Arabian Nights Opening Night Gala Fundraiser for Performing Arts

On Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, beginning at 6 p.m., the College of Marin Foundation and the Performing Arts Department will hold an opening night gala of their current production of Arabian Nights. Guests will ride a magic carpet into the minareted world of ancient Baghdad. There will be a wine reception and sumptuous buffet from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. followed by the production starting at 8 p.m. In keeping with the exotic theme of the evening's festivities, the Arabian Nights extravaganza will take place in the Performing Arts "Big Top" Tent Theatre located on the central lawn adjacent to the new Fine Arts Building at the Kentfield Campus. The evening will unfold with the legendary tales of Sheherezade. COM Professor Molly Noble will direct Tony-Award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman's re-telling of the mystical 1001 tales. (The tent will serve as performance space during renovation of the Performing Arts Theatre). Seats are limited so order your tickets early. Tickets are $50 per person or $30 per person for season ticket holders. Parking is available on Circle Drive, and at the corner of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Laurel Dr. Contact the College of Marin Foundation for reservations at (415) 485-9657. Proceeds will benefit the COM Performing Arts Program.

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Modernization Update

Meet the Architect for COM's New Child Study Center

College of Marin is designing a new Child Study Center that will be located at its Larkspur Annex site on Magnolia Avenue in Larkspur, CA. The college community and the general public is invited to learn more about this project, review renderings, and meet the architect at an informational meeting on  Tuesday, August 30, 2011, at 7 p.m., in the Administration Center, Room AC 108, at the Kentfield Campus, 835 College Ave. For more information contact Swinerton Management & Consulting at 415-884-3139 (Main number).
 
Campus maps are located on the college’s website: http://www.marin.edu/com/directions.htm

Initial information on the project can be found on the college’s website:  http://www.marin.edu/MeasureC/presentations_and_briefings/index.htm

Personnel Actions from the August 23 Board of Trustees Meeting

Classified Personnel Recommendations

• Michael Kessler has accepted the full-time position of Police Officer, effective Sept. 6, 2011.
• Kay Marshall has accepted the full-time position of Graphic Design Specialist, effective Aug. 1, 2011.
• Suzanne Hebel has accepted the part-time position of Lab Technician—Health Sciences, effective Aug. 8, 2011.

Resignation of Classified Personnel

• DSPS Program Technician Brianna Burkhardt has submitted her letter of resignation, effective close of business Aug. 11, 2011.

Appointment of Academic Personnel

• Maria Allis has been appointed to the full-time position of Children’s Center Site Supervisor, effective Aug. 24, 2011.

Resignation and Retirement of Academic Personnel

• Dental Assisting Instructor Grace Hom has submitted her letter of resignation for retirement purposes, effective Dec. 31, 2011.
• Physical Sciences Instructor Colleen Marlow has submitted her letter of resignation, effective Aug. 26, 2011.

Appointment of Educational Management Personnel

• Jason Lau has been appointed to the full-time position of Director of Community Services, Lifelong Learning, and International Education, effective Sept. 6, 2011

Upcoming Events

Road to Success at Kentfield and Indian Valley Campuses

The 2011 Road to Success event is taking place on the Kentfield Campus Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year the Indian Valley Campus will also host the Road to Success on Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please tell your students!

Road to Success is designed to encourage all students to learn about the variety of COM student services, learning resources, programs, and academic departments available to help them succeed in their studies and programs. Kentfield Campus stops are Student Services, Health Center, Science Center, Physical Education Center, Learning Resource Center, Harlan Center, and Fine Arts. Indian Valley Campus stops are: Building 27, Building 8, and Building 17. Road to Success is sponsored by ASCOM, the Basic Skills Initiative Committee, and all student services and departments. For more information contact Cheo Massion, Cheo.Massion@marin.edu or Becky Reetz at ext. 7620, Becky.Reetz@marin.edu

COM to Host Veterans/Armed Forces Career Day Event

College of Marin is hosting a job fair for military veterans on Sept. 14, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., outside in the Learning Resources Center Quad area at the College of Marin Kentfield Campus located at 835 College Ave. Organizations participating in the event include: Express Employment Professionals, Marin Employment Connection/Veterans Work Force Services, and the San Francisco Veterans Association Medical Center, among others.

Blue Stars Moms, an organization that prepares and sends care packages to active service men and women, will be present to discuss services and accept donations for the troops. Music will be performed by the Air Force Jazz Trio.

Several branches of the military and law enforcement recruiters will also be on hand, including Army, National Guard, Navy, Marines, and California Highway Patrol. For more information contact Job Placement Technician Carol Perez at 415.485.9410.

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Moodle Migration Timeline Update

Phase 1 of the Fall Moodle Migration was launched on Aug. 15, when approximately 90 course shells were populated with students. All former Blackboard courses—fully online and web-enhanced—and all new fully online and hybrid courses have now been migrated to Moodle.

