Goal II. Student Support
In preparation for The Big Read for an Enlightened Community, Northeast Lakeview College received 5,000 copies of the bestseller novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The copies are being distributed to NLC faculty, students and staff as well as community partners who will all read the novel and engage in community activities, exchange ideas, and encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment. The Big Read for an Enlightened Community will run from March 3-April 11, 2008.

Phillip Hicks, Student Success Specialist and Debbie Hamilton, Vice President of Student Services attended the 6th Annual Institute for Transfer Students January 23-25th in Addison, TX. The conference, sponsored by the University of North Texas, featured best practices for recruitment and retention of transfer students. The community college strand focused on how to increase the number of associate degree and core completers who transfer to a 4-year institution.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
Dr. Beth Lewis, Vice President of Academic Affairs, attended the Texas Association of Community College Attorneys conference in Austin on Friday, January 25.  The conference included sessions on legal issues regarding intellectual property, FERPA, study abroad programs and employment law.       

Goal II. Student Support
Thirteen Northwest Vista College students were recently awarded free computers for their home use. This project is spearheaded at NVC by Dean of Workforce Development, Patrick Fontenot, and Computer Forensics Program Coordinator and instructor, Dr. Warren Mack.
A few months ago, Patrick Fontenot and Dr. Warren Mack called on fellow Information Technology faculty and staff members to personally purchase old computers, use their technical expertise to refurbish the equipment, and then donate it to students who could not otherwise afford to buy a personal computer.
“This project is our way to answer the Chancellor’s call to narrow the digital divide,” says Patrick Fontenot, referring to Dr. Bruce Leslie's call to narrow the technology gap that exists among the majority of our student populations, especially the lower income. “Several of us (IT faculty and staff) got together and submitted a bid for a pallet of computers, monitors, and accessories and won the bid from ACCD surplus property.” 
It is a win-win situation for everyone involved, says Dr. Warren Mack. "The students from my Microsoft computer support class had a chance to refurbish the computers, so they gained valuable hands-on experience in computer support and repair. The recipient students received a working computer, complete with the software to help them with their college class work."
Other faculty involved in the project includes Bobby Yeater, Fabius Bascon, John Grillo, and Aaron Hackney. Additional support has been provided by the Information and Communications Technology staff.
Technology Support Manager Gloria Lopez says that much effort went into selecting the recipients of the computers. "We worked hard to ensure that the computers were well matched with students who truly need them..."
Student Roxan Gonzalez was one of the recipients. She says that with four children, getting a free computer is much appreciated. "It's wonderful to get this level of support from the college."
By the year's end, the faculty and staff who are participating in the project hope to reconstruct 28 computers and monitors for students' personal use.
Network administrator major, Monica Gonzales, was another student who received a free computer for her home use. "I think this is wonderful," she says. “I could never afford to have a computer at home. It’s been a big help financially and I want to thank everyone involved.” l.

Goal III. Workforce Development
Chris Maddox, Continuing Education Specialist, Colleen Smith-Arrey, Director of Alternative Programs, and Patrick Fontenot, Dean of Workforce Development, had the pleasure of meeting with Jeff Bourgeois the Regional Vice President/Administrator for the new Christus Santa Rosa Health Care-Westover Hills hospital on Thursday, January 24th.  The hospital is projected to open in the Winter of 2009 and will be a full-service, 150-bed hospital. 
Mr. Bourgeois was introduced to the NVC information technology, clinical research, and other workforce programs. Mr. Bourgeois was also very interested in our children’s Community Summer programs. Mr. Bourgeois stated that given the close proximity to NVC, this program is an excellent resource for hospital employees and their children.
NVC plans to work closely with the hospital and attend the opening of the hospital’s administrative offices on March 4th.  

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
Two town hall meetings on Strategic Planning were conducted at NVC on Friday, January 25th and Tuesday, January 29th.  At each meeting, staff and faculty were presented with data on progress made in the past year on the NVC Strategic Plan. Draft organizational action plans for 2008 were also shared. Attendees were given the opportunity to give feedback on the latest changes. A final 2008 strategic plan will be prepared based upon this feedback.

Campus Budget Officer Virginia Leggett, has been accepted to serve as a member of the Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE) Board of Examiners. She will volunteer approximately 250 hours to the Quality Texas Foundation to promote the criteria for performance excellence to Texas organizations and encourage individuals to apply to become TAPE Examiners. 
 

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
Palo Alto College’s Career and Transfer Department participated in the St. Mary’s University School of Law’s Seventh Annual Minority Pre-Law Symposium, Jan. 26. The symposium brought together minority high school and college students, law school administrators, law faculty and law students together for a day of interactive programs and discussions. PAC’s Charlie Garcia hosted the “San Antonio Colleges and Universities Informational Session.”

