MomentumissuE i i - wintEr 2013

SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

L e t t e r f r o m p r e s i d e n t g e h L e r

Welcome to the second issue of Momentum, Scottsdale Community College’s newsletter created by our new Office of Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement. I hope our stories of accomplishment inspire you and make you proud of YOUR community college.

This year the Maricopa County Community College District celebrates its 50th anniversary. You can view some wonderful MCC historical moments by visiting: www.celebrate.maricopa.edu/timeline.

Building on that past, today’s Maricopa leaders are shaping the district’s direction for the 21st century. Under the theme of One Maricopa, Chancellor Rufus Glasper has asked all of us to remake our ‘front door’ so students of all ages and needs have a shared and high quality experience. Referred to as the Seamless Student Experience, or SSE, the initiative requires us to reinvent the way we work, particularly in the areas of student services and technology.

Our students’ success demands that we prioritize our talent and resources, putting our best where it is needed most. For example, SCC leads the district and the nation in addressing the developmental mathematics challenges faced by today’s students. Through the Arizona Mathematics Partnership, our faculty and those of CGCC and GCC will improve the quality of math instruction delivered by Valley middle-school teachers. This is a priority for us and for Maricopa.

At SCC, we will reach these goals only through continuous improvement and reflection in every aspect of our services. To that end, every SCC work team has created a Unit Improvement Plan containing concrete written plans for achieving goals, measuring progress and aligning with SCC2020 strategic goals of Student Success, Partners in Progress and Making SCC a Great Place to Work. The process calls us to do the right thing and do it right.

Through these and many other exciting initiatives, SCC will build a greater a culture of excellence and innovation in service to our students and our communities.

Jan L. GehlerSCC President

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Momentum is published twice a year by the Office of Institutional

Advancement and Community Engagement at Scottsdale

Community College.

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WRITER & EdIToRJonathan Higuera

GRAPHIC dESIGNERMagdalena Soto

CovER PHoToFilm School Building

SCC Campus

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CoMMENTSJonathan Higuera

Jonathan.Higuera@scottsdalecc.edu480.425.6637

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STAY CoNNECTEd WITH SCCwww.scottsdalecc.edu

“It added structure to my life... and everything I learned in the classroom applied to my work everyday.”

Frank Giannotti, a 2009 graduate from Northern Arizona University’s Hotel and Restaurant

Management program, credits his experience in the Scottsdale Community College-NAU Hospitality partnership program as a major catalyst in his professional success.

Giannotti manages Kai, a five-star restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa.

“The program changed my life,” he said during an anniversary celebration of the program at SCC’s Artichoke Grill on October 2. “It added structure to my life for something I was really passionate about. And everything I learned in the classroom applies to my work everyday.”

Likewise, Lynette Loring, who graduated with her NAU degree in May, says the SCC-NAU program was invaluable in her current career as a slots manager at Talking Stick Resort. “It gave me an overall view of management, and now I am going to pursue an executive master’s degree,” she said.

For the past 17 years, Scottsdale Community College and Northern Arizona University have partnered to

help students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel and restaurant management. The program’s innovative flexibility allows students to take upper division courses offered by NAU at the SCC campus.

Students earn an Associates of Applied Science degree through SCC’s Hospitality & Tourism Management program, then complete a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from NAU, a program consistently ranked as among the best in the nation.

NAU estimates about 300 students have graduated from the partnership program, with most of those graduates going on to work in the hospitality industry.

Larry Williams, director of SCC’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program, says the partnership began in the spring semester of 1995 because many SCC students were already working in the local hospitality industry, and did not want to take two years off to finish their studies in Flagstaff. “Like any startup operation, there were a lot of questions and challenges that had to be addressed,” he recalled. “It took a strong commitment on the part of NAU and SCC to make it happen.”

SCoTTSdale CoMMuniTy College & norTHern arizona univerS iTy

Celebrate 17th AnniversaryH o S P i Ta l i T y Pa rT n e r S H i P

(from left) Former sCC Hospitality and tourism students

Frank Giannotti, Mary Abi-Ad, and Lynette Loring

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Numerous SCC alumni have made tremendous contributions both personally and professionally

after getting their start as an Artichoke. SCC nursing alumna Sandra Pattea is a prime example with her recent promotion to Rear Admiral for the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.

On October 4, Pattea received her formal promotion from Captain to Rear Admiral at the Fort McDowell Recreation Center Gymnasium.

