Skyline College is pleased to announce the launch of its Spanish-language website as part of its ongoing commitment to the large Spanish-speaking population within our local community.

http://skylinecollege.edu/espanol/

The website, consisting of four main pages, provides a condensed version of the most salient and useful information from the English-version website. The site is geared towards prospective students who may have difficulty applying to, and getting acquainted with, Skyline College through the English-language site due to language barriers.

The four pages within the Spanish-language website include Admissions, Financial Aid, Counseling, and the English Language Institute – they are four pages that contain essential information to get started, and find continued success, at Skyline College.

Through creating this new resource, Skyline College is aiming to create true educational equity for all members of our College and our broader community.

As with any part of the website, your feedback is greatly appreciated. You can send feedback directly to Connor Fitzpatrick.

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors created the Classified Employee of the

Year Award honoring community college classified employees who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to professionalism and community colleges.  Every college district is invited to submit a nominee.  Nominees must be classified employees with a minimum of 5 years of service as a permanent employee within the nominating Community College District (full-time or part-time).

All nominees will be evaluated on their commitment to the mission of community colleges; professional ethics and standards; serving the institution through participation in professional and/or community activities; and serving as a leader beyond the local institution. A $500 cash award and plaque will be presented to each statewide recipient at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Governors. Any one may nominate an employee consistent with the criteria set by the CCC Board of Governors

Each district is allowed to submit one nomination. SMCCCD is soliciting the names of four proposed nominees, one each from the three colleges and the district office. At its February 17, 2016 meeting, The SMCCCD Board of Trustees will select one of the four nominees to submit to the Board of Governors. All four of the nominees will be recognized at the District Board meeting.

The criteria and nominating form are available online on the right side of the main page of the Chancellor’s office website at http://extranet.cccco.edu/SystemOperations/BoardofGovernors/RecognitionandAwards.aspx

Here you will find the Guidelines and Instructions and the Nomination Form. Anyone can make a nomination. Simply submit the completed nomination form in electronic format to Theresa Tentes at tentes@smccd.edu by Monday, February 8, 2016 at 430 p.m. A The  College Council will hold a special meeting to screen the nominations and select a Skyline College nominee in time for the agenda packet for the February 17^th  Board of Trustees meeting.

Article by Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud

 

 

The Extended Opportunity Program & Services (EOPS) Program is currently accepting students into the program for the Spring 2016 semester. Please encourage students to apply as soon as possible as space is limited!

What is EOPS?

EOPS is a support and service program designed to improve access and retention for low income, educationally disadvantaged students.  EOPS services extend over and above what is available to the general student population.

Who Is Eligible?

To be eligible for EOPS, students must:

• Be a California resident (AB 540/California Dream Act students are welcome to apply!),
• Be enrolled full-time (12 units or more),
• Have completed fewer than 70 degree applicable units,
• Apply for FAFSA, federal financial aid and/or qualify for BOGFW A or B
• Be ‘educationally disadvantaged,’ including, but not limited to, placement in basic skills Math/English

What Services Does EOPS Offer?

• Academic, Career, and Personal Counseling
• Priority registration
• Book grant/voucher service
• Academic planning and Transfer assistance
• UC/CSU application fee waiver
• University visits
• School supplies, calculator and SMART Pen loan program

The EOPS Program is located in Building 2, Second floor. EOPS applications are available in the EOPS office and on our website at http://www.skylinecollege.edu/eops/index.php.

For additional questions, please contact Jessica Lopez, EOPS Counselor/Coordinator at lopezjessica@smccd.edu.

 

Article by Jessica Lopez | Photo by Sydni Walker

Come celebrate Chinese New Year in grand style with a Chinese Lion Dance, a Shoalin Gongfu showcase and a Chinese Food Fest at the main Quad in front of Building 6 on Wednesday, February 10, 2016.  A comedy movie “Personal Tailor” will also be shown at the multicultural center in Building 4.

The Chinese New Year Celebration is a yearly event sponsored and hosted by Skyline College’s Asian Studies Center.

