It has been a busy four weeks. There is a lot to learn about Southwestern College, and I appreciate how many of you have shared your wisdom, thoughts, and pain. As I continue my learning journey, I hope you will continue to share
Congratulations to ASO President Mona Dibas, ASO Vice President of Public Relations Nada Dibas and Southwestern College Sun Editor-in-Chief Mirella Lopez, recently selected as Chula Vista Champions. The City of Champions Celebration is this Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the Olympic Training Center. Again, congratulations Mona, Nada, and Mirella for representing Southwestern College. We appreciate your leadership.
Did you know that today is Adjunct Action Rally Day? There is a rally at noon in the Amphitheater area in front of the Student Center. Join us to support our adjunct faculty.
Last Tuesday was my first Governing Board meeting in my role as college president. It was an informative and positive meeting packed with evidence of hard work. Highlights were our dedicated faculty speaking from the heart about the equity of our lecture/lab rate, our exceptional ASO President Mona Dibas speaking about the accomplishments of the Southwestern ASO, The Guided Pathways Application, approval of our Enrollment Management Plan, and the first read for our Accreditation Follow-Up Report. Congratulations to Linda Gilstrap and Angie Stuart for leading the Follow-Up Report efforts and to everyone involved in accomplishing so many improvements to how we support our college. The following link will take you to the agenda…lots of good work going on. Thank you to everyone who helped ensure a successful and productive meeting.
http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/swccd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=AGUPM965415C
Thank you to the faculty and staff at the Higher Education Center, Otay Mesa, who provided a great overview of the career and technical education programs, as well as student services at Otay Mesa. I learned what a super-sized iPad looks like, and new term “procedural justice.” Thank you, for taking the time to enlighten me.
As we work through the continued concerns that are impacting our students, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the assistance available to SWC students. The college will be providing some additional training tools to support our students who may be, or are, impacted by immigration changes. I hope you will join with me in ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment at the higher education centers and Chula Vista Campus for students. Student Affairs has worked to provide resources for SWC students. A letter is going out to students from our college leadership. Please keep an eye out for additional resources for SWC students and training opportunities.
Did you know that the “California Dream Act” is State Law, separate and distinct from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program?” http://www.swccd.edu/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=18628
http://www.swccd.edu/index.aspx?page=1882
Thank you to Randy Beach, Professor, Southwestern College, who invited the Academic Senate California Community Colleges (ASCCC) to conduct a regional workshop at SWC. This was an enlightening and worthwhile workshop…they are posting some of the presentation materials on the website.
Hiring and Nurturing Faculty to Encourage Diversity and Equity
One of the areas that caught my attention in the above training was the concept “cultural humility.”
Cultural humility is a lifelong process of self-reflection, self-critique and commitment to understanding and respecting different points of view, and engaging with others humbly, authentically and from a place of learning (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998).
https://www.deanza.edu/equityoffice/humility.html
Did you know that SWC has a Professional Code of Ethics? Essential to student learning is a safe and supportive environment. It is our job as employees of SWC to ensure that safe and supportive environment. Worth checking out the link below as a reminder.
All employees of Southwestern Community College District are instrumental to the District’s mission of providing an environment in which students successfully achieve their educational goals and objectives. To support this mission, each employee is charged with personal responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to excellence in education without compromise to the principles of ethical behavior, and to uphold the District’s Code of Professional Ethics.
http://www.swccd.edu/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=4356
