Shoreline Community College has served this community for 43 years.  We began very modestly as an evening program in the old Shoreline High School and have built a college that now serves over 10,000 students each year.  Our tradition for excellent service to our students, outstanding quality of education by our faculty, and strong leadership among our peers will be continued.

This is an exciting time for the College to define and affirm our mission, vision and core values.  Over time, this planning process will become as natural for this campus as creating a quarterly schedule.  The process will also incorporate the thoughts and ideas of more and more people that will give the plan its vitality.

Why a Strategic Plan and why right now?
Our last Strategic Plan was created in 2002. At present, most would agree that it does not accurately reflect our values and goals as it once did. Given that it is now out of date, it is important to create a document that clearly articulates who we are, what we value and how we envision our future. The strategic plan of any institution serves as a compass to guide decision-making related to both our short-term and long-term future.  These decisions include allocation of operating budgets, proposals for funding initiatives such as grants or capital appropriation, assignment of human resources, and more.

Our goal is to create a strategic plan that guides this decision making and yet is understandable to all stakeholders in the College.  During this time of change, we will rely on our external stakeholders, our legislators, our donors, our business community, to actively support this change.  We will need our students faculty and staff to participate and support this plan and to implement the critical directives.

It has been five years since our last significant effort to produce a strategic plan.  This document is the foundation of our efforts to plan our future, and therefore, must be completed in a timely fashion this year. >read full text

Please take a moment to review the information presented by the Committee and take the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Survey.

Go to top of page

Grants support Biotechnology Lab Specialist Program

The WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges awarded a $90,000 workforce development (WD) grant to SCC last October.  The purpose of the grant is to recruit high school students in the Seattle and Shoreline school districts into the College's Biotechnology Laboratory Specialist Program. The effort will identify and encourage at-risk students (low-income, first generation and limited English proficiency) to consider this degree program as their higher education option.

The grant provides funding for an outreach coordinator to work with high school science teachers, counselors, and parents.  Over the last few months, Adrienne Houck has contacted key people such as science instructors, principals and counselors at more than 150 high schools and middle schools in the Seattle, Edmonds and Shoreline school districts.  Her goal is to schedule visits to science classrooms to give presentations, provide learning activities and talk about SCC's program and job opportunities within the Seattle area.   

In addition to talking about the opportunities in biotechnology and Shoreline's program, Houck will provide classroom activities at the schools she visits to give them the chance to perform simple biotechnology experiments such as observing germ transfer or fingerprinting a crime scene.

Houck will participate in three career fairs within the Edmonds School District in January at two middle schools and one high school.  At the middle school fairs, Houck will present a 40 minute talk and a learning activity for students who have signed up to learn more about biotechnology.  Other upcoming outreach activities will be conducted in South King County, Seattle and Lake Washington School Districts. 

In addition to the WD grant, a three-year Bruce Wallace Amgen Grant of $228,000 provides funding to SCC and Bellevue CC to work with Seattle, Bellevue and Shoreline high school and middle school faculty on the development of recombinant DNA technology courses to be incorporated into their science curricula.  The grant provides teacher training, all the equipment and supplies to perform the experiments outlined within the Amgen curriculum.   

SCC Biotechnology Program Chair Guy Hamilton and David Paul, a biotechnology technician at the College, represent SCC on the project.  Paul, the coordinator of SCC's role, has been working with West Seattle, Roosevelt, Franklin and Garfield high schools, helping them tailor the new curriculum to meet each school's specific needs.  Paul has also given a couple of workshops to Seattle high school teachers on how to use the equipment and how to incorporate it into their curriculum. Mariner High School has recently shown interest.
 

Go to top of page

GST High Growth Job Training grant extended
The High Growth Job Training Grant (GST) ), issued by the U.S. Department of Labor,  that was scheduled to expire November 30th, has been extended through June 30, 2007.  The College requested the extension so that the grant calendar would match our instructional calendar and current students would be included in meeting grant outcomes.  Additional funding was not requested.

The GST curriculum that the DOL project developed is now being taught in four colleges, one high school, and one Job CORPS agency. Project staff hope to coordinate recruitment for these programs, as well as job placement.  Currently, Pacific Associates has agreed to case-manage most of the students involved in the GST class, which will certainly help with student retention and job placement.

The grant called for training 75 incumbent workers.  As of November 30, approximately 400 people had completed training at Shoreline.  "We asked industry representatives what kind of training they wanted us to provide, and the overwhelming majority requested soft skills.  Beau Hamilton of Hamilton Consulting did an outstanding job training these 400 industry folks," says Gary Main, training coordinator for the DOL project.

