Whitecaps Wardrobe appointments available
Are you looking for clothes for work or a job interview?
The Galveston College Student Government Association is accepting appointments to shop its new Whitecaps Wardrobe professional clothing closet. The closet is located on the second floor of the Hermes Fitness Center.
A variety of free business and business casual attire is available, including dress shirts and slacks, jackets, dresses, pants, blouses and career-specific attire.
To schedule a confidential appointment, please contact Jose Martinez at [email protected] to arrange a date and time.
Donations also may be dropped off near the screening stations in the Moody Hall lobby and the Mary Moody Northen Center atrium and at the Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center.
Whitecaps Wardrobe is made possible thanks to generous donations from faculty, staff, students and friends of Galveston College.
Speaker to discuss ‘Black Hollywood: How African Americans Gain Agency and Empowerment in the Movie Industry’
The audience will have a front-row seat as Galveston College continues its 2021 virtual lecture series on Diversity, Inclusion and Empowerment with “Black Hollywood: How African Americans Gain Agency and Empowerment in the Movie Industry” featuring Dr. Kimberly Fain on Tuesday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom video conference.
Dr. Fain is a visiting professor at Texas Southern University, an author and a licensed attorney. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Communication and Rhetoric from Texas Tech University, a Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, a Master of Arts from Texas Southern University and a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M University at College Station.
A featured speaker on national radio shows and podcasts, Dr. Fain’s publications include books, reviews, essays, and chapters in various journals and presses, such as Buffalo Journal of Gender, Law & Social Policy, JSTOR Daily, McFarland, Modern Fiction Studies, National Book Review, Ploughshares, Scarecrow and Southern Studies.
She has served as associate editor of World Literary Review and has published three books: “African American Literature Anthology: Slavery, Liberation and Resistance,” “Black Hollywood: From Butlers to Superheroes, the Changing Role of African American Men in the Movies” and “Colson Whitehead: The Postracial Voice of Contemporary Literature.”
For her 2017 blog series in Ploughshares, “The Black Aesthetic,” she published essays on the musical revolution and the cultural rhetoric of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Prince and SZA. Her series claims, “When poetry is set to music, harmonious beats relay liberating feelings that transcend history and culture.”
“We are very excited to have Dr. Fain present at our lecture series. The presentation will surely enrich our view on Diversity, Inclusion and Empowerment in American culture and the movie industry in the United States,” said Dr. Laimutis Bytautas, chair of the Faculty Professional Development Committee at Galveston College. “We would like to invite all of you to this exciting lecture and to share this invitation with your family and friends.”
To access the April 27 lecture, visit the following Zoom link on the internet:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84136870565?pwd=Y3N5QkdGT0lWeUhmRi9qRHFIS2ZGdz09
Meeting ID is 841 3687 0565. Passcode is Galveston.
For more information about the Galveston College lecture series, please contact Dr. Laimutis Bytautas, chair of the Faculty Professional Development Committee, at [email protected].
Galveston College Board of Regents hears report on CARES Act funding and financial needs of students
The Galveston Community College District Board of Regents on April 14 learned that Galveston College had distributed $1.07 million in direct federal financial aid to Galveston College students through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA): Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II).
Dr. Myles Shelton, college president, said emergency grants were provided to students whose lives were disrupted because of COVID-19 and who faced financial challenges due to job loss and unemployment, healthcare, childcare and other unexpected expenses.
Dr. Shelton said the American Rescue Plan, which Congress signed into law in March, includes provisions for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III).
In other business, Carmen Allen, director of institutional effectiveness and research, presented a student success report on the results from the Trellis Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS).
The SFWS is a national, online survey used to document the financial health and student success indicators of students in higher education. In addition to financial wellness, data from the survey provide critical insights into topics such as basic needs security and student perceptions of institutional support.
Findings from the fall 2020 survey administration show that many Galveston College students have anxiety about paying for school: 73 percent agree or strongly agree that they worry about having enough money to pay for school, and 67 percent have run out of money three or more times in the past year.
Additionally, 74 percent of students said their family’s finances have worsened since before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of students agree or strongly agree Galveston College has the support services to help them address their financial situations.
“By utilizing the data and research-based suggestions presented in the survey report, the college can continue to structure programs and initiatives to bolster students’ success in the face of financial challenges,” Allen said.
In board action, the board approved instructional agreements for dual-credit and early-admissions enrollment classes for the 2021-22 academic year with the Galveston Independent School District, O’Connell College Preparatory School, Odyssey Academy and Upward Hope Academy.
In other action, board members:
–approved the reappointment of full-time faculty for the 2021-22 fiscal year.
