Office of Instruction and Student Development Update
I was reminded this week that one of the great things about working at the college is seeing
firsthand the positive impact faculty and staff have on our students and community. Thank you for
all the good work you do.
Update on Spring Schedule Development
Development of the spring schedule is underway. The associate deans, working with Tiffany
Schmitcke, have sent out preliminary drafts of the spring schedule based on what was offered last
spring to full time faculty for their initial input. We know that building a schedule that supports
student progression, is flexible enough to address the nuances of each discipline, and maximizes our
classroom space will take a lot of discussion and collaboration with faculty. The associate deans
and directors responsible for course scheduling are in the process of setting up meetings with
discipline faculty to put together a draft schedule for the administration to review. The associate
deans and directors are also consulting with the faculty and counseling/advising staff in Mendocino,
Del Norte and Klamath-Trinity to create a schedule that addresses the needs of students at their
locations.
Here’s an update on how we’re doing on our schedule development timeline:
Action
Hold pre-schedule conference between associate deans, directors and IR to
review historical course data initial student education plan information.
Associate Deans/Directors and faculty use IR data to revise the draft
schedule.
Associate Deans/Directors consult with Mendocino, Del Norte and KT
counseling/advising staff to discuss schedule needs.
Associate Deans/Directors send revised schedules with room assignments
to Schedule Support Specialist (Tiffany Schmitcke).
Revised schedule entered into Datatel.
Revised schedule reviewed with associate deans, directors, IR and faculty.
Associate deans and directors forward corrections of the revised schedule
to Tiffany.
Final schedule released on Webadvisor for student viewing.
Priority registration begins.
Date
Complete
In Progress
In Progress
September 27
September 30October 4
October 4 - 11
October 14 - 18
October 18
November 4-8
Administration and Faculty Collaboration—a Success!
One of our fulltime faculty colleagues in the math department has taken an unexpected medical
leave. The math faculty, working collaboratively with their associate dean, came up with a solution
that allowed us to avoid cancelling three important classes students need to transfer and that saved
us from taking a loss in FTES this fall. The administration and our students owe a great deal of
gratitude to Dave Arnold, Mike Butler, Tami Matsumoto and Steve Jackson for taking on additional
Math 120 teaching duties, Kenneth Owens for adding a second section of Math 15 to his associate
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faculty load, and Tracey Thomas for creating an atmosphere of collaboration. I believe the solution
the math faculty and associate dean developed together to serve our students shows what we can do
if we work together. Thank you to all involved.
Financial Aid Update
The financial aid office has been fielding several questions from faculty and staff on why it takes so
long to process financial aid for specific students. Financial aid is a multi-step process that can be
confusing and can take from 8-12 weeks to process depending on when the student applies. A
missed step can lead to frustration and stress.
The financial aid deadline for completed files to ensure payment to eligible students by the start of
school was June 1 (although we were able to pay students who had met all the requirements by late
July. Students who did not submit all required documentation until August or September will have
a longer wait time due to the volume of files the financial aid office is processing.
FERPA does not allow us to provide specific information to faculty and staff unless the student
provides that authorization in writing. The Financial Aid office appreciates your understanding and
assistance in reminding students to check their student redwoods.edu email account on a regular
basis. Deadlines and other information are also listed on the Financial Aid webpage.
CTE Work Update
We’ve started the recruitment process for the associate dean for the CTE area. We intend to finalize
the screening committee by October 1 and conduct interviews on November 1. To complete the
important work that needs to be done this semester, Executive Dean Cummings has secured
commitments from three senior CTE faculty to step in and take on three very important
responsibilities. Thank you to Steve Brown for leading the finalization of the Spring Schedule, Dan
Calderwood for leading the effort to continue supporting CTE faculty Assessment responsibilities,
and Clyde Johnson for leading the effort to complete all CTE Associate Faculty Evaluations this
fall.
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program
Congratulations to Wendy Jones and the Child Development Center for being awarded the four year
$97,000 CCAMPIS grant. CCAMPIS is authorized by the Higher Education Act and administered
by the U.S. Department of Education and supports the participation of low-income parents in
postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based childcare services. CR’s
CCAMPIS program, funded for the first time in 2009, is now in its fourth year. The CCAMPIS
grant was secured through the collaborative efforts of Michelle Hancock (past CDC director),
Sydney Fisher-Larson (ECE faculty)j, and Wendy Jones (current CDC director).
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