Dr. Ken Atwater
Hello again and Happy New Year to everyone at South Mountain. I hope you had a wonderful holiday---I did. In fact, I got everything on my gift list this year! But more importantly, I was able to take a nice holiday break with my family and loved ones, and hope that you did as well. So now it's on to the Spring semester, and another exciting and rewarding year of service to our students and community.
I am hoping you were all able to attend our Spring Convocation January 7, and enjoy the excellent luncheon immediately following, which included dessert at our sparkling new Science Lab annex. It seems like most of you were there---the lab was packed! If you haven't had a chance yet to stop by and see it, please do---we are very proud of this great new resource for our students.
Convocation brought a lot of fun and fellowship, along with the annual updates. Our enrollment continues to hold steady, and we are hoping spring numbers will show an increase from 2007---we're truly moving in the right direction, and that is a tribute to everyone's commitment and hard work.
Along with updates on the new Student Information System---and it IS coming, next month!---and our capital projects, we were also treated to some one-of-a-kind performances from our HLC self-study project managers, as they presented their area updates in musical form. Congratulations to Rappin' Ruben Saenz and Funky Tim Frank, who took home first prize for their rendition of "Mambo Number Five", HLC-style.
Funky Tim Frank and Rappin' Ruben Saenz
But seriously, our HLC team was celebrating the completion of the first phase of our self-study report. Our evidence data has been compiled and documented, and now it's time to start writing the report. I know all of you are very busy with the start of another semester, but please respond to any additional requests you may receive from our HLC project team members as we continue to assemble this crucial report.
As I mentioned above, the new SIS is on target for a February implementation. The old Legacy system is scheduled to shut down February 12, with the new PeopleSoft version going live February 19. If you haven't yet been trained on the new system, please pursue this immediately---time is running out! And if you need a refresher course, don't hesitate. The new system will change every aspect of how we do business, and it is essential that all faculty and staff become familiar with it.
Let me close in saying thanks to everyone for your contributions to this fall's United Way campaign. As always, SMCC proved itself to be the campus with a heart, by contributing $13,054.00, meeting our goal of exceeding last year's donations by 10%. And our 3rd STARS student scholarship fundraising campaign, taking place at the same time, has still managed to raise more than $48,885.00.
Thanks to all of you for your continued support, and hang in there as we work through what will be an eventful spring---as always, our ability to work together as a team will carry the day, and take South Mountain successfully to the next level.
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Students who complete the Early Childhood Montessori Teacher Education Certification program of South Mountain Community College will now receive the important National Montessori Certification.
The SMCC program has been granted full accreditation from its parent organization, the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
The college’s 21-credit certification program is one of only three similar programs among community colleges in the U.S. (and is the only one in Arizona). “This accreditation will enable our diverse population the opportunity of career advancement in the private preschool sector and provide a career ladder for future leaders in early childhood education,” notes Billie Larime, Montessori director at SMCC.
Cost is $65 a credit hour (and one-time-per semester registration fee of $15). “The cost is very affordable when compared to private Montessori Accredited Teacher Education Programs,” according to Larime.
The SMCC Accredited Montessori Teacher Education Program is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS). National Montessori Certification is necessary for any lead teacher to be employed in a Montessori private or public school.
The college’s program began with 12 students in the fall of 2005; 64 students enrolled in fall of 2007. It takes two years to complete, including a nine-month internship. The college program’s instructors are nationally certified Montessori teachers.
“This program provides the opportunity to obtain AMS certification that is accepted and respected worldwide. Many public schools are now asking for teachers trained in Montessori,” Jody Johnson, a current student in the college’s Montessori program, notes. “Montessori training runs upwards of $10,000 and would have required (my) relocation to another city if the curriculum had not become available in Phoenix.”
In December 2007, Billie Larime received the news that the SMCC program was awarded the status of full accreditation at a MACTE conference in Canada. Full accreditation is for four years.
Billie has spent the last four-and-a-half years perfecting the program at SMCC. The first two years she wrote curricula and the last two-and-a-half years she implemented the program, taught new Montessori courses, and wrote the self-study for accreditation.
Montessori Education has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years among private and charter schools. In addition, several public school districts in the Valley have Montessori classes as a choice among their alternative schools.
The accrediting agent is MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) -- the nationally recognized accrediting agent for most Montessori Teacher Training programs in the U.S. The certification earned at SMCC is recognized nationally.
