Skyline College Library is extending hours on Saturdays for the remainder of the fall 2016 semester with college support. The Library will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. starting this Saturday, September 17.

Full services are available on Saturdays for students, faculty, staff, and community members including:

• Research & Information Desk: ask-a-librarian for help with research, search strategy, and citations
• Check Out & Reserves: borrowing, library accounts, and textbook reserves
• Technology: print/scan copy, 46 drop-in computers, laptops, iPads, wifi
• Study Rooms Reservations

If you have any questions regarding Library services, feel free to stop by the reference desk or contact Pearl Ly, Director of the Learning Commons.

Article by Pearl Ly

Skyline College hosted a professional development opportunity for staff and faculty in an effort to increase community-wide financial education.  Dr. Erin Yetter of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis provided an engaging Financial Literacy Integration Curriculum Workshop for attendees which covered financial education topics of income, savings, credit, and budgeting.

Staff and faculty from across multiple Instructional and Student Service divisions were in attendance and had the opportunity to undergo the student experience with the curriculum modules. They engaged in discussions around application and relevance to their respective disciplines and students. They were also provided with a lesson workbook containing the curriculum covered, lesson plans, handouts, and class discussion questions.

The curriculum is available for any staff and faculty looking to incorporate financial education into the work they currently do with their students.  Modifications may be made to the curriculum, and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis requests that if modifications are made that the core content of the lesson still be addressed.  Curriculum content and modifiable lesson plans can be obtained by visiting https://www.stlouisfed.ord/education.

SparkPoint and the CTTL worked together with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to coordinate this professional development activity.  If you would like more information regarding this workshop or related content, please contact Chad Thompson, Interim Director of SparkPoint and Career Services, or Dr. Erin Yetter.

Article and Photo by Melanie Espinueva+Aure

Skyline College launched the new Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care Degree program on August 8, 2016.  This pilot program is one of 15 approved in the state of California.  The program will allow current students and recent graduates a pathway to complete a four-year degree without having to transfer and licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCP) to return for degree completion. This bachelor’s degree offers students a greater ability to advance into management and leadership roles within the profession, to conduct research, and to become educators.

The cohort is comprised of 33 students.  They are a mixture of new graduates continuing on from our associate degree program, new graduates from other associate degree programs, and current practitioners from the Respiratory Care community.

The cohort will take courses over seven terms.  Each term includes two courses delivered in hybrid format over nine weeks.  Students will complete coursework online and meet on campus each Saturday.  Faculty teach synergistically from the paired courses weaving content together and provided a rich teaching and learning environment. The first cohort will complete the program and receive their bachelor degree in May 2018.

Please extend a warm welcome to our first cohort, the Class of 2018. Thank you to all involved who made this first cohort launch possible.

Article by Ijaz Ahmed and Ray Hernandez

The Middle College at Skyline College (MCSC) began its second year with a new educational partnership. In June, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the San Mateo County Community College District that allows Capuchino High School students to attend the MCSC.  MCSC Director Raymond Jones is thrilled with SMUHSD’s willingness to give its students the option to attend the middle college that is closest to them.

SMUHSD joins with the South San Francisco Unified School District to offer high school students living in North San Mateo County the unique opportunity to develop their talents, abilities and skills; pursue their academic goals; explore career and major options; cultivate their leadership skills; and give back to their communities.

This fall semester a new cohort of 11^th-grade students entered the MCSC, joining the founding 2015-16 cohort now in the 12^th grade. The MCSC currently serves 85 students, of which 80% are first-generation and 91% are historically underrepresented students. These students decided to take the advantages that MCSC offers, saving thousands of dollars in tuition and fast-tracking their journey toward achieving academic and career goals.

MSCS students spend their last two years of high school on the Skyline College campus, taking high school grade-level classes based on California Common Core Standards along with transfer-level college courses. As a result, these students will earn their high school diploma along with a minimum of 24 units that can be applied toward Career Technical Training certificates, an Associate degree or transfer to a four-year university.

The MCSC is committed to the “Skyline College Promise” accelerated pathway to support students entering higher education.

Article by Kim Saccio-Kent & Raymond Jones

On Thursday, September 1, 2016 the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services/CARE (EOPS/CARE) and CalWORKs program hosted their Fall 2016 Kick Off Event.  The event brought together over thirty EOPS/CARE and CalWORKs students for an opportunity to meet other students in the program as well as interact with the staff.

Dean Lasana Hotep kicked off the event with an inspirational and motivating welcome. Students then heard about program updates and upcoming events and activities for the semester from the staff.

During the event’s icebreaker activity, students and staff had a great time building the tallest “red cup” tower and connecting their experience to college success!

Overall, the Fall 2016 Kick Off Event was a great success, which served to build community among EOPS/CARE and CalWORKs students and staff.

Article by Jessica Lopez | Photographs by Jorge Murillo

 

This week Skyline College Art Gallery opened CHAN doing nothing, an exhibition of paintings and poetry by Buddhist Chan Master Chi Chern from Malaysia. The exhibition will be on view in the Gallery from September 6 through October 7.

The gallery is open daily, and is located on the ground floor of Building 1.

For more information, including hours, please visit the gallery website or the gallery Facebook page.

Master Chi Chern has been visiting our campus from his home in Malaysia this week, and students, staff, and faculty have had the opportunity to meet Master Chi Chern, and learn more about his artistic and spiritual practice. Master Chi Chern has written over 60 books, and teaches all over the world.

