At the Society for the Advancement of Native Americans and Chicanos in Science (SACNAS) Conference on October 29-31, five Skyline College students presented their original scientific research alongside students from University of Texas, Princeton University, Yale University, University of California, University of Vermont, Stanford University, and many other universities. The conference theme was Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The Role of Diversity in STEM Innovation. The conference was held in Washington, D.C. and sponsored by the CIA, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the USDA.

Papers were selected for the conference in a competitive judging from abstracts submitted in June. About half of the submitted abstracts are accepted for the conference.

Skyline’s students worked with their mentor, Christine Case. They began their research last spring in BIOL 230 and continued through the summer in BIOL 695. Stephen Fredricks worked with the students to register and prepare them for presenting at a national conference. Chris and Stephen reported that the students were knowledgeable and professional, and represented Skyline College well.

You can see the students and their posters at http://accounts.smccd.edu/case/biol690/students15.html. All of these students now have their first publication:

• “Impacts of Invasive Plants on Microbial Metabolism in Coastal Sand Dunes,” Ai Tran
• “Performance Comparisons of Co-Occurring Native Baccharis and Invasive Delairea,” Sam Reveles
• “Indoor Microbial Air Quality of a 42-Year-Old Elementary School,” Lillian Sturmer and Nichole Palmer
• “Evaluating Rhodiola rosea for Controlling Food Spoilage and Foodborne Illness,” Wafa Zeidan

Article by Christine Case

As a result of the District-sponsored professional development trip to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, the three sister colleges and the District were inspired to host a screening of the short film, “Facing Fear” at all three campuses, beginning at Skyline College on October 14.

In the film, “worlds collide when a former neo-Nazi skinhead and the gay victim of his hate crime attack meet by chance 25 years after the incident that dramatically shaped both of their lives. Together, they embark on a journey of forgiveness that challenges both to grapple with their beliefs and fears, eventually leading to an improbable collaboration…and friendship.”

Each of the colleges were honored to host Mr. Jason Cohen, Director and Producer, Mr. Matthew Boger and Mr. Timothy Zaal, both subjects of the film, who sparked some truly insightful discussions.

After each documentary screening, the audience was invited to participate in an interactive discussion.  The audience was particularly interested with Boger’s forgiveness and how he moved on with his life, thus many questions gravitated toward whether Zaal’s actions were due to his own past violent encounters and whether Boger truly forgave him.  Both Boger’s and Zaal’s heartfelt answers inspired and moved the audience.  Repeatedly, the audience was prompted to adopt an attitude of courage: courage to learn and understand differences, courage to forgive those who mistreat you, courage to be forgiven, and courage to redeem yourself.

Cohen’s phenomenal film, “Facing Fear,” along with Cohen’s, Boger’s, and Zaal’s presence for the live interactive discussion tied closely with Skyline College’s reputation in promoting equality and social justice. This event provided the audience an opportunity to explore the roots of hatred and the power to effect change within oneself that unconsciously lead to significant transformations on personal and social levels.

For more information about the film, please visit www.facingfearmovie.com.

Article by Belinda Chan

On Thursday, October 29, 2015, 30 guests attended Skyline College’s inaugural Allied Health Panel.  The event, held in the multicultural center in building four, featured seven Allied Health current and former student panelists from Surgical Technology, Respiratory Care, Emergency Medical Technician, and Nursing programs. Two panelists, Alfredo Raxon and Mylene Magallanes are former Skyline College Career Advancement Academy Allied Health students who are currently working in their respective Allied Health fields and pursuing additional education. Alfredo is a licensed, practicing EMT completing his prerequisites for transfer at Skyline College, and Mylene is a registered nurse completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing at San Francisco State University.

Our other exceptional panelists included: Josh Blair and Aurore Etienne, from Skyline College’s Surgical Technologist program, Reina Wong and Danae Du Plessis, currently in Skyline College’s Respiratory Care Program, and Matthew Hodges, a former Skyline College student currently enrolled in the College of San Mateo’s Nursing Program. The guest panelists offered practical advice and key insights on being a student and working in the health field with the aim of helping students achieve their goals of entering into higher level allied health programs and allied health careers.

