PAC Extramural Tryouts

All extramural tryouts have been rescheduled to the following dates:

Women’s Basketball Sept. 15, 2009 from 7-10pm
Men’s Basketball Sept. 16, 2009 from 7-10 pm
Women’s Volleyball Sept. 17, 2009 from 6-8pm
Cheerleading Sept. 16, 17, & 18, 2009 from 4-6pm

Also note that open gym hours will begin on Sept. 14, 2009. Hours will be posted in the gymnasium.

Vet Tech Bldg Earns Construction Award

I wanted to share the new news with you that our Veterinary Technology Building earned an Excellence in Construction Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., South Texas Chapter Architects—Rehler Vaughn & Koone.

Please click on the link to view the news story on our Vet Tech Bldg and other Alamo Colleges building that have earned recognitions:
http://www.accd.edu/main/html/news/2009/082809.htm

McAllister Park All-Stars

Please join me sending Best Wishes to the McAllister Park All-Stars on their quest to become the Little League World Series Champions this weekend!

As some of you may know, Ellen Shull’s son, Mike, is the coach for the team, and her grandson, John Shull, is a team member. Ellen, of course, is a Professor of English at PAC and the Editor of the Palo Alto Review.

Please click on the article in today’s San Antonio Express-News for the latest information: McAllister Park All-Stars

PAC to Host Town Hall Meeting

Rodriguez to hold Healthcare Town Hall Meeting

Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (TX-23) will host a Healthcare Town Hall Meeting on FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Palo Alto College Performing Arts Center.

“With the crucial issue of healthcare facing our nation, I want to take the opportunity to listen to constituents about their needs and concerns,” said Congressman Ciro Rodriguez. “I’d like to invite the public to take part in this important dialogue.”

WHO: Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (TX-23)

WHAT: Healthcare Town Hall Meeting

WHEN: Friday, August 28, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Palo Alto College Performing Arts Center
1400 W. Villaret
San Antonio, Texas 78224

DIRECTIONS:

From Downtown:Follow I-35 South beyond Highway 90. After passing the Military Drive exit and the Zarzamora exit, take the Texas Hwy 16 (Poteet) exit on the right hand side. After you exit, stay on the access road until you come to the light at Hwy 16. Make a left unto Highway 16. Turn left at the third stop light onto Villaret Blvd. Campus entrance will be on your right.

From West Side:Follow I-410 East to I-410 South. Exit at Texas Hwy 16. Turn left and go under I-410. Turn right at first stop light, which is Villaret Blvd. Campus entrance will be on your right.

From East Side:Follow I-410 West to I-410 South. Exit at Texas Hwy16. On access road, before you reach Hwy 16, you will see on your right an entrance with a Palo Alto College sign. As you enter, the main campus is on your right.

Hispanic Heritage Month

SAVE THE DATE

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH KICK-OFF EVENT
Palo Alto College
Student Center Annex
Tuesday, Sept. 15
10 a.m.

Featuring: David Lida
Author of
First Stop in the New World:
Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century

Editorial Reviews

“Streetwise and up-to-date … a charmingly idiosyncratic, yet remarkably comprehensive portrait of one of the planet's most misinterpreted urban spaces.”—Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times

… To test the quality of a travel book, it helps to ask: Would you like to share a meal or a drink with the writer? On the evidence of his book, which reveals him to be an expansive soul with big eyes and an even bigger heart, Mr. Lida should expect calls from a lot of newly arrived strangers, including me.”—Richard B. Woodward, The New York Times

“A fast-paced account of daily life in a city that defies description… Lida finds far more to marvel over and enjoy than to fret about.”—Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, Wall Street Journal

“Mexico City is a sprawling, throbbing stew of 20 million people, but David Lida, in his new book, cuts through the chaos with an array of verbal snapshots that aim to paint the city's soul.”—Chicago Tribune

“Lida offers a thought-provoking account of current-day Mexico City by letting its citizens, known as chilangos, tell their own stories of everyday struggles and triumphs.”—Vincent Bosquez, San Antonio Express News

Palomino Roundup Update

Tuesday, Aug. 25
Calendar of Events
Palomino Roundup


Now to 1 p.m. PASSKey Ask Us Student Center
Now to 1 p.m. Chase Bank Student Center
Now to Noon Kettle Corn Courtyard
Now to 1 p.m. Coke Product Giveaway Courtyard
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Balloon Man Student Center

Please note, due to registration ongoing in the Student Center Annex,
the concert by VonArmy will be re-scheduled for a later date

Library Service Limited Access

LIMITED ACCESS TO LIBRARY SERVICES & RESOURCES
Sept 1 – 25, 2009

Please Alert Students & Others of the Following

The whole Ozuna Building will be undergoing a recarpeting project, which is currently scheduled to begin September 1. The following outlines the library’s limitations during this time period:

