The defacing of three posters for the Muslim Student Association at Shoreline Community College is reinforcing the drive for a campus-wide effort on respect and support for everyone on campus.

“It is our core value that everyone who comes to this campus feels respected and supported,” President Cheryl Roberts said. “Shoreline is committed to equity, inclusion and respect for the rights of all persons. When one of us is diminished at our college, we are all diminished. As a college, we respect each individual. This value speaks to the character of our college and gets to the heart of who we are.”

The defaced posters were discovered by students and reported to campus officials on Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. The Muslim Student Association is a student body association-sponsored club with a faculty advisor.

In November, 2014, several posters the Queer Film Festival were defaced. The event was hosted by Project Pride, a student body association-sponsored club. Roberts quickly drew together college officials, faculty and students who then convened public discussion event. Roberts has said that campus engagement must continue.

“This conversation is a step in the process that can bring us to a community standard around respect and support, a common language and experience that we share,” Roberts said.

Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Bob Francis said the Muslim Student Association incidents come as that campus conversation is about to begin.

“This does bring urgency to our work to organize a work team to address the campus environment that came out of the last poster defacement,” Francis said. “We must intentionally create an atmosphere of respect within difference where all feel that they can pursue their education in a safe learning environment.”

Roberts is scheduling a work team to address these issues and design an approach that supports community learning around these important values of diversity and inclusiveness.

The Professional Automotive training Center at Shoreline Community College.

The Professional Automotive Training Center at Shoreline Community College may be getting a new name. Maybe not all new, but at least longer.

“The Center and our programs are focused on serving new-car dealers and their manufacturers,” said Michael Boehm, Director of Dealer Services and Manufacturer Relations, said. “Our advisory group for the Center has requested adding the words ‘-Dealer Training Academy” to the existing name of ‘Professional Automotive Training Center.’”

The addition would make the full name: “Professional Automotive Training Center -Dealer Training Academy.”

The Center houses the premier automotive technician training program in the U.S. and pioneered the model that ties together manufacturer-based training, dealership employment and two-year college degrees.

“The Center and its industry partners originated this innovative model that integrates education with hands-on workplace experience,” Boehm said.

Every student in one of the four manufacturer-focused programs is sponsored by a local automobile dealership. Students are in a cycle of one quarter at the college followed by one quarter working at the dealership throughout the two-year program. Students can graduate with a two-year Applied Associate in Arts and Sciences degree as well as numerous manufacturer-specific training certificates.

As with all professional-technical programs at Shoreline, the Center operates with the advice of an industry-based committee. On June 11, 2014, members of that committee proposed an addition to the name of the building to better align with the focus of the Center and the automotive programs by adding “– Dealer Training Academy” to the name of the Center.

At a second meeting of the committee on Sept. 9^, 2014, it was unanimously agreed to request that Shoreline Community College proceed with the process of adding “-Dealer Training Academy” to the Center’s name.

On Oct. 7 and again on Dec. 2, the College Council discussed the name-change request and in accordance with Policy 3802, Naming of Campus Facilities, approved a balloting period on the issue from Jan. 12-19.

The balloting will be Web-based and distributed by e-mail to all current students and employees. Results of the balloting will be tallied on Jan. 20 and reported to College Council at its regular meeting on Jan. 20. At that meeting, the Council will make a recommendation that reflects the ballot results to President Cheryl Roberts. Roberts may then decide to bring the ballot results and recommendation for consideration and potential adoption by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 21 meeting.

“We’re hopeful that the campus community will be supportive of this change that is intended to recognize the tremendous support from our dealer partners for students and our communities,” Boehm said.