The panelists each shared words of wisdom and counsel for current and future allied health students.

Mylene Magallanes shared her insights with students saying, “never give up no matter how challenging. You can do it! There is always an abundance of resources and support along the way. You just have to reach out. Stay focused and positive and you will get there.”

Aurore Ettienne advised students interested in the medical field to volunteer in the field in which they are interested. By volunteering, they will develop a sense of what that field entails, and they will further understand their decision before making a commitment to a lengthy, rigorous program.

This event was made possible by Skyline College’s support for innovative events and programming and by the hard work and dedication of the CAA team including: Jeremy Evangelista, Monique Hernandez, Troy Barros, Paul Rueckhaus, Courtney Mogg, Alina Varona, and others who helped plan, organize, and support the event.

The event received generous support from The Center for Workforce Development’s Career Advancement Academy. To learn more about careers in Allied Health and the Allied Health Career Advancement Academy please visit: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/caa/alliedhealth.php  or email skycaa@smccd.edu

Article by Alina Varona | Photos by Jeremy Evangelista

The Skyline College Veterans Club, in partnership with the Associated Students of Skyline College and the Veterans Resource Center, will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday, November 11 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Quad and an Open House at the Veterans Resource Center from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The entire campus community is invited to participate.

Help show your support and give thanks to Skyline College Veterans. Other events for Veterans are taking place throughout the week in the Veterans Resource Center and include speakers, and community support agencies. Look for flyers advertising the events in the campus announcement emails, on the TV screens and across campus. We hope to see you next week!

Article by Gina Ciardella

Next Saturday, November 14, the Music, Drama and Dance Programs will collaborate on their seventh annual Performing Arts Showcase. Please join us to celebrate the variety of talented student musicians, singers, dancers and actors who will display the many performing arts classes that Skyline College offers!

This year’s theme is the 1960’s!

Please invite your friends and families to see our Skyline College performing arts students get totally groovy, baby!

$5 in advance, $10 at the door — Online Tickets now available through the Bookstore website.

Article by Amber Steele

Middle College at Skyline College students Arisbe Benavides, Stephanie DeAlba, Josue Guardado, Paolo Jimeno, Jasleen Kaur, Patricia Martinez, and Sarah Rosario volunteered 10 hours of community service at the St. Anthony’s Padua Dining Room in Redwood City as part of their Nutrition 310 course.  St. Anthony’s Padua Dining Room is the largest soup kitchen between San Francisco and San Jose and the only organization serving on average 500 meals daily throughout the year. The Dining Room tackles food shortages impacting the residents of surrounding local communities of Redwood City, East Palo Alto, and East Menlo Park.  The Dining Room provides hot, nourishing meals Monday to Saturday year-round to all who come seeking meal and a safe place to eat. It serves all without regard to age, sex, race, religious beliefs, national origin, or disabilities.

The students had the opportunity to serve a wholesome lunch of pasta, chicken, vegetables, eggs, bread, salad, milk, juice, and fruit dessert.  Other students sorted basic foodstuffs, fresh fruits, i.e., persimmons, tomatoes, strawberries, and fresh vegetables, i.e., avocados, mushrooms, carrots, along with a variety of bread products that the patrons selected to supplement their meals at home.  A tour of the surrounding communities gave the students a visceral experience of the socioeconomic disparity and social justice issues confronting those families and individuals being served at the Dining Room.

One student remarked “less than a quarter mile away you have $10 million dollar homes fenced off from the people coming to the Dining Room, many of whom are homeless and mentally challenged.”

Another student said “I plan to return with my cousin to volunteer, it was an awesome experience.”

A goal of the Middle College at Skyline College is to have students participate in internship/community service experiences that address social justice issues in their communities.