With family, friends and former colleagues in attendance, Pattea was formally promoted to Rear Admiral in a Flag Officer Promotion ceremony. She chose to have it in Fort McDowell, Arizona, where she grew up as the daughter of Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation President Clinton Pattea and Rosiebelle Pattea, a longtime Scottsdale Community College employee who retired in 2007.

Rear Admiral Pattea graduated from SCC in 1981 with a nursing degree, becoming the first Native American to graduate from that program. She went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and nursing administration from Arizona State University.

During the ceremony, Rear Admiral Pattea thanked many people for their contributions to her career. She also cited her time at Scottsdale Community College as “where I started my career.”

Currently, Rear Admiral Pattea works in Washington, D.C. as the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs for the Indian Health Service, where she has served since July 2010. She has been an active duty member of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for 29 years.

College students face a challenge in gaining a foothold in today’s workplace. They have to stand

out from peers even beyond classroom performance. At Scottsdale Community College, creating student success requires providing them with opportunities to learn, grow and achieve in ways that promote their educational, cultural and career goals.

A prime example is SCC’s Collegiate DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter created three years ago. In a short period of time, SCC’s DECA students have distinguished themselves in national and statewide business competitions.

SCC CoLLeGiaTe DeCa STuDenTS Gain Honors,Recognition

rear Admiral photo #2: Clinton Pattea (father) and rosiebelle

Pattea (mother) place pin on daughter.

DECA faculty advisor susan sandblom and former sCC student

and DECA member tom Gúzman.

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SCC Nursing Alumna Promoted to Rear AdmiraL

FiLm SChooL DeDiCaTeS hub buiLDinG

Led by advisor Susan Sandblom, who was named a 2012 National DECA Advisor of the Year, the chapter and individual students have earned numerous honors, while gaining real-world experience.

“There is a competitive edge to business and DECA really helps get you focused and prepared for that aspect of business,” says Harmony Loy, a former SCC DECA member who is now pursuing a four-year accounting degree at Arizona State University. As an SCC DECA member, Loy finished in the top 10 nationally last year in the accounting exam category.

To date, SCC is the only Maricopa Community College with a DECA chapter. Collegiate DECA students

participate in business simulations or case studies in accounting, banking/financial services, restaurant and food service management, retail management, business ethics, international marketing, or sports and entertainment marketing.

Tom Gúzman, a 2012 SCC graduate and DECA member now majoring in marketing at Arizona State University, said his SCC DECA experience moved his learning beyond the classroom. “You learn what goes on day to day in business so you can determine the best fit for your personality, skills or goals,” he said. “On top of that, you learn to be a team player, have fun and make friends while doing it.”

dedication ceremony memorial bench Honorable Ricardo leonardHub film shoot

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On a warm, but resplendent day with huge cumulus clouds in the background, SCC celebrated the

opening of the Film School’s “Hub” Building.

The official September 13 opening attracted friends, students and other supporters. They heard remarks from SCC President Dr. Jan Gehler and witnessed a ceremonial Native blessing by Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Councilman Ricardo Leonard.

The formal part of the program was hosted by Film School Chair Anna Thorlaksdottir, who also delivered remarks about the importance of the Hub Building to the school’s goals and offered her heartfelt thanks to those who helped make the project a reality.

“The new space serves both students and faculty better,” she said. “With the extra room we now have, students

are able to work on projects during the week, instead of just on the weekends.”

Guests were able to tour the new 7,520 square foot LEED certified building and share refreshments provided by SCC. The Hub houses state-of-the-art editing rooms, classroom space with dedicated Apple computers loaded with the latest editing software, collaboration rooms and an equipment and storage area known as “The Cage.” Students can check out equipment from the Cage, which also provides ample room to properly store and account for equipment used in the program.

Guests acknowledged a beautiful menozide bench donated by Gary and Susanne Gauthier, in honor of their late daughter Tricia, a former Film School student. The Gauthiers generously contribute a $1000

scholarship every year for award to deserving Film School students.

Q: MCCCD is moving forward with the One Maricopa initiative. What does that mean for

Scottsdale Community College?

While we have some strong guidance in several district-wide initiatives, we are still working to define and describe exactly how One Maricopa looks and functions at SCC, now and in the future. We are talking about how we align with and help shape elements such as regional programs and services across the Valley, about creating centers of excellence, and aligning our college talent, facilities and budget with our highest priority services. In the coming year, with our faculty, staff and community partners, we’ll begin to paint a picture of the 21st century SCC.