· The Information Concourse (a.k.a. computer lab) has already been closed in preparation for the new carpet. Students may access limited computer services in the library’s instruction room (OZU 200).
· Library instruction taught by the library faculty will be scheduled in classrooms outside of the library while OZU 200 is being used as a computer lab for students.
· Different portions of library materials will be inaccessible during the recarpeting of the open stacks areas.
· Group Study rooms will be unavailable during the first two weeks in September.
· The Children’s Library will be closed Sept 10 – 18.
· The Reserve Collection will be inaccessible Sept 17 – 21.
· The library’s conference room (OZU 206) will be unavailable throughout the recarpeting project.

ALL DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Please bear with us during this project.

Performing Arts Center Grand Opening

Top Photo--Dr. Bruce Leslie, Alamo Colleges Chancellor; Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán, PAC President; and John Strybos, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities for the Alamo Colleges, pose for a photo during the grand opening of the Performing Arts Center, Aug. 19. (Photo by Duncan Perez)

Middle Photo--Hundreds of supporters were in attendance to witness the grand opening of the $20.4 million Performing Arts Center at Palo Alto College. (Photo by Duncan Perez)

Bottom Photo--Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán, PAC President, addresses attendees before the ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening the Performing Arts Center. (Photo by Duncan Perez)

PAC HOSTS GRAND OPENING FOR
NEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Amid cultural pageantry replete with mariachi music by world renowned Campanas de America, local and state politicians, and students, Palo Alto College held a grand opening for its new $20.4 million multi-faceted Performing Arts Center, Aug. 19.

Mayor Julián Castro joined college president Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán, and Alamo Colleges Chancellor, Dr. Bruce Leslie in a ribbon cutting ceremony that officially opened the doors to a spectacular 400-seat theater.

Along with the theater, the 46,243 square-feet building also contains a dance studio, recording studio, recital hall, computer lab, drama classroom, scene shop and speech classrooms.

“This Center will serve as an artistic window for the Southside, as well as a shining place to show our culture,” said Dr. Guzmán. Foreshadowing events to come, the drama, music and dance departments staged condensed performances in different locations throughout the Center, showcasing a variety of ways performances can be held there.

The Performing Arts Center is one of several new construction and renovation projects currently underway at PAC as a result of the 2005 Bexar County bond election that approved $450 million for the physical expansion of the Alamo Colleges. PAC’s share of the bond allotment was $55 million.

Performing Arts Center

Read all about the Grand Opening of PAC's new Performing Arts Center!

Click HERE

Updated Classroom Locations

If you are registered for courses at Palo Alto College this Fall, the room assignments for your courses have probably changed.

The Applied Science (AS) and Math/Science (MS) buildings started renovations a semester early, and the new Science, Social Sciences & Workforce building (SWF) and Performing Arts Center (formerly called the Convocation Center - CC) are holding classes for the first time.

Please recheck your personal course schedule online. It will have the current and accurate room assignments for all your courses. The new building abbreviations will be posted on the PAC website homepage at www.alamo.edu/pac, along with a comprehensive list of classroom changes that have been made over the summer.

Welcome back to school. Have a great Fall semester!

New Work Order Reporting System

Facilities Department Upgrades Work Order Reporting System

The Facilities Department is launching a new, district-wide work order reporting system.
Maximo 7.0, the new software which is being used to upgrade efficiencies in work orders for Facilities, will go live on Wednesday, August 19 across all the Alamo Colleges.

According to David Ortega, San Antonio College Facilities supervisor and contact for the software firm conducting the upgrade, the new system will add features to the current process.
Facilities work orders are initiated by 200 secretaries licensed to submit orders and channeled through ten work control technicians across the five colleges. The work control technicians in turn channel the requests to a foreman or supervisor, who responds to the request.

Response time will vary with the nature of the request, according to Ortega, which can range from changing a light bulb to requesting a room remodel.

One of the principal features of the new system is that service requesters will be able to track the progress of their requests online.

Additionally, the new system has a preventive maintenance component. Facilities personnel have programmed into the system required regular maintenance on a large number of items at all locations, and the system will generate a work order to the appropriate supervisor when a required maintenance action becomes due.

Also, said Ortega, the system will be able to generate a variety of reports, including total work orders, work orders per college, outcomes of work orders, and others.

Training for work control technicians and supervisors started last week and will continue through August 19.

Convocation Week

Fall 2009 Convocation Week
Optional Training & Development Activities

Tutoring Services & Early Alert Program: Instructors will be introduced to the revised Early Alert Program, as well as be given useful information about FTIC students and the tutoring services available at PAC.

