CAMPUS DIGEST - Merced College...CAMPUS DIGEST NOVEMBER 2013 ‘My Five Most Indispensible Books’...

CAMPUSDIGEST

Think Strategic President Taylor’s forums on the strategic planning process brought several good ideas forward for consideration. Page 2

Healthy Living In this issue, we offer 12 tips to remain safe and sound during the holiday season. Page 4

‘TAACCCTful’ Three training programs are re-vamped in an effort to better serve the needs of area employers and workers. Page 7

NOVEMBER 2013A Merced College News Magazine Published by the Office of Institutional AdvancementVol. III Edition 4

Stars and Stripes Forever

A long exposure and adjustment of focal point, thanks to Jay Sousa, produced this amazing photograph of the Field of Honor flag display. The project was organized by the Merced Sunrise Rotary in cooperation with Merced College. The week-long exhibit, which ran November 4-11, honored the nation’s veterans and first responders.

Photo by Jay Sousa

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m very pleased with the many comments made by staff during my two recent forums on the process to up-date our strategic plan. I want to thank those who attended, and for those who were unable to partici-pate, I would like to use this column to re-view the presentation.

Several ideas brought forward during the forums deserve further attention. These include strategic initiatives to support adult and career-technical education and an ef-fort to improve the connections between Merced College and our local high schools. Other ideas include “right-sizing” staff and faculty, developing an approach to online education, and the need for a technology committee. It was also suggested that we develop a first-year-experience program or provide additional guidance for incom-ing students. These are all ideas that we will continue to explore.

As I had declared during the forums, we are in the midst of change, and change is difficult for us to deal with. But change is not really a bad thing. It can be very healthy, though it might be unsettling at first. We can’t always see the “whole pic-ture” of where we are and where we are headed. And, the fact is, we are often not in control of the forces that are producing change. The best we can do is prepare for the future that we prefer and move in that direction. Of course, our decision-making process ensures wide dialogue and consul-tation across the college. This should help us navigate the “troubled waters” of change.

We must recognize that our traditional college planning processes have been reac-tive instead of proactive. We should strive to become a forward-thinking institution.

Strategic Planning Forums Provide Good IdeasRevising the Plan is an Important Task that Involves the Entire College

CAMPUS DIGEST NOVEMBER 2013

By Dr. Ron TaylorSuperintendent/President

Dr. Taylor

“We can’t always see the “whole picture” of where we are and where we are headed. And, the fact is, we are often not in control of the forces that are producing change. The best we can do is prepare for the future that we prefer and move in that direction. ”

While doing this, we must try to avoid the pain and sense of loss that comes with change. Open communi-cation and honest dialogue will help alleviate these is-sues for many of us.

I’ve emailed my presentation to the entire campus, and I encourage you to review it. As you’ll see, we are on a strict timeline to accomplish the task of updating the strategic plan. And there is much work to be done.

While revising the plan, we must ensure that our strategic decisions are aligned with the goals of the Board of Trustees. The plan should also mesh well with our other stra-tegic documents, such as the Educational Facilities Master Plan. As well, the goals expressed in our program reviews must be at the forefront of our strategic plan. In or-der to track these goals, we should invest in software that will support this activity.

Our current major goals will likely re-main after this process is completed. We may adopt new objectives to meet those goals, but it seems to me that our five stra-tegic planning goals are still valid and still express our institutional priorities. Still, the task force needs to hear from you in order to check this assumption.

We will face several challenges to our success, not the least of which is the con-tinuing requirements of accreditation. In-sufficient budgets will also present their own unique set of challenges. We must continue to drive up enrollment, remain committed to student success, and we must recognize that all of this is impacted by a relatively new senior administration.

However, as with all new adventures, we have many opportunities that help guide us. Accreditation, for example, while seen as an onerous task, is also an opportunity to evaluate and improve our institution. We should embrace accreditation as a positive force for change. Our budget gap also pres-ents us with an opportunity to make better

use of our resources. It will force us to make smarter choices.

While the current flux in administra-tion may be unsettling, it also presents an opportunity to build a more effective team.

We are challenged by problems with morale. I’ve heard and seen this enough to know that any strategic planning we accomplish must help us solve this funda-mental problem. I do believe that focus-ing on student success, solving our budget woes, attending to our aging infrastructure, and adapting to change with sufficient op-portunity to be engaged in the process will all improve the campus climate.

The Strategic Planning Task Force is on schedule to release its first draft to the Educational Master Planning Committee. This will be followed by its introduction to the entire college community in January. After more discussions on campus and in the community, the plan should be ready for adoption in May or June.

