Dr. Ken Atwater
Hello and greetings once again to the South Mountain Community College extended family. As we begin counting down to the close of another fall semester, I hope that 2007 has been a productive and happy year for yourselves and your loved ones.
As a college, we have a great many things that we can look back at with pride this year, and each of you has contributed to these accomplishments. It's all too easy to get caught up in the frequently hectic day-to-day operations of our campus and lose sight of the fundamental human qualities that an organization like ours is built upon.
Our campus perhaps more than any other is known throughout the District for our personal approach to the provision of higher education. But that philosophy extends not only to our students but our faculty and staff as well. Like any extended family, our success is built on a foundation of caring for one another in a supportive environment.
As we continue to experience our ups and downs in these turbulent times, please let that fundamental sense of caring and respect drive the mission of our college. A smile and an encouraging word goes a long way toward helping your colleagues continue to provide the kind of high-quality service we are known for. It's crucial that we support one another as we continue to strive for the highest fulfillment of our mission and purpose.
Once again, we are working hard to meet our ongoing enrollment challenges. Our Fall 2007 FTSE was down by about 1.7% from that of Fall 2006. We were able to rebound last year and almost break even, but that came through the efforts of our campus as a whole, and we will need that same kind of effort this year. Plans are currently underway to develop and implement new strategies to stabilize our short-term enrollment and ensure our long-term growth; I thank everyone involved for taking an active role in this endeavor.
Toward that end, re-organization of certain college committees and processes is also now underway. Under the leadership of Dr. Ken Roberts, task forces have explored revisions to our strategic planning process and the role and duties of our Leadership Cabinet. Both are planned for implementation within the year. In addition, our Strategic Enrollment Management committee, now co-chaired by Dr. Raul Sandoval and Rob Price, is also undergoing some changes to address the continuing need for innovative ideas and strategies in the face of a rapidly changing environment.
And, of course, our HLC self-study continues. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that this is perhaps our most important ongoing project at this time---re-accreditation of our college in 2009 is the keystone to all of our efforts. Reports from the various Criteria Committees are now being formulated and routed to Sara Kinsey for compilation into this very important document---thanks to all of you for your ongoing commitment to this effort. You can check our progress via the HLC Newsletter, here: Self-Study Newsletter 4.
Right behind HLC in terms of importance is the implementation of our new Student Information System. You will recall that our activation of the new system was delayed from its October date, but I am pleased to announce that February 19, 2008 has been established as our new go-live date. More information will be forthcoming from the District as to the details. My special thanks to Angie Montano and her crew of trainers and staff for their dedicated work on this project---we will get there!
In closing, please take note of several important dates over the next couple of months. SMCC's own Isola Jones will take center-stage in our Performance Hall on Friday, November 16, in a benefit concert for the STARS III student scholarship program. The concert begins at 7 p.m. And soon after will come our very special 20th anniversary performance of "Highlights from Handel's 'Messiah'," on Saturday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for both are now on sale in our Business Office and at showup.com.
Don't miss our annual end-of-the-year holiday luncheon on Friday, December 14, at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Union. All campus staff and faculty are invited to attend. Immediately following the holiday break, mark your calendar on Friday, January 4 for SMCC's first college-wide "Day of Learning." The day's events promise to include an outstanding and energizing array of workshops and activities geared to all employee groups. Watch for more information in the very near future.
And in the meantime, be sure and catch our nationally-ranked men's basketball team in action starting this month. The Cougars have been ranked #5 in the U.S. among NJCAA Division II teams....we are truly the best in the west! You can find their schedule here: Men's Basketball Schedule
Until January, I wish to all of you the best and brightest of holiday seasons, and my sincere appreciation for another successful semester at South Mountain and a job well done.
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(See interview with Isola Jones in this issue of The Messenger.)
ISOLA JONES, renowned mezzo-soprano and former Metropolitan Opera leading artist, will perform her favorites from opera, operetta and Broadway on Friday, Nov. 16, at SMCC.
