Designed for Educators to Engage in Equity and Social Justice

Skyline College announced today it will host its 2nd Equity Summit on November 2, 2018 at Skyline College from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The free, bi-annual event offers an opportunity for educators from throughout the region to engage in a teaching and learning experience centered on educational equity. Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. and award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning, will deliver the keynote address.

The purpose of the summit is to immerse the educational community into the conversation about equity, race and student success through the scholarship of experts and practitioners. “It is absolutely essential that we, as educators take time to intentionally engage in conversations around equality and social justice and deepen our own understanding of the reality many of today’s students live in. It is only through this understanding that we will be break down barriers so that students can succeed,” explained Skyline College president, Regina Stanback Stroud, Ed.D.

Thirteen presenters representing diverse perspectives and approaches regarding equity in education will deliver seven “Equity Talks” along with 2 plenary sessions throughout the day. Full biographies for all speakers can be found on the Equity Summit webpage. Topics covered in the equity talks and plenary sessions in the program include the following.

Equity Talks #1:
• Culturally Relevant Pedagogy – Dorinda Carter-Andrews
• Educating Men of Color – Cesar Cruz
• Whiteness and Education – Ali Michael

Plenary Session #1:
• Applying Equity Theories – Laurie Scolari, Erica Viray-Santos and Matthew Whitaker

Equity Talks #2:
• Transformative School Leadership – Darrick Smith
• Equity in STEM Education – Roni Ellington
• Subtractive Schooling – Angela Valenzuela
• Shaping Institutional Equity – Michael Benitez

Equity Plenary #2:
• Art, Community Activism and Education – A.D. Carson, Terisa Siagatonu and Aisha Fukushima\

Keynote presentation by Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D.

Registration is free and is now open! Those interested in attending can get more information and register at the Equity Summit webpage. The event will also be live streamed on Friday, November 2, 2018 skylinecollege.edu. Media interested in covering the event are welcome to attend; please rsvp to Cherie Colin at colinc@smccd.edu or (650) 738-4346.

Biography of Keynote Speaker, Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D.

Ibram X. Kendi, an award-winning historian and New York Times best-selling author, is a Professor of History and International Relations and the Founding Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University in Washington D.C. Kendi earned his Doctoral degree in African American Studies from Temple University and his undergraduate degree in Journalism and African American Studies from Florida A&M University. His second book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, was published by Nation Books and won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction. At 34 years old, Kendi was the youngest ever winner of the NBA for Nonfiction.
Kendi has been a visiting Professor at Brown University, a 2013 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow, and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis. He has also resided at The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress as the American Historical Association’s 2010-2011 J. Franklin Jameson Fellow in American History. Kendi is an Ideas Columnist at the Atlantic and has published fourteen essays in books and academic journals, including The Journal of African American History, Journal of Social History, Journal of Black Studies, Journal of African American Studies, and The Sixties: A Journal of History, Politics and Culture. A frequent speaker and contributor of op-eds, Kendi has written for several periodicals including Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, The Root, Salon, The New York Times, New York Daily News, Time, Signature, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He is currently working on his next book, How to be an Antiracist, which will be published in 2019.

Article by Katrina Pantig | Image by MCPR

 

The Accreditation Open Forums are open to the entire campus community including all students, faculty and staff. The next forum of the series is next Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

Take the opportunity to get involved by learning about how colleges are evaluated, how you can give feedback on the self-study that is underway, how Skyline College is making improvements as a result of the self-study, the big project that Skyline College is committing to so as to strengthen student learning and achievement, and the timeline leading up to the site visit next fall! The Forum topics will include: updates on where we are in the accreditation process; discussion of the website, accreditation timeline, and themes; and information about subsequent forums.

Mark your calendar to attend and let us know you’re coming!

Article by Connor Fitzpatrick | Photo by Zaw Min Khant

Please welcome Ben’Zara Minkin as the district’s new Emergency Preparedness Manager. Ben was an instructor and co-director of the College of San Mateo Fire Academy for the last 12 years. He was also a firefighter/paramedic with the San Bruno Fire Department, and most recently worked in emergency preparedness at Genentech.  Ben studied Fire Technology at College of San Mateo and obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at UC Santa Barbara. He holds fire inspector, fire prevention, HAZMAT, safety officer and ICS certifications. He lives with his wife and three small children in Pacifica.  Ben’Zara will be stationed at the District Public Safety Office at CSM, but will be available on all campuses for meetings, training and consultations once his training and orientation period is complete.

