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Volume 90 Issue 1 • Sept. 14, 2015
New Covey contract could cost nearly $2 million Vice chancellor sees potential revenue in Corporate College. By Cynthia M. Herrera cherrera151@alamo.edu
The Alamo Colleges could spend $1.97 million over the next four years on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and other FranklinCovey training materials for students, employees, local corporations and residents. The district operates a Corporate College under its economic and workforce development department, and it expects to make a profit from companies that enroll its employees for leadership development and residents who enroll in the courses. The board of trustees unanimously approved a contract with Covey during the regular board meeting Aug. 18.
However, the contract approved by the board is still being negotiated and terms may change the projected revenue. The four-year contract the board approved is expected to cost the district $1.97 million and provide the district with unlimited access to training materials and course offerings, including 31 FranklinCovey courses on leadership, management and success. The district currently uses for employees “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” “4 Disciplines of Execution,” “Leading at the Speed of Trust” and “Leadership: Great Leaders – Great Teams – Great Results Leading Across Generations.” The Student Leadership Institute; EDUC 1300, Learning Frameworks; and student development courses use “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students.” Hope Galvan-McCall, director of organiza-
tional development and talent management in the human resources department, said the Alamo Colleges first started using FranklinCovey courses 12 years ago at Northwest Vista College. Corporate College provides workforce education training sessions for employees of a corporation. Training is offered in manufacturing, health care, information technology and business leadership development. Although the Alamo Colleges use “7 Habits,” and 4DX courses, attached to the minute order approved by the board were other courses such as “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families,” “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” and “The 8 Habits of a Successful Marriage.” Diane Snyder, vice chancellor of finance and administration, said the courses attached were a product list FranklinCovey offers. “What if we had a corporation that wanted that (course)? They said, ‘Oh, I like that one, let’s
do that one,’ we can offer it. It’s all the product list,” Snyder said. Snyder said even though the product list contains other courses not pertaining to higher education or leadership training, there is no extra cost to the contract for them and that is why many administrators at the district office favored the contract. “We like this deal so much because it (has) the basic programs we do. We’ve already got money in the budget (for FranklinCovey). It’s within our budget,” she said. “Everything else is gravy. We can get those materials for free; we don’t have any cost to our students for it. That’s why we thought it was such a slam dunk because it was just such a great ability to not have to pass on instructional material cost to our students.”
See COVEY, Page 7
Tobin Lofts crime spikes in 2015 Reported crime trending down at other campuses. By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
Tobin Lofts has already seen as many crimes reported in slightly more than eight months of 2015 as were reported in all of 2014. Through Sept. 8, 44 reported crimes had occurred at Tobin and the Tobin parking garage, according to weekly crime reports emailed to students and employees by district police. The 2014 crime statistics are from the district police’s uniform crime reporting statistics, which are available by request. 2015 crimes are 10 drunk and public intoxication incidents, eight burglaries, six thefts, five assaults, three drug possessions, three trespassing incidents and three counts of disorderly conduct. Tobin Lofts consists of an apartment complex and parking garage at 1415 N. Main Ave. on this campus. It was built as a public-private partnership with this college and the NRP Group, LLC. Tobin Lofts is the only property
among those on Alamo Colleges’ 10 campuses with an increase in the crime rate in 2014 to this point in 2015. Deputy Chief Joe Curiel said Wednesday he was unsure why Tobin Lofts has experienced more crime, but he guessed it could have something to do with Luther’s Café, which sells liquor, being on this campus in the retail segment of the Tobin complex, or the Tobin garage being open to the public at night. Curiel said district police would need to look further into Tobin to determine the cause. President Robert Vela said Tobin Lofts is difficult to police because not all students at Tobin Lofts fall under the district’s code of conduct. Lisa Belalcazar, resident director at Tobin Lofts, said she could not provide the number of residents who are students at this college for privacy reasons, even though Raven Duron, leasing manager at Tobin Lofts, had previously revealed students at college make up 50 percent of residents.
A San Antonio police officer drives by the front of Tobin Lofts Wednesday on Main Avenue. Tobin Lofts and parking garage have seen an increase in burglaries, thefts, assaults and public intoxication incidents in the past eight months. E. David Guel However, Belalcazar said that the Lofts are at capacity, but she would not say how many students live there. Residents have to be enrolled at a local college or university. “One of our students could report to our police that a crime has been committed there, but if the student is from, say, UIW, there isn’t much we can do about it because they fall out of our jurisdiction, since they
don’t fall under our conduct policy,” Vela said. Tobin Lofts leads the district in assaults, trespassing and disorderly conduct with this college being right behind it. Other crime reported for 2015 at this college include 19 burglaries, 23 thefts, 11 incidents of vandalism, 10 incidents of public intoxication, four drug possessions, two trespassing incidents and one
incident of disorderly conduct. For other campuses crime has being going down in comparison to the 2014 Cleary Report, which accounts for all reported crime 20112013, and Curiel expects the trend to continue with 2014 when the 2015 Cleary Report comes out Oct. 1. This annual report is required by
See CRIME, Page 7
Gym 2 closed this semester during roof construction Gym 2 may reopen Nov. 1. By E. David Guel
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Replacing the roof of Candler Physical Education Center will relocate classes and keep students from recreational basketball in Gym 2 most of this semester. Overall roof construction for the building started in November, but contractors began work over Gym 2 Aug. 24, facility manager Linda Casas said. Casas said the roof was wearing down and in need of replacement. John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facilities operation and construction management for Alamo Colleges, said construction
should end by Nov. 1 if happen to anyone,” weather permits. Casas said. In a Jan. 15 story, “We had to move Strybos said the all of our classes out of board approved a that area during their $1.7 million contract working time.” to Waterproofing Last semester, Gym Technologies Inc. to 2 recreational hours replace the roof. were 2-4 p.m. Monday Casas said she and Wednesday and decided to restrict any Crates holding roof panels sit at the Candler roof 3-4:15 p.m. Tuesday use of Gym 2 until con- construction site Sept. 9 in Lot 20. E. David Guel and Thursday. struction is complete in Casas said recrethe interest of student safety. ational basketball was fairly popular last semes“They’re drilling and banging on that roof, ter. “For Tuesdays and Thursdays we might’ve and if anything falls from the ceiling tiles, we had maybe 20 students show up to play,” she don’t want to be liable for anything that could said.
“It just depends on which classes they take.” Gym 1 cannot accommodate recreational use because it is reserved for classes, Ranger basketball practices and games and classes that have been moved from Gym 2. Construction will not affect basketball practices and games. The swimming pool, conditioning room and racquetball courts remain available to students, staff and faculty. Swimming pool hours are 1-4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Conditioning room hours are 3-4:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 2-4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Racquetball courts are available upon request any time Monday through Friday. For information, call Casas at 210-486-1018.
