President's Circle Newsletter Spring 2007

Fundraiser Co-sponsored by the Foundation

The Moorpark College Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the introduction of online ticketing. Now the arts patron is just a few clicks away from a reserved ticket at the will call window or a printable ticket from their home computer. To purchase tickets online, go to www.moorparkcollege.edu/theatre. The inaugural event for this new ticketing system is a fundraiser co-sponsored by the Moorpark College Foundation entitled ?Santa?s Night Off,? Dec. 16th @ 8 p.m. Santa is a short comedy, written by Theatre Instructor and Emmy-nominated writer, John Loprieno. Holiday music will be provided by the Music Department and Santa will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Tickets are $35. Santa?s Night Off is rated PG. Funds will benefit the Performing Arts Center

Masquerade Ball a Success

Each year for the past 10 years, the Moorpark College Foundation has hosted a Community Ball to fund scholarships for Moorpark College students. This year's event in the spectacular Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley was an unprecedented success. Nearly $50,000 was raised. Student scholarships are the primary focus of the Moorpark College Foundation, and the ball is the single largest fund-raiser each year.

Community College is the Right Choice

College officials have always known that more than 40 percent of east county public high school seniors choose Moorpark College; however data presented in the Nov. 10 Ventura County Star story, Cramming for College, showed that nearly 80 percent of graduates choosing a California public college choose a Community College.

According to the article, there were 8,401 Ventura County graduates of public high schools in 2005. Seniors who went to state college numbered 5,144. Of those 4,033 chose a community college, a stunning 78.4 percent, while those who went to a California State University were 11.4 percent and a University of California campus were 10.1 percent.

The university-bound student focused on in the Star dealt with ?an endless string of entrance exams, the stress of finding scholarships, the looming application deadlines, all on top of a full course load and extracurricular activities in her senior year.' This story went on to outline years of planning and strategies necessary to achieve a coveted freshman spot in a CSU or UC.

Clearly, the majority of high school students can't meet -or choose to not meet- the pace required to complete such tasks. That is where the community college comes in. For the resounding majority of teenagers, the community college is the right choice. We have programs and services for students of all maturity levels and academic skills. We have remedial classes and honors classes. We have a full complement of extracurricular activities, from intercollegiate sports, numerous performing arts opportunities, student government, and other leadership and community service posts to academically-based competitions like those championed by Moorpark College's nationally ranked Speech and Debate team. And a community college education costs about $600 per year for tuition. So students who get an Associate Degree, then transfer to the university of their choice, stand to save anywhere from $10,000-$40,000 depending on whether or not they have to pay for housing.

CareerFocus Magazine

Knowing that education is the key that opens the door to satisfying careers, Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura Colleges have joined a nationwide community college consortium that publishes CareerFocus magazine. CareerFocus promotes community colleges as the best higher education value for career training. Moorpark was the first college to adopt CareerFocus in Fall 2006, but now the three colleges are publishing a larger, joint edition effective with the Spring 2007 semester. Every household in Ventura County will receive CareerFocus twice a year.

Los Robles Medical Staff Donations Reach $20,000

The Los Robles Medical Staff (LRMS) organization has donated $10,000 to the Moorpark College Foundation to be used for scholarships for nursing students. Dr. Barry Statner, treasurer of LRMS, facilitated the donation.

The money will fund 10, $1,000 awards for students with financial need. In 2004, the LRMS also donated $10,000. Among the students helped were: a mother of four who volunteered at the Simi Valley Free Clinic while in the nursing program; and a 21-year-old male, who now works at Los Robles Hospital and is considering more training for an intensive care specialty.

"One of the major reasons students do not enter the nursing program or drop out of the program prior to completion is finances," said Dean Brenda Shubert. "In this intense program, working even part-time is very difficult."

Despite the challenges nursing students face, the overwhelming majority succeed handily. Moorpark College has a consistently high state board pass rate (between 95 and 100 percent) and virtually all have a job waiting for them upon graduation.

Proposition 1D to Help Pay for New Health Science Building

The passage of California Proposition 1D in the mid-term election, November 7, is a boon for Moorpark College which will now get $10.36 million to put toward the construction of a much-needed Health Sciences Building.

The building was part of the college's Measure S facility master plan when the bond measure was approved by the citizens of Ventura County in 2002.

Under details of Measure S, the college district was authorized to issue bonds totaling $356.3 million for construction and rehabilitation of facilities on the three community college campuses and at the district office site.

College officials had planned to build or refurbish more than a dozen buildings with Moorpark's $104-million share of the funds, however skyrocketing construction materials costs, spurred on by an international building boom, forced the college to downsize its plans and put the $28 million Health Sciences building on hold.

"We hope to break ground within two years," said Vice President, Business Services Ray DiGuilio. The new Health Sciences building will include instructional laboratories for Nursing, Biotechnology, Anatomy, Biology, Anthropology and Radiologic Technology.

2007 President's Circle Calendar

Scholarship Reception
May 16, 2007
Please join us to honor students and donors.

Summer Performing Arts Event
June, 2007
A "just for fun" event for board members
and the President's Circle. Come enjoy the
song and dance revue. No cost to you.

President's Circle Breakfast
September 28, 2007
Your annual meeting!

Fall Fundraising Event/ Ball
Date and time to be announced.
The Foundation Board will announce
early in 2007.

Tailgate Party
Date and time to be announced.
Another "just for fun" event. Tailgate dinner and Raider football at Griffin
Stadium. The 2006 team was 9-1
in the regular season!

President's Circle Members

Hayim and Julie Abulafia
Community Members

Brian Angel
Owner, Vision Wireless

Ted Bagley
Vice President, Amgen

Jodi Bagwell
Chief Financial Officer, Bagwell Construction

Stan and Joann Benson
Community Members

Gavin Bradley
VP, Telesis Community Credit Union

Dennis Cabral, Ph.D.
Executive VP, Moorpark College

Tom Cessario
VP, Special Devices, Inc.

Eva Conrad, Ph.D.
President, Moorpark College

Vince Daly
Community Mgr., North Park Village

Elton Gallegly
U.S. Congressman

Elan Goren
President, Financial Pointe

Ruth Hemming, Ed.D.
Vice President Emeritus, Moorpark College

Tom Henry
President, WTH & Associates

Roberta Isaeff
VP Human Resources, Sage Publications

Allan Jacobs, Ph.D.
Trustee Emeritus, VCCCD

John C. Lindsey
General Partner, Edward Jones Investments

James Meznek, Ph.D.
Chancellor, VCCCD

Cole Minnick
President & CEO, California Oaks State Bank

Brenda Shubert
Dean, Moorpark College

Alex and Sylvia Sullivan
Community Members

James Walker, Ed.D.
President Emeritus, Moorpark College

Tim Weaver
VP SBA Manager, California Oaks State Bank

The Foundation honors those who make annual gifts of $1,000 or more by inducting them into the President's Circle. President's Circle benefits include: PC Briefing Breakfast-third Friday each September, Semi-annual PC Newsletter, PC rate for two tickets for the Annual Community Ball, Engraved entry on PC Honor Roll, and VIP passes to America's Teaching Zoo, athletic events and performances.