TO:
DCCCD Board Members
FROM:
Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr.
DATE:
September 16, 2011
RE:
Weekend Memo #251
IN THIS ERA OF CHANGE, MASTER LEADERS
FOLLOW CERTAIN PRACTICES
As a follow-up to last week’s commentary on the “Challenge of Change,” this little
offering is designed for reinforcement. Leadership is difficult and dangerous in the 21st
century. Leadership demands a global perspective while maintaining a focus on personal
issues and workplace issues for the members of our teams.
The question becomes, “How can we develop these seemingly contrasting
approaches?” I try to adopt the following practices:
Scan the environment for ideas. We may be doing fine right now, but are we missing
any opportunities? We must train ourselves to look for gaps and unmet needs that
our teams and the DCCCD can fill.
Practice “out-of-the-box” thinking. Too many leaders and organizations stagnate
because they take too narrow a view of their role and position in higher education.
We should consistently encourage our people to stretch their thinking by turning
things around, exploring new concepts, and taking more chances.
Create and share a vision. Go beyond the day-to-day routine of activities. Develop a
long-range view of what we and our team (or organization) stand for and what bigpicture objectives we want to strive for. Then, let everyone know what our goals are,
so others know how they can contribute.
Build partnerships. Forget the “business at war” metaphor. Avoid constructing
silos. These days, your smart move is to form alliances with competitors and
colleague institutions. Smaller colleges in the DCCCD can gain powerful
advantages by joining forces with one another in ways that maximize strength and
do not threaten each other’s interests.
Create a spirit of teamwork. As we forge connections, we cannot neglect the people
in our team or college. We need to learn to give up the desire to make every decision
for our team members. We should empower them to work together on projects that
serve both their goals and the organization (college or the DCCCD).
Develop organizational stamina. Forming partnerships, releasing control, and
looking at the long-term means we need more patience and stamina in dealing with
the “middle” – that area between the beginning and the conclusion of any project or
effort. We need to keep things organized and on track while staying out of the way
of the folks doing the work.
Recognize good work. We should share credit and recognize those who have met or
exceeded expectations. Remember that in today’s workplace, nobody accomplishes
anything alone.
You’ve heard it before – “the largest room in any house is the room for improvement.”
Just added food for thought.
Eastfield College
G.I. Jobs, the premier magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded
Eastfield College the designation of Military Friendly School, which means the college is in the top
20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools doing the most to embrace America's military
service members and veterans as students. In its effort to help student veterans find the right
school, G.I. Jobs has incorporated a survey of student veterans for the first time. The feedback
provides prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at a particular
institution based on peer reviews from current students. Service members and veterans can also
meet individual student veterans from the various schools virtually on the G.I. Jobs website to learn
more about personal school decisions and the transition from the military to an academic
environment. The 1,518 colleges, universities and trade schools on the 2012 list of Military Friendly
Schools prioritize the recruitment of students with military experience. These schools are making
the grade by offering scholarships, discounts, veterans clubs, military credit and other services to
those who have served. The list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through extensive
research and a data-driven survey of more than 8,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and
weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an academic advisory board consisting of
educators from schools across the country.
On August 25th, the criminal justice program at Eastfield College held a training session in forensic
computer investigation for 25 law enforcement officers. On August 26th, a class was conducted at
the college to train 20 law enforcement officers as first responders to digital evidence recovery.
On September 9th, the Eastfield College Arts, Language and Literature Division enjoyed
refreshments in celebration of winning the Common Book contest, having 98 sections using this
year's selection, Life Is So Good, by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman. Faculty in 235 credit
sections are utilizing the book in their curriculum and are anxiously awaiting Richard Glaubman's
presentation scheduled for October 3rd in the college performance hall.
On September 9th, Eastfield College hosted Dallas Children's Theater on Tour's presentation of
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters in the performance hall. Based on the book by John Steptoe, the story
features a proud African man from a small village who is pleased that the king has invited his two
beautiful daughters to travel to the city and perhaps be chosen as his bride. Approximately 100
children in the audience laughed and cheered throughout the performance, and they were delighted
to get autographs and take photos with the cast after the show.
