THIS WEEK
Core Values:
Ongoing
» Fall Residency I exhibit, Cypress College Art Gallery
(through October 28)
Integrity
4 • Monday
» Foundation Golf Classic, SeaCliff Country Club.
5 • Tuesday
» Reception for newly tenured faculty, CCCPLX-414, 3
p.m.
» Nursing Program public accreditation meeting, TE3201, 4-5 p.m.
8 • Friday
» “The Wiz,” Campus Theater, 7:30 p.m. Additional
performances on Oct. 9, 10, 15, 16, 17.
9 • Saturday
» “The Wiz,” Campus Theater, 7:30 p.m. Additional
performances on Oct. 10, 15, 16, 17.
10 • Sunday
» “The Wiz,” Campus Theater, 7:30 p.m. Additional
performances on Oct. 15, 16, 17.
For additional events, visit the online listings.
THEY SAID IT
“A diamond is merely a lump of
coal that did well under pressure.”
– unknown
Excellence
Collegiality
Inclusiveness
October 1, 2010, Newsletter from President Michael J. Kasler
Federal Government Awards $3.25 Million Title V Grant to Cypress
A $3.25 million federal Title V grant is coming to Cypress
College. Notification came through the office of Congressman Ed
Royce on Tuesday that Cypress College’s application through the U.S.
Department of Education had been approved.
Cypress College is one of 25 awards, from more than 250 applicant colleges and universities across the nation.
The five-year grant will be used to enhance student success,
including support services in math, English, ESL and reading, among
other programs.
The $3.25 million grant value is the maximum award for the
grant, which was available to all public and private 2- and 4-year campuses that are designated Hispanic Serving Institutions.
The purposes of a Strengthening Hispanic Serving Institutions
grant are not limited to assisting Hispanic students, but rather are
intended to assist all Cypress College students.
The Grant proposal, which was written two years ago and submit-
ted in June, is based on proven need — low retention and success rates
for basic skills students.
The federal government has awarded the grant for the new programs outlined in the application that are planned to address these
needs. It should also be noted that this funding cannot be used to
replace funding lost from recent budget cuts.
The college’s Title V project is composed of three related components: Integrating Instruction & Student Services; Institutional
Effectiveness; and Staff Development.
“We are also in the process of scheduling the first Title V Steering
Committee meeting,” said Steve Donley, the Dean of Career Technical
Education and Economic Development.
Donley will serve as the project administrator for the grant and
Nancy Deutsch will be the project manager.
“I would like to personally thank Nancy Deutsch who worked so
diligently on this project, and all of you who so graciously helped in
conceptualizing, designing, and developing this grant!!!” Donley said in
an email to the campus.
This is the second time that the college has obtained one of these
highly competitive grants. Cypress College previously was awarded a
Title V grant in 2003.
Reception for Newly Tenured Faculty
Nursing Accreditation Public Meeting on Tues.
The college learned this week of its success
in the five-year grant through the office of
Congressman Ed Royce.
@Cypress is published each week. If
you would like to have items included,
please contact Marc Posner in the Public
Information Office at ext. 47006 or
mposner@CypressCollege.edu.
Cypress College will honor the 2010 newly tenured faculty
members on Tuesday, October 5 at 3 p.m. The reception will
be held in the CCCPLX room 414. The faculty being honored
are: Joel Gober, Biology; Rebecca Gomez, Health Information
Technology; Lenore Landis, Chemistry; Dave McCament,
Mortuary Science; and Keith Vescial, Reading, Language Arts
Division. The five faculty officially received tenure from the
NOCCCD Board of Trustees in May.
Dr. Michael J. Kasler, President
(714) 484-7308
mkasler@CypressCollege.edu
Cy p re s s C o lle g e
•
9 2 0 0 Va ll ey Vie w St re e t
•
Cypre s s , CA 90630
•
A public meeting on Cypress College’s Nursing Program is
scheduled with a team from The National League for Nursing
Accrediting Commission in TE-3, Room 201, from 4-5 p.m., on
Tuesday, October 5. While not required, this national accreditation makes the college eligible for federal grants, students eligible
for federal loans and scholarships, and entrance to the military as
nurses. Most universities and graduate schools require that students graduate from an NLN-accredited nursing school.
