Campus Digest Magazine

Campus
Digest
Vol. I Edition 3
A Merced College News Magazine
Being Ethical With a recommendation from the
College Council, and after campus review, the Board
of Trustees approves of a new districtwide ethics
statement. Page 3
Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement
A Personal Achievement Campus Security
Officer goes back to college to earn his degree in
Criminology. Page 4
February 2012
Creating a Legacy Local benefactor Jane Edwards
leaves substantial estate gift for Merced College
Foundation’s student scholarship program. Page 7
Life on the Farm
Photo by Robin Shepard
Blue Devil Aggies are always busy, and on this particular day several of them were getting ready to show animals by training
goats and sheep at the Merced College farm.
Campus Digest
February 2012
New Ethics Statement Will Provide Guidance
Campus Community Encouraged to Read and Discusss Districtwide Policy
By Dr. Benjamin T. Duran
Superintendent/President
T
rust is essential
to our working
relationships. It’s of
primary importance
in our personal relationships, and it’s
no wonder that it
should be the hallmark of how we
conduct our public
lives.
Dr. Duran
Personal integrity
translates into sucess
in life. When we are ethical and honest,
when we deal with others with respect and
dignity, we will likely be rewarded with
their loyalty, dedication, and commitment.
It is a horizontal relationship based on mutually shared interests.
In a college environment, our institutional ethics can help us weather various
storms that would drive us apart. These
storms are both external, as in the state’s
unyielding fiscal morass, and internal, as in
our labor to deal with accreditation matters.
It may appear that the state Legislature is
unable to solve our financial crisis, but our
own internal processes for problem-solving has me feeling confident that we can
do much to restore
health to our own “We are an institution that relies on ethics to
institution.
guide our decision-making. Our ethics demands
We are an institution that relies on that we operate openly, that we speak honestly
ethics to guide our and truthfully, with respect for other’s opinions.”
decision-making.
Our ethics demands
that we operate openly, that we speak with your personal commitment and demhonestly and truthfully, with respect for onstrate it with your professional conduct.
It should become, for all of us, a core
other’s opinions. Ethics creates transparency. It presents reality as it is, not as we set of principles that helps us create an enwould wish. Ethics requires accountability. vironment of trust and affirmation.
There is no better demonstration of this
It rights wrongs and illuminates our best
intentions. Finally, it is a reflection of how than the work that many of us have put
we want others to see us, and how we re- into our Accreditation Follow-Up Report.
We couldn’t have accomplished this task
spond to them.
At its February 10 meeting, the Board without trusting each other, without enof Trustees adopted a District statement of gaging in honest and open dialogue, and
our institutional ethics. This ethics state- without being reminded of our professional
ment is published on page 3 of this month’s responsibilities. All of these rest upon funCampus Digest and will be distributed and damental requirements of ethical behavior.
The latest draft of the Accreditation
discussed at every opportunity. It will become the benchmark against which we can Follow-Up Report is now posted on the
judge how our individual and corporate be- portal. It has also been distributed through
haviors. It will become the well from which campus email. Please note that this is a
we can draw the waters of truthfulness and rough draft at this point. It is available to
the campus for feedback and comment.
reliability.
Everyone has a stake in accreditation,
I encourage you to read the ethics statement. Post it in your offices and distribute and everyone is invited to join in this conit among your colleagues. Discuss it in de- versation. Send your comments to Dr. Nepartment meetings. And, finally, support it wins or Robin Shepard.
Bond Refinancing Produces Savings for Local Taxpayers
The Merced Community College District is continuing to produce positive changes for its students and community members.
In fact, the District will deliver savings to local taxpayers of over
$1,960,000 from the refinancing of the District’s 9-year old educational facilities bond.
“Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, college administration, and the local Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, the
District has taken advantage of historically low interest rates to
refinance bonds from its Measure H bonds without extending the
life of the Bonds,” said Vice President of Administrative Services
Mazie Brewington. Measure H was passed by voters in 2002.
