ACCD Weather Line

For the latest information on Campus closures due to weather, please call the ACCD Weather Line at 210.208.8189.

Campus Weather Update

Heavy rains have been pouring on campus all day today causing flooding on the roadway on a portion of West Villaret Boulevard from Poteet Highway 16 leading into the college.

Please be careful in this area: TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN!

Recommendations for exiting the college is via the westbound Loop 410 frontage road. On entering the college, you may consider the entrance off Loop 410 (but you would have to be traveling west), or the entrance off Jennifer Street by W. Villaret Blvd.

Juan Tejeda in Conexion

As you're out doing your shopping during the next couple of days, pick up a copy of the San Antonio Express-News' "Conexion: The Weekly Voice of La Cultura" and turn to page 6. There you will a story and photo on PAC's Juan Tejeda talking about the Conjunto Scholarship Program!

Then turn to page 9 and take a look at the PAC Summer II Registration ad.

You noticed I didn't mention to look at the bottom of page two in the "Contents" area. Unfortunately, they didn't spell "Palo" correctly.

It's a good way to spend a quarter!

Aggie Summer Institute

Some of you may have noticed more than the usual amount of young adults visiting the campus this week. What's going on is that Palo Alto College is hosting the Aggie Summer Institute 2007 Jumpstart to College!

Students from grades 7th to 12th from local and area high schools are attending this four-day workshop to learn valuable tools needed to prepare for college. Highlights include learning about the importance of a college education; applying for financial aid and scholarships; budgeting and money management techniques; building a resume; and choosing the right career.

PAC Book Bag

Team Palomino,

This is the Final Week of the Walk & Roll Corporate Challenge!!! Please go to http://www.accd.edu/pac/htm/Community/publicaffairs/walkandroll/default.htm and update your Smart Miles. As an added bonus, the first 10 people who email me proof that they have achieved 100% of their pledge goal will receive a Palo Alto College canvas book bag (currently in production and should arrive in 2-3 weeks).

How do you submit proof? When you log in to update your Smart Miles, go to “Current Stats” on the left hand side of the page and highlight your total pledge amount, total completed miles, and percentage of goal. Go to “Edit” at the top of your screen and select copy. Send me an email at Vbosquez@accd.edu and click on paste and your information should appear.

All mileage must be logged in by midnight July 1, 2007!!!

The book bag will be delivered to you upon arrival in my office. If you have any questions, please call me!

Thank you for doing your part for the environment!

PAC Updates

Here are a couple of events that have occurred during the past week:

--Tina Mesa, Dean of PAC’s Learning Resources Center, has accepted a four year appointment on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL—a division of the American Library Association) Budget & Finance Committee. The committee’s charge is to annually submit a budget to the ACRL division’s Board of Directors for action, and to assist the Board in aligning the budget with the strategic plan.

--PAC’s Learning Resource Center has implemented an online form for faculty members to request library instruction for their classes. The sessions may include instruction on how to identify, access, evaluate and use information resources The form is accessible from the library’s homepage. The direct link is: http://www.accd.edu/pac/lrc/BIrequest.htm.

--PAC’s Counseling Department completed revisions needed for the 2007-2009 college catalog. Changes included categorizing topics, adding a glossary, organizing areas in a logical sequence, and making additions to the table of contents to make it a more student-friendly publication.

Blood Drive Monday--June 25

A young lady just stopped me in the Student Center and offered me a flier regarding an upcoming Blood Drive here at PAC.

BLOOD DRIVE
Palo Alto College
Monday, June 25th
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Student Center

All presenting donors receive pizza and a Texas flag T-shirt!!

Even better, a $25 Wal-Mart gift card for donors giving blood twice this summer between May 1 and Sept. 30th. For complete promotion guidelines, visit www.southtexasblood.org

Walk & Roll Challenge Update

Team Palomino,

Please take a few minutes to log in and update your Smart Miles! PAC is still leading, percentage-wise, all participating higher education institutions in accomplishing its goal!!!

Go to the PAC web page designed exclusively for the Walk & Roll Challenge to update your progress: http://www.accd.edu/pac/htm/Community/publicaffairs/walkandroll/default.htm

Remember, the Walk & Roll Challenge ends Saturday, June 30!

Today at PAC

Here are some of the latest happenings by the fabulous faculty and staff at Palo Alto College:

Students enrolled in PAC’s Upward Bound Program received a presentation from author and Holocaust survivor Hanna Davidson Pankowsky, 78, in the Performing Arts Center today. The students are currently reading and discussing “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Freedom Writers,” and the presentation offered a unique opportunity to gain insight into the books and the World War II atrocities from one of the few survivors of the Holocaust now living in San Antonio.

PAC adjunct Jackie Dansby has been named the new president of the San Antonio Women’s Celebration and Hall of Fame. The San Antonio’s Women’s Celebration began in 1984 as a result of then-Governor Mark White’s “Women in Texas Today” week. The San Antonio program was formalized in 1987 to recognize and honor outstanding women in the San Antonio community in various categories. Dr. Guzmán, PAC President, was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

Spain Through Eyes of Our Students

Have you always wanted to visit the Kingdom of Spain but haven't gotten around to it yet? Perhaps you've been to Spain and would like to see or know about some familiar haunts. Here's an opportunity for you to see Spain through the eyes of PAC and other Alamo Community College students!