Grant dollars were also used to develop GST curriculum and training for 50 ESL students and 50 ABE students.  We are asked to recruit a class of about 10 students during the two-year grant period and offer 45 credits over a full academic year. 

The program is designed to introduce at-risk youth and ESL and ABE students to general service technicians training. When students complete the program, they are qualified for entry-level positions in the automotive industry. They meet standard ASE qualifications, and within a year of working in industry, are ready to work with skilled technicians. One third of our GST graduates are currently working for dealerships, and another third are being paid between $14 and $17 an hour outside the dealership network.  Some of our GST students have now been accepted in SCC’s AAAS automotive training programs, which means they'll be making up to $40,000 a year after they complete a two-year program.

"Because our GST/ABE/ESL classes were co-taught by a combination of automotive instructors and ABE instructors or ESL instructors, respectively,  they received I-BEST classification by the SBCTC (thereby generating enhanced FTEs for Shoreline) and an Opportunity Grant (also from the SBCTC) thereby generating $1.2 million in student support over a three-year period," says Cameron Hightower, Project Director.  Ninety percent of the Opportunity Grant funds go directly to the students for tuition, transportation, books, tools, emergency housing, child care, etc.

Go to top of page

SBCTC requests funding for two-year colleges to support local economy
submitted by Suzanne Ames, WA State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
The 34 community and technical colleges across the state work together to serve almost half a million students each year ― over 40 percent of university graduates began their college studies at two-year colleges.  Additionally, community colleges produce 80 percent of newly prepared employees for jobs that require one or two years of college.  Community and technical colleges have a solid reputation for meeting the needs of students and businesses and new programs are continually coming online that use the latest research and technology to meet their needs.  However, changing demographics in Washington’s population will require more of every college and university in order to keep this state competitive in a global economy.

Despite these successes of community and technical colleges, more needs to be done.  Washington state continues to need more workers who are better equipped for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow; and more people need to have the advantages of college to fill these jobs and to succeed.

The SBCTC has prepared a budget request for consideration by Gov. Gregoire and the legislators that focuses on two-year colleges meeting the demands of the economy, improving the success of students and utilizing innovative technology.

SBCTC is asking for funding for community colleges to meet these economic demands via education.  The request includes funding to prepare more skilled employees in the workforce, including job training and literacy skills; to expand programs to help businesses and employees get updated knowledge and skills; and to help more high school students who are ready for college coursework to have that opportunity while completing high school.

The budget request includes support for better student achievement by making it more affordable for low-income adults to attend community colleges by expanding flexible financial aid programs; creating more literacy and English language skills classes; not raising tuition; and by helping more students meet their goals by expanding advising and student services.

Innovation to better serve our business communities, students and faculty is another factor included in the budget request by the State Board.  Expansion of distance learning and online resources, keeping all programs current with modern technology and equipment, and market equitable salaries for both faculty and staff.

Go to top of page

Worker Retraining grads see wage increase in new jobs
Donsa Benitez, the Employment Security Co-Location for the Worker Retraining program, has completed a hire/placement report determining the wage recovery and increases realized by Shoreline's Worker Retraining graduates.

Of the almost 75 graduates analyzed, who had pre-layoff wage data, 76% had increases in their hourly wages over their pre-layoff salary.  Even with the Boeing layoffs, some of them who did not go back to Boeing, increased their income. Among the Boeing layoffs, who returned to Boeing, they consistently made more money on their return.

Medical Laboratory Technology majors were a group that did exceptionally well, increasing their average wage by $6.53 an hour over and above their previous salaries.

Short-term programs were also effective in increasing a Worker Retraining participant's wages.  Participants in the Phlebotomy program increased wage recovery by more than $3.25 for people newly training into the field.

The Worker Retraining program continues to provide services and training to Dislocated Workers, Displaced Homemakers and the Self-Employed; affording them an  opportunity to increase their skills, allowing them to better their standard of living through Professional/Technical training.  If you know of anyone who may qualify for our services, we are in Room 5228, extension 5882.

Go to top of page

Announcements

Professional Development Day focuses on advising and retention
 

On Friday, January 05, 2007, a professional development day was set aside to focus on the issues of advising our students.  Good Advising Means Student Retention, organized by staff of the Advising and Counseling Center and Professional Development Officer Pam Dusenberry, provided solid foundational information on the importance of advising and how students are affected when they receive advising services.

Research clearly demonstrates that strong advising, new student orientation, and engagement with students ensures that an institution successfully retains their students.  Advising is an integral part of our retention efforts as we focus on improving our retention rates and move students towards completing their educational goals.

