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Feb. 29, 2024

  • College Updates
    • Lockdown and Shelter-in-place Protocols
    • Submit a Pima Story Idea
    • EGTSS Summit, Save the Date, May 10
    • Add Climate to Your Class
    • Market on the Move March 14
    • Open Educational Resources Awareness Week March 4-8
    • Passport Fair at East Campus March 9
    • Facilities Chargeback Rate Increase
    • Library Events and News
    • PCC Library Statista Database Trial
    • Professional Enrichment Recognition Award, Nominations Due March 1
    • Annual Benefits Open Enrollment April 8-22
    • TLC Virtual Learning Community Book Event
    • Professional Development Opportunities: Teaching Innovation Project Proposals
    • Tuesday 20 Webinar Series
    • Tucson Festival of Books Volunteer and Community Writer Sign-Up
    • Federal Work-Study Program Hiring for Spring Semester
    • Therapeutic Massage Appointments Through March 15
    • Spring 2024 Volunteer Opportunities; Earn Healthy Rewards Points
    • Learn About AERC and Get Involved
    • Voluntary Leave Donation Program
  • Pima Arts News
    • Check Out the Upcoming Shows
  • Employee Wellness
    • Sign Up for Virtual Workshops and Challenges

College Updates

Lockdown and Shelter-in-place Protocols
Recent events at the College have resulted in questions about what the term “lockdown” means to our community. Because Pima’s community is transitory with people moving around their campuses during the day, we never know who is on a College property at any given time. 

As a result, the lockdown order requires an individualistic and personal response from everyone on the campus. The lockdown direction will be transmitted through a variety of mediums to include, but not limited to, PCCAlerts, external public address system, email and notification through College personnel. 

When told to “lockdown,” every member of the College community should seek shelter in locations that can be secured by the locking of a sturdy door. Considerations should be made to barricading the door with any heavy objects available in the room. Once secured, occupants should turn out the lights, remain quiet, silence cell phones and should not open the door again under any circumstances until they receive an “all clear” message. Patience is necessary as first responders may need time to resolve the given situation.

Lockdowns are distinguished from a “shelter-in-place” advisory. Shelter-in-place normally indicates a non-adversarial threat; rather, it is preceded by an external hazard such as a gas leak or a chemical spill. Shelter-in-place is an attempt to shield people from exposure to a harmful event by keeping them away from the hazardous situation. 

Any questions about lockdown procedures, or the difference between a shelter-in-place and a lockdown should be directed to the College Emergency Manager Bruce Westberg, 520-206-2638. Additional training is always available upon request to the emergency manager.         

Submit a Pima Story Idea
The College wants to highlight the incredible achievements of our outstanding students and alums. We need your help! We want stories to inspire current and potential students, stories that deserve to be shared with our community. If you know of any inspiring success stories or remarkable accomplishments by our students or graduates, we would love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your story ideas. Together let’s shine a spotlight on their achievements and highlight the diverse and remarkable journeys in our Pima community. If you have questions, contact Web Systems.

EGTSS Summit, Save the Date, May 10
Save the date of May 10 for the 8th Annual Ethnic, Gender, Transborder Studies and Sociology Summit on Climate Action, Sustainability, and Eco-Justice: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally. It will be held 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the West Campus Proscenium Theatre. The event will feature Ami Vitale, an award-winning, internationally recognized, National Geographic photographer, Nikon Ambassador and documentary filmmaker. Her work span’s themes from war to wildlife across the globe, including the Middle East, Africa and China. More information will be provided in upcoming issues of @PimaNews.

Add Climate to Your Class
Faculty across all disciplines are invited to #MakeClimateAClass during Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week April 1-8. Climate action requires work by all of us, not just climate experts.

Pledge today to spend at least 30 minutes that week - or any time this semester - talking about climate in your class. For more information and resources, attend CAS101: Intro to Climate Action and Sustainability and #MakeClimateAClass workshops during All Faculty Day on March 8. Contact pcc-tlc@pima.edu if you have questions.

Market on the Move March 14
Market on the Move will be hosted by the College Readiness and Student Success Department at Downtown Campus on March 14. Pima employees and students can pick up one free box of produce from 9-11 a.m. while supplies last. Visit the Market on the Move walk-in station located on the southwest corner of the ST building. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, contact Kristy Snowden  for more information.

Open Educational Resources Awareness Week March 4-8
Open Educational Resources (OER) Awareness week is March 4-8. Learn about OER through free workshops, webinars, activities and resources. Information is available on the TLC Open Education Webpage. 

OER are freely available teaching and learning materials that faculty use at colleges and universities to add flexibility to course design and to save students money on course materials. If you have questions, email cjames2@pima.edu.

Passport Fair at East Campus March 9
Need a passport? A Passport Fair will be held 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. March 9 at the U.S. Passport Application Acceptance Facility at East Campus. The first 70 applicants will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply for a passport, you must complete Form DS-11 and bring original proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate, prior U.S. passport or naturalization certificate), a valid photo ID and check payable to the U.S. Department of State for the application fee. Photo services are available for $14, and there is a $35 facility fee per applicant. Both the facility fee and passport photo fee are paid separately from the passport application fee. For more information on passport fees, forms and applications, visit travel.state.gov. If you have questions about this event, call 520-206-7600.

