The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) met on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

The committee reviewed the recommended updates to the Skyline Mission, Vision, and Values originating from the Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC), the Stewardship for Equal Employment, Equity and Diversity (SEEED) Committee and the Executive Council.  The SPARC members adopted the changes and made a recommendation to the College Governance Council (CGC) for final review and approval.

Karen Wong, Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness, highlighted results from the Employee Voice Survey: Integrated Planning and Resource Allocation Cycle, which was administered in September 2015.  The committee broke out into groups to discuss survey results and identify potential areas of improvement. Specific areas of discussion included familiarity with the cycle, understanding the role of each component (e.g., the Annual Program Plan, Comprehensive Program Review, Administrative Leadership Unit Reviews, Strategic Priorities, Outcome Assessments, and Educational Master Plan), alignment with resource allocation processes, timing and feedback loops.  Aaron McVean, Dean of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness and Karen will review the group feedback and make recommendations on the integrated planning and resource allocation cycle to the committee. 

Barbara Lamson gave an update on the October 20, 2015 meeting of the District Committee on Budget and Finance.  Highlights include the Board of Trustees adoption of District Strategic Plan; updates to District Budget; presentation from Jonathan Bissell, Director of Community, Continuing and Corporate Education, on the many initiatives at CCCE; presentation from Jose Nunez, Vice Chancellor of Facilities, on the proposed construction projects under the new Bond measure.

Eloisa Briones gave a brief report from her attendance at the Association of Chief Business Officials (ACBO) Conference.  The State Chancellor’s Office provided a mid-year budget update, noting that the State is doing very well now, but not to expect similar level of increases in funding for Fiscal Year 16-17 as we have received for Fiscal Year 15-16.

She was pleased to announce that Executive Vice Chancellor Kathy Blackwood received the prestigious Walter Star Robie Award at ACBO.  The award recognizes professionals in California community college business administration who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and exemplary service as Chief Business Officials in their respective districts and the state of California.

Upcoming events:

Skyline College, and in particular President Regina Stanback Stroud, will host a campus forum to discuss the Skyline Promise on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Room 6-202 to 6-206.  All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

Skyline College Student Success Conference will tentatively be held on a Friday in mid-April in 2016.  It will be held during the joint-divisional meetings, and invitations will be sent to colleagues from the District and sister colleges.  All administrators, faculty, and staff are highly encouraged to participate. Details to follow.

Next meeting is scheduled for November 12, 2015 at 2:10 pm in Room 6-203.

On Thursday October 22, 2015, Skyline College welcomed Award-winning photographer, Senior TED Fellow and Environmentalist Camille Seaman. Her work focuses on the fragile environments of the Arctic and Antarctica and extreme weather conditions that produce super-storms and tornados.  The images that she captures show the immense power of nature and fragility of our world.  Camille spoke to us of lessons that she received from her grandfather while growing up on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Long Island, New York. “I was taught from a very young age that we are connected to everything, that everything has a life force.”

Camille shared the story of her own rising consciousness as a young artist and how she was able to take advantage of serendipitous circumstances to begin a meaningful and rewarding career.   Ms. Seaman stated, “We are all here at this time for a purpose, take the time to reflect and find your passion, do what you love.”  Her message of universal connection and following your dreams gave insight to attendees and inspired many to follow their inner compass to find their true calling in order to achieve personal fulfillment and success.

For additional information about Camille Seaman and her work check out her facebook page and her website.

If you missed Camille’s lecture you can view the video on the Skyline College lectures USTREAM page.

Article by Amory Cariadus

The International Student Program (ISP) and the International Affairs Student Club (IASC) hosted a campus tour to UC Berkeley on October 9, 2015. A total of 13 international students participated in the tour. Those students included new and continuing students from different countries; China, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, Venezuela, Myanmar and Vietnam. They all enjoyed a ride together to UCB and had a customized group tour led by a UCB student. The students had an opportunity to ask questions about the school, transfer, campus life, etc. at the end of the tour.

UCB is one of the most popular transfer destinations for international students. This year, four Skyline College international students successfully completed their studies here and transferred to UCB. We hope that the 13 students who participated in the tour will consider attending UCB in the future!

ISP will continue to provide international and cultural programs and events for Skyline College students, faculty and staff members and the greater Skyline College community. Please check future events on the ISP website.

Article Chikako Walker | Photo by Yvonne Zhao

On October 20, 2015, the Career Advancement Academy (CAA) welcomed a group of Redwood High School seniors and their counselors to Skyline College. Jeremy Evangelista, Interim Program Services Coordinator, and Troy Barros, Office Assistant II, facilitated tours of the campus and its Career Technical Education (CTE) programs including  Automotive Technology, Allied Health, Early Childhood Education, Cosmetology, and Energy Systems Technology Management.  Students enjoyed lunch together and heard from learning community and Guardian Scholars guest speakers.