SAConnected
2 • Sept. 14, 2015
www.theranger.org/calendar
Treasure hunt English sophomore Tyler Greer and math freshman Julia Slye check out bracelets between classes Tuesday at an Avalon Jewelry table sponsored by student life in the mall. Prices ranged from $1 to $79. The vendor will return sometime in October. E. David Guel
Tossup
Kinesiology sophomore Nick Mares throws a 1-point shot playing Bean Bag Toss Sept. 9 in the game room of Loftin. A team that included Mares and kinesiology sophomore Raymond Pardo, middle, won 21-20 against business sophomore Chris Marcel, right, and biology sophomore Valente Rincon. Bean bags are available for check out in the game room, which is open from 8 a.m.4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.1 p.m. Thursday and closed Friday. Daniel Carde
today tues SAC Event: Karaoke with Masquerade DJ and free popcorn 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin. SAC Meeting: Student Government Association meeting noon-1 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0134. SAC Event: Summer research colloquium by MESA at noon in Room 204A of Chance. Free. Call 210-486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/mesa. PAC Event: Recruiters on campus 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Room 101 of student center. Free. Call 210-486-3131. PAC Event: Generations FCU: Managing Your Money 11 a.m.noon in Room 130 of student center. Free. Call 210-4863131. SAC Event: Transfer fair UTSA 9 a.m.-noon first floor of Chance and 1:30-4 p.m. first floor of Moody. Call 210486-1500. SAC Event: Transfer fair Our Lady of the Lake University 11 a.m.-1 p.m. first floor of Moody. Call 210-486-1500.
Open lab International studies sophomore Fatima Navarro assists academic lab
wed
Concert: Stieren Guest Artist Series with pianist Alan Chow for a solo recital 7:30 p.m. in Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. Free. Call 210-999-7011.
SAC Event: Hispanic Heritage opening ceremony featuring Dr. Jothany Blackwood and Los Callejeros de S.A. 9-10 a.m. in Loftin. Call 210-486-0128.
SAC Event: Citizenship Day and Constitution Day 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Loftin. Call 210-486-0129.
SAC Event: Summer Research colloquium. Sponsored by MESA at noon in Room 204A of Chance. Free. Call 210-486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/mesa.
SAC Event: STEM-ulate. Sponsored by MESA and other organizations at 9 a.m. in mall. Free. Call 210-486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/ mesa.
SAC Event: Live Well Fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0127.
SAC Event: Transfer fair UT Health Science Center (Nursing) 9 a.m.-noon and Texas A&M University-San Antonio 2-6 p.m. first floor of Moody.
Lecture: Monica Olvera de la Cruz, senior editor for the ACS Journal of Central Science, will give “Polyhedral Crystalline Membranes” lecture 5-6 p.m. at Trinity Center for Sciences and Innovation. Call 210-9997011.
NVC Performance: Dr. Marco Cervantes, hip-hop artist known as Mexican Step Grandfather, will perform 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cypress Campus Center Lago Vista. Call 210-486-4682. Event: Salsa y Salsa 11 a.m.1 p.m. at Gorman Building Walkway, 4301 Broadway. Call 210-841-7365.
Lecture: Entrepreneur Kristen Hadeed will speak on leadership 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Trinity Stieren Theater. Visit https:// new.trinity.edu/events. Event: Ninth Bi-Annual MobileMural student film showcase 5-6:30 p.m. in Room 101 of Moody Life Sciences Center, St. Mary’s University. Free. Dress in red, white and green to win prizes. Call 210436-3608. NVC Play: La Luz de San Antonio at 7 p.m. Black Box Theater in Palmetto. Free. Call 210-486-4682.
Illustrations by Juan Carlos Campos
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SPC Event: Constitution Day 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in atrium of MLK Campus. Free. Call 210486-2100.
SAC Event: Coffee Night 6-9 p.m. in Loftin. Call 210-4860134. SAC Event: Faculty panel followed by meet and greet sponsored by MESA at 9 a.m. in Room 204A of Chance. Free. Call 210-486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/mesa. UIW Event: “Constitution Day” speech by Judge Patrick Higginbotham on the Constitutional Convention 5-6:30 p.m. Mabee Library Auditorium, University of the Incarnate Word. Call 210-8322183. SPC Event: “Windows to the Soul” featuring Lionel Sosa, Hispanic Advertising Pioneer 10 a.m.-noon Watson Fine Arts Center. Free. Call 210-4862100 or visit www.alamo.edu/ spc/hhm. PAC Event: Gallery100 Exhibition 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Gallery 100 of Concho. Free. Call 210-486-3205.
tech Brandon Lippe Sept. 8 while he pours the safranine staining solution they prepared for use in microbiology lab Room 356 of Chance. The lab is open to microbiology students 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. Daniel Carde
fri
SAC Event: Film “The Little Star that Could” 6:30 p.m., live lecture “The Sky Tonight” 7:30 p.m., and film “Extreme Planets” 9 p.m. Scobee Education Center. Tickets will be sold 30 minutes prior to show time. No credit cards. Children 4 through 17, seniors 65 and older, and military with ID $4 per show. Adults 18 and above $5 per show. Alamo Colleges ID $2 per show. Call 210-486-0103. SAC Event: Movie screening sponsored by MESA at 1 p.m. in Room 204A of Chance. Free. Call 210-486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/mesa. SPC Event: Future Cast on Workforce Economic Development 9 a.m.- noon at NPAC Performing Arts Center. Free. Call 210-486-5230.
sat
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SAC Event: Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, children’s author and scientist, at the Scholastic Book Fair and activities for elementary and middle school students 9 a.m.-noon at Scobee Education Center Free. Visit www.jeffreybennett.com. Concert: Concert Noche Azul de Esperanza: Serenata Mexicana 8 p.m. Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro. Donations $5 “mas o menos.” Call 210-288-0201. Football: Trinity will host Sul Ross 6-9 p.m. at William H. Bell Center 1 Trinity Place. Free. Call 210-999-7011.
sun Event: Miguel Covarrubias: Culture and Caricature 10 a.m.9 p.m. at San Antonio Museum of Art. Free with Alamo Colleges ID, $5 children, $7 military, $10 seniors and adults. Call 210-978-8100 or visit www. samuseum.org/exhibitions/ upcoming-exhibitions/709genio-mexicano-the-genius-ofmiguel-covarrubias.