Presently, all instructors have access to Moodle and can update their profiles and use the messaging system, whether they teach online or face-to-face classes.

Moodle shells will be available for instruction for all CRNs in spring 2012.

The Course Studio/MyCOM system that many faculty use to upload documents and to make announcements will remain in place until the end of summer session 2012. In other words, instructors can choose to use Moodle or Course Studio/MyCOM for web-enhancements until the end of summer 2012.

As of spring 2012, all fully online and hybrid courses will be taught in Moodle and all web-enhanced courses will use Moodle.

For information, please consult the Faculty FAQs.

If you need technical support, contact:moodlehelp@marin.edu

Fall 2011 Moodle Training Schedule

Fall Moodle training sessions are listed below. Each session will be comprised of 30 minutes of instruction and 20 minutes of implementation. All trainings meet in the COM Library Computer Lab at the back of the Learning Resources Center on the Kentfield Campus.

If you have a Moodle shell associated with a fall 2011 course, you may wish to practice attaching documents and images during the training. Even if you do not have a fall 2011 course, you can still update your Moodle Profile and set up messaging. Please bring your MyCOM logon information and a flash drive with some of your materials; for example, you may wish to bring a headshot, a syllabus, and an assignment.

At this time, we are unable to provide Moodle sandboxes (demo shells) to instructors who are not teaching in or with Moodle in fall 2011.

RSVP to Alisa Klinger,alisa.klinger@marin.edu, if you plan to attend.

Additional information is available on the DE homepage.
(be sure to refresh your browser if this is the first time you visit the site this semester as content has been updated and the site redesigned).

Training Schedule

Moodle Basics
Thursday, Aug. 25, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
Moodle Communications
Wednesday, Aug.31 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 
Moodle Activities
Thursday, Sept. 8, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
 
Moodle Grade Book
Wednesday, Sept. 14, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Moodle Basics
Thursday, Sept. 22, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Moodle Open Q & A Session
Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
The Moodle training schedule is also online.

Orientation for International Students Welcomes New Students to College of Marin

On Aug. 8 and 9 an orientation for international students was held at the Kentfield Campus to welcome 17 new international students to the college. Both new F-1 credit students and students in the Intensive English Program located at Indian Valley Campus attended the event where they received vital information on succeeding in their studies at College of Marin. Students came from all over the world, including South Korea, Japan, France, El Salvador, China, and Iran.

The event, planned and hosted by Transfer, Career, and Veterans Center Technician Janice Austin, included a welcome by Vice President of Student Learning Dr. Ken Meier. After a lively icebreaker led by IEP Coordinator/Instructor Sara Oser; Dean of Enrollment Services Bob Balestreri, and Admissions and Records Technician Ellen Shaw, went over maintaining F-1 visa status and SEVIS regulations, along with a document check, and students received a demonstration on how to use the MyCOM Student Portal and register for classes.

Student Health Center Assistant Shannon Timpane, reviewed health insurance requirements and forms and finding a doctor. Dean of Student Development and Special Services Greta Siegel, assisted students with advice on academic planning, terminology, and the college Code of Conduct. Testing and placement into English and math classes was discussed by Testing/Placement Center Assistant Dee Fraites and Sara Oser compared TOEFL and IELTS testing and any advantages or disadvantages of testing formats. Tutoring and Learning Center Coordinator Becky Reetz reviewed tutoring resources available to students. Director of Student Affairs and Health Center Dr. Arnulfo Cedillo and Student Affairs Administrative Assistant Vickie Lamke, covered a variety of topics regarding student activities and campus life, including campus facilities, ASCOM clubs and Student ID cards. College athletics, including team involvement and sports/PE opportunities, was covered by Director of Physical Education and Athletics Matt Markovich. Financial Aid/Job Placement Technician Carol Perez showcased housing options and renter’s insurance. Chief of Police Mitchell Lemay, and College Police Services Assistant Marco Minoia discussed the process of obtaining a California driver’s license and living safely in Marin. Student Ambassadors Anahita Fallah and Juliann Tumamait, and Community Education, Lifelong Learning, and International Education Administrative Assistant Jesse Klein, made up a panel of current and former students to share advice and tips on making the transition to the college easier.

The two-day event concluded with a Kentfield Campus tour, led by Student Ambassadors. Office Technician Heather Peitz and Jesse Klein, both of Community Education, Lifelong Learning, and International Education, deserve special kudos for their excellent support in helping make this event a big success. Thank you, ASCOM, for helping with the event lunch! Sincere thanks go to all those who participated in welcoming our new international students and for sharing your expertise at this event to help these students be well-prepared for their College of Marin experience.

Have a great week!

David Wain Coon, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President

President's Monday Briefing Web Page
Technical Contact: Nicole Cruz, Assistant to Director of Communications and Community Relations, (415) 485-9648 x7648
Content Responsible: Cathy Summa-Wolfe, Director of Communications and Community Relations, (415) 485-9528