take place.

New phone system: As you heard from the Chancellor on Opening Day, our district ITS (Information Technology Services office) is going to be installing a new telephone system to provide better communication services to our College. In preparation for the installation of the new telephone system, several ITS staff are working diligently to upgrade all of the network equipment at each College. As part of this process, ITS Support Technicians will need to visit all faculty and staff offices to reconfigure computers and printers to enable them to work with this new equipment. In order to minimize "down-time" for the network, ITS is making every effort to perform this work outside of normal business hours. They are currently working between 10:00 pm and 7:30 am, 7 days per week. They want you to be aware of this activity, so that you will not be surprised if you find ITS technicians working in your office area if you happen to be working during these hours. Thank you for your understanding. The new phones are expected to be fully installed and operational about early November, and there will be training in their use provided prior to that date on campus at multiple times.

Skyline College wins Community Partner Award from San Mateo County Human Services Agency: In ceremonies held on September 21 in Foster City, the San Mateo County Human Services Agency (SMCHSA) announced that Skyline College has been selected to receive the 2005 Success Award in the Community Partner Category. Citing excellence in commitment to helping San Mateo County residents achieve economic self-sufficiency, the award acknowledges the Skyline College Bio-manufacturing Certificate Program and Gateway Program partnership with the San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board and Genentech, Inc. The award includes: 1) Commendation from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors; 2) Recognition from the California Legislature including certificates from Assembly Members Gene Mullin, District 19, Ira Ruskin, District 21, and Leland Y.Yee, Ph.D., Speaker pro Tempore; 3) Recognition from the California Senate including certificates from Senator Jackie Speier, District 8, and Senator Joseph Simitian, District 11; and 4) Certificate of Appreciation from Tom Lantos, member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Draft College Council Agenda for September 28: As part of our ongoing efforts to improve communication, I am including the draft agenda for the forthcoming College Council meeting. As you know, the Council includes representation from all of the college constituencies–students, classified staff, faculty and administration. It is our primary planning and policy formulation group for the college, and it establishes the charges to other units and committees in accomplishing specific tasks including, but not limited to, the following areas: budget, programs, student equity, accreditation, and program review. The Council is responsible for reviewing the progress and accomplishments of the units and committees. The Council serves as the umbrella shared governance committee for the college and is a major participant in decision making for the college. So here is that draft agenda (it is also available on the college website with the attachments that are mentioned at http://www.smccd.net/accounts/skynotes/):

Brothers will be shown next week: Brothers, a 52-minute documentary, funded by the President’s Innovation Fund, and directed by Skyline Speech Communication Professor Fermin Irigoyen, will be shown in the Main Theatre on Wednesday, September 28 at 1:00 p.m. A discussion period will follow with Irigoyen and brothers that were featured in the video, including Pablo Gonzalez (Counselor, EOPS), current Skyline student Kevin McKellar, and his brother and former Skyline student, Mike McKellar.

The National Economic Development and Law Center’s National Network of Sector Partners Brings "Skills Academy" to Skyline College: The Sector Skills Academy was created by three well-known organizations in the sectoral workforce development field: The Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative, the National Network of Sector Partners, and Public/Private Ventures. The Academy provides emerging leaders throughout the United States with an opportunity for experiential learning with practical application for present and future work in the sector field. The Academy consists of four workshops between June 2005 and July 2006, designed for participants to acquire new skills, engage in peer exchange and benefit from relationships with mentors. The Bio-manufacturing Certificate Program partnership at Skyline College was selected by NNSP to host one of the workshops on September 20, 2005 from 11:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. Presenters included Regina Stanback-Stroud, Vice President of Instruction, Skyline College; Linda Collins, Director, CCC Board of Governor’s Career Ladders Project; Paige Lloyd, Senior College Programs Consultant, Genentech, Inc.; Emma Gonzalez, San Mateo County Workforce Development; William Watson, Director, Center for Workforce Development, Skyline College; and Michael Williamson, Dean, Science, Math, Technology, Skyline College.

Skyline Art Instructor exhibiting works in Mexico City: Paul Bridenbaugh is one of several artists from California, Mexico, and New York who will be displaying their paintings at the Exhibition, "boys meet girls" at Salon Centro in Mexico City. The series of works are being featured as a "Salon" group show. The exhibit opened on September 21 and will run through October 26.

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