Years of service as an accounting professor at Skyline College is just one of the things Marv Steinberg has to be proud of this year – here’s the other: Marv’s son, Darrell Steinberg was elected as the Mayor of Sacramento.

The younger Steinberg was elected in a landslide back in June 2016 with 59 percent of the vote, allowing him to avoid a November runoff against his opponent, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby. After a wait of 189 days, Steinberg was sworn in as Mayor on December 13, 2016.

I’m proud of my son, not only because of what he’s done, but because he really cares,” said Marv.

Amongst a variety of pledges to the city, Mayor Steinberg has said that he would use Sacramento’s status as a sanctuary city to fight against federal deportations if the Trump administration moves forward on campaign promises to increase enforcement.

Read more about Steinberg’s election at the Sacramento Bee website.

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick

How does the ECE/EDU Department address the teacher shortage in San Mateo County?

We host an annual   “Be a Teacher, Touch the Future” event and invite an inspiring group of panelists and recruiters from San Mateo County early childhood education programs. Our panelists consisted of San Mateo County Mentor pre-k teachers, teachers from elementary schools from transitional kindergarten through school-age, and entrepreneurs that serve children in a variety of settings, from family childcare and All Five to children’s dance.  This event was open to both students and the community.  Participants had an opportunity to listen to the three sets of panels and visit the career fair during breaks.  Over 80 future educators attended, and walked away with a certificate of attendance, words of wisdom from professionals in the field, and possibly a new job!

Article by Kristina Brower

On February 2, 2017, the Center for Career and Workforce Programs hosted a Career Technical Education (CTE) Partnership Event that invited CTE high school teachers, coordinators and administration from local high school feeder districts: Jefferson Union High School and South San Francisco Unified School District. This event aimed to create deeper and thoughtful partnerships, alignment, and relationships that will ultimately bring new and exciting opportunities for students. This was the first in a series of ongoing events that intends to support CTE pathway transitions from high school to community college programs.

Aaron McVean, Interim Vice President of Instruction, provided a warm welcome to the participants while Andrea Vizenor, Center for Career and Workforce Programs Director, facilitated and led the event’s discussions while touching upon the current state of CTE development in K-12 and post-secondary education.

CTE Participants were separated by their career pathway/sector area to engage in focus activities such the following: CTE program alignment, identifying opportunities to advance articulation, dual enrollment, and collaborative professional development experiences. CTE participants mapped out their high school and community college “dream” course sequence, and brainstormed their interests in professional development training looking at industry-focused innovation subject matter expertise and training in innovative instructional delivery practices. The CTE Partnership event concluded with a mini tour of various Skyline College CTE programs such as the “Fab Lab” (Fabrication Lab) in Building 7, Biotechnology lab and the Solar and Building Lab located in Pacific Heights.

Sectors represented were Automotive Technology, Biotechnology, Culinary Arts/Hopspitality and Digital Arts, Early Childhood Education, Electronics and Technology, Energy Systems Management, Fashion Design, Computer Science/Network Engineering, Photography, and Wood Technology.

The Center for Career and Workforce Programs would like to extend a special thank you to the following: Aaron McVean for the continuous support of CTE advancement, Karen Gnusti, Director of Career Tech. Ed and College Readiness, Jefferson Union High School District and Dianna Ariani, CTE Coordinator, South San Francisco Unified School District for their commitment to this work and efforts in supporting our partnerships, as well as,  Sharon Turner, K-14 Pathways – Regional Technical Assistance Provider, for providing funding for this event and additional activities to strengthen K-12 and community college partnerships.

For more information or if you would like to take part in future CTE partnership events, please contact Andrea Vizenor, Director of the Center of Career and Workforce Programs at vizenora@smccd.edu.

Article By Elizabeth Tablan | Photos by William Nacouzi

The Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) and the Center for Student Life and Leadership started off the spring semester with a powerful and moving event in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event was hosted in the Fireside Dining Room on Thursday, January 26, one day before the official International Holocaust Remembrance Day. A week prior, the ASSC visited the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles for their spring retreat focusing on cultural consciousness and diversity training. It was at the museum they learned about the holocaust genocide of Jews.

