This month’s Board of Trustees meeting was pretty routine.  However, there were a few main highlights I want you to know about.  First off we heard a presentation from the Co-Chairs of our campus’  Institutional Effectiveness Committee about “Strengthening Quality Through Assessment.”  This is where all the scantrons you fill out every semester about your teachers and classes are put into play. I know it seems to many students that nothing is done with the reams of paper, but that is not true.  Assessment is the big buzzword to go with the current movement of Institutional Effectiveness and both are key in determining the quality of the education we receive at C-GCC.  As our college moves through its accreditation process (Middle States), these concepts are discussed with increasing frequency and are taken quite seriously here!

Also discussed and relevant to students is the student approved increase in the student activities fee. Students voted to increase the fee from$77 to $87 for next year.  The reason the Student Senate proposed the measure is the increased interest in activities on campus and resultant increase in attendance.  The Student Activities Board also wants to increase events on campus and now they have the go ahead to do so!

I know I announced the results of the Student Trustee Election here at the beginning of the month but now I want to tell you a tiny bit about the student that will be taking over for me here and on campus in just a few short months. Anthony Tiberio is a familiar face on campus with his red hair and Red Sox sweatshirt. Now, I am not much of a baseball fan but I think we New Yorkers will just have to let that slide while he represents the needs of C-GCC students. He is an Accounting major and won one of the most hotly contested elections at our campus in decades, so he deserves some props.

Lastly, I want to invite all upcoming graduates and students looking to enter the workforce in the next year to attend the Job Fair on April 28th from 10-2.  I have heard many students complain about the small number of jobs available out there right now and want to encourage you to take an active role in planning for the future by starting to look now.  The Counseling & Transfer Office is great with resumes (ripped mine to shreds and helped me put it back together again!) so you can be ready.

See you around campus,

Lindsay

Board meeting on April 19th. Update coming up the following week.

You can nominate yourself, or anyone you think would be good in the job and is going to be at CGCC next year.  I highly recommend it as an opportunity to expand your experiences at the college and see what goes on behind the scenes.  If you have a contribution to make to student life at CGCC,  here is your chance!

So, the first thing, thank you everyone for taking the chance and clicking on the link from the college website to here!  I announced to the Board that during the month of February a few hundred visitors checked out the blog thanks to the link from CGCC.

One of the definite highlights of this month’s meeting was hearing several faculty members give an in-service presentation about Computer Security and Forensics.  It is a really cutting edge, in demand field that has huge growth potential.  I found the presentation very eye opening.

Also discussed at this meeting were opportunities that can be explored to reach out to students at CGCC better, perhaps integrating new and existing formats.  I am excited about these new developments.  Hopefully you are too!

Lastly, this Saturday the college is having an open house and I am looking forward to meeting potential new CGCCers.

Thanks for reading.

Three of the resolutions we voted on were particularly notable to students.  The first amended this year’s operating budget based on expenditures made prior to this school year, especially the new furniture in the student area outside the registrar/burser’s offices. The second involved accepting a learning aid from a current student.  Lastly, we approved a resolution to request Governor Patterson reconsider his proposed cuts to  funding for community colleges.

Many students are not aware that although the state is supposed to contribute a significant portion  of the colleges’ funding, the sponsoring counties cover the majority of it.  What remains is paid for by the students. That is why tuition goes up. If the state funding is cut further, the students will have to pay more regardless of  the difficulties this will entail.  As a student, I was happy to see the resolution come before the board.  Students at the community college level, especially, are often juggling many responsibilities and life challenges as well as financial concerns.  Anything that increases their burdens unnecessarily is  unconscionable.

My report at this meeting was primarily notifications about the college events taking place last week:  Coffee House week and the motivational speaker, John Vroman.  Also, the Student Senate and College Ambassador Club were planning a meet and greet during the speaker’s visit, so hopefully that went well.  ( I had nursing clinical time then so regretfully could not attend. Post to this with your thoughts if you were there!!!)

I also mentioned this blog and the upcoming procedure to fill this position after I graduate!  Please let anyone you know who might be interested that nominations for Student Trustee are being accepted from March 22nd to April 1st at Dave Cuccinata’s office at Student Activities. Elections are to be held April 5th to 7th.  I’m posting this here because I want as many students as possible to know about the opportunity and throw their hats in the ring!

I hope to post information here about the nominees as the time gets closer.

(Next blog mid-March unless something noteworthy comes up.)

Glad to have you at my blog.  Please take some time to read about me and the goal of the blog–to talk to you!

Just so you know, I have my monthly meeting with the rest of the Board of Trustees next Monday and would love to hear your thoughts about the college. Tell me what you think works and what you’d like to see improved.  That’s why I’m doing this, after all.

Keep in touch and I’ll be updating next week so please check back when you can.

Your Trustee,

Lindsay

I learned that Criminal Justice is a heavily represented major shared by at least three of the nine senators I spoke with.  Also, a love of music and interest in pursuing that major upon transfer was expressed by two senators.

Now to specific factoids.  First off, I reacquainted myself with Kelly McGovern, returning senator and current president.  Three other returning senators are Sinead Daniell, T.J. Garrity, and Samantha Visconti.  T.J.  is a social science major from Ghent and aspiring firefighter as well as senate vice president.  Samantha is a familiar face on campus thanks to her appearing in campus plays.  She is a humanities major in her second year and plans to pursue a career in theater upon graduation.

New senators this year include:   September Bembry, Elizabeth Sema and Elizabeth Miller, Tom Elliott and Dana Soule.  September, Elizabeth M. and Tom are the aforementioned Criminal Justice majors and all are freshman at CGCC.  Elizabeth S.  (Liz) is a freshman from East Durham majoring in Independent Studies.  She has a serious passion for music and plans to start a club on campus to jumpstart student  interest in music.   Dana, a second year Independent Studies major from Cairo, will be continuing his education as an Engineering Major at Rochester Institute of Technology this fall.

I’d like to thank them on behalf of the students of Columbia Greene for contributing of their time and energy in order to provide us with a voice and a hope for the future.  Thanks guys!

First question anyone coming to this blog by accident will have is this:  what is a student trustee?  A student trustee is the student member of the Board of Trustees.  Serving a one-year term, nominated by the campus community and elected by the student body, the student trustee is an equal member of the board who’s sole purpose is to bring the perspective of students to discussions and vote on their behalf.  Also as a member of the Executive Board of the Student Senate, it is necessary for the trustee to be aware of campus issues and express these concerns to the Board.

This Blog is an outgrowth of a much discussed lack of communication on campus and possible remedies.  The hope  is that students will visit this page frequently to weigh in on campus concerns and future plans.  It is one of the reasons that I decided to serve for a second year on the Board of Trustees.

Oh, and about me personally, my name is Lindsay Ritter.  I’m in my second year of the Nursing Program at Columbia-Greene expecting to graduate in the Spring.

Any questions about what’s above, just ask.  That’s what this is here for.

Thanks,

Lindsay