Written by Courtney Elisech
Photo credit to Onnie Stone
UNIVERSITY CENTER – The Pioneer Gym was a sea of green as staff dressed in their Delta swag, from Pioneer gear to different school programs on Aug. 22, 2023. The faculty were delighted to see one another, excitedly embracing and laughing over breakfast at the All College Day of Fall Learning Days 2023.
Learning Days is a three-day kick-off event for the fall and winter semesters. All Delta College employees attend and have time to learn about upcoming information, processes that have been changed, and professional development.
It is a time for the educators to be educated, while mingling together. Every seat in the room was filled, as well as most of the standing room.
Staff were given cards at the door to play an ice breaker game, also known as a get to know you game. The cards each had a random question on them and instructions to find someone with a different card, answer the questions, and then exchange cards. Wash, rinse, and repeat three times and then the faculty member can be entered in a drawing. Those who played laughed with one another at the answers and found out random facts about the other they might not have known prior.
After some food and chatting, it was time for the President’s Fall Address. President Gavin touched on many things he was proud of that Delta students could benefit from. He also shared the statistics for graduates and his desire to see students stay and graduate at Delta.
A new partnership is in the works with The Rock C4YD in Midland to help with childcare for students. According to Gavin, this childcare will be more student driven and not employee to start out with. The hope is to offer students a safe place for their children while they are on campus. Currently the plan is for this to start in the spring or summer semesters in 2024.
The student food pantry and Delta’s closet will be moving to a combined location so it can act as a one stop shop for students. Look out for an announcement about the move. The food pantry can help with free food for home or on campus, including a meal voucher for Red Brix Café. Delta’s closet offers a wide variety of gently used professional clothing for free to students.
New programs and initiatives to benefit students such as free medical services from MyMichigan Health, free counseling services, transportation options, and free loaner laptops. A group is being formed to analyze how AI technology is being used.
A group is also being formed to analyze how AI technology is being used. Gavin to contact Kay Schuler at kayschuler@delta.edu if they were interested in being in the AI analysis group.
When the time for questions arrived only a few people spoke up. One suggestion made was that Delta should create a form of communication for students right on the Pioneer Connect website. This would be similar to a discussion board or chat room. Where students could reach out to each other about housing and roommates, childcare, rides, selling or buying things.
Another concern brought up during the Q&A portion was affordable student housing needs. The possibility of a student dorm was suggested but Gavin shared that they had looked into it and decided against that. Political science professor Lisa Lawrason also shared the need for a student resource where they can connect to find affordable housing.
History Professor Christina De Clerck-Szilagy brought up a valid point about the free medical services. She questioned how Delta would support students if they used the service and found out they had a serious medical condition. How would Delta help that student with their follow up medical needs? To this question, Gavin had no answer. He was unsure and said that possibly MyMichigan Health could answer this.
Gavin had a surprise for faculty as he revealed the new Delta mascot as the duck! Using a cute, animated video the new mascot was announced. Yet to come is seeing what it actually looks like. No more information was shared about the new mascot.
Reva Curry and Betheen Glady-Teschendorf presented the 2023 Endowed Chair Recipients. Curry is the Vice President of Instruction/Learning Services, and Glady-Teschendorf is an English professor.
The awards are as follows,
- Lisa O’Laughlin, winner of the Donald and Betty Carlyon Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $ 5,000.
- Danielle Petersen, Natasha Rivet, Laura Schmidt, and Joshua Zieroff, winners of the Donald and Betty Carlyon Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $ 5,000.
- Pam Ross McClain, winner of the Robert R. Zimmerman Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount $10,000 to be spread over two years.
- Tricia O’Connor and Ray Lacina, winners of the Karen MacArthur Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $5,000.
The narrative and stigma that comes along with attending community college was brought up by Gavin. That the curriculum isn’t at the same level as a four-year university.
“I’d like to reframe our conversations around the hallways,” said Gavin. “Delta is a vehicle for social change, right, we are the solution to that issue. The jobs that we have are significantly important as a result of that.”
He shared a story, where someone said to him that once someone graduates from Delta, they should have to take exams for all their classes again. To prove that they stand up to a four-year university curriculum. Gavin’s response was simple, that he would tell that student to go to another university. Where they would not be questioned on the validity of their degree and courses.
“It’s easy to forget that when you’re in the classroom,” Gavin continued. “When you’re advising a student, when you’re running from hallway to hallway, that the job you have significantly every student who is possibly here as the first person in the family coming to college.”
