Goal I. Access To Higher Education
Northeast Lakeview College and Judson ISD held a press event on October 3rd at the Judson ISD Board Room to announce the TG Public Benefit Program $200,000 grant awarded to fund College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality. College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality is designed to streamline the transition from high school to college and to provide financial support for college. Totaling $122,000- 147 need-based scholarships will be awarded to JISD 2008 seniors to attend Northeast Lakeview College in Fall 2008. Through a college preparation series of presentations, workshops, and college campus visits, College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality is intended to provide hands-on and personal student guidance through the college application and registration process. As the project fiscal agent, Northeast Lakeview College advisors will deliver the college presentations and workshops on each of the JISD high school campuses and provide a two-week academic camp in Summer 2008 to those scholarship recipients in need of remediation.

Goal II. Student Support
In celebration of Spanish Heritage Month, the president of The San Antonio Charro Association presented at Northeast Lakeview College on October 3rd. He talked about the history, tradition, art, and sport that is the "Charrería." He also gave information on "Charreada" events held at the Charro Association’s Ranch throughout the year in San Antonio.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
On October 3rd, Pat Terrell, Executive Assistant to the President, represented Northeast Lakeview College at the “kick-off” for the Andy Roddick Foundation’s “Andy Roddick Youth Tennis Program.” Held at Our Lady of the Lake University, over 500 individuals attended the event, learned about the program’s goals, and received a professional tennis demonstration from Any Roddick, the fifth-ranked male tennis player and former U.S. Open Champion. The program’s goal will focus on tennis and life skills for disadvantaged elementary children in the San Antonio area. Northeast Lakeview College is a developing an A.A.S. degree in Tennis Technology.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
Northeast Lakeview College faculty and staff attended the “Taste of the Metrocom” event on October 3rd at the Live Oak Civic Center. Hosted by the Randolph Metrocom Chamber of Commerce (RMCC), the annual event brings restaurants and other organizations from the Metrocom area together under one roof and is an opportunity for the RMCC to showcase local area restaurants and other establishments. This year more than 500 moms, dads, kids and friends sampled some of the Metrocom's finest foods.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
Four individuals from Northwest Vista College have been chosen to participate in the Alamo Community Colleges Leadership Academy for Success (ALAS). The ALAS program is designed to prepare leaders to effectively support the mission of the Alamo Community Colleges in becoming the best in the nation. Specifically, the 9-month program will include orientation and 7 classes on topics that address strategic planning, performance results, stakeholder focus, service focus and leadership. Participants are required to regularly meet with their mentors throughout the course of the program. The knowledge and skills gained from ALAS are meant to meet the needs of our growing colleges, and foster employee and student success. The program begins this Friday, October 12th and ends with a graduation ceremony in May.

Eligibility for ALAS is open to full-time faculty and staff who have worked for ACCD for one year, are in good standing, and are currently serving in a supervisory capacity or a leadership role. Congratulations to the following participants of the ALAS program: Debi Gaitan, Renata Serafin, Elaine Lang and Kasey Fielder.

Leadership Lab -- A new and innovative leadership program titled “Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results – The 4 Leadership Imperatives” is currently underway through Employee Development at Northwest Vista College. Aligned to the Alamo Community Colleges’ Strategic Objective of “Developing human capital” and our own College Strategic Objective to “Foster a culture of learning for employees,” the Leadership Lab is an intensive 9-month program of personal and professional growth for those who will lead and engage the rest of our college community.

The first group of participants is made up of 24 leaders from across the campus. The Leadership Lab takes the following approach:

• Learn it: acquire knowledge and content material
• Look for it: make connections to NVC; find gaps and create dialogue about solutions
• Lead it: apply knowledge to a project and report results

One of the most important benefits of this program is its focus on results. Participants are expected to take what they learn in the Leadership Lab and apply it to their work area.

“Our priority in Organizational Learning this year is on leadership development,” says Hope Medina, Interim Dean of the Center for Workforce and Community Education. “We are excited and proud that this program is so closely aligned with Baldrige.”

Congratulations to the individuals participating in the Leadership Lab.

Facilities Superintendent Bernie Zertuche was recognized for 25 years of service to the Alamo Community College District at the Employee Development Day on October 8th.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
PAC took the first step in preparing for the ACCD College Connections program with the Harlandale and Edgewood Independent School Districts. The College Connections program has been adopted from Austin Community College model. The program works with students in preparing them for college and works toward a 100 percent participation rate. Services provided by the ACCD team include orientation, admissions, testing and advising.

Goal II. Student Support
Veronica Rosas-Tatum, Instructor of Business and Management, chaperoned eight SGA students to the American Student Government Association’s national conference held in Washington, D.C. She directed students in choosing workshops, and coordinated visits to national attractions such as the Holocaust Museum, Lincoln Monument, Jefferson Monument and the Smithsonian Museum. One of the trip’s highlights was meeting on the steps of the Capitol with Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and a tour of the Capitol conducted by a student intern from UTSA who is spending the semester in DC. This was SGA’s first attendance at this type of conference and the information, networking and insights gained were incredible.

