President’s Message
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the spring 2008 semester! I hope that you have had a wonderful break and that you were able to rest and spend time with family and friends. Spring is symbolic of change and it is only fitting that I update you on some changes that have transpired since December:
Administrative Team
I am pleased to announce that all open administrative positions have been filled. It may seem hard to believe, but this is the first time since fall 2004 that we have had all administrative positions staffed with permanent employees. In this last year alone we have replaced a vice president of student services, a vice president of instruction, three deans, and three directors. We were fortunate to have staffed the college with wonderful interim administrators. However, it is nice to finally have the permanent administrative team in place.
Please join me in welcoming Kevin Henson, dean of creative arts and social science, Kathy Ross, dean of business and technology, Sandra Comerford, dean of language arts, Aaron Schaefer, coordinator of student activities, and Bev Madden, director of business development and marketing. Each person brings a unique perspective and a complementary set of strengths to the college. I want to thank the faculty, staff, and administrators who served on the screening committees for these positions. You can read more about each individual in an article in this newsletter.
Related to the filling of management positions, I want to let you know that our reorganization is now in effect. As you may recall we have combined the Business Division with the Technology Division and the Creative Arts Division with the Social Science Division. Furthermore, Martha Tillman now has primary responsibility for our Coastside offerings as well as Community Education. Again, the primary goal of the restructure was to balance the workload among the instructional deans and to create a better alignment of related occupational programs.
Facilities
I am pleased to announce that Building 16 has reopened for the start of the spring semester. We have completed Phase I of the facelift for this building which includes new flooring, new student tablet armchairs in many rooms, a fresh coat of paint and electrical upgrades. Phase II of the upgrade will occur over the remainder of the calendar year and will include a complete restroom remodel, a remodeled student-friendly lobby area, and the installation of an elevator. There are inevitable glitches and bugs whenever we reoccupy vacated space. I appreciate your patience as we work to adjust seating capacities and room assignments in Building 16. There is much more to tell you about our construction efforts. We will provide regular updates regarding our Capital Improvement Program (CIP II) beginning with the next edition of the President’s eNews.
Budget
I am sure that you are wondering how the state budget situation will impact community colleges in general and CSM specifically. As we all know, there has been extensive media coverage on the subject and it is clear that there are problems with the state budget as well as the economy. First, I want to remind everyone that at the state level, we are in the first inning of a “game” that will go into extra innings. It is simply too early in the process to come to any definitive conclusions. For an initial assessment of the impact of the Governor’s proposal, I would encourage you to read the email forwarded from the State Chancellor’s Office by Kathy Blackwood on January 11.
Regardless of the final outcome of the state budget, CSM continues to face a difficult financial situation. The reasons for this difficulty have not changed since the email that I sent to you on this subject last spring. Because of the importance of this topic, I will be sending a separate all-college email which will summarize our current budget situation.
Accreditation
The Accrediting Commission took action on our visiting team’s recommendation earlier this month. I expect formal correspondence on this matter any day now. There is no doubt that we will be re-accredited and I expect that we will receive recommendations which mirror the observations made by the accreditation team during exit interview. I am very grateful to Pat Griffin who continued to act as the college’s accreditation liaison officer through the accreditation site visit. I am pleased to announce that Susan Estes has agreed assume this role effective immediately. I will be sure to share the accreditation results and recommendations as soon as I receive the official report from the commission.
I always enjoy the start of a new semester. There is a sense energy, renewal, and hope. I wish you all the best as you begin the new semester.
Mike
The  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning @ CSM
By Jean Mach, professor of English & SoTL Center coordinator
As one of about 100 participants in the international CASTL Institutional Leadership program, College of San Mateo is required, each January, to submit a report summarizing the year’s progress on the work it proposed for the initiative. This year, we were asked to use the following questions to focus our report:
“At the level of the CASTL Institutional Leadership Program as a whole, our challenge means asking how this work [SoTL] has contributed to or affected even broader questions. For example, how has work in the scholarship of teaching and learning contributed to important initiatives in higher education? What effect has it had on how teachers teach and how we understand and talk about learning?”
Tony Ciccone, Senior Scholar, Director, CASTL, email of January 7, 2008
The full text of the report is available here.
Students in the News
 Athlete Finds Academic Success in CSM Learning Community
CSM student-athlete Andre Portis and the college’s learning community, Writing in the End Zone, were featured in an article that appeared in the San Mateo County Times on January 7, 2008. The article, “Course Makes Studies the End Zone,” illustrates how this innovative learning community which combines writing, fitness, weight training and other physical education courses can impact a student’s academic performance. Portis, a star linebacker who was struggling academically, credits his participation in this program for helping him to significantly improve his writing skills. At the end of the fall 2007 semester, Portis completed his associate degree CSM and has received a full-ride football scholarship to Marshall University in West Virginia.
