Theatre department to stage ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Galveston College Theatre department will present a gift to the community this month with a three-day run of the holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol,” a thrilling adaption of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic by Patrick Barlow.
Show dates and times are Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Performances are located in the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation Wing on the main campus of Galveston College, 4015 Avenue Q, Galveston.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain and admission is free.
This adaptation brings Dickens’ most beloved characters to life using five actors, mesmerizing props and the power of imagination. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future journey through time to remind an iron-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge what Christmas is truly about.
Audience members will witness Scrooge’s transformation from a stingy miser to a man who generously celebrates the spirit of the season all year long.
According to reviews, “Patrick Barlow’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a magnificent twist on this timeless story of redemption. A true celebration of theatre and the holiday season. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll leave full of holiday cheer.”
Director is Liz Lacy, program coordinator for Performing Arts at Galveston College.
Company members include Dorion Alcantar, Eva Arita, Elijah Barrie, Daniel Bourque, Alyssa Gudz, Daniel Maxey, Eric Scales, Wrath Sorrell and Brittney Somoza.
“A Christmas Carol” is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company.
For additional information, please contact Liz Lacy at 409-944-1398 or [email protected].
Promote your department, organization at the Fall 2019 Involvement Fair
Looking for a way to promote your department, program, organization or service? Here’s your opportunity!
The Galveston College Office of Student Activities and Student Government Association will host a campus and community Involvement Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Mary Moody Northen Center Atrium.
Organizations, departments and programs that are interested in participating in the Involvement Fair can contact Cynthia Parra at [email protected] with the following information by noon on Friday, Sept. 6:
- Club, organization or department name
- Representative name (person that will be stationed at table)
- Representative cell phone number
- Representative office number
- Representative email address
Tables and chairs will be provided. Participants are encouraged to have sign-in sheets to capture contact information and to provide their own tablecloths and marketing materials. Giveaways and promotional items are highly recommended.
The Office of Student Activities and SGA will provide food and beverages.
Involvement Fair Itinerary
10-11 a.m. – Set up
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Involvement Fair
1-2 p.m. – Tear down/clean up
Fall 2019 Galveston College Faculty and Staff General Assembly is Aug. 16
The Fall 2019 Galveston College Faculty and Staff General Assembly is set for Friday, Aug. 16, beginning with a breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. in the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation Wing at Galveston College. The college will be closed that day to allow maximum participation in the in-service activities.
At 8:30 a.m., Dr. Myles Shelton, president, will present a welcome, introductions and college updates, followed by a student services update featuring Ron Crumedy, associate vice president of student services and a presentation on the Pathways Project featuring Dr. Sandra Metoyer, director of the Title V Pathways Project.
Following a break, Dr. Cissy Matthews, vice president of instruction, will present a session on “Monitoring What Matters.”
At 10:15 a.m., Dr. Shelton, Dr. Matthews, Dr. Van Patterson, vice president for administration, and Crumedy will present a strategic planning update. Dr. Shelton will follow with a legislative update at 11 a.m.
A buffet luncheon prepared by the culinary team of Mr. C’s Dugout will be served at 11:45 a.m.
A faculty professional development session will begin at 1 p.m. in Room FA-207 of the Fine Arts Building, with a bookstore update by Tina Sidelnik of Texas Book Store.
Joe Bernard, director of educational services, will present an online pedagogy professional development workshop at 1:15 p.m. There will be a break from 2:30-2:45 p.m.
At 2:45 p.m., Crumedy will present a student services update, followed by an instructional affairs update at 3 p.m.
A faculty assembly, chaired by Dr. Larry Blomstedt, president of the Faculty Senate, will convene at 3:15 p.m.
Above: Galveston College staff members listen to a speaker at the Fall 2018 Galveston College Faculty and Staff General Assembly.
2019 Health and Wellness Fair set for April 17
- blood pressure checks by Galveston College Nursing and Emergency Medical Services students and faculty;
- immunizations for participants eight years of age and older by Walmart Pharmacy;
- free flu shots donated by American National Insurance Co. and provided by Affinity Immediate Care;
- HIV testing and information on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by Access Care of Coastal Texas (ACCT);
- one free hour of yoga from 12-1 p.m. with Galveston College yoga instructor Jim Turner;
- information and pre-registration packets by UTMB Health Radiography-Breast Imaging;
- games and prizes by Anytime Fitness and
- healthy snacks by Galveston College Culinary Arts.
Ayers is Texas EMS Educator of the Year
Brian Ayers, Emergency Medical Services program director and instructor at Galveston College, was named EMS Educator of the Year by the Texas Department of State Health Services at the 2018 Texas EMS Conference.
“Brian is very deserving of this award for the great work he has done with the EMS program here at Galveston College,” said Dr. Cissy Matthews, vice president for instruction. “Brian and all the EMS faculty are dedicated to offering quality education that will prepare our graduates to be successful in the EMS profession.”
