COM Students Selected for PTK All-California Academic TeamTwo College of Marin students, Cynthia Barquero and Jose Zamora, have been selected for the 2009 Phi Theta Kappa All-California Academic Team. Phi Theta Kappa is an organization whose purpose is to encourage exemplary learning among two-year college students through their four hallmarks of “Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.” Students are nominated to the team, by college presidents and CEOs, based on exceptional academic rigor and grade point averages; participation in honors programs; awards, honors, and recognition for academic achievement; and service to the college and community. A luncheon and awards ceremony will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center located across the street from the capitol. Congratulations, Cynthia and Jose, for your outstanding academic achievements and contributions to our college and community.

COM Celebrates Black History MonthBlack History Month Film Night: The Great Debaters
In celebration of Black History Month, the COM Black Student Union (BSU) will be showing the film The Great Debaters (2007) on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Olney Hall 96 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event is open to the public free of charge. Parking is $3. The film, based on a true story, revolves around the efforts of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) at historically black Wiley College to place his team on equal footing with whites in the American South during the 1930s, when Jim Crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a pervasive fear for blacks. In the movie, the Wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate Harvard University.

African American College Information DayCollege of Marin and the Office of Outreach and School Relations will host the first annual African American College Information Day Thursday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kentfield Campus. The event, which revolves around a Black History month program on campus, is expected to draw 150 African American students from local high schools. Students will hear a keynote speaker, receive academic program information and enjoy a catered lunch with entertainment before taking a campus tour and hearing presentations by each Student Services office.

FAQ: Impasse and Fact-FindingQ: Has the faculty contract expired?
The previous contract remains in effect until a successor agreement is signed, even though the UPM/MCCD contract expired on June 30, 2007. Faculty salaries and benefits continue status quo. Step and column pay increases also continue status quo for both full and part-time faculty.

Q: Last year, UPM submitted a unilateral declaration of “impasse” to the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). What is impasse?
A party may end contract negotiations by declaration of “impasse” to the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). A neutral mediator is then appointed by the State Mediation and Conciliation Service to assist the parties in facilitating an agreement. If the mediator is unable to help in reaching an agreement, the dispute is then referred to “fact-finding” under PERB’s process oversight.

Q: Why was impasse declared?
The District cannot speak on behalf of UPM in this regard; UPM unilaterally declared impasse. However, at the time that impasse was declared the UPM proposal called for a 20% salary increase. In addition, there are a number of contract articles that remain open.

Q. How is Impasse Affecting the School and Students?
Enrollment is up 5 percent and the college continues to serve students.

Q: How does fact-finding work?
A three-person fact-finding panel will review the arguments and proposals from both sides and issue a set of non-binding recommendations for a settlement. Management and the union each appoint one member to the fact-finding panel. They mutually agree on a neutral, independent fact-finding chairperson from a list of qualified labor relations professionals supplied by PERB. The panel holds a hearing where both sides present their respective positions. The panel issues a recommended decision.

Q: Is the fact finder’s report binding on the parties?
The fact finder’s report is advisory only.

Q: Are the fact-finding proceedings open to the public?
The Legislature made a decision that fact-finding proceedings are not required to be open, and are best addressed in closed session. This continues the same confidentiality that has occurred in table negotiations and mediation. The parties serve as representatives of their respective parties--the District representing the Board of Trustees, UPM representing its unit members. The District has shared with the Board the proposals where the parties have reached agreement and where they are apart. It is assumed that UPM has shared with its unit members the same information regarding proposals agreed to as well as those proposals where the parties are at impasse. Considering this full disclosure, the confidentiality provided for by the Legislature, and the lack of public proceedings up to now, a public proceeding was not agreed to.

Q: Can the district implement its “last, best, and final offer” if fact-finding doesn’t work?
If a negotiated agreement cannot be reached, then the District can implement a proposal that it previously made. However, the District is not required to implement its last, best, and final offer. They can also pick and choose which items they wish to implement. None of these unilaterally imposed terms are allowed to supersede the law (i.e., the Education Code).

Q: Will faculty be able to vote on whether to strike?
Strikes are legal in California, but they cannot occur until all steps in the fact-finding process have been exhausted. It would be a legal violation for the union to engage in any concerted work stoppage prior to the fact finder’s final report being made public.

COM Fine Arts Call for EntriesRecently, as a nation, we have experienced a rebirth of hope and have embarked on a time of transformation. In our hyper-connected global world, we witness a constant stream of births of new ideas, forums, and communities daily. We call for artists to present and reflect on this complex and essential process of creation, and/or the many faces of birth that are all around us. Students are invited to submit entries for the upcoming show, re:Birth, which will be held from March 20 through April 20, 2009 in the College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery, Kentfield Campus.
Jurors: Bill Abright, Ceramics; Carol Lefkowitz, Drawing and Painting; Deborah Loft, Art History

Requirements: Entries must be prepared to hang or display immediately; please use hanging wire. Size is limited to 60” horizontally. Artists must be registered College of Marin students. Work must have been created within the last four years.