I invite you to join our task force in shaping our new strategic plan. The plan will be the result of our continuing dialogue and our institution’s best look into the fu-ture. But it can only be accomplished with your participation and approval.

Speaking of accreditation, a rough draft of our Mid-Term Report is posted on the intranet under the Institutional Gover-nance tab. You’ll find the document within the Accreditation pages.

It is very important to have as many eyes on this draft as possible. Your thoughts and comments are needed to help shape the de-ocument and to produce an accurate report.

We have a December 12 deadline to finalize the report. Please send your com-ments to Dr. Susan Walsh.

CAMPUS DIGESTNOVEMBER 2013

Standing Proud

U.S. Air Force veteran Richard ‘Z’ Zeunges (above) stands by the flag purchased in his honor during the recent Field of Honor display. The warehouse and shipping supervisor served in the military as a aerospace ground equipment craftsmen for 24 years. Left, Ron and Trish Taylor pose after the opening ceremony. LB Campus Biology Professor Cary Coburn (bottom) stands by his flag purchased in his honor. Coburn, who advises the College’s Veterans Club, is a Marine Corps veteran.

Photos by Susan Walsh


‘My Five Most Indispensible Books’

By Charelene ReedArea Secretary

A recurring feature in the Campus Digest is a column titled “My Five Most Indis-pensable Books,” and we invite members of the college community to give us their top five books. In this month’s column, Charlene Reed talks about her favorite books. Send your list to [email protected].

I consider myself to be a diverse reader. I find myself reading Romance, Historical, Western, Science Fiction books, and more.

One of the books that I have found memorable and continuously reread is Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. Ride the Wind is a story about Cynthia Ann Parker, Naduah as she was known after her capture during a Comanche raid on Fort Parker.

This book is a fictional account of an actual event and describes what it was like to be captured and adopted by a Comanche family, become the wife of Comanche Chieftain Nocona (Won-derer), her return to the Parkers, and her death. Her oldest child was Quanah (Fragrant) Parker the last free Coman-che chief. After surrendering, he was later appointed by the U.S. government as principal chief of the tribe Quahadi. I have held on to this book since 1985.

Savage Destiny by Rosanne Bittner was voted Best Western series in 1986. The first book in the series I bought was Sweet Prairie Passion in 1983 and did not even know it was a series until the late ‘80s early 90s when I saw book six in the store. I called Modesto, Fresno, and Turlock looking for the missing middle books and finally found them in Turlock. The last book in the series, Eagle’s Song, was published in 1996.

This series covers the lives of Zeke and Abbie Monroe. Zeke’s (Lone Eagle) is the half-Cheyenne trail guide who leads the wagon train that 15-year-old Abbie and her family are traveling west in on their way to Oregon. The series covers about 50 years of Zeke

and Abbie’s life together. Starting with meeting and the trials Abbie and Zeke went through on the trip west, it continues with Abbie living with the Cheyenne and learning their customs and beliefs, and Zeke providing a “white woman’s” home for Abbie on the Arkansas River. Then the Monroe’s start building a horse ranch while the Chey-enne face broken treaties and the build-ing of the Union Pacific. Zeke then goes looking for his injured brother who is fighting for the South during the Civil War. While fighting for the freedom of some of the Cheyenne, Zeke dies. The series finishes with Abbie’s death.

There are so many more events regarding the tragic and traumatic affect that opening the West had on the Na-tive Americans covered in this series. It truly is a wonderful read.

Another favorite of mine that I read over and over again is the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. This series is classified under “Urban Fantasy.” Mercy is a mechanic who is of Native American heritage. This heritage gifted her with the ability to change into a coyote at will.

Each book has a different plot, but in one way or another is about what Mercy will do to protect the people she cares about. Antagonists in this series include vampires, fairies, humans, and more.

I also enjoy reading books by Tony Hillerman, who writes mysteries involving Leaphorn and Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. Some of his books include The Blessing Way, Skinwalk-ers, and The Shape Shifter, just to name a few. I really enjoyed these mysteries because no matter how many twists and turns there was in the story you could still understand what was going on.

Instead of listing another book or series that I read, this is a short list of some of the authors I have on my book-shelves: Sharon Sala, Lindsey McKenna, Anne McCaffrey, Cherry Adair, Laurell K. Hamilton, Linda Howard, Lora Leigh, William Shakespeare, Thomas R. St. George, and many more.

1. Wash hands often to keep yourself from spreading germs and getting sick. Wash your hands with soap and clean run-ning water for at least 20 seconds.

