May 2016
Planning and Resource Council (PaRC) Update

Below is a summary of the action and information items from the most recent Planning and Resource Council (PaRC) meetings. For complete minutes and first-reads, please visit the PaRC website.
 
DRC & VRC STAFFING REQUEST UPDATES
San Lu provided a staffing request update for the Disability Resource Center and the Veterans Resource Center:
a. Full-time backfill (1 year) for a counselor in the DRC - LeeAnn Emanual is taking Professional Development Leave
b. Request for a Veteran Resource Specialist position - due to retirement of Carmela Xuereb.
 
ACCREDITATION STEERING COMMITTEE PROPOSAL
In an effort to get the campus moving forward on the self-study for accreditation, it was determined that a smaller group would be needed to help guide and steer the larger number of self-study team members. The proposal is to keep things very simple and have four facilitators, one for each of the accreditation standards (Carolyn Holcroft, Andrea Hanstein, Erin Ortiz, Andrew LaManque). The goal of the steering committee is to help provide continuity between the self-study teams (and ultimately Standards I-IV). They will provide direction in terms of timelines, expectations and deliverables. Aside from the Steering Committee, the expectation is that there will be participation and input from classified staff, faculty and administrators. An open call letter will be sent out to the campus (from Marketing) to generate interest. Involvement from all areas of the College is critical - if you are interested in a specific standard (or even more than one), you are encouraged to reach out to the Steering Committee members for additional information.
 
ACCJC 2015 ANNUAL REPORTS
Foothill College's Annual Report submissions for 2015 to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) were reviewed. Two reports are submitted to the commission; a general report (enrollment, standards, SLOs, etc.) and a fiscal report.
 
FOOTHILL TRANSFER CENTER PLAN (1st Read)
In collaboration with the Transfer Workgroup and the Academic Senate, a new Foothill Transfer Center Plan was approved by PaRC. The plan is scheduled for review at the Board of Trustees meeting in June 2016; the hope is that this will guide the future activities of the Transfer Center. It should be noted that the copy of the plan available for 1st read at PaRC is incomplete - there are still areas being revised. It should be noted that the last complete Transfer Center Plan was developed 13 years ago. There is still a need to identify our transfer students - one idea is to add a new prompt when ordering transcripts through the portal - collection of this information could benefit the entire District.
 
The Transfer Center Plan outlines six (6) main goals:
  1. Identify and increase the number of students who choose to transfer and are prepared to transfer with a special focus on supporting the needs of those population groups experiencing disproportionate impact.
  2. Increase the percentage rate of students from population groups experiencing disproportionate impact who establish transfer as their educational goal and who actually transfer.
  3. Work with campus governing boards, administrators, academic and classified senates, to ensure that student transfer is a college-wide high priority.
  4. Revise campus policies and procedures as needed to strengthen and clarify the transfer process for the campus.
  5. Through the Counseling Department, Transfer Center, and all programs that support transfer students, ensure that students obtain accurate and time counseling, transfer information, and services.
  6. Systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the Transfer Center.
ACCREDITATION SURVEY QUESTIONS  
As part of the self-study process, an accreditation survey will be distributed in mid-May (faculty and staff) and late-May (students). The draft questions to be included in each of the surveys were reviewed and approved by PaRC.
 

Commencement regalia order deadline this Friday

Commencement is less than two months away! This year's ceremony will take place on Friday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. If you are planning on participating and need regalia, please place your order with Romeo Paule by Friday, May 6. Be sure to include the following information with your request:
 
Height:
Hat Size:
School:
Degree:
 
Those participating are asked to meet inside the Smithwick Theatre at 5:45 p.m. There will be signs directing you to your respective area. At 6:15 p.m., participants will queue up for the processional and depart no later than 6:30 p.m. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 1.5 hours and will conclude with a Corridor of Honor (follow your section leader's direction). A reception will take place immediately following the ceremony in the Bookstore Plaza.
 
Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in Regalia Days on Tuesday, May 31 and June 1 by wearing commencement cap and gowns. Faculty are also asked to announce in their classes that the final day to submit a petition to graduate is June 1, the same day students can purchase their own regalia in the campus bookstore.

