Welcome to Spring 2015! I do hope that you enjoyed some time away and have come back refreshed and energized. It is my hope to re-institute the “Best of Division” reports after the brief hiatus of the past semester.
Ours is a life of service to others — to our students and our community, and I continue to be in awe of the work that we do here. Our first couple of weeks with our new students will be about welcoming, directing, and inspiring them in ways that sets the tone for a wonderful semester ahead. Enjoy!
A little catching up…
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our end-of-the-semester potluck at the end of last semester. It was fun taking a few moments to slow down and catch up. One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about being all together in our building is watching our faculty and staff make new connections and forge new collaborations that cross disciplines in ways that would be unlikely to happen otherwise. I’ll post a few pictures from the gathering (once I figure out how to get them from my phone to this word press page!).
We’re in our 2nd full semester of being in our new building, and things are hopping — though I’ve noticed far fewer students getting lost. The start of this semester has been much calmer than was the start of the fall semester, and that is due in part, I believe, to our having settled in a bit. We’re still working on tying up a few loose ends related to the completion of the building. A couple of our departments have requested an extra table at the front of classrooms as well as podiums, and those should be coming in soon; we’ll have a few large tackboards placed in the hallways as well. I had hoped that our signage would be in place before the start If there are any issues with equipment in your classroom, please let your department ADA know; she will know whether to contact the division office or facilities for assistance.
As you may have heard, enrollments are down at community colleges, not only here at Palomar College, but countywide and statewide as well. Much thanks to the department chairs for their work before and after winter break in meeting with me to discuss low-enrolled classes: which to hold onto a little longer, which to cancel in the hopes that others would fill, and so on. Thank you too to all who took the time to contact students who were in classes that were cancelled or who were on waitlists to help them find open classes that would fit their schedules. There is no-one-size-fits-all strategy for anticipating and responding to serving the needs of our students as best as possible, but I believe that we’ve managed to arrive at a solid schedule.
A little good news from our division last semester — our speech team, one of the largest in recent Palomar history, has performed quite well in its many tournaments, consistently placing across a wide range of events. Drop by the bulletin board at H-201P so that you can enjoy all our semester’s wins! If you haven’t noticed the trophy display at the center of the 2nd floor, take a moment to check it out.
This semester will be a semester of change across our campus, as many retirements are announced and hiring of new staff, faculty, and administrators begins. I am very excited for the promise of new possibilities that will unfold, while at the same time saddened to see long-time colleagues (full-time & part-time; faculty, staff, and administrators) leave. The legacies that are left and the energy and vision that are brought all weave together to strengthen our college and support us as we endeavor to build upon and celebrate the finest of who we are.
As always, you are welcome to seek me out (H-206, ssivert@palomar.edu, x2251), whether to say hi, to discuss an issue of importance to you, or to offer suggestions. I look forward to solidifying connections and to creating new ones as well.
Warm regards,
Shayla
Shayla Sivert
Dean, Languages & Literature