Goal III. Workforce Development
Bruce Burger, Landscape and Turfgrass Management Advisory Committee member and Superintendent of the Quarry Golf Course, and David Morales, a recent PAC Turfgrass and Golf Course Management graduate student, appeared on the cover of September’s Golf Course Management Magazine.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
Dr. Mary-Ellen Jacobs, Associate Professor of English, participated in the Cross-Cultural Forum for Professional Development sponsored by the Women's Global Connection, held at the University of the Incarnate Word, Sept. 29. Dr. Jacobs discussed her experiences of facilitating a workshop on interactive teaching strategies for secondary school educators in Bukoba, Tanzania, this summer.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
In commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Palo Alto College and the Student Services Activity Fee Committee hosted “Una Noche de Baile y Música” on the campus’ Central Courtyard, Oct. 5. Approximately 300 community members attended the free event featuring performances by “Los Inocentes” and Grammy Award winner “Chente Barrera y Taconazo.”

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
The annual St. Philip’s College Transfer Fair was held on October 10. Over 300 SPC students interested in transferring to institutions of higher education participated. Twenty-six colleges and universities were represented. Two of the college and university representatives were graduates of St. Philip's College. The recruiter evaluations received at the end of the event, indicated that SPC students are well-prepared and asked relevant questions.

Recruiters, counselors and Educational Support Services staff have been participating in College Fairs throughout the surrounding San Antonio area. High schools visited include Alamo Heights, Medina Valley, Canyon, Sequin and Smithson Valley.

Business Information Solutions is planning a Microsoft Open House targeting area high schools and the general community. This open house is tentatively scheduled for November 15.

Goal II. Student Support
The Steering Committee for the Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year met this week. The committee consists of faculty and staff members collaborating on eight specific dimensions essential to success in the first year of college. The efforts of the steering committee will result in an action plan for systemic changes that will lead to more successes for first year students.

Goal III. Workforce Development
Culinary Arts faculty and students participated in the annual Taste of San Antonio, a three-day event sponsored by the San Antonio Restaurant Association. Faculty and students helped prepare and serve the gala event dinner. Students were also involved in staging and producing the American Culinary Federation Professional Chef Competition in which local chefs competed against each other. This intense competition, similar to the Food Network’s Iron Chef, provided an excellent learning experience for students.

The Business Information Solutions Department is in the process of designing and developing Microsoft handout literature to include in College recruitment efforts. The primary focus will be on Microsoft product training and will incorporate high-end business enterprise applications.

Mary Cottier, Math Department faculty member and former Chair, presented at the California Community College Association for Occupational Education Conference in Palm Springs, California, on October 10. The title of the presentation was “Contextualizing Developmental Education for Student Success.” The presentation detailed the St. Philip’s College/Project Quest initiative to develop a context-based, accelerated, cohort driven developmental education pathway for students seeking degrees in Allied Health programs.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
The new tutoring and technology lab held a soft opening on October 1. Students and staff are working to familiarize themselves with the new facility. The grand opening is scheduled for later in the month when the center will be officially named

Goal V. Organizational Communication
St. Philip's College faculty, staff and administration attended Employee Development Day on October 8. The day-long event was held at the AT&T Center and provided an excellent networking opportunity for all employees of the Alamo Community Colleges. Participants attended brainstorming sessions designed to obtain input related to the Chancellor’s Strategic Plan.

Goal II. Student Support
Former San Antonio College graduate and world famous artist Jesse Treviño presented to President Robert Zeigler a portrait of the Hispanic labor leader Cesar Chavez. In 1992, San Antonio College recognized Jesse Treviño as an Outstanding Former Student, and more recently the American Association of Community Colleges honored him with the national Outstanding Alumni Award. After losing his hand in Vietnam, Treviño came to San Antonio College where he re-learned how to draw and paint, and he attributes the college with helping him return to his career as an artist.

San Antonio College celebrated Hispanic Heritage on with a Latino Fashion Show on October 10 and with a performance by the mariachi group La Alteñas and an Awards Ceremony for the Art and Essay Contest winners on October 12.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
President Robert E. Zeigler was honored for his achievements in education at the 11th Annual “Celebrate Hispanic Heritage” Awards Gala 2007 at the Omni Hotel on October 12. He was cited for his outstanding leadership of the largest single-campus community college in Texas. He played a major leadership role in establishing and implementing a viable program review and institutional effectiveness system, in nurturing and encouraging a technology program resulting in San Antonio College being a leader in instructional technology in the state and nation, and in refining the college budgeting process. He has helped establish articulation agreements with a number of colleges and universities and was an early leader in developing an innovative academic partnership with the Navy. He has helped implement continuous improvement of the college’s efforts in the area of student success.

San Antonio College’s Dental Assisting Program and the Medical Assisting Program both been ranked as “Exemplary” by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Exemplary ranking is given to academic programs that exceed the Coordinating Board’s expected standards of excellence. Both the Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting programs have received this ranking in previous years.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
WOAI-TV featured the San Antonio College Latino Fashion Show on its Oct. 10 6 p.m. news program. The fashion show included work by student designers and models — the third year of the fashion show as a part of the college’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration.

San Antonio College's Scobee Planetarium Educational Specialist Bob Kelley was recently featured on KTSA-AM radio discussing the National Space Station fly-over of San Antonio on the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik. He said that the station would appear as a “slow-moving star.” The Scobee Planetarium staff are frequently quoted as the local experts on astronomical events.