The Seattle Central Griot - Nov. 16, 2020
A message from the president
Winter quarter is a few weeks away, and all the signs say that life, work, and school will continue in the same mode as they have since early March: from a safe distance.
Working remotely has been hard on all of us, but especially on the folks who offer direct services to our students and staff. Financial Aid, Human Resources, Registration, Advising, and Finance are all critically important departments that usually rely on face to face communications with students and staff. Distance communication has made their work harder and more complicated. If that weren’t enough, our college is transitioning from our legacy data systems into the new ctcLlink, a powerful but very complex software package that is scheduled to go live on Feb. 22. Staff in all those departments are slammed with extensive testing and training to ensure the system goes live on time.
I’m asking all of us to do something that is part of being in community, and that is extending grace to those staff. If you know them personally, reach out and give them virtual hugs or words of encouragement. If you work with them, please understand that it will take a little longer to get them to respond to an email or to help you with a request. If you work with students, help them to understand that our folks are doing their best to meet their needs, and assist them to make appointments and find resources.
Iron is a brittle thing until it is tempered by heat. These times are the forge that is testing our will and making us flexible and strong. With a little grace and a little patience, I know our college will emerge from these crises stronger and better.
Thank you for all you do for our students and our community,
Sheila Edwards Lange, PhD
President, Seattle Central College
News
Seattle Central cheers on our first-generation students
On Nov. 10 and 11, Seattle Central College recognized and celebrated students who are the first in their families to attend and graduate from college.
The virtual celebration included panel discussions and listening sessions on topics such as how to find scholarships, career exploration, STEM resources, and veterans services.
Organizers also collected personal stories from faculty and staff who were the first in their generation to attend college.
The celebration was organized by staff in MESA / LSAMP, TRIO, and Student Leadership.
Staff forum gives update on operations for winter quarter
President Sheila Edwards Lange and her leadership team offered details about how our college weathered the election, the current pandemic, and our economic situation at a Nov. 9 staff forum.
For details of the meeting, including video, presentation slides, and a transcription, visit this Canvas archive.
HBCU virtual fair a success
North, South, and Seattle Central colleges held a virtual transfer fair on Oct. 27 for students interested in attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU)
The event helped to connect students with representatives from 28 HBCUs, including institution such as Bowie State, Morehouse, and Tuskegee universities.
Celebrate our retiring employees
Working at a distance has made it more difficult to stay in touch with your co-workers, and this is especially true for the wonderful staff who are retiring or have retired this year.
But in the spirit of the times, we want to fix this with a virtual retiree celebration this coming Nov. 20, from 3-4 p.m. on Zoom. We will celebrate the accomplishments and legacy of the people who helped make Seattle Central College what it is today.
We encourage all former employees to join us at this event and hope that our community will help us forward this invitation to those who have left since the beginning of 2020.
To join the celebration, visit this zoom link.
Seattle Central’s Immigrant and Refugees club lobbies for change
Seattle Central College has partnered with OneAmerica to form a student club for the college’s large immigrant and refugee population. The Seattle Central Immigrant and Refugees Club has served as a safe place for students to receive support, and to lobby for more resources and access in the education system.
The Immigrant and Refugee Club participants get educational training, leadership development, and a trusting community to share personal struggles and successes. Together they also identify solutions to adjusting to life as students in America.
To learn more, check out the full story in our Newscenter
In Memoriam – M. Rosetta Hunter
M. Rosetta Hunter, prominent Seattle Community College leader, died Tuesday, Oct. 28.
She began her career at Seattle Central Community College as a member of the faculty teaching courses in the Social Sciences Division. She was later appointed dean of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. Under her directive, the department expanded programs and became nationally recognized for its innovative interdisciplinary programs. Dean Hunter received the Horace Mann Award from Antioch University for excellence in educational leadership.
For more details, read her obituary in our Newscenter.
To stay safe, follow these rules before coming to campus
Please remember that our buildings remain closed to the public and only available to a limited number of staff and students who need to work or study on campus. Anyone who needs to come to campus must follow these protocols:
- Employees must make an appointment ahead of time using this form. Students not enrolled in an on-site program must make an appointment for services with the department or office they need
- Take the mandatory training on COVID-19 safety. If you will be routinely coming to campus every week, please review the weekly COVID training update
- Complete a form attesting that you do not have symptoms for COVID-19 and specifying the areas of the buildings you are visiting. Click here for the form for students, and here for employees. Please fill out these forms before you come in, and before you leave our buildings
- Bring a picture ID
- Wear a face mask or covering
Kudos
Congratulations to Dr. Daudi Abe, whose new book, Emerald Street: A History of Hip Hop in Seattle, was released on Nov. 11 to great reviews. See what the Seattle Met magazine had to say about it in this story. Dr. Abe will also join Omari Salisbury of Converge Media on Nov. 17, 1 p.m., in a discussion about Salisbury's grassroots coverage of Seattle's protests and police, as well as his impressions of how media have covered the push for racial justice both locally and nationally.
Christopher Blackwell, a graduate of Seattle Central’s program for incarcerated students, was featured in a New York Times story about his wedding. Blackwell has an associate degree from Seattle Central College and is finishing a bachelor’s degree in political science from Adams State University.