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Message from the Dean
Fall 2009
As we prepare for our third year of
operation at the beautiful Canyon Country Campus, it is a good time to
reflect on where we started just three short years ago, and where we are
headed this year.
The Canyon Country campus opened on August
28, 2007 and was developed through the support of the voters for
Measure C, which helped to purchase the site, and Measure M, which
helped develop the interim campus we have today. The Santa Clarita
Community College District Board of Trustees, the Canyon Country
Campus Site Selection Committee, the Measure C and Measure M
Oversight Committees, and Canyon Country Campus Advisory Committee
were instrumental in ensuring our the success of the campus in
Canyon Country. Under the leadership of Chancellor Van Hook, the
campus opened with nearly twice the students we originally expected
when we first began planning for the new campus.
Although this is our 3rd year of
operation at the Canyon Country Campus, in many ways this will be
another “year of firsts” for the campus.
Our Early Childhood Education Program -
Child Development Center, located in Quad 2, opened on August 19,
2009. The Center always was part of our plans for the Campus, but
it took time to secure our state license and prepare the classrooms
for the children. The program offers half-day preschool education
to 3-and-4 year old children. The Child Development Center is also
the lab setting for our Early Childhood Education college students.
There will be ribbon-cutting event at the new center on September 17
at 1:30 pm.
Another first for the campus is the
development of our Skills4Success Center, located in Room 308. This
center is part of College of the Canyons Basic Skills Initiative.
This initiative is a district-wide effort to close the gap between
the math and English skills of our students, so that they are better
able to master college level coursework in all disciplines, and
achieve their dreams.
The new Skills4Success Center provides a
dedicated facility on the Canyon Country campus for students to
receive additional instruction and support services as they work to
strengthen their basic math and English skills and/or prepare to
take the GED exam. A similar Center was set up at the Valencia
campus to ensure that students at either location had access to the
educational resources needed for academic success.
Another first for the campus is the
development of the new Medical Lab Tech program, which we plan to
offer at the Canyon Country Campus in Spring 2010. This program
prepares students to enter the high tech world of medical lab
technology, a field that is growing exponentially with advances in
medical science. College of the Canyons has been working towards
developing this program for at least five years, ever since industry
leader Specialty Labs relocated to the Santa Clarita Valley from
Santa Monica. It is estimated that there will be 100,000 medical
lab tech jobs available in California over the next several years.
Sticking with the theme of “campus
firsts”, another exciting development is the planning of a Canyon
Country Campus Demonstration Garden. This was always a priority for
the Campus Advisory Committee, many of whom served on the Site
Selection Committee, and has remained involved in providing
community input to the development of our campus. The Canyon
Country Campus garden will showcase “fire safe” and native plants,
and will be located at the campus entrance, exit and along the
Campus Return Road. A Garden Committee has formed, and is currently
working on the business plan and garden design. The Biology
Department is very involved in this project, and hopes to use one
portion of the Garden for as a student lab for course work in
BioScience classes. Educational signage will help community members
who visit the garden understand native plants and how to incorporate
gardening in a high fire zone area.
We also expect the Garden to be a focus
for other community outreach events such as periodic native garden
shows and plant exchanges, possibly a farmer’s market, craft fairs,
and other events that draw community members onto the campus. If
you have a passion for gardening and the environment, please
consider joining our committee!
Another “campus first” is our upcoming
“Canyon Country Campus Star Party” on October 23, 2009. For those
of you who have been at the Canyon Country Campus before, you
already know what a spectacular night sky we enjoy here in Canyon
Country. Many students, faculty and staff have reported seeing
meteorites, falling stars, and incredible views of the moon while
leaving class at night. A Star Party is a gathering of amateur
astronomers and those with an interest in astronomy to which
attendees bring telescopes, binoculars and other instruments to
observe the sky. In the case of this party, the public is invited
to attend and experience the cosmos with the aid and guidance of our
Astronomy Department. For many, it will be the first time they
will actually experience the magic of looking at the sky through a
telescope.
The Star Party is part of College of the
Canyons 40th Anniversary Celebration. Coincidentally,
2010 commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s
first look at the planet Jupiter through a telescope. He discovered
the four largest moons of Jupiter, (now known as the Galilean moons)
through the use of a telescope. With that in mind, the evening will
have an emphasis on Jupiter and attendees will be able to get a
close up look at the largest planet in our solar system through
College telescopes and hear a presentation about Jupiter and its
moons. The event is free to the public and light refreshments
will be provided.
Last, you may be wondering about the
construction activity above Parking Lot 2. We are well underway in
constructing the Applied Technology complex, which will open about
one year from now, in Fall 2010. This complex will include 4
additional modular classrooms, plus a large 10,000 square foot
workshop for lab classes in Auto, Electronics, Electrical, Solar and
Alternative Energy, and Plumbing. With this facility, we will be
launching 4 new programs, and relocating Construction Management,
Building Inspection and Automotive Technology from the Valencia
campus and Saugus High School. You will see a lot of activity this
year on the far end of the campus as this project moves to
completion.
As you know, all of these initiatives
require resources. College of the Canyons is a leader in funding
innovative new programs and projects through outside resources such
as grants and partnerships. We don’t wait for opportunities to
knock on our door – we anticipate, plan and prepare for initiatives
that will serve our students and community and then seek out the
right partner to make it happen!
I continue to be
amazed at the beauty of the Canyon Country Campus. The majestic
hillsides above the campus, coupled with beautiful chaparral terrain
surrounding the campus, makes the new campus feel worlds apart from
the hustle and bustle of Sierra Highway below us. The Canyon
Country campus is indeed a special place, where dreams can take
root, while future opportunities soar.
Dena P. Maloney, Ed.D.
Founding Dean |
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Dena P. Maloney, Ed.D.
Founding Dean
Canyon Country Campus
'The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.'
-- Jean Piaget
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