Meanwhile, SMCC will graduate its first AMS-certified early childhood educators this academic year. Plans for the future include opening a Montessori Elementary Certification program in the summer of 2008. Candidates for that program would need to already have their bachelor's degree.
SMCC also provides college credit and a career path that can lead to an AAS degree in Early Childhood Education.
For further information contact Billie at 602.305.5601 or visit the website at: http://teacher.southmountaincc.edu/
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Kambriel Booth Anthony Brown
Outstanding SMCC students Kambriel Booth and Anthony Brown have been nominated for the prestigious 2008 All-Arizona Academic Team. In addition, they are candidates for the All-USA Academic Team.
The SMCC Honors Program announced that President Ken Atwater nominated the students- who will be honored with fellow All-Arizona candidates at a luncheon on Feb. 21 at Mesa Community College.
Kambriel and Anthony will both receive four semesters of tuition waivers to the Arizona state university of their choice. In addition, they are in competition for the $2,500 First Team All-USA award, according to Helen Smith, SMCC Honors Coordinator and Arizona Region Coordinator of Phi Theta Kappa. Plus, each student will receive a scholarship check from SMCC.
Both full-time students are active members of SMCC's Alpha Eta Delta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. According to the advisor, "The All-Arizona Academic Team competition is designed to assist our academically talented students to transfer to Arizona universities. These two students are active on campus and in the community and exemplify the type of dedicated student that South Mountain Community College is proud to graduate."
"Never let anybody determine your worth. When people told me I would be a college dropout I ignored them," Kambriel, 24, says. "I did not drop out. I waited (for college) until I was ready on my own terms. If you have faith in yourself nothing can deter you. If you do not have a support system at home, build a network of friends and classmates."
This Phoenix native resides in the neighborhood where she grew up. She is a sophomore who plans to continue her education through law school and/or a doctoral degree. Kambriel is a student in the SMCC Honors Program, is a member of Alpha Eta Delta, and is a Student Governance Board Member.
"The faculty and staff of SMCC have been fantastic - very supportive, helpful, and knowledgeable," she adds.
Anthony, 22, plans to major in psychology and creative writing when he transfers to a four-year university. This SMCC sophomore, a resident of Ahwatukee, received the 2007-2008 Chancellor's Scholarship for SMCC. He also earned a Stars I scholarship, an Honors Department Foundation Scholarship, the SMCC Leadership Award, and is on the President's Honors List. Anthony is President of the Alpha Eta Delta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, is Central District Vice President of the Arizona Region of Phi Theta Kappa, and is President of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Straight Union at SMCC. In addition, he is a member of TRIO's STEP program and he tutors on campus. Anthony enjoys books and films. "I watch a lot of movies and enjoy analyzing and writing about them," he says.
"I'm incredibly honored to have been selected for All-USA, and it means a lot to me that people have such faith in me and my potential," Anthony adds.
He appreciates the faculty of SMCC. "They exemplify the sort of attention and care that can be found at SMCC. I'm also grateful for the support I've received from my mother, my stepfather, and my sister (who is also a student at SMCC)," Anthony adds.
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Dr. Atwater and Fred Hurst, Vice President/Dean NAU Distance Learning, at SMCC/NAU Partnership Day
More than 50 students enrolled for the first semester of the new Connection Partnership between SMCC and Northern Arizona University. The program began in August 2007.
"This is a great start, and as we expand our programs we are expecting enrollment to increase," notes Shari Gustafson, Senior Program Coordinator for The Connection at SMCC and Estrella Mountain Community College.
The Connection provides a way for students to complete their associates and bachelors degrees without having to leave their community. It offers flexibility, convenience,
accessibility, affordability, and simplicity.
"NAU is fortunate to be on the SMCC campus," Shari says. "We have been given a warm welcome from the faculty, staff and students."
The programs (which are offered throughout The Maricopa Community Colleges) are designed as a "2+2" model. That is, students complete their freshman and sophomore years at SMCC then complete their junior and senior years at NAU -- NAU on the SMCC campus, that is.
"Ideally, students will have completed their Associates degrees at SMCC and then transfer to the NAU Bachelor programs, which they can completed in about two years. This allows students to obtain a degree in four years without having to leave their community," she says.