–accepted the retirement of Kathleen Hutchins-Otero, Associate Degree Nursing instructor,
effective Aug. 31.
–reviewed the first and second quarter reports on incidents of sexual harassment,
sexual assault, dating violence and stalking under Section 51.253(c) of the Texas
Education Code as amended during the 86th Legislative Session.
–approved an agreement between The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
and Galveston College to provide student health and counseling services for the 2021-22
academic year.
–heard an update on the 2020-21 Galveston College lecture series on Diversity, Inclusion
and Empowerment from Janene Davison, president of the Faculty Senate.
–heard a Student Government Association update from SGA President Maia Adolphs, who
said the SGA had begun a Whitecaps Wardrobe professional clothing closet for students.
The SGA also will be recognizing seven dual-credit students from Ball High School
who will receive their associate degrees in May and will host officer elections and
a virtual escape room this spring.
–reviewed the monthly financial reports presented by Jeff Engbrock, chief financial
officer/comptroller.
Upon request by college officials, the board removed from the agenda a proposal to supply and install a needlepoint ionization system at the main campus and at the Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center to allow further study and review.
Food for Thought distribution is open to the general public
Galveston College’s free Food for Thought drive-through food distribution is now open to the general public in addition to Galveston College students.
The next drive-through distribution will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (while supplies last) on Wednesday, April 21, at the college’s Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center, 7626 Broadway St., Galveston.
The final distribution date for the spring 2021 semester will be Wednesday, May 5.
Food for Thought is a partnership between Galveston College, the Galveston County Food Bank and the Houston Food Bank through its Food for Change food scholarship initiative.
The Food for Thought distribution gives Galveston College students and the general public access to fresh produce, meats and other groceries on the Galveston College campus, enabling them to save money for other necessities.
Here are the steps to receive food:
–Bring ID card, client card or current student ID for the spring 2021 semester.
–Open trunk of automobile so that volunteers may place box/bag of food inside.
–Drive off safely after receiving food.
Galveston College adheres to the wearing of facial coverings/masks and COVID-19 protocols.
For more information, please contact Jose Martinez at [email protected] or (409) 944-1234.
Galveston College board moves forward with PBK Architects for Nursing and Health Sciences Education building project
The Galveston Community College District Board of Regents, in a special session on April 7, authorized Dr. Myles Shelton, president, to negotiate a contract with PBK Architects, Inc., of Houston for architectural and engineering services for the construction of a new nursing and health sciences education building on the main campus.
The college received 13 responses to its request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services. Of those 13, the five firms scoring the highest were invited to make presentations for review.
In addition, the board approved proposals for landscape and architecture planning and design services for the main campus and for the Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center from Elizabeth Austin Associates of The Woodlands. The proposals will take the projects from schematic design and construction documentation to oversight of installation.
Dr. Shelton said campus landscaping at both locations sustained considerable damage as a result of the February winter storm, and college staff will not know the exact extent of the damage for another month or so until the plants break their winter dormancy and begin to grow – or in some cases, not grow.
The board also decided to meet on April 27 at 4:30 p.m. to review and discuss proposals for bond financial adviser services.
Above: Galveston College Regent Carroll Sunseri looks at a virtual rendering of a nursing and health sciences building at another institution at the April 7 special board meeting.
Galveston College joins #CCMonth campaign to improve awareness of value, need to support community colleges
Galveston College announced it is participating in #CCMonth, a grassroots education campaign coordinated by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). The primary goals of #CCMonth are to improve awareness of the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges, and to bust longtime stigmas wrongly associated with public two-year colleges.
Galveston College students, alumni, faculty, staff and community supporters are encouraged to share their Galveston College stories on social media and to tag their posts with the hashtags #GCSuccess, #CCMonth and #CCTrustees.
“The past year has proved beyond any doubt that our college is absolutely vital to our community and our state,” Galveston Community College District Board of Regents Chair Karen Flowers said. “#CCMonth is an opportunity to reach out into both and to demonstrate not only that community colleges should be the first choice of many collegegoers, but why community colleges are first-class institutions that are vital to our local and state economies.”
Public community colleges are a uniquely American educational model that was designed to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality higher education for all people. They are the primary educators of life-saving nursing and other healthcare professionals among many others. They also serve as an onramp to bachelor’s, master’s and higher-level degrees for many students, and particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students. They guarantee fair admissions for all students. They offer supports for adult students who have to work to support their families. And without community colleges, many American students would not be able to access higher education at all.
Despite all this, many American people wrongly believe that community colleges are inferior institutions, and in most states, universities receive significantly more per-student state support than community colleges do. These negative attitudes and disparities support and encourage ongoing socioeconomic and demographic disadvantages and inequities in the United States.
