Sandi Watkins

Register Now for Summer Session; Classes Start July 2

New and continuing students can register online now through July 1 for Foothill’s Summer Session. Most summer classes begin the week of July 2 and run through Aug. 10, unless otherwise noted in the class schedule. Foothill's online class schedule is the best way to review the most up-to-date course listings. Register and pay your fees online or complete registration by phone by calling (650) 917-0509 or (408) 777-9394.

California residents pay just $13 per unit for Foothill classes. A full range of student support services is available, including financial aid, academic counseling and tutoring.

Get Your Cap & Gown Now at the Bookstore

You must purchase academic regalia–gown, cap, tassel and hood–and Honors gold cord (if eligible)–to participate in the Commencement Ceremony June 29. The cost of gown, cap and tassel is $29.95 plus tax. The hood rental is $10 plus tax and a $30 refundable deposit. Extra tassels are available for purchase. Order and pick up your academic regalia at the Campus Bookstore.

You may also purchase announcements to send to your guests at the Campus Bookstore. Blank formal announcements are $19.95 per pack of 25. Personalized announcements are available at www.CBgrad.com. Each graduate may have five complimentary internal invitations to deliver to Foothill College faculty and staff who have been instrumental in the student’s success. Internal invitations are available at the Campus Bookstore. For more information, call (650) 949-7305.

Take Foothill's Library Survey & Help Improve Services to Students

Foothill College invites students and community members to participate in its library survey. We will use the information to improve our services and resources for students.

Visual Journey: The Foothill College Photographic Portfolio Exhibition 2007

Hayward Area Recreation District’s PhotoCentral presents Visual Journey: The Foothill College Photographic Portfolio Exhibition 2007 now through July 14. This event is the final project of students enrolled in Foothill’s photographic portfolio and professional practices courses taught by Photography Instructor Kate Jordahl. The PhotoCentral Gallery is located at 1099 E Street, Hayward. For more information, call (510) 881-6721 or access www.photocentral.org.

Free Foothill Gospel Choir Concert Is June 16

Under the musical direction of Norris Garner, the Foothill College Gospel Choir presents its springtime concert, A Praze Party, Saturday, June 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. at West Valley Presbyterian Church, 6191 Bollinger Road in Cupertino. A reception follows the performance. Admission is free. Enjoy the concert and find out how you can participate in the gospel choir this fall. For more information, call (408) 639-9919.

Foothill Symphonic Winds Spring Concerts

Under the direction of David Bruce Adams, the Foothill Symphonic Wind Ensemble has two upcoming concerts that feature patriotic themes. Tickets are $10, adults; $5, students and seniors. A two-for-one coupon is available at the band's Web site.

The first concert is Saturday, June 16 at 4 p.m. at the Golden Gate Park Band Pavilion for the Community Band Festival in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The second concert is Sunday, June 17, at 2:30 p.m. at the Cubberley Theater at the Foothill Middlefield Campus in Palo Alto.

Transfer Students: Free Lunch & Food for Thought

Foothill students who are transferring to four-year schools this year will host a complimentary lunch and information presentation for fellow students who are interested in preparing for university transfer at the Free Lunch & Food for Thought event Monday, June 18, at 2:30 p.m. in Room 3401.

Find out how you can transfer to a UC campus with a 2.9 GPA; meet fellow Foothill students who have been accepted by UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, UCLA, Stanford University, USC, Cornell and other impressive schools.

Guest speakers include Foothill alumnae Bridget Howe and Annmarie Golovin-Durrer as well as representatives from the Foothill Counseling Office, Foothill Honors Institute and the Foothill Association of Pre-Professional Students organization. The event is sponsored by the Associated Students of Foothill College. For information, call (650) 949-7282.

Music Student Recital

Students enrolled in Foothill's Applied Music Program present a recital Tuesday, June 19, at 1 p.m. in Room 1101. Admission is free. In addition to several original student works, the concert will feature music from Alice in Chains, J.S. Bach, Buena Vista Social Club, Ferdinando Carulli, Chick Corea, Jefferson Airplane, Charlie Parker and Traffic.

Pool Party

The Associated Students of Foothill College (ASFC) invite you to an end-of-the-year pool party and ASFC awards ceremony Thursday, June 21, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the college’s pool. Admission is free. The event features complimentary refreshments and music, and the opportunity to learn more about student government leadership options. For more information, call or e-mail ASFC Vice President of Activities Asya Sorokurs, (650) 949-7064.

Bon Voyage Concerts

The award-winning El Camino Youth Symphony presents its Bon Voyage Concerts Saturday and Sunday, June 23–24 at 7:30 p.m. The program features the Summer 2007 Baltic Tour repertoire, including Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with soloist Chloe Pang, piano, as well as Barber’s Overture to School for Scandal and Dvorak's From the New World.

This year marks the El Camino Youth Symphony's 44th season of excellence in music education. Under the baton of Dr. Kolchinsky, the orchestra's standards have been consistently raised, resulting in professional soloists of international renown regularly performing with the ECYS Symphony. For more information, access www.ecys.org or call (650) 213-7111.

Final Exams Are June 26–29

Spring Quarter final exams will be given June 26–29. Final examinations are given in all courses except physical education activity, CNSL 50, cooperative education and tutoring courses. Final examinations normally will not be given in advance of the scheduled time.