Passionate faculty and creative students tell story with sound 

Foothill College Music Technology Instructor Eric Kuehnl spent much of his career in the music and sound design industry, working at two audio technology giants, Avid and Sony. He brings his industry experience to his classes, and sees his students as entrepreneurs who will take the skills they learn from the music technology program and use them in a variety of disciplines. 

The skills they learn are preparing them to be their own advocates," said Kuehnl, who came to Foothill with a bachelor's and a master's degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and California Institute of the Arts.  "Not only do they gain technical knowledge but they also gain what we like to call 'soft skills.'  Students learn how to work in teams, how to give and receive constructive criticism, and how to market themselves and their skillsets in the professional world." These soft skills along with the technical skills they learn in the classroom create a winning combination for students to succeed in the workforce.

 
Celebrate National Astronomy Day at the Foothill Observatory

Saturday, May 14 is National Astronomy Day and to celebrate, the campus observatory will be open to the public (at no charge) from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Members of the Peninsula Astronomical Society will have their own telescopes around the observatory grounds to share the night sky with families, students, and the public.  The first-quarter Moon will be high in the sky, and Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, plus deep-sky objects, will be available for viewing.
 
Help celebrate Transfer Awareness Month
 
May is Transfer Awareness Month and throughout the month, the Transfer Center is offering workshops and visits with university representatives. Students can learn
more about transfer options to UC and CSU campuses, as well as private and out-of-state colleges and universities. Additionally, they can get answers to transfer-related questions from Foothill's university-transfer counselor by visiting the Transfer Center weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free to all workshops, but some require advance signup. Additionally, encourage your transfer students to post picture of themselves on social media using the hashtag #thinktransfer. 
 
Campus Abroad program traveling to Barcelona this fall

This fall, the Campus Abroad program will journey to Barcelona, Spain! For 10 weeks, students live and study in Spain's second-largest city, home to world-famous museums and beaches. The program runs from September 24 thru December 5 and has a program fee of $5,995, which includes housing, guided tours, and a travel pass. Airfare and tuition are separate. While there, students will enroll in courses in archaeology, anthropology, English, and literature.

For more information visit foothill.edu/campusabroad.

Students encouraged to attend annual Internship and Job Fair

Encourage students to attend the annual Internship and Job Fair taking place on Wednesday, May 18 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on the Library Quad. Students are encouraged to dress professionally and bring copies of their resume with them. Confirmed employers include the YMCA, Stanford Children's Health, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Precision Parking. RSVP at foothill.edu/internships.
 
May is Latino Heritage Month at Foothill
 
 May is Latino Heritage Month and Foothill College is celebrating with a series of events. On Tuesday, May 24, ASFC will host a free screening of Ruben Salazar, Man in the Middle at 12 noon in the Campus Center Dining Room. The film tells the story of Salazar, a Mexican-American journalist and activist killed by a LA Sheriff's deputy in the 1970s. The month will conclude on Wednesday, May 25 with closing ceremonies featuring Latin carnival games and make-your-own pi�atas from 12 noon - 1 p.m. on the Library Quad.
 
A complete listing of events is available on the Heritage Months website.
 
Start your day with a yogurt parfait

You already know breakfast is the most important meal of the day and while an omelet can help satisfy your cravings, sometimes you want something on the lighter side. Enter Hilltop Caf�'s new yogurt parfait bar! Available every morning from 7 a.m. - 10 a.m., the parfait bar includes two kinds of yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts, granola, and honey. Price based on weight.
 
Foothill College Good News Corner!

Foothill College volleyball player Riana Brennan signed a letter of intent with the College of Charleston for a Division I volleyball scholarship. She will play both beach and indoor volleyball.  
 
Associate Vice President of Instruction Andrew LaManque was re-elected to another one-year term as Co-Chair of the Common Assessment Initiative Steering Committee.

Naomi Kitajima, Director of Health Services, was interviewed by National Public Radio's Air Talk for a story on a statewide, higher education tobacco ban. You can listen to the story here.


Did you know?

Foothill's 2015 water consumption reflects a decrease of 70% when compared with 2013!

Contact:
The Foothill College Fusion staff newsletter is published the first Thursday of each month. Have something you would like to share with the Foothill College community? Email Andrea Hanstein, Director of Marketing and Public Relations.


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