(714) 484-70 0 0
•
http ://Cyp ressCol l ege.ed u
CHARGERS
Cypress College students
Marylynn Folau, Denise
Talitiga, and Losa Tavake
are recipients of the 2010
Orange County Asian and
Pacific Islander Community
Alliance scholarship awards.
They each will receive $3,000
scholarships this year and
next.
Doug Cooney, Cypress
College theater adjunct faculty, was honored to receive
the Charlotte B. Chorpenning
Playwright Award, at the
annual 2010 American Alliance
for Theatre & Education
(AATE) awards ceremony. It
was held on Saturday, August
7, at the PARC 55 Hotel in
San Francisico. Cooney was
recognized as a nationally
known writer of outstanding plays for children. He
received the honor named
after playwright Charlotte B.
Chorpenning of the Goodman
Theatre in Chicago.
Cypress College Women’s
2010 Softball State Champions
are currently running a fundraiser until October, 2010 in
support of their team. Coach
Brad Pickler said that they
would like old or used clothing, shoes and handbags. Call
Coach Pickler at (714) 4847000 ext. 47359 to arrange
for pick up or more information.
Community College Students Guaranteed Access to CSU in New Law
Community College students will gain guaranteed access to the campuses of the California State
University System under legislation signed into law by
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday.
The law will create a new “associate degree
for transfer” to be implemented by the CSU and
California Community College systems by fall 2011.
Guaranteed CSU admission comes through two
pieces of legislation: SB 1440 by Senator Alex Padilla
(D-Pacoima) and AB 2302 by Assemblymember Paul
Fong (D-Cupertino).
“These two pieces of legislation are a historic
victory for California’s students, and I’m proud to
sign both of them into law,” said Schwarzenegger,
a one-time community college student himself.
“Guaranteeing admission into a CSU for any community college student who completes the newly
established transfer degree under SB 1440 is a monumental step forward for California’s higher education
system. This legislation also strengthens our economy
by giving more students the necessary skills to enter
the workforce, grow companies and create jobs in
California. I commend both Senator Alex Padilla and
Assemblymember Paul Fong for authoring legislation
that provides such a fantastic opportunity to our community college students.”
California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack
Scott called the legislation “a monumental step” in
promising open access to the state’s universities.
“Today marks a major victory for California
Community College students pursuing their dream
to receive a baccalaureate degree from the California
State University,” said Scott, who served as president
of Cypress College from 1978-1987. “These two measures will tremendously streamline the transfer process,
providing a clear pathway to transfer for tens of thousands of community college students each year.”
The transfer agreement forged from this legislation will save students time and money, he said.
Strategic Conversation: ‘Maintaining Excellence in Challenging Times’
The North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees will host the annual Strategic
Conversation at Cypress College later this month.
Strategic Conversation #12: “Maintaining Excellence in Challenging Times,” will take place on Tuesday,
October 26, from 5 to 7:10 p.m., in the Cypress College Theatre Lobby.
A social hour with refreshments will be from 4 to 5 p.m.
To participate in the event, please email publicaffairs@nocccd.edu to RSVP by October 19.
Cypress College Counts Down to Participation in Great ShakeOut
Cypress College is counting down four weeks to
prepare for the 2010 Great California ShakeOut event
that will be happening on Thursday, October 21.
“There already more than 5.6 million Californians
registered to participate,” said Karen Cant, Vice
President for Administrative Services. “The ShakeOut
has grown because of people who see the value of
practicing how to protect ourselves, and for being prepared”.
Cypress College is a registered participant for the
Great California ShakeOut drill, in which the entire
campus will practice responding to an earthquake
together during this event.
