As the fall semester gets underway, I want to introduce our newest publication, Solano CARES, the bi-monthly newsletter with information on COVID and more. While we will include all things COVID related, we also want to read about your good news, events, and ways that you are supporting each other and students. We will create a monthly newsletter for students so they too can see what is happening. Submit your items for publication by Thursdays at 12:00pm to welcome.solano.edu/solano-cares for possible submission into these newsletters.
In an effort to keep all of us safe, most of our classes and services remain online/remote. For those of you who will be coming to campus, remember to mask up when entering campus buildings. You will still need to complete the campus access form available on the HR webpage to request access to campus unless you have made other arrangements with your supervisor. Additionally, you will need to complete the CourseKey questionnaire each day before you enter any campus buildings. See information below in next story for how to access.
We’ve taken precautions to ensure that our buildings are safe as we are following protocols for updating air filters, social distancing, and sanitizing shared spaces. We will offer in-person services by appointment only for tutoring, counseling, and access to a quiet study space. The Bookstore will be open for those who prefer to come by to rent or purchase text books and orders can still be placed online.
We are committed to keeping everyone safe and to providing you with updated COVID information and resources, as we receive them. If COVID conditions or requirements change, we will let you know through email, through this newsletter and online at the Coronavirus Updates webpage. If you would like to be part of the COVID Workgroup, please contact Lisa Neeley, Sheila Hudson, or Sal Abbate.
We encourage everyone who can to please get vaccinated. Science indicates that being vaccinated is the best way to reduce your chances of getting COVID and to reduce symptoms if you are exposed.
I hope you enjoyed our convocation keynote speaker, Scott Shigeoka, and his message about curiosity as a way to better understand differences. I suspect that it was a love of curiosity that led many of us to go into education. Curiosity is the foundation for learning and sometimes we lose sight of its value and the role it plays in understanding the human condition. I am recommitting to being curious as a way to be fully engaged and I hope you will do the same. Here’s to a semester of opportunities to better understand and appreciate one another and to engage in the work of teaching and learning.
Celia
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Use CourseKey Prior to Entering Facilities |
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Faculty and staff will now need to use the CourseKey application prior to coming to campus.
You will complete the health screening process on this app before accessing campus. The CourseKey application provides for more efficient contact tracing. Unless you have arranged with your supervisor a standing schedule to be on campus, you will need to complete the paper request to access campus form each time before coming to campus. This form is used to track location of employees for custodial services.
The access to campus form is available at the HR webpage under “forms.” To download the CourseKey application to your smart phone and/or computer, see the attached directions.
Step 1: Complete the access to campus form prior to coming to campus.
Step 2: On the day you are approved to come to campus, complete the CourseKey questionnaire before arriving.
CourseKey Access
• Login: Download the CourseKey App on your smart phone. Use your Solano employee email (first name.last name@solano.edu)
• Temporary Password: Welcome123
• If you do not have a smart phone, you can also access CourseKey through the following link: portal.thecoursekey.com
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Welcome our Newest Employees |
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A big shout out to our newest employees! We are so pleased to have you join the SCC family. Please welcome these folks when you talk or see them.
- Martin Vega, Accountant
- Kirsten Jackson-McClain, Payroll Generalist
- Alisa Lind, Payroll Assistant
- Alison Aubert, Interim Athletic Director
- Brid Sarazin, Human Resources Generalist
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Enrollment in all segments of the biotech program remains strong with a near 100% placement driving enrollment. Graduates of the certificate earn entry level salaries between $45,000 and $60,000 per year, and the field provides a tremendous potential for upward mobility. Ed Re and Mike Re anchor the certificate and associate degree programs.
This summer we held a bootcamp called IBIS (Industrial Biotechnology Intensive Summer) where the entire year long program is condensed into a summer long bootcamp. IBIS was taught by Mike Silva and Commodore St. Germain and it was anchored by laboratory technicians Jennifer Low, Chris Kucala, and Iralyn Eleazar. Jennifer, Chris, and Iralyn developed and implemented safety protocols that allowed the students to be in the laboratory. You might have heard that some students prefer virtual laboratories; that wasn’t these students, they were grateful to be in lab. They recognize that the development of their laboratory skills translate into career advancement.
The Biomanufacturing Bachelor's degree program just graduated its third cohort in May and the fifth cohort will start their journey next week. Gulnur Sanden serves as the director of this program. With the bachelor's degree, we put together a true educational pathway- articulated high school classes flow into three certificates which, with added general education courses becomes an Associate degree. The Associate degree flows seamlessly into the Bachelor of Science. And we have negotiated a guaranteed admission into graduate school. So, there it is high school to PhD – alpha to omega. The pathway has multiple entry and exit points to enter industry. And all of the segments can be pursued part-time and while employed. Jim DeKloe has given a presentation on this pathway to multiple audiences including the Community College League of California, the Community College Baccalaureate Association, the National Council for Workforce Education, and local audiences.
This fall we are launching a Cell and Gene Therapy certificate – as far as we know this is the first certificate of its type in the United States. We will share this curriculum with colleges from every region in the U.S. The program also teaches the skills and knowledge required for students to pursue synthetic biology and stem cell manipulation and algae biotechnology.
The program is working with multiple national organizations: NIIMBL, BioMADE, California Biomanufacturing Center, and InnovATEBIO.
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Student Services Highlights |
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The student services leadership team and staff made the necessary pivot and revamped service delivery. They continue to work tirelessly to ensure students have what they need to be successful within our current environment and do so in a safe and healthy environment. Below are a few highlights:
- Alex and her outreach team successfully encouraged over 700 high school seniors to apply to Solano for fall and at current count, more than 500+ of those students are registered and starting classes!
- Counseling faculty served students at the same level of in-person service while reducing student wait time and eliminating long lines. They also expanded the “Quick Questions” days/time.
- The transfer center staff offered UC/CSU student boot camps over the summer.
- During the spring semester, Dean Lewis and Shanan strategically focused on system impacted populations (formerly incarcerated, foster youth) as well as the re-entry population. This effort resulted in community partnerships with agencies such as Club Stride, Solano Transit Authority, Broken by Violence, B.R.U.H, Archway, Solano County Public Defender’s office, Probation, Parole and Juvenile Detention facility.
- Shanan, in partnership with Dr. Cabrera, has provided our Human Services students with a viable and sustainable internship placement on our campus. The interns have been essential in providing needed support to our SOAR and foster youth students.
- SOAR staff has successfully enrolled and retained our system impacted students. Staff enrolled 8 students who are currently in custody. Our current formerly incarcerated population for the fall semester is 72 with 16 being new to Solano. Furthermore, staff have enrolled foster youth is 126, with 4 being new to Solano.
- ELC staff who have been COVID warriors since June 2020. They diligently comply with regulations to keep everyone healthy and safe while making certain the children are engaged in wonderful learning experiences. They earned and sustained the parents trust through strong partnerships. They’ve maintained a can-do attitude even when facing uncertainty and numerous challenges.
- The ELC were among the very few community colleges who supported practicum students in the child development lab. We were able to establish procedures now replicated by other centers.
- Research and Planning staff continue to complete state/outside agency mandated reports (i.e., MIS, IPEDS) on time; provide time funding related to high priority management analyses/reports for decision-making (i.e., CARES/HERF, SCFF); produce enrollment trend analyses, ad-hoc reports that support and strengthen campus data needs; support and collaborate with IT and functional users on Banner technical solutions (i.e., fraud exploration reports for financial aid).
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Important Dates & Deadlines |
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There are important dates and deadlines to know about each semester, including add/drop deadlines, waitlist notifications and holidays.
You can find that information on our website.
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