Goal I. Access To Higher Education
Northeast Lakeview College President Dr. Eric Reno and Dr. Cindy Griffith, Dean of Workforce and Community Education, recently attended the Walzem Road Area Revitalization Community Meeting to learn more about the plans for economic revitalization of the Windsor Park Mall area and its newest tenant, Rackspace Managed Hosting. A presentation by Randy Smith, Rackspace real estate manager, provided information for community members regarding company services, employees, and future relocation plans. An additional presentation by North East ISD administrators focused on the renovation and additions to Roosevelt High School, an adjacent neighbor of Rackspace. While this meeting provided an initial opportunity for NLC administrators to visit with Rackspace and Roosevelt High School personnel, further meetings are being planned to determine workforce needs, discuss the establishment of appropriate career pathways, and design future NLC programs that will be specific and relevant to the local information technology industry.

Goal IV. Capacity to Serve
On Monday, August 20, NLC hosted its annual Fall Convocation Luncheon event for all full-time faculty and staff members. The event recognized and honored representatives of NLC’s first Endowed Founders’ Scholarships: Firstmark Credit Union representatives Leon Ewing, President/CEO, Kelli Larsen, Assistant Vice President-Legislative Advocacy, Tiffany Grant, Business Development Manager, Brenda J. Moczygemba, Vice President-Marketing and Public Relations; Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union representatives Randy Smith, President/CEO and Col. Fred Walters (Retired), Board Chairman; and Jordan Ford, Ltd representatives Marc Cross, General Manager and Partner, and Mike Trompeter, CFO and Partner (not present). Also recognized and honored were William Armstrong for his donation to the NLC Learning Resource Center of the Library of America and the Oxford Illustrated series and Larry Baumann, Aubrey Ellis (not present), and the family of George Ellis (not present) for their donation of the Watts Lower Valley School building. Dr. Bruce Leslie, ACCD Chancellor, provided a welcome and introduced the new ACCD Vice Chancellor for Administration, James McLaughlin. Attendees were also presented with a State of the College from NLC President Dr. Eric Reno, and updates regarding construction of the new college, Student and Administrative Services, Academic Affairs, Resource Development, Communications and Public Relations, and College Committees and Initiatives. One of the afternoon highlights was the unveiling of the new NLC podium, which was designed and constructed by ACCD Master Carpenter Anthony Quintanilla who received special recognition for his work.

On Wednesday, August 22, NLC hosted a dinner and orientation for over 100 adjunct faculty members. After a general meeting with all faculty, the adjunct faculty members met with the full-time faculty and chairs in their divisions to discuss policy, procedures, and expected student learning outcomes.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
Students were welcomed to campus on Monday, August 27 and Tuesday, August 28 by staff and faculty volunteering to staff eight welcome stations. College faculty and staff greeted and provided information from 6:00 am – 8:30 pm on the main campus. Information booths were also set up at the Datapoint Campus and WETC. In addition to welcoming students, the college folks helped to direct students to the correct classrooms, assisted with questions regarding parking and students identification cards, and helped to make the first day of classes flow smoothly for the new and returning students. Welcoming events will continue this week.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
NVC Academic Foundations Cluster, which includes Math, English and Reading, conducted its annual Adjunct Faculty Development session Saturday, August 18th from 8:45 am – 4 pm. This year we had more than 130 people attend with over 110 adjuncts participating in the events, including an increase of over 20 adjunct faculty from last year.

The Development Day, held each semester, consists of sessions with full time and adjunct faculty in cooperative learning, curriculum review, grading issues, textbook updates, syllabi review, NVC policies, and developing mentor/mentee relationships. This year we added training sessions provided by our Academic Vice President, Jimmie Bruce, and our Special Services team consisting of Sharon Dresser and Daniel Clark. Jimmie discussed classroom management strategies while Sharon and Daniel helped our faculty better understand special student populations. English faculty is in their 4th year of Adjunct Faculty Development while Math and Reading are in their second year.

Over 3,000 student transcript requests have been processed since June 6th using the new on-line transcript request service. This streamlined process has enhanced our ability to serve students and alumni without requiring a trip to the campus.

Friday, August 24, NVC conducted a faculty workshop with guest speaker, Clark Friesen from Tomball Community College in Houston, TX. NVC coordinated with St. Mary’s College to bring this well-known service learning speaker to assist our faculty in implementing successful service learning projects in the classroom. Thanks to Migdalia Garcia, Service Learning Director and Susana Satrustegui, Civic Engagement Coordinator, for making this program possible.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
PAC instructors Honey Kirk and Diane Lerma attended a Mathematics Across the Community College Curriculum (MAC3) Traveling Workshop Facilitators’ Training in Leavenworth, Washington. They were selected to develop guidelines for planning and conducting traveling workshops for the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges.

Goal II. Student Support
PAC’s Disability Support Services Coordinator, Lydia Hannawi, participated in the planning and production of the San Antonio Youth Mental Health Council Conference, held at Region 20 Headquarters, Aug. 24. Entitled “A Fragile Generation: Meeting the Mental Health Needs in the School Community,” sessions included topics on Bipolar Disorder and Depression; Self Injurious Behaviors; Adolescents and Suicide Prevention; and the Language of Grief.

