OD Corner: SACS Update

SACS reaccreditation is moving right along. Because this process is new and unfamiliar, the Leadership Team has faced a special challenge: complying with both the spirit and requirements of the new accreditation principles while, at the same time, trying to cause as little disruption as possible to our regular programs and services. Conducting SACS-related activities during times typically set aside for professional development afternoon is one way the Leadership Team has tried to meet SACS-required goals while not unduly intruding on student and employee time.

A number of folks have been busily working behind the scenes on the compliance review component. Members of the Compliance Review Team are reviewing all core requirements, comprehensive standards, and federal mandates related to their areas. Department chairs, curriculum deans, and the vice president of instructional services have reviewed and discussed faculty credentials. A survey committee examined a variety of survey data needs and another committee addressed the general education competencies standard. There is still much more to do and the Compliance Review Team will call upon individuals and establish committees as needed to complete our work on time.

Our Compliance Certification is due on Aug. 15, 2003. For all applicable requirements, we must first determine if we are in full compliance, partial compliance, or noncompliance. We want to identify the partial and noncompliance requirements early on so that we can address them and submit a Compliance Certification that provides evidence of full compliance with all requirements.

The Quality Enhancement Team has reviewed the input from the first QE Retreat in September. A summary of this 5-P Relay input will soon be available on the SACS internet site. Between now and the end of January, QE team members will provide more information about Invitational Education and its practical applications across our campus. Since every employee is represented on the Quality Enhancement Team by both functional division and employee group, we hope you will continue to provide your QET representative with feedback and input about upcoming activities and ways we can make Invitational Education come alive at A-B Tech. We appreciate the feedback received thus far.

Building on the information provided at our QE Retreat in September, employees and student representatives can look forward to providing input on related challenges and specific opportunities for improvement at the QE Retreat II in February, 2003. This important feedback will drive the development of the college-wide objectives for the QEP, which is due on Jan. 12, 2004. Between now and then, we have some work to do. We know that this is a challenging time. Budget uncertainty, computer information system conversion, SACS reaccreditation, record enrollments, changing economic conditions affecting our community. We truly appreciate all that you have done and all that you will continue to do to make our SACS reaccreditation process a successful one.

-Carol Rovello, Director of Employee and Organization Development

November Activities

• 4th Email Management
• 7th Advising Financial Aid Students
• 11th GroupWise Time Managemen
• 12th Ergonomics
• 13th Intermediate PowerPoint
• 14th Academic Advising for New Advisors
• 14th Personal Financial Management
• 15th Conflict Resolution through Invitational Education NEW
• 18th File Management
• 19th Super Tuesday Touchdown Benefits Fair
• 21st Conflict Resolution through Invitational Education NEW
• 21st On-Campus Shiatsu Massage
• 22nd GroupWise Overview
• 22nd New Supervisor Orientation
• 25th Using the Intranet
• 27th On-Campus Massage (register with Holly McCurry)
• 28th Thanksgiving Break
• 29th Thanksgiving Break

Q-Tips (thanks to Ren Decatur for this title!)

As the Quality Enhancement Plan portion of SACS accreditation moves forward with "Developing Strategies for Student Success through Invitational Education" at A-B Tech, updates will be provided regularly through TechTalk. We plan to bring you information about Invitational Education (IE), ways to become "intentionally" inviting and tips for implementing IE with People, Programs, Processes, Practices and Policies across campus.

In October's TechTalk, the basic foundations/assumptions of IE were listed. At the Quality Enhancement retreat, we looked at inviting activities already occurring across campus. Today, we focus on one of four dimensions of IE having to do with enriching our lives personally and professionally. Termed the "4-Corner Press," the four dimensions are: "Being Personally Inviting with Oneself," "Being Professionally Inviting with Oneself," "Being Personally Inviting with Others," and "Being Professionally Inviting with Others."

Today's Q-Tip focuses on the last "corner" listed: "Being Professionally Inviting with Others." Here are some ideas; please send us your thoughts!

• Share your talents/ideas/handouts/something that worked well in class or in your office with your colleagues
• Work cooperatively
• Share decision-making
• Work to remember names of students and colleagues
• Recognize accomplishments of others (send clippings to colleagues who've received a write-up or some kind of printed recognition -then they have an extra copy for Mom!)
• Offer professional feedback
• Team teach a class
• Use professional language
• Stamp out rumors by giving continual and reliable information
• Honor diversity
• Remember that although we evaluate ourselves by our intentions, others evaluate us by our actions

-Deborah Lonon, Team Leader, Quality Enhancement Plan

Two New Employees Join A-B Tech

Carol J. Fleming joins A-B Tech as a Learning Resources Center librarian. Carol received her B.A. from Oswego State College in Oswego, NY and her M.L.A from Appalachian State University in Boone. She was a reference librarian for the Henderson County Public Library while working part-time as a librarian at A-B Tech.

Aimee M. Moore joins A-B Tech as an Admissions secretary. She received her A.A.S. from Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, MI, and her B.A. from Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI. She was previously employed as a Financial Aid secretary and head peer advisor at Kellogg Community College.

Tech Talk is published for employees of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College by the College Relations Division.

Executive Editor:
Mona Cornwell
Managing Editor:
Jodi Ford

Send submissions to Mona Cornwell, director of communications, at mcornwell@abtech.edu. Publication of the next issue is scheduled Dec. 2. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 18. This edition of Tech Talk was produced October 2002. Equal Opportunity Educational Institution.