Facilities Chargeback Rate Increase
All Facilities work orders are “charged back” to document the associated costs. The College has not increased labor rates applied to these chargebacks in more than seven years. To keep pace with labor costs, Facilities will increase the labor chargeback rates to $25.29 per hour after March 31 and will apply the current rate to work order labor dated prior to April 1. For more information on Facilities chargebacks, see the SOP for Facilities Chargebacks.

Library Events and News
Dive into the Library's Spring Newsletter spotlighting accessibility tools built into Library resources, a round-up of Black History Month displays and resources, information on an upcoming author talk at the West Campus Library with Tucson Festival of Books author David Bowles and more.

PCC Library Statista Database Trial
The Library wants your feedback on a new information resource it is trying out before deciding whether to add the database to Pima’s collection. The Statista database is a global data and business intelligence platform with an extensive collection of statistics, reports and insights on more than 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources in 170 industries. Review the database and provide feedback. If you have questions, contact Sandra Ley.

Professional Enrichment Recognition Award, Nominations Due March 1
The Professional Enrichment Recognition Award is for innovative and outstanding faculty activities that have positive impacts on students, the College and/or the community. The recognition is an award of $500 and includes a certificate describing the activity. Two recognition awards will be available each year, funds permitting.

Faculty (full-time, adjunct, and staff instructors) may self-nominate or be nominated by students, staff, colleagues, administrators or community members. Applications should be submitted to the Faculty Professional Development and Sabbatical Standing Committee by March 1.

The application form is available on the College’s Intranet under the Human Resources and Academic Services section. A description must be included of how the activities have positively affected students, the College and/or the community. Up to three letters of support from students, staff, faculty, administrators and/or community members describing the activities or impact of the activities are encouraged. Awards will be presented at a Governing Board meeting.

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment April 8-22
Open enrollment for the 2024-2025 benefits plan year is April 8-22. Benefits-eligible employees who want to update their current benefits elections may do so through the Online Enrollment Portal - MyPima, @Work, Benefits Enrollment link, starting April 8 (early submissions will not be accepted). 

Onsite Benefit Fairs will be April 10 at East Campus from 8-9:30 a.m., at Desert Vista Campus from 10:30 a.m.-noon and at Downtown Campus from 2-4 p.m.

Virtual one-on-one appointments also will be available throughout the enrollment period. Stay tuned! More information will be posted on the Employee Service Center Open Enrollment page. If you have any questions, contact the Employee Service Center Benefits Team, 520-206-4945.

TLC Virtual Learning Community Book Event
The Teaching and Learning Center invites all employees to participate in a virtual learning community discussing Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book “Braiding Sweetgrass!” Kimmerer, a Potawatomi researcher and scientist, describes the work as a “braid of stories” woven from “indigenous ways of knowing, scientific knowledge, and the story of an Anishinabeckwe scientist trying to bring them together in service to what matters most.” Register or contact pcc-tlc@pima.edu for more information.

Professional Development Opportunities: Teaching Innovation Project Proposals
The Teaching Innovation Project (TIP) pilot, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, is accepting proposals for fall 2024.

This is the second semester of the pilot program, designed to offer full-time faculty the opportunity for short-term projects or development to support teaching and learning. The deadline is Feb. 29. Details can be found at Teaching Innovation Projects (TIPs). For more information, contact pcc-facultysabbatical+owners@pima.edu.

Tuesday 20 Webinar Series
The Tuesday 20 Webinar Series will be hosted by the Academic Learning Technologies (ALT) and D2L Teams throughout the spring semester at 1 p.m. every Tuesday. Join to learn more and ask questions about D2L, H5P, Packback, Panopto, Perusall and PlayPosit. For more information, see the spring 2024 schedule and topics.

Tucson Festival of Books Volunteer and Community Writer Sign-Up 
This year’s Tucson Festival of Books is March 9-10 at the University of Arizona. Sign up to share your expertise with the community in one of two ways at the College’s booth space. You can volunteer as a subject matter expert for a tabling shift. Or, if you’re a writer, you can highlight your work and hold a Q&A. Complete this form by March 1. If you have questions, email Joi Stirrup.

Federal Work-Study Program Hiring for Spring Semester
The Federal Work-Study Program is hiring for the spring semester. If you have questions or want to hire a work-study student, email FWS@pima.edu.

Therapeutic Massage Appointments Available Through March 15
The Northwest Campus Massage Clinic is offering quality massage services to Pima students and employees, and the public. A 50-minute massage is $20 for Pima employees and students with their eight-digit A number ($30 for the public). The clinic is in A211. Appointment dates and times are through March 15 on Fridays, 10:30 a.m. and 11:35 a.m.

Masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test in the previous 24 hours are required. Therapeutic Massage is not appropriate for anyone with serious or uncontrolled medical conditions, contagious illness or fever, or for women who are pregnant. To schedule an appointment, call 520-206-2062. Prepayment required.

