President's Message

April/Abril/Oster-month/Eostur-monath/Eostre

As you think about April, the month and the word, what comes to mind? In my case, I think immediately of spring, rebirth, blooming flowers and verdant fields. And because I have a particular interest in the origin of words, I dig as far as I can into their etymology. This most recent dig yielded a few facts noting that the Anglo–Saxons called April Oster-monath or Eostur-monath and that the Venerable Saint Bede said that this month is the root of the word Easter. He further speculated that the month was named after a goddess Eostre (although some folks wonder if this was just an invention on his part). The Goddess Eostre flew through the heavens surrounded by Roman-inspired beams of light, and animals (do you see the rabbit on the right—hence bunnies and eggs).

Don’t think however that this introduction is a flight of fancy on my part; I was actually inspired by the report from the Campus Diversity Committee presented yesterday to President’s Cabinet. Professor Donna Duchow, our Site Compliance Officer, made the report and unveiled the College’s Diversity Website (http://sdmesa/diversity/index.cfm) and encouraged all to contribute to resources for our cross-cultural repository. This invitation led me to ponder on the cultural values and beliefs associated with April. In my case, when I think of April, I think of Abril, which is the word in Spanish. Invariable Abril conjures up lines from a poem I memorized when I was ten years old in my native country of Nicaragua (the educational system in Nicaragua requires children to memorize everything. We are not just required to read, but must recite from memory a particular paragraph when asked to do so (what a pain!). In any case, here I am, many years later, calling upon memorized lines from a poem by the famous Colombian poet, Porfirio Barba Jacob titled, “Canción de la Vida Profunda” which translates to Song of Deep Life. Here goes:

Spanish. Rita’s best attempt at Translation:

Y hay días en que somos tan fértiles, tan fértiles,

como en Abril el campo, que tiembla de pasión;

bajo el influjo próvido de espirituales lluvias,

el alma está brotando florestas de ilusión.

And there are days on which we are so fertile, so fertile,

as the fields in April, that tremble with passion;

under the providential influence of spiritual rains

the soul is sprouting forests of illusion.

Yes, I was a bit of a strange “nerdy” kid.

...AND NOW FOR REAL LIFE AT THE END OF APRIL 2010.

State Budget/District Budget/Mesa’s Budget

Chancellor Carroll provided an excellent update regarding the status of the 2010-2011 budget process, noting that we are now waiting for the “May Revise,” known as the major milestone in determining what remains in place from the Governor’s budget proposal we saw in January and what has been amended/revised through the unceasing reviews by the Senate, Assembly, Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), Department of Finance (DOF) etc., etc., etc.

One bit of good news arrived this Wednesday morning in a communication from the Community College of California (CCLC) in which Scott Lay, the League’s Chief Executive Officer, indicated that Governor Schwarzenegger has pledged to veto a state budget that “tinkers” with his January budget for higher education. This is significant because, despite our concerns with reduced resources, it is indeed the fact that higher education and community colleges in particular have fared better than other state agencies.

District

Our District has sustained a strong focus on budget oversight, keeping within budget and identifying any possible areas where we are able to reduce expenses while continuing to meet core educational needs of students. It has not been easy. We all know this because each of us has contributed, supported and done our very best to continue to serve students despite disheartening reduction in resources. We have also known that our budget strategy is one that has been designed to take effect over three to five years. This is an important principle because it allows us to identify strategies that are less draconian in nature.

Our current struggle continues to be how to bridge a budget gap of approximately $5 million dollars in next year’s budget. This goal is particularly difficult because, as we all know, we have already made reductions in nearly all possible areas available to us. And, in particular, we know that we cannot make any further reductions to instructional services without impacting the 50% Law (a requirement that at least 50% of the general fund budget must be allocated to instruction). Nevertheless, we need to continue to identify efficiencies and any possible strategy to find the funds to bridge this gap.

College

Mesa’s budget has been managed extremely well. Great thanks and kudos to Mesa’s Executive Team, Vice Presidents McGrath and Kavalier, and, in particular, to Vice President Perez for his diligence and transparency. The challenge next year is the same as listed above, namely, how to do what we can as a college to contribute to bridging the $5M gap in next year’s budget. The other bit of important news in the home front is that we have already done what we need to do in terms of the scope of courses to be offered next year; in other words, there are no more course reductions to be considered.

On the positive side, Mesa is making significant strides in seeking grant funds to support innovative instructional and student support services. In this year alone, we have obtained approximately $3,844,521 in grants. We are continuing to work to make the grant writing and grant management process much more streamlined, and I expect to share a revised process with the entire college soon after it has been approved by President’s Cabinet. Go Mesa!

National Initiatives

Who can say that they are conversant with the following?

AGI, SAFRA, The Completion Pledge and the Voluntary Accountability Framework

AGI – The American Graduation Initiative. President Obama’s rallying cry urging all Americans to gain at least one year of postsecondary education to “raise all boats” and place America on a more competitive footing with other developed countries whose citizens have attained higher levels of education and training. The AGI is of particular significance for community colleges because the success of the President’s call to action rests almost entirely with us. In particular, the goal is five million more persons with degrees and certificates by 2020.

MATH CHALLENGE: If Mesa College were to identify a number to meet our fair share in reaching the President’s goal, what would that figure be?

Here are some factors based on 2009-2010 data that might help you with the answer:

• There are 1,177 community colleges in the nation

• There are 112 community colleges in California

• Total enrollment nationwide is 11.7 million

• Total enrollment in California is 2.7 million

• Total enrollment at Mesa is 23,000

QUESTION: What should be Mesa’s fair share if we were to contribute to the President’s goal of 5 million more individuals with degrees and certificates by the year 2020?

SAFRA – Student Aid Fiscal Responsibility Act. SAFRA is a student loan reform bill that will end the Federal Family Education Loan program, which uses intermediary banks as lenders, and move all institutions to the Direct Loan program by July 1 of this year. Removing the “middle man” will save the federal government an estimated $61 billion over the next 10 years, which will then be used to provide additional resources for the Pell Grant program and fund other priorities. In particular, these savings will be used to fund:

• New Training Grants to Community Colleges: $2 billion is provided for the Community College and Career Training Grant Program. These funds would be made available between 2011 and 2014 at $500 million per year. Although these grants will be awarded competitively, the commitment is to fund one or more institutions in each state. California is assured of receiving at least .5% of the grant funds, or $2.5 million.

• Pell Grants: The legislation ensures a continued maximum grant of $5,550, and it is scheduled to take effect this July 1. For award years 2013-14 through 2017-18, the bill provides annual mandatory increases in the maximum award that are equal to the Consumer Price Index.

• Institutional Aid: $2.55 billion of additional funding is provided for Minority-Serving Institutions over the next 10 years. This includes $100 million to Hispanic Serving Institutions, $85 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, $15 million to Predominantly Black Institutions, $30 million to Tribal Colleges and Universities, $15 million to Alaska and Hawaiian Native Institutions, $5 million to Asian American and Pacific Islander Institutions, and $5 million to Native American Non-tribal Serving Institutions each year.

• College Access Challenge Grants: The legislation also provides $750 million for continuation of the College Access Challenge Grants, at $150 million per year through FY2014.

The Completion Pledge: Democracy’s Colleges Call to Action: On Tuesday, April 20, at the closing of the American Association of Community Annual Conference, AACC, along with the Association of Community College Trustees, the Center for Community College Student Engagement, the League for Innovation in the Community Colleges, the National Institute for Staff and Organization Development, and the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, all signed a commitment to boost student completion rates by 50% over the next decade.

These six leaders have asked community college leaders, faculty and staff “to “identify ways to help students understand the added value of degrees and certifications, and to help them progress toward their goals.” It also calls on elected officials to “create the policy conditions that engage, support and reward community colleges in their work to strengthen student success.”

This pledge is significant in more ways than one, especially because it changes the mindset and the vocabulary about what it means to succeed as an institution of postsecondary education. The focus is not just clearly on access, but success, namely, course, certificate and degree completion. This critical and nuanced shift in philosophy will impact all that we do, and, in particular, the ways in which we measure institutional effectiveness, which leads us to the next point of discussion.

The Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) is a system being developed by AACC in partnership with ACCT and the College Board that is designed to measure outcomes and processes that are specific to community colleges. The Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) will provide opportunities for colleges to benchmark their student progress and completion data against peers and to provide stakeholders with critical information on the colleges.

Simply said, the VFA was initiated to respond to requests and, at times, criticism about the ability of community colleges to demonstrated effectiveness in terms of completion.

While everyone noted we were “Democracy’s College” with unparalleled access, our critics, most often using accountability measures that lack validity within the context of community colleges, continue to be skeptical about our success in ensuring that students meet their educational goals. Taking matters into our hands, the VFA will identify those valid measures and will ensure the development of an accountability tool that clearly encompasses the mission and function of community colleges and the realities of the students we serve.

Phase one of the VFA project will begin with a pilot including the colleges listed below:

• Cuyahoga Community College, OH

• Dallas Community College District, TX

• Greenville Technical College, SC

• Ivy Tech Community College, IN

• Laney College, CA

• Louisiana Community and Technical College System, LA

• Oklahoma City Community College, OK

• Pima Community College District, AZ

COLLEGE LIFE

Scholarship Gala

Mesa’s Scholarship Gala is quite a celebration, as many of you know. It is an evening when students are rewarded for scholarship and for perseverance. It is also a night when we partake in the many triumphs of students who have “made it” despite all odds, and when it becomes very clear that mentorship and support from faculty, staff and family make all the difference.

The night is also very entertaining, and every year, something unexpected happens that takes our breath away. I promise you, this time it will be no different. If you haven’t bought a ticket, you are still in time to do so. Just to make it easier for you, I have listed the information below.

Friday, May 7th, at the Doubletree Hotel, Hazard Center.

5:30 p.m. No Host Social Hour

6:30 p.m. Dinner

7:30 p.m. Scholarship Awards Program

9:30 p.m. Dancing until Midnight

Contact the Student Affairs Office at 388-2699 for more information.

Ticket Costs:

$12 Mesa College students (ID Required)

$35 General Public

$35 Student Sponsor

$1000 Golden Circle (table for 10)

$750 Patrons Circle (table for 10)

$500 Friends Circle (table for 10)

Commencement – The Culmination and the Beginning

As you know, The Commencement Ceremony is one of my favorites. I literally look forward to the time when each student marches onto that stage to receive his or her diploma, and I find myself fortunate enough to look into their eyes, shake their hands and share the reaffirmation and excitement that comes with attaining a personal goal.

I know that the experience is just as fulfilling and rejuvenating for everyone in the auditorium. The air is electrified, and one has only to hear the shouts of joy and encouragement coming from families, faculty and staff in the audience as they recognize students filing on to the stage. How can you miss it! This clip is being used as part of our Commencement Participation Campaign, and it is being aired on monitors located strategically throughout the campus. I invite you to click on the link below to get a taste of what it is like to be part of this important event in the life of our college.

• Commencement Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kC0YJ8tTCU&feature=player_embedded

• Commencement website - http://www.sdmesa.edu/commencement/index.cfm (the video is premiered on this website)

MESA COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY

Stuff the Bus Campaign

What: United Way’s 3rd Annual “Stuff the Bus!” is a sports equipment drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pieces of new equipment for children in need, many of them living in foster care. United Way and Promises2Kids have partnered to ask San Diegans for help stuffing a big yellow school bus full of new equipment for these worthy kids.

Why: New sports equipment is often out of reach for children living in foster care. Their own football, baseball glove, or sturdy pair of sneakers is the ticket to having the same health and fitness experiences as other kids. Participating in sports also teaches them the social and team-building skills so critical to future success.

Who: Professional athletes, including San Diego Chargers Steve Gregory (#28) and Eric Weddle (#32)! There will also be many community organizations, including Mesa College, spearheaded by our own Bryan Daniels, Assistant Coach for Men’s Basketball and our entire men’s basketball team.

As a board member of the United Way of San Diego and someone who has seen first-hand what summer experiences mean to these, the most fragile members of our community, I want to urge you to do what you can to help us collect sports equipment. You will see collection boxes throughout campus—two are in front of the Administration building (balls, bats, gloves, shoes, and caps, anything you may have wanted as a child when you wanted to go out and play).

Sleepless in San Diego

On April 24-25, 2010, the San Diego Rescue Mission hosted the 4th Annual Sleepless San Diego in LIBERTY STATION. Persons from all over San Diego spent the night under the stars and learned about strategies to make a difference regarding the mounting problem of homelessness in San Diego County. Student leaders from Mesa have been very involved as participants by focusing and addressing issues of social justice. I learned more about student involvement advocating on behalf of the homeless from my conversations with Mason Walker, Mesa’s ASG President.

I am pleased therefore to share good news regarding the plight of the homeless in our City. At yesterday’s board meeting of the United Way of San Diego, I learned that the San Diego City Council has taken a very important step in addressing the needs of the homeless, specifically, the selection of a possible site to build a Homeless Shelter that would include 1,600 to 1,800 units for homeless persons and would provide services 365 days per year. The site selected is the World Trade Center located at 1255 5th Avenue in downtown San Diego. The project will cost about $34M, but $10M is already available through the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC).

Note: All updates are posted on the San Diego Mesa College Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

Rita M. Cepeda, Ed.D.

President

San Diego Mesa College

Spring Break is Almost Here!

One more week of school and then we will be ready for a respite (AKA Spring Break) March 29 through April 3.

I’ve just returned from a panel presentation with the Presidents of CSU San Marcos and CSU Dominguez Hill, Dr. Karen Haynes and Dr. Mildred Garcia respectively. The panel was offered as part of the American Council on Education Southern California Women’s Leadership Network. Invariably I learn more than I bring to these presentations, and today I wrote down a few tidbits I would like to share with you that I found particularly relevant as we deal with stress:

The Three P’s of Staying Positive

1. Personally – Don’t take things personally, most studies show that we would be seriously disappointed if we learned how much of what happens around us actually has to do with us.

2. Permanent – We need to ask, “is this situation permanent?” or are we able to say “this too shall pass.”

3. Picture – Do the specifics in the current circumstance matter in the “big picture” or big scheme of things?

The other nugget of wisdom was the reference made to a book by Mary Ann Radmacher,” Lean Forward into Your Life.” The author describes her book by saying that it is about “boldly looking forward and daring to move through life’s obstacles with honesty, joy and velocity.” I, for one, will log on to Amazon.com and order this book. I am particularly interested in the “velocity” portion of the advice.

President’s Cabinet Notes

I want to remind everyone that notes from our weekly President’s Cabinet meetings are posted on the web at http://sdmesa.edu/president/cabinet.cfm

However, in an effort to ensure that this information is getting to you easily, I have asked Beth Cain to send the notes as a DL to Mesa College and to post the information on the web.

April 30 has been selected as the date for the next annual planning meeting of President’s Cabinet. The focus of our meeting will be:

A Review of the Decision Making Process at Mesa College:

Participatory Governance as a Primary Vehicle

The topic is timely and most relevant to ensure that we become most effective in, and in our understanding of, the ways in which we can participate in major decisions impacting or college now and in the future.

Things to Celebrate

Accreditation Standards Forum –Full Steam Ahead - Great and methodical progress is being made each week as we review our accreditation self-study draft material. As you know, these forums are open to the entire campus and are scheduled after President’s Cabinet every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Thus far, we have completed the review of Standards IA, IB, IIA, IIB and IIC.

New Associate of Science and Certificate of Achievement in Web Design (look for these great additions in CurricuNET) - The future is here, think back twenty years would you have thought that such a degree would exist? How about terminology like, webmaster, information architect, web producer, web designer, web developer and so it goes. Congratulations to Professor Karen Owens and to her colleagues, including Hank Beaver, Robert Michaels, and Michael Davis. This is just one more way in which Mesa College can attest to our ability to educate students for the future.

March: The Month to Celebrate

The college has been very active with events, programs and presentations for everyone in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month. And, as if this were not enough, we are gearing up for our Annual Festival of Colors on March 24th. The campus is “Alive!”

Mesa’s Canyon Day: Saturday, March 20

It is often the case that in the twinkle of an eye a tradition is created; however, this only happens when the event in question is linked to an idea whose time has come. Mesa’s Canyon Day is one such idea. Our entire campus has made significant strides in understanding the principles of sustainability, eco-awareness and, most important of all, the acceptance of personal accountability for the future of our planet. One statistic that speaks to our growing success is the growth in the number of volunteers that came to help clean-up the Tecolote Canyon. In the past three years, volunteers have steadily increased from 50 in the year 2008, to 60 in 2009 and 120 in 2010!

Student and Faculty Involvement

Actions speak louder than words, and I have identified some of the most important activities on our campus (not by any means a totally exhaustive list).

The Environmental Stewardship Committee –Professor Anar Brahmbhatt co-chair

A shared governance committee, whose goal is to educate faculty, staff, and students regarding recycling, conservation, and hazardous waste disposal. The committee investigates projects and policies that encourage compliance with AB 75 and encourages the college to satisfy the guidelines of SABRC (State Agency Buy Recycle Campaign).The committee oversees sustainable development on campus and works with building committees and green architects. The committee reviews the annual AB 75 report, and summarizes the findings for the Academic Senate. The committee assesses campus needs regarding recycling and environmental stewardship and provides feedback to the president.

Enviro-Club - Professor Claude Mona, Faculty Advisor

The purpose of the members of the Enviro-Club shall be promoting ideas and actions that benefit the environment as well as educating ourselves and others regarding all aspects of environmental sustainability and eco-friendly practices, including but not limited to, topics of “slow” food, recycling, and water conservation. We shall also maintain the organic garden at Mesa College.

Third Canyon Day Event – Professor Don Barrie and Lina Heil Co-Chairs

Last Saturday, I participated in one of the most rewarding activities on campus - Mesa’s Canyon Day Event. I began to write my own summary, but have opted instead to use the information provided by co-chairs, Professor Don Barrie and Lina Heil detailed below.

“By all accounts, the event was a great success. In short, over 120 volunteers removed 12 shopping carts and hundreds of pounds of trash and recyclables from our beloved Tecolote Canyon! Canyon Clean-up volunteers also removed invasive species, trimmed back overgrown trails, and generally spruced things up in Tecolote Canyon on both sides of Genesee Avenue. Sincere thanks go to Ranger Janice Lavallee of the Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center, for directing clean-up operations during the event.

The real credit for the event's success of course goes to the volunteers themselves and also to our community partners, including Linda Vista Town Council, City of San Diego Parks and Recreation, Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center, Councilmember Donna Frye's office, and the Tecolote Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee. Local schools, including Kearny High, Mira Mesa High, and Mark Twain, sent many volunteers thanks to the excellent promotional efforts of Tom Kaye, president of the Linda Vista Town Council. Several student volunteers also came from City College.

Closer to home, numerous individuals, and groups from Mesa College participated in the Canyon Clean-up, including the Enviro Club, the Women's Union, the STAR Club, the Classified Senate, Associated Student Government, the bookstore, the Teacher Education Program, and the Physical Science and Biology Departments.

Michael Fitzgerald (Culinary Arts/Management program) deserves special credit for providing refreshments to Canyon Clean-up volunteers. Special thanks as well go to professors Bill Brothers and Leslie Seiger for sharing their expert knowledge of canyon flora and fauna during the event.

Student Canyon Clean-up Volunteers from Mesa College

Joshua Caron

Dung Tray Ngo

Brad Perron

Ablelrazely Manbeh

Yohanna Bernardo

Channin Fulton

Priya Bhakta

Caroline Mukeshimana

Tsigeroman Hagos

Cody Cooper

Sarah Turner

Angela Stanger

Yvonne Spayed

Emily Prieto

Cory Jacobson

Jeremay Romero

Mia Malvestuto

Lidetu Girmay

John Tichnor

Cheryl Tichnor

Pooria Daryabeygi

Tony McGovern

Rachel Monk

Eddie Levya

Suk Kim

Nataly Yonlee

Anyma Kleinsovge

Thomas Briggs

Maria Angle

Nicole Coffee

Richard Melencianojimenez

Thomas Teagne

James Holmes

Kristin Hunter

Carla Colden

Alma Gonzalez

Curtis Chase

Naomi Grady

Anthony Ayala

Educating Rita

Some of the most fascinating things I learned from Professor Seiger’s lecture on the flora and fauna of the Canyon include:

• Being introduced to my first “San Diego Sun Flower”

• Learning that “Oak Apples” are not really a fruit but a cancerous caused by insects who lay their eggs and cause this growth to occur to protect their larvae

• Medicinal plants can be found in the Tecolote Canyon including, Yerba Santa and Willow Bark (the source of aspirin)

• Dangerous plants include, our well-known “evildoer” Poison Oak, Castor Bean (three of these will poison an adult) and the Greek Tragedy antagonist, Hemlock.

• Cactus needles are really extremely thin leaves that have acquired that shape because they do not need to photosynthesize in the solar heat of the desert. I also learned that cactus pods are really the stem of the plant. I’ll have to remember this next time I see a plate of “nopalitos con huevo.”

• “Fire followers” is a name given to underbrush that only blooms after major fires. The reason is that, under normal circumstances, this brush has no access to sunlight and thus stays dormant. When a fire occurs, the undergrowth is exposed to the sun and we are able to see beautiful fields of wild flowers that help turn tragedy into beauty.

• If anyone would like to learn more about Tecolote Canyon, we are free to join a group of middle schoolers who will be visiting our campus on April 16 to take part in an activity called the “Canyon Classroom.”

Note: All updates are posted on the San Diego Mesa College Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

Rita M. Cepeda, Ed.D.

President

San Diego Mesa College

Good Conversations

Most of you are aware that our college has been undergoing a set of significant discussions culminating in a “vote of no confidence” resolution undertaken by our Academic Senate against Mesa’s Vice President of Instruction. This action was shared by the Academic Senate with all members of the President’s Cabinet on Tuesday, March 9. The discussion that ensued in President’s Cabinet, while sensitive and difficult, was one of the best illustrations of why open and honest debate of matters that deeply concern all involved is so salutary. I wish to commend all who contributed to the discussion in such an honest and authentic manner, and in particular, our Academic Senate leaders and Vice President McGrath. The most important thing to say about President’s Cabinet is the fact that we acted as colleagues and partners – rededicating ourselves to the importance of “Shared Governance” and its appropriate application. We committed to begin with a re-evaluation of our participatory governance process with one goal in mind; namely, “how do we do the best we can to address the difficult fiscal realities ahead so that we can serve our students and community better.”

Rita in Sacramento

Yesterday, March 10, at the invitation of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education, I presented testimony on the importance of intersegmental coordination of the transfer process. I have taken the liberty of reproducing the text of my presentation below. I am happy to say that it was apparently well received.

Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education

Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod and Assemblyman Ira Ruskin Co-Chairs

Testimony of

Rita M. Cepeda, Ed.D.