Cant emphasized the importance of participation
from the campus community — which is mandatory
— because it illustrates the college’s commitment to
emergency preparation and for earthquake safety.
The statewide earthquake preparedness drill
included participation from nearly 7 million
Californians in 2009.
According to the state Chancellor’s Office, the
drill will provide community colleges with a central
theme to launch their emergency notification systems
and distribute useful earthquake safety information.
The greatest threat to California’s community colleges
is an earthquake, according to Peter Wright, California
Community Colleges Director of Emergency
Preparedness.
BRIEFLY
Dr. Jill Biden is chairing
the first-ever White House
Summit on Community
Colleges, which will take place
on October 5. In support of
the summit, The White House
posted a short video on their
website in which current
students and alumni describe
their experiences. To learn
more, including viewing the
video and a link to the summit
page, check out “@Cypress
Online.”
Dr. Ned Doffoney,
Chancellor of the North
Orange County Community
College District, was a corecipient of the Aaron and
Elijah Lovejoy Award from
the Black Chamber of Orange
County on September 23.
The Aaron and Elijah Lovejoy
Award is presented to individuals in the Southern California
Community who have contributed to the freeing of
African Americans either economically or educationally.
The Human Services Club
has a team participating in the
“Making Strides Breast Cancer
Walk” on Sunday October
10, at the Orange County
Performing Arts Center in
Costa Mesa. Anyone interested in participating can join on
online. There is no registration fee. For info, call Tiffany
Walton at (714) 222-0104.
For nearly a half-million students, Cypress College has been a springboard to their dreams. Cypress Colleg e: Motivating Minds.
North Orange County
Community College
LEAGUE OF
WOMEN VOTERS
Connecting People with Government
Board of Trustees
Candidate Forum
Thursday, October 7
7:00-9:00 PM
Fullerton Union High School
District Board Room
1051 Bastanchury Road
(Corner of Euclid and Bastanchury)
Fullerton, CA 92833
Moderated by the League of Women Voters
of North Orange County
www.lwvnoc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports
or opposes candidates for public office or political parties.
smartvoter.org
Want unbiased information about candidates and issues on your ballot to
help you make an informed decision (with no ads!)? Have questions about
voter registration and voting? Go to smartvoter.org for comprehensive
nonpartisan election information.
Joel Gober
Biology
Dave McCament
Mortuary Science
Keith Vescial
Reading
Lenore Landis
Chemistry
Rebecca Gomez
Health Information Technology
Rebecca Gomez
Health Information Technology
Health Science Division
Rebecca Gomez began working in Cypress College’s Health Information
Technology Program in 1998 as an adjunct faculty member and has been
employed here full-time since the fall of 2006. She has worked for several
years in hospitals, ambulatory care and home health in various
management positions. She was also a consultant who helped hospitals
and clinics prepare for licensure surveys and the implementation of federal
privacy laws. Gomez also developed software for release of information,
electronic records and occupational health.
At Cypress College, Gomez has served as a member of the Staff Development Committee, the
Distance Education Committee, and is a Standard Chair for Resources as part of the Accreditation
Committee. Off campus, she is a volunteer in the Read OC adult literacy program and was recently
elected as President-Elect for the Greater Orange County Health Information Association.
She earned her Bachelor’s of Science from the School of Public Health at the University of
California, Los Angeles, her Master’s of Science in Healthcare Administration, from California
State University, Long Beach and Master’s of Arts in Sports Management from the University of
San Francisco.
Keith Vescial
Reading
Language Arts Division
Keith Vescial began teaching Reading at Cypress College in the Fall of
2006 after a varied educational background that prompts him to share that
“I don’t think my wife will allow me to go back to school again!” His first
Bachelor’s of Arts degree was in Biology from Loma Linda University,
which was followed with a Master’s of Science in Industrial Hygiene from
the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He later went back to school and
completed a Bachelor’s of Arts in History at the University of Maryland
University College and a Master’s in History from University of
California, Riverside. Vescial went back to school a third time to earn a Master’s Degree in
Education with an emphasis in Adult Literacy.
