Re-Elect Alan Smith on November 2nd

Cabrillo president's compensation

2010-09-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

Compensation of public employees, including community college presidents. Cabrillo is the largest community college on the central coast, has a president with the longest tenure, and has the lowest total compensation. Here is a link to Santa Cruz Sentinel story

Cabrillo helping students stay in school

2010-08-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

Last year Cabrillo set a school record for student financial aid requests, and so far this year, they have already broken it by over 1,000

Cabrillo Vice President of Student Services, Dennis Bailey-Fougnier, says "Food and housing are barriers for students we have students who are living in their cars, or at the beach as you would in Santa Cruz, so yeah it's a huge problem."

Cabrillo College works closely with the Santa Cruz County human services department to be the liaison for students who need help with food or housing, all in an effort to keep people in class.

"A lot of people come here thinking they can get their tuition paid through Board of Governor waiver, but they still have to pay fees and feed themselves, and financial aid can't pay for all that, through public assistance we can help them get through the tough times," said Fougnier.

For information on how to get help through Cabrillo College, click here: http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/fttw/index.html

This story from KION television demonstrates again th work we do at Cabrillo college to address the very real needs of students. Thanks to Vice-President Dennis Bailey-Fougnier http://www.kionrightnow.com/global/story.asp?s=13031997

Welcome!

2006-10-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my election blog. My name is Alan Smith. I am seeking re-election to the Cabrillo College Governing Board where I have served for sixteen years. I have served two terms as Chair of the Board. Check out the links to the right for additional information about me. You can contact me by email by posting a comment to any of my blog entries. The picture shows my family walking on the new artificial turf at Carl Connelly Stadium on the Cabrillo Campus in September, 2006. That's Jenny, now (16), my wife Barb, myself, Molly (now 18) and Matt (all three kids play soccer on this field and Matt also plays Lacrosse so I care about it.

Mid County Post Article

2006-10-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

The "Mid-County Post" ran an article on October 3, 2006 about the race four years ago. The article focused on vocational education. Here is some information about vocational education as of that time at Cabrillo.

Cabrillo’s occupational programs are enabling our students to realize significant gains in their economic well-being.
We conduct an annual completer/leaver survey of all students who have either completed one of our occupational programs with a certificate or degree or who have completed 10 or more units in a program and then left the college. Our response rate on this survey is over 40%.

Completers and leavers who reported their annual wages before and after Cabrillo gained an average of $10,000 per year in income. The average annual earnings among completers and leavers after Cabrillo was $46,000.

We are always looking for ways that we can provide the education and training that enables local residents to advance up local career ladders and that provides local employers with the workforce they need to thrive in a global economy.

When information technology began its explosive growth the college developed Cisco academies and expanded computer technology programs to provide students with opportunities in that rapidly growing field. As that field has evolved we have evolved with it, offering training in computer security, computer support specialists, and computer game programming.
Cabrillo developed new programs and expanded existing programs when local healthcare employers began experiencing critical shortages of nurses and other health occupations.
Cabrillo is now in the process of developing programs and facilities to meet the growing need for mechanics in agriculture, construction, and transportation.

Cabrillo is very good at partnering with employers, other education segments (high schools, adult schools, Regional Occupational Program) and other public agencies that have a stake in workforce development (County Workforce Investment Board, Human Resources Agency (social services), Employment Development Department) so that Cabrillo can provide the best possible training using public dollars wisely.
Health Careers Partnership brings employers, education, workforce development together to meet need for more healthcare workers.
Fast Track to Work program brings the County Human Services Agency, Workforce Investment Board, and the college together to provide training programs to parents on welfare and recently laid off workers. These programs enable people to get back to work in career ladders that lead to economic self-sufficiency.
The Career Ladders Project brings education and workforce development agencies together to pool their resources to build career ladders that help un-employed and under-employed residents get on and move up career ladders.
The college is now forming a new consortium to address the construction, agriculture, transportation industries need for mechanical and construction trades workers.

Cabrillo uses data to ensure that the College is continually improving.
We conduct an annual survey of occupational program completers and leavers to assess our success at preparing students for work.
We have just completed a first exchange of data with the adult education programs, the Regional Occupational Program (offers occupational courses at all area high schools) to track students moving from these schools to the college. This will help us track the effectiveness of the career ladder programs we are building with these institutions.