Popular Pianist Brenda G. Hankins will accompany Ms. Jones on the piano.
"My Favorite Things to Sing," will begin at 7 p.m. in Performance Hall.
Proceeds will go to the Stars III Campaign, which provides scholarships for SMCC students in need.
Tickets are $20 general and $10 for students. Tickets are $40 for limited onstage seating and an autographed photo of Isola Jones. Tickets are available at Showup.com.
Ms. Jones - Adjunct Voice Faculty at SMCC -- is internationally recognized as an extraordinary mezzo-soprano. Making her professional debut in the Verdi Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Jones within two years made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the role of Olga in Eugene Onegin. Since then she has sung more than 500 performances as a leading artist at "The Met," paired with such international artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland, and performing under the baton of Richard Bonynge and James Levine.
Ms. Jones has performed many leading roles in her distinguished career including Giulietta in Les Contes D'Hoffman, Ulrica in Ballo in Maschera,Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, Amneris in Aida, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Dalila in Samson and Dalila. But it is her portrayal of Carmen, her signature role, for which she is best known. To read her full biography, click here.
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Stan Gudel Raul Sandoval
Two new Associate Deans say all of the work they do - and oversee - ultimately is designed to ensure that students succeed.
Stan Gudel has been selected Associate Dean of Student Development. For the previous seven years, he was Director of Career Services. Dr. Raul Sandoval has been selected Associate Dean for Enrollment Services. For the previous two months, he had served as Associate Dean of Occupational Programs and Workforce Development. In 2002, he began as Executive Assistant to the President.
Both started their new positions this fall.
The goal of Student Development "is to help students to succeed and to acquire the resources to realize their goals, even if they have yet to determine what those goals are," Stan says. "The college supports them in exploring who they are, the world they live in, and where they fit."
The Student Development area strives to show students paths to leadership, helping them explore vocations and avocations -- "and to help them succeed despite their challenges," he adds. The college can even assist with child care needs so that parents may attend classes without worry.
Stan will supervise the areas of Student Life, Disability Resources & Services, the Early Childhood Development Center, the Career Services Center, and Orientation. The position will put a new emphasis on the retention of current students -- which has a direct impact on enrollment management.
This new position "will assist in keeping students in college, encouraging persistence in the many ways we are able. This is a part of increasing student enrollment for the college and a goal we all must work towards," Stan concludes.
Meanwhile Raul Sandoval now leads enrollment efforts. "The goal is to initially stabilize enrollment and eventually to increase enrollment," he says. This means encouraging all potential students to enroll in order to improve their futures.
"It's all about providing access to post-secondary education to our communities -- assisting the students once they matriculate from SMCC, so that they will continue to persist and become successful students," he adds.
In addition, the Associate Dean plays a key role in implementing recommendations of the Advisement Task Force. "There are many good recommendations that will assist in stabilizing enrollment," he notes. Also, he adds, "because time is priceless, we'll be looking for ways to work smarter rather than harder." The implementation of SIS remains high on Raul's list of important activities, and he expects to assist with that goal, he concludes.
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"You never know what you're going to get," Forrest Gump liked to say about life (and, of course, chocolates).
However, at SMCC, leaders are working to replace surprises with assurances - at least when it comes to the education of new students.
Removing the guesswork from education increases the numbers of students who remain in college, according to members of the new Student Orientation Task Force.
(Members are: Ruben Saenz, Christopher Erran, Buddy Cheeks, Rob Price and Stan Gudel. Presenters: Bill Mathis, Cori Washington, Neva Black and Dolly Aguirre).
More than 70 new students attended a fresh form of orientation last fall, and another is scheduled for Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union. Orientations are expected to take place each semester.
Engaging Students Early
Orientations "engage students early on in their academic journey," notes Ruben Saenz, chair of the task force. "The goal is to increase persistency and retention rates among new students. Research shows it costs more money to recruit new students than to keep students in college. However, retention is everyone's responsibility -- from administration to faculty."