Article by Raymond Jones

On Thursday, October 29, 2015, 20 Skyline College Business Program students were initiated into The Alpha Beta Chi Chapter of Kappa Beta Delta Business Honor Society. The initiates were invited to join The Kappa Beta Delta Business Honor Society based off their overall academic excellence and achievement in their business and business-related majors. The event was hosted by Professor Linda Whitten and Co-Presidents Monina Ubungen and Michael Wong. Refreshments were provided.

Kappa Beta Delta is the International Honor Society for Associate Degree Business Programs Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. For more information on the Kappa Beta Delta Business Honor Society and how to join, please visit the KBD Website.

Fall 2015 Initiates

• Siraj Ibrahim Ageel
• Ibrahim Abed Amas
• Zachary Weiss Asis
• Michael Bautista
• Kevin Chak
• Margo Feldman
• Vitoria Goncalves
• Dawnee Hahn
• Richard Hua
• Kendra McIntyre-Linton
• Phuong Thi Nguyen
• Emily Nunez-Rosario
• Sarah Pape
• Adrian Lester Lazaro Perez
• Albert Ramos
• Anthony Spotti
• Donway Dioceldo Sy
• Jenell C. Velarde
• Michanne Widjaja
• Edmond Yu

Article by Monina Ubungen | Photos by Hellen Zhang

A group of three faculty leaders from College of the Redwoods in Eureka, CA visited The Learning Center on Thursday, October 29, 2015 to learn more about the Skyline College Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. TLC Manager David Reed and SI Coordinator Mike Urquidez introduced the group to Skyline College and provided them with a tour of The Learning Center, as well as the SI program classroom and office in Pacific Heights.

The group consisted of Tina Vaughan, Academic Support Center Specialist, Erin Wall, Dean of Humanities, and Paul Chow from their Institutional Research Department. College of the Redwoods is currently getting their program started with a handful of classes this spring semester.

In a follow up email, Ms. Vaughan mentioned how the tour “helped me a lot to visualize some workspace areas for our program.”

SI Coordinator, Mike Urquidez had previously been in contact College of the Redwoods during the summer, at which time he was able to share some resources and best practices that Skyline College currently uses for its own SI program.

SI, a peer led program that places successful students in historically difficult courses, seeks to support students with collaborative study sessions tailored for that particular course and instructor. Here at Skyline College, SI is currently supporting courses in Math, English, ESOL, Chemistry, Biology, and Psychology.

We wish College of the Redwoods the best of luck in establishing their new SI program. For more information about the Skyline College SI program, please visit us on the web.

Article by David Reed and Mike Urquidez

Skyline College has recently purchased an institutional members to NISOD. NISOD is a consortium of community and technical colleges committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership. Below are just a few of the many excellent benefits NISOD-member colleges receive.

• Innovation Abstracts, NISOD’s flagship teaching strategies publication, provides an excellent opportunity for community and technical college educators to learn about and share best ideas about programs, projects, and strategies that improve students’ higher education experiences.
• NISOD’s Webinar Series are monthly, high-quality, and thought-provoking webinars led by community and technical college leaders and other experts in the field. The webinars are usually announced via the weekly Innovation Abstracts email and can also be found on our website.
• The Excellence Awards Program provides member colleges with the opportunity to honor awesome faculty, administrators, and staff for the important work they do on their campuses every day.
• Engage with NISOD on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to participate in peer-to-peer discussions, receive useful content, and stay abreast of what’s happening with NISOD and community and technical organizations around the world.

Archives on NISOD’s website include:

• Publications
  Looking for articles on a specific topic? NISOD members can search 30+ years worth of archives of Innovation Abstracts, Celebrations, and Partner Voice.
• NISOD Conference Highlights
  Watch videos of past keynote presentations and selected special sessions from NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence.
• NISOD Excellence Awards Videos
  Looking for ways to liven up faculty orientation sessions, welcome-back-to-school events, special recognition ceremonies? Look no further. NISOD Excellence Awards videos are archived for use by member colleges.
• NISOD Webinar Archives
  Not able to attend a live webinar event? No worries. NISOD’s webinars are archived for our members to view anytime from any Internet-ready computer, tablet, or smartphone.
• Repository of NISODcasts
  NISODcasts are short conversations that provide a great way to explore expert opinions on diverse topics from the comfort of any Internet-ready computer, tablet, or smartphone.

