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Editor's Note: The start of the new academic year brings lots of excitement to Shoreline Community College. We are looking forward to the completion of our new Pagoda Union Building (PUB) that will provide food services, meeting space, recreation areas, and offices to our Student Government and other student clubs. The students have endured the inconvenience of the construction of this new building, and we are grateful for their patience. The new building is set to open at the start of Winter Quarter, January, 2008.

Shoreline Community College 2007-2012 Strategic Plan
Message from President Lee Lambert

On behalf of Shoreline Community College, I would like to present the College’s 2007 Strategic Plan. This plan, the result of internal self-assessment and long discussion, reflects the College’s core values for student success and academic excellence.  These values are the foundation that sets the College’s direction for the coming years. 

The Strategic Plan is comprised of eight critical themes, all of which are important to the future of the institution.  Our goal is to ensure that higher education is accessible, affordable, and relevant to our students as we attempt to increase the numbers of students who engage in learning at the College.  We know that our programs transform lives and create opportunities that allow our students to go on to better their earnings potential and their individual lifestyles.  These students contribute positively to the welfare of our global society and to the economic well-being of the state of Washington.

Shoreline Community College is ready to meet the challenges of our changing economy and is deeply committed to satisfying the educational needs of our students.  >Click to download the Strategic Plan.  If you are interested in receiving a copy of the plan, contact our Public Information Office at pio@shoreline.edu.

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Sustainability - New Curriculum being developed

In the past few years, a spotlight has fallen on issues of sustainability and our responsibility to the planet’s environment.  Shoreline Community College has been actively developing its leadership role as an educator in this emerging societal issue, joining other government leaders advocating for change and creating systems and mechanisms for change.

In 2006, the College joined the City of Seattle as a founding member of the Seattle Climate Partnership, making a commitment to reduce the College’s “carbon footprint” in the next few years.  The College became a national training center for alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technology and co-sponsored the 2006 Washington State Odyssey Days, a two-day conference to heighten public awareness about the importance of using alternative fuels and other practical solutions to reduce carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Serving the future needs of our students and communities is one of the top priorities of the College, and therefore new curriculum is being developed to support the emerging renewable energy industry. College, business and labor officials met with representatives from the Washington State University Energy Extension Program and Northwest Solar Center to discuss curriculum development and with College faculty to review existing curricula from nationally-recognized renewable energy programs.  They also identified the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to build and support a local renewable energy workforce.  This planning process resulted in the production of a report to the community to use as a guide for creating training programs for jobs in renewable energy.  >Click to download copy of the report.

The group is currently developing certificate and degree programs and plans to begin offering the first pathway certificate program, the High Performance & Zero Energy Building Practices Certificate, by next fall.  The program was approved by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in September.  The general knowledge, skills and abilities, tools and equipment needs, worker behaviors, job titles and wages, as well as future trends and concerns, have already been identified for this program.  

Two-year programs that are under consideration are Solar Construction (leads to a bachelor’s degree at Washington State University); High Performance & Zero Energy Building Practices; Photovoltaic Design & Installation Certificate; Solar Energy Foundations; and Renewable Energy Career Overview Tech Prep. 

If you are interested in this program, please contact Berta Lloyd, dean, Workforce Education at 206.546.4595 or blloyd@shoreline.edu. 

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Pagoda Union Building (PUB) ready for students Winter Quarter 2008

The remodeled PUB (Pagoda Union Building) will be ready for students and community members by early 2008.  The new building will offer a quiet study lounge, student and staff meeting rooms, two dining areas and a game room.  The College looks forward to hosting community events in the new facility.  Rooms in the PUB will also be available for rent for community functions such as weddings, charity dinners, and meetings. Contact Lynn Yaw at lyaw@shoreline.edu for reservation information.

Food services, including deli and espresso items, will be provided by Chartwells, a division of the Compass Group. The vendor will focus on healthful menus that offer low-carb, low-fat, non-dairy and vegetarian options. Additionally, Chartwells will provide catering and vending services on the College campus.

The design for the new PUB was created by Opsis Architects of Portland, Oregon.  Opsis specializes in student union buildings for college and university campuses, and has designed many of these facilities in the state of Washington.

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New library web site makes research easier
The SCC library has put a new face on its virtual presence on campus by launching a new website.  The new site was developed by the College’s Library and Media Services team to provide students, faculty, staff and community members easier access to greater quantities of information. The public may utilize the services of the online library when they come to campus.  They can also receive an SCC Library card allowing them to check out books, DVDs, tapes, and more.

