As part of Jill’s Organizational Leadership and Management Class students have to present electronic or traditional portfolio’s.  In the past Jill has had volunteers from the advisory committee help with providing some comments and feedback for the students.  Jill is looking for about 3-4 volunteers this semester.  E/Portfolio evaluations will be Thursday, April 26 at 5:30 p.m.  Please contact me if you are willing to help with this valuable opportunity.

I know all of you are not on the Advisory Committee but if you can help Jill out please contact her. I have 3 advisory committee meetings to attend that day-Margaret

Check out what some of us are willing to share with others in our department!

Intradepartment edu list

Change in announcement made yesterday and reminder from Kelly: You are to plan on doing 8 hours worth of work on Wednesday, April 4, including the 3 hours of Open House time which is from 4-7 PM. See her email regarding what counts toward work time.

Deb has invited anyone interested to attend ATI training if interested which Nursing instructors will no doubt be attending prior to the open house between 12-3 on 4/4- how to use reporting tools, monitoring.

See meeting minutes 3-26 Minutes

1. By now you have all received email and heard about the True Blue Gala fundraising event. It actually sounds like fun. Just a reminder that it is your program’s responsibility to send invitations to industry partners including advisory board members. Contact Erin Edlund if in need of an invitation/announcement tool to use for email invites. 

If you go to the DCTC website; click on True Blue link; you will find an additional link for the silent auction items. There are lots!

2. Did you know that GED/Accuplacer classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-7:30 in the Writing Center?

3. Nelnet is an automatic tuition payment plan available to students and is not to be confused with Higher One.

4. I gave Pat Lair feedback on who you listed as ‘industry reps’ for the Open House scheduled on April  4th. If you have anyone to add, please communicate with Pat directly. 

5. The next All College Advisory Meeting date will be scheduled during the  month of September: watch for information from Kelly Murtaugh. 

6. During April you will be asked to participate in a PACE survey. It should take about 15-20 minutes of your time and fits in to the Strategic Plan #4 objective. The questions will inquire as to the climate and health of your work environment.

7. I sent all of you a calendar invite for a department meeting on Monday, March 26th at 3 PM. We are long overdue in regard to meeting together as a group- hope to see you then!

April 4th Recruitment Event: this is a duty day and the Open House will be from 4-7PM. Faculty will be in their areas and prospective students will be brought to those program areas. Faculty should be prepared to share information on their program, what the industry is like, what the daily routine in the real world is, job outlook, … It was suggested to have someone from your advisory committee present to address career options. It is o’k to have a couple of current students in attendance too for demonstrations and to answer questions.  The central commons will be used for various booths: financial aid, student life, admissions, undecided major area, gen ed and Apple Valley will be housed in the Dakota Room.

True Blue Gala is scheduled for Thursday, April 19th and you should have received a couple of emails regarding purchase of tickets. It will be at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville beginning at 5:30PM; semiformal. Fun stuff will be happening: Lakeville Liquors is running a wine wall; silent auction-if your program contributes an item, the money raised will be placed in your program area’s scholarships! Programs should be extending invitations to advisory committee members and anyone else you are connected with. Also- faculty and alumni of the year, technical advocacy and spirit of DCTC awards will be presented. By the way $55.00 of the cost on a ticket to the event goes toward this fundraising effort. There will be a cash bar.

Position posted: for a Student Learning Assessment Coordinator open to unlimited faculty. 4 credits each semester release time. Dean Larson will be working with whoever is offered the position and can be contacted with questions regarding the posting however applications should be placed with VP Murtaugh.

Absence Policy is still being reviewed. I thought it interesting that out of the faculty that responded 43 stated they have an attendance policy, 5 do not and 6 have one that they consider not real formal. 17 of the 43 that have a policy thought it was working excellently and 14 stated good. Interesting that 20 stated theirs’ was inadequate. Wonder what’s up with the latter; perhaps it isn’t consistently enforced. At this time committee members felt the issue should be left alone or at a minimum if something needs to be written in the college student handbook to state it is up to the program areas/departments.

Apologies for communicating a little late this month; I’ve been busy in my area.

Reminder: Inservice scheduled for Friday, January 27th Kelly will send out e-mail &  agenda which will include strategic plan and goal setting (you may have to complete an assignment prior to attending). Will be booths set up during pizza lunch to solicit input regarding room use, student athlete attendence forms. Please give your feedback. 

Course Fees/Differential Tuition: This is the time to submit changes to AASC by February to impact next January! Particularly important if enough material in your courses outlines have changed to constitute a course number change. See Sherralyn if you have questions.

Did you know that there is an Institutional Advancement Committee that meets the first Wednesday of the month from 2-3 in room 2-142? If you want to get involved or find out more about it contact Erin Edlund.

• Thursday, April 19th is the scheduled date for the Tru/Blu Recognition Fund Raising Event. Dinner & silent auction plans are being made. The thought is that faculty recognition will  be done at this event as well. Foundation folks would like to know what you think regarding  money raised particularly from silent auction items. If your program donates an item, should the money raised be earmarked for your program or the general fund?   
• There is thought being given to recognizing those that give to the foundation- gemstone colors on signage will recognize your level of giving

Please remember to share with colleagues in need of taking these courses the information listed below:

1 Spring 2012 class schedule

2 Philosophy and Practice

3 Course Development

4 Student and Trainee Assessment

Students now have access to Higher One which provides refunds for any reason DCTC gives back money to students- financial aid, tuition, refund.  Work study pay will be delivered in this format beginning in January. Every student receives a card and then needs to direct how to use it.

TXT 2012 is taking 2011 experiences to friends and family to market the program. Start thinking of recruiting student volunteers for July’s event and create interactive, fun, hands-on workshops to get kids excited about your program or field. Hands-on is the key. Opening up to grades 4 through 8 this time. Looking for scholarship sponsers as price for the week will increase from $25 to 40.00. In lieu of giving a stipend to faculty it sounds as if we will be able to use it as a service day. 

Did you know the MN General Council Website contains many webinar series that focus on issues concerning  teaching? Check out  www.ogc.umn.edu 

There is a draft circulating called DCTC Student Absence Form which is now in a committee headed by Bill Eilers. It is essentially a request to accomodate absence for college sanctioned activities. Although I feel it is important for students to engage in campus activities, I have a problem with them missing my laboratory sessions so will be making that clear. As an instructor I would not approve the language as it is written now.

I signed up for a committee to determine how to utilize space for things like faculty offices. Apparently there is no written rules about who belongs where and gets what so thought it would be interesting particularly in how to handle space for adjuncts. I don’t think we’ll begin meeting with Kelly Murtagh until January.

I can’t emphasize the importance of the January 4 Workshop enough. Linda Foster has designed it as a drop in event for those with minor online delivery problems to those that are just getting started. The event is from 9-4 so if you are in town and have some time that day, please stop in and get the help or get started. The sessions are usually pretty energizing! 

Happy and healthy holidays to all!

Just a reminder of an email Kelly sent awhile back- due date is looming!

autism an article