SAC Event: Scholastic Book Fair 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in mall. Call 210-486-0128. SAC Meeting: Student Government Association meeting noon-1 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0134. SAC Event: Transfer and career center open house 9-11 a.m. first floor of Moody. Call 210-486-1500. Event: “Fight Culture Shock Day” 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Trinity University Coates University Center. Free. Visit isss@trinity.edu. PAC Event: Safety Week 10-11 a.m. in Room 112 of San Marco and 1-2 p.m. in Room 109 of Pedernales. Call 210-486-3882. SAC Event: Transfer fair Texas A&M University noon-4 p.m. first floor of Loftin. Call 210-486-1500.
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For coverage in SAConnected, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance. Visit theranger.org for more upcoming events.
News
www.theranger.org/news
Sept. 14, 2015 • 3
Body theft leaves teaching moment A body stolen from a funeral home is still missing, police say. By Daniel Carde
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
A theft of a corpse from a funeral home is so rare that methods to prevent it are not taught in mortuary science education, Felix B. Gonzales, funeral director and mortuary science chair, said Aug. 28. The body of Julie Mott, 25, who according to her Facebook page is a former student of this college, was stolen Aug. 15 from Mission Park Funeral Chapels North after her funeral service, local media reported. After Mott’s funeral service, she was “taken to a visitation suite and would have moved on (Aug. 17) to be cremated at the crematory, to Mission South,” funeral home owner Dick Tips said at a press conference Aug. 21 as reported by Huffington Post. No one from Mission Park Funeral Chapels North has returned calls. Gonzales said the mortuary science department at this college teaches students to store a body in an area not accessible to the public, which is required by Texas law and “a good practice in general.” “The deceased human body should not be in a position where someone could inadvertently walk in
and confront it,” he said. There hasn’t been a reason to teach preventive measures because it is a rare occurrence, Gonzales said. “It’s not part of our curriculum,” Gonzales said. “What we have to teach is outlined by our accreditation agency, and that particular consideration does not appear anywhere.” Jessica Koth, public relations manager for the National Funeral Directors Association in Brookfield, Wis., said by phone Sept. 2 that she had never heard of the theft of a corpse from a funeral home. “It’s not something that we have any statistics on,” Koth said. Gonzales said, “The last true numbers of ‘body-snatching’ for lack of a better term, was in the late 1800s, early 1900s, in those cities where medical schools existed.” People sold bodies to medical workers for medical research, Gonzales said. “Bodies were stolen to provide anatomical specimens to unscrupulous medical people.” Gonzales attributes a decline in the theft of bodies to the rise in people donating their bodies to science and relaxed statutes for the acquisition of bodies for medical research. “Certain churches did not allow you to cut a body open to study, but the study was needed,” he said. “Consequently, when you forbid
Samples of burial vaults and a casket covered by a pall are displayed Sept. 9 in mortuary science’s merchandise room in Nail. Students use the room to practice showing customers a funeral home’s merchandise room. Daniel Carde something, there will always be someone who finds a way around it.” Gonzales said even though the theft of Mott’s body does make for a “teaching moment.” “We are not going to specifically address how to prevent an occurrence like that because to my knowledge we still don’t know how it hap-
pened,” he said. “Unless we know how it happened, we cannot teach prevention.” Gonzales said many funeral homes that never thought a bodytheft would occur may start taking “precautions against unauthorized contact and unauthorized access.” “It brought awareness and it cer-
tainly illustrates that it can happen.” Misty Floyd, a San Antonio Police Department public information officer, said in a Sept. 2 email police were still searching for Mott’s body. Floyd declined to update The Ranger on that search in an email Thursday. Anyone with information should call SAPD’s tips line at 210-225-8477.
District hires student trustee despite TEA regulations Human resource employees too busy to answer questions all day, associate vice chancellor says. By Cynthia M. Herrera
cherrera151@student.alamo.edu
The first student trustee, Jacob Wong, has been hired in a temporary, full-time position by the human resources department at Alamo Colleges. Wong, who graduated in May with an associate of arts degree in psychology from this college, started working as a temporary employment specialist in mid-July for $16.31 per hour, which would equate to an annual salary of $33,924. Wong could work for six months or until the rest of the fiscal year, Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancellor of human resources, said in a phone interview. Wong served as a nonvoting member of the Alamo Colleges elected board of trustees in 2014-15. He was chosen from student nominees from each of the colleges. He also is a former president of this college’s Student Government Association. The Texas Education Code Section 130. 089, states a public junior college may not employ or contract with individuals who were members of the board of trustees at the college before a year of their term or resignation as a trustee. Ross Laughead, Alamo Colleges general counsel, said in a phone interview that student trustees do not fall under the Texas Education Code for trustees because they are not voted into office by the public. “There is no actual provision in the law governing community colleges that allows there to be a full-blown student trustee or defines the role,” Ross said. “This provision in the education code relates to the trustees that are actually created by statute. Our student trustee is essentially an advisory position that we call a student trustee to give a dignity but we’ve had to define it narrowly in certain ways because otherwise (they’re) not elected by a single member district therefore can’t be a real trustee.” According to the board policy for student trustee B. 11.1, student trustees are to be held to the same standards of performances, behavior and accountability of an elected trustee. “By creating a policy, we didn’t intend to pull in every statutory requirement,” he said. “In fact, if we had, we would have pulled in every statutory requirement, we would have basically created the position and destroyed it because the statute says you have to be elected by the public form your district, and, of course, that’s not the case at all for how we select the student
trustee for their advisory input.” Wong works in the employment office processing new hires for part-time employment, he said in an interview Sept. 8 after committee meetings of the board of trustees. The position calls for a minimum education and experience of a bachelor’s degree or a combination of relevant experience and education equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. “My equivalent is, I started work when I was 15 years old and three months into that position I became a staff supervisor,” Wong said. “That was when I was 15 and every job I have ever held-since, and I am 36-I have been a manager. And so I am very familiar with that kind of decorum, the necessary skill set to be in that work setting.” Wong said he decided to look for a job within the Alamo Colleges after a conversation he had about his jobs at the time. “While I was serving on the board, I became very passionate about what we did here and I just want to follow that up. It doesn’t matter where I’m at,” he said. “I’m in a back office, you know, sitting in a desk, and the only people I meet are the people that come through and I process and I get to meet them one-on-one.” He said his degree and field of study help in human resources. Wong said he originally entered this college in 2009 to study human resources. “I was allowed to take a psychology course my first or second semester, and I loved it so much that I jumped right out of HR and went full psychology,” Wong said. The most enjoyable part of Wong’s job is meeting students who graduated from the Alamo Colleges and come back wanting a job, he said. “They’re coming back and getting employed. I didn’t realize how many there were. There’s a lot,” Wong said. Wong said when he was interviewed for the position, he discussed continuing his education. “It was very understood by people, when I was interviewed, that I would continue to pursue my education and not just stop here,” Wong said. “So that flexibility is there. That I can go parttime if I need to, to actually pursue college.” Wong applied to Texas A&M University-San Antonio in the spring and was accepted. However, after starting his job, Wong notified the university that he would like to attend the university in the spring. “One of the reasons I didn’t start school immediately like I planned was because this was a full-time position,” he said. “I was just starting it, and I didn’t just also want to start at the university and get too overwhelmed. I wanted a chance to be able to learn what I need to do in my position here and then slowly add in going to school on top of it.”