In addition to providing information about the library and its online services, the new website makes it easier to conduct research through the addition of new databases, a more intuitive navigation scheme, and new search tools.  The library contracted with Seattle-based Serials Solutions for their 360 Search federated search engine, which makes finding information substantially easier and faster. 

In the past, it was necessary to search for information in several places such as the library catalog for books, DVDs, and CDs; a newspaper database like ProQuest Newspapers for articles from daily papers such as The New York Times; and multiple research databases such as JSTOR, CINAHL, and the Gale Science Resource Center for magazine and journal articles.  No two interfaces are exactly the same, so users would have to familiarize themselves with a new tool each time they moved from one search environment to the next, making research a very time-consuming task.

The 360 federated search engine provides for a "One Stop Information Shopping" (named OSIS by SCC library faculty and staff) experience.  The search tool accesses all  of the library's research databases and the library catalog simultaneously.  Results are presented to the user in a single, intuitive interface, making the quest for information a much easier and less time-consuming process. 

Check out the new website at www.shoreline.edu/library.

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Bruce Amstutz and Donna Wilde receive Faculty Excellence Awards
Two outstanding faculty at Shoreline Community College were awarded this year’s Faculty Excellence Awards.  These awards are given annually to instructors for exemplary work in the classroom, across campus and in the community.  Criteria include supporting student success via mentoring, innovative teaching methods, strong interpersonal skills and providing students with leadership skills that will support successful careers.  This year’s recipients received $1,000 for professional development.

Bruce Amstutz, program chair of the Art and Visual Communications Technology program received his award for his unwavering dedication to the Visual Arts Program and his students.

Amstutz was recognized for his high level of commitment to the College and its students.  “…a level far above and beyond the standard work ethic,” one nominee wrote.  He was commended for the endless hours he works one-on-one with students to give them direction in mapping out not only their educational goals, but their life goals.  He even helps students plan their schedules for their entire two years at Shoreline.  His passion for teaching and belief in his students was highlighted as was his work as chair of the Arts and VCT department.  Amstutz was also acknowledged for his role in the development of the new Associates of Fine Arts program.

Donna Wilde, director of Healthcare Information programs, received the other 2007 Faculty Excellence Award.   Wilde was commended for her tireless work as a dedicated professor.  “She is very involved with the knowledge and application of the skills her students in the Health Information Technology program take away from Shoreline Community College when they graduate.”  She was also applauded for the time and energy she puts into the clinical practicums, spending hours upon hours on the phone and visiting the off-campus sites to ensure that students receive a first-rate learning environment and are the best prepared new health information management (HIM) professionals in the state after graduation.  One nominee wrote, “I believe Donna is the foundation and essence of the superior program SCC offers in health information management.”

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Andi Tjan, Star of the Year
devotes time and energy to the beauty of the campus
The Star of the Year Award is given annually to a staff member at Shoreline Community College who demonstrates exemplary work, outstanding service to the College, cooperative spirit and initiative in maintaining a positive campus environment, and special achievements or contributions to the campus community.  This year’s award went to Andi Tjan, the College’s grounds and nursery specialist.  Tjan was selected for his outstanding dedication and work to ensure the campus grounds look beautiful. 

Some of the comments by the many people who nominated Tjan included:  “Without a doubt, Andi has brought professionalism to our gardening staff that is beyond exception.”  "His commitment to a beautiful campus is appreciated by people across campus."  A group of employees submitted a statement that "Andi exemplifies the qualities of an excellent employee, working hard improving planting sites, nurturing plants, mowing, weeding, and more."  Tjan was also recognized for working on weekends in the pouring rain. 

“It takes everyone at the College to make us successful in serving students,” said President Lambert when announcing the award.  "I congratulate Andi on his dedication and intent to bring out the beauty of our campus.  People always comment on how they enjoy walking around our gardenlike campus."

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CIP student Monica Shuman awarded first SCC honorary degree

The College awarded its first honorary associate degree to Monica Shuman at the October 24, 2007 Board of Trustee meeting.  Monica was given the recognition award for her commitment to her education and her work as an active community leader at Shoreline Community College for 11 years.

The 36 year-old Seattle resident was honored not only for her tenacity to complete her education, but for her involvement on campus.  She has served as a student senator on the College’s Student Government and started a self awareness club on campus as a way of supporting self acceptance and self confidence among our students.  Monica has been an active member of the Black Student Union and presented at the College’s MLK Day celebration the last two years.  She is a strong advocate for minority women with disabilities, sharing her personal experiences as a guest speaker at many classes on campus. 

