National Native American Heritage Month
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a resolution designating the month of November as 'Native American Indian Heritage Month.' Native American Indian Heritage Month, often referred to simply as Native American Heritage Month, is dedicated to celebrating the rich culture, history, and contributions of Native Americans. Each year, the President of the United States issues a proclamation declaring November as National Native American Heritage Month. This recognition provides an opportunity to educate the public about the history, culture, and contributions of Native Americans and to raise awareness of the unique challenges and issues faced by Native communities. It also encourages the promotion and preservation of Native American traditions, languages, and heritage.
College of the Siskiyous, in partnership with the Karuk Tribe, hosted a Karuk Indigenous Women Training Exchange (WTREX) event on November 16, and has scheduled a second event for Thursday, November 30, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Student Center titled 'Karuk Language and Its Survival'. Please join us for this special presentation.
Breaking Boundaries: Unveiling the Pinnacle of Academic Excellence – College of the Siskiyous Top Ranked Programs of 2023!
In addition to being voted #1 on the list of Most Beautiful College Campuses, we are excited to be recognized as the #3 ranked Licensed Vocational Nursing Program and the #4 ranked Law Enforcement Academy in California! To learn more about these recognitions visit Practical Nursing and Enjoy Magazine.
We are so appreciative of our faculty and staff for providing exceptional education. Their dedication to delivering high-quality instruction and support is evident in these acknowledgments. Thank you for making a positive impact on our students’ educational journey!
Inclement Weather Information and Tips
Winter is upon us! Below are some tips and resources to help you prepare!
Winter Session and Spring Semester Registration is Open: Just a quick reminder open registration for the 2024 winter session and spring semester is open. Remind students to register early to get the classes they want and need. The schedule is available online.
Stay Connected: Now that the weather has begun to change, it is a good time to make sure you are signed up and receiving messages from the College's communication system, COS Connect. This is a free system used to notify students and staff of emergency-situations, campus closures, or general information. To sign up click on the COS Connect button located on the COS homepage and follow the directions to get sign up.
Holiday Craft Fair: The 26th Annual COS Holiday Craft Fair will be held Friday evening, December 1 (5:00 to 8:00 pm) and Saturday, December 2 (9:00 am to 3:00 pm) at the COS Weed Campus in the Gym. This Craft Fair celebrates the finest of handcrafted products produced by local and regional artisans and crafters. For more information call (530) 938-5373 or email foundation@siskiyous.edu.
Eagle's Nest
Come Join Our Team: We are looking for new volunteers to join the Eagle's Nest team. Volunteers work as cashiers, screen items as they come in, price merchandise, repair items, research antiques, etc. There is never a dull moment at the Eagle's Nest. If you know of anyone who may be interested in volunteering or working as a paid student worker, have them call (530) 938-4663 or stop by the Eagle's Nest Shop to speak with Angel Keen, Shop Supervisor.
Annual Winter Extravaganza A Huge Success! Annually, the Shop is transformed the shop into a Winter Wonderland with beautifully decorated trees and hundreds of holiday items. This years' transformation took play the weekend of November 4 and 5.
Closed all day on November 6 in order to finish preparations for the Winter Extravaganza event, the Shop opened at 5:00 pm to specially invited guests and COS employees. The evening event was filled with holiday cheer, sales, prizes, competition and many, many people. Many returning guest were excited the event was back and new guests were excited to be able to make it to the Shop "after hours."
If you were not able to attend the evening event, we highly encourage you to stop in to see the beautiful holiday decor and say Hi to the students and volunteers.
North State Giving Tuesday: Now, more than ever, the COS Foundation needs your support. On Tuesday, November 28, our community will come together for #NorthStateGivingTuesday and we need you to join us. From 6:00 am to 8:00 pm you can give where you live. Support the College of the Siskiyous Foundation and our Siskiyous students by making a tax‐deductible donation on November 28.
Upcoming Activities & Events: Event dates, times, and locations based on information available at the time of publication and are subject to change.
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Vice President, Student Services
This past month we were able to celebrate our veteran students. Emaly Brann, Haley LeBoeuf, and Chris Nordin organized a wonderful day filled with speakers, food, a color guard, and much more. They did a tremendous job and our student veteran speaker did as well. I know many were moved by the tribute to those that have served in the military and to whom we owe so much. Thank you to all of our Veterans!
Student Services has been working on some large projects and we are starting to really move forward with ConexED and implementing it across Student Services and other areas across campus. I want to acknowledge Regina Weston and Carly Zeller for their hard work and support in this initiative. When ConexED is implemented, it will be a wonderful tool available to employees and students as we work together.
In the area of Guided Pathways, we have selected a company to move forward with on an overhaul of our college website. This project is in the early phase and is expected to take at least a year to complete.