Jacob Wong served as the district’s first student trustee, a non-voting member of the board of trustees. File Wong said he knows what campuses need, such as tutors, and he is trying to hire employees. “I know that what I am doing is doing something that eventually affects and improves the students’ ability in the college.” He said he would like to stay with the Alamo Colleges as he progresses. “What better way to go to school but to also work in an educational setting because they understand your needs as a student,” Wong said. “I like what we do because it supports students. It helped me get where I’m at and now I’m helping it in return. Before being able to speak with Wong on Tuesday, The Ranger was instructed by Boyer-Owens to address any questions concerning Wong to her. She said Wong did not want to speak with The Ranger or be involved in discussing his position. She would not provide his work phone number because she said she did not want him to be interrupted during work. “I’m his boss, this is my department and I’ve sort of said before I don’t want The Ranger calling employees all over HR because we’re busy. So I ask that questions come through my office,” she said. “Our employees are busy, and they can’t stop all day long to answer questions.” However, Boyer-Owens later said she did not instruct her employees not to speak to The Ranger.
Prem
4 • www.theranger.org/premiere
Equipment available in Moody Students can borrow equipment over two weeks. By Katherine Garcia
kgarcia203@student.alamo.edu
Students can check out various electronics and school supplies for up to two weeks from the office of technology services in Room 710 of Moody Learning Center. Checkout is from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Items include digital cameras, Mac and PC laptops, easels, utility carts and more. Students must provide two valid forms of photo ID, which include a current student
ID from this college, driver’s license, state ID or military ID. Employees must provide their employee ID. Students and employees must also fill out a Loaned Property Request form and an OTS Equipment Loan form, said Usha Venkat, director of information technology. If a laptop isn’t available, students can continue the checkout process and the office will call the student when one is available. The current waiting list is three to four people; the waiting list varies by day. If students have an imme-
diate need for laptops, they should visit the Mega Lab on the fifth floor or the SLAC lab on the seventh floor of Moody. Students can also watch a tutorial on operation, use and care of the equipment by clicking on the name of the device under the column “Item Name” on the OTS website. A complete list of equipment is available at http://alamo. edu/sac/availableequipment/. Venkat said students may check out laptops for longer than the normal period of two weeks, but they must have a letter of consent from a professor. She said an example is a stu-
dent in desperate need of a laptop for a big class project. Equipment checked out Friday can be returned on the following Monday because the offices are closed on the weekend. Some equipment requires completion of a short training session for first-time borrowers, which is provided upon checkout. Equipment not returned within 10 days of the due date will be considered lost, and the borrower must pay for the item. For more information, call 210-486-0777 or visit http:// alamo.edu/sac/avservices/.
Online tutors, free Microsoft Word download available to students Student dialogue will be at this college Sept. 16, SGA By Alyssa Zapata
azapata84@student.alamo.edu
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to access Microsoft Word,” Guerra said. The Ranger ran a story on April 20, 2015, about the free download that includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access and Lync. The downloads became available in the spring. Mark Bigelow, student success interim director, brought up the new cafeteria contractor. “Things have changed on the menu, and the first week of operation there were issues with the Alamo cash cards and prices are a little bit higher,” Bigelow said. Student government will continue to monitor any issues with the new cafeteria contractor and they will discuss the issues with the cafeteria, Williams said. Students also can voice any concerns at a Student Dialogue sponsored by the office of the chancellor 1-3 p.m. Wednesday in Room 218 of the nursing complex. The next SGA meeting will be noon1 p.m. today in the craft room of Loftin Student Center. For more information about the Student Government Association, call adviser Chaye Peña at 210-486-1209.
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Students can access live online tutoring, free printing, free Microsoft Word downloads and other resources this semester, said student government leaders and a learning lab employee. The Student Government Association met Aug. 31 to discuss student resources and communication skills between students and professors. SGA Vice President Jami Keeton discussed the live tutoring through BrainFuse on ACES. The live tutoring began this past spring semester, said Geraldo Guerra, student learning assistance center coordinator, in an interview Thursday. BrainFuse also provides editing for students’ essays and allows them to make personal flash cards for studying. “The essays are edited by tutors who are hired through BrainFuse,” Guerra said. “BrainFuse is contracted with the district to provide tutoring for students, so any Alamo
College student can access.” Another way to maintain good grades is by “having an open communication with your professor,” Harley Williams, SGA president, said at the meeting. “Your professors will notice when you try to put in more effort.” Williams advised students to meet professors personally after class or send a professional well-written email to get to know them. Students who miss class exams, tests or quizzes can ask professors to send the test to the student learning assistance center in Room 707 of Moody Learning Center where students can retake it, Keeton said. The SLAC lab also provides tutors by walk-in or appointment, Keeton said. Other resources for students include printing for 10 cents a page on the second floor of Moody, and the Empowerment Center offers free 15-page printing a day at 703 Howard St., Williams said. Students can now click on “Technology Deal” under the student tab in ACES, where they can enter their student email to access Microsoft Word, Keeton said. “All Alamo College students are eligible
Honors Academy seeks scholarship recipients Academy is open to students who have achieved a GPA of 3.25. By Kyle Sanders
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
History Professor Jonathan Lee, coordinator of this college’s Honors Academy, is seeking an agreement with the San Antonio Education Partnership to admit scholarship recipients into the academy. According to their website www. saedpartnership.org, the SAEP was created to tackle the issue of low high school completion and performance rates by providing more than $2 million in needs-based scholarships and services to more than 30,000 students through its Road to Success program. The Road to Success program
provides College Access and Success Advisers throughout 25 San Antonio high schools. The Advisers provide colleges resources, guidance and assistance to the students and their families on these services: goal setting, career planning, college entry and enrollment, financial aid and college transition. The partnership provides high school students with B grade-point averages and a 95 percent attendance rating a scholarship of $600 a year toward Alamo Colleges, $850 a year toward San Antonio public universities and $1,500 a year towards San Antonio private universities. To find out more about the SAEP, go their website at www.saedpartnership.org. Currently, there are about 350
students enrolled at the Honors credit, he said. Academy with 196 new students this “We would accept any student semester. who receives their scholarship to our High school stuprogram,” Lee dents meeting the said of the partminimum of a 3.25 nership. For more GPA and placement “We said that information, scores at college level we would help visit www. in reading and writidentify the stuing can apply to be dents who get saedpartnera part of the Honors their scholarship.org. Academy. ships and join our If students do program at the not have a 3.25 GPA Honors Academy or higher, they may still be able to to keep track to tell them that this is get accepted by submitting an essay how their students are doing while on why they want to be part of the not giving away private information, Honors Academy, Lee said. obviously,” Lee said. College freshmen can join the Lee said the Honors Academy will Honors Academy if they can meet the track students by college graduation, same requirements, but they must hours completed each semester and have fewer than 15 hours of college GPA.