A highlight of the session was information provided by a student panel who shared their positive and negative experiences with their advisors.  These students very clearly communicated the importance of working with advisors who are available, knowledgeable, and willing to spend time with their advisees. 

One student commented, “Just spend time with us.”  Another student said, “I did not want to have to take on the hassles of working with an advisor, and so I decided to self-advise, but then I spoke with one of my professors who really did help me.”

Go to top of page

Better skills mean better jobs
As jobs become more and more complicated, many workers are finding that they need further training to keep up in their current job, or to get a better job.  The Washington State Legislature, with leadership from Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, has provided a way for these workers to overcome barriers that may have prevented them from attending training in the past.  

Rep. Kenney was recently recognized by the Seattle Consortium of Basic Skills programs for her leadership in making college accessible to students who have educational and personal barriers.  A total of 29 students are currently participating in the Automotive General Service Technician Program through this special program.

Watch Net News for updates on legislative activity.

Go to top of page

PUB remodel update
The erection of the steel has begun.  Project Manager Randy Stegmeier says the contractor will have the steel workers work extended hours and weekends to make up for lost time due to inclement weather.  Lights will be erected so that they can begin their work earlier in the morning and work later into the evenings.  They will also work Saturdays.  The crane will be on site until the steel is all in place - the goal is to have the steel phase complete by the end of January. 

"There will be some disruption to campus services, such as gas, power, but this work is being scheduled to take place during Spring Quarter break," says Stegmeier.

The next phase includes putting the shell in place, with the siding and roofing materials going up. 

Go to top of page

Athletics & PE Program reorganization
The Athletics and Physical Education programs have been reorganized into one program.  Dean Gillian Lewis has assumed administrative duties for this new department in addition to her responsibilities to Health Occupations programs.  The reorganization date was effective November 1, 2006.

Dean Lewis has administrative oversight and responsibility for all aspects and activities in the Physical Education and Athletics programs including, but not restricted to budget, human resources, space allocation and management, equipment, travel, goods and services, contracted services, and scholarships.  All planning and program management activities and decisions will need Lewis', or her designee’s approval and signature prior to implementation.

The reorganization is the result of a series of hearings and information gathering by the administration with those most directly impacted – Athletics and Physical Education faculty and staff, whose input was documented and seriously considered.

Go to top of page

Diversity and Student Success teams with City of Shoreline & YMCA to offer Youth Diversity Conference
A total of 95 youth from Shorewood and Shorecrest high schools attended the first half-day MASKS Youth Diversity Conference at Shoreline Community College on Friday, December 11, 2006.  Workshops were designed in response to student-generated themes and aimed to help students perceive themselves and their connections to the world in new ways.

The Diversity and Student Success team coordinated conference logistics with personnel from the City of Shoreline and Shoreline/South County YMCA .  SCC staff and faculty also facilitated a few of the workshops:

Global and Political Issues was presented by Campus Ambassador Marisa Laufer and  MCDEC Program Manager Cecilia Martinez Vasquez; Women's Studies Professor Rachael David presented Beauty Stereotypes; and Dean, Advising and Counseling, Dr. Yvonne Terrell-Powell presented Personal Empowerment and Taking Action.  The workshop, Importance of Higher Education, was presented by Executive Director, Diversity and Student Success and Student Programs, Cathy Chun, Recruiting and Retention Manager, Jeff Omalanz-Hood, and Program Manager, Women's Center, Lynette Peters.

Planning for next year's conference will start at the end of this month. For more information, please contact Cecilia Martinez Vasquez at 206-533-6618 or Lynette Peters at 206-546-4715.

Go to top of page

HR CORNER    

New Employees

Peter Calkins, Director, Automotive Training
Peter Calkins began his role as Director of Automotive Training on November 6th.  He has been in or around the Automotive Industry since 1992 and has held a variety of positions from a used car lot tech/porter to automotive technician; from an instructor at a private trade school to the chairman of an automotive department at a state community college.  Calkins started his lifelong interest in automobiles starting as an automotive student, moving into automotive teaching positions, and now as an administrator for an automotive training program.  His previous work included Automotive Department Chairman and full-time faculty at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO; Automotive Technology Instructor at Denver Automotive and Diesel College; Extended Warranty Claims Adjuster for GE Auto Warranty Services in Lakewood, CO; Automotive Technician at Empire Oldsmobile, Denver, CO; and Automotive Student/Apprentice at Empire Oldsmobile, Denver, CO.

