“Reinventing Richland: Celebrating 35 years of Teaching, Learning, and Community Building” was the theme for Convocation 2007. The week began with an Employee Buffet Luncheon, held August 20 and continued with various TOLI Professional Development workshops and an all-faculty convocation on Thursday, August 23. The highlight of the week was the annual All-College convocation.
Those who received awards at this year’s convocation include:
Innovation of the Year
ThunderBbolt Training - Audra Barrett, Patricia Spence, John Barrett, Ralph Blackburn, Gwen Hester, Jean Conway, Sam Tinsley, Eleanor Browne, James Walters, John Stanson, Jo Blackburn, and Peter Irwin
Jean Sharon Griffith Award – Tara Thompson
Administrator of the Year – Zarina Blankenbaker
2006-07 Full-Time Professional Support Staff Employee of the Year – Carolyn Lindeman
2006-07 Part-Time Professional Support Staff Employee of the Year – Babs King
Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching – Caron Tate
Continuing Education Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching – Jasmina Fahrendorff (no photo available)
Full-Time Faculty Excellence in Teaching – Trudi Swedlund
Convocation Week Photos:
photos by John Pollock
News
The RLC web team has created some new and inventive ways for the RLC family to stay connected. The online staff directory is now available in a printable format. Click here to view and print your copy. For a quick view of names, numbers and departments visit, or print, the Quick Quack at click here. This link allows you to locate staff by last name, first name, department, or services.
All of the DCCCD, including Richland College students, are invited to the 2nd Annual Urban Arts Festival at South Side which will be held 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sept. 8, adjacent to Poor David’s Pub and Bill’s Records at 1315 S. Lamar St.
This free festival will showcase some of Dallas’ best contemporary visual and performing arts, artisan vendors, and the Dallas Museum of Art Children’s MIY program. The lineup includes:
• Live amateur music, theatre performances, and street performers
• Spoken word, interactive poetry
• Live art and insightful symposiums
• Make-it-yourself, hands-on children’s art activity area
• Experimental art, painter’s platforms, and chalk art
• Urban artisan fair
For information about the event, visit urbanartsfest.com.
For more art right here on the Richland campus, visit the following art exhibitions this Fall:
“Inside Out” featuring: Lily Hanson, Donna Huanca, Peter Ligon, Robert Moore, Polly Perez, and David Wilburn
Lago Vista Gallery (Library)
Sept. 6-Oct. 5
Reception: 12:30-1:30 p.m., Sept. 6
“Aqsa Shakil: I’ll be Outside”
Brazos Gallery (C140)
Sept. 14-Oct. 12
Reception: 6-8 p.m., Sept. 14
For more details, click here.
Subway opened for business this past week and is operating from its “interim” food service set-up. Remodeling plans will be finalized soon and the project is expected to be completed by Spring 2008.
Subway will be providing familiar menu items and adding new ones as it becomes more practical to do so, including breakfast. Subway management is also looking at ways to speed up service times, possibly by offering pre-made sandwiches and adding a second cashier. Subway’s hours of operation for Fall 2007 are:
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Council for Teaching and Learning (CTL) sponsors a program that promotes featured teaching and learning practices at Richland College. The Richland Wall of Honor recognizes individual instructors and shares their innovative and successful teaching practices with the Richland learning community.
Anyone who teaches at Richland College, credit or continuing education (full-time or part-time), may be nominated. Nomination forms for fall 2007 awards are located here.
This month’s featured Faculty Wall of Honor profile- Maria Rojas
Click here to view her profile.
Professional
Noeli Biggs, Richland College program services coordinator-Multicultural Center, was recently selected by the United Nations Association (UNA) of Dallas to serve on its board as Director at Large – International and Community Outreach. Established by Judge Sarah T. Hughes in the 1950’s, the UNA of Dallas is devoted to shaping an agenda for a stronger, more effective United Nations, improving the lives of people throughout the world, and enhancing U.S. participation in international institutions.
Richland’s team of 12 faculty, staff, and administrators from across the college joined teams from most of the DCCCD colleges and a District-wide team in San Antonio for the annual CQIN (Continuous Quality Improvement Network) Summer Seminar, along with more than 300 representatives from 36 other CQIN institutions. The seminar was sponsored by Human and Organizational Development. Seminar Learning Partners included Toyota North America, U. S. Air Force Strategic Management Division, Valero Energy, Goodwill Industries, and host institution Northwest Vista College; the latter two organizations are recipients of the 2007 Texas Award for Performance Excellence. All presentations and interactive sessions fostered team learning about leadership, individual responsibility, and organizational culture shifts necessary for sustaining vibrant, high-performing institutions. Immediately prior to the seminar, Dr. Mittelstet convened a one-day “visioning charrette,” conducted by business partner IDEO, for a consortium of CQIN institutions committed to a multi-year project to help colleges engage their institutions and their students in a “21st Century Community College Vision to Build Sustainable Local and World Community.”