The ASSC wanted to bring back their experiences from the museum and bring it back to campus. In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the ASSC mimicked the experience rendered at the Museum of Tolerance. The interactive experience recreated what Jews went through with different informational tables, starting with a check-in table. Students received a card with information about a real child and their experiences. Students proceeded on the walk through learning of the multitude of atrocities, some including: sterilization, altitude and chemical warfare testing and starvation. Students then learned about the fate of their child and sadly most did not survive. Concluding the walkthrough was a reflection table that highlighted acts of intolerance and hate relevant today and challenged students to consider what they could do as individuals to prevent history from repeating itself. Photos and “We Remember” signs were posted around building 6 to honor the 6 million people that were systematically killed. Pictures that were taken of students holding signs were sent to the World Jewish Congress to contribute to their “We Remember Commemoration” marking the largest Holocaust Remembrance event.

Article by Margo Feldman

On February 3, 2017 the Skyline College African-American Success Through Excellence and Persistence (ASTEP) Program led 27 students to the Oakland Museum of California to experience the ‘All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50’ Exhibit. This excursion kicked off one of the many celebratory Black History moments that Skyline College students will be able to participate in all month long, while being actively engaged in learning more about protest politics, social movements, community activism, and social justice, and the contributions black people have made to this country, and will continue to make to this country.

The visit to the Oakland Museum provided Skyline College students an opportunity to be exposed to the rich history that exist in their Bay Area backyard, and to learn more about the true nature of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, and their quest to improve the lives of impoverished people and eliminate the violence and police brutality that many experienced in their daily lives. To the surprise of our ASTEP students, our ASTEP scholarship donors come out in solidarity to support Skyline College’s visit to the museum.

During a self-guided exhibit exploration, students were met with a historic gallery of amazing examples of what the commemoration of the Black Panther Party was genuinely about. This time capsule of history demonstrated for the students, that any social movement that happens in our country begins with youth and focused education. Students learned that the average age for a Black Panther member was 19, and that in order to be a participating associate, one had to study, read, and actively work in the community to aid in resisting systemic racism encountered by Black Americans in this country. Highlights from the exhibit included the various programs that the Black Panthers created such as: the Free Health Clinics, the Free Breakfast For Children Programs, and Oakland Community Schools.

By partaking in the exhibit, students were quickly able to draw connections between what they have been learning from their readings in their English and Literature courses, alike. The visual witnessing of a community of people from the past, through photos, videos, literature, newspaper, artwork, and grassroots organizing, helped to put into perspective; those individuals from the 1960s who put their lives and careers on the line to forge social and political change, and to assist in making the world a better place for exiting communities, then and now. “All Power to the People!”

Article and Photo by Nathan Jones

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges has reviewed Skyline College’s Midterm Report and found that “the College has sustained the work accomplished since the last comprehensive evaluation and has maintained compliance with standards.”

The commission also found that the College “continues to meet the Standards identified in the 2013 External Evaluation Team Report that linked to College Recommendation 3, which the College satisfactorily addressed in its Follow-Up Report in 2014.”

The Commission expects that the changes and improvements in College policies, procedures and practices and outcomes noted in the Midterm Report will be sustained. The College’s next comprehensive review will occur in Fall 2019.

Congratulations to all at Skyline College who work tirelessly to address our accreditation needs.

Article sourced from Official Letter to Skyline College

On January 25, 2017 Skyline College launched ten new internships addressing sustainability and energy saving opportunities on our campus and across the San Mateo County Community College District. As part of Energize Colleges, a program funded through a partnership with PG&E and Strategic Energy Innovations, campuses have the opportunity to develop internships and hire interns to address sustainability goals while providing students with work experience that introduces them to green workforce careers. The program also aims to make connections to local high school students by requiring each intern to present some aspect of their work or green career opportunities to local high school students.

Internships are designed to provide energy savings for the campuses and to engage and educate the community on the topic of sustainability. The projects include: working with facilities to develop energy and water audits on campus for identifying potential areas for savings, outreach to campus groups on sustainability related projects, and working with faculty to assess the feasibility of water savings through fog catching technology, among others.

January 25, 2017 was the kickoff for nine of the ten interns in which they learned more about the program and strategized on plans to tackle specific sustainability issues on campus. The kickoff was led by Angelique Fuentes, Project Coordinator for the Energize Colleges Program. Speakers for the event included: Dr. Carla Grandy (Professor of Earth Science), Joseph Fullerton (District Energy and Sustainability Manager for SMCCD), and Rebecca Aviles (Energize Colleges Regional Supervisor). The speakers focused on the purpose of the internships and the potential impacts the interns can make for the growing issue of climate change and energy and water conservation needs of communities.

