Serving PCC
Since 1915
Pasadena City College
JANUARY 28, 2016
O U R I E R
VOLUME 113
ISSUE 01
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
PCC welding student Shane Dickerson working on a project at the welding lab in IT137 on Wednesday, January 27.
Katja Liebing/Courier
GATSBY FASHION
The Pasadena Museum of
History hosts lecture cele¬
brating women's fashion
through three decades
PCC Foundation funds drones
to fly over campus and beyond
SOFTBALL WINS OPENER
Lancers softball wins by
a score of 5-3 in thrilling
home opener
Vurdien restructures
campus positions
John Orona
Managing Editor
In his second semester at PCC,
President-Superintendent Rajen
Vurdien continues to shape the
college in his vision.
Beginning July 1 this year, PCC
academics will be organized into 12
divisions — Natural Sciences; Math
and Computer Science; Health Sci¬
ences; Kinesiology, Health, and Ath¬
letics; Social Sciences; Performing
Arts; Visual Arts and Media Studies;
English; Languages and ESL; Busi¬
ness; Engineering, Technology, and
Economic and Workforce Develop¬
ment; Library, Learning Resources,
and Distance Education — leaving
behind the current model of six
schools with departments within
each school that was implemented
in spring 2014.
“What changes?” President-Su¬
perintendent Vurdien asked. “We’re
simply reverting to the school’s
original structure.”
Although this change wasn’t a
specific accreditation recommenda¬
tion, it was in response accredita¬
tion, according to Alex Boekelheide,
executive director of strategic
communications and marketing.
“One of the things accredita¬
tion told us was we had too many
interim positions, and that was a
consequence of our [school] struc¬
ture that led to more administrative
positions,” Boekelheide said.
In accordance with these changes,
the school has posted permanent
position for five new instructional
deans in the Math and Computer
Science, Kinesiology, Health, and
Athletics, Business, Languages and
ESL, and Social Sciences divisions.
Each instructional dean position
will come staffed with a manager,
administrative assistant, and clerk.
These changes will also take place
July 1.
“These actions will allow the col¬
lege to increase the effectiveness of
its academic programs and balance
the demands on our instructional
Deans so they can provide faculty
and students the support needed,”
RESTRUCTURE PAGE 2
Katja Liebing
Staff Writer
If students soon notice drones
whizzing over their heads on cam¬
pus, it is the result of the largest
grant the PCC Foundation has
awarded so far.
For the first time the foundation
decided to give out larger grants for
up to $10,000 for collaborative proj¬
ects in fall 201 5. Two instructors
were awarded $7,500 to purchase
two drones in order to research
California’s water resources.
The foundation’s grant program,
formerly known as Mini-Grants,
aims to “help faculty fill in gaps in
their programs.”
“As the program grew, it became
“seed” money for some depart¬
ments who wanted to create new
programs in their department but
didn’t have initial funds to do so,”
Kristin McPeak wrote in an email.
Photography instructor Chris¬
topher O’Leary and Geography
Brennan Wallace were awarded
the grant for their Department of
Water project at the PCC Founda¬
tion Award Ceremony on Oct. 30 to
fund the purchase of the drones.
“One thing they really look for is
interdisciplinary projects, which is, I
think, why we were successful,” said
O’Leary. “The foundation is one of
the few really flexible institutions
within PCC. It kind of tries to make
magic happen that might not hap¬
pen naturally.”
O’Leary and Wallace purchased
an Inspire I Pro and a Phantom 3
drone with the grant and are eagerly
awaiting their arrival. The Inspire 1
Pro features a professional camera
and wireless HD video transmis¬
sion, which means operators can see
video in real time as they fly. The
Phantom 3 is a smaller entry-level
drone, which can record and live
stream video and can take stills.
Their vision is to use these drones
for different projects within their
respective classes, but also for in¬
ter-departmental collaborations.
“The Department of Water
project stood out to us as something
very ambitious, but also strategic
DRONES PAGE 2
School’s strategist departs
Ryan Cornner
John Orona
Managing Editor
Although he only arrived at PCC
less than two years ago, the man
responsible for implementing many
of the changes recommended by
the accreditation commission has
left PCC to work for the Los Ange¬
les Community College District, just
as the school heads into the final
stretch of its accreditation process.
Dr. Ryan Cornner, director of
strategic innovation and planning,
came to PCC in the midst of tur¬
moil, both with the conflict between
former President Mark Rocha and
faculty groups, and with the col¬
lege’s reaccreditation struggles.
He immediately diagnosed
the need for an integrated plan¬
ning model, well before it was an
accreditation recommendation. He
was also vital in the effort to both
implement and explain the changes
the college had to make to comply
with the accreditation commission
for community and junior colleges
(ACCJQ.
“Thanks to these efforts, more
than 90 percent of our administra¬
tive units completed their planning
review and projections on time,”
Alex Boekelheide, director of stra¬
tegic communication and marketing,
said in an email announcing the
departure.
Despite playing a vital role in
the school’s accreditation success
so far, he leaves at crucial time in
the process, with the Planning and
Priorities committee drafting their
reports to ACCJC for review next
month.
“[Dr. Cornner] has spearheaded
the integrated planning process,
working to bring together faculty,
administrators, and staff to present
a comprehensive picture of PCC’s
operations and future goals, ”
Boekelheide said.
CORNNER PAGE 2