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A problem with the agreement is the program fills up by the end of July, and they are not awarded the scholarship funds until September. “As time goes on, we want to try to figure out a better way to identify the students to help get them into the Honors Academy so we need to overcome the lack of communication between high schools and colleges,” he said. Lee is considering having some of the Honors Academy students go to the SAEP college access workshops during the summer to help those transitioning from high school to college. “We are just beginning, and I think it can lead to some really great things,” Lee said. “We all need to start talking to each other more to make these processes seamless.”
miere
Sept. 14, 2015 • 5
Student ID unlocks discounts Free museum admission, discount computers and more available with ID. By Katherine Garcia
kgarcia203@student.alamo.edu
A student ID isn’t just for reminding students what their banner number is. They also help students save money at various restaurants and stores. For getting to and from school, students can head to the business office of Fletcher Administration Center for a free VIA bus pass for fall 2015. Passes are good the day they are received until Jan. 31, said Destiny Martinez, a field representative for VIA. The pass covers student fare for any bus and trolley in the city. As of Sept. 1, free wireless Internet was available on all buses. To access this, users can connect to the VIAFreeWifi Network and read and agree to the terms of service. But an Alamo Colleges ID does more than just get students on the bus.
Other perks include movie discounts with a student ID. Tickets at the Alamo Drafthouse drop from $10 to $7. This discount does not apply when ordering tickets online. “I love the Drafthouse,” liberal arts sophomore Gilbert Votion said. “I go there all the time, so it would be even cooler to get a discount.” Students looking for back-to-school gear can visit wwwssl.bestbuy.com/profile/a/ emailsub/student and sign up for email coupons. Students, faculty and staff can take advantage of Microsoft and Apple’s education discounts. Those looking for a Microsoft computer can go online to www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/edu and search for their school name to receive a 10 percent discount on all computers. Those who prefer Apple can go online to the discount store at www.apple.com/shop/
browse/campaigns/education_pricing and save up to $200 on new Mac computers and laptops and $20 on iPads. Other discounts include free admission to the San Antonio Museum of Art, the McNay Art Museum and the Institute of Texan Cultures. Special exhibits or events may charge an extra fee. “I’ll go to the museum a handful of times in two months,” said Sabrina Paredes, liberal arts freshman. She said the discount inspired her to visit museums more often. Spurs fans can get a seat in the upper level HEB Fan Zone for $5 or a lower-level seat for $40 with an Alamo Colleges ID. Tickets go on sale two hours before the game. Students agree the discounts are helpful. “It’s nifty,” history freshman Cameron McFly said of the discounts. It’s something to appreciate.”
Transfer center preps for 4-year schools Services include degree plans, career services, help with majors and meeting university reps. By Richard Montemayor
rmontemayor15@student.alamo.edu
For students transferring to a four-year college or university, the transfer center can help them get on track. “We are here. If we don’t know the answer, we will find it for them,” transfer adviser Jessica Gonzales said. The transfer center is on the first floor of Moody Learning Center, with hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Tuesday. The center sees students on a walk-in and appointment basis, Gonzales said. “The students sign in at the front desk and then we’ll call them in as we’re available to help them in whatever they may need, whether it may be with their application or scholarship information,” Gonzales said. Gonzales said they also help students by setting up appointments to meet with college representatives. “We have reps from different schools from all over San Antonio as well as around the country that students can meet with when they come to SAC,” Gonzales said.
The center also offers transfer plans for students who want to focus on taking their core classes at this college without earning an associate degree, Gonzales said “If a student isn’t interested in getting an associate’s necessarily — they kind of just want to get their core — we can provide them with those transfer plans,” Gonzales said. “That will tell the student what they can take here at SAC that will transfer over to, whether it’s UTSA, Incarnate Word or our Lady of the Lake — that will give them a list of what those schools accept,” Gonzales said. For students unsure of what they want to major in, Gonzales said the center also offers career services. “We do have some online resources like quizzes and what careers are hot in the area here.” Students who want to transfer next semester should come in and see an adviser, Alexandria Bampi, peer adviser, said. “Students can either come to the transfer center or talk to an adviser so they can look for a degree plan to follow when they transfer over to a university and all the credits that transfer over to them,” Bampi said. For more information, call the transfer center at 210-486-0864 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/transfer.