Dr. Denise Barkis Richter teaches Journalism/Mass Communication at Palo Alto College. Currently there are 13 students representing three ACCD colleges studying abroad in Spain while taking COMM 2311: News Reporting and Writing and HUMA 2323: World Cultures and Global Issues. Dr. Richter hopes that you will travel and learn with them through their blog at the following website: http://denisespain2007.blogspot.com/

CSI: Palo Alto

Are you ready for Crime Scene Investigations: Palo Alto?

Palo Alto College's Criminal Justice Club is sponsoring its First Annual Forensic Science Conference on the PAC campus, June 21! The one-day only conference led by the American Crime School, begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

Here's the best part! If you're a currently enrolled PAC student and are one of the first 50 to register to attend the conference--it's FREE! Registration fee for other students is $40, and registration for the public is $75. Registration deadline is June 19.

For more information on the conference, such as how to sign-up, please go to the PAC website at www.accd.edu/pac and look on the homepage under Campus News!

Saving Trees at PAC

As work begins on Palo Alto College’s $21.1 million Convocation Center, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán, PAC President, has sought and received assistance from the City of San Antonio to save five cedar elm trees located in the construction area.

The trees, estimated to be 20-years-old, had been previously marked for destruction. The trees will be relocated to Palo Alto Terrace Park, located at 9700 Celeste. There are currently no trees in the park.

“Our commitment is to be responsible to the environment so that our children’s children will enjoy theirs,” said Dr. Guzmán. “The shade of these trees at a park near Palo Alto will bring enjoyment to our community.”

The first tree was transplanted June 5 and the final tree is scheduled to be transplanted June 11. SpawGlass Construction, which is building the Convocation Center, is overseeing the transplanting of the trees. City of San Antonio employee Samuel Holmes, who is performing the actual transplanting of the trees, is also a PAC student majoring in Landscape and Horticulture Science.

Go Spurs Go!

Dear Faculty and Staff,

In honor and support of our San Antonio Spurs playing in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tomorrow at the AT&T Center, Dr. Guzmán has authorized the wearing of your favorite Spurs attire on Thursday, June 7!

PAC Updates

On Monday afternoon, the college bid farewell to Frank Guevara (left), the Program Coordinator at the Ray Ellison Family Center, pictured with Dr. Adolfo Barrera, the Vice President of Student Affairs, with cake and punch in the Student Center Annex. We're going to miss you, Frank! Thank you for all your hard work!!

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Don't forget to log in your "Smart Miles" at PAC's Walk & Roll Challenge website!

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This is to advise you that beginning today, June 6th, SpawGlass will begin demolition and excavation work on the areas that are to receive new and/or renovated sidewalk work, in the area north of the Parking Lot Expansion project. This includes the portion of grass area south of Building ‘K’ (Performing Arts), as well as the existing sidewalk south of Building ‘H’ (Administration) that will become handicap accessible.

PAC Closes Out May with Style

Here are some items of interests we reported to the Chancellor as we closed out the final week of May 2007:

--Several PAC faculty members attended a Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) workshop entitled “Engaging Under-Prepared Students” in Austin, May 22. The workshop was held in conjunction with the International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence sponsored by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).

--PAC’s Vice President of Academic Affairs lead a group of 13 ACCD students to Turkey to study its history, religions, arts and culture during Maymester 2007. The group viewed some of the most impressive archaeological parks in the world that evoked the greatness of Asia Minor during the height of the Roman Empire and visited cities such as Instanbul, Izmir and Troy.

--PAC hosted a graduation ceremony for participants involved in the Bexar County Adult Drug Court Program sponsored by Bexar County Court at Law #1 Judge Alfonso E. Alonso, May 24. Guests included San Antonio Police Chief William McManus; District 4 Councilman-elect Philip Cortez; Jennifer Northway, representing Mothers Against Drunk Drivers; and Dr. Gerald A. Juhnke, Professor and Doctoral Program Director, Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Adult & Higher Education at UTSA.

Museo Alameda presents "Conjunto"

From Conjunto Legend and PAC Conjunto Instructor Juan Tejeda:

Camaradas de Conjunto: If you haven't checked out the new Museo Alameda del Smithsonian at the Market Square in downtown San Antonio, you need to go by there. One of the inaugural exhibits, which I was contracted to help curate, are the Conjunto photos/portraits by John Dyer. As part of this exhibit I also developed a concert series at the Museo and various educational activities including a film series, meet the artists, a symposium and response panel, and other things. I hope to send you the complete schedule soon. The second in the series of conjunto concerts will take place tomorrow, Saturday, June 2 (check out the poster above) and features accordion greats Paulino Bernal y el Conjunto Bernal and Joel Guzman featuring Sarah Fox. It's a free event that will take place right outside the Museo facing the Market Square plaza. Va' estar pesado. Spread the word and hope to see you there. Juan

ALSO,

I have one (1) Extra Large "Ask Me" ACCD T-shirt; one (1) Extra Large "PALS" T-shirt; and one (1) Large "ACCD Secur'it'y"T-shirt in my office if you want it! Limit one per person!!