Dr. Ken Atwater
Hello once again, and welcome to the March 2008 edition of the SMCC Messenger. It's been a beautiful spring so far, and I hope you are enjoying what is traditionally a very busy and exciting time here at our campus. As we gear up for that home stretch to the end of the semester and academic year, there's a lot to report, so please take a few moments to scan this month's newsletter for all the details.
First of all, I am very happy to report that our new Student Information System went live as scheduled on February 19, and registration for summer classes using our new system is now underway. And although we have experienced a few glitches, we are well on our way through our learning curve, and are optimistic that it will soon result in a more efficient and convenient way of doing business in the Maricopa District.
Again, as I stated in a campus-wide e-mail last month, please be patient, as our staff continues to devote full attention to ensuring that new system functions properly. Our Help Desk is currently working to overcome several staffing vacancies, but continues to do an excellent job in providing customer support to the campus. Please know that your requests will be continue to be filled as quickly as possible, but that non-SIS requests may take a little longer.
Our other major campus-wide effort, the preparation for HLC re-accreditation, continues on target as well. My thanks to the many teams and individuals involved in compiling the data and resources that the Steering Committee will use to draft our self-study report. This process will begin in April, and continues to be of the highest priority for our college. Please keep HLC as a top priority as additional information requests come your way.
I'd like to extend a very special welcome to the newest member of our SMCC family, our new Associate Dean of Occupational Education and Workforce Development, Cindy Odgers. Cindy comes to us from Mesa Community College, where she has served as a faculty member and Division Chair for the Department of Agriculture and Technology. We're looking forward to her energy and vision as she works to expand our efforts in the areas of career and technical education.
A more familiar face on campus is that of our recently retired Dean of Students, Tony Bracamonte, who continues to be active on campus supporting the Bilingual Nursing Fellowship Program as an Active Retiree. On February 26, Tony was awarded Emeritus Status from the MCCCD Governing Board, in recognition of his 22-year career here at SMCC. Congratulations, Tony, and on behalf of the entire campus community, thank you for your many contributions.
At the same Governing Board meeting, the Board approved our intergovernmental agreement with the City of Phoenix pertaining to the design and construction of our new joint-use library. We are anticipating the hiring of a design consultant and contractor in August of this year, and project a grand opening date for the new library in August 2011.
Another grand opening will be coming up much sooner---that of our new SMCC Guadalupe Center. We are currently planning a dedication and public grand opening on Saturday, May 31, beginning at 9:00 a.m. We hope you will be able to join us and celebrate along with the community the remodeling and expansion of this facility. Watch your daily e-mail for more information about this event.
And before I close, let me add two more dates to your spring calendar. The first is the annual spring meeting of my President's Community Advisory Council, on Thursday morning, May 1, at 7:30 a.m. It's been an exciting spring and there's a lot to share, so I hope that all of our PCAC members can attend.
Then, it will be time for our end-of-the-year spring luncheon, on Wednesday, May 7. Our very honored guests that day will include two new MCCCD Presidents: Dr. Ernie Lara of Estrella Mountain Community College, and Dr. Shouan Pan of Mesa Community College. Also joining us that day will be the most recent addition to our MCCCD Governing Board, Ms. Colleen Clark; and new Guadalupe Mayor Rebecca Jimenez (a former SMCC student!)
Watch for your invitation to this very special event, and please clear your schedules that day so that our entire campus community can be on hand to welcome these very special guests.
Thanks for your continued hard work, and have a beautiful spring!
Dr. Ken Atwater
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Above with their students (clockwise from top left) LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, Blanca Flor-Jimenez, and Dr. Jennifer Townsley.
Learning is the purpose for living...I'm inspired by (students') energy and potential....I tell students to persevere...
These are some of the comments of SMCC's three faculty members who will be honored at NISOD's 30th annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 25-28, in Austin, Texas.
They are LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, Storytelling Faculty and Director of the SMCC Storytelling Institute; Dr. Jennifer Townsley, Communication Faculty; and Blanca Flor-Jimenez, Adjunct Faculty in Business and Information Technology.
The National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) is dedicated to the continued improvement of teaching and learning, with the ultimate goal of student success. More than 700 community colleges around the world are members.
The women were selected from among SMCC's "many incredible full and part-time faculty members. They truly exemplify the spirit of this award," says Dr. Linda Lujan, Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The recipients "have a passion for learning and care deeply about student success. They set high learning standards, offer support and encouragement, and push students to excel. We are honored to have them at SMCC," she continues.
NISOD asked the teachers to write statements about what motivates them.
LynnAnn (who has been selected to conduct a session, "The Power of Story as a Teaching Tool") wrote: "Because I value a teacher-student relationship that brings out the best in both, learning as the purpose for living, and story as the language of the soul, my mission is to foster learning by teaching, leading and telling stories in pursuit of my vision of a loving world where everyone learns from one another."