Monica has multiple challenges resulting from a condition from birth, cerebral palsy. Monica has enlisted the support services of The Community Integration Program (CIP) a branch of the Office of Special Services on campus to help her with her daily challenges.

Rosemary Dunne, CIP program manager, says that earning a degree is a huge accomplishment.  “Monica has amazing tenacity – she doesn’t see barriers, she is an inspiration to all of us” says Dunne.   “Monica goes for her goals.  She has such strength of character and belief in herself.” 

Monica is two required classes short of an actual associate of arts degree but has accumulated enough credits for the Option B degree.  She plans to work in social services and open her own business helping troubled teens.

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Spindrift shines at annual competition
Spindrift, Shoreline Community College's award-winning art and literary magazine, placed first in the Pacific-Western region for Best College Literary Magazine in the annual Community College Humanities Association competition.  This is the third consecutive year that Spindrift has placed in the competition.  Recognition goes to the student staff - Cynthia Mullis, Hannah Olson, Jenica Sherman, Erika Rado, and Raven Gildea, as well as faculty advisors, Deborah Handrich and Christine Shafner.

Spindrift, designed, edited and produced on campus as part of the school's Visual Communications Technology Program, offers a sampling of fiction, poetry, visual art, short stories and essays by community college students, faculty, staff and community members, including local and regional artists.

The submission deadline for the 2008 edition is February 1, 2008.  For more information, please visit the web site at www.shoreline.edu/spindrift/ or call (206) 546-5864.

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Wal-Mart provides scholarship funding

Former Director of ESL/ABE/GED, Donna Miller-Parker applied for a community grant from Wal-Mart to support scholarship funds to pay the costs of the GED tests for those students who cannot afford them. Jo McEntire, the current director, was invited to a ceremony at which she gave a brief presentation to the floor associates on the need for GED programs and how the grant would help a number of families pay for the tests.  Congratulations to Donna, Jo and our GED students!  Photo: Aura Rios Erickson, student advisor; Debra Hunter, program assistant, Essential Skills, and Jo McEntire pose with the  Wal-Mart donation.

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International Programs recognized by international educators association
Last spring, Shoreline Community College was recognized by NAFSA: Association of International Educators for its strong internationalization efforts, earning a “Spotlight Mention” as part of the coveted 2007 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization.

Named for the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the Simon Award recognizes innovative and creative programs in campus internationalization.  Senator Simon was a strong advocate for international education throughout his career and believed strongly in the need for America’s future leaders to know and understand the broader world.

Selection committee members were especially impressed with Shoreline’s International Programs Advisory Committee (IPAC), a grant-awarding body consisting of faculty, staff, administrators, and a student representative.  IPAC grants support the development and teaching of short-term study abroad programs by College faculty members for Shoreline students.  The awards committee said that Shoreline’s IPAC program has the “potential for being used as a model for other campuses, as they work toward internationalization.”

Coordinated by Colleen Ferguson, assistant director of international education, Shoreline's nomination also included mention of the College's other international components, as reflected in its outstanding Study Abroad programs, international student retention efforts, eight-levels of English as a Second Language (ESL), and High School Completion Program for international students.

Shoreline was the only community college in the United States — and the only institution from the state of Washington — to be recognized by the award’s selection jury, a committee comprised of representatives from colleges and universities across the nation.

As a result of its recent recognition by NAFSA, Shoreline Community College will be featured in Internationalizing the Campus 2007: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, a publication to be distributed this fall to counselors, teachers, and other school officials around the world.

Shoreline was further recognized during a special ceremony at NAFSA’s 2007 international conference in Minneapolis.  Held in May, the week-long event attracted over 7,000 international educators from nearly 100 countries.  With more than 9,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest professional association dedicated to international education.

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A critical thinking man, Dr. Ernest Johnson
contributed by Jerry Gay

He asks his students to call him Dr. J.  This abbreviated designation seems casual and easy to remember.  However, the facts, figures and quotations that accompany his lectures are often focused on complicated thoughts explaining the esoteric relevance of life.

Dr. Ernest Johnson is 54 years old, a Capricorn and born in San Pedro, California into a family of four girls and two boys.  His father is also named Ernest and was a colonel when he retired from the US Army after 30 years of service. His mom, Shirley was in charge of the domestic front lines while his dad was away in three wars. Whenever dad was sent overseas or the family had to quickly move to another military base, there was always a disciplined team effort to change homes. Though frequent uprooting can be unsettling, most often Ernest remembers his childhood and school days as living a charmed life. >For complete story, click to the Shoreline website

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