Goal II. Student Support
Former PAC student Eliab Chavira was featured for his achievements in academic excellence in Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Biomedical Science newsletter entitled “CVM Today.” The article highlight’s PAC 2+2 program with A&M and the foundation it provided Chavira, and quotes Dr. Skip Landis, Director of Biomedical Sciences, that “(PAC) sets the expectations for schools to follow.” The complete article can be found at: http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/news/ cvmtoday/winter2007/eliab.shtml

Goal III. Workforce Development
Weldon Riggs, Instructor of Agriculture and Horticulture, has been selected to judge the “Dairy Goat Division” and “Showmanship” category at this year’s Bexar County Junior Livestock Show (BCJLS). The BCJLS provides an opportunity for FFA and 4-H students in Bexar County to learn about production agriculture, and provides real-world experience in money management and work ethic.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
Willis Humiston, an English adjunct instructor, was selected to be an AP Literature and Composition Reader for the College Board. Humiston will evaluate and score AP students’ writings, ensuring that AP grades accurately reflect college-level achievement.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
San Antonio Express-News Art Critic Dan R. Goddard describes PAC’s Gallery100 as providing “the far South Side with its first well-designed, non-profit art space.” PAC’s Fine Arts Department’s exhibition of “What are you doing?” featuring works by Nate Cassie and Ethel Shipton, was featured in Goddard’s blog, which appears in the newspaper’s website.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
An open house for the St. Philip's College Respiratory Care Technology Program was held on January 25. More than 100 visitors including SPC staff, faculty, students and administration were in attendance. Respiratory Care faculty demonstrated the use of different types of equipment and procedures used in the care of respiratory patients.

Plans are underway by the Allied Health Department as they prepare for the upcoming annual “Road to Success Conference” which will be hosted by the San Antonio Education Partnership at Our Lady of the Lake University. The program is directed toward high school juniors and seniors to expose them to different health related career fields. The program is a combined effort of private/public higher education institutions, various vendors, the San Antonio Education Partnership, and 24 area high schools.

Faculty from the Reading, Education and Foreign Languages Department participated in College Day at Tynan Elementary School. Faculty dressed in their own college attire and visited the school along with other local college and university professors to inspire students to prepare for their future in higher education.

Goal II. Student Support
The Department of Student Life is working with a student planning team to prepare for a Mardi Gras Celebration on February 5. In addition, the Department’s African American Men on the Move initiative, “Not Your Ordinary Study Hall,” will provide additional support and tutoring in order to enhance academic performance for all students. The study halls will be held on Thursdays throughout the spring semester.

Goal III. Workforce Development
Partnership proposals are underway with the goal of providing workforce training opportunities for the San Antonio community and beyond.

Goal IV. Capacity To Serve
On January 22, 2008, the Interim Dean of Health Sciences attended a meeting hosted by the Office Military Affairs at the City of San Antonio. The session included a discussion of the work that area stakeholders need to accomplish in order to prepare for interaction with contracted consultants as they study the impact of the Medical Education Training Center on clinical opportunities in nursing and allied health programs.

With the semester underway, the SPC Instructional Technology Department has been busy assisting students in the computer labs. During the second week of the semester, a total 6,796 students (duplicated count) used computer labs on the Martin Luther King campus, at Southwest Campus, and at Randolph Air Force Base. The open computer lab in the Norris Technical Building logged 1,107 students and the Project Phoenix lab at Southwest Campus logged 1,186 students. These two labs continue to be the busiest labs in the College. Data gathered on lab usage is used to inform decisions that include the hardware replacement cycle, software acquisitions, and staffing levels.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
A reception was held by the San Antonio Black History Month Calendar to launch Black History Month in San Antonio for 2008. The event was held at St. Philip's College and Dr. Adena Williams Loston welcomed members of the community and City Councilmember Sheila McNeil to the Campus. SPC student Lily Gonzales performed for the group and it should be noted that she will perform with the San Antonio Symphony in February during the Symphony’s week-long residency program at St. Philip's College.

Goal I. Access To Higher Education
President Robert E. Zeigler, San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) Superintendent Dr. Roberto Durón, and a representative of University of Texas at San Antonio met with approximately 30 representatives from SAC and SAISD to discuss establishing an Early College High School by the first class day on August 25, 2008. The SAC and SAISD representatives discussed a wide variety of issues to be resolved, including transportation, health, food, budget, communications, and facilities, among many other topics. According to Dr. Durón, the purpose of this initiative is “to improve the lives of students through a quality education for traditionally underserved students and offer an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and up to 60 hours towards an associate’s degree and/or baccalaureate degree in a supportive environment at no cost to the parent or student.”

