Starting this year, and moving forward, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA), will be opened on October 1 instead of its usual date of January 1. This nation-wide change was made to align with the college admissions application process.

The financial aid application process is often an overwhelming experience for students and parents. To help increase awareness and knowledge, the Skyline College Financial Aid Office provided comprehensive presentations and hands-on assistance in completing the 2017-2018 FAFSA and CADAA during the annual Cash for College events at five local high schools in both San Mateo and San Francisco County.  Cash for College events are sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) and the workshops are free and open to the public.  During these events, over 400 students and parents attended and received assistance with completing the FAFSA and CADAA in October.

The Skyline College Financial Aid Office actively works to bring awareness of early submission to the college community through our tabling efforts and informational workshops. The Financial Aid Office continues to provide financial aid application labs every Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and every Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to assist with the completion of the application. Financial aid application labs are drop-in and open to the public.

These events were a success thanks to all of the supportive volunteers and staff from the Financial Aid Offices of Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Cañada College, the Skyline College EOPS Program and Outreach Office, and the San Mateo Credit Union.

Article by Jenny Yang | Photos by Karen Chadwick and Jenny Yang

On Thursday, October 20, over 50 guests attended the Career Advancement Academy’s (CAA) third ever Allied Health Panel.  The event was a component of Discover Healthcare Day, an immersive full-day experience for students interested in exploring Skyline College healthcare programs, pathways, and careers.  The Allied Health Student Panel, moderated by Paul Rueckhaus—Allied Health Faculty for the Career Advancement Academy—featured several former Career Advancement Academy students along with students from across the San Mateo County Community College District’s Health Care Programs.

Our distinguished student guest panelists offered practical advice and key insights on program preparation and expectations, working in the health field, and balancing life and family as a full-time allied health student in a rigorous program. Jenny Zhang is a former Career Advancement Academy student who is currently in her first year of Skyline College’s Surgical Technology Program. Alyssa Lemelle is currently a second year student in Skyline’s Respiratory Therapy program. Amante Jones is a certified Emergency Medical Technician currently working on his associate’s degree for transfer. Chloe Tinio graduated from the College of San Mateo’s nursing program in May 2016. Richelle Caranto began her academic journey at Skyline College and is now in her first semester of the dental program at the College of San Mateo. The panelists helped current CAA Allied Health students and Discover Healthcare Day student visitors from 3^rd Street Youth Center and Clinic gain a deeper understanding of their next level allied health program and their future pathway to an allied health career.  After the panel, program directors, coordinators, and faculty from Surgical Careers, Medical Administrative Assisting, Allied Health, and Respiratory Care were on hand to network with the student audience, answer questions, and share additional insights.

This Allied Health Panel and Discover Healthcare Day was presented in partnership with the Skyline College Outreach Office and Campus Recruiter Lauren Ford. We extend a very special thanks to our esteemed panelists, the Outreach Office, CAA team, and event supporters including: Paul Rueckhaus, Courtney Mogg, Alice Erskine, Judith Crawford, Ray Hernandez, Beth LaRochelle, Rafael Rivera, and the many others who helped plan, organize, and host this successful event.

The event received generous support from The Career Advancement Academy and the Skyline College Outreach Office. To learn more about careers in Allied Health and the Allied Health Career Advancement Academy please visit our website or email skycaa@smccd.edu

Article by Alina Varona | Photos by Lauren Ford

On Saturday, October 8, over 40 Skyline College students attended the 19^th annual Chinese Bioscience Association (CBA) Conference at the Crown Plaza in Foster City.  The Chinese Bioscience Association (CBA) is a non-profit organization founded in the San Francisco Bay area in 1997. Its mission is to promote education, networking and community building for life science professionals. This year’s conference focused on harnessing therapeutic development for sustainable growth.

Students from the Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology programs joined their instructors to network with Bioscience industry leaders, CBA board members, and mingle with the CBA board president Kai Zheng, PhD. Our Skyline College students deftly shared their educational and professional accomplishments and practiced their networking skills in an effort to cultivate relationships and contacts for future internship opportunities and employment. Skyline College’s Biotechnology Career Advancement Academy Bio Bridge program hosted a table and showcased their “Skyline Altoids;” a product the Biomanufacturing students created as part of their Biotechnology class company project. A special thanks to Dr. Jing Folsom, Skyline College Biotechnology instructor and CBA board member, for coordinating student participation and arranging a special discount for participating students.

Next month, students from the Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology programs will be attending additional conferences and events including the American Peritoneal Association conference at Laney College on November 4, and the 6th annual Discovery Day at AT&T Park on Saturday, November 5, at AT&T Park. Please email Nick Kapp, kapp@smccd.edu, if you are interested in learning more about upcoming events.