Examples
HEALTHCARE
In response to shortage of healthcare workers Cabrillo convened and has led the Health Careers Partnership. This consortium brings together the major healthcare employers with education (adult schools, high schools, Regional Occupational Program) and workforce development (County Workforce Investment Board, Employment Development Department, CareerWorks) to develop career ladder programs. These programs meet employers needs for well qualified candidates and provide local residents with access to local high-skill, high-wage careers. Some examples of what the Health Careers Partnership has accomplished:

Increased capacity of RN program by 50% with significant financial assistance of the local hospitals and the County Health Services Agency.
Went to twice annual admission, twice annual graduation for RNs to spread out the times at which our graduates hit the labor market so that local employers could more easily absorb the graduates.

Started a limited permit X-ray Technician program in response to requests from local clinics. This career ladder program trains people to perform certain types of x-rays. The program is a stepping stone into the RT program. The graduates are enabling local employers to provide x-rays more cost effectively.

Expanded our Medical Assisting program in response to growing demand for medical assistants.

Developed recruitment and student support services to increase the number of Latino students entering allied health programs and the perquisite courses.

Worked with Watsonville Aptos Adult Education and Santa Cruz Adult School to provide Vocational ESL courses that enable English Language Learners to get started in health careers. (Pre Certified Nursing Assistant program)

We are currently working with healthcare employers to develop training programs necessary to help them make the transition to Electronic Medical Records.

The college has been successful in bringing in well more than $2,000,000 in grant funds to support the above healthcare related efforts.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
In response to the needs of the agriculture, construction, transportation, and manufacturing industry for mechanics and construction workers, the college is in the process of securing funds to develop a Regional Vocational Training Center to provide training in the mechanical and construction trades. We have also formed a partnership with local high schools and the Regional Occupational Program to strengthen the Industrial Technology programs at the high school level and connect them to the college programs. This partnership will help educate students about the great career opportunities with local employers and enable students to begin preparing for these careers while in high school. As part of this overall effort we have developed courses that provide support to English Language Learners in our Construction program. That program’s enrollments have grown by over 50% in this last year.

HUMAN SERVICES
In response to the needs expressed by the county social services department (Santa Cruz County Human Resources Agency), non-profit human service programs, and drug and alcohol programs the college has created a Human Services program to train local residents for work in this career ladder. We have just added a certificate program for Drug and Alcohol Abuse counselors in response to requests from local agencies.

DIGITAL BRIDGE ACADEMY
The college is committed to ensuring that all of our students have access to high-skill, high-wage careers. More than 5 years ago we noticed that Latino students were not enrolling in computer technology courses in numbers proportionate to their representation in the overall population. In response we developed the Digital Bridge Academy, a program is open to all students, but targets under-prepared Latino youth. This program, which has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, and the Packard Foundation has been very successful at preparing at-risk Latino youth for success in college and for employment in knowledge-work fields including computer technology and healthcare. The foundations are now sponsoring replication of the program at other colleges.

Background Information

From 300-400 students complete occupational program certificates or degrees each year.
At least 80% of these students find employment in the year following program completion (doesn’t count those who are self-employed).

Cabrillo has 23 occupational programs
Accounting & Finance
Archaeological Technology
Business
Computer Applications and Business Technology
Computer Networking and Systems Administration
Computer Science
Computer Support Specialist
Construction and Energy Management
Culinary Arts
Criminal Justice
Dental Hygiene
Digital Media
Early Childhood Education
Engineering Technology
Fire Technology
Horticulture
Human Services
Journalism
Medical Assisting
Nursing
Radiologic Technology
Real Estate
Welding

Manny Santana endorsement

2006-10-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz County Artist and restaranteur Manny Santana has endorsed Alan Smith for re-election to the Cabrillo Board. Manny has known Alan for over 25 years. Manny has been Santa Cruz County Artist of the Year. Manny owns and operates the popular Manuel's Restaurant in Sescape and Jardines de San Juan in San Juan Bautista.