The CAAs connect students to higher wage careers and opportunities in higher education by increasing foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics while enrolling students in career technical training programs. Currently, the Career Advancement Academy has programs in Allied Health, Automotive Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Legal Careers.

Redwood High school is an alternative high school for students who are considered at-risk of graduating on time. CAA hopes to continue to support Redwood High School students transition to Skyline College and connect them to career technical education programs, and additional pathways in higher education.

Article by Jeremy Evangelista

The first monthly parent night was held September 30, 2015 in the Multicultural Center located in Building 4.  The program theme was “How Can Parents Support Student Success.”  More than 40 individuals were in attendance to show their support and belief in the Middle College including families, students, Skyline College administration, and South San Francisco Unified School District administrators and three board members. This student-led program gave parents insights into the Middle College through

• A multimedia slide show of the activities students have been involved with
• A multimedia presentation giving an overview of the Middle College
• A Question & Answer segment that allowed parents to inquire about the Middle College
• A student-led panel focused on how parents can support their academic success,
• A presentation conducted by Dr. Raymond Jones, Middle College Director, entitled “Three Myths About the Teen-Age Brain.”
• A tour of the Middle College facilities in Building 2.

The parent night is a monthly program that Middle College students plan and host.  The purpose of the parent night is to involve the parents in their student’s education.  Evidence-based research has shown that parent involvement and support is a key element in student academic achievement and success.  The next parent night is November 4, 2015 and the topic will be Financial Literacy, to be led by Melanie Espinueva, Coordinator of Financial Education Services for SparkPoint at Skyline College.

Article by Raymond Jones

For visual learners especially, books with strong photographic documentation are a nice complement to textbooks and scholarly texts. With over 200 images in each book, the Images of America Series by Arcadia Publishing documents the neighborhoods and people that helped define San Francisco as the beloved city it is today. Explore different regions such as San Francisco’s Sunset District or different cultures in Filipinos in San Francisco and Gay and Lesbian San Francisco.

All library materials on display are available for check out using your Peninsula Library System (PLS) library card. Don’t currently have a card? Come to the Check Out desk and register today. http://skylinecollege.edu/library/librarycard.php

Article and Photos by Kristen Lee

The Automotive Technology Department hosted its 5th “Hiring Day” for students and local employers.  Thirty service managers and shop owners, representing over 200 repair facilities in the Bay Area attended and interviewed students for entry level jobs.  A variety of shops were represented including dealerships, independent shops, chain and franchise stores and transportation fleets.

Several managers commented on the high quality of interviewees and all were very impressed with our students and the way they presented themselves. Starting wages range from $12-18 an hour and most students received multiple job offers as a result of this event.  We’re very proud of our students and very grateful to have such a supportive community!

Article by Julia Johnson

This month, the “There’s An App for That!” event was presented by our Assistive Technology Specialist, Judy Lariviere. Some of the latest and greatest iPad, iPhone, Google Chrome and extension apps were available for students to try out; the app that breaks down math problems was especially popular! Students who stopped by were entered into a drawing to win an iTunes gift card.

Some of our other Disability Awareness Month events included:

Dislecksia: The Movie, Celebrating Dyslexia, Guide Dogs for the Blind, DRC student workshops and many more!

We hope that these events were informative, insightful, and empowering! The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is here to assist students in reaching their highest potential while achieving their educational goals on time.

Article by Carol Newkirk

Automotive Department faculty and staff including Tom Broxholm, Dan Ming, Ruben Parra, Filipp Gleyzer and Nancy Lam, flew down bright and early on Friday morning to attend the fall California Automotive Teachers (CAT) Conference held at Mira Costa College, Oceanside, CA, on October 16 -17, 2015.  First day activities included a guided tour to the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum located at Vista, CA.  This museum sits on 55 acres of farm ground, exhibiting  agricultural, construction, early industrial and farm equipment from 1849 through the 1960’s, the majority of which are still in operating conditions.

Next stop was lunch at Deer Park Winery & Car Museum, located at Escondido, CA.  After lunch we were allowed to wander the grounds and explore on our own all the ancient cars on display.  The museum has cars from the 1800s all the way through to the 1970s, models ranged from Studebakers, Packards, Pierce Arrow, Crosley and many others.  Besides car exhibits, the museum also has household appliances from the 1900s like radios, televisions, washing machines, etc.  Most surprising of all the exhibits were the Barbie Doll Collection. The museum is definitely worth a revisit.  The day ended with a meet and greet and dinner at Mira Costa’s cafeteria.

Mira Costa College sits on top of a hill and is beautiful and serene; the automotive department threw open their doors and gates and offered a variety of classes throughout the day for the attending teachers to receive their recertification on the subject(s) of their choice.  Our retiree, Rick Escalambre, taught two classes – Does Funding Make a Program and ASIAN EVAP Systems.