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El Centro College
One of El Centro College’s alumni fashion students, Levi Palmer, is featured this month in Italian
Vogue. Levi graduated and moved to London in 2005 to study at the prestigious Central Saint
Martins College of Arts and Sciences. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2009 and has
recently started his own collection in London with his partner, Matthew Harding. Their collection
of women's blouses will be shown this month at London's Fashion Week. The link to the Vogue
article and pictures is http://www.vogue.it/talents/blog-from/2011/09/palmer-harding. (See
attached article.)
September 6th and 7th saw robust gatherings in the El Centro College student center at the Student
Club and Resources Fair. The fair was coordinated by the Office of Student Life to attract the
largest student population the college has ever had. Over 40 booths were staffed by students
recruiting for their clubs and by El Centro College employees seeking to inform students about the
services and support programs available to them. An estimated 300 students — most of them new
to El Centro College — attended and participated in various activities, including intriguing games at
many of the booths. The Teacher Prep program, for example, challenged students to a game of
“Name That Teacher” and future teachers were able to sign and decorate a mural. Students who
completed an evaluation received an El Centro College T-shirt. The college plans to follow up by
assessing the retention rates of the students who attended.
The 2011 Dallas Art Dealers Association (DADA) Edith Baker Scholarship Award and Presentation
was held September 9th at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. This year, the award was
presented to Michelle Reyes of El Centro College. Michelle was one of eight students from the
DCCCD competing for the award. She received a $2,500 check, a mentorship and an internship
with one of the DADA gallery members and a member gallery artist studio visit.
El Centro College’s Jan Blend (coordinator, diagnostic medical sonography) has been appointed to
the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Advanced Practice Committee. This is a three-year
appointment that will run through September 2013.
Mountain View College
On September 13th, Mountain View College’s “Common Book 2011” kicked off with a literary
panel discussion. Audience members were treated to staged monologue readings that portrayed a
variety of characters inside the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Included in the panel
discussion were Dr. Kristin S. vanNamen, managing editor of Carve Magazine, and Professor Liz
Nichols, executive dean of academic enrichment and professor of American history at Eastfield
College. Nathan Cole, professor of drama at Mountain View College, directed a powerful
introduction to the Lacks family that awed and inspired the audience to further read this year’s
Common Book. A conversation with members of Henrietta Lacks’ family will take place on
October 6th in the college performance hall from 11:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. For additional
information, please call 214.860.8685. To view Mountain View College’s web page about The
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, go to
http://www.mvc.dcccd.edu/Academics/commonbook/Pages/default.aspx. (See attached copy of
web page.)
Mountain View College will host Dallas Baptist University (DBU) - Opera Workshop, a division of
the Department of Music in the DBU College of Fine Arts, to present The Old Maid and the Thief - A
Grotesque Comic Opera in Fourteen Scenes. Performances are scheduled for September 16th at 7:00 p.m.
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and September 17th at 2:00 p.m. at the Mountain View College performance hall. The opera
workshop production is under the direction of Dr. Stephen Holcomb, professor of music and
director of choral activities at DBU, with vocal coaching by Professor Wes Moore, associate dean
and chair of the Department of Music at DBU. The performances are free of charge, but tickets are
required and all seats are reserved. To obtain tickets, please contact the DBU College of Fine Arts
at 214.333.5316.
Cedar Valley College
Student Successs — This week, the commercial music program at Cedar Valley College presented the
N’awlins Gumbo Kings during its weekly recital series. Next week will feature the sounds of the
Jeremy Garcia Duo. Performances take place each Wednesday at 1:00 pm in the Cedar Valley
College performance hall (Building E).
On September 21st, Cedar Valley College President Dr. Jennifer Wimbish will be the
convocation speaker for Texas College in Tyler, TX. The title of her presentation is “Embracing
Institutional Effectiveness: Student Success.” The focus of the convocation is to welcome new
students and to engage faculty and staff in creating an environment that promotes student success.
