Weekly Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles – December 16, 2016
It was truly moving to celebrate with December graduates and their families at our Second Annual Completion Ceremony this week. The program included several words of encouragement and a charge for graduates to keep learning, exercise their civic responsibilities, and leave a mark — qualities they have learned through their curricular and co-curricular experiences. Thank you faculty, curriculum chairs, counselors, and staff for leading the effort to get our students to the finish line!
I am delighted to report that the work of the First Year Experience team that emerged from the Student Success and Academic Excellence Summit has synthesized ideas from the various contributing working groups such as PRESS, ATD, and ASAP and have reached consensus on several components. A subgroup is actively working and will reach out to ensure that we have full representation and expertise for a comprehensive FYE starting in 2017. The Summit group will provide a detailed update on the FYE planning, as well as progress on the three Summit focus areas.
The various existing diversity committees at the college have agreed to hold a joint meeting to discuss how to align their work into an integrated strategic plan. We look forward to the good work that will come from these cross-functional conversations.
Our status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) allows us to compete for federal funding via Title V of the Higher Education Act to bring faculty, staff, and students together to design new programs or enhance current programs focused on student engagement, retention, and graduation. Thanks to those who have attended the information session this week. Your ideas will help shape a proposal that has potential to provide new resources for completing our mission critical work.
Please join me at our annual Holiday Celebration and College Update on Monday, December 19 at 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Remember to bring a canned item or a non-perishable item which will be donated to our food pantry to combat food insecurity.
Thanks for making it a great week!
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President