Skyline College’s 3rd Annual UndocuWeek will take place virtually every day during the week of October 19 – 23. You can expect a full program of morning and afternoon webinars and meet ups geared toward students as well as classified professionals, faculty and administrators. 

Daily webinars will be offered by the California Community Colleges. However, you can also expect additional events tailored to our community by Skyline’s Dream Center in collaboration with Dream Center Task Force campus allies. Expect workshops and gatherings to promote Equitable Classroom Practices, Thriving through Entrepreneurship, Dream Act Application help and social mixers and workshops to support our newly launched student club, FIRE.  

 UndocuWeek brings our campus together in solidarity to support our undocumented students and employees during this ongoing health crisis. Please stay tuned for a detailed schedule of UndocuWeek events.  

On October 15 Flex Day, the Dream Center will also present a 30 minute program designed to bring you up to date on current challenges and services for undocumented community and provide a much needed space for Q&A. 

Questions? Want to get involved? Contact Dream Center Program Services Coordinator Pamela Ortiz Cerda <ortizcerdap@smccd.edu> to introduce yourself and request a link to the next Task Force meeting, Tuesday, October 6 at 3:00-4:00 p.m. 

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp

SMCCCD Study Abroad congratulates two Skyline College students, Russell Harmon and Kaileiani Louie, who are transferring to the Rennes School of Business in France this Fall to complete the International Bachelor Program in Management over the 2020-2021 academic year. They will be the second cohort of Skyline College alumni to transfer to the Rennes School of Business through the Campus France Program, a recipient of the 2019-2020 Skyline College President’s Innovation Fund.

The Campus France Program provides scholarships for SMCCCD Business students to transfer to the Rennes School of Business in France to complete their bachelor’s degree in one year. The program is grounded in Skyline College’s mission to empower and transform a global community of learners and its goal to make high-impact practices and transformative educational experiences like studying abroad accessible for all students who wish to participate.

Furthermore, in 2018, Skyline College was one of only ten U.S. institutions selected by the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. to receive a grant for the new Transatlantic Mobility Program. This program aims to strengthen the historic ties between the United States and France by diversifying and doubling the number of students from France and the United States studying abroad in both countries by 2025.

In July of this past summer, SMCCCD Study Abroad hosted a virtual pre-departure info session, that connected fall 2020 transfer students with current Rennes SB students. Current students shared their experiences with everything from adjusting to the French academic system, finding housing, and getting around town, to settling into life in France.

We wish Russell and Kaileiani a successful year!

SMCCCD Study Abroad is the district-wide study abroad program housed in the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about studying or interning abroad, faculty teach abroad opportunities, community travel for lifelong learners, visiting international faculty presenters and student scholarship opportunities, please contact Zaid Ghori at ghoriz@smccd.edu or (650) 738-7088 or Stephanie Wells at wellss@smccd.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the SMCCD Study Abroad Facebook page or Instagram page @smcccd_study_abroad.

Article by Stephanie Wells

 

On Wednesday, September 23rd, the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center of Skyline College hosted Small Business, Big Voices, a panel discussion featuring small business owners and nonprofit leaders.  The panel shared best practices on doing business during a pandemic and discussed challenges and opportunities based on our ever-evolving situation.  From expanding services, to tending to mental wellness to learning new skills – the panelists touched on an array of topics.

The Bay Area Entrepreneur Center is a hub of small business resources for anyone looking to start or grow their business idea.  Skyline College students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to book a business coaching session or attend a workshop!

Questions? Interest? Contact us at baec@smccd.edu, on connect with us via skylinebaec.org.

Article by Nicole Moreno-Deinzer| Image by Ling Chien

Please join us in welcoming our new cohort of student interns into our Virtual Job-Shadow Program for the fall 2020 semester! The Virtual Internship Job-Shadow Program provides an opportunity for Skyline College students to receive training and exposure in real-world business environments. Through the job-shadow program, they engage in problem solving strategies and are exposed to professional development and (virtual) networking opportunities. Our interns are also eligible to receive up to three units of college credit through the Cooperative Education Program.

All students participating in the program receive an assessment determining specific areas of interest and are trained on a range of interpersonal job skills, and soft-skills.

For ways to be involved in the Internship Job Shadow Program, or for more information connect with us here.

Article by Sarina O’Gilvie | Photo by Ling Chien

The Intercultural Center is excited to invite you all to take part in our first event of the semester… Wellness Wednesdays happening on September 30 at 12:00 p.m.!

Wellness Wednesdays is a space for all students, faculty, and classified professionals to explore how our her/histories of colonialism, gender norms, authenticity, solidarity, sustainability, and resistance impact our identities, experiences with food, and perspectives of other cultures…

For next week’s event, think of a cultural dish that you absolutely love, but don’t know how to make…

• What do you remember most about the cultural dish?
• Who do you think of when remembering this dish?
• Why is this dish important to you?

Room ID #: 948 5211 3136

Password: solidarity

Pre-register here: bit.ly/registerwellwed

Dialogue Sessions: 9/30, 10/14, 11/18, 12/9

Please contact ocampoallen@smccd.edu if you have any questions and fill out the Intercultural Center Survey if you have not yet provided YOUR input on OUR Intercultural Center.