President, San Diego Mesa College

March 10, 2010 Hearing

Focus: Eligibility, Admission, Articulation and Coordination

There are no villains, only victims…

I am Rita Cepeda, President of San Diego Mesa College and I am honored to be given the

opportunity to present along with colleagues on the topics of eligibility, admission, articulation and coordination. My comments will focus on one aspect of intersegmental coordination most critical to the majority of students enrolled in public postsecondary institutions in the state of California; namely, transfer. The perspectives I will share are shaped by a thirty-year history in California Community Colleges, the first eighteen years of which were spent in the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office and the last twelve years as a college president. In addition, I have been fortunate to have served as Chair of the Intersegmental Coordinating Committee (ICC) and, subsequently, as Chair of ICC’s Transfer Sub-Committee. I offer this background to set the context for my remarks as a direct participant observer in the development of transfer policies and processes in this State. What follows is not a scholarly piece of research; it is, however, the considered perspective of an individual who has participated actively in the development and implementation of transfer policies and programs for nearly three decades, and someone who has reached the conclusion that the time for tinkering around the edges is over.

Some Transfer History

Since the passage of the Master Plan 50 years ago, numerous legislative committees have struggled with the topic of intersegmental coordination and the ways and means to create a seamless pipeline for students Pre-K through G (graduate school). Moreover, while there have been countless well meaning, committed and dedicated individuals who have worked arduously on this problem, success continues to evade our grasp as we “tinker” around the edges – adding, deleting, amending, revising, reengineering, restructuring, and at times, reneging on painfully drafted agreements.

In 1985, The Master Plan for Higher Education firmly established transfer as a priority for California colleges and universities. Between 1986 and 1987, the Commission for the Review of the Master Plan released two reports with over 100 recommendations focused on community colleges and transfer to four-year institutions (Legislative Analyst’s Office, November 2009). A quarter of a century later, the literature on the topic of transfer and intersegmental coordination in California is quite abundant and would fill a small library. It is not that we do not know what needs to be done to improve the transfer function; the problem lies in finding the political will to implement a common framework that is uniformly accepted.

Some of the most pertinent reports on the topic of transfer have been produced by the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office, primarily in response to legislative mandates such as those established with the passage of SB 121 (Hart) signed into law in 1991. The Hart Bill made it clear that a strong transfer function was the shared responsibility of the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California. It was clear even then that transfer was critically an interdependent function; however, the majority of policy makers continue to view it as the primary responsibility of community colleges.

In response to SB 121, the California Community Colleges, California State University and the University of California agreed on a “Statement of Common Principles” for strengthening the transfer process. In addition, in 1995, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) titled “Enhancing Student Transfer” was signed between the then Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, Tom Nussbaum, and Richard Atkinson, President of the University of California. This MOU addressed the need for cooperation in order to improve articulation procedures, created an official statewide repository of articulation information, later dubbed the Articulation System Stimulating Inter-institutional Student Transfer (ASSIST), called for the reinvigoration of transfer center partnerships, the need to increase data collection and exchange, the creation of more part-time student options at the University of California, and the development of cooperative admission programs targeting UC-eligible high school students that chose to complete lower division course work at a community college. In 2005, a similar MOU was signed between the California Community Colleges and National University.

The Chancellor’s Office has also issued several grants over the years designed to develop model practices to advance various aspects of the transfer process. Among them was the development of a “Transfer Awareness Campaign” aimed at middle schools to ensure early awareness about transfer, the creation of a Transfer Counselor Webpage, and a research repository including promising practices throughout community colleges in California.

Most recently, the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (IHELP), under the leadership of Dr. Nancy Shulock, has produced a series of reports replete with data, assumptions, findings and recommendations in this area, the most pertinent of which include: California Community College Transfer Rates: Policy Implications and a Future Research Agenda (February 2003), Capacity Constraints in California’s Public Universities: A Factor Impeding Transfer? (September 2003), Diminishing Access to the Baccalaureate through Transfer, The Impact of State Policies and Implications for California (April 2004), and, Crafting a Student Centered-Transfer Process in California: Lessons from other States (August 2009.)

The Intersegmental Coordinating Committee (ICC), the staff arm to the California Education Roundtable, has also facilitated forums for intersegmental discussions on transfer, conducted regional studies, and produced reports and recommendations for the Roundtable and for the leaders of each of the segments of public postsecondary education and Independent Colleges and Universities. The ICC produced a foundational report titled, Transfer: An Intersegmental Analysis with Recommendations for Improvement (July 2004). The recommendations resulting from this report were categorized in three areas:

• Viability of the Transfer Function—Is it working?

• Student Access to Higher Education through the Transfer Function—Are all students wishing to transfer able to do so?; and,

• Increased Capacity in Higher Education through Better Use of the Transfer Function—Is there room in California’s colleges and universities for all transfer students?

The recommendations in this report were reviewed and revised in July, 2009, informed by a series of regional visits conducted by the ICC, and, while this report was first released in 2004, the topics identified are the same topics facing us today. Unfortunately, despite the passage of six years the answer to each of the questions raised above is “no.”

It is clear then that there is no dearth of recommendations, guidelines, and frameworks for the development of proposed legislation, policies and procedures. What is still lacking is a definitive requirement imposed statewide to guarantee transfer. We have goodwill, infinite intellectual vitality, scholarly research, model programs, websites, databases, strategies, MOUs, agreements and principles, and, despite all of that, we still have a serious disjuncture in the transfer process.

As state resources for public postsecondary education decrease and enrollment management tightens around firmly established goals – not to increase but to decrease enrollment – more and more students find themselves in “transfer limbo.” There are many paths to transfer limbo and many start with well-meaning and initially well thought-out agreements. I have worked arduously with intersegmental colleagues, side by side, thinking that we may have found the way to create an efficient transfer path. Unfortunately in most cases, problems arise as these agreements are refined, revised or suspended depending on the ebb and flow of the state budget.

In April, 2009, the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (ICAS) produced a thoughtful report, Facilitating Community College Transfer: A Master Plan Mandate. It described transfer as “a complex process to bring into coherence – one that defies simple or low-cost solutions.” The report went on to identify some of the factors that make transfer complex:

• The California Community Colleges (CCCs) serve a diverse body of over 2.5 million students.

• Two-thirds of all CSU students and one-third of all UC students begin their careers in a CCC.

• Each of those student’s preparations and ambitions has to be coordinated and aligned to transfer opportunities via services offered at 110 (now 112) different CCCs.

• The system of transfer opportunities is vast and differentiated: 23 unique CSU campuses and 9 distinct UC campuses with multiple and specialized major programs across the campuses.

In response to these layers of complexity, intersegmental partners have developed numerous avenues in our search to simplify the transfer process. Below are some of the paths we set out for students; however it is important to note that none come with a “real guarantee,” only the possibility of increasing the chances for transfer.

• TAG – Transfer Admission Guarantee

• UC –TCA – University of California Transfer Course Agreement

• IGETC/GE – Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum

• LDTP – Lower Division Transfer Pattern

• Deferred TAG – New option offered to UC and CSU-eligible high school students who could not be admitted because of budget constraints and enrollment reduction goals.

Despite well-meaning efforts, as of this date, March 10, 2010, students still find themselves trapped in transfer limbo. Representative profiles of the students I speak to daily include:

Group A – High school students who, upon graduation, are eligible to attend the University of California or the California State University; nevertheless, these students are denied admission because of enrollment caps, impacted programs or simply because newly established service areas for their local four-year college place them just outside those boundaries. These students (1,700 in the case of CSU, San Diego alone) are now redirected to their local community college under a new category of deferred transfer. These students are provided with a document called a “Deferred Transfer Agreement” that provides the possibility of admission provided these students complete the necessary course work in three years. Still, this agreement is not a guarantee.

Group B – Redirected students who enroll in community colleges but cannot find all the courses needed to fit their schedule, who map out an educational plan for completion of lower division course work and find that it may take three to four years to complete the work given course availability.

Group C – Redirected students who have completed all the requirements at the local community college and find that in three years of enrollment, the rules have changed, the deadlines have changed, articulation course agreements have changed, GPA requirements have changed and, even if they are fortunate enough to gain admission to a four-year institution, they may still linger on the outskirts because admission to their major may still be barred because of impaction in that particular discipline. There is the option of waiting until there is room, thus extending “time to degree” completion.

Group D – Students similar to those in Group A, except that the choice to attend a community college was made by the student at the beginning of the planning stage, particularly as they considered issues of cost, access, and proximity to their home or place of work. With due diligence, these students map out a course of study to fulfill existing TAG (Transfer Admissions Guarantee) and find at the end of their course of study that there is simply “no room at the inn.” They are told by the receiving institution that they are on a priority list for next semester; however, the order of priority may be subject to slight adjustments in order to comply with enrollment management protocols and procedures in coming years. Once again, there is no guarantee.

Group E – Students who start their education at a community college are significantly under-prepared for college-level work, so they enroll in several basic skills courses, spend nearly a year before becoming proficient, and map-out a process to the meet transfer requirements established by the local four-year college. They have few options because they are geographically bound by financial, family, and employment reasons; complete all transfer requirements at the end of the fall semester but find that mid-year transfer in the spring semester is no longer available – it is closed as an enrollment management strategy. These students then have to battle critics who want to know why they have “excess units.” What would you do?

The time for “tinkering” around the edges is over.

We must stop “tinkering” around the edges. We must accept that revisions and amendments, however well meaning, have only created layer upon layer of confusion. Counseling faculty members and transfer advisors no longer trust their course articulation databases, transfer agreement patterns, or major preparation requirements.

The state of California is painfully aware of the fact that, given the current state of affairs, we will not produce the number of baccalaureate-holding individuals to sustain the workforce needs of the state. It is estimated that by 2025 “there will be one million fewer college graduates than are needed in the workforce” (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy, August 2009). It is also clear that the pathway to the baccalaureate for the majority of Californians is through the community colleges. Finally, we are also clear that the transfer pathway, despite all the effort and discussion by truly committed intersegmental partners, is clearly more akin to an obstacle course and one that changes periodically depending on the budgetary circumstances of the state of California.

It is not however all about budget. It has been said about our State that our strength is the autonomy and independence enjoyed by our public postsecondary institutions. This strength is also our weakness, clearly evidenced by our inability to establish a coordinated, stable pathway for our students to facilitate the achievement of their educational goals in a timely, cost-effective, and efficient manner.

We know what should be done and we know it has been done in other states. In Florida, for example, enabling legislation that established the associate degree as a transfer degree to be recognized by all public universities has been in place since 1971. Other states include Arizona, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington. These states have found ways to address and accommodate the governance, curricular and procedural aspects of transfer thereby establishing a real guarantee for their students.

The time for working around the edges of a complex problem is over; in fact it is past due. The time for discussion about course-to-course articulation, debates over excess units, and deferred agreements is over. We must have the courage to accept fundamental, structural, procedural and fiscal policy changes in three basic areas:

• Capacity, including not just seating space and buildings, but also resources to maintain quality in our educational delivery programs.

• Establishment of a Transfer Associate degree which is universally accepted in complete fulfillment of lower division transfer requirements guaranteeing junior standing for all students.

• Elimination of funding policies that constrain transfer in all segments of public postsecondary education.

We have worked hard to cooperate intersegmentally and now we must accept the fact that statewide legislative mandates are necessary if we are to establish a credible framework for future work. Our students cannot wait any longer, and the state cannot afford and cannot survive the current state of intersegmental disconnect.

References

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (1995). Enhancing Student Transfer: A Memorandum of Understanding between the California. Community Colleges and the University of California. Sacramento. CA

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (March 2005). National University and California Community Colleges Transfer Agreement. Sacramento, CA

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (2006) Transfer and Articulation Policy: Transfer Recommended Guidelines. Sacramento, CA.

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (2002). Transfer Capacity and Readiness in the California Community Colleges. Sacramento, CA.

California Postsecondary Education Commission (2002). Student Transfer in California Postsecondary Education. Sacramento, CA.

Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (February 2003). California Community College Transfer Rates: Policy Implications and a Future Research Agenda. Sacramento, CA.

Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (September 2003). Capacity Constraints in California’s Public Universities: A Factor Impeding Transfer? Sacramento, CA

Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (August 2009). “Crafting a Student-Centered Transfer Process in California: Lessons from other States. Sacramento, CA.

Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (April 2004). Diminishing Access to the Baccalaureate through Transfer: The Impact of State Policies and Implications for California. Sacramento, CA

Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates (April 2009). Facilitating Community College Transfer: A Master Plan Mandate. Sacramento. CA

Intersegmental Coordinating Committee of the California Education Roundtable (July 2004). Transfer: An Intersegmental Analysis with Recommendations for Improvement. Sacramento, CA

Legislative Analyst’s Office (November 2009). The Master Plan at 50: Assessing California’s Vision for Higher Education. Sacramento, CA

Long Beach City College and the University of Southern California Center for Urban Education (December 2007). Missing 87: A Study of the “Transfer Gap” and “Choice Gap”. Los Angeles, CA

San Diego State University (February 2010). Fall 2010 Local Freshman Deferred Admission: Special Transfer Admission Guarantee.

WACAC Committee on Community College Transfer Issues (March 2010). What the Legislature Could do to Support Transfer Success.

Note: All updates are posted on the San Diego Mesa College Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

Rita M. Cepeda, Ed.D.

President

San Diego Mesa College

In Their Own Voices

March 4, 2010 – Mesa students gathered in the “grassy area” in front of the cafeteria to protest budget cuts impacting education. But, unlike many other forums where this issue is discussed, the state legislature, budget committees, city council chambers, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO,) the California Department of Finance, and the governor’s office, nowhere were the statements more compelling, more relevant to the future of this state, and more gripping in the depiction of the scope of the damage to the lives of individuals and their families, than the statements made by student after student as they each found their voice and raised it to speak.

At the invitation of Professor Jennifer Cost, I had the privilege of opening the rally with my own statements. Soon thereafter, my quotes and figures paled in comparison to the compelling testimony of students who were literally fighting for their lives and their future – or, should I say for those that don’t yet get it, California’s future.

Students became the teachers yesterday. Professor Cost urged all students to write down their stories and to submit them directly to her. She plans to provide these stories to those participating in the March on March from Bakersfield to Sacramento. The marchers want to respond, using the voice of students, to anyone who asks why the march is necessary. In response to Professor Cost, I have written down what I heard yesterday, as they say, “for the record:”

• A 28-year-old psychology major – who turned his life around, returned to school and worked diligently to transform a 1.5 into a 3.7. GPA. He is a member of the Psi Beta National Honor Society who finds himself unable to graduate this year because the course he needed to complete the requirements in his major was not available. He worries about his future and fears falling back into the cycle of hopelessness that assailed him before he found Mesa College.

• A reentry parent – who became pregnant at 17 and postponed her education. She is now the parent of a 17-year-old and relayed to us a conversation with her children about the rising cost of education; worrying about whether or not her GI Bill would be sufficient to meet the needs of the family. In response, her nine- year-old said, “Don’t worry mommy, I don’t have to go to college so you don’t have to worry about money.” She cried, by the way, as she told us that story as only mothers can cry when they feel pain for their children.

• An Asian student – whose parents each work two jobs, immigrants whose only hope for the future is education. It was evident from this student that he feared, most of all, having to remain in college longer than necessary. He worried about how long he would be responsible for prolonging the sacrifice of his parents to ensure that he could stay in school as a full-time student.

• The transfer student – who felt betrayed by having done all we asked her to do to fulfill transfer requirements, only to find that she had no place to go. There was no room at San Diego State University for her in the fall. She asked, as only one who deeply feels righteous indignation can ask, “Tell me, what do I do in the fall? Where do I go to school? Will I ever be able to transfer? Do I step out for a year, and then what?”

• A disabled student – speaking through an interpreter, ready to transfer to San Francisco State University but is struggling without an interpreter to help tutor her in a statistics course.

• Numerous other students spoke without a script or a shred of paper to guide their presentations. Many of them said they had never attended a rally or addressed a large group of people. Many were shaking, many crying, some outright indignant. Yet, they found the courage to lend energy and passion to preserve educational opportunity not just for themselves, but for the entire group at Mesa College and beyond. One student announced he was 17-years-old and was part of our FastTrack program with Kearny Mesa High School. He despaired at not being old enough to vote to help shape the future, and he pleaded with those in the audience who could vote to do so on the behalf of those whose future was being bartered away through misdirected policies and priorities.

• One student, who had not planned to speak because he came from a family where both parents had flourishing careers and were not financially constrained, nevertheless felt compelled to speak. His dream is to become a teacher and he now seriously doubted whether or not there would be a school that would hire him once he completed his education. He pleaded for the future and for the children in K-12 that he was committed to serve.

• Diversity, and diverse voices, was front and center at this protest. Students from East Africa, the Middle East, Japan, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands all lent their voices which started in different places around the globe but now converged in California – eager to be educated so they could contribute to this state. These were strong believers that people could make a difference in their government. Immigrants leave their homeland with deep belief in the democratic process to be found in their new country; a belief so ingrained that nothing can possible shake it.

• And then, there was the student rapper – who stunned the group with a soulful delivery about the right to education. One line struck me most directly, “Don’t they get it, the best anti-crime legislation is education, the best anti-poverty legislation is education.” He is so right! By the way, his rap was both in English and Spanish, and at the end, he mixed both languages adeptly, expertly, and convincingly.

These are the voices of Mesa students, the voices of California’s future. We are all clear about the goals for the March in March from Bakersfield to Sacramento:

1) Restoration of the promise of public education,

2) A government and economy that works for all Californians, and

3) Fair taxes to fund California's future.

Ultimately, the students understand that the 2/3 supermajority needed to pass a state budget each year thwarts the democratic process, enabling a minority of the legislature to hold the will of the majority at bay. Ultimately, students also understand that the Master Plan for Higher Education that promised access to education to all, which would benefit the State of California, has simply reneged on that promise fifty years after it was made. Yes, the Master Plan turns fifty in 2010, and it also appears that the Master Plan has turned its back on the promises that made California great. At Mesa College, there are future teachers, artists, engineers, psychologists, biochemists, writers, graphic designers, software designers, physical therapists, and radiologic technologists, all on hold – waiting and wondering why. One thing is clear: They will not wonder long because they now realize action and personal advocacy are the keys.

I had not heard the term “teach-in” for nearly 45 years. Yesterday, I not only heard it, I witnessed it once again at Mesa College. The faculty were there in force, and the students recognized them as their mentors and thanked them for their support. It was truly a day of teaching and learning, and tomorrow is a day for acting directly on behalf of California’s future.

Thanks Giving Holiday Post Script

In many of my updates, I have taken enormous liberties by interjecting a mix of the experiences of my own family with those of my Mesa family. I have tried for years to separate the two, but find that the only way I can enjoy both is to combine at random. This year my family’s gathering was a little different, and I have a feeling that this was the case for most families in this state and the nation in general. The term “Thanks Giving” took a more literal meaning than in years past because we have all experienced a change in our circumstances that, oddly enough, made us very much aware about the things we had taken for granted. This year, we gave thanks for what surrounded us with a new appreciation for their importance, their value, and their meaning. My granddaughter, Isabella, helped to say grace this year and she did it in Spanish – a great achievement in Grandma’s eyes (given the fact that she is only three years old and enrolled in bilingual pre-school just six months ago!)

In discussions about culture, I have always found that in this great multilingual, multicultural experiment that is America, Thanks Giving transcends language, background, religious belief, or ethnicity. For most of us, it is not about Plymouth or Pilgrims, it is about giving thanks in the company of family and friends and making time to take stock of whatever it is that we treasure at that moment. This is indeed universal in nature and needs no translation.

This year, I had one more thing to be thankful for the day after the holiday meal – I did not gain any weight despite the availability of both turkey and ham (in our family there are two camps – well, maybe three – the turkey eater/pumpkin pie traditionalists, turkey haters/ham eaters/pecan pie contrarians, and “stuffing only please” finicky-types.) Also, a new tradition began – I made muffins in the shape of small turkeys with my granddaughter Isabella.

The problem with this undertaking, however, was that Isabella wanted a plate full of turkey-shaped muffins and no real turkey or any sort of protein at all. This was a dilemma that took some crafty negotiation. The solution was to fill one cupcake container with diced turkey and stuffing topping and place both muffins (the real and unreal one) side-by-side – case solved!

H1N1 – The Case of the Well-Mannered Pandemic

Vaccination Day: a Thing of Beauty - no, I am not suffering from a lingering case of tryptophan poisoning – there is nothing more beautiful than to watch planning in the abstract play out in real life the way that it was anticipated. During the past ten weeks, the SDCCD Emergency Team has met each Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. to plan, anticipate, and solve every possible contingency in preparation for the arrival of the H1N1 Pandemic and the means to contain its spread among our students, faculty, and staff. We monitored the spread of the virus weekly, developed “Just in Time” communications, implemented several preventative measures, placed our order for the vaccines, conducted preparatory POD (Point of Dispensing) training, established a schedule for vaccinations (including a priority of service process,) and then the much awaited day arrived: November 30, 2009. We held our breath and waited with much anticipation to see if our work had paid off – and this is where I get to the “thing of beauty” – it all worked well. Surveys that were collected after vaccines were dispensed revealed a 99% satisfaction rating.

The H1N1 District-wide team worked hard to prepare for the H1N1 Pandemic. I am grateful for the opportunity to interact in an extended capacity with a cross section of colleagues from City, Miramar, Continuing Education, and the District Office that may not have come together otherwise. I have found that they are all passionate about their values, beliefs, and expertise and we all managed to have our say and contribute in an unprecedented manner. The “patience medal” goes to David Umstot who had to control, corral, cajole, and even threaten at times while making it all work in the end.

At Mesa, I would like to extend special thanks to Ashanti Hands, Suzanne Khambata, and the entire staff of our Health Services Center for coordinating our campus’ vaccination schedule and distribution.

Police Substation Open House

On Wednesday, December 2, we gathered to celebrate the opening of Mesa’s Police Substation. The construction and location of the substation represents our ability to listen to the input of our surrounding community, integrate their concerns, and follow through on our commitments. I say this because the idea to construct the substation as part of the parking structure to make it visible to entering traffic and visitors came from a community input meeting more than two years ago. Our neighbors expressed concerns with safety and traffic control resulting from a large parking structure and they suggested that having a police presence collocated with the structure would act as a deterrent. We listened and we complied.

If you have visited the substation, you will note that the design provides the visitor with a welcoming sense of support in an open setting with a great deal of natural light. This construction project has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Silver Level Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition, all new construction projects will be designed to meet the highest LEED certification possible.

Finally, it is befitting that the substation should open at the same time that we have filed our Clery Act Report. This document is in compliance with the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act” that requires that all institutions of higher education maintain statistics and file an annual report on several key crime categories, including aggravated assaults, rape, and hate crimes. The great news is that crime statistics at Mesa decreased an overall 19% - making our college one of the safest in the region. The report is available in hard copy and may be accessed online at http://police.sdccd.edu.

