President’s Weekly Briefing — February 21, 2013
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Celebrate Black History Month EOPS, the Black Student Union, and ASCOM are celebrating Black History month by hosting an event on Tuesday, February 26, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Services Building, Deedy Staff Lounge. The event will include spoken word performances, free pizza, and speakers including a keynote speech by Social Sciences Professor Walter Turner. Welcome to our new HR Executive Director Our newly hired Executive Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kristina Combs has extensive experience as a senior human resources leader at regional educational institutions and is the latest new face on the executive leadership team at College of Marin. Combs took the helm as executive director of human resources and labor relations on Jan. 28, 2013. She replaces Anita Morris, who served a short time as interim HR executive director. Combs says that she looks forward to working collaboratively with faculty and staff to strengthen communications, bring greater visibility to human resources issues and solutions, and inform strategic planning and decision-making. The executive director of human resources and labor relation plays a key role at COM, which employs 564 people, including 109 full time faculty, 233 adjunct faculty, 188 classified staff members, and 34 supervisors, managers and administrators. Combs will provide strategic leadership to district-wide Human Resource programs and operations including recruitment, benefits administration, employee record-keeping, policy compensation and classification development, union negotiations, contract administration, employee and labor relations functions for classified and academic personnel. Combs arrives at College of Marin from Alliant International University headquartered in San Francisco. Combs was a senior administrative official responsible for academic and staff human resource programs for Alliant International University, an accredited university with five professional schools, 4000 graduate and undergraduate students, 1600 represented and non-represented faculty, staff and student employees. In addition to this experience, she was managing partner for a human resources and management consulting firm which had a portfolio of public and private sector clients. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology/health and society from UC Riverside and a management certificate from the UC Management Institute at Irvine. Among many accolades she received an Excellence in Management Award from UC Berkeley and several certificates of appreciation from University Health Services. In her spare time Kristina enjoys mentoring young adults, gardening, sailing on the bay with her husband, and writing short stories. Webinar on College Readiness You are invited to attend The Impact of College Readiness on Persistence and Degree Completion, a webinar sponsored by the National Association of College Admission Counselors, on Wednesday, February 27, from 11 to noon in Learning Resources Center, room 53. The webinar will highlight four key findings from ACT’s most recent research on the importance of college readiness on persisting in college to timely degree completion. This study is based on a nationally-representative random sample of ACT-tested high school graduates who immediately enrolled in either a two-year or four-year postsecondary institution after high school and were tracked for seven years. Topics include:
Steve Kappler, Assistant Vice President and Head of Postsecondary Strategy, Career and College Readiness, ACT, Inc. will be the webinar presenter. This topic will be of particular interest to counselors and deans and anyone else seeking to learn more about issues and trends in college student admission. This professional development activity can be used by faculty to fulfill PD/Flex hours. The webinar supports Objective 5, titled Student Success Initiative of the 2012-2015 COM Strategic Plan. Community Education Class Schedules Available February 22 College of Marin’s Spring Community Education Class Schedules will be available Friday, February 22. Registration begins Monday, February 25. College representatives from Dominican University, Linfield College, and National University will be coming to the Kentfield Campus. Representatives will be available to provide information about their institutions and answer questions. No appointment is necessary.
Open Forums with the Superintendent/President Please join me for one of two open forums scheduled on Tuesday, February 26. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend for an open discussion of their ideas and items of interest. Preferential Treatment—Singer’s Choice Recital Wednesday, February 27, 11:10 a.m. Opening Night Gala Performance of Big River - Limited Tickets Available
Last summer the College of Marin Board of Trustees voted to name the newly remodeled performing arts theatre in honor of the founder of the College's Drama Program James Dunn. Join us next Friday night in celebrating the dedication of the James Dunn Theatre. Opening Night Performance and Post-show Party–$40 The Marin County Premier of Big River is presented by special arrangement with Rodgers & Hammerstein, Inc. As American as apple pie, Big River recently played to sold out houses at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto. Based on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, this show is everyone’s favorite bad boy adventure story. Tom Sawyer, The Duke, The King, and all the other wonderful characters from Twain’s masterpiece come to life as Huck Finn and Jim, the runaway slave, raft their way down the Big Muddy—the mighty Mississippi River. With a musical score reminiscent of the music of preslavery days in Missouri, this show will be a wonderful outing for the entire family. Tickets are limited, RSVP recommended. All proceeds will benefit College of Marin Performing Arts Programs. Contact the box office at (415) 485-9385 for tickets and information. Preferential Treatment-Singer’s Choice Recital Wednesday, February 27, 11:10 a.m. Linda Noble Brown, instructor of the Advanced Voice class at College of Marin, and her students, would like to invite everyone to a recital of some of their favorite songs. Each one of the singers has chosen their own song within the parameters of classic vocal literature. Enjoy the entertainment of art songs by Rachmaninoff, Satie, Wolf, Bernstein, Quilter and more, with arias by Offenbach, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi and Bellini. A couple songs from musical theatre will round off the program. Free Tax Preparation Services Are Available at the Single Stop Office COM’s Single Stop Office offers free tax preparation, financial counseling, legal advice, and benefits screenings to COM students, faculty, and staff. Free tax preparation services are available now through April at the Single Stop Office. The goal of Single Stop is to provide students with additional resources to help increase retention and graduation rates. Single Stop also offers benefit screenings and application assistance, which can give students access to food services (CalFresh), low cost or free health insurance (Medi-Cal, CMSP and Healthy Families), child care services, affordable housing, CalWORKs, and cash aid programs (general assistance). Flu Shots Available at a Reduced Cost The College of Marin Health Center will be offering seasonal flu shots to students and faculty at both the Kentfield and Indian Valley Campuses. The Health Center is not a Medicare provider and is not able to bill insurance plans. Anyone wishing to receive a shot must be 18 years of age or older. Sports Congratulations to two of College of Marin's baseball players; Casey Levy-Tulloch, outfielder from Corte Madera, Redwood High School GPA of 3.91, and Jacob Baron, pitcher, from Novato and Novato High School, GPA of 3.58. Casey and Jacob were placed on the 2013 All-State Academic Team by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association. Women’s Basketball vs. Laney
Have a great weekend,
President's Weekly Briefing Web Page |
College of Marin is one of 112 public community colleges in California and is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Approximately 10,000 credit and noncredit students enroll each fall and spring semester. Classes also are offered during the summer.
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Directed by James Dunn