Meanwhile, Jennifer wrote to NISOD: "Students motivate me. Their perceptions, viewpoints, successes and challenges prompt me to think differently and stay current. I'm inspired by the energy and potential they bring to the learning environment. I'm driven by those moments of learning - the magic that occurs when you most and least expect it. Wisdom? Keep expecting those moments!"
In addition, Blanca wrote: "What motivates me in my work is the opportunity to show my students by example that if they persevere in their studies they will succeed. Perseverance, in addition to time management and dedication, are some of the strategies that help me succeed. This is the reason why I tell my students 'don't ever give up!' "
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Jerome and Cheryl Garrison with the Spirit of South Mountain Individual Volunteer Award.
Last month, The South Mountain/Laveen Chamber of Commerce honored Dr. Garrison at a special banquet at the Secret Garden.
Each year for the past two decades, Jerome K. Garrison Sr.has conducted "the most beautiful and inspiring music ever composed" -- Handel's Messiah.
Dr. Garrison's musical talents and dedication to students and community have been almost as inspirational - and the community said "thank you" in February.
The South Mountain/Laveen Chamber of Commerce honored Dr. Garrison as winner in the Individual Volunteer category of the 2008 Spirit of South Mountain Awards. The third annual awards were presented on Feb. 23 at The Secret Garden in Phoenix. Finalists were named in five categories.
"These finalists serve with a spirit of servant leadership, putting employees, customers and the community ahead of financial goals," said SMLCC Chair Lisa Perez Bray. "Recognition of this unique spirit is intended to honor the unique history and cultural diversity that defines our communities."
Dr. Garrison Sr. led his 20th performance of Handel's Messiah at SMCC in December 2007. He initiated, he directs and conducts this overwhelmingly popular performance that starts the Holiday season in the South Mountain and Laveen Villages and beyond. He has volunteered the majority of this work on evenings and weekends while maintaining a full schedule of work each day.
He is Music Faculty and Division Chair for Communication, Fine Arts and Social Sciences.
"Because we have performed Messiah for two decades, people from all over the Valley and state have had an opportunity to hear or to participate in the performance of what many believe is the is the most beautiful and inspiring music ever composed," Dr. Garrison notes.
Adds Dr. Ken Atwater, SMCC President, "Through Handel's Messiah and numerous additional performances, Dr. Jerome Garrison has brought music, culture and joy to thousands in our community over the years. He has taught hundreds of singers and orchestra members to perform over the years and has given them confidence and guidance."
Dr. Garrison was further recognized for excellence in serving the college since 1982. He continues to teach music, and to oversee the comprehensive performing arts programs. In addition, this leader and musician was honored for initiating the original STARS Scholarship Campaign, ensuring that many local students receive scholarships. He is currently the co-chair of the SMCC STARS III Campaign.
"I am honored and pleasantly surprised by this award," Dr. Garrison says. "To be recognized by the community in which I work and live is an outstanding reward and I am both thrilled and humbled."
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A question-and-answer interview with a new employee
Philosophy/Religious Studies Faculty -- and Cerebral, Funny Guy -- MATTHEW COOPER became a full time SMCC faculty member in January.
QUESTION: Matt – Do you go by “Matt”? – can you tell us a little about yourself?
ANSWER: I do go by "Matt" but usually introduce myself as "Matthew" because if I happen to mumble (as I often do when I'm tired) my name comes out more like "Mac." And that just causes unnecessary mass confusion.
A little background: I began full-time at South in January 2008 but taught here for a few semesters prior to that as adjunct
faculty.
I have a B.A. from Bryan College in Biblical Studies, an M.A. in Theology from Andover Newton Theological School, and an M.A. in Philosophy from ASU. I am currently writing my (doctoral) dissertation on Creationism, Al-Qaeda, and their respective responses to the intellectual pressures of modernity. For the past couple of years, I taught as a faculty associate and lecturer at ASU. Prior to that I was an Arabic Linguist in the U.S. Army, and before that I was adjunct faculty at Phoenix College for a couple of years. I've also taught philosophy and religious studies here at South, Chandler-Gilbert, and at Estrella Mountain.
Q: So, you are working on a doctorate at ASU?
A: Yes, I'll be finished with my Ph.D. in Philosophy at ASU in December. We need to prepare ourselves. Our campus will soon face a pressing question: Who is the "real" Dr. Cooper? No matter what you hear, remember that although my colleague (Faculty Member Dr. Alisa Cooper) brings her years of experience… I am the one to bring real change.
Q: Can you tell us about your family?
A: I live with my wife, Anne, and my two sons - Bo (6) and Ben (4) -- in Chandler. Anne was born in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Bryan College, and is planning to apply to ASU's law school in the near future. I asked the kids what they'd like to share, and, without hesitation, they said that they both love the Power Rangers. Bo's favorite is Green SPD and Ben's is Red Time Force.