One Minute Papers-A Quick Classroom Assessment Technique: Would you like to know, in 5 minutes or less, how well your class is learning? Join Cynthia Cortez of St. Philip’s College and Joan Osborne of Palo Alto College as they show you a quick and easy way to assess what students have learned and what they’re still having trouble with.

“Who’s Next?”: Learn how to keep track of your advisement notes for each student electronically using Who’s Next.

E-catalog: Learn the ins and outs of navigating the new online catalog.

Blackboard Audit Role for Dept Chairs: Department chairpersons will receive an overview of the Blackboard Audit Role. This role allows chairpersons the ability to perform a “classroom observation” on faculty who are teaching internet classes via Blackboard.

Tuesday, Aug 18
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm One Minute Papers-A Quick Classroom Assessment Technique (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Joan Osborne

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Blackboard Vista Audit/Survey training for Dept Chairs (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Anita Soliz

Wednesday, Aug 19
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Blackboard Vista Audit/Survey training for Dept Chairs
(Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Anita Soliz

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm E-Catalog training (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Ginger Carnes

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm “Who’s Next?” Training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Chris Delgado

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Faculty Senate Informational Meeting (GE 129)

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Tutoring Services & Early Alert Program (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Thomas Murguia & Eloisa Cordova

Thursday, Aug 20
9:00 am- 10:00 am Tutoring Services & Early Alert Program (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Thomas Murguia & Eloisa Cordova

10:00 am – 11:00 am E-Catalog training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Ginger Carnes

11:00 am – 12:00 pm Who’s Next? Training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Chris Delgado

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm “Who’s Next?” Training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Chris Delgado

Friday, Aug 21
10:00 am – 11:00 am “Who’s Next?” Training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Chris Delgado

10:00 am – 11:00 am Tutoring Services & Early Alert Program (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Thomas Murguia & Eloisa Cordova

11:00 am-12:30 pm Webinar: Managing Aggressive Student Behaviors, Attitudes, and Emotions
(Killen Center, Board Room)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm E-Catalog training (Ozuna 122)
Facilitator: Ginger Carnes

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm “Who’s Next?” training (Ozuna 125)
Facilitator: Chris Delgado

Monday's Convocation

Faculty and staff,

Two convocations to attend on Monday:

Alamo Colleges Convocation--San Antonio College McAllister Auditorium--9 a.m.

Palo Alto College Convocation--PAC Student Center Annex--11:30 a.m.

Backpack Giveaway

Senator Uresti to give away backpacks to children from kindergarten to 5th grade at PAC Gym today at 10 a.m.

PAC CE approved as TCEQ Training Site

The PAC CE Industrial and Safety Department has been certified as an approved Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) training site. TCEQ is the standard and the environmental agency for the state of Texas. PAC CE can now award required TCU’s (Training Credit Units) for all Hazardous Waste Operation classes for state licensed employees. PAC CE has the only TCEQ approved HAZWOPER courses within Alamo Colleges.

Performing Arts Center Grand Opening

The Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees,
Dr. Bruce H. Leslie, Chancellor
And
Palo Alto College President, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán

Cordially invite you to attend
The Grand Opening and Dedication Ceremony
Of the

Performing Arts Center

Wednesday, Aug. 19
10 a.m.
Palo Alto College
1400 W. Villaret Blvd

Refreshments will be served

Special Performance:
Campanas de America

SCHEDULED TO ATTEND

Julián Castro, Mayor of San Antonio
Philip Cortez, District 4 City Councilman
David Medina, District 5 City Councilman
Joe Frias, State Representative District 118
Dr. Jackie Claunch, President, Northwest Vista College
Dr. Adena Loston, St. Philip’s College
Dr. Elizabeth Garza, Edgewood ISD Superintendent
Rosemary Kowalski, The RK Group
…and many more!


RSVP: 210.486.3880
By August 14

Thank You Bexar County Taxpayers!
Thank You to the CIP Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee!

Cinco Minutos with You

Want to listen to some new stories by up and coming writers in San Antonio? You are cordially invited to attend the Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio's quarterly "Cinco Minutos with You" meeting where aspiring and published authors will read up to 5 minutes of a work in progress.

The meeting is Monday, August 10, at the Barnes and Noble--San Pedro Crossing at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Backpack Giveaway at PAC

Senator Carlos Uresti

invites you to a

Back-to-School Event

Palo Alto College Gymnasium

1400 W. Villaret Blvd

San Antonio, Texas

Saturday, August 15

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Free Backpacks and Immunizations

for Children K to 5th Grade

Free Food!

PAC Back to Regular Schedule

Palo Alto College returns to its weekly regular schedule beginning tomorrow!