With refinancing, the District was able to reduce the average
interest rates on its prior bonds from 4.69 percent to 2.91 percent,
reducing the community’s tax bill by approximately $130,000 per
year for 15 years—a savings total of $1,963,651.
The District’s ability to obtain low interest rates and achieve high
Page 2
savings levels was boosted by its credit ratings of “Aa2” and “A+,”
which reflect the District’s central location in California, its good
financial position and its good financial management policies.
In preparation for this refinancing, the District team approached
two major credit rating agencies: Moody’s Investors Service and
Standard & Poor’s. After Vice President Brewington made a very
comprehensive presentation of the District’s management, financial performance and local economic factors to both rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service assigned the District an “Aa2” rating, and Standard & Poor’s assigned an “A+” rating. These strong
ratings allowed the District to attract investor interest and obtain
very good interest rates on the date of Bond refinancing, Brewington said.
While the District will not receive any part of the savings, Merced College pursued this opportunity strictly on behalf of local
taxpayers, Brewington said.
Campus Digest
February 2012
Ethics Statement Addresses Professional Integrity
The statement on professional ethics that follows sets forth
those general standards of integrity and professionalism that
serve as a reminder of the variety of duties and responsibilities assumed by all members of the campus community. These
standards are intended as an ethical guide for professionals;
they do not supersede already established laws or contractual
agreements.
Guided by a deep conviction of the value and dignity of all
members of the campus community, and the advancement of
knowledge, all employees of the campus community recognize
the special responsibility placed upon them. We hold before us
the best ethical and professional standards of our assignments.
We strive to:
standing of academic freedom.
7.
Avoid exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of
others.
8.
Maintain impartiality and confidentiality in evaluative activities
involving students and colleagues.
9.
Actively partner with the community to respond to cultural,
educational, technical, and economic needs.
10.
1.
Promote student access and success.
Observe the stated regulations of the institution.
Promote democratic principles and good citizenship.
Accept our share of responsibility for the governance of our
institution.
2.
3.
Demonstrate respect for others as individuals, and assume
responsibility for our own behavior.
4.
Show due respect for the diverse opinions, values and traditions
of others.
5.
Be honest, open, fair, and trustworthy in our treatment of others.
6.
Promote conditions of free inquiry, and further public under-
11.
12.
Utilize responsible risk-taking to create our preferred future as
stated in our strategic plan.
13.
Avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for the
college when expressing personal opinions or acting as private
citizens.
14.
Recognize the effect of our decisions upon the program or the
institution and give due notice of our intentions when considering the interruption or termination of our service.
Supplemental Instruction Helps Students in Difficult Courses
By Tomasia Drummond
Director of Student Success
The Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Program offers personal tutors for 12 SI
courses and utilizes peer-assisted study sessions to help students with traditionally
difficult courses. The sessions are facilitated
by trained SI leaders—students who have
previously done well in the course and who
attend all class lectures, take notes, and act
as model students.
Sessions are regularly scheduled, informal reviews in which students compare
notes, discuss readings, develop organiza-
tional tools, and predict test items. Students
learn to integrate course content and study
skills while working together. Collaborative
learning promotes critical thinking through
discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of other’s ideas.
SI sessions are open to all students in the
course. The program encourages students to
work with their classmates, while teaching
them to become academically independent.
All sessions are scheduled in Study Central, located in the Student Union Building,
Room 141. For more information on Supplemental Instruction, contact the Student
Success Office at Ext. 6177.
Upcoming Student
Success Workshops
Excel Review & Tips for Classes, 3/1, 2-2:50
pm
Writing Scholarship Essays, 3/5, 2-2:50 pm
Coping with a Class You Dislike, 3/7, 2-2:50
pm
Stress Management, 3/15 3-3:50 pm
Financial Fraud-Identity Theft, 3/22, 2-2:50
pm
Overcoming Public Speaking Fears, 3/28,
2-2:50 pm
What to Expect When Enrolling in an Online
Course, 3/29, 2-2:50 pm
Page 3
Campus Digest
February 2012
Campus Officer Achieves Educational Milestone
When Phonexay Keobandith, 28, walks across
the stage to receive his diploma this spring, he’ll be
the second member of his
family to earn a college degree. He’ll also be the only
one in his family to work in
law enforcement.