Currently, NAU offers courses in eight-week terms, in the evenings. According to the director, this provides students the opportunity to work full-time during the day. The 3,000-square-foot NAU facility on the SMCC campus houses three classrooms and faculty offices. NAU Programs now offered at SMCC are Bachelor of Science in Education (for Elementary and Early Childhood majors) and Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education.
The lineup for the future is as follows: Fall 2008, BS in Elementary Education and BS in Early Childhood Education; Spring 2009, BS in Interdisciplinary Studies (this is a 90/30 program (90 credits transfer from the community college, and students will earn 30 credits with NAU to complete the degree.) Emphasis will be in either humanities or public management.
To learn more or to enroll, go to: www.maricopa.edu/connection. To speak with Shari Gustafson, call 602.776.4648.
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Terms such as "vision," "dream," and "hope" were frequently used when the SMCC Guadalupe Center opened its doors 18 years ago at the Guadalupe Mercado.
That modest facility, consisting of three classrooms and office space, was a first step toward realizing a vision of the people of Guadalupe, according to Raul Monreal, Center Director. "SMCC responded with a clear message: 'We are here to stay and grow stronger roots, to fulfill the education and training needs desired by the residents of the community.' "
Today, the center continues to meet the educational and training needs of students from all walks of life -- resulting, first, in the construction of a permanent building in 2000, and, next, a physical expansion that will more than double the size of the Guadalupe extended campus.
The Center will double its space from 5,000 to more than 10,000 square feet and will add a science lab, two computer labs and two classrooms. The expanded campus, scheduled for completion in Fall 2008, will provide one-stop enrollment for student, assessing their skills and competencies, and providing advisement, registration, educational planning, financial aid and cashiering services.
The SMCC Guadalupe Center, 9233 S. Avenida del Yaqui?(Priest Drive in Tempe) started with 50 students and now serves about 500. The extended campus draws students from Guadalupe, Tempe, Phoenix and Ahwatukee.
"Years ago when some people from Guadalupe went to the president of South Mountain Community College and said, 'We would like to have a place that promotes higher learning for our young people,' they couldn't know where it would all go," the Director adds.
He believes that personal attention is a hallmark of the Guadalupe extended campus.
"I am passionate about this campus and about helping the students and so are the other instructors," he says. "We are seeing more and more students get an associate's degree and more and more transfer to a university and get a bachelor's degree.
"Just think, almost 20 years ago, who would have thought that at our small facility, you would someday be able to complete a degree in General Studies, obtain an Associate of Arts or Associate of Business Degree, earn a Certificate of Entrepreneurship, take Continuing Education classes and prepare to transfer to a four-year college or university?"
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Genesis Toole Sylvia Symonds
Two new staff members have been hired for a pair of SMCC programs designed to get local high school students to college-- and help them to succeed once they get there.
Genesis Toole and Sylvia Symonds are the newest additions to the TRIO Office, a federally funded program created to help low-income Americans achieve a college education.
Genesis has been hired as Program Coordinator for the college's new Upward Bound program. Upward Bound was created to provide support to low-income high school students and students whose parents have not completed a bachelor's degree. SMCC received a million-dollar grant this year to implement the program, designed to serve South Mountain High School and Central High School.
She received her Master of Education degree in Higher and Post-Secondary Education from ASU, and her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at the University of Tennessee. She most recently served as a Program Advisor at Rio Salado College.
Sylvia has been hired as Program Coordinator for the college's STEP program. STEP (Students Transfer with Educational Preparation) was created to increase the retention and graduation rates of first-generation, low-income or disabled students committed to transferring to a four-year institution upon completion of an Associate in Arts degree.
She holds a Master's degree in Political Science from California State University-Fullerton, and Bachelor's degrees from Arizona State University in Political Science and History. She most recently served as Director of Forensics at California State University-Northridge.
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Cheryl Crutcher
Cheryl Crutcher, Director of the SMCC Ahwatukee Foothills Center, has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce. She starts her one-year term this month.
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Liz Warren
Liz Warren and the SMCC Storytelling Institute accepted the invitation as readily as they could tell a Welsh myth! That is: they were invited - and happily accepted - the request by the Mesa Arts Center to produce the prestigious Mesa Storytelling Festival, Oct. 23 - 25, 2008. The festival is one of the largest storytelling gatherings in the western U.S.
