May 2018 Chronicle


May 2018
Greetings, Coyote nation! It’s crunch time, with final exams, commencement and all the celebrations that go along with the completion of another successful academic year. What an exciting time to be on campus! Before anyone leaves for the summer though, I have news to share with you about all that’s been going on at CSN. – Margo


In this issue:
Cybersecurity Excellence Police Consolidation Report Follow-Up From Previous Forums & Roundtables CSN Presidential Search CSN Commencement Ceremony Student Union Kickoff Jumpstart Concurrent Enrollment Program	Welcome, Hailey Dawson Outstanding Student Awards Science & Technology Expo Student Government Election Results CSN Foundation Grant Program Blooming in Blue Gala Jamba Juice Party A Fond Farewell

Read the President’s Blog

Inside CSN

Cybersecurity Excellence
You may have noticed that CSN’s cybersecurity degrees have been garnering attention. And for good reason. We are now able to brag that we’re a National Center of Excellence for cybersecurity education. Cybersecurity programs train the next generation of people who will protect our nation’s vital information and data networks. The field is growing by leaps and bounds, which is why it’s so important that we received this designation. The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency jointly award the honor to recognize schools that offer rigorous cybersecurity curriculum. What it means for CSN students is that they can be assured they’re getting the highest quality education available.
Read More

Police Consolidation Report
Last week, Chancellor Thom Reilly shared a study and recommendations regarding the consolidation of police services at the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Southern Nevada institutions, including CSN. The study was prepared by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) after a comprehensive review. The Chancellor has indicated that he intends to bring this report to the Board of Regents at the October 19 special meeting in Las Vegas. Feel free to send me your questions or comments once you read the report, and look for more announcements in the coming months.
See the Report
Read the Chancellor’s Memo

Follow-Up From Previous Forums & Roundtables
As mentioned in in the governance forum in March, I will be establishing a Shared Governance Council. The council’s first meeting will be in late May. Please look for more information in the next few weeks. It is my hope that we can explore solutions to several issues surrounding shared governance. In addition, at the faculty and staff roundtables I noted that we are conducting national searches for the two new provosts/vice presidents for the Charleston and North Las Vegas campuses, as well as for deans of the School of Arts & Letters and the Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences. I will keep you informed as the process moves along. I will also be addressing other topics that came up during the roundtables and the Pizza with the President student events in the coming months. From fostering student-centered communications and addressing reemdial and basic skills curriculum to academic program evaluation and the rising cost of textbooks, we have a lot to discuss. And we will begin those discussions in several ways over the summer.

Upcoming Events

CSN Presidential Search
In case you missed my announcement earlier, four finalists have been chosen in the search for the next CSN president. They are: Dr. Keith C. Curry, President/Chief Executive Officer, Compton College and Compton Community College District, Compton, California Dr. Feleccia R. Moore-Davis, Provost, Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida Dr. Utpal K. Goswami, President, Metropolitan Community College – Maple Woods, Kansas City, Missouri Dr. Federico Zaragoza, Vice Chancellor – Economic and Workforce Development, Alamo Community College District, San Antonio, Texas We will all get a chance to meet them May 8 and 9. The candidates will attend forums on each of our three campuses. Please come meet the person who could be our next president – and bring all of your questions. The finalists’ profile materials are available on the CSN president search website, www.csn.edu/president-search. The CSN President Search Committee and the Advisory Committee will conduct in-person interviews with the candidates on Thursday, May 10. At the conclusion of these interviews, the Search Committee and the Advisory Committee will meet to determine the recommendation of a finalist to the full Board of Regents, who will review and vote on the recommendation at a special meeting later in May.
Meeting Dates & Times Here

CSN Commencement Ceremony
Our biggest event of the year is right around the corner. The 46th CSN Commencement Ceremony is all set for 6 p.m. Monday, May 14 at the Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus. We’re celebrating nearly 3,600 new college graduates! Wow.
See Photos From Last Year’s Celebration

Student Union Kickoff
Come join us from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 3 for the official construction kickoff celebration for our new student union buildings. We’ll be behind Building C on the Henderson Campus, where you can stop by to enjoy refreshments, music and fun as we learn about the new unions. Architects and construction company representatives will be on hand with interactive building models, so you can “see” what the buildings will be like. I hope to see you there.
Learn More Here

By the Numbers

Look for this section each month to learn about the data that drive discussion and decisions at CSN.

