Dear Colleagues,

Fall is such a busy time at the college for faculty and staff. I want to take this opportunity to recognize our Outreach and Recruitment, Workforce Development, High School Programs and International and Global Programs teams. To put it into perspective, this fall alone, Casey Melnrick is scheduled to attend more than 40 events, including college fairs, College and Career Center visits, and classroom presentations. The college is also hosting individual students for on-campus meetings and classroom tours, as well as the weekly information session every Wednesday at 11 a.m. with our Admissions Coach Jenee Kramer. None of this would be possible without the hard work of the teams in these departments. They are continually out in the community sharing information about our college, answering questions, and increasing awareness about not only LWTech but the benefits of attending a community or technical college. Fall, in particular, is a time when high school juniors and seniors begin looking at colleges with the next push in the Spring.

Speaking of planning for college, as a reminder, students will need to register for Winter and Spring quarters at the same time this year, due to our conversion to LionsLink. Dates are as follows:

• November 1-5 — Winter and Spring Quarter Registration Starts

• November 1 — Winter and Spring 2022 Priority Registration
• November 2 — Winter and Spring 2022 Advising Day/Continuing Student Registration
• November 4 — Winter and Spring 2022 New Student Registration
• November 5 — Winter and Spring 2022 Open Registration
• November 5 – Winter and Spring 2022 Open Registration

Thank you for doing your part to ensure that students are aware and ready to register for both quarters in November.

Now for news from around the college:

External Engagement

Virtual Annual Hopelink Luncheon: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Monday, I attended the virtual Annual Hopelink luncheon. The event was inspiring and I am so glad that our college has partnered with Hopelink for so many years to support our shared community. I was also pleased to hear from their new CEO, Dr. Catherine Cushinberry, as well as their special guest – comedian, writer, producer, and political commentator Hasan Minhaj. I especially appreciated their conversation around equity and focusing equity efforts on creating agency for historically disenfranchised communities.

Cascadia Innovation Corridor Meeting: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Also Monday, I participated in the virtual Cascadia Innovation Corridor meeting, which focused on Modern Ecocities in the Cascadia Innovation Corridor.

Washington Association of Community and Technical College (WACTC) Presidents COVID-19 Updates Meetings: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Wednesday, I met with the presidents and chancellors of the 34 community and technical colleges as we continue to meet throughout the COVID pandemic.

Washington Association of Community and Technical College (WACTC) Technical College Presidents Meetings: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Also Wednesday, I met with the presidents of the other four technical colleges (Bellingham, Clover Park, Bates, and Renton), as we have throughout the pandemic. We are working closely to support our colleges through the CTCLink conversion process.

College Community

Leadership Team Meeting: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Wednesday afternoon, I attended the Leadership Team meeting where the majority of the meeting was spent discussing LionsLink powered by ctcLink. Thank you to Chris McLain for facilitating the meeting and the LionsLink project team for sharing out important key dates and information. Thank you Bruce Riveland as well for taking a deeper dive into how LionsLink will impact business processes.

LWTech Foundation Board Meeting: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Earlier today, I was pleased to attend the LWTech Foundation’s Board of Directors meeting where I provided them with the latest updates from the college. This was the Foundation’s first hybrid meeting so it was great to see board members in person!

Cabinet Connection: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Executive Cabinet (Cabinet) met Tuesday where we focused on accreditation updates, LionsLink, plans for winter quarter, and Commencement. Cabinet members also provided updates from their departments. Cabinet is comprised of our senior leadership that represents each area of the college and in addition to me, includes: Dr. Suzanne Ames, Robert Britten, Cathy Copeland, Dr. Ruby Hayden, Chris McLain, Meena Park, Bruce Riveland, Leslie Shattuck, and Elisabeth Sorensen.

Student Achievement

Janet Waters recently shared the following: “We are proud to announce LWTech’s Culinary/Baking student Yami, entered the ‘Slap Ya Mama’ Louisiana seasoning contest and her dish has been selected to be a top 10 finalist!” Voting closed yesterday.

Photo includes Yami’s pan-seared Cajun Lamb Rack, potato chips, and asparagus.