2. Bundle up to stay dry and warm. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: lay-ers of light, warm clothing; hats; and boots (waterproof for wet conditions).

3. Manage stress. Don’t over-commit yourself and prevent holiday anxiety and pressure. Get enough sleep.

4. Don’t drink and drive or let others drink and drive. Whenever anyone drives drunk, they put everyone on the road in danger.

5. Be smoke-free. Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke. There is no safe amount of tobacco or secondhand smoke. Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be dangerous.

6. Fasten seat belts while driving or rid-ing in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat or seat belt according to his/her height, weight and age. Use a seat belt every time, no matter how short the trip.

7. Get exams and screenings. Ask what exams you need and when to get them. Up-date your personal and family history.

8. Get vaccinated for the flu.9. Monitor the children. Keep poten-

tially dangerous toys, food, drinks, house-hold items and other objects out of kids’ reach. Dress warmly for outdoor activities.

10. Practice fire safety. Most residential fires occur during the winter months, so be careful to never leave fireplaces, space heat-ers, stoves or candles unattended. Have an emergency plan and practice it regularly.

11. Prepare food safely. Remember these simple steps: wash hands and surfaces often, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to proper temperatures and refriger-ate promptly.

12. Eat healthy and get moving. Eat fruits and vegetables. Limit your portion sizes and foods high in fat and sugar. Be active for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week and help kids and teens be active. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Heart Foundation

12 Good Tipsto Stay Healthy


LB Campus Celebrates ‘Dia de los Muertos’

On October 31, the Los Baños Campus welcomed acclaimed writers Francisco X. Alarcon and Odilia Galvan Rodriquez to the Ted Falasco Arts Center in Los Banos for a reading in celebration of ‘Dia de los Muertos.’ English professor Meg Withers organized the event, which was free and open to the public.

Photo by William Baker

Happy Thanksgiving, Merced College!


By Becky Barabe, Karyn Dowerand Seferina RamirezBusiness Resource Center

Student of Monthis Motivated toSucceed, Achieve

Cynthia Cook

Merced Col-lege’s Academic Senate has cho-sen its Student of the Month for October.

C y n t h i a Cook will com-plete the Diag-nostic Radio-logic Technology Program in De-cember.

“Cindy demonstrates a knack for mak-ing things happen as she is one of the most self-motivated and high achieving students I’ve had the privilege of knowing,” said Professor Judy Rose.

Cook is currently serving as a student secretary of the statewide professional soci-ety California Society of Radiologic Tech-nologists (CSRT). According to Professor Rose, Cook co-submitted an excellent sci-entific display at the 2012 Annual CSRT meeting and will be submitting another scientific display this year.

Cook commutes to Merced College from her home in Fresno. Aside from her fulltime studies, she balances her time with the schedules of her five children, as well as attending to her family’s well-being, and meeting her employer’s expectations.

When she decided to set her goal of entering the RT program, her creative side helped her with scheduling the courses needed. She took courses during her lunch time, evening and online.

“When I was accepted into the radiog-raphy program, I decided from the begin-ning that I was going to embrace the op-portunity that was in front of me and to be involved in every aspect of this learning adventure, even if it meant taking on extra responsibilities outside of the normal pro-gram requirements.”

Professor Rose comments, “I would hire Cindy in a New York minute. Any facility would be fortunate to have her on board. “

Manufacturing is a huge part of our region’s economic vitality, and Merced College intends to play a key role in providing workforce training programs to support our manufacturing industries.

Not only do we offer programs for skills needed in the manufactur-ing industry, the College’s Workplace Learning Resource Center (WpLRC), has actively worked with manufactur-ing companies to meet their employee skills needs in our region.

The WpLRC provides local employers and workers with customized train-ing, leadership, and workforce development programs. These programs are functional in context to the job and provide skill enhancement that employ-ees can apply immediately to their job after training. The WpLRC has used statewide collaboration, shared resources, and funding to establish reputable and meaningful services to regional clients. Additionally, the WpLRC has developed and maintained strategic partnerships with businesses and industry leaders, and continues to provide training services in a variety of manufacturing workforce needs.

