Please be aware that a campus lockdown drill will occur on Thursday, September 28, at 11:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. This drill is part of the campus’ commitment to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff, so we encourage you to plan ahead and be prepared.

What to do during the lockdown drill:

Find a safe location out of sight, away from windows, and secure yourself behind locked doors.  Remain quiet.  Listen for and follow instructions of emergency personnel. If you need immediate help, dial 911.

Upcoming Drill:

Please also be prepared for the Great Shakeout and Evacuation Drill happening on October 19, 11:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Important Information to Remember:

What to do during an Active Shooter Incident:

1. If you see or hear gunfire, call 9-1-1 immediately. Provide the dispatcher with all available information regarding the threat.
2. Assess the situation. If it is safer to remain in the classroom/office, stay where you are and lock or barricade doors. Do not open doors unless instructed to do so by staff or authorized personnel. Emergency responders may enter the room using a master key or by providing official identification.
3. The campus may be placed on a heightened security status. Remain quiet until more can be learned about the situation.
4. Calmly and quietly review emergency evacuation procedures to prepare for possible evacuation. Remain in classroom/office unless notified by the appropriate authorities

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick

 

 

Learn more about the proposed meta-majors at a campus-wide forum!

After a year of inquiry and work, the Design Team will present the proposed meta-majors at a campus-wide forum. Join us to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback on the proposal.

When: Monday, September 25, 2017, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Where: Building 6-206

Can’t make it to the forum? Check out the proposal and provide feedback on the meta-majors website or stop by Meta-major Mondays to share your thoughts.

 

Article by Jessica Hurless | Photo by MCPR

 

Skyline College earned Strong Workforce Stars recognition in the Advanced Transportation and Renewables sector for its Automotive Technology program; 71% of students who participate in this program attain the regional living wage, and 100% of students who participate report securing a job in their field of study.

Skyline College attributes the success of its Automotive Technology program to effective relationships with local high schools, community centers, local businesses and its strong advisory board. Over the years, the program has benefited from strong support from the Chancellor’s Office, the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Supervisors, Skyline College’s own administration, and the division dean. This support translates into a financial budget that allows it to be what program leaders describe as one of the best-equipped automotive programs — both technically and mechanically.

The college maintains three buildings dedicated to the Automotive Technology program (alongside one additional shared building), affording the program six classrooms, one computer lab, two bench overhaul labs and 20 service stalls. Over the years, the program has also partnered with several automotive manufacturers and currently enjoys a collaboration with Subaru of America and Audi of America. Through these partnership and private donations, Skyline College’s Automotive Technology program has procured a fleet of 90 vehicles ranging in age from the mid-1980’s to 2017, providing students with a wide variety of vehicle technology on which to learn.

Additionally, program leaders note the impact of their curricular and pedagogical approach on students’ preparation. Through involvement, North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT), California Automotive Teachers (CAT), National Automotive Technicians Educational Foundation (NATEF), Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS), Skyline College is known nationwide and worldwide as having a premier automotive training program, and is able to keep its training aligned with industry expectations. Specifically, the program conducts long classes so students can have extensive hands-on training that infuses innovative teaching techniques and advanced critical-thinking activities.

Every semester, the program’s students are immersed into a full educational load (15 credit units) focused on one automotive subject matter. This approach translates into 179 hours of direct experience, combined with 179 hours of theory and critical thinking preparation.

In turn, over the course of the program’s three years, each student receives 2,148 hours of combined learning encompassing key industry requirements including specific ASE automotive areas and California Smog certification.

Lastly, the entire program staff biannually attend professional development training in automotive technology and in dynamic teaching pedagogy techniques.

Sourced from Press Release

Skyline College President Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud has been invited to join the National Advisory Board for the Center for Community College Student Engagement.

Cumulatively, the Center has now surveyed (via the Community College Survey of Student Engagement [CCSSE] and the Survey of Entering Student Engagement [SENSE]) over 2 million students at more than 900 different colleges in 50 states and the District of Columbia, several island nations, as well as Canadian provinces.

