Dear Faculty and Staff:

I am pleased to announce our February President’s Award recipients are Sylvia Malta, Associate Profession/Chair, and Ingrid Casillo, ESL Lead Teacher/Adult Education and Literacy. Please help me congratulate Sylvia and Ingrid for their fine example of putting Students First and providing their colleagues with excellent service. Please note we are accepting nominations for the President’s Award for April. As I mentioned recently, the award recognizes faculty and staff who are making exceptional contributions to the college. You can learn more by viewing the President’s Award Program PDF. Do you know someone who fulfills the criteria? Please nominate them using the President’s Award Form (word limit 250) and email it to PresidentsAward@stchas.edu by Tuesday, April 5th, 2022. President’s Council will cast their votes at the next council meeting on April 14th.

We had our most recent President’s Council meeting this past Thursday. There were great conversations on the topics of a Community Hour proposal, Quality Matters and Minimum Requirements for Canvas, as well as a presentation on classroom technology refresh. While no actions were taken at the meeting, the presentations provided the Council with information to take back to their areas for feedback.

I am happy to report that SCC was recently invited to participate in a Governor’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Roundtable to discuss Workforce Education. Amy Koehler and Amanda Sizemore joined me for an engaging conversation with other higher education leaders from the St. Louis region. Some of the topics discussed included the status of Career Centers, Missouri One Start, MOExcels, Higher Education Capital Projects, A+ Schools Program, Dual Credit Enrollment Scholarships, and funding for higher education. It was good to hear from the other colleges, and Governor Parson seemed receptive to feedback shared.

As you know, March is Women’s History Month. Turning our attention to the contributions of women throughout history, SCC has an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women in our communities. The impact of these women helps shape the development of a new generation of young girls and women by affirming their essential place in our world. SCC will be hosting workshops this month through our Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) and the Office of Student Life. These workshops will focus on overcoming adversity and providing practical tips for setting priorities, creating a life strategy, and mentoring. I encourage you to find your own ways to honor and celebrate Women’s History Month.

Please join me in congratulating the SCC Baseball and Softball teams for an excellent start to their seasons. The SCC Baseball Team won two out of three games against Elgin Community College and the Softball Teams swept Mineral Area College.

Have a great week.