Kudos to our safety officers for their excellent professionalism, sensitivity, and ability to join as part of Mesa’s team which places education and prevention first over enforcement. Officers assigned to Mesa include:

Supervisors:

• Sgt. Diana Medero
• Acting Sergeant Nancy Shumaker

Police Officers:

• College Service Officers:
• Officer Cindy Cavada
• Officer Sean McPherson
• CSO Noel Tabor
• CSO Gaspar Cariaga
• Officer Marco Garza
• Officer James Everette
• CSO Jasmine Holcombe
• CSO James Bennett
• Officer Brian Szymanski
• Officer Mark Green
• CSO Vicki Lindsey
• CSO Christian Picou
• Officer Jeff Claiborne
• Officer Jarad Preston
• CSO Matt Flores

Thank you all.

Listen and You’ll Learn

I have always subscribed to the notion that organizational structures are organic entities and not inanimate structures with immovable parts. I recently heard a presentation that declared that “Taylor was dead.” In fact, Frederick Taylor, the father of the scientific theory of management, passed away in 1915, but his management theories continue to influence the world of work.

In 1974, Peter Drucker described Frederick W. Taylor as “the first man in recorded history who deemed work deserving of systematic observation and study.” On Taylor's ”scientific management” rests, above all, the tremendous surge of affluence in the last seventy-five years which has lifted the working masses in the developed countries well above any level recorded before, even for the well-to-do. Taylor, though the Isaac Newton (or perhaps the Archimedes) of the science of work, laid only first foundations, however. Not much has been added to them since – even though he has been dead all of sixty years.”

While Taylor served us well through most of the 20th Century, the manufacturing and mechanistic systems upon which he based his view of the world of work have now given way to an organic and, in fact, “viral” approach to organizational structures. This “organicity” of work, interestingly enough, has been fueled by technology and the increased and apparent preferred use of social media networks. Who would have “thunk it!”

In any case, while some bemoan the declaration regarding Taylor’s passing, some feel that he was a man for another time. This is the context of my tale about my penchant for “personalizing” Mesa College as a living, organic entity capable of creating a climate and sending out messages that are clearly audible, if only we listen well.

Over the last couple of weeks, several messages have emerged from what I will call the Mesa primordial soup. It is a mixed message of sorts, but if one listens carefully, the overriding tone emerging is one in which everyone wants to stop, take a deep breath, realize that it is the end of November, look forward to December and—yes—even the start of the New Year, while at the same time feeling just a tinge of guilt for not continuing with our nose to the grindstone, given the ever changing budget picture.

In a recent meeting with Team Mesa (Mesa’s Executive Staff), I looked around the table and everyone seemed exhausted, it was clear we needed to stop and take time to catch our second wind. We decided to put our pens, pencils, and Blackberrys down and look at one another as we drew a long deep breath and said, “I think we’ve done all we can for now; we’re on course, we’re in good shape given the circumstances, and yes, nothing earth shattering will happen during the rest of November and December. The next big marker, after all, should come after the Governor’s Budget Message in January 2010…so let’s “give it a rest!”

How about if we concentrate on teaching, on shoring up our “To Do” notes, getting to that project at the college or at home that we have neglected, and prepare to “Give Thanks.” It is time to reaffirm how much we do have, to look at our good fortune and to measure riches in terms of our personal relationships, the privilege of being in the business of education and being certain in the knowledge that we are surrounded by people of good will.

Here’s a promise so that we may all rest easy...

We promise that no new programs, initiatives, discussions or major decisions will be made during the remainder of November and December. In fact, we really only have 18 working days left in 2009; and, if some unforeseeable event happens, President’s Cabinet will be convened to ensure that any urgent decision is fully vetted with campus representatives.

Let’s take a breather, let’s take time to think, engage in “random acts of kindness,” enjoy the hospitality that comes with the Holiday Season, and reconnect with your colleagues, friends and family.

"The Times They Are a-Changin"—Bob Dylan 1964

I remember the earlier President's Update messages I wrote and noticed that I used to start these communications with an inspirational quotation based on the classics steeped in universal wisdom. But the "Times They Are a-Changin" and this morning I thought I would begin by embedding a link that is mind altering to say the least. Some of you may have seen it before, if so, just share with someone else. It is called "Did You Know."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

We have Vision, Mission, Values, Strategic Planning Linked to Resource Allocation

Accreditation Team Visitors - we’re ready for you. Good things are worth waiting for and worth arguing about (ok, discussing). This kind of energy and involvement simply means we care about the final outcome and, while the road has been long, we now can take the first step in testing the structure we have established linking planning to budgeting.

For those of you who may not have been following the story as closely, here is a little background. San Diego Mesa College has always had excellent accreditation visits and the outcome of each visit has been a reaffirmation of our work. Nevertheless, in the last two visits, there have been recommendations for improvement and one of these focused on our need to streamline our strategic planning process and to link this process to the resource allocation decisions we made as a college. The visiting accreditation team said, in fact, that Mesa had many planning venues but these were not clearly connected to one another.

Nearly six years ago, we began our work to address this particular recommendation. The topic was discussed and addressed at nearly all of the President’s Cabinet annual retreats and we continued to make changes until we felt we had it right. The first major change was the streamlining of our Vision, Mission and Values statement followed by the design of an integrated planning process and ultimately the addition of a Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) that closed the loop on our ability to demonstrate the link between planning and resource allocation. Yesterday (10/27/09) in President’s Cabinet, we finally adopted the full package and we are now ready to pilot our work.

For ease of reference, I have provided links to the Vision, Mission, Values Statement (adopted by San Diego Mesa College but yet to be approved by our Board of Trustees), the Strategic Planning Model, and the Resource Allocation Committee material.

Banner Day for President’s Cabinet

President’s Cabinet also reviewed the final draft of our Program Review Handbook, which is a very especial piece because it is the first document of its kind to include measurable outcomes for Instruction, Student Services, and Administrative Services. Why is this important? Because most colleges include instruction in their program reviews, a few more include student services, but very few include administrative services. Kudos to all who helped to develop this document especially the Committee Co-Chairs: Yvonne Bergland, Rob Fremland, Monica Romero, Kathleen Wells, and Susan Mun. Special commendations to Ron Perez and his staff for their willingness to go where no VPA had gone before as they tackled the task of bringing the program review process to their area of work. Great Job!

Participatory Governance

A couple of weeks ago, I joined Chancellor Carroll, Anthony Beebe, Terry Burgess, and Patricia Hsieh in a daylong set of presentations designed as part of the curriculum for the SDCCD’s Management Intensive Training Program. I was assigned the presentation on "Participatory Governance." I revised and updated a PowerPoint presentation I had used in the past, and since then I have had occasion to go over the material twice more - including a brief presentation at President’s Cabinet. Since then, I have received requests for a copy of the PowerPoint and, as such, I have provided a link to the presentation here. It is important to note that other than the sequencing and ordering of the slides, none of it is original material – the credit goes to the individuals referenced at the end of the presentation. I hope you find it useful.

Mesa’s and the Surrounding Community

As president, I have the privilege of receiving information from many corners of the campus. I often marvel how much can happen in one week while knowing full well that there are many other activities and accomplishments that may go unnoticed. The material I have gathered below represents what I know to be the tip of the iceberg and I know you will be most impressed about the breadth and depth of our work as an institution of higher education that influences the community well beyond the campus footprint.

San Diego Science Festival 2010: The Science of Us

San Diego Mesa College participated in last year’s festival, it proved to a foundational event for the Science Festival in general and a distinguishing marker for Mesa College as a leader in science and technology education.

In fact, the organizers of last year’s event, Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D. UCSD, and Loren Thompson, Vice Chancellor, UCSD, were tremendously impressed by Mesa’s participation. Our booths were among the most popular, particularly for young persons and for entire families. Our Psychology, Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics faculty deserve star billing for their efforts that day but, most important of all, for their affability and ability to connect with future young scientists.

Jaye Van Kirk has already made initial contact for this year’s Science Festival and San Diego Mesa College is one of the most popular participants on the list for organizers of the 2010 event. Finally, it is important to note that success of the inaugural event has led to a multimillion-dollar grant from NSF to expand the festival to other parts of the U.S. It is now the "USA Science and Engineering Festival" and will now be expanded to other regions including: Boston (MIT/Harvard), Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.

http://usasciencefestival.org/

In Memoriam

Israel T. Cosio (“I.T.”) Member of the staff of the San Diego Community College District since 1973 and Director of the San Diego Mesa College Placement Office/Career Center from 1990 until his retirement in 1994.

California Association on Postsecondary Education and Disabilities (CAPED)

At the recent CAPED Conference in San Diego, two of Mesa’s finest and brightest were recognized for their outstanding work.

Professor Jill Baker received the CAPED Teacher of the Year Award that recognizes an outstanding faculty member (outside of DSP&S) who has made a significant contribution to the educational needs of the disabled learner in the classroom. Specifically, Jill was recognized for her work on accessible instructional materials and classroom technology.

Professor Jill Jansen received the CAPED Recognition Award that identifies outstanding achievement and contribution on the part of a CAPED member to the field of education for students with disabilities. Jill developed an intern model for future learning disability specialists.

I say that the Jills Have It!

Judith Baca Chicana Muralist Honors Mesa

Kudos to Professor Alessandra Moctezuma who, in collaboration with the Chicano Studies Department and the Humanities institute, succeeded in their efforts to bring Judith Baca to the San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery. Judith Baca is an internationally renowned Chicana muralist and her mural, La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra: Colorado 2000 (The Memory of Our Land,) filled 25 feet of the gallery walls. The Exhibit is currently on display through November 12, 2009.

Judith Baca has given birth to new genres in art and has developed extremely original concepts for viewing the work of muralists. Baca is the co-founder of SPARC (Social and Public Art Resource Center) a community arts organization in Venice, CA. In 1976, she embarked on the monumental project of the Great Wall, a half-mile long mural painted in the L.A. river flood control channel in the San Fernando Valley, CA.

Also on display at the Mesa Art Gallery are large-scale paintings for the Cesar Chavez monument: Arch of Dignity, Equality and Justice, which was completed at San Jose State University last year. Judith Baca’s public art always focuses on the struggle of people for their rights and affirms the ties of each community to their home. She speaks of “co-creating” art with the community and in this manner something great emerges which she calls “sites of public memory.”

View the artist’s work at http://www.judybaca.com or http://www.sparcmurals.org

Student’s Voice—Vibrant, Talented and Powerful

At the October 23-24, 2009 Annual Southern California Regional Conference of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, our student newspaper, the Mesa Press, earned four awards.

Co-editor in Chief Sarah Swasey was awarded first place in the on-the-spot News Writing competition. Professor Janna Braun, noted, “This is the first time a Mesa Press staff member has earned first place in any JACC on-the-spot writing competition.”

Other awards earned by Mesa Press staff members include a second award for Sarah Swasey in the News Writing category, Brittany Wiczek received Honorable Mention for Editorial Writing, and BJ Grieve received Honorable Mention for Column Writing.

Under any circumstances these achievements are considered magnificent, but all the more so when we note that there had been a break in the publication of the Mesa Press. Special commendations to Professor Janna Braun, advisory to the Mesa Press, who is in large part responsible for re-starting the paper just four years ago.

The Mesa Press is currently edited by Sarah Swasey, Brook Dailey, and Danny West.

We Have Vision, Mission and Values

All buildings have cornerstones; institutions of higher education have a Vision, Mission and Values statement that is the heart and soul of the institution. Every two years or so, San Diego Mesa College reviews, revises, and updates this document. Sometimes, this process is a cursory one and minor edits are made. The process is shepherded by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate and it is ultimately brought to our Participatory Governance body, the President’s Cabinet, for final approval.

I am proud to say that the statement we adopted on October 13, 2009 represents one of the most substantive revisions in recent history. It is significantly streamlined, targeted, and better suited to represent the creative energy of an institution of higher learning in the 21st Century. A copy of the full document will be widely distributed and we will begin a communications campaign to ensure that every student, faculty, and staff member is familiar with the statement so that it can be used as a guide in our decision-making processes. In the meantime, you may view the entire document entitled “Vision, Mission and Values: October 13, 2009” in the President’s Update section of the website.

Grand Openings and Grand Dreams

On Wednesday, October 14, Mesa College held the Grand Opening Ceremony for the Allied Health Building. The event was extremely well attended, and all agreed that it was one of the best examples of partnership and collaboration - faculty, architects, students, Mesa’s Facilities staff, Mesa’s Culinary Arts, IT Staff, Parking and Police, Reprographics and District staff. In attendance were a number of dignitaries from the Health Industry, some of whom had partnered in sharing some of the costs for the Grand Opening. Board members Peter Zschiesche, Rich Grosch, and Chancellor Constance Carroll were also present and offered inspiring remarks. If I were to identify the persons who seemed to beam most throughout the program in addition to faculty, I would have to select Dean Margie Fritch, Chris Kinney, Department Chair, and the Allied Health Program Directors, Margaret Fickess, Danielle Lauria, Teddy Scribner, and Lori Covington. If you are interested in the remarks I prepared for the Grand Opening, you may view this document entitled “Allied Health Grand Opening” in the President’s Update section of the website.

Congratulations, from dream to drawings to actuality. The Allied Health Building is a not only a jewel in Mesa’s Crown, it is also an invaluable teaching facility and community resource!

The Entrepreneurial Community College

The heading for this section is taken from the title of a book published in 2005 by the American Association of Community Colleges and authored by John Rouche and Barbara Jones (someone we now know as Barbara Kavalier). Even four years ago when this book was written, the trends regarding the changing nature of fiscal support for community colleges were already clearly evident and the authors predicted as they wrote the following;

”the environmental factors currently affecting today's community colleges either will cause irreparable damage to their fiscal health and organizational structure or contribute to their rebirth--transforming systems and processes to meet current and future challenges successfully. ...In today's environment of declining public resources and demands to do more with less, it is more important than ever that community colleges become even more entrepreneurial.” (Rouche and Jones, 2005)

California Community Colleges are living the predicted downturn in fiscal support, and, here at Mesa, we feel the effects daily.

When we began our ongoing battle to manage cuts over the last 18 months, and as we look at another year or two of the same, we have seen signs of dismay, creativity, generosity and deep concern for students. We also agreed that we would not use the term “doing more with less,” but rather we would agree to do all that we can with what we have. One of the challenges we established for ourselves was to look for alternative resources to sustain the quality of our programs. In prior updates, I have provided you with reports about our success in garnering Federal Stimulus (ARRA) dollars in two sizeable grants totaling $800, 00 and today I am please to announce that the trend continues.

Architectural Design and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Our Department of Architecture and Environmental Design has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the SDCCD Sustainability Initiative and Workforce Innovation Partnership. The grant will fund the development of a new course in architectural design focusing on issues of sustainability. The course, to be implemented in the Fall of 2010, will be team-taught from a multidisciplinary perspective, will utilize Building Information Modeling Technology software, and will bring industry experts into the Mesa classroom to work directly with students and faculty. Ian Kay, Department Chair and Project Director is to be congratulated for his good work and planning. Charlie Zappia, Interim Dean, also deserves kudos for supporting and encouraging this effort.

Online Multimedia ESL Classroom

Earlier this past summer, an opportunity arose for Mesa College to partner with Excelsior College in Albany, New York in its effort to create an ESL Workshop Program, including a number of programs and interventions designed to serve the needs of Non-native Speakers of English. Excelsior needed to partner with an established ESL program in order to develop and pilot an online multimedia ESL Room. Key to this partnership is the involvement of Christie Allred, Chair of Mesa’s ESL Department. Her expertise will be used to help design a highly interactive, graphically rich online ESL Room to supplement our program. This resource will enable us to provide 24/7 support to the 30 ESL students participating in the pilot. After the pilot period is over, the ESL Room will become available to all of our ESL students at Mesa.

We have just received the good news from Excelsior College that FIPSE has funded the grant awarding approximately $581,000 to create the ESL Workshop. Christie will be very instrumental in determining what portion of those resources will come to Mesa to begin the pilot.

As always, this is the fruit of collaboration internally as well including Dean Larry Weiss and Jennifer Cost, Department Chair.

Board of Trustees Workshop on Participatory Governance

At the meeting of the Board of Trustees on Thursday, October 15, teaching and learning were hard at work. A panel composed of each of the presidents of the Academic Senates from the three colleges and Continuing Education, were joined by a Beth Smith, member of the Executive Committee of the Statewide Academic Senate in the presentation of a Board Workshop on Participatory Governance that was introduced and moderated by Vice Chancellor Kim Myers. The presentation was comprehensive, thoughtful and based on Board comments, extremely useful and informative. Our own Cynthia Rico-Bravo provided a list of examples where Participatory Governance was crucial to the work of Mesa College and she urged the Board to continue to recognize the fact that in some instances the implementation of districtwide should always accommodate the important differences that make each of our colleges unique.

Note: All updates are posted on the San Diego Mesa College Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

Prepared by: Rita M. Cepeda

ALLIED HEALTH BUILDING GRAND OPENING

October 14, 2009

Welcome to a day we have all been waiting for, the Grand Opening of the San Diego Mesa College Allied Health Building. When our Board of Trustees, students, faculty and staff went to the taxpayers in San Diego to seek support for the passage of Propositions S an N to modernize our infrastructure, repair existing facilities and build out the footprint of our colleges and continuing education, we did so on the premise that the return on investment for each of these facilities would be manifold. The Master Plans we developed carefully documented the educational, economic and ultimately societal benefit to our students, their families and the entire region. No single building illustrates the fact that we have made good on that promise than the facility we are dedicating today. In fact, the Allied Health Building began to amaze us on the very first day of the Fall semester. I cannot convey to you the excitement on that day as our students and faculty began to work with the highly specialized equipment installed in this facility.

In 2006, the San Diego Workforce partnership released a report, Careers in San Diego’s Healthcare Sector: A Healthy Future. This publication included information on sector trends, firms, employment, occupations, wages and career ladder opportunities, along with 42 occupational profiles. It clearly quantified the increased demand for health services throughout our region because of the size of current population and anticipated growth overall, exacerbated by the mushrooming aging baby boomers. It is estimated that between 2005 and 2030 the population over 65 in San Diego will grow by roughly 850,000; this is an increase of 128 %.)--I won’t ask how many of us fit that demographic. This report was particularly welcome here at Mesa College because it reaffirmed the fact that each of the six allied health programs

( Animal Health Tech. Dental Assisting Health Inf. Tech., Medical Assisting, Phys. Therapist Asst. ,Radiologic Technology) offered were part of the set of high demand high wage careers featured in the study. One of the tables in that report identified the following allied health occupations as having the “greatest employment profile” in San Diego including: RNs, Nursing aides, orderlies and Attendants, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Dental Assistants, Medical Assistants, Home Health Aides, Dental Hygienists, Physical Therapists, Medical records and Health Information Technologies and Radiologic Technologists an Technicians. I am pleased to report that between Mesa College, City College, Miramar College and Continuing Education, the San Diego Community College District has covered the entire waterfront – no pun intended.

Another very interesting factor and one that I point out to audiences that include representatives of four-year colleges and universities is that in that same report the outlook for wages listed the median wage for a dental hygienist at $87,000 compared to a School Psychologist (Masters Degree) listed at $58,000.

There are two other important factors I wish to point out in association with the immense collateral benefit represented by this facility. The first it is also one of the best sources to address the need for diversity in the health professions. Perhaps no other profession has done more to recognize the critical aspect of cultural competence in the ability to perform than the health professions.

In June 2008, The California Endowment produced a report entitled, Allied Health Workforce Analysis: San Diego Region focusing on “achieving a culturally competent health care workforce” in the field of allied health. An analysis of the current population noted for example that the San Diego Region’ Latino population is much younger than that for other racial/ethnic groups. In 2006, the Latino median age was 26, four years younger than that of any other group. The report projected that between 2005 and 2030, the region’s current population of 6 million would grow by 1.6 and that an estimated 95% of the projected population increases would come from Latinos (75%) and Asians (20%).

Community colleges, by their very nature represent the most diverse institutions of higher learning in this state and in this nation. Their open access and expressed focus is fertile ground as a source of individuals with great multicultural and multilingual capabilities.

The other is our ability to partner with representatives from the health industry; including great research institutions, hospitals, laboratories and the surrounding health facilities in our region. Our partners have great vested interest in the quality of our programs and in the trained professionals we prepare. In all instances they eagerly participate with us in the placement of these individuals as interns as they enable our students to gain the required field experience needed. Ultimately, of course, they hire our graduates.

In this facility, we have been true to our word. San Diego taxpayers supporting our efforts have made it possible to create an asset that responds to growing health care needs, grows the economy and provides opportunities to a diverse pool of students and future health professionals. Thanks San Diego, thanks to the vision of our Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District, our Chancellor Dr. Constance Carroll and the faculty, students and staff of San Diego Mesa College.

SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE

Mission / Vision / Values

Vision: What we strive to be

Mesa College shall be a key force in our community to educate our students to shape the future.

Mission: Why we exist

To inspire and enable student success in an environment that is strengthened by diversity, is responsive to our communities, and fosters scholarship, leadership, and responsibility.

Values: What we believe in

Access

Accountability

Diversity

Equity

Excellence

Integrity

Respect

Scholarship

Sustainability

Freedom of Expression

Performance Indicators: How we assess effectiveness

Equity/Access

Engagement/Retention

Persistence

Success

Institutional Effectiveness

Goals

1. To deliver and support exemplary teaching and learning in the areas of basic skills, career and technical education, certificates, associate degrees, and transfer education.

2. To provide a learning environment that maximizes student access and success, and employee well-being.

3. To respond to and meet community needs for economic and workforce development.

4. To cultivate an environment that embraces and is enhanced by diversity.

Revised: September 28, 2009, Academic Affairs Committee

Approved: October 13, 2009, President’s Cabinet

October 2, 2009

Mesa’s the Place

Many of you saw the movie “The Bucket List,” don’t worry, this is not the morbid start of a strange conversation. However, it had never occurred to me to place the “coin toss” to start a football game on my “bucket list,” which goes to show you that sometimes great things happen that are totally unexpected. What am I talking about is just the fact that last Saturday at the grand Re-opening of the Merrill Douglas Stadium, I had the honor along with many of our colleagues (see photos below) to cut the proverbial ribbon and to take control of the coin toss to start the game between our Mesa Olympians and the Mt. San Jacinto Eagles. This game opened the Mountain Conference play and our team went on to victory 38 to 27.

The AIDS Walk, Sunday

I finished, that’s what counts!

All levity aside, the event was magnificent with record crowds and a large contingency from Mesa College. There was a tremendous feeling of community and I realized that Balboa Park and San Diego looks rather differently when one is on foot. Real people, real lives, real places. My favorite walking partners, my husband, age?, Dillon, age six (Robin Watkins’ stepson) and Gabriel, age 10, Suzanne Khambata’s son.

Student Activism at Its Best

This week many of you received an e-mail from Tyller Williamson, ASG Vice President and Mason Walker, ASG President announcing the official start of the Mesa ASG Textbook Rental Program. I have decided to include their original message because I thought that their leadership approach and sense of social commitment is definitely self-evident. I also noted the importance of mentorship and the critical relationship between faculty and staff as students move along their journey. Great job!