It’s an accomplishment
he relishes.
“I knew college was
important,” he said. “It demands your time and attention. You have to make it
part of your life.”
Keobandith will earn his
associate of arts degree in
criminology, which will help
him continue his pursuit of
a law enforcement career.
Since 2003, he has worked
part-time as a campus safety
officer. He became the campus citation officer in 2005.
“I’ve been in and out of
school, working part-time,
Photo by Robin Shepard
but my fiancé convinced me
Campus safety officer Phonexay Keobandith will graduate with his class in May.
to commit to college. She
helped me with math, which
was the biggest obstacle to getting my de- be one Laotian. It’s
gree.”
important to me “I knew college was important. It demands your
Keobandith’s family came to the United to work here with
time and attention. You have to make it part of
States in the 80s with the early wave of im- these officers and
migrants from Laos. However, he was born become part of my your life.”
in Jersey City, New Jersey, making him the community.”
only person in his family to be born in the
Keobandith’s
“We do have a communication problem.
U.S. His family settled eventually in Mer- older sister has provided one source of in- If there was a crime in the neighborhood,
ced to be near its large Hmong and Laotian spiration for him. She earned a degree from people often had a difficult time talking to
community.
Merced College and now works in Los police about it. As a result, the community
“My mother is Thai and my father is Angeles for a major corporation. Sadly, an continually gets victimized. I want to step
Laotian. But, I’ve never even been out of older brother took another path that has up and do something about it.”
the United States,” he said with a laugh. been equally motivational.
On campus, he operates from this perHe plans to visit Thailand this summer
“My brother got into gangs and his life spective, talking to students in the cafeteria
where an older sister resides.
turned in a downward spiral,” he said. “In a and quad, and speaking to them in crimiBut, it’s the United States, and Merced sense, I lost him due to drugs. He’s just not nology classes.
in particular, where Keobandith intends to the same anymore. It made me pretty sad.”
“My first priority is campus safety,” he
establish his roots. After more college, he
Keobandith says gangs are a problem in stresses. “Our officers are very pro-active.
plans to work in law enforcement in the the Hmong and Lao communities. Older Students see us walking across campus.
Merced area so that he can give back to the immigrants often have difficulty communi- We’re very visible, and we’re here to help.”
community he calls home.
cating with police, which has led to a disFor Keobandith, police were always his
“I believe there are only one or two trust of law enforcement officers. He would heroes.
Hmong police officers in Merced and may- like to change that perception.
“I want to be part of that,” he said.
Page 4
Campus Digest
February 2012
Six Thespians Compete at Major Festival
Six MC theater students made their
way to the American College Theatre
Festival at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Julian Bremer, Alma Reyes,
Elizabeth Gonzalez, Amber Fowler, Jenna
George and Barrett Roseman, attended the
festival in early February.
Sponsored by the Kennedy Center, the
American College Theatre Festival is a national organization that seeks to improve
the quality of college and university theatre
across the nation. It is divided into eight
regions of the United States. Winners in
production, acting and other competitions
go on to compete at the national festival in
Washington D.C. each April.
Bremer, Reyes, Gonzalez were nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan
Scholarship Acting Competition for their
performances in “Twelfth Night” and “A
Bright Room Called Day.”
“The students participated in the competition and saw about 12 plays from colleges and universities in our region (Ari-
LB Campus Movie
Brings in the Crowd
By Hannah Glenn
LB Campus ASMC Senator
Students (left to right) Julian Bremer, Alma Reyes,
Elizabeth Gonzalez, Amber Fowler, Jenna George,
and Barrett Roseman, attended the American
College Theatre Festival in Ogden, Utah.
zona, Utah, Southern California, Nevada
and Hawaii),” said Theater Professor Carin
Heidelbach. The students also had the opportunity to attend numerous workshops
on all aspects of theatre, she said.