The Texas EMS Educator Award honors a state-certified EMS instructor or course coordinator who advances EMS education in Texas through innovation, collaboration and a commitment to students. The award is decided by officials at the Texas Department of State Health Services Office of EMS and Trauma System Coordination.
“I am humbled and encouraged in receiving the honor of being named the Texas EMS Educator of the year,” Ayers said. “I believe education is key to the advancement of the EMS profession, and I’m proud to be part of educating the next generation of EMS professionals.”
Ayers was nominated for the honor by his students in the program.
Galveston College wins marketing and PR awards
The Galveston College Public Affairs team recently won two Medallion Awards from District IV of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations for work to promote the college’s Continuing Education programs.
The college received the gold Medallion Award for best academic catalog/class schedule for the summer 2018 continuing education schedule and the bronze award for digital advertising for continuing education social media ads.
Sandi Smith, graphics specialist, and Trish Szymanski, digital communications and web services manager, accepted the awards at the 2018 Medallion Awards ceremony at the NCMPR District IV conference in Denver, Colorado.
“This recognition comes at a time when amazing things are happening at Galveston College,” said Carol Langston, director of public affairs. “These awards are special acknowledgement of our efforts to promote the life-changing opportunities Galveston College offers to students and the community. I am so proud of our talented Public Affairs team members who work with our partners in the Continuing Education department to develop such creative schedules and advertising. It’s a great day to be a Whitecap.”
The National Council for Marketing and Public Relations is the leading professional development association exclusively serving those working in communication at two-year community and technical colleges.
The NCMPR Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges in each of NCMPR’s seven districts. District IV includes colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
Above: Galveston College Public Affairs team members Sandi Smith (left), graphics specialist, and Trish Szymanski, digital communications and web services manager, and accept two Medallion Awards from District IV of the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations.
Galveston College announces new vice president for administration
Dr. Myles Shelton, president of Galveston College, announced today the appointment of Dr. Van Patterson of Longview, Texas, to the position of vice president for administration. He will succeed Dr. Gaynelle Hayes, who retired Aug. 31 after 50 years of service at Galveston College.
Dr. Patterson has been the director of the Longview University Center, a branch campus of the University of Texas at Tyler, since 2013, where his responsibilities include day-to-day operation of the campus, building enrollment, fundraising, increasing public awareness of the campus, and creating and overseeing an annual budget. He also works closely with the Longview University Center Development Council, community college and high school administrators, and local business, community and government leaders.
Prior to joining UT Tyler, Dr. Patterson served 17 years at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, where in various roles his responsibilities included fundraising, marketing and public relations, enrollment management, alumni affairs, academic advising and student activities.
As vice president for administration at Galveston College, Dr. Patterson will provide leadership in the areas of public affairs, development, physical facilities, grounds, security, information technology and auxiliary services, including intercollegiate athletics, the college bookstore, campus housing and food services.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Patterson joining the Galveston College family,” Dr. Shelton said in making the announcement. “We are confident that his knowledge and expertise in so many different areas will benefit our college, our students and our community.”
Dr. Patterson has a doctor of education in higher education administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce, a master of business administration from East Texas Baptist University and a bachelor of business administration in marketing and management from Baylor University. He has taught courses in research, curriculum and instruction, and physical education.
“I am honored and excited about this opportunity and will do everything I can to ensure that Galveston College continues to be an institution the community can be proud to be associated with and support,” Dr. Patterson said. “During my visit to Galveston College I observed a great sense of camaraderie among the faculty, staff and administration. This is wonderful working environment that I look forward to joining soon.”
Dr. Patterson and his wife, Marty, have been married 28 years and are the parents of two children, David and Holly. The Pattersons plan to make their home in Galveston.
Dr. Patterson’s first day at Galveston College will be Sept. 17.
Galveston College faculty and staff gather for 2018 General Assembly
Computer scientist James Morrison with the FBI’s Cyber Task Force had some sound words of advice for Galveston College faculty and staff at Friday’s Fall 2018 General Assembly.
“Use a password manager to keep up with your passwords; cloud-based or apps are the most common,” he said. “Longer passwords are best. Add four characters to the minimum required by your system. Alter your password patterns. And don’t capitalize the first letter and end with numbers.”
Morrison, the guest speaker for the biannual convocation, also shared an overview of cyber attacks, emerging threats and the FBI’s effort to investigate internet crimes.
President Myles Shelton, Vice President of Instruction Cissy Matthews and Acting Vice President of Student Services Ron Crumedy gave an update on the first year of the college’s strategic plan.
The four goals — Student Access and Enrollment, Student Success, Employee Development and Institutional Resources, were reviewed, with the presenters noting that many first-year benchmarks have been established.
Dr. Shelton also presented an overview of the new faculty salary schedule, acknowledging the tremendous work of the Faculty Salary Survey Committee, and the new salary structure for adjunct faculty and non-faculty.