“On behalf of the 2009 -10 Associated Student Government, we would like to thank you for supporting our efforts in creating the ASG Textbook Rental Program.

Thanks to the efforts of last years ASG President, Sebastian Law and his work with the Textbook Affordability Committee we have successfully launched a program that will help alleviate some of the financial burdens placed on our students. This is the first year that this program has been offered by our campus and already we are seeing positive results.

Our efforts would not have become a reality without Professor Nathan Betschart, the lead faculty that helped make this possible and the support of faculty members Denise Rogers, Beate Berman-Enn and Barbara Blackmun. Once we had instructors on board and the approval to use their course textbooks as a pilot, the ASG worked tirelessly with Carol Rohe, Nancy Wichman and our advisory Ashanti Hands to invest in 40 Art Textbooks totaling $4,545.75.

The books were delivered to the Mesa College Bookstore, and their wonderful staff managed the rental process. The books were rented for $40 each and we are proud to say that all of our books are in the hands of Mesa students! The most exciting part of this whole program is that we were able to provide a 60% savings to our peers.

We are currently monitoring the programs success. The information we gain from this initial pilot will be valuable in the expansion of our Textbook Rental Program.

We appreciate your continued efforts to empower the student voice, enrich our minds and make access to education affordable. We value this partnership and look forward to what this semester has to offer.

Thank You,

Mason Walker, ASG President; Tyler Williamson, ASG Vice President

Brown Bag Lunch

September 30 was the date of our first “Brown Bag Lunch.” Over the past month, I have been involved in a number of meetings which in one way or another had to do with the aftermath of budget cuts and their impacts on programs and services on our campus. At one of these meetings, Professor Fremland offered the suggestion that “informal” no agenda, Brown Bags might be useful in helping to dispel rumors, fears and general anxiety about our future. I thought it was an excellent idea and thus scheduled the first meeting.

Three issues were discussed: Faculty Restrooms in new facilities, the outcome of the Student and Employee Survey Results conducted in preparation for our Accreditation Self-study, and finally, general discontent with the role and function of the Western Accrediting Commission.

• I agreed to follow up on the faculty restroom issues directly with Vice Chancellor Umstot and to provide him with additional input regarding the need for at least one restroom that can have multiple uses including disabled access. The notion is to have at least one facility that permits users to lock the door behind them to address issues of safety.

• On the topic of the survey results, I offered a summary of the highlights that most impressed me in the presentation of the findings including the fact that students offered the highest rankings in the area of satisfaction with the quality of instruction at our college. In addition, students reported a great deal of personal comfort with our campus climate. The employee survey reflected concerns with facilities, equipment and supplies (it is important to remember that the survey predated the real start up of our new construction program.) Some concern was expressed about the context within which the summary of findings would be presented to the Commission. I responded to the group that we would have ample time to present and interpret the data.

• WASC—this conversation was very spirited and centered on the growing dissatisfaction with the increasing punitive role of the Commission. Those present however were quick to differentiate between our responsibility to do all we need to do to secure accreditation for our college, while initiating an organized campaign to address the Commission and its apparent lack of responsiveness and accountability to those they purport to serve.

Next Brown Bags—October 14 and 28 from 12:00-1:00 p.m.—H117/118—Bring your own lunch - water will be provided. See you then.

Relax, Take a Deep Breath and Go On

From my vantage point, the last three to four weeks have been rather difficult, particularly when placed in the perspective of the last four years. As I watch the unfolding dynamics of our great school, I see a great deal of stress and anxiety around the real and the imagined. E-mail messages asserting program closures, class cancellations, cessation of services and the like seem to be cropping up regularly.

I understand that in times of difficulty it is easy for us to fear the worst, and that includes me. We are in fact dealing with multiple layers of difficulty – any one of which on a stress scale would be sufficient to create distress. We have construction, the H1N1 Pandemic, and underlying all of this, a worsening state budget picture changing by the day.

What to do?

Let’s continue to look on the positive, keep up with the information presented by our Chancellor on the budget picture, flash forward to the build-out of a beautiful campus and most important of all seek accurate information when you fear the worst. In fact, I would like to request an enormous favor and that is to provide me, your VP, Dean or Chair with the opportunity to provide you with the facts. I welcome questions and my office staff know that I endeavor to be as accessible as possible.

Finally, let’s rely on each other and let’s support one another—

Thanks.

OCTOBER MULTI-CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS

OCTOBER

Disabled Employees Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

3-9th Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) Jewish

8th Vijaya Dasami (Last Day of Navarati) Hindu

9th Dassehra (Dasera) 10 day Celebration for Durga Hindu, Jain

10th Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) Jewish

11th Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Torah) Jewish

12th Columbus Day Observance United States

17th Diwali (Deepavali) Festival of Light Hindu, Jain

20th Birth of the Bab (Birth of Siyyid Al-Muhammad) Baha'i

24th United Nations Day National Holiday

31st Reformation Day/All Hallows Eve Protestant, Lutheran

_________________________________________________

Note: All updates are posted on the Mesa Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

ACCREDITATION

Two weeks ago, I received a letter from the Accrediting Commission providing us with a time frame (10/4/10 to 10/21/10) within which to select the dates of our upcoming visit. Because we are members of a multi-college district it was important for all three colleges and Continuing Education to agree on the best dates. I am pleased to inform you that we have selected October 11, 2010 as our first choice (remember the visits are a week-long) and October 4, as our second option. Please block these two weeks tentatively on your calendars. Mesa will have visitors and our house is ready for company.

INTERSEGMENTAL WRANGLINGS – The Education Pathway, Admission, Enrollment, Transfer, Persistence and Graduation.

In 1983, then President Reagan established the National Commission on Excellence in Education which then published a seminal document, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform. Terrell Bell, who was Secretary of Education at that time used this document to help shape many reforms that are with us to this day. At the time that this report came out I was a young Specialist in Educational Standards and Evaluations within the State Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges. I remember being filled with dread and alarm when I read the ominous warning in opening language of the report:

“the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur--others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments.

If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. We have even squandered the gains in student achievement made in the wake of the Sputnik challenge. Moreover, we have dismantled essential support systems which helped make those gains possible. We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament.”

Then as I do now, I thanked my lucky stars that I was working within the one segment most perfectly poised at the education crossroads of our nation, the community colleges. I remember beginning to form the basis of an educational philosophy as I recognized the fact that community colleges in California had the chance to offer the best and broadest access to education for all Californians and therefore the best chance to answer the challenge of a “Nation at Risk.”

Twenty-six years later, I find myself filled with the same dread and wondering why it is that we still “don’t get it.” The words of Terrell Bell and David Gardner, who chaired the National Commission in 1983 and was then President of the University of California System, ring more true than ever as the mission of community colleges to offer lower division course work, transfer, career and technical education and basic skills are seriously threatened. Let’s not lose sight however, that in this debacle all students are at risk.

It is important that we remember that all students who come to our classrooms in community colleges start their educational journey in Kindergarten (pre-K if they were lucky enough) and on through elementary, middle school, and high school. Some of them may have dropped out of high school and later found their way back through adult noncredit education. We can’t think, therefore, of the K-12 student or the Community College Student or the CSU or UC student—it is all one student—the same student who depends on us to be able to achieve his or her educational goal.

The question is: what now if the transfer pathway is in peril; what now if those that could have gone on directly to four-year colleges cannot afford to do so; or what now if community colleges cease to be “open access” institutions, not because we wish it, but because we haven’t the resources to offer the array and number of courses our students need? It is “all one student” and we are all inexorably linked to each other intersegmentally; K-12, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities.

When our students rallied two weeks ago, this is what was truly at stake –“A Nation at Risk!”

BUDGET STRATEGIES

One of the things our District has done very well is to plan and to envision multiple scenarios in the budget planning process. It is like building a home – the final structure can only be as solid as the workmanship that goes into the framing of its walls. This framing is based on:

• Good, accurate, and constant information

• Understanding the information shared in direct relationship to the impact it has on the District, College, Schools, Departments and ultimately the classroom (our most critical unit of measure).

• Ongoing and arduous work to provide the best education and student support services with what we have.

I want to emphasize the last point above. We have talked before about the important impact of perspective on the ultimate development of options. In particular, we have agreed that it is infinitely better to discuss what is possible to do rather than what is no longer possible given budget constraints.

Late Friday afternoon we concluded a two-hour meting on the topic of Tutorial Services at Mesa College, Past, Present and Future. As always, the discussion was spirited and Mesa’s values around student access and success were at the center of the conversation. I was proud of the fact that while we looked at the concrete obstacles facing us including facilities, staffing shortages, equipment, and budget concerns, we never lost sight of the fat that tutorial services are central to the educational program delivery of our college. The discussion will continue for a while, but at least we now have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I came away feeling optimistic that we can find a way to proceed that will enable us to serve students in the short, mid, and long term.

The budget realities are half the battle the program realities and their ongoing success is the place where the genius of our faculty, administrators, and support staff is ultimately tested.

Thank you for your perseverance, unending commitment, and creativity.

Next Test---Categorical Programs, stay tuned.

EARLY RETIREMENT OPTION

At the last meeting of our Board of Trustees, President Rich Grosch made an announcement characterized as “historical: by Chancellor Carroll, namely, a Selective Early Retirement Program (SERP). This option is designed to offset categorical program reductions and was only made possible because of mutual agreements negotiated with the AFT. There was much thought given to the viability of pursuing this path and it has yielded the prospect for a number of individuals to make a very personal choice after having the opportunity to have all of their questions answered through individualized counseling. Please be assured that a great deal of additional information is forthcoming and every effort will be made to answer all questions so that the best choice can be made by each individual involved.

MIGRATION TO THE MODULAR VILLAGE

I don’t know why, but the entire move to the Modular Village brings up images of Frodo Baggins and the Shire in the Lord of the Rings. I don’t try to understand where these ideas come from; perhaps it was the word “Village” that raised all shorts of amazing panoramas in my mind.

The truth—I walked to the Modular Village in preparation for the migration of our first group of “Mesans” (new word), the student services faculty and staff. One at a time, entire groupings will make their way in and out of the “Modular Village” and back to great new shiny buildings, made all the more special because we helped to imagine, design, and finally construct facilities that are worthy of the talent of our students, faculty, and staff.

It will not be easy, but it is doable and the prize at the end of this adventure makes it all worthwhile.

BUSY WEEKEND

Many times during my career as a college president, I have promised to myself that I would like to commit to pen the great variety of places I can be on any given day. This weekend is a great example. On Saturday, I will be at the 50 yard-line taking part in the Grand Reopening of the Douglas Merrill Stadium (I’ve already been warned by Ron Perez - no high-heeled shoes, tennis shoes are preferable.) On Sunday morning, I will take those same tennis shoes to the AIDS March at Balboa Park.

The real point I wish to make for the Mesa College family however is to remind you to join us this weekend at any of these two events. The information is as follows:

Douglas Merrill Stadium Grand Reopening—Saturday September 26, 2009

San Diego Mesa College Stadium was originally dedicated forty-five years ago and named after Merrill Douglas, Mesa’s first Athletic Director.

• 4:30 p.m. - Football Alumni Gathering

• 5:30 p.m. - Ribbon cutting and remarks

• 6:00 p.m. - Mesa College Olympians vs. Mt. San Jacinto Eagles

AIDS March

• Registration begins from 6:00-8:00 a.m.

• Actual Walk begins at 8:05 a.m.

• Post-walk Festivities scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

Note:

President Updates - are posted on the Mesa Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

College Governance – All Presidents’ Cabinet Minutes are posted at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/cabinet.cfm

The Dance of Accreditation: AKA Integrated Planning

A few days ago, I received a letter from the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges narrowing the time of our accreditation to between October 4 and October 21, 2010. The letter asked that we provide them with the best date for the start of our visit indicating that they would “try to accommodate” us. Because we are part of a multi-college district, the “ideal” date for the visit needs to be determined in conjunction with our sister colleges and Continuing Education. I will place this item on Chancellor’s Cabinet Agenda next week so that we can begin the discussion to agree on the preferable date(s).

In the meantime, the college’s preparation process continues on schedule. I am constantly gratified by the large number of individuals in our faculty, staff and student ranks who are deeply involved in the completion of our self-study. This week, I attended a series of debriefing presentations on the two Accreditation Surveys conducted last spring semester. The first survey focused on students, and the second on faculty and staff. The survey process, findings, and recommendations presented were extremely helpful. There were a few surprises but most important was the great affirmation of the work we are undertaking to improve our planning processes. I don’t know about the rest of you, but these presentations stirred my old “educational and policy researcher” passions (yes, I did say passions,) particularly when I saw the close nexus between the work we are undertaking regarding the integration between planning and resource allocation and the comments provided by those who responded to the surveys.

I found the briefings so informative, that I plan to schedule a summary presentation at an upcoming meeting of President’s Cabinet. These meetings, as you know, are always open but I will endeavor to provide you with the specific date of this presentation if any of you wish to attend.

The Chancellor vs. Godzilla

Yesterday, September 17, Chancellor Carroll scheduled a forum on “Progress & Plans 2009-2010” detailing the status of our district and providing a great deal of specificity on the budget “battle” and our struggles to manage the situation. It has been said that a picture speaks a thousand words and everyone “got it” when Chancellor Carroll pulled out a very powerful prop from her Mesa tote bag, none other than Godzilla itself to represent our battle with the State Budget. A powerful monster, yes, a recurring monster, yes, and, in this instance, a real monster - one we are managing to keep under control. What is our secret weapon? Planning, constant communication, and transparency. Of course, we also have a great advantage because monsters are not good at planning (replace this line with State Legislature) and we “humans” are. We are also good at finding opportunities during challenging times, and it was obvious yesterday, as it has been obvious to me during our college discussions, that creativity and goodwill abound.

Can We Talk?

During the past two weeks, I have met with various members of the faculty, attended a meeting of the Academic Senate, and consulted with members of President’s Cabinet on ways in which we could improve communication and boost our morale. In particular, the feedback I have received focuses on the importance of budget facts, but, more specifically, the impact of budget reductions on the operations of the college. In addition, the advice received was that ongoing conversations that are simple and straightforward would be most helpful. A bright idea emerged—Brown Bag Lunches!

A great idea, and one that I will implement right away. The format is as follows:

• You bring your own “brown bag” lunch (preferably in a recyclable or reusable container)

• I provide the location and act as MC

• We identify no more than two topics at the beginning of the meeting (no prepared agendas or PowerPoints)

• And we have a conversation for one hour.

The First “Brown Bag” has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 from 12 to 1 p.m. in H 117/118. Beth Cain will schedule all subsequent meetings for the remainder of the semester. Our goal is to schedule a meeting every two weeks in the same location as much as possible. My office will issue reminders regularly to facilitate participation. See you then.

Student Leadership: A Renaissance

The accolades continue, and the e-mails requesting information haven’t stopped since our students organized and led the first “Community College Budget Rally” event in California. Those of you who attended know first-hand that it was a “thing of beauty.” The well-known chants and protest slogans came back to me just like the memory of an old tune that is never forgotten. The cries for social justice and the deep conviction that one person can make a difference reappeared , dispelling the fog of apathy and helplessness. It was the best example of teaching and learning, and in this case, our students took the lead while faculty and staff mentors fulfilled the role of guide and supporter. To me this was the ultimate example of an SLO fully attained.

While all of our student leaders were magnificent, my face shone brighter and I smiled wider when I saw our own Mason Walker, ASG President take the stage and carry off a difficult task with aplomb, charisma and most of all conviction. Go ASG.

Si Se Puede!

Yes, We Can!

H1N1

There is so much to say, so much to share and so much to do personally, that the best thing I can do is to refer you to the Mesa and District Website respectively where you will find everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about H1N1, so here goes:

District: http://www.sdccd.edu/public/events/h1n1_flu/h1n1fluupdate5.shtml

College http://sdmesa.edu/health-services/notices.cfm

Other Great Sources

www.Flu.gov

http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/Portal/News/swineflu.html

In the meantime a few simple tips worth repeating

• Stay informed ( see the websites above)

• Practice good personal hygiene by washing your hands often, covering coughs and sneezes

• Stay home if you are sick

• Avoid close contact with sick people

• Get Vaccinated

Good news on this front—a plan is ready to be rolled out to begin providing the vaccine for all students through our Student Health Centers. These will be offered free and we have already ordered 16,000 vaccines at Mesa with more to be received weekly. Students will be inoculated in order of priority and a schedule will be issued in priority order as follows:**

? Tier 1

• Pregnant women

• Caregivers for children younger than 6 months

• Persons 6 months to 24 years of age

• Persons 25 through 64 years who have medical conditions with a high risk of influenza complications

? Tier 2

• Persons aged 25 through 64 years of who DO NOT have medical conditions with a high risk of influenza complications.

? Tier 3

• Persons 65 years and older

**These priority cohorts have been established by the Centers for Disease Control because H1N1 is an opportunistic virus affecting younger populations in greater degree. The theory is that younger groups are more vulnerable because they have not developed any resistance to the flu virus through prior recurrences of the flu.

The second piece of good news follows an announcement at the District’s Governance Council (DGC) meeting last Wednesday. Chancellor Carroll informed the group of plans made in partnership with the AFT Guild to co-sponsor H1N1 free flu vaccination clinics for all faculty and staff to be conveniently scheduled throughout our District. More to come on this!

In the meantime, the exercise of common sense and personal responsibility is our best weapon to curtail the spread of H1N1. If you haven’t had your regular flu shot for Influenza Type A, go get it. And as soon as the H1N1 vaccines roll out to our area (on our about 10/1/09) be on the alert for the “free vaccination clinics” to be scheduled throughout the District.

Community Colleges Prime Time Debut

How many of you saw the debut of the prime time sitcom? The NBC comedy Community premiered last night and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has set up a website to track the show where you may submit blog comments and even ideas for future episodes regarding this series. The Website is:

http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/community/Pages/default.aspx.

In any case, I made it a point to watch the first episode and I give it high marks for acting and directing. There were one or two somewhat derisive comments about community colleges but they did get the diversity and access part right except for one thing I will definitely blog about, no Latinos. Why is this a problem? Simply because nearly 80% of all Latinos who go on to public postsecondary education in California alone go to a community college. This percentage nationwide is around 50%. I’d like to suggest any of the following for a lead role with a guarantee to boost their ratings: America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) Jorge Garcia (Lost), Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Jessica Alba (if they can get her), Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica—great for the role of professor), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) Adam Rodriguez (CSI Miami) and yes, our very own San Diegan Mario Lopez!

By the way, I have started thinking about story lines based on our own Mesa experience and I came to the realization that truth can be stranger than fiction (just kidding.)

Note:

President Updates - are posted on the Mesa Website at: http://sdmesa.edu/president/updates.cfm

College Governance – All President’s Cabinet Minutes are posted at:

http://sdmesa.edu/president/cabinet.cfm

An Eventful First Week

As I began my fifth year at Mesa, I was filled with trepidation about the great things about to happen and the possibility that much could go wrong. We were starting with an “East Entrance” newly completed and repaved (a minor miracle given the fact that on Friday August 21, the street was still closed), the Allied Health Building would open and be ready for classes for the first time (even though the keys to all offices and classrooms were still not working the Friday before), we were about to test the capacity of the new Parking Structure and the synchronization of traffic lights and of course, we were starting the semester with record breaking enrollment growth, 239 fewer courses and district wide waiting list of 11,000 students. What else could we ask for?

As the first two hours rolled along, things appeared to be going miraculously well. Traffic was still difficult to navigate, faculty, students and staff were engaging in newly discovered behavior regarding parking protocols (most of it friendly and courteous), and the sun decided to beat down hotter than ever (record heat not usual for San Diego). As I walked the campus, I was struck by an amazing feeling of well being and happiness. Smiles seemed to abound and I was greeted by many students, faculty and staff more eagerly than I remember being the case in prior years. I headed for the Welcome Back Kiosk to help greet new students all of whom asked for--water, granola bars, campus maps, free planners and schedule of classes--in that order of priority (Maslow is right again). One of the beneficial effects for me as a nervous president was the immediate calm and doses of infectious enthusiasm that made me believe that all was right with the world.

The rest of the week was not uneventful. On Thursday, we had an unfortunate pedestrian vehicle accident in the crosswalk in front of the L-500 building. The good news is that the student involved was not seriously hurt and that our police, and emergency response groups all reacted flawlessly. Kudos to Sergeant Diana Medero, who managed the situation, gathered information, visited with me and also visited with the student at the hospital. My greatest relief came when Sergeant Medero informed me that the student’s primary concern was missing her Friday World Religion class (of course, we assured her that we would contact the instructor).

Each day brought a new challenge but none of the anticipated behavior problems stemming from irate and frustrated students (and yes--frustrated faculty and staff) happened. That’s not to say that there were no “testy moments.”

The week also included the fourth of Mesa’s Town Hall Meetings designed to update the college community on budget issues, anticipate problems, provide a venue to dialogue, and discuss our concerns. Each of these Town Halls has been a bit different even though the objective has remained constant. Abstracted below are some of the remarks I made this morning as I welcomed the group to the meeting.

TOWNHALL REMARKS
August 28, 2009

Over the past 30 years, Community Colleges in the State of California have experienced budget cuts with great regularity (1981, 1991, 2001 and 2008). This current cycle came sooner (it should have been 2011) and will last longer, at least five years by some predictions. Interestingly, these same 30 years coincide with the precise length of my career within the California Community Colleges thus providing me with some historical and philosophical perspective about our ability to manage and rebound from each of these cycles.

The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), The Community College League of California (CCLC) and the State Chancellor’s Office, each in turn have analyzed these cycles of economic downturn and they have had the opportunity to look at the impact of these economic downturns and the accompanying budget reductions passed on to community colleges; the outcome has been consistently the same: increased enrollments, a reduction in overall access for community college students and a disproportionate impact on special populations.

In addition, these reports make it a point to note that the impact of reductions is always exacerbated when coupled with fee increases. As we well know this is the case now. What is different about the current scenario however, is the overlay of an eroding tax base and the prospect of a longer recovery cycle aligned with the largest enrollment growth in our history. The picture is at once grim and hopeful particularly for the 2.5 million Californians who see in their community colleges as the one positive in their future.

The Good News Is

It is always important to note that our District has done one of the most effective jobs in the State preparing and managing this protracted economic crisis. It has been one of our hallmarks to be proactive, to plan ahead and to implement changes incrementally so no one immediate action would result in serious damage to our core values, programs and courses. In addition, at Mesa we have focused on the lessons learned from the past as we moved to identify best practices and to look for new and creative ways in which we could come together in times of crisis as members of the college community. It was through the process that the idea for the Town Halls emerged.

In times of uncertainty, one of the key factors in helping to mitigate a crisis is the degree to which communication continues to flow. This is particularly important in times when “truth is stranger than fiction” and when even the most reasonable among us is unable to reconcile the rapidity with which changes are happening, let alone the lack of apparent rationality behind some budget reductions. It is at times like these, that the best thing we can do is to keep on talking so that we can share with one another the layer of complicated factors that build from week to week.