Students are excited to hear that the
Los Banos Campus continue to host
movie nights this spring after a successful reception last semester. Previous screenings brought in audiences of
40-60 students a night.
American Graffiti is among the film
selections made, and others have yet to
be determined and will be announced
as the selections are finalized.
The next campus movie night will be
presented by Professor Scott Coahran
and will show in March. Best of all,
refreshments will be provided at each
movie screening!
For exact dates and times as they become available, please contact the Los
Banos campus at (209) 381-6417.
Stanford University Hosts Conference for Pre-Med Club Students
By Dr. Cary Coburn
Professor of Biology
On Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 members of the Pre-Med Club and
two of their faculty advisors, Biology professors Mireya Macias
and Cary Coburn, woke up before the chickens, boarded a school
van and headed to Palto Alto to attend the annual Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA) conference.
Every year Stanford hosts the largest minority premedical conference on the West Coast. This year the conference was capped at
500 attendees for a conference focusing on increasing the numbers of underrepresented minorities in medicine. The goal of the
SUMMA is to increase the diversity in the health professions to
better care for underserved communities.
“I am pleased that Merced College is able to provide our students with exposure to world class institutions of learning such as
Stanford and the opportunity to meet current med students,” Professor Coburn said. “Furthermore, I am impressed with our club
leadership that took it upon their selves to organize the trip and
convince the advisors that it was a worthy conference to attend.”
Professor Mireya Macias added, “The conference was extremely
informative and beneficial for our students intellectually, but also
socially. Club involvement and field trips such as this reinforces
student interests and gives them a sense of purpose. It also helps
them form bonds with individuals with similar interests that often
result in long-lasting friendships.”
This year’s conference included workshops addressing topics
such as the medical school application process, paying for medical
school, and civic activism and community engagement, as well as
many other topics students could choose from depending on their
personal interests.
According to Club president Kaitlyn Katoa, “Going to the
SUMMA conference and being able to interact with students who
are currently in medical school was amazing. The workshops were
very informative, and being able to talk to the med students gave
me a better perspective into the world of medical school.
“I attended many of the workshops offered such as the MCAT
preparation and applying to med school, however, the one workshop that I found most interesting was called ‘Life in Medical
School.’ In this workshop they gave some insight into med students’ schedules and gave different perspectives on how their lives
are in school, while also debunking some of the myths of being a
med student such as studying and working all the time with very
little sleep.”
The Pre-Med club is composed of members interested in careers in medicine and other allied health professions such as pharmacy, nursing and physical therapy. The Pre-Med Club raises funds
to support these outings, as well as several scholarships.
“Club members will soon be soliciting for sponsors for their
annual ‘Servant for a Day’ fundraiser, so if members of the campus
community have household chores or some dreaded yard work you
need done, please respond to the upcoming campuswide email and
we will set you up with some hard working Pre-Med students,”
Coburn said.
Page 5
Campus Digest
February 2012
Arts Division Packs Huge Spring Schedule of Events
The Arts Division invites you to attend the following events:
Oscar Torres, Drawing & Painting
MC Art Gallery
Jan. 23-Feb. 29, Reception: Feb. 1, 6-7:30 pm
Tartuffe by Moliere
Translation by Richard Wilbur
MC Theater
Directed by Carin Heidelbach
March 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 7:30 pm
March 18, 2 pm
$10 regular admission, $8 students & faculty
*Special $5 student price on 3/15 only
Merced College Fine Arts
Faculty Exhibition
MC Art Gallery
March 7-March 29, Reception: March 7, 6-7:30 pm
Merced College Concert Band
MC Theater
Guest Conductor: Sandra Stocking
March 23, 7:30 pm
$8 regular admission, $5 students & seniors
Guitatr Orchestra Concert
MC Theater
Directed by Nathaniel Dahman
April 19, 7:30 pm
$10 regular admission, $8 students & faculty
Classical Music through the Centuries
with the Verrinder Family String Quartet
MC Theater
April 20, 7 pm
$8 regular admission, $5 students, 12 & under free
Meet Our New Education Technician
Sarah Nelson Bravo is excited to be named
Merced College’s new Extended Education
Technician for Community Services.
