With Tuesday’s closing because of inclement weather, faculty are reminded that they are obligated to make every effort to make up the time missed.

Making up missed class time should be completed in as nonstressful a way as soon as possible for our students. When it comes to make-up options, one size does not fit all because at CPCC the enormous diversity in class locations and restrictions makes for a complex situation.

The College position is that within the confines of space limitations, course content, etc. instructors should work with students to provide the maximum number of hours of instruction listed in the class schedule. 

In some cases, instructors are able to add additional time to other classes; schedule an additional class sometime during the semester; hold conferences with individual students; assign work to be completed online or in the library, etc.

For auditing purposes, an instructor must note on the 10% roster the reason a class was not held and what the students did to make up the time.

If you have questions, please call Mitchell Hagler, 6576, or Richard Zollinger, 6730.

NOTE: Instructors using the new web-based attendance reporting system should read and comply with the instructions in this downloadable PDF file.

§ Applications are still being accepted for Dimensions of Leadership, a six-week long program focusing on self-discovery and the development of emerging leadership skills. This series of weekly workshops runs from February 3 through March 17. Applications are available on the PD web page under the Leadership button. Return applications to Diann Back.

§ Do you have an idea to improve a service or process at the College? Innovation Grants up to $2,000 are awarded to individuals or departments who have innovative ideas to assist students or enhance employee performance. Information on Innovation Grants is available on the PD web page under the Funding button. Applications are accepted monthly. Contact Diann Back with questions.

§ Did you know that you can earn PD credit on your drive to work? Several short CD’s on leadership development have been added to the Professional Development Lending Library. Listening to three  20-minute CD’s will generate one hour of PD credit (with supervisor approval). Contact Diann Back to check out a set of three or more CD’s.

Calling all mentors!
Would you or someone you know like to become a mentor to an undecided CPCC student? Career Services is excited to re-launch our Career Insider Network Program! We are looking for professionals to mentor students via email regarding their careers. We are especially looking for professionals who can mentor students in programs offered at CPCC. As this is done through email, and you are able to limit the number of students who can contact you at one time, this is a great opportunity to help a student without overextending your time.

For more information on becoming a mentor, or to refer someone you know as a mentor, please contact Jenn Smith at jenn.smith@cpcc.edu. Or go to http://cpccmentor.experience.com to sign up to be a mentor!

The Diversity Committee would like to encourage all employees to visit our website. We have updated the website with two very important features.

Check out the Foreign Language and Cultural Resources Database which allows you to view staff and faculty who speak other languages and are familiar with other cultures. You can contact your fellow colleagues to use as resources when needed. If you would like to be included in the directory, you can submit a form with your information on it as well.

Also, we now have an active Suggestion Box for the Diversity Committee. In order for us to better serve the college, please submit your suggestions and comments through our online form.

Cengage Learning (formerly Thomson Learning and Houghton Mifflin) presents on Friday, January 30, 2009, in the Hall Professional Development Building, Room 215, from 9 a.m.– noon, Active Learning for CPCC Instructors. From noon to 2 p.m. the program will be presented for ACA instructors CPCC Central Campus. Register for this session on Learnerweb for Professional Development credit.

Snacks and lunch will be provided.

So come take advantage of some interesting discussion and great food! For more information, please contact Laura Bazan at 704-330-6417 or Linda Dunham at 704-330-4259.

Now that cold weather has arrived and temperatures plunge below the freezing mark, many of our faculty and staff have resorted to using alternate methods to heat their offices. The following are several fire safety tips that you can apply to make the work place safer and reduce risk:

• Use space heaters that are requested through Facilities Services only.
• One of the most common problems leading to heating fires is placing portable space heaters too close to combustible items.
• Remember- Space Heaters Need Space!
• Give all types of space heaters three feet of clearance in all directions from combustibles or anything that might catch fire
• When selecting a space heater, look for one that has been tested and labeled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL)
• Make sure your space heater has “tip switches" to automatically turn off the heater if the heater gets knocked over.
• Do not leave microwave ovens unattended while in use.
• Do not block open stairwell or fire doors.
• Do not store anything in mechanical or electrical rooms.

Charlotte textile mills, Hezekiah Alexander home site, and the Catawba River have all been subjects for documentary maker and CPCC history teacher Gary Ritter. Viewers enjoy his explorations of our past in the television show Trail of History on CPCC TV (Channel 17 on Time-Warner Cable).