This is the fourth such gathering since June of this year. The first one came following a discussion with Academic Senate leaders as we tried to identify ways to “best inform” faculty about the rough budget Summer ahead. Mesa’s Executive Team provided the Senate with the best information available to us at that time along with a stark warning that the picture was changing day to day. Little did we know then that not anything resembling final figures would be made available to us until July 24. Matters worsened as we noted that many of these allocations were predicated on factors that may or may not be realized; in other words, “a house of cards.”

Since July 24, four very serious factors have been added to this passion play

• Workload measure reduction
• Categorical Reductions
• Categorical Backfill Reductions
• Expected Mid-year Cuts (December 2009)

Lessons Learned:

The process of “mutual shaping” and discussion has yielded some interesting outcomes. Listed below are some of the most salient suggestions made:

• Change the tone of the discourse from purely fiscal to programmatic. Let’s identify the pragmatic and the possible.

• Change the climate of the college from a “poverty mind set” to one that focuses on the resources still available to us, the most valuable of which being our own commitment to students, our intellectual vitality and our creativity.

• Let’s evolve the thinking from doing more with less to “doing better with less” This kind of thinking forces us to discard those practices, requirements and procedures that do not add to our ability to serve students but simply exist as rollover practices that may no longer be relevant or useful. Let’s look as what we consider most critical so that we can support, and in some cases, enhance those practices by maximizing our resources in the most relevant and targeted manner possible.

• How do we do this? By focusing first, last, and always on our Strategic Plan, Priorities, Mission, Vision, Values and the Standards required of an accredited institution of higher learning.

• Collaborative Partnerships are the key – we need to focus on sustaining a climate of civility, trust and respect as we continue to be secure in the knowledge that we share the same goals even if we might disagree on the best avenue to achieve the desired result.

• Students as True North – We are all educators on this campus and we are all committed to education as our highest common value. The challenge/opportunity for each of us is to continue to serve our community in the best manner possible.

• Resource Development—We must develop our entrepreneurial talents. We have to invest time and energy not just managing reductions but also in thinking of ways to acquire new resources, particularly given “Federal Stimulus” opportunities as well as those resources available through the private and philanthropic sectors (“Show me the Money!”).


We’re In For the Long Haul – or – The Marathon vs. the Sprint

Being a novice in all matters related to sports, I nevertheless recognize the value of a particular sports metaphor that would serve us well, namely to place the context of our work together in the context of a marathon not a sprint. I promptly turned to various search engines looking for some crisp examples that I could use. I found just the right description in a narrative produced by Nathaniel Talbott a young entrepreneur, trainer and software developer:
“Both sprints and marathons have starting lines, and the people lined up behind them are equally pumped up to start running the race….And yet – what happens between the start and finish of a marathon and a sprint couldn’t be more different. In a sprint, the effort is focused on mere seconds, or perhaps minutes, and the runners push hard, giving everything they’ve got with each foot traveled. It doesn’t matter if they collapse after only running a few hundred yards–as long as they make it over the finish line first, they’ve won. The start is critical, as it makes up a huge percentage of the race, and as the race is run, a tiny stumble spells doom…..A marathon is something altogether different. Everyone knows as they leave the starting line that they’re going to be running a long time, and that if they don’t pace themselves they’ll never make it to the end, much less have the best time. The start is important, but pales in comparison to sustained progress. Even a large stumble disappears in to the noise of the race so long as it doesn’t result in any physical damage…” (Talbott, January 2009)
We’re in for a marathon and we probably will stumble along the way. When we do, let’s be forgiving and help each other up because in the long run this is the only way in which we will all win this race.

SWINE FLU UPDATE—April 29, 2009

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Benjamin Franklin

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this message is to present you with a summary of guidelines, actions and procedures that have been put in place districtwide at each of our colleges and Continuing Education to address the Swine Flu outbreak facing us.

I’d like to resort to the family metaphor as we often do here at Mesa College to make sure that we do first things first—take care of ourselves and take care of each other. The best way to do this is to be informed, be clear about what we are doing, understand the steps in the process as it evolves and know how to access factual and current information directly. I have organized the rest of this document in two parts; Part I summarizes Districtwide Standards established for managing this situation and Part II details College actions designed to meet those standards.


Part I—District Standards/Actions

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

• Chancellor’s Cabinet meets and conducts an extended discussion on the status of the Swine Flu outbreak, steps undertaken by the Colleges, Continuing Education and the District Office and the necessary next steps to manage the process effectively.

• Districtwide Issuance of a Chancellor’s Cabinet Special Advisory summarizing the discussion

• Vice Chancellor Neault issues an “e-mail blast” to all students providing information, outlining preventative measures and directing students to key information links nationally locally and redirecting students to the websites at their respective campus.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chancellor convenes a special meeting of the District Emergency Response Team to establish clear standards for managing the situation throughout the District and to agree upon actions and communication requirements at each of the Colleges, Continuing Education and the District Office. A summary follows:

1. The District’s Website will be the official point of reference on districtwide management of the situation. The website will be managed and updated regularly.
2. Immediate purchase of Purell sanitizers will be made districtiwide to ensure that dispensers are available in every office.
3. Purell Dispensers already at key locations at Mesa, Miramar and City will be refilled immediately.
4. Custodial staff will undertake added measures to sanitize high traffic areas, “high touch” areas.
5. Suspected flu cases anywhere on the campus will be reported and handled using existing protocols established for all other contagious diseases (i.e. Vice President of Student Services, Student Health Services Center Director, Dean of Student Affairs, Vice Chancellor Lynn Neault).
6. All media related communications will be centralized through Richard Dittbenner, Director of Public Information and Government Relations.

Part II—A Summary of College Actions

Monday, April 27,

• Collegewide advisory using Mesa’s DL is issued by Suzanne Khambata, Director of Student Health Services.

• Advisory is placed on Mesa’s Website including critical links to the CDC, FAQs, CDC Podcast the San Diego Department of Health EMAN and a link to the SDCCD Special Advisory on Swine Flu.

• President issues collegewide message reinforcing preventative measures and underscoring the importance of staying home if ill.

Tuesday, April 28

• President’s Cabinet reviews status of the Swine Flu management process on campus and recommends:
o Changes to Mesa’s webpage to increase “visibility of the message” ( this includes placement of a running “banner” and highlighting the Swine Flu link in “red’)
o Purell Dispensers at 46 strategic locations on campus.
o Stepping up direct delivery of pamphlets to students, faculty and staff by handing these out at critical locations, cafeteria and LRC.
o Purchase of Purell and/or other sanitizers to hand out to students.
o Continual update of Mesa’s website.

Wednesday, April 29

• President’s Update prepared to summarize actions at the District and the College.

• President Issues Guidelines for Managers and Supervisors

CONCLUSION

1. Please – Stay home if you are ill and seek immediate medical advice.

2. Become very familiar with Swine Flue Symptoms

3. Practice all preventative measures

4. Review all links provided to address your personal information needs

5. Avoid non-essential travel

6. Check the Mesa College website regularly

Finally, a note of assurance in these uncertain times, please feel confident that regular communication between the colleges and the District Office and within Mesa College is ongoing and systematic. If you have any suggestions, questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to communicate with your immediate manager. In addition, feel free to contact me and any member of the Executive Staff .

Important links: California Department of Public Health (www.cdph.ca.gov)
Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm)
County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency Emergency Medical Alert Network (www.emansandiego.com )

First Things First

The rest of the Spring Semester, Summer Session and Beyond - this is an interesting story of the near future. We begin struggling in mid February with the days ahead.  The discussions were difficult because there were so many unknown; the size of the State deficit, the signing (maybe not) of the State Budget until we learned that the last state senator was holding his critical vote until he could be assured that no new furniture would be purchased for a state official. The passing (maybe not) of a Federal Stimulus Package until it finally arrived with the name of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or as it is now affectionately known - ARRA. Needless to say, our discussions about how to finish the Spring semester, whether or not to offer a Summer Session and the size of the Fall 2009 schedule—all teetered in the balance. We searched for an anchor weekly if not daily and fortunately; we found one based on three factors:

• Identification of the resources we could control and account for; namely our own budget and existing reserves
• Reaffirming the principle that all program decisions would minimize negative impact on students, and;
• Reassuring staff that there would be no layoffs or rollbacks in salaries and savings.

This triangulation of facts and guidelines made it possible for us to come up with a plan that could be implemented even in the midst of so many unknowns. We settled on a very conservative plan malleable enough to be modified as we received new information. In addition, we entered into a planning mode that addressed the short term but was firmly planted in the awareness that we needed to position ourselves for the long term well into 2009/2010 and perhaps two years beyond.

So what have we agreed upon?

A plan to identify every possible budget reduction that could be translated into an FTEF/FTES. In other words, what could be reduced that would result in resources to offer more classes.

[by the way I am considering a brownbag event where we will only be permitted to communicate in acronyms— like FTEF, FTES, FF&E, NANCE, TPRC, CAP, LDTP, AALMS, ARRA, BSI, BSI IV, SLOs, SLOAC, PTK,  ICC, WIA, WIB, NIHM, GIS, ASF,SES,  BCP, HR, DGC, PPT, IGETC, AA, AS, CEC, SOC, ALO, LRC]

Sorry for digressing, back to the budget plan. The good news is that we have been successful, each "cost center" - new term to include all the colleges, continuing education and the District Office - has been able to identify every possible budget reduction and in turn these resources have been redirected to one major focus area; more courses for students.

As you know, we have already reduced the number of sections available to students. This exercise has been so well handled that we have managed to retain those courses most critical to our students educational goals, we have studied the dates, times and sequence of courses most needed by students and we have, in most instances accommodated students needs.

As we began to look at Summer and Fall, it became very clear that further reductions in courses could not be accommodated without impacting programs of study. The alternative undertaken at that point was to reduce services and preserve courses (it was not exactly that simple but in fact this is what has been done when we reduce our actions to the lowest common denominator). On March 18, I forwarded to you our treatise on Reduced Service Hours. Please refer to grids 1-6 to review the details.

Budget Saga Part (I've decided to stop numbering these because it is less stressful)

This section will provide you with a snippet of what' going on with the federal budget and the state budget. I Offer this information with the understanding that it is subject to change in the next 24 hours, we can however rely on the major markers to stay somewhat constant.

The State Picture

The synthesis below is taken in large part from information provided by Chancellor Carroll in an excellent summary she sent out district-wide on March 26. The major items are as follows:

• Immediately after the belated passage of the State Budget, the Legislature declared the Budget once again out of balance.
• Because the property tax shortfall continues to grow, a "deficit" factor of 1.2% has been applied to our allocations from the state, which translates to $2.4M for the SDCCD.
• The current budget, may be in trouble because one of the ways in which the budget was balanced was on the expectation that the state would be able to raise new revenues in the form of new taxes, subject to voter approval on the May 19 Special Election Ballot. These new revenues/taxes would raise $5.8 billion. If we do not approve these measures the LAO projects that there will be another $13.6 billion shortfall in the 2009-2010 budget that may grow to as high as $17 billion.
• The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) has already projected that the budget deficit for 2009-2010 will be higher that anticipated in January - the cause? rising unemployment rates. The new projected deficit is now estimated at $12 billion.
• The portfolio for the state retirement systems, PERS and STRS has dropped and as a result they are passing this decline on to us indicating that our contributions will have to increase anywhere from  2% to 4%. According to Vice Chancellor Terry Davis, this would translate to $2.9 million for the SDCCD in 2010-11.

The Federal Picture

A recent memorandum from Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges summarizes the impact of federal stimulus funds on California Community Colleges. Detailed below is a synopsis of the major aspects the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA):

• Not all federal funding is temporary and most of it will be available for the next two years.
• California is estimated to receive $31 billion of the next two fiscal years.
• K-12 and higher educations share is estimated at $7.9 billion
• Workforce development activities are also slated to receive $6 billion dollars. Many of these training and education activities will rely on community colleges and adult education.

A summary of the various federal stimulus programs most likely to yield resource opportunities for community colleges is detailed below:

1. State Fiscal Stabilization Fund ($6 billion). The federal stimulus package provides California with this funding allocation based on the state's school age and total population. These funds are divided into two separate pots:

2. Workforce Investment Act (WIA) ($494 million). The federal stimulus package provides an additional $494 million in WIA funds for California. These new funds are intended to serve youth, adults and dislocated workers. The funds are allocated in three main streams:

Department of Labor Competitive Grants

$750 million nationwide for competitive grants for worker training in high growth and emerging industry sectors.

• $500 million is earmarked for job training in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable industries. Any remaining funds will be prioritized to train workers for careers in allied health care fields.
• $200 million nationwide for additional assistance for dislocated workers.
• $50 million nationwide for YouthBuild Activities that target high school drop-outs who re-enroll in an alternative school.

The Chancellor's Office is actively engaged with the Governor's Office, the Legislature, the Legislative Analysts' Office, the Department of Finance, the Department of Education, and federal representatives in order to make effective and efficient allocation decisions.

In addition, one of the most promising activities of the Chancellor's Office is their work with US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, former California State Legislator, Congresswoman and California Community College Trustee.  Given Secretary Solis' background, we are well positioned to ensure that support for our colleges will be front and center.

The Beat Goes On

 Jaye VanKirk, the State Academic Senate Stanback-Stroud Award winner! This award publicly acknowledges the individual who performs in an exceptional manner to advance intercultural harmony, equity, and campus diversity by making exceptional contributions to the college beyond usual obligations.

Cesar Chavez Commemorative Events and Parade

The largest contingent of Mesa College Participants too, part in the Cesar Chavez Commemorative Parade on Saturday, March 29 followed by a Mesa Booth at the Festival de la Familia that I must say had many more visitors than that of our illustrious colleagues next door, USD!

Yours truly received an award at the Cesar Chavez Breakfast. The Cesar Chavez Visionary Award was one I was honored to share with Trustee Peter Zschiesche.

Athletics

The Men's Tennis team clinched its first SoCal team championships will be on 4/14 at a site to be announced. The Pacific Coast Conference Individual Championships will be from April 16-18 at the Balboa Tennis Club starting on the 16th at 12 noon.

Mesa Press Wins Awards

At the 2009 Journalism Association of Community Colleges Annual Conference, our very own Mesa Press received the JACC's award for General Excellence, the highest honor any newspaper can receive. This is the first time in our history that our student newspaper has bee so honored. In addition, several of Mesa Press student staff were signaled out for honors including:

• Megan Looney, 1st place, Opinion Writing (also the first time we have won 1st place in any writing category!)
• Christina Moran, honorable mention, Opinion Writing
• Johnny Ngo, honorable mention, Critical Review
• Kenny Kinder, honorable mention, Sports Game Story

Congratulations to our award-winning journalists and to Janna Braun, Mesa Press Faculty Advisory!

Celebrations and Active Engagement

• Women's History Month
• San Diego Science Festival
• African American Latino Male Summit
• Festival of Colors

President's Cabinet Actions in the Month of March 2009

I am introducing a new format to report on the activities in President's Cabinet. This new format included a copy of the entire agenda for the meeting with notations following each item where appropriate. It is for this reason that I will place this information on the website under the heading, "President's Cabinet Summaries."  Please refer to: www.sdmesa.edu/president/cabinet.cfm

January is Behind us and Spring is Straight Ahead

Does anyone remember 2008?  So much has happened in our Country, and our State since the New Year that it seems that time has compressed and elongated at the same time (it's possible right?).

Inauguration Day, January 20, is now an Important marker in our lives.  Many of you were on campus that day and took advantage of the special screen set up in the LRC to permit the viewing of the inauguration ceremony especially the swearing in of our new President. By the way, I heard an amazing estimate from the National Parks Service indicating that approximately 1.8 million persons attended President Obama's Inauguration, but even better yet; not one single arrest was recorded.

Spring Semester Starts with Hope and Determination

As we geared up for the series of introductory events leading to the Spring Semester, including the President's Spring Forum for Faculty, Managers and Supervisors meeting, department orientations, Student's Welcome Back Week and the like, the single most overriding concern in all of our minds has been the economy, and in particular, the impact of the California Budget impasse. Unfortunately as of this writing, we still have no budget. As our colleagues in State service prepare and brace for mandatory furloughs and the issuance of pay warrants, it is difficult and almost surreal for us within the San Diego Community College District to know that our fiscal problems, while severe, still permit us to go on with teaching and learning without immediate concerns regarding layoffs or rollbacks. Most important of all, the District has been able to meet our commitment to students who are financial aid recipients despite the problems we have faced with the receipt of CalGrant allocations.

The Power of Words

During the past several weeks, I have been fortunate to attend a number of important events. The first was the Martin Luther King Jr. All People's Breakfast, and the second was the California Community College League of California's (CCLC) Annual Legislative Conference. Many things are said at events like these, and invariably, something that somebody said or did makes an indelible impression. In my case, I felt compelled to write down two statements:

"It is not what we've got to do; it's what we get to do."

This statement was offered as an alternative to our view of the budget crisis facing us. It made great sense to me. Up until that point, the attitude permeating most of our planning discussion about how to handle budget cuts began or ended with "we've got to do this, or we've got to do that." It seemed to us that this urgent frame of mind was most appropriate until my eyes were opened to another possibility. In fact, is it not the case that we should consider ourselves privileged to be in a position where "we get to do" something about our present crisis? Think about it. We have the opportunity, given our privileged roles as faculty and staff members, to "get to" make a difference. We get to provide new skills to someone who has lost his or her job and is seeking a new lease on life; we get to determine which areas of our budget to cut and which to protect so we can serve students better; we get to be creative about every aspect of our teaching and learning in the area of scheduling, streamlining, linking or podcasting a course if need be. We get to reinforce the importance of tutoring and basic skills so students can succeed, not just in our classes, but in all of their academic endeavors. As President, I get to find as many opportunities to listen, to learn and to make sure that budget decisions are based on the most comprehensive set of inputs possible. I get to work with an executive team that is extremely creative and never gives up, knowing instead that we are all up to the task of facilitating decisions that will always be student-centered. We get to look for every possible efficiency and for ways of doing business in a different way if it means we can save money and offer needed courses. As a college, we "get to" never lose sight of our mission and vision and the most important reason for being at Mesa College--our students and our community. Words are, in fact, magnificent, and in this case, a three letter word provides innumerable possibilities for viewing our current circumstances in a more positive light.

"A crisis is a terrible thing to waste."

This is another statement I heard at the CCLC Legislative Conference. In much the same way as the message in the first quote shared above, this statement also had the effect of turning a negative experience (the state's budget crisis) into a positive. At one time or another, every one of us has studied and attempted to understand the dynamics of change. The one thing we have learned is that in general, human beings do not welcome change. We like our comfort zone of that which we know and are familiar with. We often say, "I want no surprises." Most of us view any new proposal with suspicion and immediately get our "guard up" when the status quo is threatened. The irony of it all is that we know life thrives on change, and, paradoxically, the evolution of all things depends on the process of change. This brings us to consider the fact that a "crisis is a terrible thing to waste." Emerging from this economic crisis will require change. We will need to learn how to do things differently, and the crisis climate provides the extra motivation to consider alternatives more readily than we might otherwise. We find ourselves in a difficult position, and because of it, we find ourselves in the best position to consider all of what we do in a new light.

The Work Ahead: Budget Saga Part VI

We still have no budget. The new budget gap now stands at $41 billion (yes, with a "B"), and the Democrats and Republicans in the legislature, despite lock downs, special sessions, extraordinary sessions, emergency sessions (should we recommend therapy sessions?) and other political maneuverings, still cannot agree on a budget. The new date to look for now is next Friday, February 13. It appears that all legislators are now clear that the budget must contain a mix of cuts, new revenue sources (taxes) and loans. There is no way to bridge the budget gap without any one of these factors in place. Another fact that everyone agrees on is that the budget crisis will not be short lived. Most projections by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office indicate that the budget shortfall will extend between three and five years into the future, with an expected shortfall each year of $20 billion dollars. Last night Senator Denise Ducheny-Moreno, Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Budget Fiscal Review Committee, addressed a gathering of the members of SDICCCA (San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association). Senator Ducheny was just as frustrated as those of us in the room about the inability of the legislature to pass a budget, and she indicated that the impasse was not purely along partisan "lines in the sand," but rather around the seriousness of the trade-offs being considered. The major constraint has to do with how little "wiggle room" is available for consideration as part of the budget discussions because the difficult dilemma facing legislators is that approximately 57% of the state's budget is dedicated to education, 10% to prisons, and 30% to health and human services. The other telling factor is that the impact of cuts to any one area does not limit the impact to that particular category. If education is cut, prison population goes up; if health and welfare is cut, children under-perform in schools; if prisons are cut ,some argue that our health and safety are compromised. Yes, it is all one person affected in multiple ways.

The Mesa College Budget

By now you know that we are through with mid-year budget cut reductions as we gear up for the development of the 2009-2010 budget, and it too continues with reductions at the center of discussion. Each day some slight nuance emerges, and we think and rethink our positions and our strategies. In light of this state of uncertainty, constant procrastination on the part of the State Legislature and a worsening economy, I would like to share Rita's Budget Survival Kit suggestions: Click here

Next Steps

At the next weekly meeting of Chancellor's Cabinet (February 10), we will review two options to address the remaining $500,000 budget reduction goal. Reductions are expected to be made in four general areas.

• Management and Classified Vacancies: keep vacancies open and look for other ways to reassign, reduce, or eliminate workload.
• Unfunded Reassigned Time: Reduce the amount of the college's budget that now is allocated to faculty reassigned time.
• Hourly Funding: Reduce hourly staff budgets where possible, while protecting instructional services.
• Discretionary Funding: Look for efficiencies and other ways to maximize discretionary program funding.

The Beat Goes On – "It is not what we've got to do; it is what we get to do!"

In times of uncertainty, being able to immerse ourselves in the vibrant life of our campus is truly a blessing. The distinguished work of faculty, students and staff serves to remind us of the reason we are here.

Through 3/3 – Mesa College Art Gallery Exhibit. SHADOWS AND LIGHT IN THE NIGER DELTA: Photographs by Ed Kashi. Images in this exhibit are from the book Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta. Mesa College Art Gallery, D101. Gallery Hours: Tue., Wed., Fri., 12- 5 p.m.; Thu. 12-8 p.m. Free admission. Visitors, please use metered spaces adjacent to the A East Parking Lot. Information: 619-388-2829. Reception: Thu.,February 12, 4:30 - 7:00 pm.

2/2-3/2 – ROSA PARKS DISPLAY, LRC Lobby This artistic display in the LRC Lobby will commemorate the birthday of civil rights activist Rosa Park on February 4th and introduce the campus community to the Rosa Parks Memorial Project. (See campus forum on February 26.)

2/3 -2/28– Mesa Celebrates Black History Month: How to Achieve Success as an African American Woman. Lecture and discussion led by faculty, staff and guest speakers. Speakers: Ashanti Hands, Dean of Student Affairs, Mesa College; Judy Sundayo, Professor/Counselor, Mesa College; Sheryl Gee, Vice President, Neighborhood House Association; Wendy Stewart, Transfer Center Director, Miramar College; Zoneice Jones, Founder of PAZZAZ.