Awards made at Board meeting

2006-10-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

Mary Blanchard receives Meritorious Service award for her work on Cabrillo Foundation president's Circle. Melinda Silverstein recognized for as Foundation Executive Director of the Year.
Billie Paul and Al Smith award Billie paul award to Cabrillo's Human and Social Sciences Division coordinator Margaret Pierce.

Alan Smith interviewed by Santa Cruz Sentinel

2006-10-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

Alan Smith is interviewed by Sentinel education reporter Soraya Gutierrez about fall enrollment figures. The Article is found on the front page of October 6, 2006 Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Supervisor Ellen Pirie endorses Alan Smith

2006-10-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Alan Smith visits with County Supervisor Ellen Pirie and Agricultural Consultant Darlene Din at a political event.

Supervisor Pirie gave an early and unqualified endorsement of Alan Smith. Alan Smith has worked with Ms. Din on agricultural issues involving the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.

Community Leader Tom Reefe endorses Al Smith for Re-election

2006-10-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

Tom Reefe, retired director of Leadership Santa Cruz County and Al Smith. Photo taken Thursday, October 5, 2006 outside Manuel's Restaurant in Seacliff. Alan Smith is a Leadership Santa Cruz County Graduate. Tom was the Executive Director of the Program for many years.

Tom now is Director of the Foster Grandparent/Senior Companion Program in Santa Cruz County. Tom supports Al's work on the Cabrillo College Governing Board and recommends Al's re-election to the Governing Board.

Tom and Al were both stationed at at Long Binh Depot, Saigon Support Command, Vietnam during October, 1970. Al was a Sargeant and had been in country since November, 1969. Tom was a Second Lieutenant and was in country for fourteen months starting in September, 1970. They did not know each other while in Vietnam. Alan Smith was Soldier of the Month for Saigon Support Command in March, 1970.

John Laird, Hall Hyde and Manuel Osorio re-unite

2006-10-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Former Cabrillo Trustee and now Assemblyman John Laird reunites with founding Cabrillo College Trustee Hal Hyde, Cabrillo Trustee Al Smith, and Cabrillo Vice-President of Student Services Manuel Osorio after John speaks to Rotary Club on Wednesday October 4, 2006.

Leo and Ann Bass and Noel Paddon endorse Alan Smith.

2006-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Noel Paddon, Al Smith, Ann Bass and Leo Bass meet at Aptos History Museum. Ann and Noel were classmates at Aptos School when it opened in 1928. Aptos School is now known as Valencia School. Leo previously attended the original Valencia School on Valencia School Road while Ann attended the previous Aptos School which was located near the Aptos train trestle, near where the World Savings and Loan office is now located.

Anne's dad, Paul Johnston, was the Aptos postmaster in the early 1920s.

Ann and Leo were the subject of a Community Television local history broadcast and interview in 2003. Noel was interviewed about the same time. Noel's interview and related information about the history of schools in Aptos is on the Valencia School website. This website was developed by Alan Smith and his daughter Molly while Molly attended Valencia School in Aptos.

Ann explained that she watched from the cliffs above Rio del Mar in January, 1930 as the SS Palo Alto, better known as the cement shiip was intentionally sunk at Seacliff Beach.

Associated Students Retreat

2006-09-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 10, 2006, I was invited to meet with the Student Senate which was holding a retreat at the Kennolyn Conference Center in the foothills above Soquel. We had a question and answer period and then had lunch together. That's Associated Students President Yolanda Inchaurequi on my right and Student Trustee Grahame Bissel on my left. The photo was taken by Dean of Student Services Sesario Escoto with an automatic timer on his camera. That's Dean Escoto in the left rear wearing glasses.

Student nurse training

2006-09-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

I was on campus in September. These student nurses are leariing intubation procedures for tracheaotomys. Cabrillo can't keep up with the demand for nurses. As our population ages, we need to make sure we maintain the quality of medical care we are fortunate to have in Santa Cruz County. Part of that is quality training of a skilled nursing staff for local hospitals, clinics and medical offices.

Student Services Building Groundbreaking

2005-10-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a great picture of the groundbreaking for the new Student Services Building. Left to right, are President Brian King, Vice President Pegi Ard, Vice-president Claire Biancalana, Trustees John Leopold, Claudine Wildman, Katy Stonebloom, Rachael Spencer, Founding President Bob Swenson, myself and Vice President Manuel Osorio.