Two students named Phi Theta Kappa All-California Award winners

 A Cuyamaca College student and a Grossmont College student have each received one of the highest honors available to community college students.

Artrice Bennett, a student at Grossmont, and Fawzia Bakhit, a student at Cuyamaca, have been named 2022 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-California Award Winners. Bennett and Bakhit are among just 114 community college students statewide to be selected for the All-California Academic First, Second and Third Teams. Both Bennett and Bakhit were named to the Third Team. Bennett, a student at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, received her award through Cuyamaca.

PTK recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa has a presence on nearly 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges in 1929. Building on the success of the national All-USA Team Program, PTK launched the All-State Academic Team Program. The purpose of the program is to provide recognition at the state level for these top community college students.

College district selects new associate vice chancellor, HR director

Nashona Andrade and Eric Klein

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has filled two key positions with the recent promotions of Eric Klein as associate vice chancellor for Educational Support Services, and Nashona Andrade as the new Human Resources director. 

Chancellor Lynn Neault said the selections of Klein and Andrade will further strengthen an already talented leadership team. 

 “Both Eric and Nashona will bring passion and innovation to these positions,” she said. “They will help keep our district moving forward.”

Klein, who joined the district in 2019 as Grossmont College’s dean of Learning and Technology Resources, will coordinate strategic enrollment management efforts, manage institutional data and work closely with Information Technology to design and improve systems to support operations. He is highly regarded by his peers and leaders in the district, and committed to serving students.

Short-term classes start April 4 at Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges

Looking for a quick, affordable and flexible way to earn college credits, obtain critical work skills, or

Cuyamaca's HAZWOPER certification class.

expand your academic horizons?

Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are offering numerous short-term, accelerated classes in person, virtually and in hybrid formats beginning April 4 for students seeking a variety of ways to advance their education and professional training. Grossmont College’s list of short-term classes, is updated daily. A list of short-term classes at Cuyamaca College is available through the college’s home page.

Short-term classes, which help students earn credits quickly, range in length from four to eight weeks – in contrast to 16 weeks for regular semester-length classes. These short-term classes run between early April and late May.

Stagehouse Theatre Spring Season Opens Feb. 26 at Grossmont College

 The award-winning Stagehouse Theatre at Grossmont College is back this spring with a trio of
performances that will include Pride & Prejudice, All in the Timing, and As You Like It.

As You Like It, a pastoral comedy written by William Shakespeare and directed by Benjamin Cole, is the latest addition to the Stagehouse Theatre’s annual Inside the Actor’s Process that tours more than a dozen San Diego County high schools as part of the Grossmont College Theatre Arts Department’s outreach program. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, however, high school students – and the general public – will be treated to four free performances on February 26 and March 5 at the Stagehouse Theatre at 2 and 7:30 p.m. both days. Reservations are required by calling the Stagehouse Theatre Box Office at (619) 644-7234.

Pride & Prejudice, directed by Shana Wride and written by Kate Hamill, is based on the novel by Jane Austen. It comes to the Stagehouse Theatre with 7:30 p.m. performances on March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26; and at 2 p.m. on March 19 and 26.

District’s long-running record of clean audits continues

Independent auditors reviewing the financial oversight of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District have given top marks for the 18th year in a row to the district for its fiscal prudence. 

The Governing Board received reports detailing the district audit, as well as independent reviews of the district’s Proposition V bond building fund, and the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges, for fiscal year 2020-21. East County voters approved Proposition V in 2012, enabling the district to make $398 million in major facilities upgrades across the two college campuses. 

 “All reports have unmodified opinions, which is the best opinion we can have and there are no other findings for 2021,” Sahar Abushaban, Vice Chancellor for Business Services, told the Governing Board last month.

Clean, unmodified opinions are the finest that an auditor can issue. The auditor found no blemishes in internal control or compliance at the district. In addition to giving the district a clean bill of health for 2021, the general audit by the certified public accounting firm CWDL noted that the district had taken corrective measures to address two minor record-keeping findings for 2020.