President’s Update - March 31, 2008
Good Morning!
This past week I had the opportunity to be away for several days taking care of some family matters. So there was some space to think with more focus and time about EvCC and the many challenges and activities that are in front of us. Certainly, as is typical this time of year, with the spring quarter in front of us, our work quickly becomes more hectic with less long-term time available to accomplish those tasks we want and/or need to get done. Increased stress and anxiety set in. Then unanticipated external factors can cause even greater pressure depending on the nature and the number of us that might be impacted. A quandary to consider! Should we as a college come up with some measures that will alleviate this stress, and if so, what might these be?
We talked at the monthly President’s meeting prior to spring break about the pressures on college campuses this year. Obviously, most colleges experience different stages of what was described above. We noted, however, that this year is unusual from recent years with an new awareness about the critical need to improve campus security and continuous apprehension about various campus incidents, regardless of their nature (Portland Community College just experienced some random violence two weeks ago); the continued stress of a nation at war with increasing loss of life and veterans returning home and to school with many problems associated with trauma and injury; restlessness on college campuses about not only the issues of war but of a troubled economy that has increased the costs of living for basic necessities and that leaves less income available to cover education needs; the impact on a society accelerated with the growing emphasis and use of technology, encouraging information to be exchanged with greater volume and speed; more competition with a global economy (fuel consumption, as an example, continues to be a major factor internationally that drives pricing) and less time to appreciate and understand new cultures and lifestyle, thus expanding human confrontation and conflict. What should or can a college community do to mitigate some of these pressures on our students?
During the interview process for this position almost two years ago, the need to improve and enhance the quality and frequency of communication across the campus was the most frequently mentioned topic, to my recollection. There are many ongoing efforts with faculty activities like the Humanities Center, special faculty lectures and presentations for campus participation, activities with the Diversity and Equity Center, and student activities. We instituted the college council process, opened up VP meetings with sharing of agenda and minutes, attempted to increase transparency of decision-making processes, developed an internal communication plan that is ongoing with implementation, developed a more engaging Board of Trustees meeting format, encouraged greater sharing among administrative departments, scheduled “chat sessions,” and continue with this blog. And there are other efforts not mentioned. Are these of any benefit to the campus community, and can some be expanded to address some of the concerns noted above?
Has communication improved at EvCC? Is there more quality to our communication with and between one another? How do we react to decisions that are not completely understandable and/or contrary to our wishes? The results are probably mixed at best. There are episodes of struggle with decisions, and some decisions could have most probably used better information with more communication. In some instances the emotions of our human nature have overcome reason and courtesy. We all can probably improve, beginning with being more effective as leaders in communication efforts. We all can serve as role models and examples in the daily conduct of our business. There is no need to embarrass, confront, harass or intimidate.
EvCC is undergoing a significant physical and operational transformation with the new facility construction and changes with personnel and reporting relationships. We continue with our initiatives in International Education, Corporate Education and creating new learning centers/opportunities in other Snohomish communities. We’ve begun the design of a feasibility study (to be implemented in early May with final report in late July) for a possible major fundraising campaign during 2008/2009. We will be appointing a steering committee this spring for our self-study (a major undertaking) and eventual accreditation evaluation in April 2010.
Enrollments appear to be in a more positive position than last year. The current year budget is in a similar state. We’ve made progress and it was due to the contributions of all of you. While we can be optimistic, we need to be persistent and cautious, and open to improving.
The legislative session ended with the community college system receiving little of what was requested but gaining additional allocations for apprenticeships in aerospace, home health care training, early learning centers, part-time faculty transition, and faculty compensation. All employees will receive COLA. And our capital construction projects are in the system moving forward as we had hoped.
So there are several outcomes that we can feel positive about. The future looks promising albeit challenging and, to a degree, overwhelming. But some unfortunate incident due to either internal or external factors can be upsetting to our learning and work environment. How do we balance our fortunes and prepare for our future in the midst of accelerated demands and uncertainty with what can be anticipated? These are questions that we all probably deal with daily, and, hopefully, are comfortable discussing with one another.
In the next week, one particular event that we have prepared for is the focused evaluation visit from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. If you’ll recall, this visit is a follow-up to the accreditation visit of 2000 and several interim visits concerning our work with outcomes assessment. We appear to have turned the corner and are now prepared to address these issues in an ongoing and effective manner. Thanks to all the people involved and for the leadership of Gary Newlin, Darryl Dieter and John Olson.
We continue with our budget development process and you are encouraged to attend campus budget meetings as these are scheduled. We are in agreement that these financial decisions need more input and transparency and will continue to move in that direction. In the meantime, your attendance and participation are important.
Welcome back to the spring term and have a great quarter. I look forward with you to a fruitful ten weeks, and a relaxing and warm summer. Thanks!