News from the Front: Dr. Mary Kay Kickels weekly newletter to PVCC employees
 
Campus News  |  Faculty & Staff News
 
In This Issue … September 1, 2006
Welcome Week a resounding successCPA to host watercolor exhibit, French film festival, Phoenix Bach ChoirProject Ayuda receives grant continuationDistrict launches Student Affairs BlogExtraordinary efforts stabilize enrollment
 
Campus News
 
Thank you for making Welcome Week a resounding success
The first weeks of the fall semester are always an exciting time at PVCC. Thanks to Stella Napoles and her group in Admissions & Records for all of their hard work. The Academic Advisement Center and Office of Student Financial Assistance counseled many of those students. Maggie Cullop, Jo Ann Caufield and their teams put in numerous hours to ensure that students would have a successful experience at PVCC. Amber West Martin and her team of employees and student workers in Student Development did a phenomenal job of escorting 500 new students through the Passport to Paradise orientation. And Heather Kruse, her staff in the Student Life Center, and a legion of faculty and staff volunteers provided friendly faces at the Welcome Week tents.

A warm thank you to everyone who made our students feel at home by holding open a door, providing directions or just sharing a smile during Welcome Week. Each and every one of you is critical to the process of making connections with our students.

Facilities Services swings into action after storm
The first week of classes brought not only a barrage of students, but also a deluge of rain! Students, staff and faculty adjusted quickly to changes in room assignments after the Computer Commons, several classrooms in the E building and the Computer Open Lab suffered water damage due to the severe rainstorm on Thursday, August 24. David Matus and his team in Facilities Services were quick to swing into action to arrange repairs, which are well underway.

Center for the Performing Arts to host September events
Take a moment out of your busy schedules to visit the Center for the Performing Arts next week for a watercolor exhibition by PVCC adjunct faculty member and children’s book illustrator Wendy Hill. The show, which opens with a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. September 6, will run through September 24. That same night, the annual Film Festival at PVCC – this year featuring French cinema – will get underway with The Chorus (Les Choristes) at 6:30 p.m. The Phoenix Bach Choir will make a special appearance on the fifth anniversary of 9/11/01 at 7:30 p.m. with a concert entitled Songs of Remembrance.

Cingular kicks off program to benefit campus
PVCC will launch a fund-raising program through a new partnership with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation and cellular phone vendor, Cingular.  The program will be introduced at the "Vendor Fair" hosted by Student Life September 5, 6 and 7. More information on this program will be forthcoming from the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Mata Ortiz artists visit PVCC
Tuesday, the college was privileged to have as its guests Lucy Mora and Lorenzo Bugarini, who demonstrated the pottery-making techniques used in the Mexican village of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico. The exhibit was sponsored by the PVCC Center for International Studies and the Fine & Performing Arts Division.

Faculty & Staff News
 
PVCC's Project Ayuda receives continuation of grant through 2008
Congratulations to Paula Vaughn and the Service-Learning group. The Corporation for National and Community Service approved the AmeriCorps National Education Awards Program continuation grant for our Project Ayuda through 2008. AmeriCorps provides students of all ages and backgrounds with education awards in exchange for community service.

District launches new Student Affairs Blog
Maricopa Community Colleges this week launched a Student Affairs Blog at http://www.maricopa.edu/studentaffairs/blog/. The blog – aimed at faculty and staff, not students – currently is highlighting: Defining Student Success at Community Colleges, Developing and Assessing Student Learning Outcomes for Student Affairs, and Moving Ideas into Action at the Student Success Conference.

Extraordinary efforts stabilize enrollment

As of August 30, our enrollment is 8,774 (+.47%). There are a number of late start classes that will somewhat increase our enrollment. Like PVCC, many of the Maricopa colleges are experiencing shifts in enrollment for a number of reasons. However, we are pleased with the extraordinary efforts of our division chairs, faculty, departments and student affairs staff who helped to stabilize our fall enrollments. Additionally, I appreciate the support and understanding of so many people on our campus who are addressing the impact of the enrollment decline on our college budgets. 

Our campus will be closed Monday, September 3, in honor of Labor Day. Have a safe and pleasant holiday!

Dr. Mary Kay Kickels
President

Do you have an interesting program, or outstanding accomplishment or student to highlight?
If so, e-mail the News Desk at news@pvmail.maricopa.edu.

A publication of the Paradise Valley Community College Office of the President
2006 © Maricopa County Community College District
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