President Schilling’s Board Report for November 27, 2018
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.
Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
on November 27, 2018
The college is busy completing all of the end of the semester activities, getting ready to celebrate the holidays as well as looking around at one another asking “where did this fall semester go?” It has truly been an eventful and productive semester. Here are some updates:
Enrollment: Our spring enrollment has just begun and we are currently seeing a great bump in enrollment as compared to 2017. Of course, it is too early to tell if this will last, but we are optimistic that we are off to a positive spring.
Campus News
Our Cypress College Flying Team placed first in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Region II Safecon competition hosted by Embry-Riddle Aero University in Prescott, Arizona, this past weekend. Cypress College placed first overall for two-year colleges for the first time since 1978, scoring a 74. The runner up (Mt. SAC) scored a 42. It wasn’t even close! We are proud of our students, faculty member Edilberto Valdez, and Dean, Kathleen Reiland. Congratulations!
As we approach the holidays, the college is stepping up its initiatives to assist students and their families. We are #CYProud that employees want to assist our students and recognize that hunger issues affect performance in the classroom. Some of the recent Hunger Initiatives in process are the following:
- Golden State Water, our community partner and Foundation supporter donated 50 turkeys to our Associated Students Thanksgiving baskets. In recent years the campus has donated all the trimmings (dessert, canned goods, stuffing, etc.) and AS has purchased the turkeys. This year, with the generosity of GSW, all the baskets were provided through donations and we were able to provide full dinners for 50 students, families and veterans.
- Donate a meal initiative – the college has undertaken a project to get over 50 local restaurants to donate $5 meal vouchers for our students. We estimate that we have over 300 students who could benefit from a meal-a-day plan and are trying to find ways to address this. This initiative is in its early stages and all donations will go through our Foundation. If you would like to help us identify and recruit restaurants who might donate, you can contact our Foundation or Dr. Schilling.
- Our Associated Students hosted the annual Friendsgiving event with a turkey dinner for all students on campus, November 21, while also providing a pick-up to all students receiving the Thanksgiving baskets. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
- The college is participating in fundraising for our sister college, Butte College, who has, to date, over 130 employees who have lost their homes in the Camp Fire. Donations can be made on the Cypress College websites to the Butte College GoFundMe account.
- Our Foundation is participating in the Giving Tuesday promotion on November 27. Our Foundation is encouraging all staff to participate in this annual event, as a way to encourage others to give to our Foundation and raise funds for scholarships. If interested in giving, please visit www.cypresscollege.edu/about/foundation.
- On November 30, from 6-8 p.m. in CCCPLX-414, the Business Department will host its popular Shark Tank featuring Cypress College students competing against our high school dual enrollment students. Cypress College student entrepreneurs will compete in the finals in this event modeled after the popular “Shark Tank” TV show. Guest judges and faculty will assess the entrants and their projects. Please join us for a lively evening.
Join us for our Holiday Fine Arts events!
- Celebration of Dance: The Cypress College Dance Department presents its end-of-semester dance concert. November 29-December 1 at 7 p.m. and on December 2 at 4 p.m.
- Vocal Chorale and Jazz Concert performs timeless jazz and holiday favorites on December 7 at 7 p.m. in the Music Concert Hall.
- Triple Threat Week – join us on December 3 for the Choreographers Showcase and December 5 for the Musical Theatre Revue -both in the Campus Studio Theater.
End of year highlights
- Please join us for the President’s Holiday Party, which will be held in the Theater Lobby on December 5 from 12:30 – 2 p.m. This year we will be hosting lunch, funded by Schools First, games, music by Gary Gopar and his student jazz ensemble and, for all employees who bring a contribution for our Food Pantry, they will be entered in a raffle for gift baskets, gift cards, and other prizes.
- Our annual EOPS Adopt A Family holiday party will be held on December 12 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. in the Theater Lobby. Every year the campus community adopts families involved in our EOPS/CARE programs, to provide a joyous Christmas celebration. We thank the campus community for their generosity to these students and their children.
- Kwanzaa Celebration will be held on November 29 from 6-9 p.m. in CCCPLX-414. Come learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa with the Cypress College Legacy Program. This fun, interactive event aims to help students, faculty, and other guests learn about the history of Kwanzaa and what it celebrates.
Our Women’s Volleyball team is in the Playoffs! Our Lady Chargers beat San Diego City College on November 20 and if they win on Saturday, they will play Long Beach City College on November 27, at 6 p.m.
Cypress will be sending a team of 12 faculty, staff, and students to the IEPI workshop on Guided Pathways, hosted by the Chancellors Office. The college is making great strides on our Guided Pathways work and look forward to sharing ideas with other colleges and each other.
New Personnel: Cypress College is excited to welcome new personnel, pending board approval: Liz Arcos-Realpe will be our new facilities scheduler, replacing retiree Betty Germanero in this important role. Juan Carlos Rodriguez will be our new M&O Custodial Manager, Ty Volcy, the Presidents Executive Assistant III, will be taking the Interim position of Manager, LEAP program at NOCE. Taking the position of Interim Executive Assistant III will be Karen Joy, currently our Administrative Assistant for Student Support Services. Welcome to all these excellent employees!
The Cypress Chronicle is back! The student-run Cypress Chronicle newspaper is back in print after a more than three-year hiatus. Journalism Program Chair Michael Coronado, a decorated journalist and news editor, has worked to rebuild the program and advises students in the journalism class. The first edition was extremely well done. Congratulations Michael and our student journalists!
Our Student Trustee election was held on November 21. We are looking forward to finally having a representative for Cypress on the dais for our December board meeting.
Community Events
- The Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony will be held on December 1, featuring choral, symphonic, and contemporary music in a celebration of the season. We appreciate the many ways Disney supports our colleges and our students.
- The Americana kickoff was held on November 8 at the Park Avenue Grill in Stanton, and featured the introduction of our Americana Citizens of the Year, and our Woman of the Year, Jill Bolton, former vice president at Disneyland Resorts. New Executive Director Howard Kummerman presided over the event, along with our Foundation Board members, and past Americana honorees. Thank you to Trustee Barbara Dunsheath, and Cheryl Marshall for attending.
- On November 15, Howard Kummerman and Dr. Schilling attended the Buena Park Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, featuring keynote speaker, former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee.
- Paul DeDios and Dr. Schilling hosted the Garden Grove Chamber Board for a luncheon at the Cypress Bistro on November 15. We were so proud of Lisa Clark and Jeremy Peters who oversee our Hospitality Management Program, our students and staff for their impeccable work and for proving the quality of the Cypress Culinary Arts Program.
- On November 20, Dr. Schilling presented at the Cypress Rotary Club on the hunger and housing issues facing Cypress College students, with the goal of enlisting their help in addressing these serious community issues. Thank you to Chancellor Marshall for attending!
- Thank you, too, to Dr. Marshall for her Coffee with the Chancellor event, held on November 20.
That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!