Opening Days for 2010
September 15, 2010
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the opening of fall quarter. I trust that those of you who managed a vacation break during the summer have come back rested and ready for a good year. The students have been enrolling in record numbers, and you can anticipate the usual crush of waitlisted students at your first class. I counsel patience and humor, in large doses, during next week.
We start tomorrow, Thursday, with District Opening Day: 8 a.m. outside the Flint Center for breakfast. The formal session starts at 9 a.m., with a "State of the District" talk by our new Chancellor, Linda Thor. Then we have a panel on accreditation, and breakout sessions following that.
Thursday afternoon we return to our divisions and departments for business and organizational matters. Your own division will have already sent you the particulars.
On Friday morning we have our own campus Opening Day, again starting at 8 a.m., with breakfast on the Campus Center patio. Our program starts at 9 and will last until 11:30 (see below for an outline). The afternoon, from 1 to 4:30, will be devoted to division and departmental work on Student Learning Outcomes and Student Services Learning Outcomes assessment.
The Friday afternoon work is essential for both our accreditation process and the substantive work of advancing our own understanding of what we hope for our students. We are in the debt of the Academic Senate and Classified Senate leadership for their support and guidance through this process.
I will write later regarding the state budget, and how we will approach the continuing dilemma of our own budget. You will hear an update tomorrow on the district budget, just approved by the board of trustees on Monday (www.deanza.edu/budgetinfo/announcements/News09_15_10.html).
And, as you may know, in light of the continuing inability -- or unwillingness -- of the state to adequately fund community colleges, the board has authorized a parcel tax this November. Information on the Foothill-De Anza Educational Opportunity and Job Training Measure may be found at www.fhda.edu/stories/storyReader$260.
Again, welcome back. We deeply appreciate the incredible work of our custodial and grounds staff -- overworked and understaffed as they are -- in preparing the campus for our students. Take a moment, each of you, to thank our colleagues who have labored so hard to maintain the beauty of the college.
Sincerely,
Brian Murphy
8 a.m. Continental breakfast, Campus Center Patio
9 a.m. Program, Campus Center Dining Area
Welcome/Introductions/Updates
Sneak Preview: College website front-page refresh
SLO/SSLO Assessment: Framing Today's Work
11:30 a.m. Lunch on your own
1-4:30 p.m. SLO/SSLO Assessment Workshops