Dr. Sharon L. Blackman
Classes are in session, students have been greeted with the “official” Welcome Back Party, student government elections are underway, and many students have had their first test. The 2007-08 academic year has begun! As of our official census date, what we often call “cert. Date,” we had 10,311 students with approximately 1.6 million contact hours. Thank you, to all who helped with enrollment and registration activities this semester and a “BIG THANK YOU” to the staff in the Advising, Financial Aid, Admissions, Business Services, Multicultural Center and Instructional Support and Outreach offices. We appreciate all that you do to help students with their enrollment process and to fill classes that allow our faculty members to share their knowledge by helping our students pursue their dreams.
Although we were not successful with our re-zoning request, we are continuing with our bond program. Working closely with the city of Farmers Branch Planning Office, the college produced a facility master plan that showed plans of the college that included a Marsh Lane entrance, a straightening of the Valley View entrance, a possible Valley View Lane and Alpha Road entrance, and digital marquee signs at the entrances. The plan also showed new buildings for science and allied health, workforce and continuing education and music, plus the expansion for automotive technology. It also showed the planned parking area on the north as part of the Science and Allied Health Building project and future parking expansions relocating the soccer fields to round out the southern parking lots. The re-zoning request was to our zoning from a residential area to a commercial one. The City Council heard from several members of the Wooded Creek subdivision who objected mainly due to the Marsh Lane entrance request. Traffic studies, conducted by both the college and the city, indicate a need to alleviate the congestion at the Marsh and Valley View intersection. The Marsh Lane entrance would help this congestion.
Since the Sept. 4 Farmers Branch City Council meeting, we have resubmitted to the Planning Office the building permit only for the Science and Allied Health Building project. It will be on the Oct. 8 Farmers Branch Planning and Zoning meeting agenda and will then move to the Oct. 16 or Nov. 6 council meeting agenda. We also have met with the Farmers Branch Planning Office director and the assistant city manager to discuss the re-zoning request. We will continue to pursue the re-zoning request, but it will not be tied to any of the building-permit requests.
While we are on the subject of bond programs, yesterday Monica Taliaferro and I met with North Lake College President Herlinda Glassock and Janis Browning, North Lake’s marketing and public information director, to discuss possible joint marketing efforts. As you know when North Lake’s North Campus is built in 2009 it will be next to our top enrollment area: zip code 75006. We share all but one zip code with three of our sister colleges. Many of you who live in some of these shared zip codes with North Lake have indicated your surprise as North Lake’s increased marketing efforts this year. To address this issue and to keep some of the students in our top zip code selecting Brookhaven as their first choice, we have begun conversations with North Lake to see how we might collaborate with joint marketing efforts. One item we discussed was highlighting some of each college’s unique programs. We will continue these conversations and hope to have a pilot advertising piece for spring registration. We will keep you posted.
This will be our third year with the grant program Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count. This grant has allowed us to review processes and methods that affect the success of our students. As a member of the first-round colleges in this initiative, we are part of the evaluation process for the grant. Last year MDC sent on-site evaluators who spoke with those who were heavily involved with the grant and those who had minimal involvement. This year the evaluation is being conducted by the Community College Research Center, CCRC, Institute on Education and the Economy, Teachers College, Columbia University. Approximately 6,000 faculty members and administrators in 39 community colleges have been invited to participate in this evaluation. You may have received an e-mail asking you to complete an online survey that takes approximately 15 minutes. I urge you to take time to provide your feedback.
The Human and Organizational Development Office staff members have begun the implementation of the office’s master plan that includes staff development. The newly revised Basic Leadership Program had a reception for the 30-plus district participants Sept. 7. The three participants from Brookhaven College are Jean Kaplan, Joe Monroy and Ricky Reeves. We wish the best to the Basic Leadership DCCCD Class of 2008 participants, as we understand they will have a very arduous program.
A new academic year means it is time for a new beginning with our Wellness Program. All employees are eligible to participate. Many will begin with the free health screening that begins this week. It is not too late to contact Mildred Kelley, college nurse, should you wish to participate in the screening. In addition, look for e-mails that will alert you to the availability of the college’s fitness center.
On Friday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m.-noon, in the gymnasium, we will have our second appreciative inquiry meeting, AI Summit – II: Visioning. All employees are asked to attend. The Visioning Committee has done good work, but needs your input on the college’s “Visioning Statement.” All core services, such as student services will have a skeleton operation that morning. All supervisors will work with their vice presidents on employee conflicts in order to ensure maximum attendance. We need your participation with our vision for the college.
Until the next edition, may you continue to build bridges for our students and our community.
