The payroll implementation project is progressing.  There have been numerous meetings that include all the stakeholders, instruction, enrollment services, payroll office, business office and human resources office.  This project is very extensive and touches a variety of departments that have an active role in the success of the project.  Meetings will continue throughout the year with a live date in January 2009.  We will keep you posted.

A Board of Trustees meeting was added to the calendar, so take a look at that. Additionally, we received word earlier this month that Ms. Elizabeth Lyles, former member of the West Hills Community College District Board of Trustees and first female trustee for the district, has passed away.  We are awaiting news on the details for her funeral service.  Flags at the colleges will be flown at half mast in her honor.

In March , Vanessa Carroll, CSEA West Hills Community College Chapter 429 member, lost her home and all her possessions in an apartment fire.

Thanks to the CSEA Dorothy Bjork Assistance Fund, CSEA was able to present Vanessa with a check for $1,000 to help cover some of her emergency costs.

Everyone knows CSEA takes care of its members on the job, but CSEA also lends a helping hand in times of crisis!

The Dorothy Bjork Assistance Fund provides financial relief to members in need. The Assistance Fund, which subsists solely on the generous donations of CSEA members, is disbursed through three different programs: the Disaster Assistance Program, the Emergency Assistance Program and the Humanitarian Assistance Program.

The CSEA Policy 1010 Emergency Assistance Program provides emergency relief to a CSEA member who suffers a personal tragedy that results in their home being uninhabitable. The emergency assistance is to help the member cover immediate costs of food and housing.

Vanessa was truly grateful for the generous assistance from her CSEA family! And, Vanessa also made it known that whenever CSEA needs a volunteer in the future, she'll be there!!!

Additionally, Vanessa will be give $150 in gift cards to Save Mart, Kmart and Fastrip that was raised at the last West Hills CSEA chapter meeting.

In the photo, Vanessa is being presented a $1,000 emergency assistance check by CSEA Member Benefits Secretary II Fabian Ortiz.

Last month was a busy month for the West Hills College Faculty Association. Representatives attended the CCA State Presidents’ Meeting in Burlingame on March 8 for updates on the state budget and current legislation on the Proposition 98 split and the 50% law as well as the projected property tax shortfall. Additionally, Association representatives have attended college and district governance meetings and reviewed board policies and administrative procedures.

 

In April, Association members will travel to Anaheim for the Spring CCA Conference which will focus on membership and the recognition of outstanding CCA members.

April is now the official Financial Aid Awareness Month and the financial aid department has planned an “I Can Afford College” campus event scheduled for, Wednesday, April 9th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m., at the Lemoore campus and Wednesday, April 30th, at the Coalinga campus.   We will be having a B.B.Q. for our students, while providing information to the campus community and one-on-one help to work through the process and discovering financial aid opportunities.  Please feel free to stop by our table and offer support.

On Monday, May 12, the West Hills Community College Foundation will be hosting its 12th Annual Golf Tournament at Kings Country Club in Hanford.  Proceeds will benefit the West Hills College President’s Scholars Program, which to date has provided over $280,000 in funding to more than 270 West Hills College students.

 

Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. and the entry fee includes green fees, cart, lunch, dinner and the Clinic with Tommy Masters.  Every golfer will receive a warm-up suit and sleeve of balls with the WHCCF logo plus more.

 

To register or become a sponsor, please contact Monica Santino at 934-2124 or Cathi Rayford at 934-2127.