The San Mateo County Community College District has spent the past year evaluating compliance of its facilities and services with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. ADA provides comprehensive civil rights protections to qualified individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public accommodations, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

The District’s findings and recommendations have been assembled in a draft report that is ready for review and comment by our District community and the public. The draft ADA plan covers all three campuses and the District Office. To download the report, visit https://smccd.edu/ada2020/.

There are two components of the ADA plan:

1. Transition Plan: this identifies physical barriers in buildings, roads, stairs, ramps, etc.
2. Self-assessment Survey: this evaluates the accessibility of services to students, staff and the public such as  ITS, websites, and human resources.

Highlights

Though the transition plan includes findings in many areas, many of the barriers fall into the categories below. Download the plan for details.

• District Office: restrooms
• Cañada College: restrooms, door vision lights, reach ranges and protrusions, cross slope and ramp landings
• CSM: restrooms, reach ranges and protrusions, door vision lights
• Skyline College: restrooms, reach ranges and protrusions, door vision lights and door pressure

Altogether, the District has identified about $30 million in upgrades and repairs. Some items have already been remedied, such as vegetation trimming and furniture relocation to provide required clear spaces at doors.  Other items are currently being addressed in the design of  capital projects. The remaining and majority of items will need to be planned, prioritized and budgeted over a 10-year period.

The District had not updated its ADA plan in more than 10 years, and ADA regulations underwent changes in 2010, so it was expected that there would be a significant list of items to address. The ADA allows institutions to spread improvements and upgrades over a period of time as long as it can show that steady progress is being made to achieve compliance.

Please take the time to review the plan and post any feedback or questions using this online form.  Also consider attending one of two District-wide ADA plan presentations. Held via  Zoom, these meetings will include an opportunity to ask questions and comment.  

District ADA Plan Presentation and Comments:

• Zoom Meeting #1
• Thursday, October 1
• 9-11 am
• Zoom webinar link: https://smccd.zoom.us/j/91930705571

 

• Zoom Meeting #2
• Thursday, October 1
• 3-5 pm
• Zoom webinar link:  https://smccd.zoom.us/j/96065929366

The United States uses Census data to decide how our community is represented in state and national government. It’s also how we decide how much funding we get in our community for education, housing, health, and transportation.

The Census asks for your name but it does NOT ask immigration status. Learn why it is so important, and fill out your Census online.

The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) met on Thursday, September 10, 2020.

Tri-chair Eloisa Briones shared a summary of the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Final Budget Report that was adopted by the Board of Trustees (BOT) at the meeting held on September 9, 2020.

Additionally, committee members provided an overview of budgeting terminology. SPARC is charged with reviewing Fund 1 only.

For the balance of the meeting, members finalized recommendations for the Comprehensive Program Review process redesign under the guidance of Tri-Chairs Leigh Anne Shaw and Ingrid Vargas.  Committee members will next seek input from their constituents and make a final recommendation at the October 8, 2020 SPARC meeting.  The recommendation will be presented to the College Governance Council, who in turn will forward a recommendation to the President.  If accepted, training on the new process will begin next semester for programs starting the Comprehensive Program Review process in Spring 2021. Other programs would use the new process for Program Review beginning in fall 2021.

SPARC meets on the second and the last Thursday of the month from 2:10 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For additional information, please see https://skylinecollege.edu/sparc/

Article by Judy Hutchinson

On September 16, 2020, the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) Study Abroad Program hosted a webinar and student panel for tips on applying for Study Abroad scholarships, including the Gilman International Scholarship, a grant program through the U.S. Department of State that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad with in-person or virtual international programs.

The webinar recording is now available online. You can watch to learn more about the Gilman Scholarship Program and other opportunities for funding in-person and virtual Study Abroad experiences and hear from five Gilman Scholar Alumni about their experiences applying for the scholarship and studying abroad.

The next deadline to apply for the Gilman Scholarship is Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

Furthermore, SMCCCD Study Abroad is offering one-on-one advising appointments with students who are interested in study abroad. Students may schedule appointments at smccd.edu/goabroad or email studyabroad@smccd.edu.

SMCCCD Study Abroad is the district-wide study abroad program housed in the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about studying or interning abroad, faculty teach abroad opportunities, community travel for lifelong learners, visiting international faculty presenters and student scholarship opportunities, please contact Zaid Ghori at ghoriz@smccd.edu or (650) 738-7088 or Stephanie Wells at wellss@smccd.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the SMCCD Study Abroad Facebook page or Instagram page @smcccd_study_abroad.

 

Article by Stephanie Wells

Next week, the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) will join the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the small business community in commemorating National Small Business Week.  From September 21- 25, 2020, the BAEC will host several events and share valuable resources.

In addition to workshops, BAEC will host Small Business, Big Voices: How Businesses Respond to Change and What They Need Now, a live panel discussion on Zoom, on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Panelists will discuss personal experiences about doing business during a pandemic and share insights on how to cope and what resources they need to recover and stay successful.

To learn more about the BAEC business recovery efforts, please connect with us here.  The BAEC is a hub of resources for anyone looking to start and grow their business.

These events also align with the National Small Business Week Conference, a virtual experience highlighting recovery, adaptation, and innovation, sponsored by the SBA.  Small Business Week usually takes place in May, but was largely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions? Interest? Contact us at baec@smccd.edu, or visit us at skylinebaec.org.

Article by Nicole Moreno-Deinzer and Pcyeta Stroud | Image by Olivia Vialau