Now hear from Ritter himself about our history of colonial settlements, early farm life, the role of gold, aviation and more. Come to “Charlotte’s Trail of History,” a free presentation by Ritter on Sunday, February 8, 3 p.m., at The Duke Mansion, 400 Hermitage Road in Charlotte. It’s part of the Explore History! Series, presented by Levine Museum of the New South and The Duke Mansion. Hosted by Dr. Tom Hanchett.  

Come be a part of one of the largest career fairs in Charlotte! The 2009 CPCC Career Fair will take place on Friday, March 6 at the Grady Cole Center. Last year’s career fair was a great success due in large part to the support we received from our volunteers—73% of employers said they planned to interview or hire one of our students.

Our volunteers assist primarily in the areas of registration, evaluations and door prizes.

Choose from two shifts:

• 1st Shift: 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• 2nd shift: 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

For those who can devote their time for a complete shift, we will thank you with a delicious hot lunch catered by Mama Ricotta’s!

To sign up, please call Christy Curts in Career Services (6449) or email Christy.Curts@cpcc.edu. Please be sure to indicate what area and time period you would prefer.

Thank you in advance for your help and thank you to everyone who has already signed up!

A harvest of good taste for a great cause...
Soup lovers, this is your chance to sample great restaurant fare and contribute to a worthy cause, Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte. Come to Soup on Sunday, January 25, in the Citizens Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Plan to shake the winter chills by sampling the best soups in town at our 9th annual Soup On Sunday, presented by Bank of America and hosted by the CPCC Culinary Arts department. Over 35 premier Charlotte-area restaurants will feature their specialty soup du jour. In addition to delicious soups and bisques, homemade breads, desserts and beverages, Soup on Sunday features a wonderful selection of pottery for purchase. Jinny Hargrave, owner of Carolina Clay Connection, has inspired local artists to support our mission. Among those friends contributing works of art are local potters and artists, friends of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region from Urban Ministries, and students and faculty from both Charlotte Country Day School and Providence Day School.

• Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased now by calling Nancy Cole at 704.335.4312.
• General Admission is $25. Or purchase the Soup Lover’s Special ticket for $35 and choose a handmade pottery bowl to take home.

The Office of Outreach and Recruitment is excited to announce the new Student Ambassador Program. This program is a great way to keep current students engaged and connected to CPCC outside of the classroom. We are in need of student referrals from the college community, which includes faculty and staff.

If you know of a current student who fits the profile of a Student Ambassador, please nominate them by emailing LaTosha Hicks at Latosha.Hicks@cpcc.edu.

The deadline to nominate students is February 20, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.

Please download a PDF describing the program. If you have questions, please contact Latosha Hicks at6387 or via email.  

Gardeners and flower lovers, CHAPS has a program Feb. 10 to get your juices flowing.

The CPCC Horticulture Alumni Professional Society (CHAPS) has programmed several events on February 10, 2009, to educate the public and raise money for the program. A workshop featuring Brent Heath, raffle, and bulb sales are featured.

Reception (6 to 7 p.m.) and lecture (7 to 8 p.m.) at Tate Hall.

Details in a downloadable PDF flyer.

It may be winter outside now, but plans are already being made for the 5K Charlotte Skyline Run/Walk on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The committee is hard at work to help make this year’s event raise more money for the CPCC Foundation, with much of the money going to student scholarships.

This 14th annual fundraiser will bring over 1,000 visitors to the Central Campus, and we need lots of volunteers to make sure the race/walk goes off without a hitch.

All volunteers get a race T-shirt designed by Advertising and Graphic Design student Juliana Lievano.

Please contact Patricia Williams, 704-330-6518, and let us know where you would like to help. We will need most volunteers here by 7:30 a.m. and most duties will be over by 10:30 a.m.

We are in special need of intersection monitors and monitors during the Kids’ Race to make sure that cars allow runners/walkers to pass safely.

• Balloons—Blow up and distribute balloons on race day for start line/directions
• Beverages—Serve water and power drink as runners finish
• Beverage Set-Up—Ice down canned drinks on Friday afternoon
• Chip Table—Give assigned chip to each participant
• Course Intersection Monitor—Stationed at intersections to keep racers on track; keep cars off course
• Family Fun Run—Keep cars away from race course; make sure kids stay on track; give out ribbons to kids
• Finish Line Chip Recovery—Retrieve chips from racers as they cross finish line
• First Aid—Help with minor emergencies
• Food—Prepare fruit, bagels for participants
• Grounds and Maintenance—Set up tables, tents, trash containers, signs, clean-up
• Parking Monitors—Control traffic entry/exit
• Pre-Registration Packet Pick-Up—Help give out race packets day before the race
• Problem Table—Deal with unanticipated problems
• Race Day Registration—Register those not registered; give out T-shirts
• Race Leaders with Bikes—Lead Family Run; deliver stopwatches to timers
• Refreshments for Volunteers—Have coffee and donuts ready for volunteers
• Ride with police car; need to know the course
• Sound production—Handle sound system
• Water Team—Give water to runners on the course, help with clean-up

Please contact Patricia Williams at 704-330-6518. Thanks for your help.

