Last year at the State of the College address, I called on our staff to treat students better. Most of our people treat students very well. Yet I had witnessed or had reports from students about situations and behaviors that did not reflect well on us. I broke the situation down into Skill and Will.Continue reading “Skill, Will and Systems”
Author Archives: Don Laackman
Light Reading
With registration over, I finally had time to put a dent in my 600+ item RSS feed. I hit a Lifehacker trifecta. (Lifehacker is a web site that provides “Tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done.” The founding editor is Gina Trapani, whose personal mission is to “build apps that try to change theContinue reading “Light Reading”
New Shoes
Today I wore my first-day-of-classes shoes while welcoming students to the College. Each First Day brings new insights on what we can do to serve students better. By far the biggest challenge is those students who walk in and say, “I’d like to register for classes here.” “Have you taken your placement test?” I ask.Continue reading “New Shoes”
Hand Washing
For those of you who showed up late at the opening session of Faculty Development Week, you may have wondered why Professor Franklin Reynolds admonished us to wash our hands before lunch. Other than the sound hygienic advice, Professor Reynolds was playing off of Alvin Bisarya’s powerful call to action earlier in the session. AfterContinue reading “Hand Washing”
Is Algebra Necessary?
I finally caught up on my Sunday morning NYTimes reading and found this provocateur. Andrew Hacker, Professor Emeritus from Queens College, CUNY asks “Is Algebra Necessary?” He argues that we are spending inordinate resources (student time, financial aid, instructor time) trying to get students to pass algebra, a skill they will never use. Far betterContinue reading “Is Algebra Necessary?”
Transparency and Discretion
I recently had the good fortune to attend a seminar for new presidents. The presidents came from a diverse set of institutions across the country. The discussions with fellow presidents enlightened and encouraged me. Presidents shared many funny or challenging stories of their early days at their institutions. The entire time I listened, I keptContinue reading “Transparency and Discretion”
Godwin’s Law
Recently, I was discussing the back-and-forth on the blog in response to my post on our 10KSB students with my son. I was interested in responding to Kamran Swanson’s comment about my style of leadership and whether my use of the Tao Te Ching quote was ironic. My son cautioned me by invoking Godwin’s Law. “AsContinue reading “Godwin’s Law”
Dr. Margie Martyn
This morning, the Board of Trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago confirmed Margie Martyn, Ph.D., as the new Vice President – Academic Affairs for Harold Washington College. Previously, Dr. Martyn served as Vice President of Instructional Systems and Dean of Online-Blended Programs at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she oversaw Academic andContinue reading “Dr. Margie Martyn”
CCC Develops Exchange with Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences
Dr. John Hader took the lead in creating an English-immersion program for forty nursing students from Shanghai. In addition to the four hours a day in the classroom, Dr. Hader and his able staff (Mary Troken and Tonja Girten) organized trips to the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Blues Festival, and an architectural tour of Chicago. IContinue reading “CCC Develops Exchange with Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences”
Budget Nears the Finish Line
Last night, the Finance Committee of the CCC Board of Trustees convened a review of the proposed CCC FY13 Budget at Kennedy-King College. Vice Chair Ellen Alberding kicked the evening off, followed by Chancellor Hyman, VC Bisarya and interim CFO Dempsey. Readers may find a summary of the key points from the presentation here. The FinanceContinue reading “Budget Nears the Finish Line”
Don's Desk 