2/4, 11, 18, and 25 – Volunteer Opportunity: Mesa College Organic Garden. Volunteers are welcome to work the Mesa College organic garden and learn from gardening expert Paul Maschka. Wed. 2/4, 11, 18, 25. 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., P100 Building, corner of Marlesta and Genessee. Contact: Prof. Don Barrie at (619) 388-2942.

2/9 – Human Rights Awareness Films and Lectures: Screening of "The Rape of Nanking," a film about Japan's mass slaughter of Chinese citizens in 1937. 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., LRC 435

2/10 – Human Rights Awareness Films and Lectures: "Survivors of Torture," a half-hour documentary on treatment and support programs for immigrant torture survivors in the United States. 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 PM, LRC 435.

2/9-11 – Hermes' Great Adventure Fundraiser/Club Rush. Student clubs sign up new members and host fundraising efforts to send fellow student Hermes Castro on the 2041 Antarctic expedition in March. See: www.sdmesa.edu/campus-life. 8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., Cafeteria Quad.

2/11 – Music Recital Hour featuring the Mesa College Music Professors, Featuring Tom Griesgraber performing solo on the Chapman stick, an electric musical instrument  devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. Sponsored by Bumble Bee Foods. Wed., Feb. 11, 12:45 p.m., Room C-119.

2/11 – Mesa College Art Gallery Lecture: SHADOWS AND LIGHT IN THE NIGER DELTA. Ed Kashi talks about his photographs from Nigeria, on display through 3/3. 1:30 p.m., Mesa College Art Gallery, D101. Information: 619-388-2829.

2/11 – Mesa Celebrates Black History Month Film Series – "Black Students Union Presents: Spoken Word -- Artistic Expressions of the African Experience." Tue., Feb. 11, 11:10 a.m. - 12:35 p.m., Associated Students free speech area.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting of February 3, the President's Cabinet acted on the following items:

1. Major Events Approved for Publication

• Festival of colors, March 25, 2009 – Administrator responsible: Anthony Reuss, Interim EOPS Director.
• Black History Month February 1-28, 2009 – Administrator responsible: Jonathan Fohrman, Dean of Arts and Languages.

2. Budget Reduction and Revenue Generating Strategies – President Cepeda presented a summary of the state's budget crisis and its impact on the District and the college in particular. She reviewed a series of suggestions gathered from campus wide meetings regarding principles, priorities and suggestions for consideration in the development of future budget reductions plans. It is expected that specific budget reduction proposals will be brought to the next meeting of president's cabinet for review and adoption.

3. Catalog Review Sub-committee – The proposed function and purpose of this committee was approved in principle pending the incorporation of suggested changes to be made by Articulation Officer, Juliette Parker.

4. Proposed Reduction in Hours of Service - As part of collegewide strategies to reduce costs, two proposals for reduction in hours of service to the LRC and Student Services were reviewed and approved. This information will be shared at the next meeting of Chancellor's Cabinet.

Goodbye to 2008

When we look back at 2008 and we are telling our grandchildren about the "year that was," we will find ourselves talking about the "Great Economic Crisis of 2008. " We may also pull out our favorite video of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and point to Michael Phelps and his 14 Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Olympian, as we tout the benefits of drinking all your milk and eating your vegetables. No doubt we'll talk about the August 1, 2008 complete eclipse of the sun, and finally, we'll end with the greatest story of them all: We will recount the day when we were part of history as we went to the polls in the elections that selected the first African-American President of the United States of America. This was the "year that was" because we have learned, as a country, that we can be resilient in times of crisis, generous in times of scarcity, and always hopeful because of the belief that each of us can have an impact on the future.

Mesa's Holiday Spirit

At Mesa, the celebrations abounded. Departments and offices around the campus found time to celebrate and to gather around the spirit of joy and the spirit of giving. In the midst of the revelries, there were many among us who worked quietly to think about the greater community and those in need even beyond our borders. I only know of a few, but I am sure that there are many more that have made it a point to help those most in need. Some of the stories I know include:

• Professor Jeff Berry, who each year collects toys donated by the faculty and staff of the School of Arts and Languages, makes a drive south, and throws a Christmas party for about 175 children in a neighborhood two hours south of Ensenada.
• Student-led drives, including a toy drive by the Fashion Club; the gift drive by the Women's Union and Mesa Honors Club benefiting the homeless children at the Monarch School; and the adoption of a family - a single mom and daughter - by the Physical Therapy Assistant students.
• The Classified Staff's annual shopping bazaar - now in its 11th year- for the children at the San Diego Center for Children!
• The SDCCD police department's toy drive, an effort that will bring a smile to many faces
• Students, faculty and staff who donated books for the opening of the Child Development Center's Lending Library - just in time for the holidays.
• Faculty and staff who donated books, crafts and other items to throw a holiday party for children of our CARE program students.

It is clear to me that Mesa College and its core values shine especially when trying times face our community.

The Budget Saga Part V

The State

As you may have noted, I have changed the format of this update just a little. I could not bring myself to start with budget news, so I've opted to place it third on my narrative. In a nutshell, partisan politics continue. The Republicans proposed to cut $22 billion to narrow the budget gap, a proposal that would have translated to a 14% reduction for community colleges or a whopping $1billion. The Democrats acted next, proposing a $19 billion package of cuts and revenue increases, which once again failed on a partisan vote. Then, it looked for a while that we might have a solution when both houses of the Legislature approved a package of $18 billion in spending cuts and tax increases, sending the bill to the Governor who "vetoed" the proposal sending the Legislators back (Do not pass go; do not collect $1,000). The governor cited that while he accepted most of the proposed cuts and revenue proposals, he wanted a "stronger economic stimulus package and more permanent spending cuts."

Observers have described this situation as a "standoff." What word would you use to describe the situation?

Mesa Student Activists

The Student Senates of the California Community Colleges have been very active, protesting cuts to our colleges. On Wednesday, December 17 our own Mesa ASG joined with other students around the state in a coordinated "mass fax day." Mesa students alone faxed more than 200 messages in one day.

Holiday District and Campus Closure

Please remember that the campus is officially closed from Tuesday, December 23 to January 1, 2009. No one is permitted on campus. This policy is for your own safety.

Sad News

Today, after a valiant and courageous battle, Mesa's Head Football Coach Matt Kofler passed away due to liver failure. No information is yet available regarding memorial services but this information will be posted as soon as it is known. Matt leaves a great void and a great legacy to all who knew and worked with him.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting of December 16, the President's Cabinet acted on the following items:

1. Major Events Approved for Publication
   a) 2nd Annual Classified Staff Development Conference, 4/7-8/09 - Administrator Responsible: Dean Bergland
   b) Student Appreciation Day, 12/17/08 - Administrator Responsible: Dean Hands
2. Closure Guidelines for District Offices, Colleges and Continuing Education
   District guidelines for closure during breaks were discussed. It was noted that during the holiday break (Dec. 23-Jan 1), the district is officially closed, and no one, including faculty and staff members, is allowed to be on campus during this period. Exceptions, if any, require approval at the Chancellor's Cabinet level. Admissions and Records will also be closed during this period, so students have no need to be on campus.
3. Strategic Planning Committee
   The membership and purpose of the Committee were reviewed and accepted.
4. Faculty Inquiry Network (FIN) (Chabot College)
   FIN approved proposal prepared by Tracey Walker and Wendy Smith for this two-year, funded project and will send information packet to those involved.
5. Campus Construction Schedule
   Ron Perez will continue to work with Dave Umstot to prepare timeline to present at President's Cabinet. A campus wide presentation will be scheduled in February 2009.
6. Mesa College Foundation
   The Mesa College Foundation conducted a one day retreat on Saturday December 13. Consensus was achieved regarding the future direction of the Foundation aimed at expanding its mission and goals for the future.

IN MEMORIAM
MATHEW KOFLER
August 30, 1959 - December 19, 2008

The Budget Saga Part IV

The State

Governor Schwarzenegger has officially declared a fiscal emergency for the State of California, an act that allows him to call a Proposition 58 legislative emergency session to address the state's economy. Once again the Governor requested that the newly elected legislature meet to identify a combination of cuts and new revenues needed to solve the state's fiscal crisis. His message also requested that the legislature consider plans to "stimulate job creation, address the mortgage crisis, and fix the state's Unemployment Insurance Fund."

Last night at our District's "Hail and Farewell Reception" designed to welcome newly elected SDCCD Trustee Mary Graham, welcome back Trustee Bill Schwandt and bid farewell to Marty Block now Assembly-member Block, we listened intently as Marty addressed the Governor's request for a special session of the Legislature. Assembly member Block fully expects to have a closed session in which members of the legislature are literally "locked in" to focus on the budget problem until resolution is reached. Marty expects that this may go on through the upcoming holiday and beyond.

On another note, the Community College League of California (CCLC) is preparing to bring a strong and definitive case directly to the halls of the State Capitol as part of our upcoming legislative conference scheduled for January 25 through 26. The San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA) has been working diligently preparing "talking points," budget reduction proposals and alternatives for consideration that would be less harmful to students statewide. Our own District will have a solid contingency in attendance including members of our Board of Trustees, Chancellor Carroll and members of her Cabinet as well as faculty and student leadership. I for one will be looking forward to taking our case to Sacramento and bringing the impact of the reductions directly to various legislative offices for consideration.

The District and College

At Mesa we continued with a sense of resolve and continuity directly on the path to meet the budget reduction goal assigned to us. As of 12/09/08 the revised budget reduction figure for our budget stands at $839,687. I would like to commend the inspired, collegial and student-centered work of our shared governance leaders. We have had several meetings designed to inform, clarify and refine the areas of reduction in our budget. These meetings could have been tense and contentious; instead they have been constructive, creative, thoughtful and fully informed by fiscal, programmatic and educational data enabling us all to move forward with a shared vision. We have a long way to go but we have reached consensus on how to achieve the $839,687 in reductions. We are clear that our work is not over because we fully expect additional reductions in 2009/2010.  What we can say about our process is that we are well positioned to move forward in a careful and responsible manner that always focuses on maximizing opportunities for our students while minimizing negative impacts wherever possible.

Special thanks to Ron Perez, Vice President of Administration and the Campus Budget Committee whose recommendations were reviewed and endorsed by all of President's Cabinet. We have many things going for us, including a clear sense of purpose, professional trust and the knowledge that we have what it takes to make it work.

Mesa College Annual Holiday Reception

Once again this honored Mesa Tradition was a great success. I want to thank the Academic Senate, Classified Senate and ASG for co-hosting this event celebrating the contributions of the Mesa College family. The turnout was fantastic and we were honored by the attendance of very distinguished guests including the newly elected President of our Board of Trustees, Rich Grosch, Executive Vice President of the Board, Peter Zschiesche, Trustee Maria Nieto-Senour and Trustee Bill Schwandt. Chancellor Carroll also graced us with her presence and offered some words of reassurance and hope for the Holiday Season. I appreciated very much the presence of my dear colleague and President of City College, Terry Burgess. Other members from the District Office who made it a point to come to help us celebrate included Vice Chancellor David Umstot, Vice Chancellor Otto Lee, Robin Lewinson, Richard Burkhart, Gail Conrad, Andrea Henne, Sharon Rhodes, John Nunes and Ryan Murphy.

The stars of the show were the Culinary Arts/Culinary Managements Students who prepared a veritable feast and served a sumptuous meal under the direction of faculty-member Michael Fitzgerald. Everyone was particularly dazzled by the dessert tray and many a well meaning calorie reduction resolution failed miserably in the face of such great temptation.

Sad News

Many of you know that Coach Matt Kofler has been gravely ill. Dean Dave Evans has been visiting him very regularly taking with him Mesa's love and hope for his recovery.  Many of his colleagues have been sending notes via Dave that I know that these are very well received. Matt needs our prayers.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting Tuesday, December 9, the President's Cabinet acted on the following items:

1. Major Events Approved for Publication
   a) Drag Show, 12/9/08 - Administrator Responsible: Dean Hands
   b) College Connection for Foster Youth, 2/27/09 - Administrator Responsible:  Int. EOPS Officer Reuss
2. Research Planning Document (Bergland/Mun)
   Document was accepted following review.
3. Mid-Year Budget Cuts (Cepeda/Perez)
   Ron Perez presented detailed information regarding the 2008-2009 proposed budget reduction plan at both district and college levels. Two options were discussed. President Cepeda will present Option 2 at next Chancellor's Cabinet meeting (Dec. 16).

The Beat Goes On

Human Rights Awareness Films and Lectures: On December 10, Mesa celebrated Human Rights Day joining with celebrations in other countries around the globe. We began to prepare by scheduling a series of films some of which began last week and continued this week with the following:

 "The Question of Kurdish Human Rights" Minhaj Abdullah and Ravi Barwari lecture. Wed., Dec. 10, 11:15 a.m., LRC 435. Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on December 10.

"Relief Measures in Africa" Vicki Butcher lectures.

Mesa College Vocal Ensemble Choral Performance. "Gloria" by Vivaldi with string quartet and oboe. Directed by Betsy Frater with Woan-Rong Winterling on piano.

Music Recital Hour featuring students in the Mesa College Applied Music Program (AMP). AMP is a demanding curriculum that includes private instruction with an established master, participation in a music ensemble such as choir or jazz band, and study in core music theory courses.

Mesa College Literary Magazine Contest Winners -Thursday, first, second and third place awards were presented to talented student writers in the fields of poetry, creative writing fiction and creative writing non-fiction. If you haven't seen a copy of this year's Mesa Visions: Art and Literary Magazine 2008 you must run and find one. The publication itself is a work of art. It is beautifully presented including not only amazing creative works of literature, but also illustrations of student art—all of it breathtaking. Congratulations to the winners, Tammy Hensley, Erika Anderson, Dallon Ghan, Tyler Gilbert, Kenneth Blackington, Christopher Boyd, Neri Aguilar and Jeanette Wagner.  Behind this great array of student talent are gifted faculty members Jennifer Cost and Wendi Smith, keeper of the flame Chris Sullivan and Pat Vine and Alessandra Moctezuma who collaborated by contributing the student art work.

The Budget Saga Part III

Yes, this is the third in the installments of the evolving (or should I say devolving) budget picture. You know by now that the outgoing legislature failed to act despite the emergency session convened by Governor Schwarzenegger. They argued, caucused, but failed once again to come to resolution given the required 2/3 vote to pass any budget action.

According the Community College League's Budget Update #24, the incoming legislature includes twenty-five new legislators (15 Democrat, 10 Republican) who were sworn in on December 1, 2008. It is expected that the governor will call a special session once again, but it is unlikely that the newly constituted legislature will deal with the budget problem during the month of December. It appears that the new "line in the sand" has now moved to February, the date when the state is expected to run out of money. I am tempted to add a few remarks here but I'll leave it up to you to fill in the blanks.

Budget Work Locally

Unlike the state legislature our District Office, each of the colleges and Continuing Education have been working diligently to calculate the implication of mid-year reductions and the expected 2009-10 cuts that are sure to follow. We have started with the identification of the amount of dollars we need to reduce in order to accommodate expected mid-year cuts. This figure is $5 million. One of the most important parts of the budget discussions underway is the inclusion of core values established as a "litmus test" for every budget reduction strategy considered. These core values include the following:

1. Protect our Mission of Instruction and Services to Students;
2. Avoid any layoffs of current contract employees;
3. Avoid any roll-backs of salaries or benefits;
4. Maintain the basic schedule of core classes and minimize class reductions; and
5. Effect budget reductions that will ensure the District's solvency and long-term fiscal health.

It is important to note that Chancellor's Cabinet has already identified $1.4 million in district wide budget reduction thereby reducing the target to $3.6 million.  Mesa's proportionate share of reductions based on this new target is $833,862. Mesa's Executive Staff, Budget Committee and President's Cabinet met throughout this week to identify ways to reach our specified target. The rallying cry for each of us is, "keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible."  It is very important to me that we have a proposed plan before faculty and staff leave for the winter break. It is for this reason that a proposed plan will be provided to all before December 19, 2008.

Foreclosed Gingerbread Houses... A Sign of the Times?

One of Mesa's culinary student traditions is their annual gingerbread home competition and display at our MFusion restaurant. This year as a sign of the times one of our students, Louis Cohen in Tom Adam's baking class hit on the perfect solution and the perfect lesson. He was given an assignment that required advanced pastry decorating skills with which he was still struggling.  Undaunted Louis decided to turn all negatives to positives by: designing a deteriorating gingerbread house about to be foreclosed (using this as camouflage for his less than perfect decorating skills) while at the same time, making full use of "context based" education by applying the growing reality of mounting home foreclosures to the assigned task. Our Public Information Officer, Lina Heil "pitched" the idea to the press and the rest is history. The idea was such a hi, that Mesa enjoyed more news coverage in two days than we have received in the last two months. Channels 8 and 5 covered the story.  For your enjoyment, I have attached a couple of the links you may wish to visit.

• www.nbcsandiego.com
• www.sdmesa.edu/culinary

A second story that was a hit with the media, centered on our Women's Soccer Team as they made history advancing to the State Championship finals. Since the inception of Women's Soccer in 1988, no community college team from San Diego County has ever made it this far. But Mesa has! Both, Channel 10 and the Union Tribune covered this story.

Mesa Honors Retirees

This week was unusual in the number of retirement celebrations scheduled.Linda Moore, Lead Production Assistant, Faculty member Bob  Michaels, Instructional Systems Specialist and Frances Martinez, Executive Assistant to the President all decided to retire and Mesa had the opportunity to honor a distinguished group of individuals. Occasions such as these remind us how dear our colleagues really are.  As the saying goes, "you never know what you have until you loose it."

Sad News

Sam Coe, Assistant Football Coach at Mesa College passed away on November 28.  This season would have been his second year as assistant coach. The services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, December 7th at Glen Abbey Mortuary, 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Sam Coe Football Scholarship Fund, c/o Mr. Rusty Moore, Castle Park High School. Dave Evans informed us that the Mesa College Athletic Department will make a $300 donation to the scholarship fund. 

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting Tuesday, December 2, the President's Cabinet,

• Approved the following major event: Gallery Exhibition (3/13/09) - Administrator Responsible: Interim Vice President Craft
• Received copies of the Research Planning Agenda for review and preparation to act on the item at the meeting of December 9.
• Reviewed the reduced food services schedule and made suggestions.  The information will be placed on the Web for students' information.
• Viewed a presentation by staff from  Student Services Admissions and Registration in which their services to students, faculty and staff were detailed. Several members of President's Cabinet commended the presenters on the outstanding work they do with students .
• Advised Executive Staff and the Budget Committee to discuss the changes that need to be made by the campus in order to arrive at the recommended budget reduction and bring back options to the meeting on December 9.

The Beat Goes On

Mesa's active campus life continued unabated. Once again, each of these events reminded us of the value of student engagement using the entire "campus as textbook." Some of the varied events last week included:

Human Rights Awareness Films and Lectures: On December 10, Human Rights Day will be celebrated around the globe. Mesa is preparing to join in as part of the world community beginning with a series of excellent films including:

• "White Light Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" Oscar award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisited the bombings and shared the stories of the only people to have survived a nuclear attack.
• "Madeline Albright: Genocide in Kosovo" Human Rights Day is celebrated annual around the world on December 10
• "Armenian Genocide" This 2006 documentary explored the circumstances surrounding the mass-killing of more than one million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Mesa College Humanities Institute presents: "Now That She's Gone"  Author, activist and actor, Ellen Snortland performed her own passionate, funny and profoundly moving play about her amusing, irreverent and sometimes painful relationship with her Norwegian-American mother.

Student Holiday Ceramics Sale. Students Ceramics Club sells original art  provided us all with extraordinary shopping opportunities for a "one of a kind" gift to be found nowhere else.

Fashion Club Holiday Fair. Original fashions, pet pictures with Santa, refreshments and music were offered during this festive fundraiser led by the student Fashion Club including an opportunity to donate to Toys-for-Tots.

Music Recital Hour featuring students in the Mesa College Applied Music Program (AMP).  AMP is a demanding curriculum that includes private instruction with an established master, participation in a music ensemble such as choir or jazz band, and study in core music theory courses. These recitals enrich our lives tremendously as our students regale us with their talents.

Mesa College Eco Awareness Series Green Film:  "Global Warming: What's Up with the Weather" Screening of the PBS/NOVA program that looks at changes to the global climate and questions if the changes are the result of global warming.

Off Campus Activities – Mesa Enriches the Community Outside our Campus

• Mesa College Vocal Ensemble Choral Performance. "Gloria" by Vivaldi with string quartet and oboe. Directed by Betsy Frater with Woan-Rong Winterling on piano. Sat., Dec. 6, 7 p.m. at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, 4321 Eastgate Mall, Golden Triangle. Free.
• 12/7 (OFF CAMPUS)– Hermes Castro Fundraiser. Mesa College students have launched a fund-raising campaign to help send fellow student Hermes Castro, who is paralyzed from the waist down, on an Antarctic expedition next March with world renown explorer Sir Robert Swan.  The campaign kicks off with an all-day fundraiser at Mountain Mike's Pizza in Clairemont on December 7. The community is invited to participate. See www.hermescastro.com , and www.mtnmikes.com. Sun., Dec. 7, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Mountain Mike's Pizza, 3089 Clairemont Drive.

Perspective of two shoe salesmen:
Two shoe salesmen were sent to a foreign country in search of new business.  The first shoe salesmen wrote back, "This is a terrible country, no one wears shoes!"  The second shoe salesman wrote, "This is a great opportunity, no one here wears shoes!"
Excerpts from a presentation by Senator Jack Scott, Incoming Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (11/20/08)

Budget Saga - Part II

This Friday Update is coming to you directly from the Community College League of California's 2008 Annual Convention and Partner Conference. Our district is well represented, and I am very pleased that Mesa, in particular, has an array of participants and presenters.

One of the great things about being here is that I did not have to search long and hard for an opening proverb or quote; everyone here is full of them. The one I selected above came directly from a presentation made by our next Chancellor, Senator Jack Scott.  Senator Scott is extremely well positioned to lead our system. He spent 23 years in community colleges serving as Dean of Instruction and President of Cypress and Pasadena City College. For the last 12 years, he has distinguished himself as a member of the State Legislature and has earned the reputation of being the "education senator," and, most specifically, the voice and advocate of community colleges.

Our new Chancellor has breadth and depth as an educator and policy maker nonpareil and no one is better positioned to lead us in these critical times. And, as Senator Scott enters and our present Chancellor, Dr. Diane Woodruff exits, we must recognize what an enlightened leader Chancellor Woodruff has been. I have now worked under six State Chancellors and Diane, like no other, has had the gift of bringing factions together, leading by example, and giving credit to others at every opportunity.