To access the member-only section of the NISOD website (www.nisod.org) use the following:

• Username: skyline.edu
• Password: nisod2151

Article by Jonathan Paver

The College Governance Council met on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 from 2:10-4:00 pm, in Building 4, Room 4343.  In attendance was Alexander Alphi, Kate Williams Browne, Angélica Garcia, Michele Haggar, Alana Utsumi, Dennis Zhang.  Absent from the meeting was Eloisa Briones, Stephen Fredricks, Sarah Perkins, Regina Stanback Stroud.  Guest at the meeting was Aaron McVean.

Approval of Minutes

Due to the absence of a quorum, no motion was made to the September 23, 2015 minutes.

Academic Senate Report

Fall meetings include visits and discussions with key administrators about the state of the College and issues for this year.

To date:  Angélica Garcia [Student Equity Plan Revision], Sarah Perkins [Professional development], Jonathan Paver [Online Education Initiative, Distance Education plan, Canvas course learning system]

Plans for: Aaron McVean [Research & SPARC/Budget], Luis Escobar [Student Services]

Activities from Academic Senate Standing Committees are:

Curriculum: Has formed a General Education Collective, which will establish task forces, to redesign/rethink General Education. Is working on curricular ramifications & requirements for having a BA program on campus by Fall, 2016 [Respiratory Therapy].

Educational Policy: Will be reviewing policies and procedures, and will work on revision of Faculty Handbook in Spring 2016.

Professional Personnel: Is working with Dean Hernandez of SMT Division to nominate e-STEM program for ASCCC Exemplary Program Award; was nominated 2 years ago but did not win. [2]Is participating in the overhaul of Skyline Professional Development.

Research: Now that there is an Institutional Research Board for the College, there is no current Chair of this Committee; Academic Senate will work with PRIE Dean McVean around re-structuring that committee instead.

Museum of Tolerance faculty selections were Danielle Powell and Paul Bollick for Fall 2015.  Their experiences will be shared in December 2015.

Resolution was created/passed to support District application to become part of Cohort 2 for Canvas adoptions and other online issues around the Chancellor’s Online Education Initiative.

Collaboration with ASSC and Classified Senate to support a Drive for Fire Victims.

Upcoming:

• State Academic Senate Plenary, including multiple issues and resolutions, will be attended by VP Stephen Fredricks and President Kate Williams Browne.
• Professional Development and Faculty Hiring are ongoing issues of interest and participation.

Classified Senate Report

Classified Senate successfully accomplished the following at the last meeting on September 3, 2015:

Members approved the Distance Education Substantive Change Addendum and had the consensus on the IEPI letter.

Code of Ethnic: Classified received 100% approval on Code of Ethnic, which was nearly 40 responses out of nearly 90 full-time staff.  Draft will be brought to the CGC meeting after receiving approval from the two sister colleges.

Activity in Progress:

• A survey is undergoing about the Classified Scholarship criteria, which is the funding collected from See’s Candies Fundraising. Deadline of the survey is due next Tuesday, November 3, 2015.  Update to follow.

• Another survey is being conducting to consent members about best availability to host Classified Senate Potluck.

• Michele Haggar will connect with the MOT participants and invite them to share their experiences at one of the Classified Senate meetings.

Associated Student Body of Skyline College Report

ASSC successfully hosted/participated below listed events in the month of October 2015.

Latino Heritage Month

Latino Heritage Month event was held on October 20, 2015 with Tarimba band from Veracruz Mexico performed son jarocho music. Dance troupe, Colectivo Anqari, performed traditional dances from the South Andes area of South America, with a colorful variety of costumes! The ASSC served pan dulce and horchata with tablers from El Tecolote newspaper, Mission Neighborhood Centers, and Carnaval.

