FCS FLASH ISSUE 116:  February 9, 2010

Link to Complete FCS Calendar (Color-coded by discipline for easy reference)
February 24: San Francisco: The Institute on Aging 1^st in a 3 Part Series, Mind, Body, and Spirit: Pathways to Improving Health
February 26: Sacramento: CCGG Policy Planning Meeting at American River College
March 5: Downey: FCS Student Design Event, “Your Design Career: Color it Green”: All Attendees Need to Register Online!
March 12-14: Sacramento: CA-AAFCS State and Western Region Conference
March 19: Costa Mesa:  FCS Professional Development Event: Fashion, Info and Registration!
April 16: Downey: Student Culinary/Hospitality Symposium & Competition: Save the Date!
April 28-30: San Ramon: Workforce Leadership Institute
January 2011: It’s never too early to start planning for Paris! Here are the details of Orange Coast College’s Culinary Arts Trip

FCS Faculty Connections:
In a brand new feature, Wendy Reiboldt, PhD, CSULB provides tools, along with viable sources for incorporating research into classroom practice. Each article is tailored to a specific FCS discipline:  Interior Design or Fashion Design, Hospitality or Life Management/Consumer Studies. Carol Lamkins, CMKBD, CID highlights the finer details of lighting design (think CFL, CRI and ARP) with a special focus on California Title 24’s new residential lighting standards. Roger Gerard takes a look at the economic concept of “Inferior Good” as it relates to the hospitality industry in these difficult times.

FCS FLASH Activity: Connect to Succeed! 
As FCS instructors, we want our students to achieve success in their classes and to find good jobs in the workplace. Yet we know many of those who walk through our classroom doors will drop out of class, or end up with a failing grade. So this semester let’s see what we can do to generate more energy and enthusiasm by making stronger connections with our students, connecting our students to their classmates, and finally, connecting them to the many support services on campus. Whether they need academic counseling, tutoring, financial aid, or a job, many students don’t realize they can get the help they need right on campus. We know the more connections our students make, the greater chance they will have of staying in school and achieving their dreams. Today’s activity gets your students up and talking to each other as they learn more about the support services available to them. Be sure you have additional information about each of the services addressed in this activity, so you can fill-in the missing connections

Try This:

  Distribute the Sign on the Line activity to students and review the directions.
  Give students time to meet and talk to other students and gather signatures.
  Review the activity and give students added information. Encourage them to visit campus library, career center, tutoring center, transfer center…
  Help students make more connections. (Consider holding class in the library, inviting a financial aid counselor to class, or taking your class to the career center to complete a career assessment.)  
  Print and distribute this Campus Connections exercise and have students complete it for extra credit.

FYI: Students may be reluctant to ask for help … faculty and staff members need to be responsible for knowing what resources are available, promoting students to use resources, and directing individual students appropriately. Inside Higher Education

 This newsletter was brought to you by the California Community College Chancellor's Office Family and Consumer Sciences Collaborative Grant (#09-0160). Please contact Joann Driggers (jdriggers@mtsac.edu) or 909/594-5611 x5203 with any questions.