The quantitative data have since 2002 been supported by the Center’s student focus group research. And by working closely with member colleges, systems and states, the Center is seeking always to strengthen its intended effects – supporting quality improvement and student success by improving educational practice.

According to the Center’s statement, this work could not have been accomplished without the highly valued contributions of their National Advisory Board, composed of community college leaders, outstanding researchers and policy influencers from across America. This small but distinguished group provides strategic guidance for the Center’s work through meetings conducted once annually in late spring.

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick

The President’s Council convened last week to celebrate the goals accomplished in the last year and commit to new bold goals for the year ahead. The Council welcomed four new members – Karen Ervin of Genentech, Michelle Jester of the SF Chronicle, Juslyn Manalo, the Vice Mayor of Daly City and Charles Schuler of SFO.

Chaired by retired banker, Ron Derenzi, the Council got right to work setting new goals for raising funds to support the Promise Scholars Program and the President’s Innovation Fund. This year, the Council is committed to raising at least $150,000.

Interim Director of the San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation, Tykia Warden, was there to ensure the foundation is poised to support the Council’s development goals. According to Ms. Warden, “The foundation is committed to successful fundraising that supports the priorities of the colleges in serving students.”

The Council received a list of all President Innovation Fund projects approved for 2017-2018 and noted that more than 50% of the great ideas seeded this year have been institutionalized. This means faculty and staff were able to “dream out loud” and make some very important programs and services available to students in an ongoing way. The projects funded this year stand to continue to support our culture of innovation while putting students first.

The Council received an update on the Skyline College Promise Scholars Program including information about the impact the Skyline College Promise has had on student success. At 86.3%, the persistence rate for Promise Scholars is 24% higher than that of the general college comparison group.

The Council then focused on preparing for the 6th Success Summit taking place Friday, September 22 from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Skyline College. The Success Summit was an idea that came out of the President’s Council to highlight North San Mateo County issues and explore solutions. The outcome of the first Success Summit was the creation of the shuttle that provides free shuttle service to and from Skyline College to the Daly City BART station. The Skyline College Express has an average monthly ridership of over 6,000 with more than 64% of the riders using the shuttle four or more days per week.

The goal is to have 100% of all council members’ participation or support for the Success Summit. This year the Success Summit will have two sessions so all attendees can attend both.

The 2018 President’s Breakfast will be held Thursday, March 22, 2018. In addition, there will be a thank you/appreciation reception held either the end of January or February.

The Council participated in a group activity that asked each to name three words that define Skyline College for them and to introduce themselves and tell why they support the Breakfast. The members exchanged the information in a “speed dating” format and much discussion and laughter ensued. The Council then adjourned for the group photo. Overall, they are off to a great start.

Article by Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud

 

San Francisco State University’s Dr. Julietta Hua, Chair of Women’s Studies (pictured right) led a pair of workshops where a group of 25 faculty, staff, administrators, and students participated and discussed Social Justice in the context of teaching and learning at Skyline College on Tuesday, September 5, 2017.

The first workshop provided space for an interdisciplinary team of Social Science faculty to refine curricular design for the newly developed Social Justice/Ethnic Studies AA-T starting in Fall 2019.

The second workshop invited members of the campus community interested in exploring pedagogical strategies to advance Social Justice in our classrooms.

Dr. Hua led participants through a series of self-reflective activities that revealed creative and effective ways to raise students’ consciousness to Social Justice issues across disciplines already practiced in Skyline College classrooms. Skyline College faculty, staff, administrators and students shared their visions for promoting Social Justice at our College and ways they implemented activities and assignments into their curriculum.

The event was supported by the Micki Barker fund approved by the faculty of Social Science/Creative Division, led by Dean Dr. Tammy Robinson. The event was organized by Associate Professor Dr. Rika Fabian , Sociology and sponsored by the CTTL. Committed to furthering racial and gender justice at Skyline College, Dr. Fabian, along with Prof. Mustafa Popal are co-teaching The Civil Right Movements class (CRN45273) in Spring 2017.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Rika Fabian, fabianr@smccd.edu.