The SMCC Enrollment Growth Plan called for the formation of an Orientation Task Force, and the group worked for more than a year to determine how to proceed and produce the most useful and effective orientation possible.
Four general sessions made up the orientation last August: class and faculty expectations, tutoring, financial aid, and advising.
Students and parents enjoyed a campus tour and the opportunity to interact with student services departments and programs.
Refreshments and door prizes were given away--including two $300 student scholarships to SMCC. In addition, with the assistance of SMCC recruiters, 36 students were selected to participate in the one-credit Counseling and Personal Development (PDP) 115 course. For these students, orientation was mandatory.
Those selected were full-time students who tested into developmental courses, were first-generation college students, and who qualified for financial aid. (CPD 115 provides an overview of the college and the many resources that help students reach their educational goals). Finally, the 36 enrolled students also received a $150 scholarship towards their college tuition.
Feedback from the task force's first orientation -- titled "Passport to the Mountain" -- was positive, according to Ruben. "Students and parents really appreciated the opportunity to see first-hand what SMCC has to offer."
Exploring New Twists and Ideas
The group will continue to develop the orientation, adding new twists and new, vital information. As the event grows, "students, parents and high school students who are undecided about attending will want to participate, we believe," he adds.
In addition, the group is exploring an on-line orientation component that will meet the needs of our adult students, part-time students or non-degree seeking students. "We need to increase our technology to engage those high-tech students that don't have time to come in," Ruben says.
Currently, the group is collaborating with recruiters in order to host a High School Counselor Preview Breakfast and a Cougar Day that will work to promote SMCC's New Student Orientation.
"We would also like to develop an ambassador program whereby college students actually conduct the campus tours and facilitate the workshops during the orientations."
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THOMAS KIRSCH ROJAS, Counseling Faculty
(Each issue of the SMCC Messenger includes a question-and-answer interview with a new employee).
Question: Please tell us a little about your background. Also, why do you use three names -- Thomas Kirsch Rojas - instead of the usual two names?
Answer: It is interesting to think about how our names reflect our cultural heritage. I grew up in Chile, but I was born in Gainesville, Florida. My father was from New York City and my mother is from Santiago, Chile. In Chile, as in other Latin American countries, we claim our father's and our mother's last names, in that order. I claim my cultural heritage when I include both last names. My motivation for this also has to do with lack of representation of ethnic minorities in higher education and healthcare professions in the US.
When I was 19 I moved from Chile to the US to attend the University of Florida. After studying architecture for three semesters, I decided that even though I liked architecture, this was not my authentic path in life. I decided to pursue a career in music. I found myself at a career crossroad when I was accepted into the jazz guitar program at the University of North Florida. Ironically, it was my personal experience in counseling while exploring my career options that led me to decide not to go to UNF, and to pursue a career in counseling instead. I majored in Psychology at the University of Florida, while still pursuing my passion for music and creative expression. After working as a paraprofessional counselor in Gainesville and San Diego, I moved to Arizona to attend the Masters of Counseling program at ASU. I have been working in the Valley in various capacities since 1996. I have also kept my passion for music alive while playing guitar semi-professionally in rock, blues and jazz bands.
Before coming on board at SMCC, I worked at Mountain Park Health Center as an Integrated Behavioral Health Consultant and Program Coordinator. Before that I worked at Catalina/Managed Health Network and at EMPACT as a psychotherapist. I have also had a part-time psychotherapy private practice and have worked as a consultant in organizational and diversity issues. One fun project was being contracted to provide Employee Assistance Program services to the Minor League Chicago Cubs during Spring Training.
Q: What are you hopes and plans for your job as counselor at SMCC?
A: First, I am extremely grateful and happy to have joined SMCC and the Division of Counseling, Health and Wellness. I have felt very welcome here. My core functions at SMCC include counseling, teaching and consulting. Beyond that, my vision is that the community involvement projects I am working on will benefit both the community and SMCC, while promoting and developing the Behavioral Health Sciences Program.