Community Development — Cedar Valley College was presented a check in the amount of $3,248 for
cost saving initiatives implemented by the college. The check was presented by Oncor Electric
Delivery Company (Oncor) for the college’s participation in a program administered by the
company to promote sustainable practices among higher education facilities. Participating in the
program helps Cedar Valley College to actualize cost saving initiatives in energy efficiency and gain
rewards for doing so. The campus is currently engaged in at least two other projects that could
result in substantial cost savings and payoffs from Oncor.
Brookhaven College
On September 14th, Brookhaven College students and employees packed the performance hall on
to hear Joaquín Zihuatanejo, World Poetry Slam Champion and award-winning teacher. Born and
raised in the barrio of East Dallas, in his work Joaquín strives to capture the duality of the Chicano
culture. With a combination of heart and humor, the poet had students listening and laughing and
questioning how he finds his ideas and inspiration. After the forum, Brookhaven College’s
welcome-back party brought together the campus community for food and fun with music and
caricature, spray paint and henna artists. The Brookhaven College Office of Student Life sponsored
the event.
For more than 25 years, the Brookhaven College Automotive Technology Department and Crest
Cadillac have been partners in training and employing students. General Motors Corporation’s
Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) allows students to split time between the
classroom and a vehicle dealership to earn money while they learn. High retention rates, improved
employee efficiency and better customer service scores make this a winning model for students and
businesses alike. A recent article featured Crest Cadillac and Brookhaven College on the Corporate
Voices website. The article focuses on the benefits for the employers and employees/students, as
well as what works about the program for business. Brookhaven College graduate Jeff Steger also
shared his story. Steger has been a Crest Cadillac employee and, though he says he never planned to
go to college, he describes the program as “life-changing.” Corporate Voices for Working Families
is a leading national business membership organization shaping conversations and collaborations on
public and corporate policy issues. To view the article and web page about the cooperative
partnership between Brookhaven College Automotive Technology Department and Crest Cadillac,
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go to http://www.corporatevoices.org/system/files/u822/Crest_Cadillac.pdf and
http://www.corporatevoices.org/our-work/pse/micro_cases#Crest. (See attached article and copy of web
page.)
Decorating the halls of the Brookhaven College Science and Allied Health Building (near the
chemistry classrooms) is a giant periodic table of elements. During fall 2010 and summer 2011,
students in the CHEM 1405 classes created the individual squares that represent more than the
symbols for boron or magnesium. Each is a work of art. Brookhaven College chemistry professor
Claire Bambrough acts as curator, assembling the pieces. Students create a “square” of art that
represents their element in any way they choose, but they must explain how it represents that
element and back up their claims with physical and chemical properties of the element. Rachana
Singh, Evgenia Manolova, Warren Kinstley, William Wingo and Bob Holdar, all DCCCD chemistry
professors, also participated in the art piece and Andrea Gorczyca will add the project to her classes
at Brookhaven College this term. Professor Bambrough will be working with sixth grade teachers
and students at her children’s school, Prestonwood Elementary, to re-create the project there.
On September 14th, Brookhaven College athletic program coordinator and basketball coach Kevin
Hurst was a guest lecturer at the University of North Texas. He spoke to students interested in
becoming coaches about the rewards of being a coach. Hurst also shared the fact that coaching
requires an investment of time, energy and emotion. Hurst addressed the group of more than 50
future coaches about academics for their potential players and themselves, and about investing in
career development and the importance of continuing their training after completing their degree.
Richland College
Sustainable Community Building — “Environmental Vitality” — On September 15th, the Richland
College facilities services staff hosted “Be an Insider!” — a professional development session that
allowed participants to take a peek behind the scenes and into the future of facilities services at the
college. New projects, concepts and changes in existing procedures for the 2011-2012 academic
year were presented during the session. Richland College facilities services leaders Ron Foster,
Eddie Hueston, Austin Longacre, Jerry Owens and Cheri Stanley presented a host of topics,
including maintenance processes and procedures improvements; energy conservation strategies;
custodial services cost-saving measures; building, piping and landscaping maintenance projects; and
upcoming campus facilities upgrades. The presentations were followed by a question and answer
session.