Goal III. Workforce Development
More than two dozen malfunctioning computers were restored to operating condition during a Personal Computer Assistance Clinic hosted by PAC’s CompTIA A+ Certification Program at ACCD’s Advanced Technology Center, Aug. 25. The program’s goal was to give CompTIA A+ students “real world” hands-on experience in dealing with computer viruses, Malware, and hardware related problems.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
PAC’s Lead Instruction Librarian, Irma Sanchez, retired from the Learning Resources Center after 19 years of service to PAC students. Mrs. Sanchez was awarded Emeritus Status as an Assistant Professor during the August 21 ACCD Board Meeting. Mrs. Sanchez plans to spend more time with her grandchildren and travel with her husband.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
PAC’s Criminal Justice Student Organization delivered school supplies it collected during its “PAC the Kool Bus” month-long campaign to representatives of the San Antonio Independent School District, Aug. 24. The students delivered five large boxes of paper, pens, pencils, back packs and other miscellaneous school supplies to help elementary students of limited means begin the school year properly.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
The Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts is scheduled to meet with public school representatives from Del Rio regarding development of curriculum, training of teachers, and other topics. Del Rio public schools are developing Culinary Arts programs and want to gather ideas for facilities and articulation opportunities.

The Department of English and Speech has added new dual credit class offerings at Floresville High School, Medina Valley High School, Trinity Christian Academy, Christian Academy of San Antonio and East Central High School.

The Learning Resource Center extended its evening hours in order to provide students with computer access at the Martin Luther King Campus and the Southwest Campus to facilitate the 2007 fall admission and registration process. The LRC was designated an official registration site and employees from other departments volunteered to work alongside the staff of the LRC to ensure optimum registration support. Additional library and media services staff assisted students with the registration process by giving directions and answering questions at locations throughout the College’s MLK campus.

Librarians from the Learning Resource Center distributed college schedules to area restaurants and to participants of the Highlands High School Band Booster Fundraiser held Saturday, August 25. Graduating seniors were asked about their future plans and were urged to attend St. Philip’s College.

Goal II. Student Support
The Department of English and Speech is developing rubrics to evaluate student learning outcomes in English 1301 and 1302. The evaluation will take place in the spring of 2008. The Department is also evaluating data concerning student success in English 0300, 0301, 0310, and 0311, respectively. This data will be used to inform changes in these courses beginning in the spring 2008 semester.

Local employers were invited by Project Quest to meet with 32 Project Quest students who were completing training in Welding, Heating/Air Conditioning, Electrical, and Home Building/Construction at St. Philip’s College-Southwest Campus. Students were given the opportunity to submit employment applications and interview with prospective employers. This was followed by a completion ceremony celebrating the success of these students.

Goal III. Workforce Development
Through a technical services agreement between Raytheon Professional Services and St. Philip’s College, employees from various automotive service centers throughout Texas have been receiving training from the SPC Automotive Technology Department. Training has been coordinated with the Continuing Education Department and focuses on upgrading the skills of employees with the new technology in General Motors products to meet the demands of the automotive industry. Students receive both formal and hands-on instruction in topics from Heating/Air Conditioning and Electrical Connectors to GM Powertrain Performance.

Summer workshops were completed in preparation for Microsoft certification for local high school teachers under the Alamo Tech Prep Program. Teachers with Microsoft Office Systems (MOS) certification provide their classroom students the opportunity to receive dual credit and a head start to college while in high school. Currently two teachers have taken and passed the exam and are now MOS certified.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
The Instructional Innovation Center (IIC) is dedicated to helping individual staff and faculty members build their technical, teaching/learning, and soft skills by providing a wide range of professional development opportunities. The IIC open development lab hosted faculty and staff as they worked on various classroom and department projects and activities. Workshops were held in MicroGrade, Blackboard Vista Orientation, SMART SychronEyes, SPC New Faculty Prep, and PALS in the Classroom. In addition, staff provided extended one-on-one consultations for faculty and staff members in web page development, scanning, Smartboard, Micrograde, and curriculum (QEP).

Media Services Staff from the Learning Resource Center provided support services for several College initiatives aimed at making the transition into college for incoming and returning students more rewarding, including equipment support and signage for Freshman Convocation and Fall Registration.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
St. Philip’s began a new process to be more inclusive in making decisions that impact the college. Work that began with faculty during Professional Development Week continued between department chairs and administration in an effort to develop a systemized process to annually review curriculum. This inclusive process will be on-going as the College moves forward in its continuous quality improvement efforts.

Plans are underway to develop a master calendar for the College which will include new procedures to reserve facilities such as the Watson Fine Arts Center Theater, the Morgan Gallery, the Heritage Room and other facilities/classrooms throughout the campus.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
The Admissions & Records, Counseling, Bursar, and Assessment offices, academic departments, deans, and others have been involved with the late registration of students as well as adds and drops for the Fall 2007 Semester. In addition, the Student Life Office held Welcome Days for students, handing out information on alternative off-campus parking, the new smoking policy, and other college information and treats. The enrollment is still in flux but appears to be about the same as the Fall 2006 count, approximately 22,000 students. A more accurate will be available after the 12th class day.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
The San Antonio College Instructional Technologies & Innovation Center, under the direction of Dr. Charlotte Wolf, held a recognition ceremony to honor those people who completed different levels of web certification or earned Customer Service Certification. Twenty-one faculty members earned Internet Course Developer Certification and seven earned Internet Course Instructor Certification, sixty earned Departmental Webmaster certification, nine earned Web Developer Level 1 Certification, and thirty-three earned Customer Service Certification.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
The Public Relations office has revised the Alternative Parking Flyer and distributed this information to students during Orientation classes this month, in addition to a link on the SAC main web page, in every classroom, and circulated by DPS officers and the Bursar’s Office, Admissions, and Counseling.

In addition, the new Smoking Policy, which prohibits smoking in the parking lots as well as on campus, has been communicated through similar means, including pocket cards DPS officers can hand students, faculty and staff. Existing web links to the College Bulletin, Student Handbook, and Class Schedules (developed prior to the new policy) have also been modified to reflect the revised policy.