Here we are…at the end of another academic year. In the fall, I wrote about the journey forward with the 3 Goals and 8 Principles as the lens and focus of our work. As a College, we are making huge strides in transforming the way we do our work and focus on student outcomes. It is an exciting time for our College, and I encourage each of us to embrace this process and engage in these conversations that are destined to foster a new student experience at TCC.
Observing from the sidelines may provide an awesome view of what’s going on, but it hardly affords the opportunity to influence actions or direction, and this is generally the source of misinformation and frustration. Ask anyone who’s been involved in the work of any principle, and they’ll tell you about the rich ideas, passion, commitment and engagement that is directed at making TCC a more student-ready college that continues to serve the community.
The work of leading TCC through the second half of its first century is a journey that requires different vehicles (strategies) and talents (skills) to advance and sustain the College. Whether it is Guided Pathways, Strategic Enrollment Planning or any of a number of different strategies, we must use tools available to help advance the journey. Likewise, each of us has talent, whether current or yet to be acquired, that’s needed to get TCC across different terrain and at different times as we move forward in our journey. The point is that 3G and 8P call for us to approach our work differently; as a journey rather than a trip. The difference in approaches is that the underlying assumption with a trip is that you end where you started; not so with a journey.
As a campus, we continue to make great strides – enhancing academic programming, strengthening student engagement, learning and success through active and experiential learning and expanding partnerships to support economic growth in the region. Here are some of the new program offerings under development or consideration by faculty:
- Community Art (welding and fine arts)
- Construction (craft professions including: carpentry, concrete, finishing)
- Diesel Mechanics
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Mortuary Science (funeral director and embalming)
- Pipefitting (welding)
- Veterinary Technology
Across TCC South and the District, faculty and staff are working diligently to develop clear pathways that help students connect, learn, grow and succeed. High impact pedagogical practices such as undergraduate research, learning communities, supplemental instruction, field inquiry and contextualized learning are flourishing in TCC South classrooms, labs and studios.
On April 23, we celebrated the achievement of several outstanding students at our Spring 2019 Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony. Many of these students will be graduating from TCC on May 11, including members of the first graduating class of the TCC South/FWISD Collegiate High School, 87 percent of whom are on track to earn an associate degree. For the first time in five years of honoring community/industry partners, TCC South recognized six Outstanding Community Partners including: Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, Precinct 1; Dowell, Pham, Harrison, LLP; LG Electronics; Oncor; Weaver; and Gulf States Toyota for their demonstration of support for and commitment to postsecondary education at TCC South.
Finally, I look forward to welcoming four new members to the leadership team at TCC South. Shannon Ydoyaga will join the senior leadership team on Monday, May 13, followed by Stephanie Hill on Thursday, May 30. Trichelle Davenport will join the campus as Director of TRiO Programs on June 3, and I anticipate that the new Divisional Dean for Math, Natural Sciences & Kinesiology will be named soon, following finalists interviews on Friday, May 10. I look forward to welcoming these newcomers to the TCC South family.
Whatever you do and where ever your travels may take you this summer, be safe and have fun!