Good News/Bad News--Both Chancellor Woodruff and Incoming Chancellor Scott presented us with their perspectives regarding good news and bad news ahead. Listed below is a combination of the points made by both presenters:

Good News:

• Californians are coming to community colleges in record numbers. The system has reported an overall increase in enrollment of 6% and a corresponding 10% percent increase in Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES). Community colleges are the "economic safety net," particularly now when the unemployment rate is at 7.7%, with a projected increase to 9.7% by 2010. In addition, our colleges will be the institutions of choice for the largest graduating high school class in several decades, as Californians are priced out of the opportunity to access a college education.
• The colleges are more unified than ever and all constituent groups are "speaking with one voice," as we prepare to advocate and to resist cuts that will diminish our ability to aid in this state's economic recovery.
• Community colleges provide the best ROI (return on investment) in this state. In fact, colleges return $3 for every $1 invested.
• All community colleges that placed bond measures on the November 4 ballot passed their bonds for a grand total statewide of $5.4 billion.  This certainly translates into a great vote of confidence and support, particularly given the present economic climate.
• Corporate leaders and philanthropists are focusing on community colleges. There are two great examples of this trend:
  1. The Osher Scholarships – This opportunity resulted from a recent $70 million pledge to the Foundation for California Community Colleges by the San Francisco-based Bernard Osher Foundation.  While $25 million of the Osher grant will endow and fund scholarships at each of the state's 110 community colleges, another $25 million will serve as a challenge grant - awarding $1 for every $2 that a college raises.
  2. The Billboard Pledge (my terminology)- A corporate leader has pledged the use of free billboard space throughout California to "sing the praises" of community colleges. Each of us will be able to "personalize" the statements to be made to the general public about the value, quality and opportunity of a community college education.

Bad News:

• A "Special Urgent Session" of the legislature has been called for Tuesday, November 25, to address the $10 billion deficit facing the state.
• The legislature still has to deal with the two-thirds majority vote requirement in order to agree on a course of action, and most of them still adhere to the philosophy of "high level of service with low taxes."
• There is no way to make up the deficit only through the use of budget cuts. Revenue sources must be found.
• The proposed cut to community colleges ($332 million) will impact between 250,000 and 260,000, students because of our inability to offer the array of courses needed by these students. This is even more crucial given the decisions already in place by the UC and CSU to close their doors by decreasing the number of admits.
• The budget deficit in the state is of a structural nature, and one-time cuts and reductions will not address the seriousness of the situation. There is an additional $13 billion shortfall expected in the 2009-10 budget year.

What is our District Doing?

At District Governance Council, Chancellor Carroll framed the context for future budget discussions. In particular, Vice Chancellor Davis shared a set of assumptions, parameters, and possible options for budget cuts based on advice provided by members of the Chancellor's Cabinet. Several documents were reviewed to set the background for the discussion; listed below are the two most important points raised:

Assumptions:

1. Budget reductions imposed by the State will be permanent.
2. As the State is projecting deficits for both 2008-09 and 2009-10, there will be permanent reductions in both years.
3. The 2008-09 reductions could be as high as $10.4 million for SDCCD (per CCLC projections).

Parameters for Initial Budget Reduction Planning:

1. Avoid any layoffs of current contract employees.
2. Avoid any roll-backs of salaries or benefits.
3. Maintain basic schedule of core classes and minimize course reductions.

What Can We Do at Mesa

Make our voices heard. Write to your local representative and send a message directly to the Governor's Office. Make three consistent points:

1. Community Colleges are the "safety net" of higher education
2. Community colleges represent the best "Return on Investment" outcome for the state.
3. Community colleges are the key to economic recovery as we train and retrain the state's workforce.

At Mesa College, we must think creatively as we face the inevitability of budget cuts. The basic question we must ask ourselves is, "What should we do to ensure that we make decisions that will keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible?"

A Thing of Beauty--I learned through President's Cabinet and the District Governance Council (DGC) that Mesa Students and Faculty are banding together to send a powerful and cohesive message to the state legislators and to the Governor. This is teaching and learning at its best and one of best examples of "applied academics." Go Mesa!

The Beat Goes On

Great events that helped to lift our spirits:

Native American Heritage Celebration.  Film and discussion of "PowWow Highway," an independent film that explores the friendship of two modern Native American friends.

GIS Day. As part of the National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness Week, Mesa College hosted a fun and informative introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems), including GIS career information, an introduction to the Mesa College GIS certificate and degree programs, plus ArcGIS and GPS/Google Earth hands-on activities.

Mesa College Theatre Company Presents "Giants Have Us in Their Books." Based on his young daughter's observation that if we have giants in our fairy tales, they must have us in theirs, this dramatic presentation of six short fables by Jose Rivera add up to two hours of compelling, entertaining, and provocative theatre.  Performances are November 21-23 (Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m). General admission is $10--some discounts apply. For tickets, contact the Mesa College Apolliad Theatre Box Office (619) 388-2621.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting Tuesday, November 18, the President's Cabinet:

Discussed:

• Updates on proposed state budget mid-year cuts and implications for the District and the college. In particular, the discussion centered of the values, principles and assumptions that will guide future decisions.
• Outcomes of Districtwide Accreditation Committee.
• Factors for consideration in the purchase of Student Learning Objectives software designed to collect and report on college efforts in this area.
• Construction updates and, in particular, the planning for the Rosa Parks Memorial and recommendations for the preservation of murals.

Approved for publication the following Major Events:

• Fashion Club Holiday Fair, December 1-4, 2008,
• Holiday Ceramics Sale, December 1-3, 2008,
• Human Rights Awareness Films and Lectures, Various Dates, Dec. 2008 - April 2009.

"An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be" - Anonymous

The Budget Question

In my attempt to search for the perfect quote for this week’s update, I had some serious choices to make. I finally selected the one above because I thought it would best prepare us for the budget discussions we are about to undertake. In many ways, I think you would agree with me that the message in this quote by an anonymous author has a certain beauty and simplicity to it. It manages to accommodate most personality types in our college and perhaps even the same individual depending on the topic of the budget discussion. What do you think?

In facing serious budget decisions, there are several steps that bode well in the development of an acceptable outcome:

1. Consider the greater good (this requires revising mission/vision/values);
2. Get all  the facts;
3. Know the implications of those facts to your particular setting (district/college/division/department);
4. Understand that the best recommendations come from those closest to the actual delivery of services;
5. Place all options on the table to maximize resources and reduce extraordinary impact on students;
6. Ensure transparency;
7. Maintain ongoing communication.

I am sure that you can think of a few other maxims, but these will do for now.  If we consider these steps, I feel confident that we are off to a good start in our joint process of deliberation. We have the bad news--cuts will happen.  We also have the good news: our district is well positioned with data and a budget process that will enable us to be deliberate in our decision- making process. Mesa as a college has a clear understanding of how our money has been spent, and we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

What can we expect?

There are many sources of information to consider in constructing a picture for our district and for our college. I have taken excerpts from some of the updates we have received over this last week.

The Community College League

All community college presidents throughout the state received a note from Scott Lay, CCLC President, reprinted below. Please note that there are some direct links to additional information, including an option to take direct action by sending a direct e-mail to the Governor’s Office.

CCLC Excerpt - November 14, 2008

"This morning, we shared with the media the impact of proposed budget cuts on California's community colleges. It's unfathomable, but the cuts would eliminate over a quarter of a million students. To put it in another perspective, it's like shutting down the University of California, only targeting our state's most economically disadvantaged and diverse population.

Meanwhile, in a new poll released today by the Public Policy Institute of California 83% of Californians express concern that the budget gap will cause significant spending cuts in higher education. As a hard-working advocate for California's community colleges, you'll be happy to know that the same poll gives the colleges a big "thumbs up." A full 66% of Californians believe community colleges are doing an "excellent" or "good job," but that there are significant barriers to affordability and accessibility.

We are launching our advocacy effort with a press conference featuring Chancellor Diane Woodruff today at 1 p.m. at Sacramento City College, and we are going to need your help over the next several months.

Will you join me today by sending a quick note to the governor to ask him to do what he can to protect the 250,000 threatened students?"

The Legislative Analysts Office (LAO)

Excerpted from the LAO’s Office Report November 11, 2008

"The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), which is the nonpartisan advisor to the Legislature, issued a report last Monday, November 11, analyzing the governor's proposed midyear cuts and making suggestions of its own.

In the report, the LAO generally endorses the governor's revenue proposals, but also calls for a partial restoration of the higher vehicle license fee ("car tax"). Additionally, the LAO recommends taking action now on deeper cuts for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

For community colleges, the LAO recommends:

• Eliminating the 0.68% COLA adopted in the budget act
• No 5% cut to the general apportionment
• Increasing fees to $26 per unit on January 1, 2009 and to $30 on July 1, 2009
• Reducing funding to the regular noncredit rate for:
  - "certain credit-bearing physical education classes (such as pilates, racquetball and golf)" effective January 1, 2008
  - "additional enrichment courses (such as ballroom dancing, drawing and photography)" effective July 1, 2009

Upon full implementation, the reduction in reimbursement rates would cut community college funding by $200 million in 2009-10. Colleges would not be able to keep the $120 million in increased fees."

District Office Response

A recent piece co-authored by Chancellor Carroll and Trustee Grosch, Community college’s budget woes, submitted and printed by the Union Tribune on November 3, served not only to provide one of the best overviews about the causal factors leading to the state budget debacle. Following are excerpts from that article that I consider to be the most pertinent to this update.

"The annual struggle to adopt a California state budget is like chaos theory in mathematics. Apparently random and disordered elements emerge with an order about them. Unfortunately, this year's collision of conflicting and unpredictable elements in the state budget has an order about them, but the consequences are disastrous for students and the state's economy."

"...California's lack of prudent fiscal planning and resulting vacillation from one budget crisis to the next endangers the ability of the state's community colleges to provide the educated work force the state needs to prosper. San Diego's economy is ill-served by a situation when more than 2,000 students seeking to upgrade their skills or transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting college or university were turned away by the SDCCD from classes that were already filled this semester because the state cannot provide sufficient funding to educate them. Moreover, budget cuts have prevented the development of new programs in high-demand, vocational training areas."

We urge our state decision-makers to take hold of this fiscal situation and solve it once and for all by demonstrating the same discipline and following the same agenda that community college districts, businesses and other organizations follow at times of fiscal difficulty:

• Reducing expenditures and containing costs.
• Aligning expenditures with revenue.
• Establishing a reserve fund for emergency use.
• Increasing revenue.

In the absence of such an agenda, the state's fiscal chaos will continue on its path of random damage, with the predictable result of undermining its own, and San Diego's, future economic health."

The Beat Goes On

Great events that helped to lift our spirits.

Continuing Education Student Day. Students from all six of the San Diego Community College District's Continuing Education campuses were invited to Mesa  to tour the campus, learn about career-technical and academic programs and student services, and ways to make a successful transition from Continuing Education non-credit classes to degree and certificate programs offered at Mesa College. Did you know that these students outperform other students once they enroll on campus. Continuing education adult learners are extremely focused and very talented.

Mesa College Eco Awareness Series. Green Film: "Solar Energy:  Saved by the Sun" A very informative screening of a PBS/NOVA program was presented that focused on the question: can solar power help save the Earth from the depredations of global warming?

Orientation Session, Hospitality Program. Potential students were invited to a very informative session designed to respond to questions about the growing market for well trained professionals trained in the fields of Hotel Management, Events Management, Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. 

Orientation Session: Physical Therapy Assistant Program.  Potential students interested in this career program were  invited to attend a very informative session addressing not only training and educational requirements but also job placement potential in this growing market. 

Offering our Best Thoughts and Prayers

As some of you know two of our colleagues are facing serious medical problems, Matt Kofler and Barry Coleman. Keep them in your thoughts and in your prayers.

President’s Cabinet Update

There was not President’s Cabinet meeting this week because of the Veteran’s Day Holiday.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" -- Martin Luther King Jr.

I have a question for you, how many of you saved the November 5, 2008, edition of your local newspaper?

Last Tuesday, as I sat alone watching the election returns with my family scattered to the four winds, I was thankful for technology that allowed me to text message, phone and use my webcam to bring together the bunch that makes up my immediate family. I realized that the number of immigrants in the group is growing smaller, followed by our children, first generation Americans, and then second generation Americans, of which there are now three grandchildren among us all, ranging from six months to three years of age. As is true with all families in this great country, there are both Democrats and Republicans, and we were all deeply engaged and deeply invested in the election results. As the countdown started and the electoral votes were being added to determine the next president of the United States, I was no longer cognizant that I was alone in my little apartment because the noise, excitement, furious text messaging, and webcam were going wild.  I realized that I had a full house of hope, civic engagement and full-blown participation in the American privilege associated with voting for our elected officials.

I will forever save in my electronic files the record of who among us awoke the earliest to vote, who among us was the oldest to vote (my father in law who turned 90 last August, followed by my mother who is 81; the youngest was my daughter Mariel, who is 24).  In our family lore there is also my story about who called the election first; this honor belongs to Isabella, my two year old granddaughter, who started a victory chant for Senator Obama at about 7:55 p.m. PST. There was also the late call at 10:00 p.m. from my sister Silvia, a registered Republican, who called to concede the election and say that even though her candidate did not win, this is a great country, and Senator McCain was a most gracious hero. I concurred.

The road ahead for us all, given the very complex set of economic, social, and global issues, is indeed steep, but as the quote listed above indicates, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Mesa's Many Steps - All in the Right Direction

Celebrating Participatory Governance: Twenty Years After AB 1725 – Mesa's faculty leadership was eager to participate in the Fall 2008 session of the Statewide Academic Senate, particularly because this year's conference was scheduled at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. Mark Wade Lieu, President of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, stated that, "we cannot but help celebrating the fact that terms like 'participatory governance,' 'academic and professional matters,' and 'collegial consultation' are part of our everyday vocabulary."

Indeed, President Lieu is correct, and I would add that the precepts of AB 1725 and participatory governance are now very much a part of the curriculum in schools of education at all colleges and universities in California that are engaged in preparing the next cohort of educational leaders in the State.

Students Breaking Records - On Thursday, October 30, Mesa College Women's and Men's Cross Country Teams competed in the Pacific Coast Conference Championships at Southwestern College. Mesa College's Women's team finished 2nd in the conference. Mesa College's Men's Cross Country team placed 1st in the Pacific Coast Conference and is ranked #1 in the State for Men's Cross Country teams. Both teams are competing today, at the Southern California Championships in Bakersfield, and I am waiting eagerly to hear the outcomes, because I understand that the State Championships will be held November 22 in Fresno.

Congratulations to Coaches Rene Ross and Thom Hunt; our students are not just taking steps in the right direction they are running to meet their goals as athletes and as scholars. Mesa is proud of our student athletes and their achievements.

Biology Lecture Series – One of the most intriguing activities within the academy has to be the Biology Lecture Series coordinated by our own Dr. Kevin A. Krown, Assistant Professor of Biology.  This week students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. Mark Nijland, University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research. Dr. Nijland presented a seminar entitled "The Fetal Origins Hypothesis:  Where Health Begins." If you did not attend the lecture, then you missed on being conversant on "how epigenetic factors play major roles in development of phenotype and predisposition to disease in later life." (Kevin Krown, Ph.D.)  The good news is that you can catch the next one.

Walkouts - Staying with our theme of taking steps, on Wednesday, activist and educator Sal Castro discussed his central role in the 1968 East Los Angeles Walkouts. This event triggered a series of protests in East Los Angeles and in other high schools throughout California.  More than 20,000 students boycotted school for a week in opposition to unequal conditions in Los Angeles area schools. Now retired, Castro continues to lecture about his experience and the importance of education, equity and diversity for all students.  In 2006, HBO released the file "Walkout," which tells the story of Castro and the events surrounding the student protests. Where were you in 1968? (The question does not apply if you were not yet born).

Mesa Recycles - an event sponsored by the Honors Club and ASG urged everyone to "bring electronics, computers, printers, TVs, DVD and CD players, cell phones, cameras" and the like to the Free Speech area for recycling. No one doubts anymore, that we are living through the emergence of a comprehensive movement around sustainability in which everyone must do their part. Congratulations to our students for continuing to lead the way.

Native American Heritage Month - In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as "National American Indian Heritage Month."  This proclamation had been a long time coming beginning in 1915, when Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians and delivered the endorsement of 24 states directly to the White House. The theme for this year's heritage month is "Celebrating Tribal Nations: American's Great Partners." Here at Mesa a celebration was held on Thursday with traditional tribal singing, food and arts and crafts exhibits.

The Beat Goes On

Great events that help to lift our spirits.

10/9-11/6 -- Mesa College Art Gallery Exhibit: PreMeditated: Meditations on Capital Punishment by Artist Malaquias Montoya. Featuring the paintings and silk-screened posters of a leading figure in the West Coast political Chicano graphics art movement. Mesa College Art Gallery, D101. Gallery Hours: Tue., Wed., Fri., 12- 5 p.m.; Thu. 12-8 pm. Free admission.

11/1, 2 – Mesa College Dance Company Presents "Play the Floor." Outstanding performances featuring Mesa College dance students. Fri., Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 2, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., Lyceum Theatre, Horton Plaza.

11/1 – Orientation Session: Health Information Technology Program. Potential students interested in this career program attended an informational and inspirational program.

11/5 – Music Recital Hour... featuring Paul Bowman on Guitar, "a program of modern classical music. Bowman has been praised for his versatility and fearless attacks at dissonant sounds and unpredictable rhythms." - Joe Falleta.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting Tuesday, November 4,the President's Cabinet:

• Approved for publication the British Debate Exhibition scheduled for November 20, 2008.
• Introduced Sebastian Law, newly elected ASG President.
• Reviewed Academic Senate Resolution 08.10.4 regarding the Academic Calendar for 2009-10.

Discussion also ensued regarding the possibility of mid-year budget cuts, followed by summary presented by President Cepeda resulting from a panel presentation sponsored by USD's College of Educational Policy and Law (CEPAL) on the topic of the California Economy.

Mesa's Great Escapes

Imagine having a "near death experience" one moment and a sublime immersion in stress reduction next. This was the case for me this week. On Wednesday, Mesa College students took part in a "Mock Death Experience" as part of our Drunk Driving Awareness Campaign. The experience included simulated drunk driving through the use of glasses that impaired vision in increments in direct relationship to the alcohol level in the bloodstream.  What an eye opener!

 -no pun intended. Students also experienced being arrested and booked for Driving Under the Influence. More than 200 students walked by and witnessed first responders using the Jaws of Life to extract a victim from a demolished vehicle. The horrific experience concluded with a funeral complete with a casket and mourners. The entire event was punctuated when the story was brought home to all by Mark Crispino a former Mesa student whose brother died in a drunk driving incident.

On Thursday, I was in need of rest and relaxation and Mesa provided me with the perfect opportunity. I attended a magnificent event under the heading of " Lecture and Performance: Rediscover the Long forgotten Traditional Chinese Music & Musical Instruments ." Three professional Chinese musicians performed using traditional Chinese music instruments, such as er hu, pi pa and gu zheng.  All three instruments are part of the mainstay of Chinese music and have been enjoyed for more than 1,000 years. I can tell you that, as a member of the audience, I felt suddenly transported, not just to a different time, but to a different place, where beauty, and meditative melodies truly soothed the soul. It was my "Great Escape."

Today, Friday, I met with Mesa's InterClub Council (ICC). These students represent various members of the 23 clubs that are active on campus. I was on the agenda to introduce Hermes Castro; a wonderful, inspiring, charismatic Mesa student who is also a paraplegic and a victim of a drunk driver. If you would like to know more about Hermes log on to his inspiring website: www.hermescastro.com  Hermes' story is truly inspiring, and his spirit is so indomitable that he is on the verge of becoming a world explorer. In fact, Hermes will be joining Sir Robert Swan, who is known as "one of the great explorers and adventurers in history, and the first man to walk to both the North and South Poles."  Hermes will board "Yacht 2041" as part of Robert Swan's next expedition focusing on a Voyage for Cleaner Energy.  This entire adventure began when Robert Swan presented a lecture at Mesa College and Hermes was in the audience as part of a class requirement. After the presentation, the two talked, and the rest is history. The ICC is extremely inspired and will be raising funds to send Hermes to the Antarctic. 

The Beat Goes On

Great events that helped to lift our spirits.

10/29 - Music Recital featuring Janos Negyesy on violin.

10/29 - Drug and Alcohol Awareness Event. Simulator goggles, sobriety tests, a crashed car, a mock funeral, an arrest and a DUI conviction are all a part of this experiential drunk driving awareness event intended to change the behavior of college-aged students who drink and drive.

10/29 - Orientation Session, Hospitality Program. Potential students interested in this career programs in Hotel Management, Events Management, Culinary Arts/Culinary Management are invited to attend.

President's Cabinet Update

At its meeting Tuesday, October 28, the President's Cabinet:

• Approved the following Major Events:
  By consent:
  a)  Sal Castro Visit to Mesa College, November 5, 2008
  b)  Tri-Regional Meeting of Co-op Work Experience Educators, February 17, 2009
  
  By unanimous vote:
  a) Big Gay Awareness Fair, November 3-4, 2008
  b) Rocky Horror Picture Show-Halloween Party, as amended, October 30, 2008
• Heard Dean Yvonne Bergland and Professor Jill Baker's campus and district accreditation update, where they requested additional faculty and students for Mesa College's task force.
• Dean Bergland presented the 2008 Mesa Program Review Handbook which was revised to reflect the integration of Administrative Services.
• Discussed e-mail guidelines and the current controversy regarding use of the "DL."  Numerous suggestions emerged that ranged from finding a "technical remedy" to exercising peer pressure, referring to the college's Civility Statement and the possible creation of a separate "chat room" that could be used for discussion purposes.

The week of October 19 to 25 was a bit unusual. First, Mesa College was asked to host a two-day, satellite broadcast of The Women's Conference 2008. The Women's Conference was described by Maria Shriver, Conference chairperson as "the largest and most dynamic gathering of women in the nation. Recognized for its unparalleled capacity to empower and inspire women to become architects of change." Despite the extremely short notice we were given to gear up and take care of the logistics, the event was a resounding success. Because we had a live download and a delayed taping, the entire conference is available for viewing by those who may be interested.

Mesa also hosted a meeting of the Board of Trustees. As you know, the Board schedules at least four meetings at each of our three college campuses and continuing education. These meetings are the perfect opportunity to showcase special programs and innovations on campus. There is a catch-- the presentations cannot exceed one hour. Given the many distinguished and noteworthy activities on our campus, it is always very difficult to select from such fertile ground. In any case, this year's theme, "Building a Culture of Evidence," turned out to be one of the most informational and delightful examples of accountability "done right!"

Presentation to the Board of Trustees

Composers in our midst- On Friday, October 24, our Music Department presented "Interlude," a gala concert that is part of its recital series made all the more noteworthy by the fact that funding for these events is made possible by a partnership with Bumble Bee Foods. Friday's concert was special because it presented an irrepressible example of Mesa's creative genius. It featured two original works, Camber and Dances composed by our own Music Department professor Momilani Ramstrum and performed by professors James Romeo and George Svoboda. With the composer's permission, I hope to share this work when we next gather at the opening of our Spring Semester.