§ Keith Ratliff from CPCC’s Center for Sustainability has joined the board of directors for the Carolinas Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). The CCAC was founded in 2002 to address air quality issues in the Charlotte region. As a nonprofit with membership drawn from 15 counties of North and South Carolina, its goals are carried out by the board of directors. The Carolinas Clean Air Coalition is a citizen voice working to effect change for better public health, the economy, and the environment.

The Harris Conference Center hosted Premier, Inc. on January 13 and 14. Fifteen people were in attendance for a two day team building session. Premier’s goal is to bring nationwide knowledge to improve local healthcare. It does this by collecting and analyzing clinical and financial data from its member hospitals, organizing committees of members to make decisions and set direction for the alliance, sponsoring seminars and conferences, and sharing best practices.

Classified Staff will be hosting a Winter Social on February 6, 2009, in the Citizen’s Center Quad. There will be food, fun, dancing, prizes and much more. A Winter Wonderland King and Queen will be selected through Classified Staff’s nominations and crowned that day.

Please forward your nominations for King and Queen to Dwight Evans in Terrell 107 on the Central Campus as soon as possible. If you are sending your nominations by email, your subject line must say, “My King and Queen Nominations.”

All nominations must be in by Thursday January 22, 2009.

Communications instructor Jenifer R. Daniels, MA, CEP, has just earned a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University Continuing Studies.

The CPCC IT Services Department is hosting a farewell reception for Claudia Fiest to honor her for 16 years of dedicated service to the college.

Claudia began her career at CPCC in 1993 in Financial Services, and for the past two years, has served as the director of the Colleague Training Center. In this role, she has led the college in providing the best Datatel training throughout the state. Claudia participated in several statewide build teams and review teams during and after the Datatel conversion. In addition, she has been requested to speak at several regional and national conferences. Her leadership abilities, knowledge, wisdom, and communication skills have earned her recognition across the state and the country. Claudia will be greatly missed by the college, the state, and the Datatel Users’ Group community.

A drop-in reception will be held on Thursday, January 29, from 2-4 p.m. in the Hall Building (PD) room 304. Refreshments will be served.

The Service-Learning Center would like to thank the 109 volunteers who came out to do service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 19! Nine teams of students went to various locations across Charlotte including Carolina Raptor Center, Park Village Rehab and Health, and Community Charter School, just to name a few!

We would also like to thank Generation Engage and Tracy Moore for their powerful opening dialogue; Nadine Gordon, Tracy Moore, Harry Philips, Cathy McClure, Marcy Labossiere, Ray Sosko, Elvira Johnson, David Mahatha, Mark Ellis and Percell Hobbs for their dedication as  team leaders; Pam Jordan for all her help coordinating team vehicles; Zachery Blackburn and his screen printing class for printing all 150 T-shirts; NC Campus Compact for the MLK mini-grant;  Amanda Capobianchi for the help and support over the past five years; Tom Covington, Ryan Case, and Jessica Graham for their media support; and also Bobby Sutton, Johnnie Roach, and all the volunteers who helped make the MLK Challenge a success.  

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words, cards, and prayers during the time of my family bereavement.
 —Cassandra Loftin

BIRTHDAYS

Jan. 23	Mary K. Collin John J. Holmes
24	Rebeca Fernandez
25	Kimberly F. Barden Harriet B. Johnson Janice M. Singleton Melissa McCorkle Stewart Charmaine M. Williams
27	Monique E. Brooks
28	Heather H. Hanson Joyce Woods Hooker
29	Patrice Antoinette Brown Amy Beal Burns Donald Lee Harding

Very responsible woman wishes to find work babysitting. Available from morning to 2 p.m. M-F and on Saturday. Call Jalixy at 704.449.4299 or email JalixyQ@hotmail.com

Cookbook written and published by local cook Polly Little (mother of CPCC employee Mark Little). Two hundred pages of recipes for southern comfort foods such as fried chicken and pound cake—$15.

To learn more, contact Mark at 6089 or visit http://www.pollyscookbook.com/.