In 2011, the WpLRC began to focus specifically on manufacturing indus-try needs, working with employers to identify skills gaps in their workforce while providing short-term trainings for incumbent workers. Currently, the “Now is the T.I.M.E” project (Training of Incumbent Manufacturing Employ-ees) is being implemented through June

Manufacturing Industries Benefit from WpLRC Programs

2014 to:• Meet employer demand for a

skilled and prepared workforce;• Provide diverse career pathways

for incumbent workers; and • Leverage resources to maximize

project impact and value in the region.The T.I.M.E. project builds upon

the College’s highly successful Train-ing and Education to Advanced Manufacturing (T.E.A.M) and Man-ufacturers Are Keeping Employees (M.A.K.E) projects funded through 2010-2012 Responsive Training Fund grants. Through the grant activities,

the County Department of Workforce Investment and the College surveyed area employers to gauge their level of inter-est in receiving manufacturing industry train-

ing. The results were very positive with a high interest in welding, electrical, and programmable logic control-ler training, among others, for their incumbent workers. To date, the WpLRC has served 15 companies in the region and trained over 600 participants in these maintenance mechanic incumbent worker train-ings. Continuing into the T.I.M.E. project, the WpLRC is working with employers to identify specific optimal performance requirements for each company and employee group. These requirements are used to develop suc-cess strategies or solutions that close the gap between current and desired performance outcomes.

Merced College is continuously looking at new ways to serve busi-ness and residents. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships with manufacturing employers.


Faculty Revamp Training Programs through TAACCCTBy Dr. Doug KainDean of Instruction

Merced College’s Career Technical Education (CTE) faculty have redesigned three programs to address industry needs through the support of the Central Cali-fornia Community Colleges Committed to Change (C6) TAACCCT Grant.

The grant funds are used to redesign programs that provide training for jobs in the agriculture manufacturing sector. Mer-ced College, along with nine other Central Valley community colleges has developed an innovative approach and bold response to the Department of Labor Community College and Career Training grant solicita-tion.

The recent Department of Labor TA-ACCCT award marks an unprecedented opportunity for colleges in the central re-gion of California to develop accelerated, intensive programs of study so that stu-dents can earn a degree or credential of value in a reasonable amount of time, en-abling them to enter the workforce of criti-cal industries with growing occupational demand in an accelerated timeframe. This project is grounded in Valley expertise and input from regional employers and county Workforce Investment Boards which will transform the design, structure and delivery of education at ten California Community Colleges.

Merced College entered into this con-sortium of 10 community colleges in the Fall 2011 Semester and began work on three programs that targeted the agricul-ture manufacturing sector as well as two Allied Health programs that target the health sector.

The three programs that provide train-ing within the agriculture manufacturing sector are Welding Technology, Mecha-nized Agriculture Technology, and In-dustrial Electronics /Automated Systems Technology. Faculty within these three programs invested numerous hours last year instituting a number of program alter-ations that were outlined within the grant work plan requirements. These alterations were branded “The 8-Guiding Principles” of program design. The 8-Guiding Prin-ciples focused on integrating a number of

changes that would, in the end, allow stu-dents to complete a certificate of degree in a shortened period of time, while providing a support structure that assured greater stu-dent success in each program and success in employment upon completion of each program.

The 8-Guiding PrinciplesIntegrated Program Design. Students

were given a pre-determined sequence of courses that lead to the certificate they de-sired. They were required to enroll in each course to ensure they would complete the certificate requirements in the shortest time possible.

Cohort Enrollment. These pre-estab-lished life-of-program class schedules led to the next requirement, which is teach-ing in a cohort-based structure. This single program registration process required all students within the program to take all prescribed courses together from beginning to end.

Block Scheduling. Often times when learning technical skill sets, long breaks between practice sessions produce poor student success in mastering a given skill set. Therefore, the courses within each pro-gram’s pre-determined sequence are taught in a block format. Rather than students attending every course a few times a week for a relative short period of time, over an 18 week semester students will attend only one or two courses each week. This provides an opportunity to immerse the students in the subject matter for several hours per day, four days a week. Students finish the required hours of each course in three to six weeks and then begin the next courses within their sequence.

Embedded Remediation. Essential and relevant math and English skills will be provided in tandem with learning specific occupational competencies allowing for greater results in math and English skills in an applied contextual format making it relevant for adult learners.

Increase Transparency, Accountabili-ty, Labor Market Relevance. C6 programs will be advertised, priced and delivered as high-value programs leading to clearly defined credentials and connected to re-gional employer need. Clear & consistent

information about tuition, duration, success rates, and job placement outcomes will en-able students to assess costs and benefits, see the reason for continued attendance, and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve program goals.

