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Finals Schedule
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The President’s List
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A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Woodland Hills, California
Volume 118- Issue 11
May 22, 2013
Pierce’s 65th Commencement is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, 2013
In 2011-2012 320 transferred to a UC 927 transferred to a CSU
One copy free, each additional copy $1.00
Courses will no longer be repeatable New policy prevents students from retaking classes, effective fall 2013 Michaia Hernandez/Roundup
*According to Pierce College’s Office of Institutional Research
Gown and out: A cap to the semester Monica Velasquez/ Special to the Roundup
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Retiring English professor, Richard Follet, will be the commencement speaker, and Amber Witherow, will give a student perspective during the ceremony. Official photos of graduation will be available of students shaking Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly’s hand. Proofs will be mailed to students so they can decided if they would like to purchase the photo. All are welcomed to attend, with cake and refreshments available at the conclusion of the ceremony. Parking Lot 7 will be free for the event, and is closest to Rocky Young Park. For more information, including how to purchase commemorative memorabilia such as class rings, and invitations visit: Piercecollege.edu/students/graduation.
ith the stress of finals over, students can now relax and put on their favorite summer attire. For some this will include a cap and gown during Pierce College’s 65th commencement that will take place 6 p.m. on June 5 at Rocky Young Park. Caps and gowns are available at the bookstore, until the day of graduations. They are black in keeping with tradition, except for nursing students who will be allowed to wear white. Participating students must be gathered at the Center for Sciences in their caps and gowns to begin filling out name cards no later than 5:15 p.m. Those students not in correct attire will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony, there will be no exceptions, according to the Pierce College website.
*Tracked for six years through 2011-2012 According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office
1100 1000 900 Count Awarded
Pierce College leads the district in overall completion at 52.2 percent
Degrees & Certificates Awarded 2005-06 - 2011-12
800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
AA Degrees
1095
997
953
889
799
902
979
AS Degrees
55
43
50
44
44
44
57
State-Approved Certificates
110
87
102
80
198
380
557
Skills Certificates
404
325
338
315
164
51
22
*From Pierce College’s Office of Institutional Research webpage
mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com California community colleges will not allow their students to repeat enrollment to state-funded physical education and performing and visual arts classes beginning in the fall 2013 semester. Non-repeatable classes will include fine arts, dance, theater, music, physical education and career technical education courses, according to Vice President of Academic Affairs Anna Davies. Students were previously allowed to retake classes up to four times. “The focus has really been to get students out of here,” Davies said. The changes were put in place in order to help California’s community college leadership cater to its students’ educational plans and needs, according to a May 7, 2012 press release by the state chancellor’s office. According to the letter, “by not allowing students to needlessly repeat courses, colleges are able to focus course offerings directly to a student’s degree requirements.” The letter also included that students may be excused from the policy under certain circumstances. The new policy does not affect a recently enacted plan of a threerepetition-limit to students who either fail or withdraw from courses. Non-repeatability will only affect those who have successfully finished classes but want to retake them. Exemptions to this policy involve courses required by the University of California and California State University schools to transfer, mandated legally, related to intercollegiate athletics, and required for vocational and licensure reasons, according to the press release. Even though intercollegiate
sports will not be directly affected by the plan, they will be somewhat impacted, according to Samantha Meyers, who is part of the swim team. She says that members of the swim team train for their spring seasons by taking the swim classes in the fall. “They’re actually hurting the team,” she said. In addition to the new nonrepeatability policy, the state has also introduced a new approach to enrollment in the aforementioned disciplines wherein students “may have no more than four enrollments in any given group of active participatory courses that are related in content,” according to an article in the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges website. This includes both successful and unsuccessful attempts. The limit is in reference to the minimum requirement of taking four classes in one’s chosen discipline in order to prepare for a degree, Davies said. “[The state] still wants to support students who want to major,” Davies said. “The state just doesn’t want students parked in those programs.” The policies aren’t in place yet, but Davies says she expects to receive backlash from students who will be affected. “A lot of people are going to be unhappy,” she said. “It does cut out some of our community members.” English major Jamie Quinn, 24, is contemplating taking the same guitar class she’s taking this semester, and is concerned about the new non-repeatability policy. “I’m not confident to take the next [level of guitar class]. I want to get better and then move [up],” she said. “It’s a skills building thing.”
Public speaking tournament takes place Friday Associate professor brings back speech competition for students Calvin Alagot/Roundup
calagot.roundupnews@gmail.com The Speech Communications Department is bringing back a public speaking competition that has not been held for decades due to cuts in the department’s budget. The Pierce College Intramural Public Speaking Tournament is this Friday, May 24, from 12:30 p.m. until about 4 p.m. Associate Professor of Speech, Michelle Silver, organized the event to allow speech students an opportunity to take the skills they have acquired and use them outside of the classroom. “The tournament showcases the student’s success and empowers students who may have had a fear of public speaking,” Silver said. “It allows them to take the skills that
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Intramural Public Speaking Tournament Finals Friday, May 24, Great Hall @ 2:30 p.m. they learned inside the classroom and transfer it outside, in the real world. To be able to apply those skills, that’s what it’s about.” Past events, the last known recorded being in 1978, only included a few select students. This new event is open to all Speech 101 students, which includes 37 sections. “This is on a much bigger scale than we’ve ever done,” Silver said. Nearly a hundred Speech 101 students are participating in the event that is divided into two categories: informative and persuasive speaking. Three winners will be selected for each category. The first round of the tournament will be held in the Village at 12:30 p.m.
P I E R C E The Pierce College Weather Station has provided meteorological data to national agencies since 1949. The information in this graph was provided by our weather correspondent, Sean Clemmons.
Finalists will be announced in the Great Hall around 2:30 p.m. and will be judged by a three person panel. Each speaker will be given five to seven minutes and the only restriction is that speakers will not be allowed to use technology, said Silver. “Students have been advised to get creative and go old school and make poster boards and props and models and all kinds of stuff,” Silver said. Participants in the tournament will be competing for trophies and cash prizes. First place will receive $200, second will get $100 and third $50. Silver has been organizing the event since the beginning of the semester and would like for members of the campus to support the students and their hard work. Khachik Ter-Kazaryan, one of Silver’s Speech 101 students, will be giving an informative speech about the history of rap music. “It’s a great opportunity for all the kids to participate in the event and speak,” Ter-Kazaryan said. “It’s going to be really fun.”
W E A T H E R
Jasson Bautista / Roundup
ORGANIZER: Michelle Silver organized the speech contest.
R E P O R T
Wednesday May 22 High: 77° Low: 57°
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