Article by William Woods | Photo by Mia Coo

Congratulations to Skyline College art professor Tiffany Schmierer, who was recently honored with the San Joaquin Potters Guild Award in the 2018 Visions in Clay National Juried Art Exhibition at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California! Beth Ann Gerstein, the Executive Director of the Museum of American Ceramic Art in Pomona, California, made the selection of artworks and awards for the exhibition, which featured 58 artworks by 48 artists from around the country. Schmierer exhibited two sculptures in the show and received a cash award for her piece Interconnection.

Schmierer is a highly regarded Bay Area artist. In addition to teaching at Skyline College, Schmierer has an active career in the visual arts, exhibiting her work both nationally and internationally. Most recently, her work was exhibited in Taiwan at the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Sunlight Gallery, and in California at the AMOCA American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. In discussing her artwork, Schmierer explains, “The idea expressed in my sculpture Interconnection is the connective threads we have to our environment and each other. Realizing and taking a moment to appreciate these relationships and patterns can help promote needed empathy and care.”

Learn more about Schmierer’s work on tiffanyschmierer.com.

Article by Paul Bridenbaugh

On October 19, 2018, students in the Global Trade and Logistics course visited Expeditors, a customs brokerage and freight forwarder company. The students were accompanied by Alpha Lewis, the course instructor, and Lorna Jones, the Interim Director of the Center for International Trade Development (CITD). They met with representatives of the company and were given a tour of Expeditors’ facilities in San Mateo County.

This direct exposure to the operations of a Fortune 500 logistics company reinforced classroom learning and gave the students a thorough understanding of the processes involved in moving goods into and out of the Bay Area. The students also had an opportunity to see the company’s cross docking facility where goods are sorted by type and location and then scanned for security clearance. The students asked many questions and were excited to learn about the numerous operations and roles involved in managing the global supply chain networks for companies like the GAP.

This trip reinforced the Skyline College goal of connecting students directly with industry and supporting students with 21st century workforce skills needed to secure employment in the global trade and logistics industry. Through the effort of CITD and Global Learning Programs and Services (GLPS), two students on this trip were scheduled for interviews with local logistics firms.

For more information about the Global Trade and Logistics and Customs Brokerage Programs, please contact the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at skyglps@smccd.edu or (650) 738-7098.

Article by Alpha Lewis | Photo by Anton Vitalyevich Goncharuk

Delisle Warden, Interim Dean of Global Learning Programs and Services, and Carlos Romero, Counselor for the International Student Program, gave a presentation at the NAFSA Region XII Conference that occurred in Reno, Nevada on October 15-19. The title of the presentation was “Global Pathway Program: Supporting the Academic Needs of New International Students.”

The presentation, inspired by Skyline College’s Mission Statement—To empower and transform a global community of learners—explored factors that contribute to the academic experience of international students at Skyline College. The presentation utilized primary source data from the Office of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness (PRIE), and highlighted how the International Student Program has used that data in the Counseling 101 – Preparation for College course taught by Carlos Romero.

Attendees of the presentation were extremely impressed by the enrollment growth of the International Student Program, Skyline College’s ability to capture, analyze, and respond to student focused data, and the structure of the Counseling 101 – Preparation for College course. Additionally, attendees expressed interest in learning about how the Counseling 101 course impacts student outcomes once that information is available.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA’s 10,000 members are located at more than 3,500 institutions worldwide in over 150 countries. Interim Dean Warden was recently appointed to NAFSA’s Leadership Development Committee, and looks forward to representing Skyline College on NAFSA’s national and international stage.

Article by Delisle Warden | Photograph by Martin Rosales

On October 5, 2018, international students from Skyline College toured the University of California, Berkeley. The purpose of the tour, which was organized by the International Student Program (ISP), was to provide an opportunity for Skyline College international students to experience the dynamic academic learning communities at the world-renowned university.

During the walking tour, the students were able to see some of the landmark buildings on campus including Stanley Hall, Sather Tower, Doe Memorial Library, and Campbell Hall. At the end of the tour, a Skyline College alumni and current student at UC Berkeley shared his experiences as an international student at UC Berkeley.

