Area Report for Board of Trustees
Happy beginning of Spring! By the time you have read this update, many of our staff, faculty and students will be returning from spring break. And even though our “breaks” are a little different these days, I hope people found some time to rest and relax as we enter the final quarter of the academic year. As you all know, I recently sent out campus communication discussing fall planning for a phased-in return to campus. I urge you to review the information on our website: COVID-19 » Highline College. This planning will involve input from our entire Highline community, and I will continue to keep the Board updated.
On 3/11, Highline had its first “President’s Speaker Series” – opportunities throughout the year where our student, staff and faculty work and programs are highlighted through presentations. In our current virtual setting, we want to make sure our campus is aware of the excellent efforts from our community. Our first series highlighted the excellent work by our Assessment Committee and the Respiratory Care Program. The presentations were powerful, at times emotional and showcased outstanding work. The series are also taped so those they can be watched at any time on . We had a great turnout and I look forward to our next Spotlight Series on Thursday, April 22. More information will be forthcoming.
The following week, Highline celebrated another first – our inaugural “Arcturus Salon” a collaboration between our campus publication Arcturus and the President’s Office. This salon provided readings from past students, staff, faculty, Arcturus submission winners and past and present Arcturus editors. What a wonderful event showcasing the incredible talents of our writers. Our Arcturus is an exceptional publication and encourage you to obtain a copy when its available.
And I would like to end my update with a congratulatory note to one of our students – Farkhanda Moin, the winner of the National Institute for Staff Organizational Development (NISOD) Student Essay contest. NISOD is housed at the University of Texas at Austin. The essay was an opportunity for students to describe how a faculty member, staff member or administrator helped them be academic successful. Farkhanda spoke about Dr. Christie Knighton in her essay. Here is an excerpt from the essay regarding Dr. Knighton:
“At the start, the most challenging thing was the unfamiliar education system, which was completely different from my previous educational background in my home country. I had zero knowledge of computer skills, and many times I intended to give up, but Christie gave me the courage and motivated me all the time, either at home or college. She supported me and stood by me like a mother who never let her child fall while learning to walk and never let me down in a time of need. She taught me to work on the computer from scratch to complete and submit assignments on time.”
Farkhanda and Dr. Knighton, thank you both for the work ethic, determination and kindness you provide to one another. What a great model for all of us at Highline College!
Have a great week and month!
Report submitted Mar. 29, 2021, by President John R. Mosby, Ph.D.