Student Success — Richland College students were welcomed to the fall semester with two student
appreciation welcome parties hosted by the Office of Student Life. Music, games, refreshments and
information about college programs were provided as a festive backdrop for new-to-college and
returning students to interact and build community together in fun breaks from their teaching and
learning.
Employee Success — As part of Richland College's ongoing New Employee Orientation program,
Lakeside Chats are offered during the academic year — one in the fall and one in the spring. As
part of their professional development expectation, employees attend one of these interactive
information sessions during the first calendar year of their employment at the college. The most
recent Lakeside Chat was hosted on September 16 when new employees came together informally to
interact with the interim president, vice presidents and other college leaders. New employees were
asked to share stories in small groups about Richland College's “ThunderValues” in action or nonaction that they have observed during their time working for the college.
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Institutional Effectiveness — Richland College's expanded leadership team convened September 8th for
the second day of its annual strategic planning retreat. Leaders discussed the college's strategic
challenges and advantages; analyzed enrollment trends and market-share health of college programs;
set one-, three- and five-year targets for each of the college's performance measures; and finalized
Richland College’s Five-Year Organizational Action Plan. Participants also received updates on
student learning outcomes and services assessments, continuous improvement plans and program
review processes.
North Lake College
Our Students — North Lake College students interested in being part of a movement to end
relationship violence attended informational sessions on the “Be Project,” which encourages them
to “Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Courageous. Be More.” Two meetings were held in September for those
interested in committing to a 10-week curriculum that focuses on the dynamics of relationships and
violence. The structured psycho-educational group seeks to educate students on ways to stop the
cycle of violence. This is the third year of collaboration for North Lake College counseling services
and the service learning program, and The Family Place, a non-profit agency that serves domestic
violence victims. Through this partnership, students are informed about dating violence and how
they can help promote awareness of this issue, along with the problem of domestic violence and
sexual assault. Students learn how to help others by using healthy communication styles, basic
assertiveness and peer-counseling skills. Participants are able to earn service learning hours if they
are enrolled in the service learning program.
Our Community — North Lake College’s Interim President Christa Slejko and executive dean of
liberal arts Dr. Zena Jackson attended the fifth annual Regional Hispanic Contractors Association
(RHCA) Women’s Business Conference and Luna Awards held on September 8th at the Irving
Convention Center. This is a one-day business event that honors the achievements of women in
construction, architecture and engineering. The event also provides a venue for presenting
upcoming procurement prospects, showcasing products and services, as well as providing
networking opportunities. Most importantly, the event is a fundraiser to provide higher education
scholarships for young women in the fields of construction, architecture and engineering.
Our Employees — North Lake College mathematics faculty member, Ellen Miller, has been chosen by
fellow Illinois College alumni to a five-year term on its chief governing body. Miller graduated from
Illinois College with a degree in mathematics. After teaching math in the Peace Corps for two years
at Fasito'otai, Western Samoa, Miller earned a master’s degree in mathematics from New Mexico
State University. She has taught full-time at North Lake College for the last 15 years and has been
the sponsor of Mu Alpha Theta. In addition, Miller has volunteered for community programs
tutoring youth in mathematics. Ellen Miller is the granddaughter of former Illinois College
President Charles Rammelkamp.
LeCroy Center
On September 13th, the LeCroy Center held its annual fall All-Staff meeting. This meeting provided
an opportunity for department leaders to present and review the latest updates on services in the
area of distance education, technology and student services. Provost Pam Quinn presented the
speech, “Winning the Future,” by Martha Kanter, Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of
Education, which proposes a goal of eight million more graduates from community colleges and
four-year colleges and universities by the year 2020. Some of the fastest-growing fields and
occupations are likely to include healthcare professionals and technicians, STEM and social sciences
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professionals, education, community services and the arts, and managerial and professional office
workers. The fall All-Staff meeting also showcased current DCCCD priorities and
strategic objectives, and how the LeCroy Center will help ensure that it meets the educational needs
of Dallas County.
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