Welcome back for winter quarter 2016!

(This message from President Roberts was sent by email to all employees on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016)

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the New Year and the winter term!

As we look forward to 2016, it is appropriate to also spend a few moments looking back at the dedicated work and wonderful accomplishments that bring us to this point. Informed by our Areas of Focus, it is a truly impressive list that helps us fulfill our bold vision and mission.

Fall Term in Review
Areas of Focus 2015-2016

• Student Success
  • We continued to move forward with a strengthened approach to providing our students with the advising that we know they need to be successful. Our fall orientations were among the best-attended sessions ever hosted by the college. We created and implemented the Shoreline Early Alert (SEA) system that helps faculty and staff to identify and help those students who will benefit from an extra bit of support to keep them focused on their educational goals.
  • We brought our first cohort of Shoreline Scholars on campus. We will continue to offer this opportunity to local students because we know it impacts lives in meaningful ways. We also continued our exploration of the American Honors program and AVID for Higher Education (AHE) as ways to help more students experience the success they need. These efforts build upon and strengthen our legacy as a college known for its academic rigor and excellence, as well as our care for students.
  • As discussed at the fall college update meeting, while we can’t change the wind, we can adjust our sails. To that end, we engaged Clarus Corp. to help us understand where we have opportunities to grow student recruitment. A small group visited Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, NC, a school identified by Clarus as having a strong, results-oriented enrollment management process converting 60 percent of their applicants to enrolled students. We came away with new colleagues and a clear understanding of what Shoreline can do. We began to implement some of those lessons and will continue to hone our skills.
  • As part of the accreditation process, we hosted a Mid-Cycle Evaluation visit that reinforced our commitment to assessing student learning and gave us valuable insights. We will begin making progress on their recommendations in the months ahead. Thanks to all who worked so hard to make the visit an informative experience.
  • Our faculty continue their tradition of providing extraordinary learning experiences for our students. This fall, two faculty members received tenure and another six progressed along the path toward tenure. We thank the Board of Trustees and the tenure committees for their dedication to supporting our tenure-track faculty.

• College Infrastructure and Hiring Process
  • The new “Admin Team” is helping the college move forward in a more cohesive way with a common understanding of direction and priorities.
  • Our Board of Trustees are benefitting from a class that is just for them: Shoreline 101. With the leadership of Vice President Bob Francis, the deans, faculty, and staff, the Trustees are gaining a deeper understanding of the work that goes on at Shoreline and the impact that work has on students.
  • Given the pertinent current headlines, the college has adopted a weapons policy and set of procedures.
  • We incorporated two of our learning centers – The Math Learning Center and The Writing and Learning Center – into the 4000 Building with our library and technology center. Moving these centers was no easy task, but the effort is receiving positive feedback from students, faculty, and staff. The moves also opened up four classrooms that were renovated and expanding the college’s capacity to offer additional classes during our busiest times of the day.
  • Making the arrangements and effort for convocation and our week of learning to focus on our common work in helping students “finish what they start” was an enormous and valuable investment. That day and the rest of opening week set the tone that when we learn together in ways that help our students succeed, then we are successful.
  • After nearly a year of work and collaboration, we adopted a Community Standard Statement that is now posted across campus. That something as strong and beautiful as the Community Standard Statement could arise from intolerance and hate is a testament to the caring and resilience of Shoreline Community College. In the same vein, Title IX information is now posted around campus. The values behind the federal law are our values and we want our students and employees to know their rights and that the college is here to support them.
  • We had lots of fun, or perhaps I should say, “phun,” this fall with Phin Nation spirit days. Every first Wednesday of the month was Phin Nation Day. If you missed the faculty/staff flash mob in the square during the first week of classes, it happened again during the break at a women’s volleyball game. You never know where it might pop up again!