Basecamp was very busy during the month of October! CalFresh Outreach week was October 23 - 27 and in addition to daily social media posts, our Ambassadors were in the Student Center providing CalFresh application assistance to students. We were able to complete 12 new applications from this event, which is a very good outcome. If we keep up this pace, we will definitely meet our projected goal by the end of the year!
On Saturday, October 28, Basecamp and TRIO participated in the Weed Chamber of Commerce Annual Trunk or Treat event. The attendance at this event was huge and we ran out of candy at the perfect time, right as the last of the kiddos were coming through. Eddy the Eagle was a big hit (again) and the kids loved learning Eddy's signature Eagle Dance. One little girl's mom said that her daughter had been talking about Eddy all year and could not wait to see him again. On Halloween Day, Eddy guided the preschoolers from the Discovery Center around campus to go trick or treating at different offices. The kids were so excited to see Eddy the Eagle they begged them to come visit their class again soon!
The Basecamp Ambassador event for October was organized by student Dustin Wood, and featured a 'slasher' movie night in the ASC Loft. Students came in costumes, played slasher bingo, watched movies, and won a ton of prizes! This was definitely one of our best events to date! We always like to put a Basecamp twist on our Halloween costumes so this year Regina and Maggie dressed as a Gas Voucher and a Grocery Outlet card, which are definitely popular items in Basecamp. A special shout-out to Maggie for all her hard work making the costumes. The students and staff loved them.
Basecamp continues to offer soup and grilled cheese sandwiches every other Thursday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm… perfect timing as the winter weather is definitely upon us.
Upward Bound and Student Support Services recently completed its Fall College Tour with 17 students. The trip included visits to Arizona State University, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, Lowell Observatory, Northern Arizona University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Southern rim of the Grand Canyon, Sedona Arizona, and viewing of 'MJ One' by Cirque de Soleil. Students had a blast experiencing the different sights, food, and daring heights. For fun photos, follow the TRiO groups on Instagram - @siskiyousub and @siskiyous_sss.
Emaly Brann and Haley LeBoeuf organized a wonderful Veterans Day Celebration for the campus community on November 9, 2023. The event included a flag folding and rifle shooting presentation from the local American Legion Office, and a Student Veteran Speaker, accompanied by a Subway lunch for the campus community. Emaly and Haley collaborated with the local VA office, veteran students and staff for the pictures and memorabilia items donated for their display case and for the slideshow.
College of the Siskiyous would like to thank all Veterans for their service and sacrifice! We would also like to thank all that participated in the event and donated pictures and items for display.
Thank you to all who attended the event, and most importantly… thank you to our current and retired Veterans.
Fiscal Services Staff has completed the closeout of FY 2022-2023 financials, and are preparing for the Auditors visit in December. Business Office staff continues to provide training for campus personnel and are gearing up for more in the spring! The most recent training was held November 15 - Adobe Sign Part 2 and How to Properly Code Expenditures. If you have ideas for topics, please email them to mericsson@siskiyous.edu
Here is a monthly tentative list, which is subject to change:
Recently completed projects:
Upcoming projects:
Campus Safety Reminder: 10 MPH is the speed on campus roads. Please slow down as you come into the campus and when driving through parking lots. In addition, please be sure to come to a full stop at stop signs and yield to pedestrians. Thank you.
Exciting News - New campus maps are in development. Thank you Dawnie Slabaugh for addressing our antiquated black and white drawings.
The Client Services Team has completed the workstation refresh for Athletics, TRiO, Admissions & Records and Financial Aid. They are currently executing the refresh for all remaining departments in Student Services and anticipate completion before the end of the calendar year. Additionally, the Client Services Team has completed the replacement of controllers in all Zoom rooms.
The College is currently soliciting proposals for a new copier lease from multiple vendors. This lease will need to be in-place by January when the current lease expires.
The Enterprise Application Team is implementing an upgrade to Self-Service Banner from version 8 to 9. The new version has been deployed in our Test environment and we are currently developing the College's customization in this environment. Once this complete, this environment will be opened for testing. Our intent is to implement the upgrade in production in spring 2024.
The triennial security review performed by a third-party vendor engaged by the Chancellor's Office is complete. We are happy to report the results show the college is in the upper echelon of schools in the CCC system. In the area of essential controls, COS scored at 100%; in the area of general program controls, we scored at 84.8%; and overall performance was 89.2%. This means COS cybersecurity rank is greater than 89% of institutions in the CCC system. We are now moving on to execute another security review with a vendor engaged by Keenan, the College's cybersecurity insurance provider.
The Infrastructure Services Team has completed the implementation of Microsoft A5 Security Suite; significantly enhancing the College’s cybersecurity posture. A report certifying proper implementation was sent by our vendor to the Chancellor’s office.