Liz will coordinate the event, develop the schedule, work with the center staff to produce the event, and be the primary point of contact for the storytellers. In addition, this SMCC storyteller and longtime faculty member will be involved in developing a youth storytelling program for the festival. Together, Liz and LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, Director of the SMCC Storytelling Institute, will work with the Mesa Arts Center to develop other storytelling-related classes and programs.
Liz, a founder of the SMCC Storytelling Institute, has served on the festival Advisory Committee from the start. "It's a great opportunity for the Storytelling Institute to promote itself and the college and will definitely result in increased enrollment in our classes." The Mesa Arts Center will fund Liz's classroom release time, which will give Liz time to produce the festival.
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Inez Moreno-Weinert
Inez Moreno-Weinert, tells a good story, too! In fact, the South/Central Community section of The Arizona Republic has invited Inez to become a community columnist. She recently wrote a clever column about the joys of making tamales along side family members.
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Guillermo "Bill" Zepeda
Guillermo "Bill" Zepeda, ESL faculty, has memorized and can quote -- word for word -- the entire Gospel of Mark in Spanish. "My intentions is to share it at Spanish churches in the Phoenix Metroplex and throughout the world!" Bill practiced his recitation throughout the holiday season during walks around the Tempe Town Lake, and reports that the entire presentation now clocks in at a little less than an hour.
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The SMCC Jazz Improvisation students performed for low-income families at St. Vincent De Paul in December. "You made that dining room sound so joyful and so full of positive energy," Gabriela Bova, manager of volunteer services, wrote in a letter to Jerome Garrison, who teaches and directs the music students.
Also in December, Dr. Garrison took the newly formed SMCC Community Band to Arizona Mills to perform a concert of Christmas music and marching band arrangements. "Many of the shoppers took a seat and smiled and encouraged the 26 SMCC musicians for providing an outstanding performance," he recalls.
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Mary Long Ricardo Provencio
The MCCCD Governing Board has awarded Emeritus Distinction status to recent SMCC Retirees Mary Long and Ricardo Provencio -- "for their meritorious contributions and quality of instruction ..." Mary Long has worked as a full-time faculty member since 1984 and started the psychology, sociology, philosophy, and religious studies programs at SMCC. Ricardo Provencio served as a counselor, coordinator, and director of various departments, committees, and advisor to student organizations for 30 years. He was an active Storytelling instructor; also, he was active in study abroad and "Hands Across the Border."
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January
Jan. 24-27: "How I Learned To Drive," Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a woman who learns the rules of the road and life from behind the wheel; Jan. 24, 25, and 26 at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre (PAC 725). Presented by SMCC Theatre Department. Tickets are $10 and are available at www.showup.com. Recommended for mature audiences.
Jan. 30: "A World of Wonder: Folktales for Grownups: Riddle Tales," Storytelling Institute faculty LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, Liz Warren, and Ricardo Provencio will perform folktales from around the world. Studio Theatre, 6:30 p.m., Free (Latecomers will not be seated).
February
Feb. 9: "Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman," Presented by Desert Dance Theatre and SMCC, Performance Hall, 7 p.m. Tickets through Jan. 31: $9 adults, $5 students; Beginning Feb. 1: $12 general, $8 students. Information: 602.243.8353. Tickets:
www.showup.com.
Feb. 14: Amigos Storytelling Concert: Love Stories, presented by SMCC Storytelling Institute Amigos, Studio Theatre, 7 p.m. Free. Information: 602.243.8022.
Feb. 29: SMCC Jazz Festival: Featuring SMCC Jazz Ensemble, SMCC Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and Guest Artist "Jazz Vocalist Extraordinaire Dennis Rowland." Presented by SMCC Music Department. Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $10. Information: 602.243.8053.
March
March 5: "A World of Wonder: Folktales for Grownups: Tales of Loves Won and Lost," Storytelling Institute faculty LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, Liz Warren, and Ricardo Provencio will perform folktales from around the world. Studio Theatre, 6:30 p.m., Free (Latecomers will not be seated).
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Check out cougar news and schedules at http://athletics.southmountaincc.edu/
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Dr. Kay Martens
Everyone knows that Kay Martens is bearish about -- well, bears. She befriended this happy bear in Seward, Alaska, in September. Kay and her husband stopped in Seward while on a bay cruise.
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