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Veterans, disabled students strive for success DSS and VA offices predict promising fall semester. By V. G. Garlisi sac-ranger@alamo.edu For more than 4,000 students served by disability support services and the veterans affairs office, the two centers have approached the fall semester with diligence. “The whole month of August is always crazier than any other part of the year, because our numbers are always higher for enrollment,” Odell “Trey” Kelley, the coordinator of veteran affairs, said. Since the combining of the departments in July 2012, the staff thought it would be beneficial to hold gatherings during Weeks of Welcome to create awareness and inform DSS students and veterans of all the services provided to them at this college. Coffee and doughnuts greeted more than 60 students the morning of Aug. 31 down at the DSS and VA offices in Moody Learning Center. Patriotic streamers and American flag-colored stars decorated the halls as Jennifer Alvizo, the director of veterans affairs and DSS, and Kelley smiled and encouraged students to join the
morning raffle. “Our party was more modest this year than last, because we wanted to do something closer to home, but the turnout was great.” Alvizo said. Students enjoyed fun and refreshments as well as pertinent information about their field of education. Prizes for the raffle included backpacks, sweatshirts, mugs and drink containers, all printed with this college’s logo. Much like the advising department for this college, the DSS and veterans office work with students one on one. However, the DSS and veterans office are unique because they advise students on a much more personal level, keeping detailed notes on the student and pertinent paperwork to better assist them with their educational goals, Alvizo said. “More than 4,200 DSS and veterans attend this college each year, and every student has his or her own personalized file to fit their learning habits and experiences,” Alvizo said. “We keep very detailed notes for every student and what they require and seek from their education.” The center offers “intentional” advising with a comprehensive approach to helping students get the most out of their education. Both
departments offer academic advising, career advising, degree planning, financing, veteran to veteran counseling, as well as one-on-one tutoring. “Our students are hungry for that next step in their life,” Kelley said. “I can see it in them, and our job is to help facilitate their education by helping them with their individual needs as students and as veterans.” The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs established a VetSuccess on Campus program at this college in October 2013 said counselor Sylvia Rodriguez. The program aims to help veterans and dependents achieve success in institutions of higher learning by providing outreach and mentoring to get them adjusted from military to college life. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the VSOC program began in 2009 as a pilot program at the University of Florida. Since then, VSOC has been established at 94 campuses across the nation. The VSOC program has been so successful here, Alvizo said, that the Texas Senate in May approved House Bill 1, which will grant the
Alamo Colleges $9 million for veteran initiatives. Of that $9 million, $7.6 million will build a new stand-alone Veterans Victory Center at this college. Kelley said the center will serve a higher volume of veteran students and have more Vetto-Vet peer mentoring. “The hope is for the building to be established and ready for student intake March of the spring 2017 semester,” Kelley said. “It will be located across from EcoCentro on North Main Avenue.” Lolly Espinoza, a former student and temporary assistant at the DSS desk, graduated from this college in 2007 with associate degrees in child development and liberal arts. During her enrollment here, Espinoza was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, which eventually confined her to a wheelchair. She remembered how helpful the DSS center was to her friends, so she decided to apply for a job with the center. Seven years later, Espinoza enjoys her seat at the DSS center, ready to help any student who walks through the doors. “I work with passionate people, who want to help others,” Espinoza said. “It’s a great environment to work in.”
6 • Sept. 14, 2015
Editor Cynthia M. Herrera Managing Editor Melissa Luna Assistant Managing Editor – News Kyle R. Cotton Assistant Managing Editor – Features Richard Montemayor Calendar Editor Alyssa Zapata Staff Writers Cassi Armstrong, Kathryn Castillo, Matthew Cuevas, Alejandro Diaz, Ryan A. Flournoy, J. Gainey, V.G. Garlisi, April Dawn Genao, Giselle Guadron, Marco Horta, Ty-Eshia Johnson, Robert Limon, Tress-Marie Landa, Roberto Martinez, Ivan Valdez Morales, Georgina Navarro, Hannah Norman, Courtney R. Kaiser, M. Ozuna, Wally Perez, Maritza Ramirez, Evelyn Reyes, Gabriela Rodriguez, Kyle Sanders, Jordan C. Williams Staff Photographers Daniel Carde, E. David Guel Photo Team Katelynn Alexa, Tiffany Anne Bermea, Danielle Kelley, Hilalry Melton, Derrick Patron, Hilary E. Ratcliff Illustrators Juan Carlos Campos, Alexandra Nelipa Production Manager Katherine Garcia ©2015 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-3941. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of journalism classes in the Department of Media
Communications at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations. The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger. org. News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available by phone 210-486-1765 or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association. Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer. Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor. Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two doublespaced, typewritten pages. Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length. Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be emailed to sac-ranger@alamo. edu. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, Department of Media Communications, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-3941 or faxed to 210-486-9292. Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and telephone number. Students should include classification, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs. Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and subject to college discipline.
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Alexandra Nelipa
Covey more trouble than it’s worth District would lose hundreds of thousands each year in revenue. Nearly $2 million may be spent on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and other FranklinCovey training materials over the next four years. The materials will be used to train students, employees, local corporation employees and residents. The district planned to spend $295,500 in 2016, which would rise to $492,000 in 2017, $591,000 in 2018 and $591,000 in 2019. Projected revenue from Corporate College would be $83,500 in 2016, $103,950 in 2017, $129,000 in 2018 and $150,000 in 2019. Total revenue is $466,450.
Sounds like a losing proposition. While it’s good the colleges expect to make some money back, they are still losing more than they are earning. They are losing out on $112,000 in 2016, $389,000 in 2017, $462,000 in 2018 and $441,000 in 2019. Total losses over the four years are $1,404,000. Why put millions of dollars into something that will earn not even half of the original expenditure? The district should either find ways to make more revenue or to spend less. While the market pricing for the materials is $150 per Corporate College student compared to $399 for face-to-face courses and $499 for online courses, the district is not sav-
ing anything. They are throwing away district dollars that could be spent restoring lost student services such as library hours, tutors and lab hours. They could be spending the money directly on student improvement, instead of wasting it on a course similar to one they already have to take: SDEV 0370, Foundations for College Learning. Instead of helping students, the district seems to be helping themselves. Give students the help they really need instead of pseudo instruction in Covey training. Is there perhaps something administrators could enroll themselves in called “Foundations of College Debt?”
Students not welcomed back First week of classes should run smoothly. The first day of the new semester is one of the most hectic for students as they try to figure out where their classes are and just how long it will take to park. However, this already stressful experience was compounded with the upgrade to ACES a week before the semester started. Myriad issues, including botched financial aid, resulted. To top it off, students found higher cafeteria prices. Every semester, like clockwork, employees and students alike vent that ACES is not working or the district’s
bureaucratic mess has caused students to be kicked out of the registration system, causing them to lose their places in classes they may have signed up for as early as spring. Students deserve better than this. Enrollment at this college has been on a decline. Despite the dwindling numbers and the constant development of the campus, it’s still a nightmare to park. Students have to wait in hourlong lines to fix schedules or find out what went wrong with financial aid when they are suddenly dropped. It was foolish to upgrade the ACES system so close to the influx of students for the fall semester, the highest enroll-
online
ment of the year. It’s hypocritical for the district to ask students to be prepared for the first day of class when its own offices are not. Geraldo R. Guerra, academic program coordinator in the SLAC lab, said, “Employees are prepared; the technology is not.” The faculty and staff of academic departments are ready to receive students. Employees in the various student services offices are ready to help. But the technology, the district’s contribution to the education formula of the Alamo Colleges, is not. If technology — a tool that everyone needs to use — is not cooperating, clearly the district isn’t either.
Resources help students get ahead Take advantage of perks, discounts and free help.
Hispanic Heritage Month observance opens today
Only three make cut in men’s basketball
Students are lucky this college offers them access to many resources. They can check out laptops, easels and more from Room 710 of Moody Learning Center or head to the SLAC lab on the same floor to see a tutor. With these resources, students can raise their GPA to a 3.5 to qualify for a San Antonio Education
Partnership Scholarship from the Honors Academy, which also offers scholarship, financial aid and transferring workshops. Students seeking fun can present a student ID for discounts on Alamo Drafthouse tickets, Spurs tickets and Apple, Microsoft and Best Buy electronics. Use all resources provided; you will not be students forever.
