I read with much sorrow last week the obituary of my senior high English teacher.  As my teacher, Miss Smith was young, petite, and had icy blue eyes that could cut like a knife or twinkle with delight.  She had command of both her subject and students. She was able to strike balance in the classroom.  Rigor, respect, and restraint were lightly sprinkled with quick wit. I considered her an excellent teacher.

 

As educators we create a unique micro-climate in our classroom. You set the mood, the tone, and the expectations.  Calm or chaos? Clean-lined or cluttered? Structured or free-flowing? Easy or challenging? You decide. Thankfully there is not a single path to creating the ideal classroom environment. The subject, the student composition, and even the time of day or year may necessitate that the instructor make adjustments to provide an optimal experience. Good instructors are responsive.

 

At the dawn of this new school year, I'm particularly aware of the importance of good teachers. We have both an awesome responsibility and unique privilege to provide our students with the excellent education that they deserve. I'm confident that we're equipped to meet the challenge!      
 
                                                       ~Lisa German
CONVOCATION TODAY
Dr. Terry O'Banion will be the guest speaker today during Convocation (in JBC Auditorium). O'Banion is the author of the seminal work on the learning college concept, A Learning College for the 21st Century. He will introduce new employees to the concept and renew our focus as we strive to become more learning centered in all that we do. Many thanks to the Professional Development Committee for securing Dr. O'Banion as our guest speaker.  Please mark your calendar for this event.

7:45 - 8:30 a.m.   Continental Breakfast................................. JBC Lobby
All offices should be closed for Convocation events, and all employees are expected to attend. Offices will open at 3:00 p.m. and will remain open until the scheduled closing time. Questions regarding any schedule adjustment should be directed to the appropriate supervisor, dean, or vice president.

Bailey Center Relocations 

 in Florida, where the community college baccalaureate movement is strongest, community colleges now offer more than 100 four-year degrees, and the figure could be about to jump significantly. (Source) 

 
End of Fiscal Year Deadlines
In preparation for the fiscal year-end all purchase order requests must be received by the Business Office by Tuesday, August 31st  and all invoices must be received by the Business Office by Friday, September 10th in order to be expensed in 2009-2010 fiscal year.   All unpaid purchase orders as of September 13, 2010 will carry forward as an expense to the fiscal year 2010-2011.  We will resume issuing purchase orders on Monday, October 4, 2010.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Attention Faculty - if Human Resources does not have your most current official transcript on file, please make sure you turn it in by September 1.

Student Learning Outcomes/Program Outcomes Assessment 
Days are set aside in the Academic Calendar each year to conduct planning and assessment of all programs and services at Wallace State.  Planning and Assessment are everyone's responsibilities, and attention to this critically important process is even more important as we complete our Fifth Year Interim Report. All 2008-09 Outcomes Assessments and Unit Action Plans are to be concluded by August 31.  All 2009-10 Outcomes Assessments and Unit Action Plans are to have been entered into the SPOL software by August 31 as well and initial assessments of intended outcomes conducted as required. Please contact Mary Mayo for assistance with this very important process.

 

The Wallace State Alumni Association is pleased to announce the acceptance of nominations for the 2010 Outstanding Alumni Awards.  Each year, the Alumni Association honors our outstanding graduates and former students who have exceptional professional achievements.  Please take the time to nominate a successful graduate or former student.  The Awards Ceremony will be held in the Burrow Center Recital Hall on Friday, September 17th and will be followed by a reception in their honor.  Nominations are due in the Alumni Office no later than August 9, 2010.  For more information, contact Suzanne Harbin or Karon Welch.

Bookstore
The Wallace State Bookstore is now on Facebook. Become a friend at www.facebook.com/wsbookstore.

 

Remember to make your PEEHIP Open Enrollment changes online.  The deadline is September 10.

Student Success Stories               
We're interested in student success stories any time of year, not just at graduation.  If you know a student we should highlight, please share.  Just reply to this email or send to Kristen Holmes.