National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day was hosted on October 12, 2015. It educated students about same-sex marriage legislation, and had the opportunity for participants to create a wedding photo booth as a safe space for students to express who they love. Rainbow cupcakes were served.  Featured guest speaker, former Assemblyman and LGBTQ activist, Tom Ammiano, was present for the event. ASSC made a great impact and received a heartfelt feedback from Middle College: “for the first time, I felt that I belong somewhere.”

#IAmUCC

In solidarity with Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Skyline students took the time to write heartfelt letters for those affected by the recent shooting. We supported the #IAmUCC campaign to raise awareness for public safety on college campus. Students took individual #IAmUCC pictures to stand with UCC. The letters have been sent out.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day

ASSC tabled to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. Students wrote encouraging notes to those affected by breast cancer and accepted cash donations to fund breast cancer research through the American Cancer Society. With the kind sponsorship of Kevin Chak of Skyline Bookstore, Skyline swag and pink ribbons were given out as prizes.

College Lecture Series: Camille Seaman

Camille Seaman, an Award Winning photographer and also a Senior TED Talk Fellow, shared here works and experiences with Skyline College Community on October 22, 2015. Her work concentrated on the fragile environment of the Polar Regions and now she is a storm chaser. She educated Skyline Students about sustainability and inspired everyone to follow their dreams.

California Community College Student Affairs Association Conference

ASSC sent 10 members to the conference held in San Jose on October 23 – 23, 2015 to develop student leadership and networking skills.  They were given opportunities to bond with the two sister schools.

Current Event:

Butte County Fire Donation Drive 

In support of those affected by the recent wildfires that devastated Butte County, the Associated Students, alongside the Academic Senate, Classified Senate and Administration are hosting a campus wide Food Drive.  More advertisement is needed to support the event.

Upcoming: [1] Skylloween, an event joint-sponsored with Skyline Organization and Club Council (SOCC), is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Quad and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Dining Room. [2] ECE children will be on campus for Skylloween on Thursday, October 29, 2015 and custom parade on Friday, October 30, 2015. [3] Trojan Tuesday will be held on November 3, 2015. It offers students an opportunity to receive 5% discount at Bookstore or the Café with an ID. [4] Community outreach to Homeless, is scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2015.  Preparation for outreach, including lunches packing and notes writing, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday before the event.  Detail to follow.  [5] Spring Retreat (MOT) about 20 students; [6] ASSC is planning to host a Thanksgiving Lunch or give out gift cards to Foster Youth.  Details to follow.

Campus Forum: Skyline Promise

A campus forum on Skyline Promise, presented by President Regina Stanback Stroud, is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, in Rooms 6-202 to 6-206 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.  All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.  It will be expanding SparkPoint services throughout Skyline College community and covering topics, such as: determining part-time students, child care issues, transportation, housing, and food security.  Discussions pertaining to Skyline Promise will also be available through CTTL workshops.

IEPI

Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI), a new division created by Chancellor’s Office, is established to provide assistance to colleges in the areas they need. Thus, Skyline College wrote a letter to request for a visit to obtain advices on strategic planning.  The IEPI visit is scheduled for Monday, November 30, 2015.  Two follow-up visits will be scheduled in Spring.

Equity Plan

Student Equity Plan (SEP), due in December 2015, is still in the writing process. It will be addressing new guideline, including items to address the most disproportionate groups in the five areas: Access, Course completion, Completion in Basic Skills, Degrees and Certificate, Transfer Rate. Veteran, Foster Youth, Probation Students, African and Hispanic students are the biggest impacted groups at Skyline College.  The SEP writing team is targeting to submit the SEP draft to SEEED Committee, followed by CGC in November and the Board in December.

Classified Senate – Code of Ethics

Refer to Classified Senate Report.

No CGC Meeting in November

Conference call may be held for any action items, if necessary.

Other Business

EPI Center will have the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on November 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. in Building 8, Room 8-317.

Escalation, is scheduled on Wednesday (Date), will be a workshop to learn about facilitation.

Adjourn

Due to the absence of a quorum, no motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 2:58 p.m.