 

Go to top of page 

Gail Dunavan, Director of High School Programs
Gail Dunavan begins her role as the new Director of High School Programs (and Running Start) Monday, January 8th.  She comes to Shoreline from Edmonds Community College, where she was the Outreach and Running Start Program Coordinator.  Dunavan case managed over 500 Running Start students at ECC.  Prior to that, she was a Drug Free Youth Program Coordinator for the Straight Talk About Responsibility Program (STAR) for Whatcom County Schools.  She has a master's degree in community counseling from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Drew University at Madison, New Jersey.  She is a member of the National Academic Advising Association.

 

 

Go to top of page 

Douglas Palmer, Athletics Director
Douglas Palmer will join the SCC athletics team as director on January 22nd.  Palmer was the Assistant Athletic Director at the University of West Florida from 1985 until 1999, when he was promoted to the Associate Athletic Director rank.  He supervised and maintained sports complex facilities as well as  a staff of 14.  Palmer developed and implemented an NCAA education program for the university and the athletics staff, and developed and maintained a recruiting manual for the coaching staff and a student-athletic handbook.  He was also a softball and a volleyball coach at the university.  His softball teams took first place in national ranking five years and he was named National Coach of the Year several times.  Palmer was chair of the UWF NCAA Compliance Committee and the five-year self-study committee.  He was the university's liaison to the Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee.  Palmer also developed plans for new facilities and upgrades of old facilities.  Palmer has a master's degree in athletic administration from Florida State University and a bachelor's degree in physical education from Winthrop College in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Go to top of page

Nancy Shaw, Program Support Supervisor I, Enrollment Services
Nancy Shaw began her new role as Program Support Supervisor I (temporary, full-time) November 20, 2006.  Shaw was an hourly employee for ES since 2001.  She was an administrator for the Dept. of Pharmacology, UW from 1984 to 2000; an Administrative Assistant for the Dept of Biochemistry from 1982-84; and a Program Assistant for the Biology Dept at the UW from 1980-82.  Shaw graduated Cum Laude from the UW with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Go to top of page

Employee Changes
Veronica Botts, Program Manager A, Temporary, Human Resources/Payroll, 12/01/06-2/28/07
Preston Keaton, Program Coordinator, SCC@LFP, 12/12/06
Victoria Lauber, Program Coordinator, WorkFirst, 12/18/06
Kenny Rosario, Information Technology Specialist 3, SCC@LFP, 10/9/06
Nancy Teske, Manager, HR/ER & Payroll, Temporary, 12/1/06-2/28/07
Mark Totten, Bookstore Manager Assistant, Bookstore, 12/18/06

Separations
Ruth Clark, Director of Personnel, Human Resources, 12/1/06

Go to top of page

KUDOS

Work of Prof. Bob Thompson featured in The Enterprise Papers
Psychology Professor Bob Thompson has been taking students to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica for over 16 years to prepare them to live, work and communicate more effectively in a global environment.  Each year he coordinates a team of students to work on projects with the locals while providing them the opportunity to grow intellectually and personally through the experience. 

Over the years, Thompson made friends with Jamaican coffee farmers and learned about their business.  Although the highly sought after beans can sell for up to $45 a pound in the U.S., and up to $100 a pound in Jamaica,  these farmers make only a few dollars a pound, and thus live in poverty.  Thompson has wanted to help these farmers out for a long time, and in the last year, found people in the Seattle area to roast the beans at no cost.  Thompson will sell the beans locally this spring to help the farmers out financially and to purchase school supplies for the children in Jamaica.  He hopes that the business will grow and provide a steady stream of income for these farmers in the future.

Sarah Koenig, a reporter for The Enterprise Papers recently wrote a feature article on Thompson and his work. Please be sure to read it online; the link is provided above.

Go to top of page

Drama and film students get lots of experience
Drama and music student, Lori Pugh, had a feature role in the film, Butterfly Dreaming, and drama/film Professor Tony Doupé had a leading role.  SCC cinema student, Phil Kammer also worked on the film as a production assistant. 

A film produced and directed by drama/cinema graduate, Garret Hunt was recently selected as the winner of the It's Your Show Film Challenge sponsored by NBC.  He was given a $1,000 scholarship.  Hunt is currently on his way to Florida to film a skateboard movie, afterwards he will move to Los Angeles to write and direct. 

Doupe's voice featured and he directs community theater play
Drama and cinema professor Tony Doupé has been selected for the voice for a new computer game by Monolith Entertainment.

Doupé also did two TV commercials during winter break — a PSA for Washington State Campaign for Anti- Smoking and one for the Organ Heart and Cardiology for the State of Oregon.

Doupé will direct the production of Tape at The New Space Theater in which several current SCC drama students and drama alumni will appear.  Current SCC student, Melissa Leland will stage manage the production.  The show opens at the end of January.  Doupé says that he is seeing some of the best acting, writing and directing by students in his eight years at the college. 

