Friday, December 3rd was the annual observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities as proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The day of observance aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life. Our Disability Resource Center honored International Day of Persons with Disabilities by hosting a session focused on captioning, an important compliance and equity initiative that we must all recognize and actively implement. Thank you to presenters Kelly Peterson and Denise Vanderstoel for facilitating the session.
The Week in Review
Campus Engagement
On Monday, I joined the Black/African American Community Advisory Council meeting. The Council is interested in evaluating quantitative and qualitative data related to Black/African American faculty, staff and students at Palomar College and has appointed a subcommittee to conduct an initial analysis of the data. Thank you to Council members, Rob Howard, Chanelle Chalhoun, Reginald Owens, Edwina Williams, and Cheryl Kearse, for joining the subcommittee. We also discussed the potential design of the new position of Chief Diversity Officer being developed at the College. The position will work directly within the President’s Office and be a liaison between various internal divisions and external organizations. The Palomar Black Faculty and Student Association (PBFSA) is finalizing their spring semester events. Once finalized, the PBFSA will invite other Black/African American community groups to join and participate. Thank you Dr. Khan for facilitating the Black/African American Advisory Council.
A special thank you to Patti Dixon for generously, and patiently, working with me this week to learn the proper pronunciation of the indigenous names in our Land Acknowledgment.
Early in the week I had a discussion with Matt Grills and Luis Guerrero regarding Spring Plenary 2022. Based on this conversation, I am excited about the upcoming event on January 27. Submissions for presentations during Plenary are being collected. Please submit your idea for a presentation using this form.
I would also like to thank Sasha Jonestein for the invitation to visit and learn about the Ceramics program. I was very impressed by the creative, and professional, approach utilized in this program. The projects generated by our students are simply amazing! This week, I had a great dialogue with World Language faculty members, Scott Nelson and Kathleen Sheahan, regarding potential future Study Abroad opportunities. Ed Sprague and I met to discuss the great work that has been happening in our Public Safety area throughout the pandemic and discussed the potential areas of need and growth with all of our first responder programs. I spent part of the day on Friday, touring our Escondido Education Center. Thank you Tom Medel for your hospitality, sharing the important features of the Center, and exploring opportunities to further engage our current and future students in the surrounding Escondido area. With all of these meetings, I really appreciate the opportunity to continue learning about our fantastic programs, discussing the challenges faced, and exploring ideas to better serve our students.
I hope you were able to check out CHAINGE REACTION: Short Plays from the Climate. It was another remarkable performance directed by Michael Mufson. This unique performance was in participation with theatres all over the globe, creating an engaging and energizing performance experience featuring selections from the 50 international plays chosen for this year’s action. I am always impressed with the work of our performing arts department and this performance was no exception. After the Sunday matinee performance I attended, I am most definitely moved to see how Palomar College can support a more ecologically sustainable agenda.
The Office of Student Life & Leadership (SLL) is hosting an event in the Student Union Quad on Thursday, December 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to acknowledge World Human Rights Day. In celebration of this day a local non-profit organization, Humanity Showers, will be on-site to serve students. Other activities include a Farmer’s Market, the distribution of Basic Needs supplies, Comet’s Closet services (inclusive of a fashion show by students in the Fashion department), Cal Fresh services, Health Services, Disability Resource Center services, and Pride Center services. Additionally, from now through December 16, SLL will be collecting donations for the Warm Their Soles This Holiday Season sock drive. We encourage all students, staff, and faculty to come out and support this event and drop off donations of new socks. Bins are located in the LRC, Student Union, SU- 201, and in the Cabinet Furniture and Technology area. Thank you Sherry Titus, Pippa Pierce, and Kimberly Rocca for this student-centered event and charitable giving opportunity!
Over the Thanksgiving break, I was able to attend the women’s basketball Comet Crossover and the men’s basketball 16th Annual Thanksgiving tournament. Both events showcased the talented student athletes we have at Palomar. I was also impressed by the demonstrated commitment of our athletics department personnel who were hard at work during the holiday break in order to provide our students with competition opportunities. Also in athletic news, although I was unable to attend the 2021 Chick-fil-A Winter-Festi Bowl on Saturday in person, I was able to participate virtually. Over 100 other streamers were able to support our football team and witnessed our definitive win against Santa Barbara City College. The festivities featured a half-time raffle chance to kick a short field goal and win a year’s worth of meals from the popular food chain. Thank you, Dan Lynds, and the entire football staff for all the hard work leading up to the bowl championship!
COVID-19 Meeting
This week the focus has been around the omicron variant and its potential impact going forward. If there is one thing that we can be certain of during this pandemic, it is the need for all of us to remain vigilant about our health and display a commitment to keeping each other safe. As we’ve been doing throughout the pandemic, we will continue to pivot as necessary. I am appreciative of the EOC and CRAT for their continued focus and dedication. All the work they are doing is in addition to their regular assigned responsibilities. I am also grateful that we continue to have over 100 attendees at our Weekly COVID-19 Return to Campus and COVID-19 Update Meetings. If you missed the meeting, you can view the recording here.
Accreditation
Thank you to all who joined us on Thursday for the All-Campus Accreditation Forum. We had more than 125 people attend! We focused on our new governance structure and its alignment with our accreditation standards. If you were unable to attend, you can review the recording. Our final forum will be held on February 9th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and we will review the details of our upcoming virtual accreditation site visit that begins on February 29th. This week we received notification that the President of ACCJC, Dr. Stephanie Droker is leaving the commission to serve as interim deputy chancellor for the Peralta Community College District. Dr. Droker was Palomar’s accreditation liaison. ACCJC will identify a new liaison for the College over the next few weeks. The liaison will participate in our upcoming visit by providing guidance and support to the visiting team, and to help ensure consistency in peer reviews. We wish Dr. Droker well in her new role, and we look forward to meeting our new liaison!
Comets of the Week
This week’s comets of the week are the Palomar College Foundation Team, under the leadership of Executive Director Stacy Rungaitis, for raising over $78,500 during our Giving Tuesday campaign. These funds will assist hundreds of our students with scholarships, textbooks, and emergency grants. Congratulations Foundation Team!
Have a great upcoming week. Go Comets!
For pictures of the various events, follow:
Twitter: @palomardrstar
Instagram: @palomardrstar