Spring 2024 Volunteer Opportunities; Earn Healthy Rewards Points
Join Pima’s Volunteer Ambassador Program and earn Pima Healthy Rewards activity points and a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card for volunteering at eligible College events. To learn more, click here. If you have questions, email Joi Stirrup.

Learn About AERC and Get Involved
Pima’s All-Employee Representative Council (AERC) is a group of representatives from all employee classifications. AERC meets monthly, and reviews and updates policies and finds solutions to matters affecting work conditions. Visit the AERC Intranet Page for more information. General meetings are open to all employees. Submit questions or concerns to any member or through the online comment box.

Voluntary Leave Donation Program
Consider helping your colleagues by donating your excess sick or annual leave to the College’s Donated Leave Bank. Donations help support Pima employees out due to an FMLA-qualifying reason. Donations are anonymous and cannot be returned to the donor. Complete this fillable form and email it to the Employee Service Center. If you have questions, contact ESC staff, 520-206-4945.

Pima Arts News

Check Out the Ongoing and Upcoming Shows:

  • “These Shining Lives,” Through March 3, Thursday-Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. ASL Night: March 1, Understudy Night: Feb. 29. Black Box Theatre, West Campus Center for the Arts (CFA). $15, $10 for Pima employees/students/seniors, Pima students get one FREE ticket. For more information, contact the CFA Box Office, 520-206-6986. “These Shining Lives" depicts the strength, survival and empowerment of female factory workers facing radiation poisoning in the 1920s.
  • “Spring Music Showcase,” March 10, 1-5 p.m. West Campus CFA. Free. For more information, contact the CFA Box Office, 520-206-6986. Experience an afternoon immersed in the melodies of Pima’s diverse music ensembles, from the voices of Chorale & College Singers to the dynamic rhythms of Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Mariachi Ensemble and Orchestra.
  • “Chase Coleman - Nationalistic Piano Recital,” March 28, 7 p.m. Recital Hall, West Campus CFA. Free. For more information, contact the CFA Box Office, 520-206-6986. Well-known classical and jazz pianist, Chase Coleman, will perform works by Chopin and Khachaturian, as well as Mussorgsky’s “Pictures At An Exhibition.”
  • “Portraits,” through March 8, Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, West Campus CFA. Free. Exhibit features works by 21 artists including Louis Carlos Bernal, Gérard Beringer, Alice Leora Briggs, Jo Ann Callis, Craig Cully, Vincent Desiderio, Bailey Doogan, Nick Georgiou, Todd Gray, Philip Harris, Gregory Halpern, Luis Jiménez, Albert Kogel, Alex Macias, Beverly McIver, Narsiso Martinez, Herb Ritts, Chris Rush, Perla Segovia, Judy Stewart and Vonn Cummings. The collection explores identity, culture and the human condition through various mediums. For more information, contact David Andres.
  • “The Oppenheimers: One is Dad, Dimensions of Engineering,” through June 7, Desert Vista Art Gallery at Desert Vista Campus. Free. This exhibit is a narrative of Ernesto A. Trujillo’s father’s tenure in the defense industry through mixed-media prints. His father’s military experience was marred by the quest for more efficient weapons, leading to haunting nightmares. Trujillo’s exhibition offers a glimpse into the darker aspects of innovation. For more information, contact David Andres.
  • “Mata Ortiz - Pottery and Photography of the Chihuahuan Village,” through March 29, Visual Arts Gallery at West Campus. Free. Journey into the heart of Mata Ortiz, a remote Mexican village renowned for its pottery, as potter Jorge Quintana presents some of his pieces. Additional pottery from the collection of the Amerind Foundation and pottery from Tucson Museum of Art’s Mata Ortiz Collection will be exhibited. For more information, contact David Andres.
  • “Dreamscapes and Other Stories – Student Art Exhibition,” through Aug. 18, The Art Gallery @ Downtown Campus. Free. This annual exhibit features paintings and drawings created by Pima art students. For more information, contact Mariana Carreras.

For details, visit the Pima Arts Calendar. For questions, contact 520-206-6986 or centerforthearts@pima.edu.

Employee Wellness

Sign Up for Virtual Workshops and Challenges
Sign up online for Employee Wellness virtual workshops and challenges.

Visit the Employee Wellness Intranet page to access free resources and tools. Employees also are encouraged to visit the Employee Wellness website for additional resources, news and information on the Pima Healthy Rewards Program and wellness-related activities that qualify for Pima Wellness Activity points. You also can keep current on the latest wellness news.

@PimaNews is an electronic newsletter for employee news of Pima Community College. The Marketing Office publishes this e-newsletter every Thursday, except when the College is closed for a holiday or break, during the semester and every other week during the summer. Please send announcements and news items – 75 words or fewer ─ to pimanews@pima.edu by noon on Monday. Check any links before sending. Back issues are available on the @PimaNews webpage. The newsletter also accepts submissions about Pima employee accomplishments.

 

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