People
Diana Bustillos,World Languages, Cultures & Communications
Excerpt from Diana’s congratulatory note from Dr. Mittelstet:
Dear Diana:
Congratulations on being selected the Richland College Outstanding Employee for September 2007. Your award is well-deserved recognition of the exemplary service you have provided Richland College.
Through your efforts first in Student Programs and Resources and then in the Multicultural Center you worked with and advised a countless number of students in furthering their educational goals. Your assistance in submitting Richland’s SEVIS paperwork to the Immigration and Naturalization Services allowed Richland College to issue I-20 documents to admit foreign students who sought to study in the United States.
Always an innovator, you established several improvements in Richland’s ESOL program, such as developing a Hybrid curriculum for the ESOL Reading area and undertaking to infuse Computer-Assisted Language Learning in the ESOL Listening/ Speaking program. As a result of your leadership in the Listening/Speaking program, enrollment has increased to 133 students this past semester in contrast to a combined enrollment of 297 for the previous three semesters. As co-chair of the Listening/ Speaking Intellectual Competencies Committee, you effectively worked to develop an assessment tool for all disciplines to measure Listening/Speaking skill in the classroom. . . .
Jeremy Houston Roden, Business and Information Technology
Amy Bell, Humanities
Ambronita R. Douzart, Humanities
Mae Spicer-Hudson, HAD
Rex Rayfield Jr., Athletics/PE
To: Various ThunderDucks
From: Roy Bond
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation to all those who helped make this week’s League for Innovation’s Learning College Summit–held at the Hilton Anatole and hosted by the DCCCD–a huge international success for the Dallas County Community College District. The event was a tremendous success, due in large part to the work of the many Richland employees and students who worked as volunteers, presented workshops, and attended the events held Sunday evening through Wednesday morning. Special thanks goes to the following Richland colleagues:
M. T. Hickman (TEMM), who chaired the Hospitality Committee. M. T. staffed the hospitality station with TEMM students, secured a donation of cookies for all conference participants provided by El Centro’s Culinary Arts Program, and worked with the Dallas Chamber to have maps and other area information on hand.
Charmayne Hightower (Facilities), Michael Brantley (Facilities), and Jimmy Lopez (Media) for volunteering to provide technology support for the 50+ general and breakout sessions attended by the conference participants.
Zarina Blankenbaker (ACCESS), Andy Tubbs (ACCESS), Steven Taylor (Educational Transitions), and Woody Oglesby (TOLI), who organized and put together an ad hoc campus tour (in the driving rain!) for a group of eight faculty and administrators from Central New Mexico Community College (formerly Albuquerque Technical & Vocational Institute).
Again, a sincere “Thank You” to all who presented and attended sessions. I will send a separate message of thanks to our colleagues around the District, who helped make this event a shining example of what a little “Trust and Collaboration”–to borrow a phrase from our Chancellor–can bring about!
Hi Cindy (Casteneda, ESP):
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I
will be leaving Dallas within the next few days. I have the
opportunity to teach Summer 1 at El Paso Community College. I start
right after Memorial Day so I am heading out this weekend. I feel the
need to be around family before my intense doctoral studies!
I wanted to thank you for your mentorship. It’s invaluable to me. I’ll
keep you posted on what’s happening at UCLA. I plan on finishing my
coursework in three years, ambitious, I know. I’ll be working on a
grant this summer in El Paso too and I hope to use that data for my
dissertation somehow.
Teaching at Richland was an awesome experience. I had such a good time
with the students! They are so sharp and really stepped up to the
challenges I presented them. As a matter of fact, one of my students,
Aaron Kucera gained admission to Beloit! He visited, but is still on
the fence about the decision.
Also, the support I received from the ACCESS office made my job so
easy. It’s a joy to work amongst such professionals. Andy Tubbs is
particularly knowledgeable and patient! They’re awesome.
Again, thank you for your help and friendship.
Best, Olivia
Ms. Luz Villegas (Educational Transitions),
Thank you for taking your own personal time to come and talk us about your career. I think that you have been soon a big help to me. I was born in Mexico and my parents are just like yours. They do not make a lot of money but they always find a way to encourage me and my siblings to get an education. My dream has always been to be a teacher, I have always helped my little cousins and I just enjoy it. I think I have a lot common with you. I love to write and I enjoy school. I want to get somewhere in life and be successful in life. Thank you again for everything, and I think that you might be hearing from me.
Sincerely,
Guadalupe Rentena
Forest Meadow Jr. High
Richardson, Texas.
Valenda Archer, former Richland Dean of Information Services, and husband, Jim, welcomed new granddaughter, Kathryn Bailey Coppinger, Aug. 13, 2007. Katie weighed 7 lbs., 15ozs and is 21″ long. Parents (and Richland alumni) Lisa and Jim Coppinger and 3-year-old twin brothers, Michael and Christopher, are doing well.
Sarah Cardona gave birth to a beautiful and healthy boy at 8:55 p.m. on August 24. Both Sara and baby are doing well. (No photo submitted)
• What’s on the DCCCD Board of Trustees meeting agendas?
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• What’s on the DCCCD Board of Trustees meeting agendas?
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