Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Freshmen Prepare for College at PC


While the summer heat settles in, Phoenix College students are getting ready for the upcoming fall semester as they meet with their academic advisors, register for classes, and purchase text books. And to better prepare new students for the fall semester, PC will hold a New Student Orientation that offers additional resources, tips and advice for students to experience a successful and seamless transition into college.

The orientation will take place Saturday, August 22 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Phoenix College, 1202 W. Thomas Rd. in Phoenix. Students will learn how to navigate their way through college, make new friends and learn how to get involved on campus by attending the orientation, which includes a series of workshops, activities and a campus tour. They will also have the opportunity to meet the college’s student service representatives, faculty, continuing students, and the new 2009-2010 PC Ambassadors.

During the introductory presentation, the PC Ambassadors, a select group of 13 students who serve as college recruiters and orientation leaders, will perform a unique welcoming message representing their desired career along with a theme song of their choice as well as a presentation sharing helpful tips on how to succeed in college.

“They will receive first-hand advice from students who were once in their shoes. When they (the students) see that their success at PC is important to us, it makes them feel like a special part of our school,” added Ortega.

Following the introductory presentation given by the Ambassadors, workshop sessions will be available for all participants. Workshops will cover topics such as how to succeed in college, how to make career decisions, how to search for scholarships, and how to become university bound.

Students planning to attend should have their class schedules with them at the orientation to use as a reference during campus tours. The orientation will end with a FREE lunch and door prizes that include movie passes and gift certificates to local restaurants and to the Follett PC book store.

The event is free and open to parents and families. Students must register for the non-credit course, NSO – Class No. 39093, to attend. Continuing students who have not previously attended the New Student Orientation are also encouraged to register.

To request interpreters in other languages or to request special accommodations, contact the Office of Recruitment and Retention at (602) 285-7415 by August 9.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Phoenix College Welcomes New Dean of Information Technology

After a national search that attracted over 100 applicants, Tim Murphy, Ed. D., was selected as the new Dean of Information Technology (IT) at Phoenix College. Murphy begins his new position at PC with extensive knowledge and over 15 years experience in the field.

“We are delighted to have such a talented leader join the Phoenix College family,” said Phoenix College President Dr. Anna Solley. “Dean Murphy's vision and expertise will enhance the application of technology to support teaching and learning. Given the innovative PC faculty and staff and Dr. Murphy's vision, we are developing exciting and flexible programs and services for our college community."

Murphy held several key positions, most recently Director of IT Learning Centers and Technologies at Montgomery College located in Rockville, Md. The college consists of three separate campuses, a workforce development center, and several satellite locations throughout the county.

At Montgomery College he was responsible for all IT instructional support for approximately 59,000 students and 700 faculty members. Learning Centers provided support for 231 classroom smart instructor workstations, three separate libraries, and a public access television station with full digital media and graphics support for the college. He was also instrumental in launching an Internet-based videoconferencing network that consisted of 14 administrative locations and three classroom units.

Previously, he worked with the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas where he provided web support for all university users. In addition, he supported 300 faculty members who integrated technology in their curricula such as the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) and digital audio/video production.

“I'm excited about joining a group of professionals that are committed to providing good customer. It is my intention to focus the collective energy of IT on good customer service that focuses on the primary mission of good teaching and learning elements at Phoenix College,” said Murphy. “I look forward to keep PC in the forefront of community involvement.

Murphy began his career starting his own consulting company, Covert Teaching Operations, evaluated educational software, and lived in Tokyo, Japan for one year. He also taught for 11 years at three universities in their respective schools of education, business, and technology.

Murphy received his M.Ed. (1993) and Ed. D. (1999) in Instructional Technology from the University of Houston.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Communiversity @ Surprise Opening on August 3, 2009

Phoenix College has entered into a partnership with several other higher education institutions to form the Communiversity @ Surprise, an innovative blending of community colleges and universities where students will have the opportunity to complete certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees and master's degrees, in-person and/or online all in one location. A total of 40 different certificate and degree programs will be offered.

Transferring is easy! The community college partners have articulation agreements with university partners that allow students to exceed the normal 64 credit hours that can be transferred and applied to a bachelor's degree. For every bachelor's degree available through the Communiversity @ Surprise, there is the potential to transfer 75-90 credits from a community college.

Save money! You can save thousands of dollars by taking your lower division courses at a community college. Tuition at community colleges can be up to 75% less than tuition rates at public and private universities.

Along with host college Rio Salado, several other institutions are providing classes and programs. The partners include: Phoenix College, Glendale Community College, Ottawa University, the University of the Incarnate Word, Western International University and West-MEC.