For most of his twenties, he worked as a civilian contractor for the United States Army in Europe.
He returned to the United States and began working as a teacher — including five years as a high
school teacher in the Paramount Unified School District as well as in the Continuing Education and
History programs at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College. “I always had a special love
for community college teaching; so, four years ago when Cypress College hired me for my current
full-time position, I was ecstatic,” he said. “I am just so happy and appreciative every single day to
work at an amazing place like Cypress College.”
Vescial currently serves on the college’s Program Review Committee. In the past, he has served on
the architectural review committee for the Humanities Building remodel.
Dave McCament
Mortuary Science
Health Science Division
Dave McCament is a Cypress College graduate who returned to teach in
the program he completed back in 1978. He is a licensed embalmer,
funeral director and crematory operator in California. Additional
experience includes: mortuary management, cemetery plot sales,
crematory operations, maintaining mortuary records, accounting,
pre-need sales, extensive public speaking, interfacing with local
coroner offices, and establishing both a grave marker retail business and
a trade embalming service in Southern California.
While he has worked in the death care industry for 35 years, McCament has also worked in
education; prior to accepting his current faculty position in the Mortuary Science department in
2006, he was a credentialed, vocational R.O.P. high school auto shop instructor.
His career in education started as an aide while he pursued his Bachelor’s (Psychology) and Master’s
(Forensic Science) degrees through National University. He currently serves as the SLO
Representative for his division. He resides with his wife, Lisa, in Escondido.
Lenore Landis
Chemistry
Science/Engineering/Mathematics Division
Lenore Landis started working at Cypress College in the Fall of 2006 as a
full-time chemistry instructor. Her professional career began as a
biochemist researching the role of various proteins involved in urological
cancers. Landis started teaching in 2002 at the high school level after
earning a teaching credential from California State University, Northridge.
She was also an adjunct instructor at Los Angeles Pierce College, where
she taught biology.
At Cypress College, she has taught General Chemistry for science majors, and she is currently
teaching Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry for students entering allied health professions. She
has written new laboratory assignments with updated biotechnology techniques for the Biochemistry
program.
Landis has served for three years as the Science, Engineering and Math Division representative for
the Expanded Student Learning Outcome Committee. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science Degree
in Biochemistry with a minor in Biology from California State University, Long Beach and her
Master’s Degree in Biological Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Joel Gober
Biology
Science/Engineering/Mathematics Division
Joel Gober began teaching at Cypress College in August, 2006 after
working as a part-time instructor of biology, anatomy, and physiology
courses at other community colleges in Los Angeles. He previously was the
Director of the Southern Illinois University Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
facility. Gober also completed a post-doctoral National Institutes of Health
Fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of
California, San Francisco to develop whole human body nuclear magnetic
resonance spectroscopy methods.
He also worked with Philips Medical Systems and the USC School of Medicine Department of
Radiology developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography (MRA), and spectroscopy
(MRS) techniques. He has published numerous scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific
journals concerning MRI, MRA, and MRS applications in medicine.
Gober earned both his Bachelor’s of Arts and Master’s of Science in Physiology, and his Ph.D. in
Molecular Science from Southern Illinois University, with specialization in enzyme kinetics observed
by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
At Cypress College, Gober has served on numerous hiring committees, is the faculty advisor of the
Aquarium Club and co-advisor of the Biology Club. He is a member of the Accreditation Committee
on Institutional Effectiveness and the SEM Division representative-elect on the Program
Development Committee. He has revised the human anatomy laboratory curriculum, co-wrote a new
customized human anatomy laboratory manual, and is the co-coordinator of the human anatomy and
human physiology laboratories. He has developed online and hybrid curriculum and has produced
various multimedia learning and self-assessment activities for students, such as captioned videos and
lecture recordings, and makes them available as DSPS compliant webcasts to on-campus and on-line
students. Has recorded and webcasted every lecture he has presented at Cypress College.