If you missed the very well attended Wednesday reception, you still have a chance to meet the artist and be at the gallery for his Friday evening painting demonstration and discussion. Master Chi Chern will be at the gallery Friday, September 9 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.   Live music will be performed by cellist Yawen Hsu, who is a student of Master Chi Chern, and lead Cellist with the Dearborn Symphony in Michigan. All events are free and open to the public

About the Artist

Born in 1955 in Taiping, Malaysia, Master Chi Chern is the first Dharma heir of Chan Master Sheng Yen in the Linji lineage of Chinese Chan and a fourth generation Dharma descendent of Master Xu Yun. He has authored more than sixty books on Buddhism and meditation, including The Map to Nowthere – Chan Practice Guide to Mind Cultivation.

Article by Paul Bridenbaugh

Dr. Tony Jackson (Skyline College Psychology Department) closes-in on his first year of service with the Alameda County African American Steering Committee for Health and Wellness (AASCHW). Dr. Jackson was selected to serve on the AASCHW of Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services in May of 2015.  He has been an active member of the committee participating in a number of decisions regarding culturally relevant methodology and funding as well as participating in several community health forums.

The AASCHW has as its mission, dedication to ensuring that Alameda County’s Behavioral Health Care system provides quality, culturally responsive, integrated care that is delivered in an honoring and respectful manner to African American consumers, family members and the community-at-large.

The vision of the AASCHW is to have a Behavioral Health Care System where African Americans are equal partners with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and are always included in the decision-making process that creates, designs, develops, and implements policies, procedures and services for their community.

In the next year, Dr. Jackson anticipates the committee making important decisions around guiding praxis within the African American mental health community.

Article by Pcyeta Stroud | Photos by GG Crowder, Janny Castillo

Earlier this year, the Board of Trustees asked the District to take a closer look at best practices in public safety with a goal of maintaining and enhancing safety on its campuses. Soon after, in March, the District formed a Public Safety Services Study Committee to conduct research and make recommendations. One of the most important things this Committee is doing is holding Campus Safety Open Forums so that everyone on our campus has the opportunity to offer opinions and concerns about this vital area.

The Open Forums, being conducted by national experts Margolis Healy, are a chance for you to ensure your voice is heard. While you’re welcome to attend any of the forums, being held Sept. 13 to Sept. 15, forums will be held right here at Skyline College on Thursday, Sept. 15, in Building 6, Rooms 6-202, 6-204 & 6-206, at the following times:

• 8:30am – Staff Forum

• 10:30am – Faculty Forum
• 12:30pm – All Employees: Faculty, Staff & Administrators
• 3:30pm – Student Forum
• 5:30pm – Everyone: All Employees, Students & Community

Please make arrangements with your supervisor to attend as it is vital that the entire campus community participate.

If you are unable to attend a forum on September 15th or would prefer to provide feedback in nonpublic venue, please complete a confidential survey which can be found at http://bit.ly/2bwpfF9.

To learn more about this effort and for schedule updates, please visit the study website. These conversations also will continue through the use of #SMCCCD #Forums16.

Thank you in advance for your active participation.

The President’s Council of Skyline College is bringing community leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors together to engage in participatory sessions focused on issues of importance to the economic vibrancy of the northern peninsula. The third annual half-day forum, Success Summit, will be held on Friday, September 23, 2016 at Skyline College from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The college and the general public are invited to register to participate at skylinesuccesssummit.com. The registration fee is $75 per participant.

Attendees will have the opportunity to add their voice to the conversation, contributing their perspective and sharing solutions to shape innovative forward movement. Breakout topics for the 2016 Summit include the following:

• Affordable Higher Education — How do we prepare people for the workforce without incurring mountains of debt?
• Housing & Transportation — Getting to “Yes” – Partnering together to address the barriers to housing.
• Economic Development in our Cities

Sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations who would like to partner in this cutting edge community event. Event sponsors include Skyline College, First National Bank, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Mateo Credit Union, YouTube, Recology of San Bruno, Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, Nibbi Brothers General Contracting, San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and San Mateo County Economic Development Association. To learn about sponsorship opportunities or to register for the Summit, please visit skylinesuccesssummit.com.

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick

Skyline College and the White House are working together to open up the dialogue about education and African Americans.

The college is gearing up to host the 2016 White House Initiative’s Summit on Educational Excellence for African Americans on Friday, September 30, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event will provide a platform for experts and black students to discuss the accomplishments they have made in higher education and the support that is needed to succeed both in school and in life. The event will help identify best practices and allow participants to learn from both the successes and failures of the past in order to influence the future.

The White House Initiative was created through an Executive Order by President Barack Obama in 2012. The Initiative works to restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education; strengthen the Nation by improving educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages; and help ensure that African Americans receive a complete and competitive education that prepares them for college, and productive citizenship. Among the things most important to the Initiative is centering the experiences of young people—those impacted by the decisions made by adults, educators, school leaders etc. The AfAmEdSummit is a way to accomplish this goal while supporting communities in responding to the needs of students.

Hosting the summit at Skyline College will provide a powerful forum to disrupt the status quo as well as negative stereotypes that surround Black students. The event will propel increased collaboration with high schools on the peninsula and surrounding areas. Additionally, Skyline College will partner with other colleges in the region to open the dialogue about the needs of Black students.

Article by Cherie Colin and Connor Fitzpatrick