The event is also made possible by the Skyline College International Student Program and International Student Affairs Association, and is funded by the Skyline College President’s Innovation Fund and performed by Shaolin Culture Center of San Mateo.

Article by Hui Pate

Students from Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College applied for the coveted Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship – a study abroad scholarship which is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) students. From the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), 11 students applied for a total of $55,000 in funding – this was both unprecedented and extremely exciting since study abroad can often be out of reach for community college students who are eager to study abroad but have little financial means at their disposal.

Students were alerted of this scholarship opportunity by the SMCCCD Study Abroad Office and when they met with Study Abroad staff at Skyline College to apply for the London fall 2016 Semester Abroad Program. Director of Special International Programs, Zaid Ghori, worked with students individually to help them refine and revise their essays to be the most competitive they could be for the scholarship. We would like to thank Skyline College professor, John Ulloa, who helped one of the Skyline College FEA applicants with a letter of recommendation and the financial aid directors –Margie Carrington, Claudia Menjivar, and Regina Morrison – at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College respectively, for working with the students in attesting the financial form that the FEA scholarship requires of all applicants.

A highly competitive scholarship, the FEA strongly encourages students to apply who represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented in study abroad such as minorities, first-generation college students, community college students, students with disabilities, student athletes, veterans and returning learners. Dedicated scholarships are also available to students who identify as LGBTQI. The deadline to apply for the FEA scholarship was January 18, 2016 for study abroad programs in summer 2016, fall 2016 and spring 2017. SMCCCD students will know of their scholarship status by mid-march 2016 according to the FEA website.

SMCCCD Study Abroad is the district-wide study abroad program housed at the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about the program, and scholarship opportunities please visit the SMCCCD Study Abroad website or contact Zaid Ghori at ghoriz@smccd.edu.

Article by Alina Din

The ASLT Division is proud to announce that Dr. Pearl Ly, Director of the Learning Commons, will receive the 2016 Community and Junior College Libraries Section (CJCLS) EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

“Dr. Ly stood out to the committee as an impressive example of early career leadership,” said award Co-Chairs Sarah North of the College of Western Idaho and Julia Mielish of Wake Technical Community College. “Her promotion to administration has been underscored by significant achievements in both local and national spheres. She has demonstrated a strong dedication to leadership within the field, and has been a passionate library advocate. The committee is excited to offer her the CJCLS Leadership Award and looks forward to her future accomplishments.”

The $750 award and plaque, donated by EBSCO Information Services, will be presented to Ly at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for librarians. Representing more than 11,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship. ACRL is on the Web at acrl.org/, Facebook at facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.

Article Sourced from ACRL

The Skyline College Art Gallery is very proud to present a wide array of creative output by talented teenagers from our local community:  Jefferson, Oceana, Terra Nova, Thornton, and Westmoor High Schools, plus Benjamin Franklin and Fernando Rivera Middle Schools.  The Scream is sure to delight and inspire with photographs, paintings, drawings, ceramics, mixed media installations, sculpture, and more by current high school and middle school students.  Be sure to come see it!

• Exhibition
• Dates: Mon – Fri, February 8 – March 11, 2016
• Times:  Varies; check gallery website and Facebook!

 

• Reception (open to all: Art, music, food, fun, friends! Come enjoy the festivities!)
• Date:  Thursday, February 11, 2016
• Time:  5:00 -7:00 p.m.

 

Gallery hours will be posted on our website and Facebook page, and photos will be posted to our new gallery Instagram page. Check us out!

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

January 16, 2016 was an exciting day in the history of Skyline College, as the first-ever Skyline College Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Symposium brought nearly 70 adjunct faculty members from a broad cross section of divisions and departments to the Saturday event.  Given that a major component of The Skyline College Promise includes the promise that students’ academic experience/success will be “supported by a foundation of quality instruction,” the Symposium was designed to provide adjunct faculty the opportunity to engage in workshops and collaborative activities that help promote “meaningful and culturally relevant learning experiences” (The Skyline College Promise), particularly in regard to first and second semester student success.