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Four unannounced safety drills planned for college this year Follow instructions in an emergency, assistant coordinator advises. By Matthew Cuevas sac-ranger@alamo.edu
This college will have four safety drills this academic year, but the drills will be considered “no notice and will not be announced beforehand,” the assistant emergency response coordinator said Sept. 9. Phil Strottner, assistant emergency response coordinator, is in charge of overseeing the campus’ emergency operating procedures. Each of four zones on this campus will have a drill, he said. Two drills will be lockdown and two will be a combination of fire and reverse evacuations. Every building on campus has a building action team, or BAT, and their responsibility is to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff in case of an emergency. Each member of BAT has a specific duty. The person in charge of the team is the building coordinator. Remaining team members are
COVEY from Page 1 Materials would consist of online training. Snyder said the contract would allow customization of copyrighted material. In 2016, the district planned to pay FranklinCovey $295,500, and the cost would have risen to $492,500 in 2017, $591,000 in 2018 and $591,000 in 2019. Because the terms are being negotiated, projected revenue from enrollment in Corporate College is expected to be $83,500 for fiscal year 2016, $103,950 in fiscal year 2017, $129,000 in 2018 and $150,000 in 2019, Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor of economic and workforce development, said in a phone interview Sept. 4. He projects the Alamo Colleges would enroll at least 180 employees in Corporate College in 2016, 225 in 2017 and 300 in 2018. He had no projection for 2019. Before the terms for the contract were being negotiated, Snyder said students would have benefited from the materials, and corporations would have received a great price paying $150 instead of the market rate. Originally, without a contract, the price for materials for 2,156 Alamo Colleges students and employees would have been $323,000 and another $221,445 for materials for 550 people in Corporate College for a total of $544,845. Because the contract would have provided unlimited free materials to employees and members of the Student Leadership Institute and more than half the cost of materials for Corporate College, the fixed cost would have been $295,000 for fiscal year 2016, according to the minute order. Market pricing for materials for FranklinCovey courses is $399 for a face-to-face course taught at Alamo Colleges, and $499 for an online course through FranklinCovey, according to the minute order. Through the contract, materials would cost $150 per student enrolled in Corporate College, a reduction of 12 percent or $262,000
floor captains and assistant floor captains. They are faculty or staff who volunteer to help evacuate buildings or make sure occupants stay inside depending on the type of emergency. The teams are drilled for four types of emergencies: • Lockdown — ensuring all the rooms in the building are locked, and lights are off. • Fire/reverse evacuation — evacuating everyone in the building safely outside in case of a fire, then in turn escorting everyone to the safety of a different building if need be. • Shelter in place — staying inside and letting in other students or members of faculty that may be stranded outside of a classroom. • Severe weather — guiding everyone to specific safe rooms in the center of the building away from windows. Each building and BAT on cam-
pus is drilled once a year in a specific drill. The buildings are broken into four zones: northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest. It takes four years for each building/zone to complete every drilling procedure. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in charge of emergency operating procedures for colleges nationwide, but the district directly oversees the campus emergency plans and procedures. So what should a student do in case of an actual emergency? “What the students need to know is when they see the person with the red hat and the green vest coming, do what they tell them to do,” Strottner said. “That’s really the best information for the students.” The emergency operating plan has been in affect since early 2013. “I think we have a good plan,” he said. “Luckily, we haven’t had any serious problems since we’ve had the plan.”
less than market pricing. Now that terms may change, Zaragoza projects the cost could be $600 for face-to-face training for employees in corporations and the public. The contract also allowed for an additional $50,000 per year in case the training requires a facilitator consultant; therefore, costing $345,000 for the first year, Snyder explained in a phone interview Aug. 31. “We wanted to put a little bit as a cap at more than $50,000 in case some assistance is needed as we work with their materials to create these versions for the corporations.” The cost increases in 201718 because district expects more corporations will participate in Corporate College courses, Snyder said. The minute order states the contract would provide revenue through actively marketing leadership training to corporations. During the Aug. 11 meeting of the audit, budget and finance committee, District 6 trustee Gene Sprague said the mission of the Alamo Colleges is training and education. “If you need education, if you need your people trained, there’s only one place to go and that’s Alamo Colleges,” Sprague said. “This is definitely within our mission.” Through the new contract, Alamo Colleges would have been able to provide training to large companies with 500 or more employees. The previous contract with FranklinCovey limited training for 250 employees or less. The Audit, Budget and Finance Committee on Aug. 11 discussed the FranklinCovey contract but did not have access to details. When the time came for the committee to vote on the proposal, Chair Anna Bustamante, district 3 trustee, was upset because other trustees wanted to approve it and move on to the next item despite the lack of information about the contract. “A minute order was just thrown
at us, like here, ‘approve it because it’s good, we think it’s good,’ and the mistake was you didn’t do a presentation. You didn’t say what it was about. That’s the problem,” Bustamante said. “It’s a great program, a great leadership building opportunity. It’s just we didn’t know anything about it,” she said. It was not until the regular board meeting on Aug. 18 that Snyder provided a PowerPoint explaining why the contract was a cost-saving deal. Snyder said she did not present the information at the committee meeting because pricing for the contract came late in the month and she wanted to get it on the minute order quickly before losing an opportunity for the entire year. Those in Corporate College and students in the leadership institute would receive certification after completing training and it would appear on student transcripts. The long-term goal is to provide 60,000 students with training in the soft skills needed to work in the corporate world, instead of only 100 students who participate in the leadership institute, Chancellor Bruce Leslie said. “Part of this material, which they developed for us, is around the whole issue of student success at college,” Leslie said during the regular board meeting Aug. 18. “This material allows us to offer, free, to all of our students … so that we can enhance their experience.” The contract also provided Zaragoza an opportunity to plan a pilot with the city of San Antonio to train 150 employees this fall. However, there is a possibility the pilot could not take place if the terms change because it would only allow Alamo Colleges to train companies with 250 employees or fewer. The city of San Antonio currently employs more than 500 employees, Zaragoza said. Because of the possibility of the terms changing, Snyder is expected to report back to the board of trustees to present the final negotiated contract.
