@PimaNews

September 10, 2009

Contents

• College Updates
  • Board of Governors Meeting Update
  • Reminder: 40-Hour Work Week
  • Reminder: Academic Progress Notifications
  • Conversations with the Chancellor
  • Banner Account Update
• Benefits
• College Plan
• Inside Story: Noncredit Classes Now Called Continuing Education
• Upcoming Events

College Updates

Board of Governors Meeting Update
At the September 9th Board of Governors Meeting, the Board approved:

• An Intergovernmental Agreement between PCC and the Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery to allow the College to receive funds from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act;
• Submitting a grant proposal to the US Department of Energy to establish a Solar Installation Trainers and Resource Institute;
• An Intergovernmental Agreement between the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Pima Community College Adult Education program for June 30, 2009 through July 1, 2010;
• Submitting two grant proposals to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development;
• A contract with the Arizona Department of Corrections to provide educational programs for one year, with an option to extend four additional years;
• An Intergovernmental Agreement to establish the Arizona Community College President’s Council.

The next scheduled meeting will be held October 14 at 7 p.m. in the PCC District Office Community/Board Room.

Reminder: 40-Hour Work Week
Beginning September 12, 2009, the College will move exempt, non-exempt and Administrators to a 40 hour work week. In partial recognition of the increase in work hours, the Board of Governors has approved a 4 percent increase in affected employee group base salaries.

Temporary employees who are working 37.5 hours in vacant regular full time positions will be placed on the new 40-hour work week pay schedule. Employees who are working in temporary positions that are based on other compensation funds will continue to work 37.5 hours per week. Please contact your supervisor if you are a temporary employee and are not sure in which type of position you are working.

Also effective September 12, the College’s core business hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Campuses will retain their evening and weekend hours.

For more information regarding the change in work hours, go to the Frequently Asked Questions document, available online here.

Reminder: Academic Progress Notifications
The College will begin notifying students who are not in good academic standing of their status later this month.

Students that have not maintained a 2.0 grade point average and/or met other academic standards after completing at least 20 semester credit hours will be informed by formal e-mail that they are being placed on academic probation or restriction.

Students on academic probation are blocked from further registration until they complete an Academic Probation Workshop and will have their academic progress monitored until they are back in good standing. Students under academic restriction are blocked from further registration, must meet with a college counselor and are restricted to no more than 12 credits in the next semester (once approved for registration). They will have their academic progress monitored and must raise their GPA to 2.0 and complete at least 67 percent of their courses in the next semester in order to continue.

Conversations with the Chancellor

Conversations with the Chancellor will feature Pima Community College Board of Governors members Richard G. Fimbres. Mr. Fimbres will be featured on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and Thursday, Sept. 17.

Conversations with the Chancellor is broadcast on Cox Cable channel 121 and Comcast Cable channel 97.  The show airs on Wednesday evenings at 8:00-8:30 p.m. and 9:30-10:00 p.m., and Thursday mornings at 8:00-8:30 a.m. and 9:30-10:00 a.m.

Banner Account Update

The College has implemented a new Banner access request form.  The new form is intended for both new Banner users and any current users requesting changes to their existing access. Every form submitted should identify all access required by the employee within each Banner module. The new form and process will allow for a quicker response time, more effective auditing, and increased security.  Details on the new form and process can be found on the IT website. 

Please note that only current College employees can gain access to Banner. Temporary employees must be classified as a "current active employee" in Banner before any Banner authorization can be granted.

Benefits

Do you have questions about how to use your ASIFlex Debit card for your flexible spending account? Go to www.asiflex.com/debitcards or call 800-659-3035. You also can call the Employee Service Center, 206-4945.

College Plan: Student Services Centers Redesign

The new Student Services Centers model has four components. First, students are greeted at the Welcome Center and directed to their next step. Then, staff perform a Triage, providing quick and decisive assistance. Third, they give students answers to quick questions, offer basic information, direct students to available resources, assist with form and processes and/or send students to self-help stations and appointments. Finally, students are encouraged at all times to complete tasks for themselves at the Self-Help Stations.

Staff, student aides and temporary employees will be available, as staffing permits, to assist students at the Self-Help Stations. The stations provide PCC support materials, computer access and community resources. The stations empower students and teach them self-efficacy. Students using the stations are able to apply for admissions, register for classes, make schedule adjustments and access online enrollment information.  Students who require additional assistance will be sent to the Student Services Stations to process complicated transactions, for referrals to other student development services and to receive pertinent information on enrollment, financial aid, programs and degrees, and graduation updates and audits.

A Student Services Center Open House will be held at each of the six campuses on Nov. 2.

Inside Story: Noncredit Classes Now Called Continuing Education

Pima Community College’s noncredit programs have a new name. Previously called Activities, noncredit programs are now Continuing Education. 

“The name Continuing Education better reflects our mission to provide flexible personal and career development options to the citizens of Pima County,” explains Dr. Terry Sawma, Vice President of Instruction at PCC.

The current schedule of Continuing Education courses and certificates can be found online at www.pima.edu/continuinged. 

Upcoming Events

• Sept. 16: Provost Let’s Chat, Community Campus Cafe from noon to 1 p.m.
• Sept. 16: United Way Day of Caring
• Sept. 16: Opening Reception for “Distilled Matter: Conte, Oil, Enamel, Thread” with Matthias Duwel, Charity Hall and Kay Lawrence, CFA Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery from 5-7 p.m. For more information, call 206-6942
• Sept. 18: Sculpture-On-Campus Informational Meeting, West Campus Art Building (L), room 108 at 10 a.m.
• Sept. 20: PCC Performing Arts department presents Ben McCartney in a faculty classical guitar recital, 3 p.m. at the CFA Recital Hall, West Campus. For information and tickets, call 206-6986
• Sept. 22: Reception for Student Artists, Student Visual Arts Gallery at the West Campus, Santa Rita Building, 2^nd level (outside of Administration Offices) from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, call the Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery at 206-6942
• Sept. 23: Provost Let’s Chat, East Campus Cafeteria from noon to 1 p.m.
• Sept. 23-Oct. 4: PCC Theatre Arts presents Ramona Quimby, West Campus Proscenium Theatre. For information and tickets, call 206-6986
• Oct. 17: Sculpture-On-Campus Informational Meeting, West Campus Art Building (L), room 108 at 10 a.m.
• Nov. 4-15: PCC Theatre Arts presents See How They Run, West Campus Black Box Theatre. For information and tickets, call 206-6986

Ongoing Events

• Sept. 8 – Oct. 9: CFA Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery presents “Distilled Matter: Conte, Oil, Enamel, Thread” with Matthias Düwel, Charity Hall and Kay Lawrence. For more information, call 206-6942

@PimaNews is an electronic newsletter for employees of Pima Community College. It is published by the Pima Community College Marketing and Public Information Office. @PimaNews is published weekly during the semester and every other week during the summer. Back issues are available at pima.edu/pimanews. Please send announcements and news items to pimanews@pima.edu by Monday at noon.