The CAT Conference is where all the automotive teachers gather and reconnect as well as learn and exchange updated industry information.  Spring’s CAT Conference will be in Northern California’s Modesto College.

Article by Nancy Lam

Four teams presented at the Strengthening Student Success Conference in Oakland from October 7- 9, 2015, highlighting Skyline College’s institutional work in teaching and supporting students with a social justice lens.

The Center for Innovative Practices through Hip Hop Education and Research (CIPHER) at Skyline College, led by counselor/coordinator, Nate Nevado, and English Instructor, Janice Sapigao, hosted their workshop titled, “Entering the CIPHER: Fresh Techniques, Hip Hop Elements, and Edutainment in the Classroom” to over 40 participants.  In the workshop, participants were provided with an experiential and transformative learning environment that reflected on current modes of teaching that connects to social justice and Hip Hop pedagogy.  Using concepts such as edutainment and kinetic consumption, we discussed best practices utilized in our Hip Hop learning community and provided participants tools to empower their students to become agents of change in their own communities as well as enhancing their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Testimonials:

“Incorporating Hip Hop in the classroom can inspire more creative learning.”

“Social media can be an effective method in getting information to students in an engaging manner.”

“Kinetic consumption is powerful to build community and for students to participate and take ownership of the class.”

Comprehensive Diversity Framework: Developing Institutional Commitment to Equity through the Practice of Critical Inquiry

SEEED Presenters/ Facilitators:   Angelica Garcia, Lucia Lachmayr, Aaron McVean, David Reed, and Karen Wong

Despite our interactive presentation being at 8:30 in the morning following the main conference, about fifty participants packed into the crowded room to hear about how Skyline College has been developing its institutional commitment to equity through the practice of critical inquiry. This presentation was the second on the Diversity Framework, the first being at last year’s conference. Angelica Garcia and Lucia Lachmayr began by providing the historical context out of which our current efforts arose. In Fall 2012, the Stewardship for Equity, Equal Employment and Diversity (SEEED) committee initiated a comprehensive, structured effort via forging a Diversity Framework, which employed an equity driven systems change model and identified eight domains for investigation, and has since informed our Equity Plan. Lucia and David Reed presented their findings on the student services domain, narrowing the focus to who was accessing services in the Learning Center. The many practitioners in the room helped to brainstorm ways to address the needs of the four groups that were underrepresented in proportion to their enrollment. Aaron McVean and Karen Wong presented on the second domain, leadership, one angle being the campus leadership’s practices as it relates to promoting an equity perspective, and another being on who constitutes our leadership and the factors that encourage or discourage faculty and staff to pursue leadership positions.  Using i-clickers, participants answered some of the questions from our own campus’ survey, which gave participants insights on where their campuses stood in relation to other campuses, and worked in dyads to discuss follow-up questions that modelled how they could engage in such discussions on their respective campuses. The energy was high even after the session ended, which reinforced just how eager people are to participate in such discussions as they implement their equity plans with the hope that their entire campuses will be invested. SEEED committee members have begun dialoging about these results and look forward to engaging our own campus colleagues.

SparkPoint’s Measurement for Mitigating Economic Disparities

“Dr. Angelica Garcia, Heather Smith, and Julie Lamson delivered a presentation in the “Emerging Strategies” strand on Wednesday, October 7^th. The presentation focused on SparkPoint at Skyline College’s innovative approach to mitigating economic disparities in higher education. The greatest predictor of bachelor’s degree attainment in the U.S. is family income, yet not all individuals have equal access to quality higher education. SparkPoint strengthens students’ financial capability and positively impacts persistence by providing free personalized financial education and coaching services, complemented by resources that allow individuals to meet their basic needs while in college. SparkPoint strategically collects data on each financial coaching client using Efforts to Outcomes software, which allows the organization to measure its impact in reducing poverty among its service population.

Participants shared personal testimonies and asked meaningful questions about best practices for replicating the SparkPoint model at their respective campuses. They seemed to agree that not enough is being done collectively by the 113 California community colleges to meet the needs of their changing student populations.

Investigating the “KA”: Strengthening the Bridge from High School to College via the Kababayan Learning Community Strand: Transforming the Pre-collegiate Experience

At the 2008 Strengthening Student Success Conference, Skyline College showcased the Kababayan Learning Community, which pairs English and counseling; assigns culturally relevant curriculum on the Filipino/Filipino-American experience; and reinforces the importance of pedagogical strategies, peer mentoring, and assessment as a means to motivate students. This year Marlboro Aelonar, Grace Burns, Liza Erpelo, and Kent Gomez provided an update of our work, primarily the addition of a college-level counseling course at a local high school, where the student population is approximately 40% Filipino. The presentation highlighted the need for not only culturally relevant instructional materials to facilitate student persistence and success, but also the creation of a stronger pipeline between high schools and colleges to address the unique challenges faced by Filipino and Filipino-American students pursuing higher education.

Article by Angelica Garcia