Three new job training grants:

• $845,000 from the Fresno County Workforce Adult/Dislocated Worker Program that will be used over the next four or five years to train workers in high-demand careers including psychiatric technician, registered nurse and maintenance mechanics.  The grant stipulates that 25 veterans and 25 parolees be included in the pool of people to be trained.
• $350,000 from the California Community Colleges Systems Office to create and offer a series of three week long workshops during the next two years for about 300 people.  The workshops will teach the operation of three dimensional blade and bucket heavy equipment (3D-MC) that is being employed by construction companies to meet increasing air quality standards.  West Hills will partner with Topcon Positioning, a supplier of 3D-MC, to create training courses for employees and customers alike with the grant money.
• $500,000 over two years from the CCC Systems Office as part of the Workforce Development Program to train workers for high wage, high growth skills in agri-business including manufacturing and distribution logistics as well as the newly emerging technology requiring solar technicians.  Clean Tech America is contracted with PG&E to start a 40-acre solar energy “farm” in Mendota and has requested the college provide solar technician training.  The college will develop that training as part of the grant as well as four electrical classes.  A 2006 Employment Gap Study indicated that there is a shortage of industrial electricians, truck drivers, forklift operators and industrial maintenance mechanics.  Training is also planned for those careers. 

The ladies of the HR department (l to r) Jana, Melissa, Nancy and Marissa.

The new complex password procedure has been implemented.  Employees will now be required to change their network/email password every 180 days.  The new passwords must meet complexity requirements.

 

The portal implementation project is just about ready to start.  Meetings and discussions will be occurring in April and May to help define our expectations and goals.  Our goal is to implement the portal prior to Fall semester beginning.

 

Marketing has joined the rest of the district is looking for cost-cutting measures to help get us through the state budget crisis.  Class schedules are one of the biggest items in our budget so we will be limiting our printing of the schedules and encouraging people to apply and register through a saturation mailing of postcards to all homes in our service area. 

 

Class schedules will be printed by duplicating and will be available for purchase for a nominal fee in the bookstores or can be ordered by programs from duplicating using the normal charge-back system...  Students and staff will also be able to download and print a PDF version from the website.  This measure will allow us to cut over $30,000 from our budget—just for this semester.

 

Speaking of cost savings, at a conference recently, I realized that many colleges are still doing the hand labeling and sorting of mail to students—or even using first class mail.    Some time ago, we determined that it is more cost effective to use a mail house to send mail when as few as 700 pieces are being sent.  Much of the mail we send can go for as little at 10 or 11 cents per copy.  If you have questions on how to do this, please contact Frances for details.

 

 

As always, there is much happening in marketing.  Felicia has been representing us at meetings of the all-class reunion committee.  Ed and I are looking forward to a wonderful day of catching up with new and old friends.  We’re hoping that many of his WHCC classmates from the 1960s will be here. 

 

I’ve been busy working with our ad agency to conduct focus groups around the service area to test our advertising messages and get a sense of what folks are thinking about West Hills and wanting from us.  We have visited Lemoore, Hanford, Firebaugh, Mendota and Avenal high schools and a community group in San Joaquin that was arranged through the child development centers.  These sessions have given us much food for thought.  As a result of the groups, we have redirected some of our radio advertising dollars to country stations.  About one-third of the high school students at all the schools report listening to country!  In the past, we had been selectively buying on those stations—mostly for our ag program.

 

If you haven’t already, you should soon receive a copy of Dialogue in the mail at home if you live in the service area.  If you live outside the area, pick up a copy in the libraries or administration buildings.  There are stories on the new RN program, the school facilities improvement district planned in the North District Center area, a feature on workforce programs, a profile on one of our students who started education in special day classes and a couple of great pictures from the NDC disaster drill.

 

Our next issue of Dialogue will feature graduation stories.  Please forward suggestions for potential interviews to francessquire@westhillscollege.com.  I really count on hearing from all of you who work closely with students to tell me about good stories.

Please join me in welcoming Priscilla Balcazar as our new research assistant. Priscilla comes from WHCL Student Services and has been working for WHCCD for over 17 years.  The research assistant position is being funded from a vocational/categorical grant. She will be providing assistance to our grants office and categorical programs with data gathering and reporting.

 

During the past month the Office of Institutional Effectiveness has been working on the following projects:

• Educational Master Plans
• Cal-Pass data sharing implementation with local school districts
• Online Student Orientation
• Student Retention Survey
• WHCL Matriculation Report
• CA Chancellor’s Office Accountability Report Self-Assessment
• Preparing the Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
• Instructional program review reports
• Providing ad-hoc reports