This Fall Phoenix College will focus in the health care area offering several hybrid courses including:
• Nurse Assisting
• Fundamentals in Health Care Delivery
• Health Record Documentation for Allied Health Professionals
• Medical Terminology for Health Care Workers
• Pharmacology for Allied Health
• Medical Terminology for Health Care Workers

The Communiversity @ Surprise, located at 15950 W. Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, will open to the public for students to register for classes on Monday, August 3, 2009. Open houses also are slated for Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information visit www.azcommuniversity.com or enter “communiversity” in the keyword search at my.maricopa.edu to conveniently search for all of the community college courses offered at the Communiversity @ Surprise.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

PC Faculty Member Appointed Director at the Raul H. Castro Institute

Maria Enciso, Phoenix College Spanish faculty member, has been appointed as the Director of the Raul H. Castro Institute (RCI).

“Maria brings a wealth of experience to the post, and I know she will continue the tradition of excellence established by all involved with the RCI,” said President Dr. Anna Solley.

Enciso has served as a Spanish faculty in the Foreign Language Department at Phoenix College since 1991. Prior to teaching at Phoenix College, Enciso taught as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Arizona University. She also taught for the Nogales Unified School District and for Phoenix Elementary School District.

“I have been teaching for more than 20 years and absolutely love teaching,” said Enciso. “I am happy that education is one of the priority areas for RCI.”

At Phoenix College, Enciso has had the opportunity to serve as chair of many committees. She served as the Title V Grant Director for three years at PC, and most recently she co-chaired the Retention Committee.

In 2006, Enciso received the Ronald McDonald House Charities Excellence in Education Award. For her continued professionalism and motivation to help students succeed through teaching and learning, The National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award was given to her twice.

“I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to act as the RCI Director. This new position will allow me to continue to grow professionally and personally,” she said. “I want to honor RCI’s intent and continue to add to the great work that has already been accomplished. I look forward to this new experience.”

Enciso will continue teaching Spanish while serving as the RCI Director where she’ll receive immediate direction from Solley in collaboration with members of the RCI Executive Committee.

Enciso has received three education degrees from Northern Arizona University. She holds a bachelor’s in Spanish and Secondary Education, a master’s degree in Bilingual/Multicultural Education, and a second master’s in Educational Leadership.

ABOUT THE RAUL H. CASTRO INSTITUTE:
The Raul H. Castro Institute (RCI), named after the Honorable Raul H. Castro the first and only Mexican-American Governor of Arizona (1975-1977), is a collaborative effort of the Office of the Governor - State of Arizona, Arizona State University - Center for Community Development & Civil Rights, Maricopa County Community College District, and Phoenix College. A non-profit organization, the RCI is a "do tank" focusing on issues that affect the Latino community in Arizona, with emphasis on education, health and human services, leadership and civic participation.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Scholarship Applications are a Click Away: Online Scholarship Management Now Available

Searching and applying for scholarships can be both time consuming and confusing. But, for Phoenix College students, searching for scholarships is now just a click away, making the process fast, simple and effective using an online scholarship application/management program. The Scholarship Manager from Next Gen Web Solutions is a user-friendly way for students to complete just one application that will be matched to all PC managed scholarships for which the student is eligible.

“Phoenix College is using the Scholarship Manager to make the application process easier and accessible to more students,” said Director of PC Alumni and Development Frank Luna. “We were looking for a process that would benefit our students while benefiting the environment. We’ll no longer be printing applications. Overall, this new process will maximize efficiency and reduce paper and printing cost.”

Students will not only be able to apply online, but manage their scholarship applications as well. They can start an application, save it, and return later to complete the process. They will also be able to check back into their portal after they submit to view the progress of their application and award.

“The Scholarship Manager is self explanatory. It was very easy to search for scholarships and to submit my application,” said Yu-Chih Chen, an international PC culinary student.

Faculty will also find the process to be very user-friendly. They will receive email requests for letters of recommendation and will be able to quickly submit their letters of recommendations electronically.

The system will be available 24 hours a day, a convenient feature that will help expedite the scholarship recipient selection. The review and scoring of applications, which is done by scholarship committee members, is also required to be completed online.

“Committee members no longer have to juggle schedules to meet in person to review applications, and everyone can review and score their applications at their leisure,” said Luna.

Phoenix College is the third Maricopa community college behind Mesa CC and Glendale CC to implement this new system.

For an updated scholarship list, visit www.phoenixcollege.edu/scholarships.

For more information about the Scholarship Manager at Phoenix College, contact Frank Luna at (602) 285-7667.