Safe and Sound

On October 20, I met with Charlie Hogquist, Chief of College Police. Many of you have met Chief Hogquist because he has made it a point to be very accessible on matters ranging from emergency preparedness to campus safety. Chief Hogquist takes the education and prevention part of his responsibilities very seriously. This time, he presented me with a briefing on campus safety as mandated by the Clery Act, a piece of legislation that requires schools to publish an annual report disclosing campus security policies and three years worth of specified crime and arrest statistics. In addition, The Clery Act requires that this annual report be made available to students, faculty, staff and applicants for employment.

The good news is that Clery reportable crime on campus and on public property surrounding the campus decreased by 12.5% in 2007 over 2006. In comparison, the City of San Diego saw a 4% reduction in their crime rate over the same period. Some of the most important highlights for this year's report are as follows:

Mesa College had no reported hate crimes from 2001-2007. There were no aggravated assaults, and, vehicle thefts were down from 30 in 2006 to 21 in 2007.

If you would like to view the entire report and you would like more information on the Clery Act, go to www.securityoncampus.org.

The Beat Goes On

Great events that helped to lift our spirits.

10/22 -- Music Recital featuring Dale Williams on guitar.

10/22 - Lecture and Performance: Rediscover the Long Forgotten Traditional Chinese Music & Musical Instruments. Three professional Chinese musicians performed from traditional Chinese music instruments such as er hu, pi pa and gu zheng in various classrooms. All three instruments were the mainstay of Chinese music and were enjoyed for thousands of years, until Western instruments spread to China in early 20th century.

10/22 - Sal Castro: The Struggle for Change and the East Los Angeles Walkouts of 1968: A Leader's Perspective. Sal Castro, a principal organizer and supporter of the East Los Angeles Walkouts, addressed the conditions in the East Los Angeles High Schools which culminated in the decision to boycott the schools.

President's Cabinet Update

President's Cabinet was canceled in order to prepare for the meeting of the Board of Trustees.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." - Anais Anin

At Mesa, life expanded with an amazing week of events some extraordinary and some inspiring and reassuring, that provided provided us with a sense of continuity and contribution to the community in which we live and work.

Good News came our way as we learned that a "side letter" agreement had been established between our District and the AFT Guild that permits colleges to expand part-time faculty loads from 60% to 67%.  This opportunity was made possible through the recent enactment of AB 591 (Dymally), a bill that gives flexibility to colleges enabling the assignment of part-time faculty to courses that carry high unit designations ( i.e. 5 unit courses). Logistics just became a great deal easier for department chairs!

 Vice President for Instruction Selection Committee-- The first meeting of this group took place this week as we start our search for Mesa's next Vice President for Instruction. In the meantime, I continue to be thankful and amazed at the level of professionalism and contribution by faculty, administrators and other staff persons who do their best to sustain an excellent level of educational services and program delivery for Mesa students.

Mesa Tapped to Participate in the 2008 Women's Conference - A week ago Friday, I received a call from Diane Woodruff, State Chancellor asking Mesa to be one of seven community colleges statewide to participate in expanding access to the program for the 2008 Women's Conference scheduled for October 22, at the Long Beach Convention Center. Hosted by California's First Lady Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Women's Conference is the nation's premier forum for women. The stated mission for the Conference is:

"to inspire, empower and educate women from all walks of life to be Architects of Change in their own lives, in their communities and around the world. Every year, the non-partisan Women's Conference gathers the world's greatest hearts and minds to address the topics and concerns that matter to women."

It is expected that a roster of more than 70 world opinion leaders will participate in a series of panel presentations. Mesa will host a live feed in the LRC on the day of the Conference itself and has made arrangements for a delayed replay of the presentations scheduled in H-117-118 beginning 10/22 at 11:15 and concluding on 10/23. This delayed replay is scheduled to coincide with the regular class schedule thus enabling students to participate in the process through the use of campus based moderators. Attached to this e-mail you will find a copy of the program. In addition, if you would like more information, I invite you to log on to the conference's website at:

www.californiawomen.org

 Guidelines for Use of Campus E-mail - A short note to inform you that we continue to struggle with understanding the appropriate and inappropriate uses of campus e-mail. I have sent two communications regarding this matter and the issue continues.  We all acknowledge that this is a complex matter, and several members of the faculty and staff will work with me to find ways in which we can work to maintain civility, accommodate issues of academic freedom and most of all to behave in a manner that is consonant with the statement of professional ethics that we have adopted as a college.  There are rules and regulations, but the most important thing to have in a "shared governance" environment is the sense of responsibility to maintain a climate of mutual respect and professionalism. I am confident we can learn by going through this experience and that we can be fair, equitable but firm in dealing with continued transgressions on a case by case basis.

Dinner and a Drama- An evening of great food, great conversation and inspiring performances by Mesa students-- a pleasure for the senses all around!  Friday evening Mesa launched a very successful experiment, the pairing of a fine dinning experience entirely prepared by students in our Culinary Arts/Culinary Management Program. Dinner was followed by a preliminary brief lecture from Professor Maria Bolivar on the symbolism and imagery associated with Federico Garcia Lorca's play, The House of Bernarda Alba. We all were stars for a second or two, delivering lines in English and Spanish after we finished our dinner before heading to the Apolliad Theatre to enjoy the performance of very talented students in a very complex dramatic interpretation. The experiment proved a great success and we can look forward to continued programs of this type.  This was truly a collaboration in every sense of the word, standing as a clear example of "linked-course" instruction that maximized the talents of the Drama Department, Culinary Arts/Culinary Management, Music Department and Mesa's Public Information Office, where the idea first germinated.

 Campus Life

10/11 - Mesa Organic Garden Kickoff. Students and faculty broke ground, tilled the soil, added compost and planted the first seedlings in the Mesa College Organic Garden, which will serve as a laboratory, community resource, and garden for Mesa's culinary arts program. Local experts offered sustainable gardening tips and the public was invited to attend. 

10/15 - Spoken Word Event. A motivating and inspiring event reflecting on the importance of diversity on-and-off campus.

10/15 - Music Recital featuring the contemporary classical sounds of the Ellen Weller Ensemble.

10/16 - Film and Discussion "The Angry Eye:" Film screening and discussion of a remake of Jane Elliot's "Blue eyed/brown eyed" experiment highlights with striking force the subtle forces of discrimination that continue to exist in our society.

10/17 - 18th Annual Future Educators Conference. More than 100 high school students attended this forum for students who are interested in pursuing a career in teaching. This event is a collaboration between Mesa's Teacher Education Program,San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos.

President's Cabinet Update

This portion of the update provides you with a summary of key actions from our shared governance body, President's Cabinet.

At its meeting on Tuesday, October 14, the following actions were taken:

• Approved the following major events:
  (a) "Interlude" Concert Performance, October 24, 2008
  (b) Continuing Education Student Day Events, November 12, 2008
• Heard Chemistry Professor Joseph Toto's presentation resulting from the work completed as part of his participation in the @One Scholar Project.  The research question posed was: to what degree will mini-lecture movies (MLM) improve student homework and final exam scores in a first semester online general chemistry course? If you would like more information please log on to: www.cccone.org/scholars/06-07
• Viewed a comprehensive presentation on the history, development and current status of Propositions S and N Projects. The presentation also established agreed-upon ASF (Assignable Square Footage) for every project on the list.  The presentation will be posted on Mesa's website. In addition, Vice President Perez will be making the same presentation through various other venues on campus.

The Budget Watch Continues

One of the most reassuring experiences for me on a weekly basis has to be the detailed discussion on the status of the State Budget and the immediate translation of that information as it impacts our District.  While the news continues to be sobering in the midst of the larger national and international context, knowing what has changed and what has stayed the same enables not only a solid move forward with all of our campus operations, it also permits us to make adjustments, as needed, to prepare for the future; in other words, no major surprises.  We all must be on the alert, keep a watch and keep each other informed.  Our steadfast work with students is the best recipe for ultimate success.

Sad News and a Tragic Loss

Many of you are aware that on Saturday, October 4, at approximately 2:15 a.m., several individuals were involved in a violent incident near SDSU. Three Mesa College Students received stab wounds as a result of that incident, with one of those students, Luis Santos perishing as a result of those wounds.  Santos was only 22 years old.  The news brought much sadness to the campus, and we gathered together to conduct a reflective memorial activity on campus signing notes and messages to be forwarded to the Santos family.

This incident raised much concern during President’s Cabinet, and it was determined that we needed to develop stronger, proactive educational activities to prevent senseless tragedies of this kind from continuing to occur. Brande Faris, Student Representative to President’s Cabinet, suggested the development of a campaign with strong student leadership and support for our Health Services Center, Office of Student Affairs, and other members of the faculty and staff, to identify ways in which we can better educate students on issues associated with alcohol abuse, violence, and general safety.

An Active Student Body

We have often talked about the "Learning College" and we have described it in many ways.  We also know that learning takes place in the classroom and outside the classroom walls as well. Research notes that one of the most important factors in student retention is the kind of campus climate that promotes engagement of the student in activities outside the classroom.  I am proud to say that at Mesa, such opportunities exist aplenty.  We have just completed "Club Rush," and Mesa counts 29 student clubs that cover the gamut of interests, skills and abilities.

The Week’s Events in Review

10/6 - "Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown" Documentary  Film, San Diego Asian Film Festival. Co-presented by the Mesa College Women's Studies Advisory Committee, Asian Pacific American Studies Program Committee, and Women's Student Union.

10/6-7 - Annual Majors and Transfer Day. Representatives from four-year colleges and universities provided students with information and assistance on topics such as transfer requirements and deciding on a major.

10/8 - Music Recital featuring jazz with Marc Dresser.

10/9 - Mesa College Biology Lecture Series.  Phyllis Hauptfeld, J.D., Site Director, University of Oklahoma, College of Nursing program.

10/9-11/6 Mesa College Art Gallery Exhibit; "PreMeditated: Meditations on Capital Punishment." Prints, drawings and paintings Malaquías Montoya. Mesa College Art Gallery,

10/10-19 - Mesa College Theatre Company Presents, "The House of Bernarda Alba" by Federico Garcia Lorca, in a new translation by Caridad Svich.  Directed by Juan Castro, opposition and lust collide in this tragic portrait of a family caught between dying traditions and dreams of personal freedom.  Apolliad Theatre, Friday and Saturday,  8 p.m., Sunday 7 p.m., $10  General Admission; some discounts apply. Box Office: 619-388-2621.

10/11 - Mesa Organic Garden Kickoff.  Students and faculty and staff members break ground, till the soil, add compost and plant the first seedlings in the Mesa College Organic Garden, which will serve as a laboratory, community resource, and garden for Mesa’s culinary arts program.  Local experts offer sustainable gardening tips. Public invited to attend. Saturday, 9-11 a.m., P100 Building at Marlesta/Genesee Ave.

President’s Cabinet Update

This portion of the update provides you with a summary of key actions from our shared governance body, President’s Cabinet.

At its meeting on Tuesday, October 7, the following actions were taken:

• Approved the publication of the Debate Watch 2008 event scheduled October 15.
• Accepted the proposed Strategic Planning Process and recommended the expansion of the current sub-committee to include students, staff, and additional faculty members.
• Reviewed the draft Mesa Campus Board meeting agenda and provided recommendations for greater inclusion of students and faculty.
• Discussed the tragic events related to the death of a Mesa student resulting from an altercation following an SDSU fraternity party. Identified steps that would be taken immediately to address psychological and emotional distress; including follow up steps to launch a preventative educational campaign to address issues of alcohol abuse, violent behavior and student safety.

The Week That Was

At the start of the academic year, it has been our practice to gather together over a meal, namely breakfast.  We do this to signal the start of the new year, meet and greet one another, receive some orientation regarding new programs, policies or practices but most of all to remind one another why education is not a career but a vocation.  It is something we love to do, it is beyond imparting expert skills within our academic discipline, it is beyond providing student support services, it is truly something that ends up being more than the sum of its parts.  It has to do with the sense of well-being that comes from working in an institution of higher learning that we know is truly transformative in nature.

I chose to start this Friday update with a reminder of that inner sense of well-being, because we have just lived through one of the most difficult weeks in the history of our nation. I imagine that most of us do not pay daily attention to the comings and goings of Wall Street; well I certainly don't.  This week however, I found myself paying very close attention and learning more than I ever wanted.  In a matter of days, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. went into bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch & Co. was snapped up by Bank of America Corp. and the insurer American International Group, Inc., was bailed out by the government. Fannie and Freddie were not characters in a friendly neighborhood sitcom and my own bank WaMu was sold to JP Morgan (the good news is my ATM password still works). Then came the enormous drop on Monday when the Dow tumbled 778 points after the House voted down the financial rescue plan in the midst of  the probable (maybe yes, maybe no) signing of a "bail out bill' or is it the "rescue bill." There was Finger pointing, there were charges and counter charges. Offended Congressmembers "took their toys and went home;" what next.

Oh yes, the Vice Presidential debates some said historical, others said hysterical; what say you?

In the midst of all this we hold on to the belief that this is a great nation and that we can withstand this and more but only because it, too, is greater than that sum of its parts. It is greater than the 304,865,108 million persons that call this country home ( U.S. Census Bureau, the current U.S. population, as of 5:20 GMT (EST+5) August 14, 2008).  It is a belief that "We can do it," and knowing full well that this too shall pass, not because we sit passively awaiting doom and gloom, but because we have decided to continue with the "good work" that goes on unceasingly at throughout our country including Mesa College. Here are a few examples:

Awards and Recognitions

On Saturday, September 27, I was privileged to receive, on your behalf, The National Minority Role Models Access Diversity Award. Mesa was in great company that day with other awardees that included Michigan, Purdue, University of California San Francisco, Texas Tech University, and others.

On Tuesday, September 30, we received a much awaited award letter from the National Institute of Health (NIH), to continue the great work of the Mesa College the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. The grant is in the amount of $1.2 million and is to be spent over the next five years.  Thanks are in order to Yosh Kawahara  and Jaye  Van Kirk who originated the program and worked arduously during its first five years and now gratitude is extended to Joanne Hamilton, Bridges new Principle Investigator and Jodi Corliss both of whom wrote the current grant.  You will be hearing more about the fruits of this work that already boasts brilliant students, gifted researchers and distinguished alumni.

October is Transfer Month

How much do we know about the transfer function and its significance? Following are a few questions to test your prowess:

Faculty question:

• Do you know if the courses you teach transfer?
• Is your course degree applicable?
• If your course transfer, does it transfer as part of the major requirement or only as part of the lower general education requirement?

Questions for all:

• Who is the Transfer Center Director for Mesa College?
• Who is our Articulation Officer?

I imagine that most of you know the answer to these questions, if not; October is your month to find out.

The Beat Goes On

Great events that helped to lift our spirits.

10/1 - Music Recital featuring Robert Williams on flute and koto

10/2 - Reading and Lecture: Xicana Poet and Activist Lorna Dee Cervantes. Readings and discussions by one the Chicana Literary community's most powerful and creative voices and author of Emplumada, From the Cables of Genocideand Drive: The First Quartet: New Poems, 1980-2005.

10/3 - Workshop: Engaging Students in Chinese Language Learning Workshop. Prof. Qian He, UCSD, discusses how to engage students in one of the fastest-growing foreign languages taught in the U.S. today.

10/4 - Orientation Session: Health Information Technology Program. Potential students interested in this career program are invited to attend. Saturday, Oct. 4, 9-10:30 a.m., Room F-118. To register, call 619-388-2229.

10/4 - Orientation Session: Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Potential students interested in this career program are invited to attend. Saturday, Oct. 4, 9-10:30 a.m. Room F-114. To register, call 619-388-2684.

I'll conclude my notes to you this week by reintroducing a term I used during one of our "beginning of the year" meetings.  The term was "chaordic."  I was a little hesitant to use this term to describe our work at Mesa.  After all wouldn't it be better to use other terms like systematic, predictable, established, methodical, orderly, regular, efficient, logical (well you get the message I did think about it a great deal). When we met on August 21, I had no way of knowing how applicable this term would be in the weeks to come.

Chaordic:  - is a "portmanteau word." These are words that are created as a result of a linguistic blend, namely "a word formed by blending sounds from two or more distinct words and combining their meanings. In this instance the two words combined are chaos and order. The term was coined by Dee Hock in his book The Chaordic Age. The principles of a chaordic system:

Are based on clarity of shared purpose and principles. • Are self-organizing and self-governing in whole and in part. • Exist primarily to enable their constituent parts. • Are powered from the periphery, unified from the core. • Are durable in purpose and principle, malleable in form and function. • Equitably distribute power, rights, responsibility and rewards. • Harmoniously combine cooperation and competition. • Learn, adapt and innovate in ever expanding cycles. • Are compatible with the human spirit and the biosphere. • Liberate and amplify ingenuity, initiative and judgment. • Are compatible with and foster diversity, complexity and change. • Constructively utilize and harmonize conflict and paradox. • Restrain and appropriately embed command and control methods.

After reading this information, don't you think that Chaordic is a good definition for our current situation and, ultimately, a very optimistic and reassuring one? 

President's Cabinet Update

This portion of the update provides you with a summary of key actions from our shared governance body, President's Cabinet.

At its meeting on Tuesday, September 30, the following actions were taken:

• Approved for publication the Drug and Alcohol Awareness event scheduled October 29, 2008.
• Dr. Cepeda announced that this year's theme for the Site Board meeting presentation will be," Building a Culture of Evidence:  We Measure What We Treasure," with a focus on research and best practices.
• Reviewed Vice Chancellor Terry Davis' Budget Report to the Board of Trustees at its meeting September 25.  The report will be sent electronically to the shared governance groups, and Ron to provide a summary.

Introduced and welcomed Nancy Bromma, Assistant Professor/Nurse Practitioner, and Genevieve Cabanilla, Outreach Coordinator. 

The Economy, The Budget, and Other Such Matters

Like many of you, I have spent every bit of extra time at home glued to CNN watching as major developments regarding our economy are presented to the American public at a dizzying pace. I am an optimist and always believe in the better nature of human beings to do the right thing; I must say, however, that last night I found myself restating those beliefs out loud just to increase my sense of security. I am one who loves the wisdom found in great quotes. Some of them are truly classical in the sense that they seem to be timeless and applicable to all times and all ages. Here's my favorite for this time and place.

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself."

Franklin Roosevelt, 1933

If we believe that this premise is sound and wise, then the most important factor that we can contribute to any discussions regarding the economy and the budget at the national, state, and local level is the factor of confidence and belief that the "big rescue" must first come from each of us, regardless of the locus of blame and other causal factors.

The State Budget and Community Colleges

As you know by now, 85 days into the fiscal year, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law the 2008-09 State Budget and related trailer bill legislation. Erik Skinner, Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Policy, State Chancellor's Office, issued one of the best summaries regarding the State Budget. I have excerpted some of the highlights from his message below:

Overall highlights of the state budget:

• The budget contains $103.4 billion in General Fund spending; $144.4 billion from all sources.
• Bridges a $15.2 billion budget shortfall through a combination of cuts and borrowing.
• Makes $9.7 billion in cuts to numerous program areas.
• Relies on a grab bag of borrowing and one-time budget maneuvers totaling approximately $7.5 billion.
• Includes various budget reforms, including: a strengthened rainy day fund the specifics of which will go before the voters as a proposed Constitutional amendment at the next statewide election. In addition, if this reform is approved by the voters, it will also provide authority to trigger mid-year cuts, if needed, and the ability to suspend COLA provisions
• Contains a reserve fund of $1.7 billion.
• The enacted budget includes the following features for the California Community Colleges:
• $38.9 million to provide a 0.68 percent COLA on general purpose apportionments (no COLA is provided for categorical program funds); K-12 schools also received this same level of COLA.
• Enrollment growth is funded at 2 percent,
• Categorical programs are flat-lined at 2007-08 levels.
• Student fees remain level at $20 per unit.
• $75 million is provided to partially backfill a property tax shortfall for the 2007-08 fiscal year.  The total property tax shortfall for 2007-08 was $92 million.
• A new deferral of apportionment payments was instituted in order to address cash flow concerns at the state level. Specifically, $250 million in general purpose apportionments that normally would be paid in January, February, and March will now be paid in April, May, and June.
• A $531,000 cut to the Chancellor's Office budget.
• The Competitive Cal Grant program is sustained rather than eliminated as earlier proposed.

GREAT HAPPENINGS!

AIDS Walk - I was delighted to learn that more than 45 persons have signed up to participate in the AIDS Walk. Suzanne Khambata, Director, Student Health Center, and Polly Rose, our very own nurse Community Health Educator, have been at the forefront of this great effort. If you are interested in participating you may register to walk by logging on their website as follows:

To Walk

1. www.aidswalksd.org
2. Click the "Register Here" tab at the top of page 3. When prompted, indicate your desire to "Join a Team."
3. Select our team name - MESA COLLEGE HEALTHYCAMPUS 2008 -- from the drop down menu.
4. Follow commands.

To Donate:

• www.aidswalksd.org
• Select "support a participant."
• Type Suzanne Khambata Select name from drop down list.
• Complete Donation Page.

Voter Registration

I want to thank all of you involved in our Voter Registration Campaign. Please continue your efforts in educating and making information and materials available to one another and, most important of all, to our students. If you want more information about what you can still do, please call the Dean of Student Affairs Office (2699).

Succession Planning and Pursuit of Educational Goals

Last year, many of you participated in a general survey conducted district wide on the issue of "Succession Planning" and the critical role of professional development  to "growing our own,"  in other words, the ability to support current employees in their efforts to advance in their careers within the District through the pursuit of additional education and training.  Our District Office and, in particular, the Human Resources Division expect to roll out more detailed plans including the component of our Succession Planning efforts later this year.   In the meantime, I am interested in learning more about those of us in the Mesa College family currently engaged in pursuing educational goals, as well as those of us who plan to enroll at some future time. I have asked Susan Mun, Mesa's Site Based Researcher, to help me devise a very simple survey (just a few questions) so that I may gather quick and effective information to be used in planning future activities designed to help support those pursuing education and training. Please take a bit of your time my "clicking" on the link provided below. As you know, most surveys do not include the name of the individual completing the response. In this instance, we have provided you with the option of including your name/contact information if you choose to do so in order that we can create a list of individuals we can convene at future events and activities designed to provide district support where possible.

http://surveys.sdccd.edu/snaponline/surveylogin.asp?k=122239093606

President's Cabinet Update

This portion of the update provides you with a summary of key actions from our shared governance body, President's Cabinet.

At its meeting on Tuesday, September 23, the following actions were taken:

• Approved the Native American Heritage Celebrations & Film Series
• Heard the President's Cabinet Strategic Planning Sub-Committee Draft Report/Proposal. All shared governance constituent groups agreed to take the presentation material back for discussion, clarification and questions before proceeding to the next steps in the process.
• Reviewed the membership lists for President's Cabinet, Instructional Deans Council, Deans Council, and Student Services Council and welcomed two dean representatives, Dave Evans (Instruction) and Ashanti Hands (Student Services).