 Outstanding CSM Concurrent Enrollment Student Honored
Jasmine Nachtigall, a senior at Hillsdale High School and CSM concurrent enrollment student, is the recipient of The San Francisco Chronicle’s Jefferson Award, for her work in the community. Nachtigall, a highly accomplished 17 year-old helped to establish the Best Buddies club at Hillsdale High School; Best Buddies is an international organization designed to enhance the lives of intellectually disabled students by providing one-to-one friendships with mainstream students. She is also the founder of the Hillsdale high school Student Run Volunteer Center. She has a 4.5 grade point average and when she graduates from high school this spring, she will also earn her associate of science degree from CSM. She has been accepted into Stanford University’s early admissions program. Nachitgall’s honor was also featured on KPIX, Channel 5.
CSM Welcomes T hree New Deans
The start of the spring 2008 semester welcomes new faces to the college, including three new deans. Sandra Stefani Comerford will take the helm of the Language Arts Division. Sandra has been taught in the English Department at CSM since 1987. She most recently served as co-coordinator of the Writing Center and English 800 Lab, coordinator of Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment and co-chair of the accreditation steering Committee. Sandra holds an Ed.D from the University of San Francisco, master’s degree from San Francisco State University and bachelor’s degree from Lone Mountain College.
The newly aligned Creative Arts/Social Science Division will be led by Kevin Henson who is the former director of the Liberal Studies Program at the Art Institute of California in San Francisco where he implemented college-wide writing and speaking across the curriculum programs. Previously, he as an associate professor of sociology at Loyola University of Chicago. He has a Ph D and master’s degree from Northwestern University and bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.
Kathleen Ross, the new dean of the Business and Technology Division, comes to CSM with extensive business experience that has included executive vice president, retail banking group, Far East National Bank, Los Angeles; executive vice president retail and commercial banking, Countrywide Bank, Calabasas, California; executive director, Council of California Community Foundations, San Francisco; and executive vice president and general manager of Union Bank of California, San Francisco. She has also been a business instructor at San Francisco City College. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach.
In addition to the three new deans, Martha Tilmann, who had served as dean of technology since 2005, will begin her new role as dean of Coastside and special projects.
Additional Appointments
 Aaron Schaefer joins us as coordinator of student activities. Aaron was previously employed at Pasadena City College (PCC) where he served as flea market coordinator, a program which is part of Pasadena’s Student Affairs program. He also served as advisor to a number student clubs. He is a former president of the associated students of PCC and received a number of leadership awards. He has been active in several student leadership activities at the federal, state and local levels. He earned a bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C. and is currently complete a master’s degree in counseling.
 Bev Madden has been appointed as the director of business development and marketing. She has served as interim director of public relations and marketing at CSM since spring 2007 and prior to that she was the program coordinator for the service learning program CSM Connects. She also has worked for Visa International in project management, customer relations and operations positions. She has a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame de Namur University and an associate degree from CSM.
New Spring 2008 Community Education Schedule is Online
Watch for your personal copy of the Spring/Summer 2008 Community Education catalog in your mail. New, short, fun classes start each week! Join a book club, have fun making and sampling sushi, learn fly fishing, find out how to avoid bad business writing, spend an evening with Leonardo da Vinci, enjoy a neck massage, learn to improve your memory, teach your dog not to bite, jump up or destroy your favorite furniture, among many other areas of interest. For a full list of the Community Education course offerings, visit the website at http://communityed.smccd.edu/.
View the Campus by Webcam
An external webcam has recently been installed at the college so that faculty, staff and students can view the campus and control the camera’s pan, tilt and zoom functionality. It is accessible at collegeofsanmateo.edu/webcam.
 President’s Lecture Series Resumes February 13
The first installment of the President’s Lecture Series: Diverse Voices in Writing for spring will feature Naomi Helena Quiñonez, poet, educator and American Studies scholar on Wednesday, February 13 at 12:10pm in the Theatre. Her two books, Hummingbird Dream/Sueño de Colibri and The Smoking Mirror, have received critical acclaim. Her forthcoming book of poetry is entitled The Exiled Moon. She co-edited an award winning anthology Invocation L.A: Urban Multicultural Poetry and a highly regarded critical anthology Decolonial Voices: Chicana and Chicano Studies in 21st Century. Quiñonez received a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University in American History. Among her achievements are the American Book Award, the Rockefeller Fellowship and the California Arts Council Award. She is featured in Notable Hispanic Women and the Dictionary of Literary Biography. Her poems and essays have appeared in noteworthy collections such as the Colorado Review, the Encyclopedia of Latinas in the U.S, Under the Fifth Sun, Aztlan and Vietnam, Chicana Creativity and Criticism, Renaming Ecstasy, In Her Own Words, and The Southern California Anthology. An invited writer and speaker, Quiñonez has been featured in many cultural and scholarly programs, including the Latin American Women’s Conference in Madrid, Spain; the Huntington Library’s Women Writers Series; the Miami Book Festival; the San Antonio Book Festival; the Mark Taper Forum; and the Los Angeles Museum of Culture and Art. Currently, Quiñonez is a lecturer in the San Francisco State University College of Ethnic Studies. She resides in San Francisco with her husband John Saenz.