Q: What do you like best about teaching at SMCC?
A: My courses are discussion-oriented and focus on teaching students how to initiate their response to issues, philosophies, and religions from their own experiences, intuitions, and gut feelings.
Having students from so many different cultural, socio-economic, racial, sexual, and religious backgrounds -- and with such varying life and educational experience -- adds unspeakable richness and depth to my courses. I love teaching here!
Q: Why do you think philosophy and religion are important areas of study, particularly nowadays?
A: Hope for the future, whether we're talking about a student's personal success or U.S. foreign policy, depends on our ability to empathetically understand and civilly engage others - especially those we feel are very different from ourselves. Philosophy is
focused on teaching students how to intellectually engage others - on our most pressing issues and often-controversial concerns.
Religious Studies helps us to understand others, and, more importantly to feel what it is like to be them -- e.g., what it feels like to be a Muslim in the U.S., or a Hindu in present-day Pakistan.
Q: Do you find that philosophy and religion are “time-honored” -- that is, that lessons and ideas that were of interest in, say, ancient times are of interest today?
A: I think we've advanced an awful lot technologically over the last 100,000 years but face many of the same philosophical and religious troubles we've always faced. I would say that the puzzles and problems are time-honored even if the lessons aren't.
Q: What are some of the greatest challenges out there today? How do they affect students and how can philosophy and religious studies make a difference?
A: We're bombarded with information and pundits and authorities. How are we - average folks - supposed to develop our own views on issues that influence our daily lives? Who do we listen to? The mainstream? The fringe? More than anything else, training in philosophy and religious studies helps each one of us to take responsibility for our beliefs and opinions and think through issues on our own.
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I know what it is like to be out there and not have anyone....
Because of student comments such as these, SMCC employees have generously stepped up to the plate to raise funds for scholarships.
During the past 10 years, employees have donated more than $200,000 to the STARS campaigns.
When SMCC student and 2008 All-Arizona Academic Team Member Kambriel Booth made the comment above, she was referring to her difficult times. Since then, she has been awarded the STARS scholarships (and others), is an Honors student, and will continue her education at a university to fulfill her dreams.
Kambriel further states:
I want to be self-reliant….. I want to open a teen center where troubled youth can go and get the attention and resources they need to succeed.
Because of STARS scholarships, many additional SMCC students are provided the support needed to stay strong in their educational endeavors. However, “there are so many students and prospective students whose dreams are fragile, simply because they can’t afford college,” notes Jerome Garrison, co-chair of the STARS III Campaign and Chair of Communication, Fine Arts and Social Sciences, and Music Faculty. “If every employee gives, the dreams and futures of our students will be magnified.”
To date, pledges and contributions total $78,201, the campaign co-chairs report.
Contributions will also help students such as recipient Gary Galvan, who wrote in his STARS essay:
As a Native/Mexican American, my employment experience has shown me that substance abuse and mental health issues are major problems in the lives of this community. Higher education will help me to hone my skills to better serve our people….I want to facilitate change in the cycle of substance abuse and mental health issues.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Isbell, another STARS recipient tells us:
My long-range goal is to get involved in the medical field. I would like to use my passion for math and science to give back to the community and tutor students that have trouble in those subjects. I know my education is going to be a long journey, even after I leave South Mountain but I am a dedicated person.
“I’ve learned over the years that the more blessings I bestow on others the more blessed I feel and the more blessings I receive,” says Inez Moreno-Weinert, Campaign Co-chair and Director of Financial Aid. “My reason for giving to STARS, and for co-chairing this campaign with Dr. Garrison, is that I hear the difficult stories on a daily basis and I know that my gift can change a person’s life. A few dollars every paycheck, that I will hardly miss, can change someone’s future. That is an incredible thought.”
Dr. Garrison has two favorite quotes that apply to why giving is good: “We make a living out of what we get; we make a life out of what we give” (Winston Churchhill); and, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” (John Bunyan).
To contribute to the STARS III campaign, please contact either of the co-chairs: Inez Moreno-Weinert at x38134 or Jerome Garrison at x38055.
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Celebrating at the 2008 All-Arizona Academic Team awards luncheon in February at MCC are (from left). Dr. Brian Murphy, SMCC Psychology Faculty; President Ken Atwater; Kambriel Booth, named to the All-Arizona Academic Third Team; Anthony Brown, selected for the All-Arizona Academic First Team; Denise Martin, Anthony’s mother; and Helen Smith, SMCC Honors Coordinator and Arizona Region Coordinator of Phi Theta Kappa.
Community college students from throughout Arizona were honored at the luncheon. Kambriel and Anthony will both receive four semesters of tuition waivers to the Arizona state university of their choice. In addition, they are