Entry Format:
Fee: $5 per entry; no more than three images per entry
Completed entry form
Image format: Complete submission packets are encouraged with slides and/or printouts. Only dry, completed work will be accepted for this exhibition. A self-addressed stamped envelope is required for the return of all submitted entries, excluding actual works of art.
Notification will be via email and/or telephone
Open to all media

Exhibition Calendar:
March 13        Submissions accepted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. No entries will be accepted after 5 p.m.
March 17-18  Notification
March 19        Hand deliver accepted art with a bio/resume and short statement from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 20-22    Retrieval of work from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

COM Foundation Scholarship Applications Are Available College of Marin Foundation scholarship applications for 2009 are available in the Financial Aid Offices on both campuses. Completed applications are due in the Financial Aid Office at either campus no later than 4 p.m. Friday, March 6, 2009. To qualify, students must have:

• Completed at least 15 units at COM in a major or General Education;
• Have a COM cumulative GPA of at least 2.75;
• Be enrolled in at least 6 units at the time of application.

For more information, please contact Margaret Elliott at (415) 485-9382 or by email.

KudosKudos to Arthur Lutz. Arthur is among the artists and craftspeople whose work is on display at a retrospective San Francisco Arts Commission show titled The Art of a City at the San Francisco International Airport. Arthur’s silver and onyx pendant was purchased for the city’s permanent collection in 1975. The show runs through April 10, Main Lobby, International Terminal (pre-screening area).

Upcoming

West Coast Premier of Jackie O!College of Marin Performing Arts department presents the West Coast premier of Jackie O! at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28, March 6 and March 13 and at 2 p.m. on March 8 and March 15 in the Fine Arts Theatre. The performance is a 90-minute chamber opera in two acts composed by Michael Daughtery to a libretto by Wayne Koestenbaum. The production is directed by James Dunn with musical direction by Paul Smith and choreography by Sandra Tanner. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students, seniors, COM staff, and alumni. For more information, please send an email.

Community Clay Sculpture ExhibitThis is the final week to view a survey of works by local community college instructors in the Fine Arts Gallery. The exhibit has been curated by Bill Abright and Andrea Antonaccio. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Featured artists include:

College of Marin
    Bill Abright
    Al Widenhofer
    Logan Wood
Cosumnes River College
    Yoshio Taylor
Cabrillo College
    Kathryn McBride
    Gail Richie
Diablo College
    Mark Messenger
    Karl McDade
SF City College
    Oliverio Quezada
    Don Santos
    Chris Unterseher
Laney College
    Susannah Israel
Merritt College
    Ericka Clark
San Joaquin Delta
    Joe Mariscal
    Gary Carlos
Solano Community College
    Mark Lancet
San Jose City Comm. College
    Michelle Gregor
Foothill College
    Andy Ruble
Skyline College
    Tiffany Schmierer

Unavoidable Elation: A Benefit Performance for Carla ZilbersmithSome of the Bay Area’s most talented improvisers will gather on Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. in the COM Studio Theater for a fun-filled night of improvised theater to benefit singer/solo performer and former head of the College of Marin Drama Department Carla Zilbersmith. Last year, Carla was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), a fatal neurological illness that robs its victims of muscular and nerve function. She is now confined to a wheelchair and soon will require full-time, around-the-clock assistance, which is not covered by health insurance. Join Mandy Koshnevisan, Mick Laugs, Gina Stahl-Ricco, and Christian Utzman for one wacky, totally unpredictable night of goofy hi-jinks. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for students/seniors, and can be reserved by calling (415) 497-2313. Tickets also are available at the door. Please note that the theatre is small and seating is on a first come/first served basis. All proceeds benefit the medical fund for Carla Zilbersmith.

International Film FestivalCollege of Marin Modern Languages Department presents the second annual College of Marin International Film Festival, with films featuring foreign languages taught at the college. The following films, which are FREE and open to the community, will be shown at 7 p.m. on six Fridays in Olney Hall 96.

Feb. 27     Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo / Three Meters Above the Sky (2004), Italian
March 6     Marius and Jeanette (1997), French
March 13   Happy Times (2002), Chinese
March 20   Hana Yori Mo Nao (2006), Japanese
March 27   Sweet Nothing in my Ear (2008), American Sign Language
April 3       Machuca (2004), Spanish

COM Athletics Athletics Home Schedule for the Week of Feb. 16:
Baseball vs. San Mateo
Saturday, Feb.21, noon in Marin

Athletics Away Schedule for the Week of Feb. 16:
Baseball vs. San Mateo
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. in San Mateo
Men’s Basketball vs. Solano
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. in Suisun

Women’s Basketball vs. Solano
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. in Suisun
Women’s Basketball BYE
Friday, Feb. 20

Swimming – Panther Invite
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, all day in Sacramento

Track & Field Nor Cal Rotational Meets
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21, 10 a.m. in Santa Rosa

Results:
Men’s Basketball
Feb. 9, 2009 Merritt 108, COM 74
Feb. 11, 2009 Napa Valley College 77, COM 48

Women’s Basketball
Feb. 9, 2009 COM 74, Merritt 68
Feb. 11, 2009 COM 56, Napa Valley College, 50

Have a great week!

Frances L. White, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President

President's Monday Briefing webpage
Technical Contact: Nicole Cruz, Admin. Assist., 415-485-9648   x7648
Content Responsible: Cathy Summa-Wolfe, Dir. of Communications & Community Relations, 415-485-9528