Middle College High School News
Being enrolled in CSM’s award-winning Middle College High School program involves more than attending college and high school classes – it includes off campus service-related projects. One of the requirements for seniors enrolled in CSM’s Middle College High School is the completion of 24 service hours as a volunteer or intern with a person who works at the type of job/career that each student might eventually pursue. Some of the locations and career areas where this year’s seniors are working include: Peninsula Works (job finding), Allison Taylor Talent Agency (talent scout); Highlands Community Center (social work) Hanani Sushi (chef), Hillbarn Theater (costume and clothing designer); Buckley Education Group (high school counselor); and Hillview Middle School (teacher).
For juniors in the program, they are required to complete 24 hours of community service over the course of the academic year. At the conclusion of their service, each student prepares a written summary of their experience. For more information on San Mateo Middle College High School, visit collegeofsanmateo.edu/middlecollege.
Accounting Students Provide Tax Service
As part of the accounting department’s Volunteer Income Tax Program, CSM accounting students will be offering income tax preparation, free of change, for students and the community-at-large with incomes of $42,000 or less. This service will be available from February 23-April 5 on a drop-in basis from 10 am to 2 pm in Building 12, Room 85. More information is available from the CSM Accounting Office at 574-6494 or CSM.VITA@yahoo.com.
President of PBS Visits KCSM
Paula Kerger, president of PBS visited KCSM on January 15. This visit followed her opening remarks at the "Content Summit" where PBS collaborates with independent film makers in new programming ideas as well as how to bring those programs to PBS. During her visit to KCSM, she toured stations' facilities and spoke to KCSM staff and invited guests about the challenges facing PBS and other media outlets in these changing times. KCSM shared their efforts on "Spotlight," the high school film festival. Paula was very excited to see that effort, as PBS was just awarded a $1 million grant from Adobe to increase the voices of youth in mainstream media. In fielding questions she spoke about how smaller stations, often college licensees, tended to be the innovators of the PBS system. She also thanked our Board of Trustees for tackling the FCC indecency case.
In additional good news for the stations, KCSM recently received two very generous donations from members of the listening and viewing communities. One gift, in the amount of $24,270 was donated to the FM station while the second, $24,111 will support both the television and radio stations.
 Employees' Children Star in Local Play
Two children of district employees will play major roles in the performance of San Mateo High School's production of West Side Story, debuting this weekend. Matt Petromilli will play the Jet gang member Tony, the leading male role. He is the son of the district's Technology Liaison Jim Petromilli. Sean Pitetta will perform the role of Bernardo, the Shark, another main character. He is the son of CSM Financial Aid Technician Thanh Pitetta. Also part of the play is Eli Habeeb, who will play Toro, a Shark gang member. Eli is the son of Mike Habeeb of CSM's Public Relations & Marketing.
Request for CSM Events Calendar Listings
The Public Relations and Marketing Office has populated the spring 2008 CSM events calendar. If you would like an event on our calendar listing, please provide the following information by email (habeeb@smccd.edu), phone (650.574.6442) or in person (Building 1, Room 157):
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Name/title, date and times of the event
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Location
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The event’s cost, if any, and intended audience (e.g., free and open to public)
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Contact information (phone number, email address and/or Web site URL)
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Additional information (please limit to 25 words)
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Electronic photo or art with photographer/artist credit information
To be posted, the event must be a CSM event—hosted, coordinated or sponsored by a college division, program, organization, etc. Listings will be posted internally on CSM Internal. Additionally, “open to public” events will be listed externally on CSM’s main Web site (the link is under Campus Notes on the home page). At various times during the semester, a press release announcing CSM events will be sent to the media.
A Message From Public Relations & Marketing
Web Survey
Recently, the PR & marketing department conducted an all-CSM employees survey asking about the college Web site. The goal was to collect information as part of an effort to re-design and improve the current Web site. Subsequently, a substantial amount of feedback was collected which will help the department as it moves forward on this special project. Thanks to all that contributed to this effort.
Do You Need Help with Your Projects?
This week, the PR & marketing department launched an easy way for faculty and staff to request assistance with projects. On the department's home page (collegeofsanmateo.edu/csmpr), select Graphic Projects or Web Projects, depending on the individual need. A specific page for Graphic Services or Web Services will appear. Each page includes a "Submit Request" link that opens a simple form to complete and submit. Please try it as a new way to make initial contact with the department about your projects-it will only take a few minutes. If you have questions about the new project submittal request process, please contact Bev Madden at maddenb@smccd.edu or ext. 6538.
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