Jumpstart Concurrent Enrollment Program

If you’ve learned anything about me by now it’s that I love data. Love it. Used properly, it can help us figure out if we’re doing things right, or if we should try something else. Well, with the Jumpstart program, it looks like we’re doing things right. Jumpstart is one of several “concurrent enrollment” programs available at CSN. It allows high school students to earn college credit while still taking classes at their high schools. For a couple of different reasons, participation in the program has exploded in the last three years, from 600 students to more than 2,700. What’s even better is that these students appear to be doing phenomenally well. For more, please see the report linked below.
Read the Report

CSN Events

Welcome, Hailey Dawson
We were incredibly honored to have 8-year-old Hailey Dawson throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the CSN Coyotes baseball game on April 21. Hailey, as you may have seen in the news media, was born with a rare birth defect called Poland Syndrome, which led to missing and underdeveloped fingers on her right hand. Engineering faculty and students at UNLV helped design and manufacture a 3-D printed hand for Hailey, which she has been using to throw out first pitches at ballparks across the country in her quest to visit all 30 major league parks. We are so lucky to have been included on her tour. Thanks, Hailey, and good luck on your Journey to 30!
Read More About Hailey

Outstanding Student Awards
You all know we have some truly amazing students here at CSN. We honored 21 of them last week at the Outstanding Student Awards ceremony. What an incredible group of people. Not only are these students succeeding in college, they’re succeeding in life, despite numerous hardships. But their drive never leaves them, ever. I’m humbled by every one of them.
Read More Here

Science & Technology Expo
Drones, cranes, snakes and bugs! This year’s Science & Technology Expo was quite a spectacle. Schoolchildren from across the area flooded our North Las Vegas Campus last week for the 15th annual expo. I have to give a shout out to Dean Michael Spangler and everyone who worked so hard to make the event a success. Encouraging students of all ages to become excited about a STEM-based education is what the expo is all about. These fields are not only growing, they’re becoming more and more vital to our regional and national economies. Not to mention the fun. Who doesn’t love high-tech gadgets and cool, gross dead stuff?
More About the Expo

Student Government Election Results
Congratulations to Andrew Sierra, our newly elected Associated Students of the College of Southern Nevada student government president! The election took place last week, bringing in a slew of new student representatives for the next academic year. Student Life and Leadership Development Director Brian Akins reports that turnout for the elections was up by more than a third over the previous year. That’s fantastic. Congratulations to all of the winners, and I look forward to working with you next year.
See the Full Results

CSN Foundation

CSN Foundation Grant Program
This spring, the CSN Foundation Board of Trustees created the CSN Foundation Grant Program, which will give away up to $40,000 to faculty and staff to support 2018-19 academic year projects, events or activities that benefit our students, with a maximum award of $10,000. This will be an annual award competition each spring and bring transparency, consistency and accountability to how the CSN Foundation supports CSN events and other activities. The deadline to apply is May 14, so get your proposals ready!
Apply Now

Blooming in Blue Gala
Thank you to the more than 400 people who came out to support the CSN Foundation Blooming in Blue gala in April to raise money for the construction of the CSN and Nevada State Health & Science Building. We honored three important community members during the celebration: Rossi Ralenkotter, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO, with the community achievement award, Switch with the community education award, and first responders with the community hero award. The event was a tremendous success, and we cannot wait until the next gala.
Read More

Jamba Juice Party
I hosted the long-awaited Jamba Juice party last week, and we had a great time — all to benefit the CSN Foundation, of course. Employees who supported the college by making a Coyote Commitment of as little as $10 a month through payroll deduction were entered into a raffle to attend the party. Everyone enjoyed fun conversation and island music, wore leis, and were served tropical smoothies and light refreshments. It’s just one small way to thank employees for supporting the college. If you haven’t already, make your Coyote Commitment today.
Make Your Coyote Commitment
A Fond Farewell
I have some bittersweet news: K.C. Brekken, the CSN Foundation executive director, is leaving us to become a research professor at UNLV. In more than a decade at CSN, she has served in many roles, including the college’s official spokeswoman, a trusted advisor and confidant, and our chief fundraiser. All along, she’s been our biggest cheerleader in the community. We will miss KC, but we know she is thrilled by the opportunity she has at the university. Please join me in wishing her well.