In this issue

What's New • College Governance • Shout-outs! • In the News • Calendar

What's New  

VIDEO: Cuesta College Book of the Year Event

Cuesta College’s 2019 Book of the Year program brought renowned Mexican-American Chicana scholar, novelist, and poet Ana Castillo to the CPAC on March 5 to discuss her memoir Black Dove: Mama, Mi’jo and Me. The memoir includes a collection of essays that offers an intimate look at pivotal experiences in Castillo’s life across three generations: the relationship between Castillo and her immigrant mother, Castillo’s own challenges as a single mother to her son, and her childhood memories of growing up in the Mexican barrios of Chicago.

Edúcate- Sí Se Puede Conference

Over 400 Latino and Latina SLO County high school students visited Cuesta College on March 15 for the Edúcate - Sí Se Puede Conference. The annual event aims to empower and motivate students to pursue higher education. The day included workshops, a resource fair, entertainment, lunch, and a keynote from comedian Ernie G.

 ART EXHIBIT: Elizabeth Folk

The Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery is currently showing We Are Younger Now by Cal Poly faculty member Elizabeth Folk. The exhibit investigates themes of privilege and power by attempting to defamiliarize modern design and visual images and features sculpture, a performative marine vessel, home décor, and landscape design.

We Are Younger Now runs through April 5. Check out the video of Elizabeth's artist talk above.

Next up: the Gallery will be accepting submissions for the 2019 Student Art Exhibition, which will run from April 25 - May 24. Any student enrolled in the current academic year is eligible to submit up to 3 pieces. Artwork must have been created in 2018-2019 and not previously shown in the art gallery. 

VIDEO: Faculty Lecture Series - Eric Atkinson

As part of the Faculty Lecture Series, English faculty member Eric Atkinson presented "How the Super Hero Image Creates a Universal Image." The talk covered how and why our culture creates heroes to fulfill particular needs of society through images and how those images help us to maintain our sense of identity. Further, through the exploration of characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, The Black Panther, and Battle Pope, the presentation explored how an audience reads and understands themselves through what’s seen on the screen and comic book page.

 College Governance Communications

Each month, the Cuesta Newsletter serves as a communication conduit for College Council, Planning & Budget Committee, Academic Senate Council, and the Board of Trustees. 

Board of Trustees Meeting of March 6th

The Board of Trustees approved a new bookstore services contract as well as the CCFT agreement for the period of July 2018 through June 2020. The Board also approved a resolution to recognize Women's History Month and reaffirmed the District's commitment to diversity. For a full look at the Board's discussions and actions, visit the Board Docs website.

Academic Senate Council

The Academic Senate Council has been busy reviewing and approving Board policies and administrative procedures.  The Council has also been working on instruments to be used in the faculty evaluations of the Vice President of Administrative Services and the Vice President of Human Resources. 

Heidi Webber has been reappointed to serve as the Student Services Faculty Guided Pathways Co-coordinator. She and Lara Baxley and the rest of the Guided Pathways Implementation Team have been hard at work and have organized a summit event for March 22, 2019 featuring Rob Johnstone as the key note speaker.

Susan Kline was reappointed to serve as SLOA Co-coordinator.  She and Neil Higgins will continue leading the College in Student learning Outcomes Assessments.

 College Council

 The February 26, 2019 College Council agenda included the following items:

  • Review and Discussion of BP/AP 3720 Computer and Network Use Revision
  • Discussion of partnering with Amazon Web Services Academy and its Cloud Curriculum
  • An update on the Online Education Initiative (OEI), which is now called the California Virtual College (CVC).

Planning & Budget Committee

The Planning and Budget Committee took the following actions in recent weeks:

  • Streamlined the Integrated Planning Manual requirements for appointing members to a periodic task forces charged with gathering feedback to assess the District’s planning and decision-making process
  • Reviewed draft Budget Assumptions and Criteria
  • Reviewed the Legislative Analyst’s Office’s assessment and recommendation concerning the Governor’s proposed state budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year
  • Outlined information concerning district staffing information that will periodically be brought to the committee

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Shout-outs! 

2019 Career Education Students to State SkillsUSA

Tenured Faculty

Cuesta College career education programs are sending eight students to compete at the state level in SkillsUSA California’s 52nd Annual State Leadership and Skill Conference. The award-winning students competed in the regional competition at Paso Robles High School on February 23rd. The next level of competition will be held at the Ontario Convention Center on April 25th.

The 2019 regional medaling students are: 

- Gold, Jennifer Oseguera, Automotive Refinishing Technology 

- Gold, Alexandra Newsom, Criminal Justice 

- Gold, Dylan Head, Digital Cinema Production (pictured above right)

- Gold, Chris Tack, Digital Cinema Production (pictured above left)

- Gold, Frank Randise, Welding Fabrication 

- Gold, Braden Abatti, Welding Fabrication 

- Gold, Michael Dye, Welding Fabrication 

- Silver, Alexander Romo, Welding 

Congratulations, Cougars! Best of luck at State! 

Josh Wilson-Murry Named to CCCAA All-State Team

Wilson-Murry

Cuesta College men’s basketball player Josh Wilson-Murry was named to the 2019 CCCAA All-State Team! Josh is the Cougars’ 14th All-State player since the CCCAA went to one division in 1983 and the first Cuesta player from a SLO County high school to earn All-State honors since 1997. He was the captain of the 2019 basketball team and led the team with 16.8 points and tied for the team lead with 7.4 rebounds per game. Josh also helped the Cougars win the Western State Conference title and was named the 2019 Western State Conference Player of the Year.

Way to go, Josh. Go Cougars!

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In the News

Over the past few weeks, the following information was included in media segments:

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 Calendar

Here’s a look at some of the events going on around campus. For the full calendar, visit the Cuesta College Events Calendar:

  • March 21: Baseball vs. Ventura
  • March 21: Annual Women of Distinction Awards
  • March 22: Career Lab
  • March 22: Future Teacher Chapter Club Meeting
  • March 23: Cuesta Wind Ensemble Concert
  • March 25: Resume and Job Application Workshop
  • March 26: Baseball & Softball vs. Oxnard
  • March 29: Cuesta Track & Field Meet
  • March 29: Baseball vs. Hancock
  • March 29: Cuesta Choir Concert
  • April 1: District Closed
  • April 2-6: SPRING BREAK
  • April 2: Submit AA/AS Degree application for Commencement
  • April 2, 4: Psych Tech Info Meeting
  • April 2: Softball vs. Santa Monica
  • April 4: Baseball vs. Moorpark
  • April 6: Baseball vs. Santa Barbara
  • April 9: Student Art Exhibition Submissions
  • April 9: Softball vs. Hancock

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Email questions and comments to Ritchie Bermudez at claudansid_bermudez@cuesta.edu.