As we reflect on the recent successes of our Campus Gift & Book Shop, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the unwavering support from our incredible community. The Eagle Snack Bar has become a hub of camaraderie, bringing people together over delicious treats and fostering a sense of unity. It warms our hearts to witness the sea of Siskiyous Spirit Wear adorning the stands, a visual testament to the pride that binds us as one.
Our commitment to enhancing the campus experience extends beyond the Eagle Snack Bar, as we gear up for the Men's and Women's Basketball season. The Gymnasium will once again be a vibrant showcase of school spirit, with our concession stand and Spirit Wear offerings ready to amplify the excitement. However, that is not all… we are introducing some pre-game "get ready" fun in the Gym lobby, hosted by our enthusiastic Student Workers. Expect face and body paint sticks, chunky glitter for that extra sparkle, and even temporary Eagle tattoos to ensure our crowd is fully 'decked out' in support of their favorite home team.
To further elevate the game-day experience, we have initiated a poster board-lending program for our student body. These signs, brimming with creativity and passion, will be returned to concession staff at the end of the night, serving as a testament to the shared enthusiasm that makes our events truly special.
As we transition into Winter Session, we are thrilled to announce our Bookstore will have your required books available in the next two weeks, with spring semester books following shortly thereafter. Do not forget to keep an eye out for available vouchers – we want to ensure every student has access to the resources they need.
We extend our deepest appreciation for your continued support, and look forward to creating many more memorable moments together in the upcoming season.
The Library and ASC are teaming up to offer additional hours at the end of the semester:
Help us spread the word to let students know about these opportunities to prepare for finals!
The 45th Fire Academy has begun their arduous journey to become certified Firefighter I & II. There are 37 cadets in the class, and they are coming together as a unit. They have already completed Incident Command, Firefighter Safety, Ropes and Knots, and are becoming proficient at using their Personal Equipment.
The Fire Program also had the honor and privilege to host Dennis Legear who conducted a class on HEN Nozzles for Cal Fire in October. Dennis is a retired Captain from the Oakland Fire Department and a pioneer in Engine Company Operations nationwide. Dennis travels all over the country and has been a consultant for some of the largest Fire Departments in the nation. Dennis began his teaching career right here at the College of the Siskiyous in 2008 when he retired from Oakland.
We also are excited to announce that we finally brought a course out of the archives. Driver/Operator used to be a jewel that we offered in the past but lack of instructors forced us to archive the course. These past couple of weeks we were ecstatic to offer two separate courses: one through the McCloud Fire Department, and the other on campus and at the Montague Airport. Thanks our Law Enforcement Program for their assistance in logistics and Siskiyous Human Resources for getting these invaluable instructors on the books!
Hi Everyone.
As mentioned in the last Campus Connection, Academic Senate met in mid-October to identify the main categories of our local GE pattern. We decided to change Area 5 of our COSGE pattern to "Lifelong Learning and Self-Development" (instead of "Multicultural/Living Skills") and identified a new outcome for this category. In addition, we added Area 6 for Ethnic Studies since it is now a requirement for graduation. The Senate Exec has been working with the Counselors to determine the best classes to populate Area 5. Since this category and outcome align with Area E in the CSU GE pattern, the Counselors have been identifying the classes that are recommended to go in Area E. In addition, they are looking at other courses where the learning outcomes adhere to the overall outcome of Area 5. I want to recognize the efforts of the Counselors in helping to create a new COSGE pattern. I would also like to give a special shout-out to Michelle Knudsen who has been invaluable resource in this process.
In this Campus Connection, I would also like to highlight two COS faculty members - Dr. Ron Slabbinck, the Music Instructor, and Neil Carpentier-Alting, the Theater Arts Instructor. They have done a tremendous job in their outreach to K–12 students in our community. They regularly reach out to local schools to assist and support performing arts programs. They also provide opportunities for K-12 students to participate in performing arts classes at COS. They invite these students to observe rehearsals, shadow students in performing arts classes, and attend student matinees of COS productions.
An example of their outreach includes working with Evan Mills, the Music and Drama teacher at Mount Shasta High School (MSHS), in helping to revitalize the Music and Theater programs at the high school post-COVID. Neil has served as a mentor and teaching coach to Mr. Mills since the beginning of the year. In fact, COS will be hosting the high school's fall production of "Check Please" and will provide technical assistance with lights, sets, props, and costumes. Ron has met with Mr. Mills a few times to strategize how to stabilize and rebuild the high school's music program. He has also served as a "guest clinician" to assist the high school's vocal jazz ensemble with their sound. Notably, these regular interactions with MSHS students has inspired some to enroll in COS Performing Arts classes and a few are already planning to attend COS as theater or music majors.
Neil and Ron, we appreciate your efforts to engage with local schools and support performing arts programs. Your positive interactions with those in our community helps to promote the college and increase enrollment. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks for listening,
Andrea Craddock, Ph.D.
Academic Senate President
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