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.
Galveston College announces new director of development and Galveston College Foundation
Kelly Merry has joined Galveston College as director of development and the Galveston College Foundation.
Merry has 18 years of experience working as a development professional, with individual success in major gift, planned gift, capital campaign, donor relations, and annual gift work, as well as organizational success in leading and growing a development team.
“Kelly brings to us extensive fundraising experience in a variety of areas, and I am extremely impressed with her enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to student success,” said Dr. Myles Shelton, college president. “The search committee did a wonderful job in finding the right candidate in Kelly. She understands the mission of Galveston College, our students and our community. We are truly excited to have her join our team.”
Merry most recently served as a foundation director at a children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest where she worked on a $1 billion campaign. She has served on the boards of directors and executive committees of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Washington Chapter and Washington Planned Giving Council, where she most recently served as immediate past president. She is a past member of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Merry holds a certificate in fundraising management from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in information systems and statistical analysis from the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University.
Merry said she is excited to join the Galveston College family.
“The rich history of Galveston Island, the vibrancy of its community and the positive impact Galveston College has on its students drew me to this position,” she said. “I look forward to immersing myself in the community and helping support the vision of a progressive, dynamic institution of higher education known for its partnerships with businesses and organizations and its commitment to provide a quality learning environment that is student-focused.”
Dr. Cissy Matthews receives Contributions to Texas Women in Higher Education Award
The Texas Women in Higher Education on March 22 honored Dr. Cissy Matthews, vice president of instruction at Galveston College, with the 2021 Contributions to Texas Women in Higher Education Award.
The Contributions to Texas Women in Higher Education Award is designed to recognize a member of Texas Women in Higher Education (TWHE) and her outstanding contributions to TWHE and advancing women in the academy.
Dr. Matthews began her involvement with the TWHE Board of Directors in 2012 and served as president from 2016 to 2018. She has served on a number of TWHE’s committees, including the Nominating Committee, Institutional Representative Committee, Awards Committee and Social Media Committee.
“From the list of positions she has held, anyone could surmise that Cissy has been a positive force for TWHE. Although her positions outline Cissy’s time with TWHE, they do not adequately describe the true impact she has had on the organization,” said Dr. Dani Day, immediate past president of TWHE, in presenting the award.
“True leaders focus on a vision and lead others to join them in implementing that vision. Cissy has done just that with both her board positions—especially her leadership as president and continued influence as past president. The vision of TWHE is to ‘transform higher education leadership in Texas and beyond,’” Dr. Day said.
“Through her focus on that vision, Cissy has led TWHE to plan its work to achieve the vision through strategic priorities related to development, networking, advocacy, advancement and professional growth of women in Texas colleges and universities.”
Through her statewide leadership of TWHE, Dr. Matthews worked to promote the American Council on Education’s Moving the Needle: Advancing Women in Higher Education Leadership initiative. Additionally, she worked to diversify the membership and participation of women from all sectors of higher education in TWHE.
“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Dr. Matthews on this tremendous honor,” said Dr. Myles Shelton, college president. “We are extremely fortunate to have such an outstanding leader here at Galveston College.”
Dr. Matthews has more than 20 years of experience in higher education. She joined Galveston College as the vice president of instruction in 2012 and has been instrumental in creating several new instructional programs, including the college’s first bachelor’s degree.
Prior to joining the Galveston College leadership team, she was the dean for workforce and continuing education at College of the Mainland in Texas City.
Dr. Matthews received a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Houston and Master of Business Administration at University of Houston-Clear Lake. She returned to the University of Houston for her Doctor of Education.
She and her husband, Dave, are the parents of one son, Travis. They reside in Friendswood.
Galveston College to host COVID-19 student, faculty and staff vaccination clinic
Galveston College, in partnership with the Galveston County Health District, will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hermes Fitness Center gym.
All Galveston College students, faculty, staff, and their family members and friends are invited to register to obtain their vaccinations.
The second dose will be administered on May 6.
A registration form is below. The form should be returned to Joyce Landry at [email protected] in Human Resources by Saturday, April 3.
Those registering with the college will receive a link from the health district to sign up for their preferred time on April 8. They also will receive a QR code. It’s very important to sign up in advance so that an accurate number of vaccines is available.
Texas opened COVID-19 vaccination appointments to everyone age 16 and older on March 29.
Galveston College expresses appreciation to the Galveston County Health District, Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, Office of Galveston County Judge Mark Henry and the University of Texas Medical Branch for sponsoring the clinic and for their efforts to vaccinate the citizens of Galveston County.
COVID-19 ON-SITE VACCINATION CLINIC SIGN-UP FORM
GALVESTON COLLEGE: April 8, 2021 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
| Name (First and Last) | Date of Birth | Email Address | Phone Number | |
Return to Joyce Landry at [email protected] by Saturday, April 3, 2021.
Deadline to register for spring 2021 graduation is March 26; graduate photo sessions are March 30-April 1
Are you graduating from Galveston College during the 2021 Galveston College Commencement ceremony on May 14?