Bravo brings to the position an undergraduate degree in political science, as well as
experience in K-12 education and customer
service.
She is looking forward to the challenge of
expanding Community Services’s programs
and trip offerings.
Bravo
On a personal note, Bravo enjoys traveling,
spending time with her family, and playing
with her new dog. She also loves watching baseball (especially in
person) and rooting for the San Franciso Giants.
Page 6
Merced College Student Art Exhibit
MC Art Gallery
April 18-May 10
Endgame by Samuel Beckett
MC Theater
Directed by Carin Heidelbach
May 3, 4, 5, 7:30 pm
May 6, 2 pm
$10 regular admission, $8 students & faculty
*Special $5 student price on 5/3 only
With Lyrics by Shakespeare
Merced College Chorale & Chamber Singers
MC Theater
Directed by Curtis Nelson
May 11-12, 8 pm
$10 regular admission, $8 in advance
Merced College Concert Band
MC Theater
Guest Conductor: Sandra Stocking
May 18, 7:30 pm
$8 regular admission, $5 students & seniors
Merced College Jazz Band
MC Theater
Directed by Ken Taylor
May 19, 7:30 pm
$10 regular admission, $8 students & faculty
Tickets can be purchased at the Merced College Bookstore and
the Theater Box Office.
For more information on College Arts Events, including ticket
purchase information, contact the Arts Office at Ext. 6644, the
Theater Box Office at Ext. 6284, or visit www.mccd.edu/theArts.
Bookstore Now Rents Cameras
The College Bookstore has introduced a new camera rental program.
With the guidance of Photography Professor Jay Souza,
students can rent a Vivitar 3800N 35mm camera for the
PHOTO 10A/B classes each semester for only $50. These
cameras retail for $266.70, which provides students substantial savings.
“Our rental program is a real help for students who are not
able to purchase a camera,” said Bookstore manager Robyn
Piro..
The Bookstore is also renting a digital camera for PHOTO 11A class. for only $20.
February 2012
Campus Digest
Jane Edwards Estate Gift Provides Legacy
Local Philanthropist Leaves Major Endowment for Student Scholarships
The Merced College
Foundation has received
a major gift that will provide scholarship awards
to deserving students for
many years to come.
“On behalf of our
Board of Directors, I am
pleased to say that we are
beneficiaries of a major
gift from the Jane Edwards Trust,” said Foundation Board president
Rick Osorio.
“While planning her
estate, Mrs. Edwards decided that she wanted to
invest in the education
of our students. She has
done just that and we will
never forget her generosity.”
Edwards
Estate
trustee Linda Levesque
presented a check in the
Photo by Robin Shepard
amount of $372,167 to
the Foundation during Merced College Foundation directors pose with Edwards Estate Trustee Linda Levesque. (left to right)
its meeting today.
Chris Tafoya, Rick Osorio, Joe Doyland, Quintin Levesque, Linda Levesque, and Louise Farley.
“Jane believed passionately in education,
especially a community college education, “Jane believed passionately in education, especially a community
which she realized often helps the least college education, which she realized often helps the least
advantaged students,” Levesque said. “She
advantaged students.”
wanted to help those students achieve their
goals.
“I am proud to have known her and I’m missed. But I am glad that her memory will
According to Levesque, she loved aniso pleased to be able to bring Jane’s dream live on in these scholarships.”
mals and enjoyed the arts. She and her
Mrs. Edwards’s estate also provided husband also supported the local agriculto life,” she said.