I believe the BHS Program is a major asset to SMCC and the community at large. I also think community colleges in general are an untapped resource in terms of community health and quality of life. With this in mind, I am developing community partnerships with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Magellan of Arizona, Mountain Park Health Center, and Asthma Athletics. My vision is that these initiatives will benefit SMCC by increasing student enrollment, while benefiting the health and educational attainment of our communities. I anticipate that these partnerships will also create internship and service learning opportunities for SMCC students.
As Counseling Faculty, I look forwarding to teaching many more Personal Development and Behavioral Health Sciences courses, and on working with students around personal, educational, diversity, and leadership issues. I also serve as guest lecturer for SMCC courses and externally on topics such as Personal and Career Development, Positive Psychology, Cultural
Diversity, Health and Wellness, which is something I love doing.
Q: Do you have any special interests or hobbies?
A: I am in my fourth year in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at ASU. My personal interests revolve primarily around personal and spiritual development, music, traveling, camping, scuba diving, photography, mountain biking, and the art of life. I am passionate about learning, creativity and flow, healing and the mind, community mobilization and "it takes a village" kinds of themes.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: I cannot possibly limit my answer to one book. I have been deeply influenced by many, but books I have read by the Dalai Lama, Paramahansa Yogananda, Deepak Chopra, and Andrew Weil come to mind right now.
Q: What is the last movie you saw?
A: "The Secret." It turned out not to be such a big secret, I thought. "What the Bleep Do We Know" also addressed these issues of consciousness and the mind. There is so much more to learn about the healing powers of the mind, social supports, and spirituality.
Q: Anything you wish to add about your family?
A: My family legacy is in education and community. My mother was an elementary and ESL teacher. My father was a social scientist who worked for the United Nations and as a consultant doing research and providing training and technical assistance to governments and communities around the world on issues including health, substance abuse education and prevention. He was the first in his family to go to college, and used his passion for learning to empower himself and those around him. I hope to ignite a similar passion for learning to empower our students at SMCC.
Q: Anything else?
A: There is such a stigma still attached to counseling. I hope more students will become aware that counselors can serve as coaches to help them in many ways to succeed in life and fulfill their dreams.
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When Handel's Messiah was first performed at SMCC almost 20 years ago, the audience was thrilled and "we were totally filled with joy," recalls the Director and Conductor, Dr. Jerome K. Garrison, Sr.
Nothing has changed.
This annual performance of excerpts from Messiah continues to bring an overflowing audience to its feet and to garner rave reviews. If you haven't had the pleasure, you'll get your chance on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. in Performance Hall. It will be the show's 20th anniversary performance. (See ticket information below).
"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," says Dr. Garrison, who is SMCC Music Faculty and Chair of the Communication, Fine Arts and Social Sciences Division.
"Allowing the community to participate in the event truly embodies the mission of the community college."
The tradition began as an effort to raise funds for music scholarships and to encourage the eventual construction of a Performing Arts Center at SMCC.
In October of 2003, Dr. Garrison and the college got their wish with a center that includes Performance Hall - a 350-seat proscenium-style theater with acoustics that can't be matched.
"Messiah marks the beginning of the holiday season for me every year. I never miss a performance. Now that we have this acoustically perfect hall, WOW! Just when you thought it could not get any better, it did," Lara Collins, Communication Faculty, adds.
Dr. Garrison and Piano Faculty Henry Rose put together the first performance of Messiah in the SMCC gymnasium. "It was a very challenging project but we were able to prepare the 50-plus voice choir -- none of whom had ever performed Messiah.
"We knew most of the 20 orchestra members, and they worked with us to make the first performance a success," the director remembers.