LionsLink Powered by ctcLink Update

LionsLink Survey Still Open : MFG 1, 2, 3

If you haven’t done so already, please take a couple of minutes to fill out the five-question survey which will help us understand the needs of the college community as we move closer to our go-live date of February 28, 2022. The survey will be open for one more week.

Good News to Share

Thank you from Instruction: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Dr. Suzanne Ames and the Deans would like to thank Sarah Chandler for her instrumental help designing and implementing the 2021 Instructional Program Review data dashboards. Sarah met several times with the Dean Team to customize the newest data dashboards, hosted a Tableau training for faculty, and supported Vicki Chew in an online demonstration of the new data. Program Review is an element of accreditation. Sarah helped the entire Instruction team create a meaningful tool for data analysis.

Thank You from Parent Education: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Kris Anderson would like to extend a thank you. “Thank you to Tim Gracie for his tireless effort in getting all our parent education students registered. With over 500 students it is a big undertaking, and he was attentive to the fact we needed these students registered in a timely manner so they could complete their vaccine attestations (not only a college requirement, but also a requirement to be in a program that works with young children). Thanks Tim, for your positive attitude and efforts!”

Student Services Team Recognition: MFG: 1, 2, and 3

Dr. Ruby Hayden would like to recognize the following team members:

• Thank you to the TRIO team, Tien Do, Cara Henry, Asma Abdulrahman, and Lisa Anderson, for sponsoring tutor appreciation week. As one student said “I’m a student facilitator and I just stopped by Jeff [Troy]’s office to get a tutor appreciation gift, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the gift! It made my day!”

• Thank you Mary Powers for joining me at CESC this past week and co-presenting. Your insights about workshops and methods of connecting with students during the pandemic were invaluable for the council.

• Thank you Tien Do and Casey Melnrick for leading the part of our division meeting focused on Access scenarios. Going through these real life situations and brainstorming how to help our students truly helped folks learn about the many resources we offer and ways we can serve our students.

Congratulations Leslie Shattuck!

I’d like to end this update with some additional wonderful news and congratulate Leslie Shattuck on being awarded NCMPR (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) District 7 Communicator of the Year! Leslie will be recognized at the national conference at the end of March. Well-deserved and congratulations Leslie!

If you have information that you would like me to share in Amy’s Update, please send your information to me by Monday mornings.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me, any time.

Stay well and take care of yourselves.

Amy

 

College Strategic Vision, Mission, Vision, Core Values and Core Themes

Strategic Vision

• In partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) is guided by SBCTC’s strategic vision: Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities.

Mission

• Grounded in equity and the need for resilience, the mission guides our overall direction as a college: To prepare students for today’s careers and tomorrow’s opportunities

• Mission Fulfillment Goals:
  • MFG 1: Address and Dismantle Structural Racism
  • MFG 2: Continue Implementation of Guided Pathways
  • MFG 3: Position the College as a Leader in Workforce Training for the State’s Short-Term and Long-Term Economic Recovery

Vision

• Grounded in equity and the need for resilience, the vision inspires how we see ourselves in the future: To be the college of choice for workforce education

Core Values

• Grounded in equity and the need for resilience, the values give us the tools to implement our mission and vision:
  • Inclusive: We intentionally create a welcoming environment where all feel a sense of belonging.
  • Innovative: We are leaders in maximizing opportunities to create a thriving college community.
  • Collaborative: We are open to change and work together to achieve success for all.
  • Respectful: We engage others with acceptance, open-mindedness, courtesy, and care.

Core Themes

• Grounded in equity and the need for resilience, the core themes are the pillars supporting the mission and provide long term objectives (7 years aligned with accreditation review cycles) for the college:

• LWTech is accessible to the community by providing multiple entrance points and educational pathways. The college is a conduit for students to upgrade their skills, transition into new careers, or further their education and training.

• Pathways: LWTech is accessible to the community by providing multiple entrance points and educational pathways. The college is a conduit for students to upgrade their skills, transition into new careers, or further their education and training.
• Student Achievement: At LWTech, students gain the skills and knowledge needed to achieve their educational goals and to participate in the workforce.
• External Engagement: LWTech forms partnerships with governmental and community organizations, educational institutions, business, and labor in order to effectively support the Institution’s mission.
• College Community: LWTech provides a safe, supported, and engaging learning environment for students and work environment for faculty and staff.