Oscar San Miguel, Community Outreach Coordinator with the Community Initiatives Institute, made a presentation for the Travis Elementary Parent-Teacher Association. He gave an overview of the different processes involved in students’ preparation for college and explained the steps involved in applying for admission, taking the Accuplacer, applying for financial aid, applying for scholarships and enrolling at SAC. He is scheduled for two more presentations — to recruit peer mentors and promotores and his “Seven Secrets of School Success” Workshop.

Goal II. Student Support
Members of the Black Student Alliance and their advisors Professor Barbara Knotts and Dr. Thomas Johnson attended the 20th Annual Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference at Texas A&M University in College Station. The purpose of the conference is to promote the development of leadership skills among African-American college students through various workshops and speakers, offering students the chance to network, engage in open forum discussions, and address contemporary issues affecting college campuses, the community and nation.

Two guests from Denmark visited San Antonio College to discuss programs in the Business Department and how their college might collaborate with SAC in order to have future student and faculty exchanges.

Student members of the Cheshyre Cheese Club hosted their first Coffee Night in the Loftin Student Center. The Coffee Nights provide an opportunity for students to read their work in an Open Mike setting and discuss literature in a social environment. The faculty advisor is Jane Focht-Hansen.

Jannesa Prado and Jennifer Sanchez received $400 Roger B. Bailey scholarships, a funded created in honor of the late and well-loved English Professor Roger Bailey. An English major with an emphasis in creative writing, Prado has a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and is planning to transfer to Texas State University in the fall. Sanchez is also an English major, with a 3.4 GPA, who plans to teach in high school and later in college. She is married and has three children.

Goal IV. Capacity to Serve
San Antonio College’s Nursing Education and Computer-Aided Drafting & Design Technology programs have received an “Exemplary” ranking from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The “Exemplary” ranking signifies that these programs have all exceeded the THECB’s required standards of excellence. This brings to 11 the number of San Antonio College programs to receive this ranking in the past five months. The other nine programs are American Sign Language/Interpreter Training, Business Management, Dental Assisting, Finance and Financial Management, Medical Assisting, Mortuary Science, Public Administration, Radio-TV-Film, and Real Estate.

San Antonio College was among the 2007 Texas Higher Education Star Award winners to be recognized by the full Board at its January meeting. Dr. Helen Vera, Chair of Services for Women and Non-traditional Students, represented the college at this event. The Star Awards recognizes exemplary contributions toward closing the educational gaps that challenge the state. The ACCD-SAC LULAC Parent/Child Program was designated for a Star Award, the second Star Award won by San Antonio College — the first for its Strategies for Success Program.

The Mortuary Science Program, chaired by Mary Mena, hosted O. C. Robbins, Executive Director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission, who is coordinating a statewide effort to increase organ and tissue donation awareness. He spoke at San Antonio College to funeral service providers and health care professionals on “Organ Donation Stakeholder.” Topics included consumer protection and disclosure, involvement of the funeral director/embalmer as well as the funeral establishment and crematory, the Texas Willed Body Programs and procurement of cadavers for science and research, accreditation issues, transportation, and the Federal Trade Commission funeral rule. Attendees received continuing education credits for professional development. The Mortuary Science program is one of San Antonio College’s “Exemplary” programs, based on Texas Higher Education Coordination Board ranking.

Joan Fabian, Visual Resources Specialist, has her artwork on display on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Moody Learning Center in an exhibit titled “In Color: The Place to Be!” The pieces include paintings and mixed media that are stimulated by popular and ethnic culture. Librarian Eileen Oliver said, “The works consist of constructions made specifically for the walls of the library and transform the rooms with her use of shape, color and form. Joan was a Fulbright Scholar and Lecturer in Pakistan at the National College of Arts and a resident artist in Rotterdam, the Netherlands last year. She received a Pollock Krasner Grant in 2005, and her work can be seen at her website at www.joanfabian.com.” A reception was held at the library in honor of Fabian and her work.

Goal V. Organizational Communication
President Robert E. Zeigler and students Stephanie Postell and Tony Reyes were interviewed on KABB-Fox-TV about the new Texas College Readiness Standards, created under House Bill 1 and waiting approval by the legislature. The students said they didn’t feel well enough prepared by their high schools for college, and the reporter noted that more than half of all Texas graduates entering college must take remedial courses. In his interview, Dr. Zeigler mentioned San Antonio College’s involvement in helping set these state standards, which “will try to align college and high school curricula” and work backwards from 12th grade to kindergarten. Dr. Jon Lee, SAC History Professor, was the Social Science Team Chair for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and oversaw development of social sciences standards for the College Readiness Draft Report.