The first year included a community children's choir formed and directed by Sonja Campbell, SMCC's Voice instructor at the time. Dr. Garrison's two daughters, and Campbell's son, Brian, were in the children's choir. ( For many of the past 20 years, daughters Tamara and Victoria, and Campbell's son have performed in the Messiah choir. All three have completed bachelor degrees and are now professionals. Tamara Garrison is a high school music instructor.)
A 20-Year Choir Member Recalls
Lorraine Calbow, SMCC Faculty Emeritus, has been a part of the Messiah choir from the beginning.
" I remember the first Messiah very well because no one at the college had ever performed this work before. I had just started taking voice and community choir and was very green -- but that did not stop Dr. Garrison from recruiting me. I literally eked out every note of every choir piece we learned, but I did it," she enthusiastically recalls.
"I loved the people I met, not just in (my) alto section, but in soprano, bass, and tenor sections," Lorraine adds. "The people who make the commitment to sing are special people. They love music and they want to sing well. They don't mind how hard Dr. Garrison works them. In fact, that is what keeps them coming back! Choir members are amazed at how good we sound by performance time.
"What brings me back year after year are the passionate people who love to sing and the wonderful choir director who works tirelessly to bring out the best in each of us so we can offer a special gift of joy and inspiration to our community."
A Community Comes Together
Today, up to 75 vocalists and 25 instrumentalists volunteer each year for the Messiah performance, making up the Community Concert Choir and Orchestra of SMCC. Students, workers, retirees, teenagers, great-grandmothers, counselors and civil servants all join together for the opportunity to perform one of the most moving musical pieces of all time.
"We have been pleased with how people become a community as they prepare for the big event," Dr. Garrison relates. "Most of them have mixed emotions following the performance because they hate to discontinue the rehearsals. This was the big surprise for me. It really makes me feel great when they ask me to bring them together to do another concert."
Continuously gaining in popularity, Messiah now attracts many who have performed this work throughout the United States and in several countries.
Renowned soloists fill the air with spine-tingling music. Over the years, they have included Isola Jones, former Metropolitan Opera leading artist whose signature role is Carmen; Erik Gustafson, featured soloist of All Saints Episcopal Church's American Bach concert series; Jennifer Nagy, who has been a featured soloist with Phoenix, Mesa, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, symphonies; and David Topping, Phoenix Bach Choir, and director of choirs at Paradise Valley Community College and Los Arcos United Methodist Church, Scottsdale.
Recalling the Purpose
Growing up in Oklahoma, Dr. Garrison enjoyed hearing and participating in performances of Handel's Messiah. He was impressed that ticket sales helped to fund the arts. "When you read the history of Messiah, you learn that it was first performed at a concert given for charitable purposes at Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, with Handel conducting the performance in person. This is why I selected this particular work," he says.
"With 70 to 75 choir members and a full orchestra and a sold out Performance Hall the past two years, I see us performing for two sold out Messiah performances in the future. I hope to go on for many more years with this special event. In fact, I hope it continues well into the future," the conductor concludes.
2007 MESSIAH PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Tickets are $10 and available at Showup.com. All seating is general (not assigned).
The 2007/2008-performance season at South Mountain Community College is sponsored in part by The Arizona Lottery.
For more information about performances, please call the SMCC Performing Arts Hotline: 602.243.8353.
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If you've seen Lorrie Shelton signing Handel's Messiah, you may agree that she looks like an angel in motion on the stage.
On Dec. 1, she will serve as expressive signer for the sixth consecutive year. The 20th annual performance of Messiah will be Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Performance Hall.
"Lorrie has added another avenue of communicating the poignant and passionate message so brilliantly articulated in Handel's music," Director/Conductor Jerome Garrison notes. "We have received many positive comments from community members about her performance."
Lorrie explains that with "expressive sign," all sign language motions are exaggerated for dramatic effect. In some cases, a body gesture substitutes for an exact signed word.
"When sign is combined with the music, it's very easy to be caught up into the song and with that comes the facial expressions - like a musician," she explains.
