Fall 2014

            First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for all the effort that has been put in to make the Success Center a great work/study environment. I am glad to have the opportunity to work on the blog as well as contributing time to the Woolley Center.
   We are in week 8 already, wondering where the time went! This term didn’t seem as hectic during mid-terms, but we should anticipate more students coming in as we approach finals. Winter registration is already open and it is important to get registered as soon as you can.

            Fall is finally upon us, and everyone is bundling up for college. The campus has an eerie feeling to it in the morning again as the fog slowly gives way to the little amount of sunshine we hope for.  This is one of my favorite times of the year. We all have something that the Fall season reminds us about; hot cocoa, bonfires, hunting season and many more things that we associate with the season. For me, Autumn is all about the beauty of the wonderful state that we live in. Oregon has so much to offer during this season with the vast amount of trails, waterfalls, rivers and mountain roads, we sometimes forget to enjoy the beauty of it. I would love to hear what everyone looks forward to in the Fall. Any plans for a road trip? I love going to the coast during this time of year, the cold air mixing with the salty smell of the ocean always makes me smile.

        

Americorps Opportunity

Daniel and I introduced the AmeriCorps member position in the last tutor meeting and I have the job description posted below. Please read it over as well as the short commentary at the bottom of the page. 

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Position Description and Benefits:

The Connect2Complete (C2C) AmeriCorps position will work with developmental education (DE) students and faculty on campus to build community-engaged learning into DE curriculum and serve as peer advocates for DE students. Members will work closely with DE students to provide institutional resources as well as with DE faculty to plan two service-learning projects. Connect2Complete is designed to increase the rate of DE students successfully completing and enrolling in transferrable, credit bearing coursework, increase GPAs and persistence, and build service projects which meet community needs.

Essential responsibilities include:

·       Working with developmental education faculty to plan and implement two service-learning projects, one of which must be on a National Day of Service

·       Connecting with developmental education students to provide resources and support

·       Strengthening and building relationships on campus and in the community

To serve as a C2C Member candidates must be:

• A current student in good standing at their institution
• At least 17 years of age
• A U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident
• Able to serve 300 hours of service within one year of enrolling (~ 10 hours / week)
• Able to pass a full criminal history background check

Connect2Complete Project AmeriCorps Member Benefits:

·       An education award of $1,175 upon completion of service

·       Training and professional development opportunities

·       Access to an extensive network of AmeriCorps Alums

·       Loan forbearance and interest accrual, if applicable  

All Members that successfully complete 300 hours of service within one year from their date of enrollment (TBD by each individual campus) will receive a $1,175 Eli Segal Education Award.

Connect2Complete AmeriCorps Members do not receive a living allowance through Oregon Campus Compact for their service.

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Each of you have interacted with many of our developmental education (DE) students while tutoring. Many of the DE faculty work with ESB 15, and I know that many of you have existing relationships with those faculty members. Some of the highest complements that I have heard from students are in respect to these instructors.

Tyler and I will be approaching Dr. Ali with a pitch for the service learning projects and I will get back with all once the decision has been made. I highly encourage you each to come talk to me about the position and what it would entail. From the feedback that I've heard from many of your own tutoring experiences, I know that some of you would absolutely love working in this position. We are looking to find members by the time we have our first training, which is Nov. 21st at 11:00am in Lockwood Hall Rm 2 (Next Friday). We are excited for the opportunity to work with more of UCC's students to promote their success during their time at Umpqua Community College.