Go to top of page

Ann Garnsey-Harter appointed to planning committee
Distance Learning Director Ann Garnsey-Harter was recently appointed to the planning committee for the first meeting of the Washington Blackboard users Group, which met December 1.  They were expecting 50-100 people, 168 people attended, SCC sent a large group.  Garnsey-Harter is spearheading an effort to highlight the great distance
learning work being done across the state. 

Go to top of page

Business students attend achievement celebration
Business faculty members, Steve McCloskey, Laura Portolese-Dias, David Starr and Mona Starr, hosted an event in early December to celebrate student success.  Twenty-four Certificates of Achievement were awarded to students from seven business administration sections. The criteria for the awards differ for the different classes, such as, History of Fashion - students prepared a personal color pallet and these were voted on by peers and BAM faculty; Business Law - top prosecuting and defending attorneys for the mock trial; and Intro to Business - most successful team in the Capitalism II business simulation program.  The event was held in response to two BusAd program goals -- to increase core course enrollments, and to keep all current students enrolled.

Faculty expressed their appreciation to all the students for the effort the students had demonstrated in class and that all should recognize and congratulate themselves for completing a quarter. Cake and punch were served. The event provided a very positive note for the students as they prepare for their final exams.

Go to top of page

ESL instructors present at state conference
ESL professors Lauren Wilson and Daina Smuidrins presented at the state ESL conference (WAESOL) at Highline CC in November.  Entitled "Transforming Norming," the two demonstrated how our ESL programs run quarterly, which helps faculty assess student learning appropriately and consistently.

Go to top of page

Wilson and Smuidrins meet student requests
The evening ESL program has incorporated a "talk time" activity in response to student requests for more speaking practice.  The two classes come together for this activity, playing games, singing songs and watching and discussing short video clips on U.S. holiday traditions.  "This is one of the many ways that we are trying to improve and enliven our evening program," says Wilson. 

Go to top of page

ESL faculty promote ESL program at elementary school
ESL instructors Jo McEntire, Lauren Wilson and Ruthann Duffy and three ESL students  talked to parents at Parkwood Elementary School last month about the importance of learning English. 

ESL student asked to join speaker's bureau consortium
One of Duffy's students, Khawla Hadi, has been asked to participate in the Seattle Consortium Speaker's Bureau, a collaborative project among Seattle-area literacy programs.  The bureau provides students the opportunity to write a speech and deliver it to improve their public speaking skills as well as to link them up with other groups that would want to hear them speak at their events.  Hadi would like to educate more people about Muslim women and SCC's ESL Program.

Go to top of page
 

Jeanette Alexander's music wins award Music Program Assistant Jeanette Alexander's song, Peaceful Path (album: Walk in the Sun), was selected as second place winner in the Best Instrumental Song category out of thousands of entries at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in early November.  Two years ago, she received the Best Instrumental Album for her CD, Open Sky, and her song, Setting Sail, was selected as Best Instrumental Song.

Go to top of page
 

Spindrift takes third The College's literary journal, Spindrift, won third place in the Community College Humanities Association's contest for best literary magazine.  The publication was in competition with several hundred magazines submitted by colleges in California, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho and Washington states.  Deborah Handrich is advisor.

Go to top of page

Music students perform at local high school
The Shoreline Singers, directed by music instructor, Fred Lokken, the Chamber Chorale, the Jazz Ensemble, directed by Doug Reid, and Funkngroove, directed by Bruce Spitz, gave a guest performance at the Ballard High School Performing Arts Concert in November.  Reid also performed.  They received rave reviews from the audience and BHS students.  The singers hope to make this type of guest performance at least once a quarter.

Go to top of page

Matt Loper is Mr. Environmental
Environmental and biology Professor Matt Loper has been appointed President of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation.

Loper is currently working with students on Special Projects involving stream studies and GIS.  As a member of the SCC Sustainability Committee, Loper is researching options for mitigating the runoff from the Zero Energy House.  He is also working on a proposal to purchase recycling bins for the campus.

Go to top of page

Jim Fink and Paul Linnes perform and direct Civic Light Opera production
Associate Music Faculty Paul Linnes is the music director for the upcoming production of The Baker's Wife by the Civic Light Opera and IT Specialist Jim Fink performs bass. Former Associate faculty member Ann Arends will direct and choreograph the production.  The production, book by Joseph Stein and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwarz, will be performed January 26-February 11th. 

Go to top of page

Top Stories - Announcements - HR Corner - Kudos - Events - This and That - Archive