This is the first year of a three-year project that will continue to provide internship positions to students interested in exploring the green workforce and to those passionate about sustainability. In future years, we hope to connect with more groups on campus as well as issues at the heart of our campus culture. For more information or to propose an internship idea, contact Angelique Fuentes (fuentesa@smccd.edu) or Carla Grandy (grandyc@smccd.edu).

Article by Dr. Carla Grandy and Angelique Fuentes, Photographs by Angelique Fuentes

The International Student Program (ISP) and the International Student Club (ISC) hosted an international student party to welcome new students to the college on February 3, 2017. The event took place in the Multicultural Center in Building 4 at Skyline College and embraced more than 40 new international students.

The new ISC president, Candice Sum, and the new ISC vice president, Clara Oliveira de Freitas, planned and implemented the event with the help of a few members of the club. Their joint effort ensured a huge success as students left with smiles on their faces and full bellies. The students got to learn more about each other’s home countries and also bonded through games and food from all over the world.

ISP and ISC will host more cultural events during the semester. Please check our Facebook page or contact ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu for more information.

Article by Naledi Mthembu | Photo by Chikako Walker

 

Skyline College Library has joined the QuestionPoint 24/7 Chat Reference Service that allows Skyline College students to get research help and information at any time. When Skyline College librarians are not available for live chat, the 24/7 service will connect you with a professional librarian in a cooperating college or university from across the country. This service is ideal for getting help with research questions and basic information about library services.

Because this is a national service staffed by librarians across the country, many questions directly related to Skyline College or to your library account (such as fines, book renewals, etc.) may not be able to be answered right away—for these types of questions, please call us at 650-738-4311.

You can ask a librarian for help using the live chat box on the library homepage http://skylinecollege.edu/library/

Article by Pearl Ly

The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) held its first meeting for Spring 2017 on Thursday, January 26, 2017.

Budget Update

Eloisa Briones, Vice President of Administrative Services, provided an update on the Governor’s Proposed Budget for 2017-18.  The State Budget process begins with the Governor’s proposal in January.  In May, the Governor will release a May revision of the proposal that will include updated revenue projections that account for the property and income taxes paid in April.  Included among the budget proposals for one time funding is $150M for implementation of Guided Pathways and $20M for Innovation Awards through competitive grants.  Additionally, the budget includes funding for only five Proposition 51 Bond Projects, although the Community College System Board of Governors approved 29 projects.  Skyline College Building 2 renovation is one of the 29 approved projects but was not included as one of only 5 funded projects.

Aaron McVean, Interim Vice President of Instruction provided an update Skyline College’s application for the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program to be funded by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office for $750,000 per college or $1.5 million per District. Vice President of Student Services Angelica Garcia talked about the $25 million allocated by the Department of Finance in Awards for Innovation in Higher Education. Skyline College is submitting a proposal for $2.5-$3.1 million for a period of approximately 3 years.  Submittals for both grants are due February 3^rd.

 

Strong Workforce Plan

VP McVean gave SPARC an update on the Strong Workforce Plan, an ongoing State funded initiative to support Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.  These funds are split among the three colleges based on an allocation formula.  Skyline College will use these funds to support Skyline College Promise Scholarships for students enrolled in CTE programs, to develop and redesign curriculum in CTE pathways, and to support Professional Development among other plan initiatives.

 

Productivity & Efficiency Report

VP McVean provided an overview of enrollment and load data over the past several years. Districtwide enrollment has been declining. Skyline College declined at the rate of 2-3% per year.  Load also declined over the same period and dropped 40 points from last year.

 

2017-2018 Fund 1 Budget Scenarios

The District released its early resource allocation for 2017-18. While being cognizant that this allocation will likely be updated as the budget process progresses throughout the Spring, this early allocation is used to determine if new ongoing funds will be available for budgeting next year. VP Briones presented the budget scenarios for 2017-18 considering declining enrollment and load.  While the site allocation will increase by $253K, projected expenditures will increase by $535K due to increased hourly instruction cost based on a goal of 7,242 FTES and load of 525.  Year-to date load is at 512.

Article by Judy Hutchinson