“Community colleges are engines of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown. “They give opportunities to all students, and they support all students throughout their educations, whether they attend to attain an associate degree or certificate, intend to transfer on for a bachelor’s or higher degree, or they take one or a few courses to learn a new skill or expand their horizons.”
The campaign is expected to have strong participation from community colleges and their supporters throughout the country.
SGA launches Whitecaps Wardrobe collection
The Galveston College Student Government Association will launch its new Whitecaps Wardrobe collection initiative this week to provide professional clothing and other items to students later this spring.
Jose Martinez, student life coordinator, said Whitecaps Wardrobe will be implemented in two phases: collection, which begins Wednesday, March 24, and distribution, which begins in April.
Collection dropboxes will be located behind the COVID-19 screening stations in the Mary Moody Northen Center atrium, the Moody Hall lobby and the Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center lobby.
Drop-offs for special items that cannot be placed in a dropbox can be scheduled through Martinez at [email protected].
New and gently worn donations are requested. Please do not donate items that are dirty, wet, ripped, torn or stained.
The following items are needed:
- Professional dress clothes — dress shirts, blouses, slacks, skirts, suit coats and jackets
- Shoes, ties and belts
- New undershirts and dress socks
- Workforce clothing and materials such as scrubs and anything relevant to the programs at Galveston College
- Grooming items and supplies
- Simple accessories
Distribution will begin April 21. Students will be able to register for a time to visit the Whitecaps Wardrobe.
For more information, please contact Jose Martinez at [email protected] or any member of the Student Government Association.
‘Lives Bound Together’ lecture available upon demand
The Galveston College Faculty Professional Development Committee hosted Executive Director of Historic Preservation and Collections and Robert H. Smith Senior Curator Dr. Susan P. Schoelwer of George Washington’s Mount Vernon for a virtual lecture titled “What Can We Learn from the Exhibit ‘Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon’?” on March 9 as part of its 2020-2021 series on Diversity, Inclusion and Empowerment.
Installation of the current, award-winning special exhibition “Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon” in 2016 marked a significant step in an ongoing process of recognizing and recovering the historical experiences of hundreds of enslaved people owned by George and Martha Washington in the 18th century.
In her presentation, Dr. Schoelwer presented an overview of the galleries and offered behind-the-scenes reflections on the development of the exhibition and related projects, lessons learned, and continuing efforts to offer a more inclusive interpretation of life on one of America’s best-known plantations and most-visited historic sites.
Dr. Schoelwer directs the architectural preservation, furnishing, and interpretation of George and Martha Washington’s house and surrounding plantation buildings and landscape, as well as the creation of museum exhibitions, including “Lives Bound Together.”
Prior to coming to Mount Vernon as curator in 2010, Dr. Schoelwer served for more than a decade as head of museum collections at the Connecticut Historical Society, where she authored “Connecticut Needlework: Women, Art and Family, 1740-1840,” winner of the 2011 Connecticut Book Award for Non-Fiction. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in American studies from Yale University, a master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Notre Dame, where she participated in the historic transition to coeducation.
In addition to Mount Vernon and the Washingtons, Dr. Schoelwer has written and lectured on a variety of topics, including American art and decorative arts, needlework and women’s history. She is currently researching a book examining the creation and continuing re-creation of George Washington portraits.
To view the free lecture on-demand, click here.
Galveston College opens scholarship application for 2021-22 academic year
Galveston College to keep COVID-19 precautions in place
After consulting with state and local health officials and reviewing Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recommendations and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health and safety protocols, Galveston College has determined all current college COVID-19 protocols, including the wearing of facial coverings/masks, temperature checks and health screenings, will remain in place at Galveston College for the time being.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order regarding the mask mandate and opening Texas businesses 100 percent, effective Wednesday, March 10, allows each business, as well as each college and university, to determine its best and safest path forward.
College officials have determined that the health and safety of students, faculty and staff while working to achieve the mission and purposes of the college will continue to be the highest priority during this pandemic. The college is dedicated to creating a campus environment that is as safe as possible and minimizes the spread of COVID-19.
And as the pandemic is not over, college officials, in accordance with Gov. Abbott’s Executive Order which stressed personal responsibility, encourage each person to continue to practice individual safety measures while on the Galveston College campus, including the wearing of a mask or facial covering, practicing social distancing and washing/sanitizing hands frequently. Those who are ill should stay home. And, when invited to do so, get the vaccine.
Please visit the Galveston College COVID-19 website for updates at https://gc.edu/coronavirus/.