The day began with breakfast, followed by a brief welcome by Professional Development Coordinator, Nina Floro, who then passed the podium to Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Angélica Garcia, who also welcomed everyone and then introduced Skyline College President, Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud.  The President shared in her keynote, titled “The Courage to Transgress,” some of her history as a faculty member, and explained The Skyline College Promise.  She also noted that adjunct faculty have an important role to play in The Promise and in helping students achieve their educational goals.  Dr. Stanback Stroud lauded faculty as pivotal to student achievement and challenged them to become better instructors by further exploring resources and opportunities that have the potential to impact and transform students’ learning and their lives.

Following Dr. Stroud’s keynote, Symposium attendees had their choice of attending the following workshops:

• “Designing Backward: Thinking Forward” (led by Ricardo Flores, Instructional Technologist)
• “Strategies for Active Learning” (co-led by Nina Floro, Professor/Professional Development Coordinator, and Bridget Fischer, Professor/Distance Education Coordinator)
• “Are Students Learning? Formative Assessment for the College Classroom” (led by Jesse Raskin, Associate Professor)
• “Getting to Know Student and Academic Support Services: A Panel Presentation” (moderated by Marisa Thigpen, Language Arts Program Services Coordinator, and featuring panel members Dr. Angélica Garcia, VPSS; Melissa Mathews, DRC Coordinator/Counselor; David Reed, Learning Center Manager; Pearl Ly, Learning Commons Director; Michael Stokes, TRIO Director; Jorge Murillo, EOPS/CARE/CalWorks Program Services Coordinator)

With the two morning sessions complete, adjunct faculty enjoyed lunch and had a chance to exchange ideas/information and network.  After lunch, all participants were brought back together for an anchor session, “Classroom and Campus Crisis Training,” facilitated by Tom Maloney, District Safety Consultant, and Jim Vangele, Chief Public Safety Officer.

Dean of Academic Support & Learning Technologies, Dr. Jonathan Paver, completed the afternoon with some closing remarks and expressed his appreciation for all the hard work by the CTTL/ASLT faculty and staff, media services, facilities, and the participation, support, and assistance of Skyline College administration. The CTTL is planning follow-up events as a yearly or semi-annual event, but in the interim, the Spring semester promises a calendar filled with additional teaching and learning opportunities.

Article by Bridget Fischer and Nina L. Floro | Photos by Liezl Madrona

On Friday, January 29, 2016, History Professor James I. Wong met again in Alameda with family members and friends of Chinese-American veterans of select groups of the Flying Tigers from World War II.  Several veterans met in September 2015 and traveled as VIP guests of the Beijing Government in commemorating the 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Professor Wong has joined many of their children and grandchildren in recording the history and legacy of the Chinese-American veterans of the Flying Tigers.  His own father was a Flying Tiger veteran.

Article and Photo by James I. Wong

On Saturday, January 30, 2016, on the behalf of joint-sponsors, Eric Mar and Scott Wiener, of the Board of Supervisors for the City and County of San Francisco, History Professor James I. Wong presented Proclamations and Certificates of Honor to Professor Tan Jianxiang of the South China Normal University, School of Physical Education and Sports Science and China Sport Venue Association Research center, and to Master Liu Guoqi of the International Sports City, Guangzhou.  Both Professor Tan and Master Guo are vanguard representatives of the Beijing Government for the forthcoming Bilateral Sino-American Conference of Sports Exchange scheduled for May in Washington, D.C.  Professor Tan and Master Guo are noted experts in China in the field of qigong.  They were similarly acknowledged and honored by the California Legislative General Assembly.

Photo: From Left, Master Steve Fong, Grandmaster Tat-mau Wong, Professor Tan Jianxiang, Master Liu Guoqi, Professor James I. Wong, and Mr. John Warner, representing the California State Legislative General Assembly.

Article and Photo by James I. Wong