Q: What impact, if any, will the Seamless Student Experience (SSE) have on SCC’s mission to

provide a student-centered environment and make student success a top goal?

When we look at our operations through a student’s eyes, we are better able to give students what they need, when and how they need it. SSE demands that our admissions and records, financial aid, and advisors adapt to new ways of doing our work. We want all students to have a single ‘sign-on’ to their virtual services, a single application to Maricopa, a single transcript, etc. Once in place and done well, the SSE benefit for college employees is a gift of time as current duplicative work declines, satisfaction levels rise, and current student frustrations dissolve. There is a better experience for employees and certainly for students once we work through the SSE forest of major changes.

Q: You’ve mentioned that SCC, along with other MCCCD schools, will be using “prioritization”

as a means to deal with the budget realities that have hit SCC and other higher ed schools. Can you offer a brief explanation of what that means?

The 21st century calls for transformative education and that calls for transformational institutions. SCC, with our

Maricopa sister colleges, will apply a new model for prioritizing programs and services, all toward two ends: To align our talent and resources with our very highest priorities and to focus our energy on that which we do best. With declining revenues from traditional sources in the foreseeable future, college personnel must be ready to create our “do more,” “do less,” and “ do no more” lists. This calls for new ways of engaging our partners to help support student scholarships, student co-curricular activities, learning support, facilities renovation, etc.

Q: What advice would you offer to SCC’s faculty and staff to help them prepare for the way SCC

and many other community colleges will operate going forward?

Everyone at SCC must engage to help shape our future. Faculty must cross the campus more often, staff must participate in student performances and events, administrators must be present and accessible. Each of us must always ask, “How does this action or decision support the success of our students?”

Q: Is the role of community colleges changing? For example, the Arizona Math Partnership

developed by SCC uses its math faculty to help train middle school math teachers to be more effective with their students. Will these types of partnerships become the norm?

This project is a perfect example, and a dramatic one, of how colleges should engage our public school partners toward the success of our students. The pathway for public school students to a good education and a satisfying career should be seamless, supported by professional educators from K-12, community colleges and universities to the world of work and engaged citizenry.

with dr. Jan Gehler

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FaCuLTy

ToTal STuDenT enroLLmenT: 10,895 31.8% Full-time 68.2% Part-time

52.3% Female 47.7% Male

81% of SCC students come from Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe. 73 international students from 31 countries

65% Faculty have master’s degrees30% Faculty have doctorate degrees

2012 By the NumbersFALLLEARN. GRoW. ACHIEvE.

average CLaSS Size: 20 students

20.7% online classes75.0% day classes38.4% evening classes

eduCaTionalpLanS

Top occupational Certificates: • nursing assisting • Culinary arts • Film Production • Bookkeeping

awarded CerTiFiCaTeS & DeGreeS: 2,120

Top occupational Degrees: • nursing • interior design • Hospitality and Tourism Management • Motion Picture/Television Production

* Students may take more than one type of class

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ScottSdale community college9000 e. chaparral RoadScottsdale, aZ 85256

The college of you.An EEO/AA institution.

use your Smartphoneto view the video.

Scottsdale Community College’s Graphic Design program has received the 2012 Frederick D. Kagy Education Award of

Excellence for “its dedication to helping students achieve rewarding careers in the graphic communications industry.”

The award, sponsored by the Printing Industries of America’s Ben Franklin Society, recognized the Graphic Design program’s team of instructors, who are industry specialists with broad experience. The courses they teach cover software instruction, design essentials, color theory and management, history of graphic design, typography, digital imagery, Web design, social media marketing, and modern prepress.

“The faculty and industry volunteers in the Graphic Design degree program have created more than a curriculum,” said Peggy Deal, SCC’s graphics program chair. “We have built a community dedicated to helping creative people succeed in rewarding careers within the graphic communications industry.”

SCC’S GraphiC DeSiGn proGram WinS KaGy aWarD

DiD you KnoW?SCC is home to several families of Burrowing Owls. At any given time, 6 to 10 pair can be found around campus. Come by, stroll the grounds and say hello to them. You also can see them digitally at http://bit.ly/XYzMeS

Peggy Deal, chair of the Graphic Design program, with the Frederick D. Kagy Education Award.