The deadline to register for graduation is Friday, March 26, at 5 p.m. on the Whitecaps student portal.
There will be complimentary professional photo sessions for the virtual ceremony next week for all Galveston College graduating students. No appointments are necessary.
The schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Northen Center Atrium, Main Campus
- Wednesday, March 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Building 3, Charlie Thomas Family Applied Technology Center
- Thursday, April 1, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Northen Center Atrium, Main Campus
Students may bring their Galveston College caps, gowns and tassels or wear what they prefer to wear for their graduation photo.
A cap, gown and tassel will be provided for students to wear for the photo opportunity for those who do not have one.
Students who attend a photo session may sign up to receive a free graduation T-shirt.
Please confirm attendance at a photo session with Andrea Wiste in the Admissions office at [email protected].
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.
Board of Regents hears report on Nursing program involvement in Galveston County mass vaccination clinic
The Galveston College Community College District Board of Regents on March 10 heard a report from Associate Degree Nursing instructor Jeff Eubank on the Nursing program’s involvement in the Galveston County COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic at Walter Hall Park in League City.
Eubank said Nursing students are receiving required clinical experience at the vaccination hub, which is inoculating up to 3,000 individuals a day using mostly volunteer labor.
The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, Office of Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, the Galveston County Health District and the University of Texas Medical Branch have partnered to coordinate the effort.
“Our students love it,” Eubank said. “They are receiving a lot of great experience working with the patients and the professionals from UTMB the health district and other organizations. It’s been a wonderful opportunity.”
Eubank said the Galveston County vaccination effort is outpacing efforts in many other regions in the state. The waiting list for COVID-19 vaccinations in Galveston County is now open to all people, regardless of their age or health status.
Dr. Myles Shelton, Galveston College president, expressed appreciation to UTMB, the health district and the county for their efforts to provide vaccinations in Galveston County and to provide educators with access to vaccines.
“We appreciate UTMB including our faculty and staff along with teachers and others who work in our local schools,” Dr. Shelton said. “We just have to get more people vaccinated now.”
In other business, regents heard a student success report from Carmen Allen, director of institutional effectiveness and research, on the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI).
Galveston College periodically administers the SSI and uses the results to target areas most in need of improvement to retain students and help them be successful. The data collected are analyzed in terms of strengths and challenges that can be used for action planning, 12 composite scales that provide an overview of what matters most to the college’s students, and more than 70 individual items that provide insight on specific student experiences.
The fall 2020 survey administration revealed that Galveston College students’ satisfaction levels on composite scales have increased over time; recent scores exceed 2015 scores on each scale by anywhere from 4 percent to 12 percent.
“While the college is on par with national peers for scores on individual items, there were discrepancies between what our students expect and their levels of satisfaction in some areas,” Allen said. “However, in spite of those discrepancies, Galveston College students indicated a slightly greater likelihood of re-enrollment if they had to do it all over again compared to the previous administration of the survey in 2017 – a pattern that aligns with recent research suggesting the substantial impact of COVID-19 on the student experience in 2020 and beyond.”
In board action, the regents accepted the board nominating committee’s decision not to recommend a candidate to fill the unexpired term of Regent Carl Kelly, who died unexpectedly July 31. There will be an election for position 8 in May 2022.
In other board action, the regents:
- accepted the retirement of Hubert D. Callahan, Radiation Therapy program director, effective Aug. 20.
- approved student housing room and board fees for 2021-2022, including $1,500 per semester room fees for the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation Student Residences, Whitecaps Apartments and a house at 3815 Ave. Q1/2; $1,350 per semester room fees for houses and garage apartments at 2223 41st St. and 3802 Ave. R.; and $1,812 per semester for the board fee, which includes 14 meals and snacks.
- approved six changes to academic course fees for 2021-2022, including new course fees for professional assessment and/or preparation in Surgical Technology, Radiography and Nuclear Medicine Technology.
- accepted a U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Emergency Education Relief Fund Minority Serving Institutions grant award in the amount of $147,790 for the budget period of June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021.
- approved a proposal from American Mechanical Services (AMS) to retrofit the air handler unit in the Mary Moody Northen Center central plant. Cost is $145,080.64.
- approved a proposal to purchase portable programmable logic controller training equipment and installation services from Technical Laboratory Systems for the Electrical/Electronics Technology program. Cost is $56,485.
- accepted an audit services engagement letter from Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC.
- heard a Student Government Association update from Benjamin Shelton, vice president.
- accepted the fiscal year 2020-2021 second-quarter investment report.
- reviewed the monthly financial reports presented by Jeff Engbrock, chief financial officer/comptroller.
Above: Associate Degree Nursing student Carmen Kosinski administers a COVID-19 vaccine at the Galveston County mass vaccination clinic at Walter Hall Park in League City. Jeff Eubank, Nursing instructor, recently visited with the Galveston Community College District Board of Regents about how students in the Nursing program are gaining valuable clinical experience this spring as volunteers at the vaccination hub.
2021 Galveston College Commencement goes virtual
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