Skyline College’s Career Advancement Academy Biotechnology program, BioBridge, is supported by grant funding from the National Science Foundation, grant number 1502042.  The BioBridge Program provides a broad foundation of scientific education, hands-on instruction, along with contextualized math and English courses in a highly supportive learning environment.  After completion of this two semester program, students receive a Certificate of Achievement in Biotechnology and are prepared for entry-level employment in bio-manufacturing. Skyline College also offers an Associate Degree in Biotechnology for students who are looking for a clear transfer pathway to a four-year colleges and universities. For more information on the Skyline Biotechnology program please visit http://www.skylinecollege.edu/biotechnology/.

For more information about the BioBridge program and other Career Advancement Academies, please contact, Jeremy Evangelista at skycaa@smccd.edu or (650) 738-4185, or fill out an online application.

Article by Alina Varona | Photo provided by Nick Kapp

On October 15, 2016 over 35 Puente students from Skyline College attended the Puente Motivational Conference at the University of California Davis!  Students and faculty woke up bright and early to attend this motivational conference.  In attendance were hundreds of Puentistas from all over Northern California excited to discover UC Davis.

The conference was from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and was filled with different workshops from UC’s and CSU’s including UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and San Francisco State.  This was a great opportunity for students to learn and explore the wide variety of opportunities students have after graduating and transferring from Skyline College.

Following the workshops, students were able to tour the UC Davis campus.  Students had the opportunity to explore the campus and learn about the vast variety of programs available to them.

After a long day at UC Davis, students returned to campus a little tired but with bigger dreams to transfer to a 4-year university.

Article and Photos by Alberto Santellan

On Monday, over twenty faculty, staff, and administrators from Skyline College, South San Francisco Adult School, and Jefferson Adult School met to discuss the continued collaboration between the schools with a central focus on adult education students. As part of ACCEL (Adult-Education College and Career Educational Leadership) the three schools have already established two programs that offer contextualized English acquisition in the health and hospitality fields. These programs are held at the adult schools and facilitate adult school students’ transition into Skyline College and/or into careers.

The first portion of the meeting was primarily geared toward the maintenance and growth of the two existing programs while the second half of the meeting included breakout sessions to advance new ideas. Participants brainstormed ways to align the ESL curriculum across the three schools and discussed the creation of a STEM math program at the adult school sites.

The meeting highlighted the innovation between the adult schools and community college in the region and the continued work toward carving clear pathways for adult school learners to succeed.

For more information about ACCEL and its programs contact Stacy Nojima, transition coordinator, nojimas@smccd.edu.

Article by Stacy Nojima

Over three hundred visitors enjoyed viewing “Enclave” at the opening reception on Wednesday, October 26, at the Skyline College Art Gallery. “Enclave” is Jeremy Keith Villaluz’s fascinating visual and sociological study of Daly City and its vibrant Filipino community.  It features photographs and other documentation of the Filipino Community in Daly City, inviting the viewer to deeply investigate complex themes of Filipino diaspora, invisibility, community, and more.  Those in attendance included Kababayan Learning Community Students and the Skyline College Middle College students.

Be sure to come check out this powerful and interactive art exhibition!

“Enclave” will be on view in the Art Gallery through December 2. Open Mondays through Fridays, the Gallery is located on the ground floor of Building 1.

For information please visit our Art Gallery website or Facebook page.

#‎skylinecollegeartgallery

Article by Paul Bridenbaugh

 

Academic senate faculty, students and curriculum professionals from colleges all over Northern California gathered at Skyline College on Friday, October 21, 2016 for the Fall 2016 Northern Curriculum Regional Meeting sponsored by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC).  Nearly 100 attendees came to hear updates from the State Chancellor’s Office on matters such as the Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH), the Chancellor’s Office Curriculum Inventory (COCI), and the Statewide Curriculum Task Force.

Breakout sessions included information for New(er) Curriculum Chairs, Specialists, and Administrators, Zero Textbook Cost Degrees (Z-degrees), Noncredit Challenges and Issues, Strong Workforce Recommendations, Dual Enrollment, and a Q&A with the Chancellor’s Office.  Speakers included Dolores Davison (ASCCC Secretary and Curriculum Chair),LeBaron Woodyard, Raul Arambula and Jackie Escajeda of the State Chancellor’s Office.