According to Lorrie, who is Administrative Assistant to Dr. Joyce Elsner, there are various forms of sign language. The most prominent are American Sign Language (ASL) and Signing Exact English (SEE). ASL is a short, to-the-point communication -- for example, "go store."
"That's all that would be spoken if I was informing someone that I was going to the store - two words," she says. Using SEE, every word in the sentence is signed, such as, "I am going to the store."
Expressive sign is a combination of both ASL and SEE. "It depends on the tempo of the song. In slow songs I tend to use SEE to fill long notes. In fast songs, there's only time to make the main points of the song," she continues.
In 1993, Lorrie began attending basic sign language classes offered at a Phoenix church. "My drive to learn sign language was so that I could communicate with a deaf family member, she explains.
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Silverio Ontiveros
(A Messenger Question-and-Answer interview with a member of Dr. Ken Atwater's President's Community Advisory Council. Silverio Ontiveros is a Board member and past Chairperson of the PCAC).
QUESTION: Please tell us about your current job.
ANSWER: I am Phoenix Police Commander and have been with the Phoenix Police Department for 32 years. I currently manage the Police Department's Property Management Bureau and oversee a $20 million budget. The bureau manages and stores over a million pieces of evidence and other items in a 50,000 square-foot warehouse. I manage a fleet of 2,200 police cars and purchase $8 million worth of new cars each year.
Q: What do you consider to be among the greatest challenges of the Phoenix community?
A: Education, education and education. We need to ensure that every student in our community has access to a first-rate education and that they have support from family and community members to be a successful student. With young people failing in school, we will have the consequences of more crime, more unemployment and people dependent on others and the government. Businesses are demanding a highly educated workforce. Our kids are capable of meeting high expectations. Our schools and parents need to be able to raise the bar and hold each other accountable.
Q: What are some of the greatest challenges of your job?
A: Within law enforcement, we are challenged every day to find opportunities to prevent crime first and then, once a crime has been committed, to work with the community and technologies to identify the criminal and put him/her behind bars. It is so much better to prevent crime but it is possibly the most difficult part of crime fighting. It takes everyone in the community to play a role.
For example, as you know, the jails and prisons are full with tens of thousands of prisoners just here in Arizona. Very, very few of the prisoners are high school graduates. As citizens, we need to step up and mentor young people, encourage them to be involved in school, youth programs, sports and just being good citizens. We can't depend on someone else to do it. We need to ask ourselves "What have I done this week to give guidance to a young person?"
Q: What are your interests and hobbies?
A: I truly enjoy hiking Arizona, cycling (I have cycled throughout Arizona and California but there are still many roads I have not experienced), racquetball and just spending leisure time with those I love and care about.
I enjoy volunteering for organizations that have an impact in the community. I spend some of my free time with Boy Scouts of America as a District Chairperson, No More Deaths (an organization that has a goal to reduce the number of deaths of immigrants crossing the hot southern Arizona deserts), South Mountain YMCA, YMCA International, and the Arizona Center for Fair Housing (to name a few).
Q: Please tell us about your family.
A: My wife, Susan and I just celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary and life is great. As empty nesters we have time to focus on each other and enjoy life by traveling, spending quiet evenings together or going out dancing. We are both proud of our children and truly enjoy being "Nana and Tata" to our three beautiful grandchildren
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Few SMCC faculty can say they have inspired the Queen of Thailand.
Adjunct Voice Faculty Isola Jones is an exception. In 1985, this world-famous mezzo-soprano performed her signature role of Carmen, as lead in the opera of the same name. She had traveled to Bangkok with the American organization, Ambassadors of Opera.
"Singing for the queen is one of my greatest memories...the protocol was intense and precise. We weren't allowed to speak to her, turn toward her or talk to her," Ms. Jones recalls. However, following one performance, "princes and ladies- in-waiting gathered around the queen's throne and presented me with two 24-carat gold bracelets."