 

Article by Dr. Jude Navari and Dr. Rika Fabian | Photo courtesy of San Francisco State University

Skyline College Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) is pleased to announce the launch of our new Guardians Scholars Orientations. The GSP program is designed to assist current and former foster youth in becoming academically or vocationally successful. GSP orientations were held over a period of four separate days in an effort to accommodate the student’s schedule. Of the fifty two students enrolled in GSP, approximately 30 students attended the group orientations. All other students attended a one on one orientation due to schedule conflicts or transportation challenges

During the GSP Orientations, students were given in-depth information on campus resources. Students were informed as to what their responsibilities are as part of the program as well as the role of each staff member.

For more information on the Guardian Scholars Program here at Skyline College visit: http://skylinecollege.edu/guardianscholars/ or call (650) 738-4319.

Article by Linda Allen

How do many excited and eager Skyline College part-time faculty spend their Saturday before the start of the Fall 2017 semester? By attending the 3rd Annual Skyline College Adjunct Faculty Teaching & Learning Symposium, of course! The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning (CTTL) designs Symposium activities to support part-time faculty’s ongoing commitment to refining and improving their teaching practices. Breakout sessions and activities are geared towards helping faculty achieve equitable student outcomes and addressing the diverse learning and academic needs of our students.

In her welcome remarks, President Stanback Stroud underscored the power faculty have to serve as agents of change in students’ lives. This year’s Symposium speaker and trainer Dr. Paul Hernandez reiterated her sentiments, shared inspiring stories of how he was impacted by community college faculty, and thanked the faculty for the work they do with and for students every day.

Dr. Hernandez, presented a special keynote, “[Re]Imagining How to Succeed with Our Students,” and workshop, “Learning How to Authentically and Effectively Connect with Students.” Other lively breakout sessions included:

• “#EquityMatters: Educational Equity: Cultural Fluency & Student Success at Skyline College” (Lasana Hotep, Dean of Student Equity & Support Services; Katrina Pantig, Program Services Coordinator)
• “Authentic Assignments: Teaching in the World of Wikipedia” (Dr. John Calavitta, English Professor)
• “Getting Started w/Canvas” (Ricardo Flores, Instructional Technologist)
• “‘Strength in Numbers’: Easy Ways to Facilitate Small Group Work in the College Classroom” (Jessica Hurless, Communication Studies Professor)
• “Thinking about Thinking: Using Metacognitive Reflection to Support Learning” (Jesse Raskin, Legal Studies Professor)
• “Helping Students Engage in Challenging Texts” (Chris Gibson, English Professor)
• “Supporting Students with (Dis)Abilities: A General Overview” (Melissa Matthews, DRC Counselor/Coordinator)
• “Maximizing Student Success: Partnering with Student Services” (Dr. Luis Escobar, Dean of Counseling; William Minnich, Dean of Admissions & Records)

Faculty attendees indicated that “having dedicated time for adjuncts to participate in professional development” and “share ideas with other part-time colleagues” were the most useful aspects of the Symposium experience. Another evaluee shared, “[the Symposium] is tangible evidence that the administration values my professional development and commitment to Skyline.”

Written by Nina Floro |Photo by Ricardo Flores

Skyline College celebrated an eclectic group of students from countries all over the world in the “International Student Mixer” event held in the Multicultural Center on August 25, 2017.

President of Skyline College Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Interim Vice President of Instruction Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Vice President of Student Services Dr. Angelica Garcia, and Dean of Global Learning Programs/Social Science and Creative Arts Dr. Tammy Robinson, were just a few of the people present that day. The guest list consisted of over 50 students, including new and continuing international students, domestic students, and students from the Silicon Valley Intensive English Program (SVIEP). The melodic singing of Xinyu Shang from China and Clara Freitas Metta from Brazil filled the air. The audience became part of the show as they joined in with dances by Nellyana Altuve Rojo from Venzuela who got them involved in salsa dancing, and Danial Imaseeh from Jordan who taught everyone how to get down with the dabke dance. A lively dance was led by Franck Yao from Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire). The DJ got people to show off their secret dancing skills and the food table satisfied the guests’ stomachs. People’s expectation were met and exceeded!