Skyline College is especially proud to have hosted this conference, as it underscores the fact that curriculum is the lifeblood of our work.  As usual, the Skyline College community came together to make this event a success, but particularly special thanks go out to President Stanback Stroud and Theresa Tentes for providing lunch, Dr. Tammy Robinson and Kevin Chak for assisting with refreshments and general support throughout the day, Cherie Colin and MCPR staff for help with signage, and Linda Bertellotti for assistance with setting up the event.  Thanks also to SMCCCD senate and curriculum faculty who were on hand to support and assist, and deep gratitude goes out to Joshua Harris, Roger Marcelo, and the Skyline College Facilities staff for making this event possible.

Article by Leigh Anne Shaw | Photos by Kate Williams Browne

The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) held its first meeting for the academic year on Thursday, October 13, 2016.

District Executive Vice Chancellor Kathy Blackwood reviewed the San Mateo Community College District Fiscal Year 2016-17 Adopted Budget.  The District Unrestricted General Fund projected revenue budget is $163,740,351 and expenditure budget is $177,914,531.  The expenditure budget includes committed and carryover funds from fiscal year 2015-16.  Revenues consist of Property Taxes, Student Enrollment Fees, Redevelopment Agency funds, Non-resident Student Tuition, Proposition 30 funds and transfers. Expenditure budget consist of salaries and benefits, supplies and operating expenses, capital outlay, and transfers.  She noted that Proposition 30 funding is scheduled to end next year, and may be replaced by Proposition 55 on the November ballot if approved by voters.

Interim Dean of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness Cheri Jones provided an update on the Mid-term Accreditation Report.  The Mid-term was submitted to Accrediting Commissions for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in October 2013.  The Mid-term Report demonstrated resolution of recommendations on the following:

College Recommendations – adhering to a systematic and regularly scheduled process for adjunct faculty performance evaluations; systematic review of integrated planning and resource allocation cycle; ensuring regular and effective faculty interaction with students in all DE courses

District Recommendations – broadly communicate modification of evaluation processes and ensure full implementation; develop goals for increasing professional development and orientation of new trustees; establish regular cycle of evaluation of services and document outcomes.

Dean Jones also reviewed the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program Special Report due to the ACCJC on October 1, 2016.  Skyline College was one of 15 community colleges selected to launch a Baccalaureate Degree program in Respiratory Care and Therapy.  The ACCJC is scheduled to have a site visit in February 2017.

Next scheduled meeting is November 10, 2016 at 2:10 pm Bldg 6 Room 203.

Article by Judy Hutchinson

Increasing classroom safety is a top priority at Skyline College.  Public Safety personnel can already remotely lock down many campus buildings at a moment’s notice. The District is now implementing improved security measures for securing individual rooms within our buildings.

In phase one of the project which was completed this summer, many classroom door locks were equipped with a push-button, which allows faculty and students to quickly lock the classroom door from the interior in an emergency.  An additional benefit to faculty and staff of the new push-button lock is that it is now simpler to secure doors when closing a room, as it eliminates the need for a key when locking the door from the exterior.

In the next phase, this push-button locking function will be extended to include study rooms, conference rooms and offices to provide quick locking from the inside without a key.  This installation is to be completed this winter.

Lastly, a code-compliant security solution is being devised for future installation at doors with panic bars (“crash bars”) as well as for doors with electrified locks ACAM (Access Control and Alarm Monitoring).  While doors with electrified access currently can be remotely secured by Public Safely, the new emergency device to be installed will enable individuals to quickly secure the door from the inside, even before Public Safety has been notified of a crisis situation, thus saving precious moments.

Article by Virginia Rocha

Skyline College invited 30 students from El Camino High School to attend our Discover ASTEP Day on October 13, 2016.  Discover ASTEP was created to allow local African-American high school students the opportunity to sit in on college classes in order to create valuable, lasting, educational experiences.  The goal of the day was to introduce high school students to collegiate level instruction, demystify the idea that community college is the 13^th grade, and allow the students to organically interact with current college students to share information and experiences.

The students were welcomed by Maurice Goodman, Board of Trustees, and Lasana Hotep, Dean of Student Equity and Support Programs.   Afterwards the students attended Nathan Jones’ ENGL 110 course and Danielle Powell’s COMM 110 course where they were able to interact with college level subject materials and current ASTEP students.

The students really enjoyed the experience.  Some of their takeaways were:

• Learning about time management
• Understanding the difference between college and high school
• Recognizing that community college is still college (vs. an easier version of college or the 13^th grade)
• Appreciating the ability to have discussions about race

Highlights included:

• Jones’ class and discussion about race
• Black Lives Matter debate and discussion
• Talking with current students and gaining helpful insights
• Lunch

Thank you to ASTEP students and faculty, the Division of Student Equity and Support Programs, and the Outreach Office for welcoming the El Camino students.

Article by Lauren Ford