The Skyline College students enjoyed the beauty of the campus and felt that the tour was very inspirational. Additionally, they learned a lot about student life at UC Berkeley and the transfer admissions process.

ISP will continue to conduct events and workshops to improve the services offered to its students and the entire Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.

Article by Min Thwin Khant | Photo by Soe Hlaing

On Saturday, October 20, 2018, the San Mateo County Community College District’s financial aid offices hosted a district wide Cash for College event at College of San Mateo. The event welcomed over 200 students and parents from each colleges’ feeder high schools and members of the community who were eager to learn more about applying for financial aid. Guests were treated to breakfast and had the option to attend a morning or afternoon workshop offered to both English and Spanish speaking families. Patricia Mendoza, Skyline College Financial Aid Technician, conducted one of the Spanish presentations. The presentations highlighted key components of the new 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act that opened up for students to start applying on October 1, 2018. Throughout the day, computer labs were open to students and parents to sit down with the support of a financial aid staff member or student ambassador to start and submit their financial application.

A resource fair was also available during lunch for guests to visit for additional information that included a booth for the San Mateo Credit Union and representatives from our campus support programs and services: the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), SparkPoint, the Dream Center and our Outreach office. A huge thank you to the programs that came to support the students and their families!

Colleges across the state host various iterations of Cash for College workshops and events to promote and increase awareness of financial aid to eligible students. The SMCCCD Cash for College event occurs every year during the fall to promote financial aid for the upcoming academic year. The event was a success in part due to the directors, staff, and student ambassadors of Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Cañada College’s financial aid office.

For more information regarding the upcoming Cash for College event or financial aid, please contact the financial aid office at skyfaoffice@smccd.edu.

Article and Photo by Jeremy Evangelista-Ramos

Earlier this month, Swinerton Builders opened its gates to engineering students for insight on career opportunities within construction management. On Tuesday afternoon of October 4, Intro to Engineering students attended an informative talk from Pam Welty, Senior Construction Manager on the upcoming Environmental Sciences Building. The talk focused on the project overview, innovations with LEED, and sustainable design for the (in-progress) Environmental Sciences building. The presentation also shed some light on the interdisciplinary aspect of construction with key engineering branches.

The talk was followed up with two breakout sessions where the students went on site to meet different project engineers on site to learn about their day-to-day work, as well as their educational pathway. Comments from the students regarding the experience include “This made me learn about how dynamic the engineering field is. Even though you will study a particular discipline, there is still a chance that you’ll take on something else as a career. This makes me excited for the potential opportunities I could have in the future.”

Special thanks go to Swinerton Builders and XL Construction for providing our students this unique opportunity for career exploration on campus! Perhaps some of these prospective engineers will shine on as future builders.

Article and Photo by Maryam Khan

On Saturday, October 20, the 24-piece Skyline College Jazz Band will return to Odd Fellows Hall in Half Moon Bay, a venue that has enthusiastically hosted and promoted the ensemble several times in the past three years.

Celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the iconic Bay Area band TOWER OF POWER, the Skyline College Jazz Band will perform soul and funk classics including, “There Is Only So Much Oil in the Ground,” “So Very Hard To Go,” “You’re Still a Young Man,” “Diggin’ on James Brown,” “Down to the Night Club,” and “What Is Hip?” among other swing, blues, and Latin musical selections written by eminent jazz composers Michel Camilo, Gordon Goodwin, Lennie Niehaus, and Maria Schneider.

Led by Professor Zack Bruno, the Skyline College Jazz Band is comprised of full- and part-time student musicians who meet for rehearsals in the MUS. 450 class on Monday nights. The Jazz Band learns and performs a new program of music twice each semester, often showcasing their talents at jazz clubs in San Francisco, San Carlos, Burlingame, and Daly City.

The Odd Fellows Hall in Half Moon Bay is located at 526 Main Street, and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The suggested donation for admission to the performance is $20 ($10 for students). Proceeds go toward scholarships for music students in the Cabrillo Unified School District.

In addition, the Skyline College Jazz Combo – a select group of musicians from within the Jazz Band – will perform at the Cañada College President’s Luncheon on Tuesday, October 23, at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. The Jazz Combo was featured earlier this year at the Skyline College International Student Orientation, at a private home in Atherton, and at the SMCCD Foundation’s Golf Fundraiser in Palo Alto.

Article by Dr. Zachary E. Bruno | Photo by Edwin Q. Serrano