The event would not have been a success without the help of the clubs organizing it, namely the International Student Club, the Japanese Culture link, the Nepalese Heritage Club, and the Chinese Student and Scholar Association.

Article by Naledi Mthembu | Photo by Zaw Min Khant

 

Dear colleagues and Skyline College Community,

On Tuesday, President Trump made clear his plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This means that Skyline College employees and students (often referred to as Dreamers) who currently have DACA status may be immediately affected. Skyline College stands ready to support and advocate for our campus community members who are affected by this change in policy.

DACA provides work authorization and temporary relief from deportation for nearly 800,000 young people who arrived to the United States as children. The program has significantly increased opportunities for higher education, jobs, and enabled individuals to contribute to their families and to their communities. Under the administration’s directive, the DACA program will be phased out over the next 6 months, and it will be up to congress to legislate a replacement.

These times of uncertainty can be unnerving but we must remember that the United States Constitution gives all immigrants certain rights regardless of their documentation status. The mission of Skyline College is to empower and transform a global community of learners. We can and do realize that mission when we stand up to protect our democratic society and ensure safe, equitable spaces for expression and learning.

One thing is certain: Dreamers can attend Skyline College to continue their education.

The current political discourse has created uncertainty for many simply because of their race, religion, gender, sexual identity/orientation, and documentation status. These challenges affect the way many students, faculty and staff experience their lives, move through the world, and undoubtedly, how they approach their jobs and their education. It is our role as an educational institution to seek to address and transcend these challenges.

I think it’s important to reiterate the specifics of the resolution that the SMCCCD Board of Trustees adopted in January 2017, directing the Chancellor to:

• Develop directives and procedures to protect the safety and security of all students and employees of the District, and to facilitate a greater sense of community and enhance the relationship with and between District public safety staff; and
• Protect student privacy and ensure confidentiality by prohibiting the release of information about a students’ immigration status to law enforcement and federal agencies unless legally compelled to do so; and
• Limit access to SMCCCD campuses and property to federal officials for the purposes of immigration enforcement, unless legally compelled to do so; and
• Provide opportunities for students and their families, employees and their families, and members of the community to know about and understand their legal rights and, when appropriate, provide referrals to legal services that provide such assistance; and
• Ensure that students and employees are aware of counseling and support services and ensure that those services are available and provided as needed; and
• Develop a process for evaluating student and employee feedback relating to this and other similar matters that aids the District in better promoting cultural sensitivity, understanding and promoting diversity, serving and protecting vulnerable, at-risk and marginalized populations, and providing trainings, forums, spaces and opportunities for understanding, communication and collaboration; and
• Take all necessary steps to engage the college and broader communities, media, elected officials, policy makers and other supporters to bring to light any injustices surrounding or relating to this matter, should any occur.

I want to assure you that Skyline College’s administration will continue to speak out against hate. We will continue to provide students with opportunities to broaden their perspectives, share their stories, and explore new ideas.  We will continue to ensure that our entire community is welcomed, supported and safe.

There are resources are available that help us do that, and I encourage you to take advantage of them.

• DACA students are encouraged to visit the Skyline College Dream Center, located in Building 1, Room 1-219. There, students will find faculty and staff allies who provide direct services. Also, students can be assisted in connecting with off-campus resources.
• Psychological Services is also available to provide counseling or help students deal with trauma in Building 2, Rooms 2-206 and 2-237.
• Legal resources are available, and free consultations can be arranged through the Dream Center.
• A series of informational talks called “UndocuTalks” will provide a safe space to address concerns and fears around the issue, and “Know Your Rights” preparedness workshops will be open to the campus community during the coming semester.

The uncertainty around the permanent status of DACA is unsettling, but Skyline College remains steadfast in its commitment to students and the community. We move forward together because we know that together there are no limits to what we can achieve.

Best,

Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud