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State of the Nevada System of Higher Education |
The speech provided an assessment of Nevada higher education as well as report on Rogers’ goals for 2006 and beyond. A question and answer session with the audience followed.
Click to view the speech or read the script.
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Chancellor James E. Rogers gave his second annual State of the Nevada System of Higher Education Address on Nov. 17 in the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre at the Community College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus. |
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 Auto Program Tops 2,000 China Studies CCSN Chef in the Making  King Top Classified Canned Food Drive $1,000 Bake Sale Food Service Rewards IT Holiday Hours
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CCSN ranks number one among 2,000 schools in online automotive environmental and safety testing. The distinction was announced at the General Motors national Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) conference last month by the U.S. Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR). The ranking places CCSN ahead of 80+ colleges in the U.S. and Canada, as well as more than 1,900 American high schools with automotive training programs. Mohave High School in North Las Vegas recently became the 2,000th school to enroll in CCAR’s S/P2 training that now serves more than 175,000 students. “This honor means CCSN is educating even better prepared automotive technicians to serve dealerships, vehicle service and repair centers, and Nevada’s driving public,” said Dr. Chris Kelly, dean of the college’s Division of Business, Industry and Public Safety. CCSN automotive students have to compete the online training and testing within their first few days in the class before they can work in the auto lab, according to program director Robin Roques. A partnership of industry, education and government, CCAR works internationally to provide best practice information and training, and to measure improvements in Safety and Pollution Prevention (S/P2) via an online training and testing program. CCSN set the record with 17,000 certificate tests taken in safety training and pollution prevention. As producers of S/P2 training, CCAR announced CCSN’s nationwide dominance over number two by 70 percent, a huge 7,000 test margin of achievement. |
 “Each year this knowledge will help hundreds of Nevada’s automotive businesses and working auto technicians who test with us to prevent pollution and avoid injury,” said Paul Pate, associate dean of Applied Technologies at CCSN, “as well as train thousands of our own students who, over the years, will carry these best practices and awareness into their workplaces.”A non-profit organization, CCAR charges a $299 annual subscription for the online testing to each business shop. But according to Pate, who sits on GM’s ASEP Executive Board, the annual training is available free to schools, and CCSN provides it free to anyone testing through the college, including working auto technicians or anyone working for area businesses that need the training to meet OSHA and insurance requirements. “CCAR is the leader in industry improvement related to safety and environmental awareness through S/P2 training,” said Lin Peacock, CCAR vice chair and executive director of industry affairs for the National Automobile Dealers Association. The online S/P2 courseware tracks technician/student progress through the training, grades tests and is constantly updated as changes occur in federal and state laws.
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Dr. Peg Pankowski greets the arriving delegation, then Dr. Rand Key addresses questions from Yixian Li Interacting for the college were Dr. Rand Key, vice president for planning and development, and finance vice president Patty Charlton; Dr. Peg Pankowski and Prof. Warren Hioki, dean and associate dean for information technology and telecommunications; Dr. Carlos Camp, dean of arts and letters; Thomas Brown, chief campus administrator for Cheyenne; Mary Kay Bailey, interim associate vice president for finance; Thomas Peacock, associate vice president for human resources; Anneli Adams, director of the International Center, and event coordinator; Helen Clougherty, executive director of public and college relations; and Hong Melody Deng-Lee, assistant controller who spoke excellent Mandarin in her role as a translator.
CET instructor Steve Alpern displays Microsoft teaching aids to delegation members while While at CCSN, the group received briefings and toured computing and engineering technology classes and labs and the resorts and gaming department. The trip to CCSN grew out of a lecture visit by IT&T's Hioki to Beijing for the 2004 China-U.S. Conference on Community Colleges. Hioki addressed "Fostering Economic Development Through Cutting Edge Programs" on behalf of the American Association of Community Colleges.
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Early this month, 16 higher education officials from China looking to spread the concept of community colleges visited CCSN to learn more about administrative structure, programs and finances from America’s third largest two-year college. Led by Yixian Li, president of the Community Education Association China, the group represents about 28 known community colleges, mostly in cities, and wants to expand the concept into rural China. The concept of college technical education is about a decade new in China, and credits in fields from arts and automotive to nursing do not yet transfer to universities.
“My ultimate goal is to become a certified Master Chef,” said Michael Sandoval, an award-winning culinary student at the Community College of Southern Nevada. None of his CCSN professors doubt it for a minute.
Studying at CCSN for two years, Sandoval also attends UNLV in a two-pronged initiative aimed at getting his bachelor’s in culinary management. After graduation, he still projects side trips to CCSN for continuous classes to perfect skills in various culinary arts from pastries under Chef Rudi Eichler to classical cuisine under one of his mentors, Chef John Metcalfe. A CCSN professor, Metcalfe directs the college’s culinary arts academics and urged Sandoval to try for the culinary team. He’s bagged a bevy of medals in the process. Meanwhile, his considerable cooking skills aren’t going unappreciated by the dining public. During the past two years, Sandoval has become a mainstay at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Restaurant in the fabulous Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino.
A 21-year veteran chef, Hopper hired Sandoval two years ago to open the restaurant. “His work ethic is incredible,” Hopper related. “With Mike as young and as talented as he is – if he is the future of our industry, then that future is in good hands, because he is unbelievably good.” The young culinarian’s career aspirations weren’t as serious at the start. As a junior in high school, he heard about the school district’s Area Tech Training Center and took culinary classes for the fun of it – “but it was so challenging, it was cool,” he said. Now he thrives on the daily challenges to maintain Bouchon’s hallmark quality and cleanliness. Adept in making French sauces and knife skills for butchering, he relishes learning techniques and preparing star dishes – different specials such as roasting a pheasant whole and then butchering off the bone to order.
Sandoval then had a little more than a month to ready for the two part national competition. In Napa Valley, he had to prepare for a Market Basket Competition and a Signature Dish Competition. On day one, he faced the seven other regional competitors as they received Antelope, Lobster and Thai black rice in their market baskets. Each had one hour and forty-five minutes to create a dish with these ingredients. Sandoval used his creativity and culinary skills to produce Seared Loin of Antelope with Vanilla Lobster Stuffing, served with a ragout of Spaghetti Squash, Oblique Carrots and Baby Turnips, atop a Black Thai Rice Polenta with Apple Jus. The next day, competitors had just four hours to make 200 tasting portions of the dish they served at their regional competitions. Along with his gold from the San Pellegrino regional, he was named Student Culinarian of the Year and picked up a silver medal at the American Culinary Federation’s national convention this summer in San Antonio, after preparing Sole Florentine and Chicken Chasseur. Another important gold was added last year at the Las Vegas Culinary Challenge held at the Mandalay Bay where his entry in the plated dessert category won Best of Show. During this interview near the CCSN kitchens and Russell’s Restaurant on Cheyenne Campus, Sandoval felt ill at ease wearing his array of medals and tried to slink away to an out of the way spot. “I’m really bashful,” he admitted as his fellow students smiled at his discomfort during the photo session. Pride and humility are both sides of the same coin in Michael Sandoval’s estimation. Fluent in Spanish, his parents emigrated from Mexico 25 years ago. He’s proud of his achievements, but knows he owes a lot to his hardworking parents and CCSN role models, Chefs Metcalfe, Levi Acosta and Jill Mora. “When I reach my dream, they will have been a big part of my formation. They give so much to every student – they are so inspiring!” On the other hand, Chef Metcalfe praises Sandoval’s skills and desire to become the best, learning all he can about the classic Escoffier techniques and cooking methods named after the father of modern cuisine. The culinary arts program at CCSN – with 450 students each semester – is enjoying its 17th year in the business of preparing chefs for careers in the Las Vegas hospitality industry – perhaps someday even a master chef named Michael Sandoval.
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The 21-year-old Las Vegas native competed in the national San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition in California’s Napa Valley several weeks ago, after earning his ticket there by winning the regional event held at UNLV. The annual San Pellegrino competition spotlights selected students from around the country who vie for the honor of being judged by well-known chefs and the media on their culinary skills and potential culinary star quality. Although the amiable culinary student didn’t win at the nationals, he competed well against the other seven regional champs in the two part competition. 
“Bouchon is French country cuisine at its best, uplifted to a gourmet level by Thomas Keller’s standards for culinary quality and perfection,” said the 2002 graduate of Centennial High School. Working the dinner shift on the main hot food line, Sandoval is involved in preparing 200 of the 500 main dishes served per shift. “At CCSN and Bouchon, I’m learning that urgency with a sense of quality is important to become a successful chef. Mark Hopper, chef de cuisine at Bouchon, works with my schedule to help me get the education and experience,” he said.
The regional competition put Sandoval up against students from UNLV and Le Cordon Bleu . Competitors prepared an entrée dish of their own creation for 16 judges. In 90 minutes, Sandoval crafted a succulent gourmet menu of Pan Roasted Breast of Squab with a Mission Fig Stuffing, Lemon Pepper Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts, Cipollini Onions, Chanterelle Mushrooms and a Port Wine Fig Jus. After judging , TV personality Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” congratulated him for his gold medal and his cuisine.
The Computing and Engineering Technology Department’s Janet King reigns as December’s Classified Employee of the Month. A 12-year veteran at CCSN, she started as a clerical trainee and worked for Graphics Technology, Testing and Academic Computing, and CIT before it merged with CET. An east coast native with one foot in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania, King successfully handled the daunting tasks supporting the merger of CIT and ET into one department and shift of an entire departmental office from Charleston to Cheyenne.
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It’s a new record – 12,000 cans of food collected for the needy by the Association of Students in Communication and the Department of Communication! ASC’s fourth annual drive to aid the Las Vegas Rescue Mission finished this week in high gear, raising 50% more than the record 8,000 cans collected last year.
Led by president Molly Smith and backed by faculty advisor James McCoy, the 140 members in CCSN’s largest student club canvassed campuses and community for donations to the month long drive, supported in the main by faculty and staff.
The final dozens of boxes of canned goods were loaded aboard a Rescue Mission truck at Henderson Campus while news crews from Channels 3 and 13 reported the milestone event. Smith pledged that ASC would keep the drive’s momentum going to continue helping the Rescue Mission’s needy. Through a partnership with Wild Oats Markets, donor coupons can be purchased at Wild Oats for $1, with all proceeds going to ASC to buy more foodstuffs. Nevada Public Radio will also be a promotional partner.
Smith delivers her charitable message to Ch 13 and Ch 3 news crews, then poses with a nearly full Rescue Mission truck along with helpers (from left) Amber Leserra, Communication Dept. administrative assistant, McCoy, Derick and Dr. Joan McGee, Henderson site admiinistrator who did her share of heavy lifting |
The recent Classified Council Holiday Bake Sale added inches to customer waistlines, but nearly $1,000 in relief funds for classified staff facing financial emergencies.
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Ten CCSN students from the Resorts and Gaming Department, who worked with the Las Vegas Branch of the International Food Service Executives Association on an annual scholarship fund drive, received their just desserts recently. Securing rewards of $200 each were: Jennifer Brown, Cindy Cabble, Ilana Cohen, Rosa De La Rosa, Susan Hasse, Scott Largent, Michael Martinez, Courtney Melnar, Jennifer Turner and Rungsri Ungsamatlakosa. Resorts and gaming students - Rosa De La Rosa, Jennifer Turner and Cindy Cabble - display their $200 stipends, with congratulations from Prof. Joseph Quagliano, Prof. Tom Rosenberger, Resorts and Gaming chair, and Dr. Chris Kelly, Dean of Business, Industry and Public Safety. The group posed by a display of exotic gingerbread and candy houses, produced by culinary arts students to be auctioned off for charity during the holidays.
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Operating hours for the IT Service Center during the holiday season and semester break (Dec. 21 through Jan. 22) will be Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Normal operating hours resume Jan 23. In case of emergency, call cell phone # 280-2353.
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Through Dec. 20 by artist Elizabeth Dove on the Cheyenne Campus. 
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Sky Watch - Presents the latest information about occurrences in the sky. Current astronomical phenomena and the locations of the planets and constellations are presented. Recent data from major space programs such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Space Station, Mars Global Surveyor and Cassini are displayed. The audience can ask questions of The Planetarium staff. While the program running time is variable, it is typically about 20 minutes and suitable for all ages. |
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The religious meaning of Christmas is significant to the Christian world. It is a time for church services marking the Nativity. A time of family gatherings and holiday meals. Christmas is also a time for Santa, decorated trees and singing carolers. A time for ornaments, gift giving, sleigh rides, hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies.
Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights Dec. 25 - Jan. 2, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.
Kwanzaa is a seven day festival celebrating the African American people, their culture and their history. It is a time of celebration, community gathering, and reflection. A time of endings and beginnings. Kwanzaa begins Dec 26 and continues until New Year's Day.