• Community Engagement
  • We kicked off the quarter and our 50^th year on campus with “Party Like It’s 1965.” This celebration drew hundreds of current and former students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members for a fun evening of food, music, and memories.
  • We added the leadership and experience of Mary Brueggeman as Vice President of the Office of Advancement and Executive Director for the Shoreline Community College Foundation to the college. Mary is getting her staff in place for the critical work of the Foundation and a capital fundraising campaign for a new health sciences and advanced manufacturing classroom complex. The Foundation also hosted a successful Student Success Breakfast, raising more than $41,000 and adding many new sponsors to College’s list of friends and supporters.
  • In December, we hosted a neighborhood outreach meeting. About 35 neighbors of the college attended for the discussion that was just the first of what will be an ongoing relationship focused on being good neighbors finding solutions to common areas of interest.
  • This fall, we hosted Shoreline Rotary in the PUB Main Dining Room on Wednesday mornings. In December, the Rotary made a decision to formally make our college their meeting site. We look forward to seeing them every Wednesday morning!

• Strategic Planning
  • The college continued progress toward a new strategic plan. The engagement of more than 300 of our colleagues exhibited spring term and during the session at convocation led by Tom Mesaros was an inspiring sight.
  • We refined the draft language as the result of comments received during the opening week session. The Strategic Plan Task Force and Executive Leadership Team continued discussions to ensure that the strategic plan will reflect the broadest possible input from the campus community.

And, now, looking ahead to winter term

Areas of Focus 2015-2016

• Student Success
  • With leadership from Vice President Francis, the Student Success Coordinating Committee (SSCC) and its work groups will continue to make progress in the areas of Advising, GIG (Get in Gear classes), College Success Course, and Recruitment/Enrollment.
  • We’ll review the recommendations from Clarus Corp., prioritize them, and then begin to implement those items that can quickly have a positive impact on student recruitment and retention.
  • Vice President Francis, the deans, and other members of his team are looking more closely at American Honors and AVID for Higher Education. Each program calls for thorough review, but our initial impressions are that both hold promise for students.

• College Infrastructure and the Hiring Process
  • We must find a successor to Vice President Francis and I’ve set an aggressive goal of identifying that person by the end of winter term.
  • The state’s project, ctcLink, is also coming our way. Stuart Trippel is leading the project for Shoreline. As we move this project forward, it will be important that we are as prepared as possible.
  • We will continue to refine our understanding of the new state funding allocation model. We look forward to another college update later in winter term.
  • In a collaborative effort under the leadership of Vice President Stephen Smith, Shoreline is not just complying, with Title IX requirements, but embracing the values behind the law to make sure that all of our students have the opportunity to be successful in a safe and supportive environment. With information already posted to raise awareness about Title IX and our newly adopted Community Standard Statement, during winter term we’ll see educational and training opportunities for employees and students.
  • Emergency preparedness has a growing sense of urgency. This winter, we will continue to expand the campus training and awareness of emergency procedures and then hope we never have to use our skills in a real situation.
  • More Phin Nation “phun!” On Jan. 6, the first Phin Nation spirit day of the quarter will take place from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the PUB lobby area. Just follow the music and there will be snacks and other food for those sporting Phin gear or participating in the activities, which may include skills competitions with members of our basketball teams. Look for more information at: facebook.com/ShorelineCommunityCollege/ and twitter.com/shorelinecc. Show your college spirit and come join the PHUN!

• Community Engagement and Outreach
  • Shoreline is on the state’s capital funding list for the health science and advanced manufacturing classroom complex. We are working to make sure the SBCTC capital request receives the needed funding. Paired with that, our own capital campaign feasibility study will get underway. These two efforts are closely linked and their success are tied to moving our building process forward in the 2017-19 legislative session.
  • From our successful December meeting with neighbors, we will continue the conversation over common interests, like the five-way intersections that lead to campus.

• Strategic Planning
  • We will also continue the critical work on the strategic plan that will allow us to clearly prioritize our work, including:
    • Finish the vision- and mission-alignment check
    • Continue refinement of strategic goals and objectives between the Strategic Plan Task Force and the Executive Team
    • Final discussions among the Strategic Plan Task Force, College Council, the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, and the Executive Leadership Team
    • Presentation to the campus community
    • Presentation to the Board of Trustees

An amazing list? Absolutely! Just look at what we’ve done, where we’ve come in relatively short order. I continue to be inspired by you and your dedication to our students. I know that together we can achieve our preferred future.

Wishing each of you a bright start as we begin 2016 and winter term!

Cheryl