Sept. 14, 2015 • 7
Two dual credit tracks lead to certificates Six high schools are offering pathways for students to earn college credit and job skills. By Daniel Alejandro Diaz sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Two dual credit programs are being offered this semester for high school students to earn certificates in professional and technical fields that could land them a job. Dual credit courses allow high school students to earn college credits before they graduate. Previously, dual credit courses were offered only in arts and sciences classes such as English, math or government. Students taking dual credit courses while in high school do not have to pay college tuition. This is the first time dual credit courses will be offered that can lead to a certificate, Vernell Walker, dean of professional and technical education, said. “We’re saying not only are you going to get college credit, you will get a certification saying that you have some job skill,” she said Aug. 27 in an interview. “You can actually go out there and get a job.” This semester dual credit courses are offered for computer application specialist and multimedia specialist. Walker said the college is hoping
CRIME from Page 1 the Cleary Act, part of Title 9, which prohibits discrimination based on sex and gender identification for higher education. Police Chief Don Adams and Curiel credits the decline to the police department’s WIGs, or wildly important goal, they set each year and their increased presence at the colleges. The WIGs, come from FranklinCovey’s “Four Disciplines of Execution,” which is an accountability system required of all district employees. “We believe one of the reasons is we’ve increased our presence within all campuses in terms of trying to make it a better and safer environment for faculty and staff,” Curiel said. “This is thanks to increased walkthroughs through the buildings, engaging with the community, with students — visiting with them, eating lunch with them — and just being more exposed to our community,” Curiel said. This included expanding social media presence through Facebook, Twitter and the department website. However, many of the trends by crime type have maintained themselves from year to year despite the overall downward trend. San Antonio College and Tobin Lofts accounts for 40-60 percent of all crimes reported in the district, with crimes of opportunity, such as burglary and theft, being the most commonly reported. This trend isn’t unusual, since this college has the largest student population and an open campus, Curiel said. “With the higher popu-
to add courses in the spring leading to certificates for a criminal justice specialist and communication design specialist. All certificates require 15 credits hours, but there is no limit of credit hours that a student can take. Previously, there was a restriction on how many dual credit courses a student could earn but now a student can get more than one certificate. In addition, thanks to House Bill 5 passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013, all high school students will have access to these courses, from freshmen to seniors, adding another plus to this program, she said. Six high schools are offering the dual credit courses — East Central, Harlandale and La Vernia; and Brackenridge, Lanier and Burbank in the San Antonio Independent School District. The courses are taught by high school teachers who meet the same credentialing standards as college faculty. The teachers underwent an intensive two weeks of training during the summer to prepare to teach these courses, she said. “It’s a pathway,” Walker said.
lation, there is more opportunity for crime. The crimes of opportunity we try to stress as preventable.” “On all campuses, we have laptops, iPads, bicycles, backpacks, phones and vehicles as targets of opportunity,” Curiel said. “People come here on campus just looking for targets of opportunity where they will see a valuable item exposed,” he said. “We try our best to walk the parking lots, and when we do see something like that, we use a CPR (a crime prevention reminder), to remind people that valuables visible outside your car can become a crime of opportunity,” Curiel said. The best way to prevent crimes of opportunity is to refrain from leaving items lying around unattended and basic awareness of an individual’s property and environment, Curiel said. He said since the other campuses are larger and more isolated from their surrounding neighborhoods, there is less opportunity for criminal activity. The nightlife in the area creates a unique challenge as well as this campus’ downtown location, Deputy Chief Joe Pabon said. Pabon said people tend to wander over while intoxicated, and when that happens, the campus police offer them a phone call to hail a ride or to sit in the San Antonio College’s DPS sober unit until they are well enough to drive. “As long as they aren’t driving under the influence, we’ve done our part,” Pabon said. For assistance, call DPS at 210485-0099 or for emergencies 210485-0911.
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8 • Sept. 14, 2015
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Science, technology and math — oh, my! STEM Week includes scholarship, internship information and movie. By Evelyn Reyes
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
fields receive priority tutoring assistance, she said. STEM Week begins with presentations by students who were asked to do research over the summer. Projects included research on solarpowered vehicles, tissue regeneration and microscopic fossils. Presentations will begin at 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday in the MESA Center. STEM-ulate will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the mall and includes different groups on campus with information about scholarship opportunities like the META Scholarship and other engineering groups with information about
STEM Week, Sept. 14-19 on this campus, offers plenty of events to teach students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics about scholarships, research and internship opportunities. STEM includes a variety of majors ranging from computer science to biomedical research. The Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement Center will host the week. The MESA Center offers support to students seeking a degree in the STEM field, and is in Room 204 of Chance A c a d e m i c Center. “It’s a national program that startIllustration by Juan Carlos Campos ed in the ’70s in California with the intent of helping to diversify STEM fields,” said Analisa internships and job shadSengele, senior student success adviser owing opportunities. and MESA Center coordinator. A panel of STEM faculty “The program was brought to San meet future students and offer Antonio College in 2007 and the goal of tips on how to prepare for their classes the center is to help underrepresented and be successful in their field. minorities to be successful in graduating The panel will begin at 2:30 p.m. and transferring to four-year schools,” Thursday in Room 204 of Chance. she said. After the panel, there will be a meet The MESA Center is open to all stuand greet with faculty, senior officers from dents, but students majoring in those STEM organizations and students who
participated in the summer research program. The meet and greet begins at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the MESA Center. Light refreshments will be provided. A free STEM-related movie will begin at 1 p.m. Friday in the MESA Center. Organizers are still deciding what movie to screen, but “Star Wars” is in the lead, Sengele said. The last event, STEM-Mania, will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in Scobee Education Center and is open to the public. STEM-Mania will feature astrophysicist and children’s book author Dr. Jeffery Bennett, a Scholastic Book Fair featuring STEM-related books and activities for elementary and middle school students. Bennett, author of the “Max Science Adventure” series, will give a presentation on STEM education and children’s literacy. The book fair includes a book signing by Bennett and other local authors. “(We are trying) to increase awareness of STEM fields and what the opportunities are and what exactly STEM is, basically just try to educate the community,” Sengele said.
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For more information, call 210- 486-1825 or visit www.alamo.edu/ sac/mesa.
Gridiron spoofs local politics Event raises scholarship funds. The 2015 Gridiron show “Bad Blood” Sept. 19 promises a satirical review of the hotly contested mayor’s race in San Antonio and other spoofs of local, state and national news. This year’s version of the annual scholarship fundraiser will be at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center at this college. The Gridiron is sponsored by the San Antonio Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists with assistance from this college’s student SPJ chapter. Local media and public relations professionals
write the script and perform skits and musical parodies that lampoon politicians and other newsmakers. Proceeds will go toward scholarships for “the best and most promising student journalists in the San Antonio region,” Michael Drudge, scholarship coordinator for the professional SPJ chapter, wrote in an email. Advance tickets are available online for $30 through Wednesday at https://sanantoniospj.ticketbud.com/gridiron2015. General admission tickets at the door will be $35.