Vice Presidents Matthews and Crumedy presented a session on monitoring what matters and the Texas Pathways Initiative, citing a number of outcomes at Galveston College. They lauded programs such as the Read Deeper Quality Enhancement Plan initiative, counseling and academic advising, Building Bridges to Student Success, the Student Success Center, early alert, Universal Access, Upward Bound, the Male Success Initiative and many others that contribute to student success.
Carol Langston, director of Public Affairs, and the brand ambassadors team rolled out the updated brand for Galveston College, introducing coastal orange and royal blue colors, modern typography, and an ad campaign that focuses on the benefits of the college — high-quality academic programs, location, student-oriented faculty and staff, accessibility and affordability.
The faculty enjoyed a number of presentations throughout the afternoon, including an update on cybersecurity and technology from Director of Information Technology George Crossland, a Student Services update from Vice President Crumedy and an Instructional Affairs update from Vice President Matthews.
Above: James Morrison (second from left) with the FBI’s Cyber Task Force answers questions from faculty and staff following Friday’s Fall 2018 General Assembly presentation at Galveston College.
Galveston College faculty and staff celebrate milestones
Galveston College faculty and staff donned their best Roaring ‘20s party wear to celebrate student success and their colleagues’ achievements at the 2018 Employee Awards Banquet on May 4 in the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation Wing on the Galveston College campus.
With a theme of “Jazzed About Our Student Success,” featuring student success highlights from 2017-18, faculty and staff were honored with exceptional performance awards and milestones awards for years of service.
Exceptional Service Award recipients included Gloria Milton, administrative assistant II, Development and Galveston College Foundation, and Nick Saum, media specialist, Department of Information Technology, classified staff; Priscilla Culver, dual credit adviser and adjunct faculty member in psychology, professional-technical staff; Paul Mendoza, Culinary Arts, and Rebecca Montz, Nuclear Medicine Technology, faculty; and Mirta Salinas, Culinary Arts, adjunct faculty.
Dr. Gaynelle Hayes, vice president for administration, was recognized for 50 years of service to Galveston College. John Rimar was recognized for 40 years of service.
Those recognized for 30 years of service included Michael Berberich and Jose Ortiz.
Athletic Director and Head Softball Coach Ken Delcambre, Maria Garcia, Polly Martin and Regent Carl Kelly were recognized for 20 years of service.
Dr. Larry Blomstedt, Dr. LaToya Mills, Laura Clouser and Brenda Reeves received 10-year service awards.
Those recognized for five years of service were Deon Botha, Fred Khoury, Patty Reyes, Dr. Laimutis Bytautas, Jeffery Eubank, Rebecca Montz, Jason Smith, Maria Tripovich, Nick Saum, Arlinda Washington, Donna Swartz, Dr. Larry Root and Elvia Bytautas.
Retirees in 2017-18 who were honored at the event included Beth Thomas, Linda Kelley, Joe Huff, Mary Lee Guthier and David Bowers.
Above: Galveston College President Myles Shelton (left) and Board of Regents Chair Ray Lewis (second from right) recognize Employee Excellence Award winners Mirta Salinas, Rebecca Montz, Gloria Milton, Nick Saum, Priscilla Culver and Paul Mendoza.
Galveston College sets 2018 Health and Wellness Fair on April 6
Galveston College will host its 2018 Health and Wellness Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 6, in the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation Wing-West at Galveston College, 4015 Avenue Q, Galveston, Texas.
Sponsored by the Galveston College Employee Relations and Wellness Committee and Office of Student Activities, the Health and Wellness Fair is free for Galveston College students and faculty, staff, their spouses and dependents.
Participants are asked to bring a valid Galveston College ID and their insurance card. Discounted fees for services may be available for those with no insurance.
Highlights of the event will include the following:
- blood pressure checks by Galveston College Nursing and Emergency Medical Services students and faculty;
- immunizations for participants eight years of age and older by Walmart Pharmacy;
- free flu shots donated by American National Insurance Co. and provided by Affinity Immediate Care;
- HIV testing and information on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by Access Care of Coastal Texas (ACCT);
- one free hour of yoga from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with Galveston College yoga instructor Jim Turner;
- information and pre-registration packets by UTMB Health Radiography-Breast Imaging;
- games and prizes by Anytime Fitness and
- healthy snacks by Galveston College Culinary Arts.
Other participating exhibitors will include Alzheimer’s Association – Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Galveston County Health District-Public Health, UTMB Health Transplant Center, Ball High School Teen Health Center, Inc., VALIC-Mike Brown and Voya-Jeremy Joaquin.
“We are excited to once again host a Health and Wellness Fair for the students, faculty and staff of Galveston College,” said Joyce Landry, Human Resources payroll/benefits specialist. “This event is designed to help educate our students, faculty and staff about health services available in the community and to focus on issues related to health and wellness.”
For more information, contact Landry at (409) 944-1280 or [email protected].