Wendy Chen and Dayana Salazar from Skyline College and Grisel Lopez and Michelle Sandoval from College of San Mateo are four of approximately 850 American undergraduate students from 324 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study abroad during the Fall 2016 academic term.

The funding is a significant increase in the number of scholarships received by San Mateo County Community Colleges and the acceptance rate by the Gilman Scholarship Program. Last year, the District had one Gilman scholarship recipient out of two applicants. This year marked a 100% acceptance rate since the District had four applicants and all four students were awarded the scholarship.

The San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship and American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) Scholarship recipients were Isis Lemus from Cañada College, Tristan Carson, Kelly Gulbrandson and Manying Wu from College of San Mateo, and Jennifer Martinez and Laurel Lujan from Skyline College. Tristan Carson was also the only recipient of the California Colleges for International Education (CCIE) Donald R. Culton Study Abroad Scholarship.

 

Scholarship	Amount
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship	$10,500
San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation	$6,000
American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)	$2,000
California Colleges for International Education (CCIE)	$500
Total Scholarship Funding	$19,000

 

Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs.  The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go.  Students receiving a Federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions who will be studying abroad or participating in a career-oriented international internship for academic credit are eligible to apply.  Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies — making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.

Article and chart by Zaid Ghori | Photo by Emma Briones

The Skyline College Beta Theta Omicron members had a busy summer volunteering in the community. They initiated several community service projects during the spring semester and continued the projects throughout the summer. Continuing their Computer Literacy and Internet Competency for Seniors (CLICS) program, our students held training sessions at Magnolia Senior Center to help senior citizens learn to use their smartphones and tablets. Chapter president Karen Lai said she “felt a strong sense of accomplishment when seniors learned to send their first text message, or post their first picture on Facebook. Their excitement and happiness motivates me to continue volunteering.”

Beta Theta Omicron continued their precollege outreach at the Boys and Girls Club of North San Mateo County. Chapter members encouraged children to learn science with a fun, edible lab on making ice cream.

Chapter members also participated in established community service events including Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco and the San Francisco Food Bank.

Article by Christine Case

 

 

In collaboration with the Marketing Office, the Library has launched its new website. The website was redesigned to improve the student, faculty, and staff experience. Using Supersearch, patrons can search for books, articles, videos, and more at Skyline College Library and other libraries in the Peninsula Library System (PLS).

The library website provides information about our many services such as textbook reserves, research help, technology help, and equipment for checkout. There are research guides to help students find information in different disciplines and with citing sources. Additionally, we have a separate page for Faculty Services  to request research workshops, recommend library book purchases, request new journal or periodical subscriptions, and place items on Faculty Reserves.

The Skyline College Library invites you to explore our newly redesigned website!

Article by Pearl Ly

With a $10,000 ASSC grant and a partnership with the Skyline College Bookstore, the Library is expanding its reserve collection with high-demand textbooks to increase access to critical learning materials and student success. Guidelines for purchases include (1) high cost, (2) high usage, and (3) high number of course sections requiring a textbook.

The increasingly high cost of textbooks is a barrier for many Skyline College students. Many textbooks cost over $200 – especially in math, science, and career technology disciplines. PIRGs, a research and advocacy organization, found that high textbook costs deter 65% of students from purchasing assigned materials despite concerns for their grades (Senack, 2014). Many students rely on 2-hour library “reserve” textbooks for access to their course materials whether they are waiting for financial aid funds, have ordered a book online that has not arrived, or are unable to purchase or rent the book.

The Library continues to encourage faculty to donate required textbook copies to the Reserve collection and to consider adopting low-cost and open educational resources such as Open Stax.

Article by Pearl Ly | Photo by Kristen Lee

Energized Skyline College adjunct faculty gathered on Saturday, August 13, for a full-day of teaching and learning activities at the 2^nd Skyline College Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Symposium. 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 geared towards addressing first and second semester student success.

President, Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Angélica Garcia, Interim Vice President of Instruction, Aaron McVean, and Professional Development Coordinator, Nina Floro, kicked of the day by welcoming adjunct faculty with words of empowerment and encouragement. Following the welcome, Dr. Amelito Enriquez, Professor of Engineering and Mathematics at Cañada College, delivered an inspiring Symposium keynote, “Confessions of a Reluctant Community College Instructor.” Dr. Enriquez exemplary achievements include serving as the Principal Investigator for over $12 million in grants funded funded by the National Science Foundation, US Department of Education, NASA, and Department of Labor, among others. He has also received numerous local, regional, and national awards, including but not limited to the 2016 American Society for Engineering Education Outstanding Teaching Award and the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) presented by President Obama in 2011. Dr. Enriquez’s narrative-based keynote emphasized the importance of faculty mentoring of students, especially those who are vulnerable and at risk.

Symposium workshops led to lively discussions and engaging teaching and learning activities. They included:

• “Get Up and Get Moving: Easy Ways to Add Kinesthetic Learning to the College Classroom,” presented by Jessica Hurless, Communication Studies Professor
• “Student Learning Styles & Metacognition: Fostering Students’ Self-Awareness As Learners,” presented by Sarita Santos, ECE Professor
• “Herding CATs: Using Classroom Assessment Techniques to Understand Student Learning,” presented by Dr. Bianca Rowden-Quince, Instructional Designer
• “Beyond Talk: Moving into Action/Critical Thinking with First-Day Ice Breakers & Lesson-Driven Community Building Strategies,” presented by Nina L. Floro, Professional Development Coordinator/English Professor
• “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: A Student Services Overview,” presented by Lasana Hotep, Dean for Student Equity & Support Programs; Dr. Luis Escobar, Dean of Counseling; and Dr. William Minnich, Dean of Enrollment Services Instructional

After lunch, the Symposium concluded with an interactive, informational panel moderated by Interim Vice President of Instruction, Aaron McVean. The panel featured student services such as the Disabilities Resource Center (Melissa Matthews, DRC Coordinator), the SparkPoint Center (Chad Thompson, SparkPoint Director), the CARES Program (Dr. Luis Escobar, Dean of Counseling), and the Learning Commons (David Reed, Learning Center Manager).

Overall, participants reported they plan to implement newly learned strategies and ideas in their classes this fall semester. They are looking forward to next year’s Skyline College Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Symposium, which they hope will continue to provide them with innovative ways to foster student success.

Article by Nina Floro | Photo by Ricardo Flores