The gift will be endowed, said Founda- a trust for her godson, Quintin Toshi ture community.
tion Executive Director Robin Shepard, Levesque, which will be used to further his
Jane Edwards was born on May 4, 1937
and will provide awards for art and agricul- own college career.
in Camden, New Jersey. She died in AtwaCharles Edwards, a retired US Air ter on April 22, 2010.
ture students. Half of the gift will be called
the Jane Edwards Art Scholarship, and the Force chief master sergeant, passed away
“Every now and then, something like
other half will be named in honor of her from cancer in the late 1980s. The Edwards this happens, and it affirms the idea that
late husband and will be called the Charles had built their home in Atwater on 34 acres philanthropy is a noble sacrifice,” Shepard
of land.
Edwards Agriculture Scholarship.
said.
After Charles’ death, Jane continued to
“Jane Edwards was a true philanthro“We honor Jane Edwards today, but she
pist,” Levesque said. “She was my dear volunteer in the local community. She vol- will always be remembered for her passion
friend and guardian. She believed in giving unteered at the county library and at Mc- and her commitment to local students.”
whole-heartedly, never regretting anything Swain Elementary School as a classroom
Aside from scholarships, the Foundain life. She lived each day one day at a time. reader. She was a member of the Atwater tion seeks private gifts to support the pro“No words can express how much is chapter of Soroptimist International.
grams and services of Merced College.
Page 7
Campus Digest
February 2012
Trustees Extend
Application Period
CEO Search Will Include
More Community Members
The Merced College Board of Trustees has extended the application period
for members of the community interested
in applying to serve on the CEO Search
Committee. The Board approved this action during its Feb. 21 Workshop.
Applications can be downloaded by going to http://www.mccd.edu/leadership/
ofpres/ceo_downloads/Community%20
Application2.pdf. The deadline to receive
applications is noon on March 6.
On Feb. 7, the Board had approved the
initial membership of the committee.
At the present time, the members of the
CEO Search Committee are:
Robert Haden, Trustee - Chair
Dennis Jordan, Trustee
Bettie Harrison, Community Member
Bill Bizzini, Community Member
Michael Amabile, Community Member
Bruce Hahn, Community Member
Michael Tanner, Community Member
Keith Law, MCFA
Marie Bruley, Academic Senate
Caroline Dawson, Arts & Sciences Faculty
Chris Pedretti, Vocational Ed Faculty
Susan Walsh, Management
Karyn Dower, Management
Leonel Villareal, CSEA
Diana Butts, Classified
Student of the Month Known for Determination and Drive
Several words have been used by her
professors to describe Dolores Reyes, but
the two words that stand out are “determination” and “drive.” Reyes was recognized
as February’s Student of the Month.
Reyes has been enrolled at Merced
College since 2010. Her academic goals
are to transfer to UCLA as a Psychology
major with a minor in Business. Her drive
and ambition come from her own personal
struggle with cancer. Reyes was diagnosed
with leukemia in 2008 and has been in remission since 2010.
According to English professor MiPage 8
chael Barba, “Dolores Reyes is the kind
of student every teacher wishes he or she
had in class. When she first stepped into
my English 84 classroom two years ago,
she was undergoing therapy for leukemia.
While this, at times, made things difficult
for her, she never gave up and endured.
As a matter of fact, she scored the highest
grade in that class.”
Reyes was born in Los Angeles and
grew up in Anaheim. She and her family
moved to Merced seven years ago. She and
her husband Romero have three children,
Chanel , 10, Ramero, 9, and Ariana, 8.
She is a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma, serving as president. She has mentored
other students and has inspired them to
seek help and fulfill their potential.
Reyes says she feels it is important to
be a role model not just on campus but at
home also. She does her homework with
her children as just one way of being a good
role model. On campus she’s known for her
encouragement and inspiration to others.
While balancing the demands of home,
school work, and taking care of her ailing
father, Reyes has managed to maintain a
3.83 GPA.