Compressed (Classroom) Instruc-tion. Faculty within each program invested many hours devising strategies that would compress a student’s time to completion of the program. The College’s welding pro-gram was successful in compressing its time to completion from three semesters, down to one 18-week semester. This was accom-plished by creating a stackable certificate and offering courses in an 18-week block schedule format. Students wanting to fin-ish the welding technology certificate at-tend classes for eight hours a day, four days a week and in 18 weeks they are interview-ing for a welding job. The Mechanized Ag Technology and Industrial Electronics /Automated Systems Technology programs can be completed in two 18-week semes-ters.

Transformational Technology. C6 Redesign Education Delivery (RED) Teams will redesign courses across the region to better use new and existing technology as well as blended learning models and will seek out open textbooks and courseware options in order to assist cash-strapped TAA eligible participants. Deploying transformative technology will support instruction and accelerate student learning. This includes redesigning courses across systems using technology, blended learning models and using open textbooks and courseware.

Innovative Student Support Services. It becomes evident very early on that when students have access to an imbedded coun-selor that provides “real time” intervention when students begin to have problems in class, student success in course and pro-gram persistency increases rapidly. The im-bedded counselor works with each student from program orientation and registration, to conferencing with faculty on which stu-dents need guidance, to other student sup-port services.

Though these three redesigned pro-

See TAACCCT, page 8.


TAACCCTContinued from page 7.

Merced College Hosts Third GISday

Workshop Can Help with YourEmployees’ Engagement

grams are in relatively early stages of imple-mentation, the signs of increased student success are evident. Over the last five years, these programs averaged 27 certificate completers per year. The evidence at this point in the semester indicates there will be more than 70 certificate completers ready for employment by the end of the spring 2014 semester.

Thanks to Darol Fishman, Steve Boyle, Eugen Constantinescu, Jeff Nagano, and Aaron Hamilton for their dedication to students success by bringing this new ap-proach to teaching CTE curriculum to fruition, which proves the adage “Students are our focus and we are known by their success.”

If you’ve ever used Google Earth, Map-Quest or other kinds of mapping programs on your computer or smart phone, then you know helpful it is to pair spatial informa-tion (maps) with information (data).

This dynamic pairing of maps and data through “Geographic Information Systems” or “GIS” helps people view, un-derstand and appreciate the world in new, exciting ways.

The Office of Grants and Institutional Research uses geo-spatial data to display and analyze complex patterns, relation-ships, and information to a variety of audi-ences. The Office is working to build insti-tutional capacity in the use and application of GIS software to the wider Merced Col-lege community through the third annual GISday, which was held on November 20.

GISday is a global event for users of GIS technology, from the novice to the most seasoned professional. This year’s theme is “Discovering the World through GIS.”

GIS represents technology software, data, and solutions that are used by Merced College and by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide in government, educa-

tion, business, and industry.One-hour “GIS 101” presentations were

be offered in the main campus library with participation free and open to students, fac-ulty, staff, and community members.

“This was a great opportunity for people to learn what GIS is all about and why this is such a powerful, in-demand tool,” said Cherie Davis, Office of Grants and In-stitutional Research director and GISday presenter. Davis noted that no prior GIS experience or skills are needed for these in-troductory sessions.

A GIS map gallery was also displayed in the library lobby.

Davis noted her appreciation to the sponsors of this year’s GISday events: The Friends of the Library, the City of Merced, and the US Department of Education His-panic Serving Institutions (HSI) “Warriors on the Way” grant under the auspices of the California State University, Stanislaus in partnership with Merced College and San Joaquin Delta College.

For further information, please contact the Office of Grants and Institutional Re-search at [email protected].

Did you know that over 50% of em-ployees are disengaged from their job? And that disengaged employees have higher turnover, call in sick more often and even have more accidents on the job?

Merced College is offering a new pro-fessional development workshop dealing with this problem. T

The two-day Employee Engagement workshop will be offered on December 5 and 12 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Busi-ness Resource Center, 630 W. 19th Street in downtown Merced. The workshop earns a half-unit of college credit and is just $23.

This workshop will help participants to understand the impact that engaged and disengaged employees can have on a team.

Participants should leave this work-shop equipped with skills to help their em-ployees become engaged and contributing members of their team.

For more information or to sign up, call (209) 386-6733.

Noted Author Visits Campus

English professors Vince Piro (left) and Michael Barba (right) pose with author Daniel Chacon, who visited Merced College on October 16. Chacon’s reading was sponsored by the Puente Program.

Photo by Susan Walsh

CAMPUS DIGEST - Merced College...CAMPUS DIGEST NOVEMBER 2013 ‘My Five Most Indispensible Books’...

Documents

Transcript of CAMPUS DIGEST - Merced College...CAMPUS DIGEST NOVEMBER 2013 ‘My Five Most Indispensible Books’...