Dear Cuyamaca College Colleagues:
Well, here I am again, a few days late with my monthly message. (Where does the time go?) My
calendar really shows the increase in activity on campus as we prepare to finish the spring semester and
culminate the academic year with our 34th Annual Commencement. The vibe on campus is noticeable
and I appreciate everyone’s commitment to making our students’ experiences here at Cuyamaca College
positive and productive despite our budget woes.
I hope you have heard about Cuyamaca College’s selection as the inaugural winner of the California
Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Energy and Sustainability Award! It is always a terrific feeling to
be recognized for one’s efforts and this award is well-deserved. We really are setting the pace in regard
to Sustainable Urban Landscape education. Mike Wangler, president of the academic senate said it best,
“Very cool! Yet another great achievement for a college with no money, a skeleton crew, and a big
heart.”
We have cemented our commitment to participate in Scholarship America’s Dreamkeepers Initiative,
with a high-level meeting here on campus last week. This program, also operating at Grossmont College,
will provide grants to students for the necessities of daily living (not fees or books), focused on helping
students stay in school. Each of us has heard heart-wrenching stories of students who were halted in
their educations by medical bills, food shortages, no gas to get to class, threatened utility shut-offs, etc.
It is hoped that our participation in this program will allow qualifying students to keep the dream of a
college education alive.
The next major event in the development of the college and district budget will be Governor Brown’s
“May Revise” of his initial budget for 2012-13 that was revealed in January. The community college
system is not anticipating any major changes in the portions of the budget that affect community
colleges—no increases, no decreases….still making the 2012-13 year an especially difficult one. The May
Revise usually is announced in the second week of May, so stay tuned.
The district is embarking on a Facilities Master Planning effort, scheduled to begin immediately and to
be finalized in July and completed in August. I participated in the inaugural meeting with the architects
and planners who will be leading this effort and I am confident of their ability to assist us in this work.
This plan will be an eight-year look into the future for facility needs throughout the district and most
certainly will lead Cuyamaca College to our vision of a completed campus. We are ensuring that input
will be received from students, administrators, classified employees and the faculty. Please step up if
you are asked to serve on the task force.
If you missed Grossmont College’s 50th year celebration, you missed an incredible and fun event. The
world’s record for the most signatures and greetings on a birthday card was set (over 1,800), and the
Grossmont College campus was abuzz with activities showcasing departments, not to mention a dozen
specialty mobile food trucks with any type of food you can imagine. Congratulations to Grossmont
College for reaching this milestone! Happy Birthday!
The Cuyamaca College “Spring Student Art & Graphic Design Exhibition” begins on Thursday, April 19th
and runs through May 9th. Be sure to take a minute to stop by the show and see the works of our very
talented students. Starting with this show, the Cuyamaca College permanent art collection is being
established. My wife and I plan to purchase annually a piece of student art and donate it to the college
so that it will forever grace the walls of our campus. Please contact my office if you are interested in
contributing to the permanent collection.
It bears repeating the Tammi Marshall, (Math instructor and Accreditation Co-Chair), and Steve
Gonzales, (Custodial Supervisor, Facilities) are the most recent recipients of the Cuyamaca Way Award.
We appreciate the great work and wonderful attitudes of these valued employees. Be sure to
congratulate them the next time you see them. Also, if you experience one of your colleagues putting
forth some extra effort in meeting the needs of our students, be sure to let me know.
Last week, the Cuyamaca College Academic Senate, the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca
Colleges, and I hosted an event in “The Garden” to honor and recognize 21 of our faculty who have been
granted tenure in the past four years. It was a great evening of recognition and camaraderie that
reminded all of us of what a great place Cuyamaca College is to work.
Here is the link to the April Board of Trustees Report from Cuyamaca College for your reading pleasure
Governing Board Meetings.
Mark J. Zacovic, Ph.D.
President
900 Rancho San Diego Parkway
Office (619) 660-4221
Fax (619) 660-4393
Cell (951) 537-9384
[email protected]