You are responsible for taking all assigned final examinations. Failure to take the final exam will result in an F grade. If you miss a final exam for a legitimate reason, you should immediately communicate with your instructors and counselor.

47th Annual Commencement Ceremony Is June 29

More than 450 students are candidates for the Foothill associate degree at the 47th annual commencement ceremony Friday, June 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Library Quad at Foothill College. The evening will feature inspirational messages from Foothill Interim President Penny Patz, Ed.D., as well as student speaker Adrian Diaz, faculty speaker Brian Evans and keynote speaker Marc J. Spears.

Diaz has served as the president of the Associated Students of Foothill College as well as the Foothill student trustee to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees. Evans is a faculty member who teaches economics at Foothill. A Foothill alumnus, Spears is the NBA writer and columnist for The Denver Post. Agnes E. Matter-Dang and Matthew G. Singh, who are the recipients of the 2007 President’s Medal, will also be recognized at the ceremony.

For ceremony time, location, parking, cap and gown, and guest instructions, read the Commencement Ceremony FAQ.

Deadline for Salamanca, Spain, Campus Abroad Program is July 1

The deadline to apply for the Salamanca, Spain, Campus Abroad Program is July 1. The program is taught by Foothill and De Anza faculty and is operated by the Foothill–De Anza Community College District. Salamanca, Spain Campus Abroad runs Oct. 4 through Dec. 1.

Embark on a poetic, linguistic, photographic, historical, cultural and intellectually stimulating eight-week journey in Salamanca during the Fall 2007 Quarter. Choose from a wide range of classes offered during this program, including writing, composition and reading, poetry, photography and Spanish. The program includes spectacular sightseeing activities.

For more information and to request the program application and brochure, attend one of the information sessions presented by Foothill College English Instructor Scott Lankford and De Anza College Photography Instructor Wilfredo Castaño.

For additional information, call or e-mail Foothill International Marketing Coordinator Viktoria Kolesnikova, (650) 949-7159.

Middlefield Campus Offers Foreign Language Immersion Program

The Foothill Middlefield Campus will offer a new foreign language immersion program this summer. The institute gives Foothill students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a foreign language and culture, and complete the foreign language university transfer requirement. Featured institute languages include Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean and Japanese.

Each five-unit course counts toward university transfer, continuing education credit for faculty and staff, and the Foothill associate degree. Classes meet weekdays, July 2 through Aug. 10, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Foothill Middlefield Campus in Palo Alto. Next summer, organizers intend to offer an institute instruction in Arabic, Hindi and Vietnamese. For more information, call (650) 949-6950.

31st Annual Foothill Writers Conference

Authors of all ability levels can read, write and workshop poems and prose, fiction and non-fiction at the 31st Annual Foothill College Writers Conference. The event is July 6-10 and features intensive daily workshops, lectures and seminars. The conference is offered as a one-unit course, and California residents pay $53.50 for the conference. Small group interaction is emphasized in the popular manuscript workshops, and gives participants the rare opportunity to have their creative pieces critiqued by professional authors and workshop peers. Also, prose and poetry readings are presented daily at noon and 7:30 p.m.

Guest presenters are Bay Area literati, including Kathleen de Azevedo, Ellen Bass, Denny Berthiaume, Andrea Hollander Budy, Alan Cheuse, Michelle Cliff, James Cushing, Sharon Doubiago, Michael C Ford, James D. Houston, Jeanne W. Houston, Linda Janakos, Phyllis Koestenbaum, Carol Lem, Leo Litwak, Morton Marcus, Joseph Millar, Tom Trebitsch Parker, Adrienne Rich, Doren Robbins, Floyd Salas, Catherine Seidel, John Solt, Marianne Villanueva, Cecila Woloch and Kim Silveira Wolterbeek. The event is organized by Foothill English Instructor Doren Robbins and presented by the Foothill College Language Arts Division.

The conference is offered as a one-unit course. California residents pay $53.50. Participants are encouraged to register online in advance for CRWR 120B01: Creative Writers Conference. Register early as conference seats fill quickly. On-site registration will also be offered.

For more information, e-mail Conference Coordinator Doren Robbins or call (650) 949-7678.

Award-Winning Foothill Music Theatre Stages Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel

Carousel–the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical classic called “the greatest musical of the century,” by Time Magazine–is the annual summer musical spectacular performed by award-winning Foothill Music Theatre. An all-time winning story of love and redemption, Carousel runs July 27 through Aug. 19 in the Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College.

Evening performances are July 27, 28, Aug. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 8 p.m. Matinees are July 29, Aug. 5, 12 and 19 at 2 p.m.

FMT’s Carousel, which features a full orchestra, is a fresh, grand-scale production that includes the musical gems If I Loved You, June is Bustin' Out All Over, You'll Never Walk Alone, Mr. Snow, Soliloquy and The Carousel Waltz.

Purchase tickets online or call (650) 949-7360. Click for more information.

Third Annual Foothill New Works Festival

The Foothill College Theatre Arts Department presents its third annual New Works Festival Aug. 10–19 in the Playhouse Theatre (Room 1301). Every workplace florescent jungle has its sanctuary–the office break room. The show features eight world premiere short plays that tackle some widely varying agendas of the break room–and its dwellers–in fresh and surprising ways.

Produced by Tracy Ward, the festival includes world premieres of Dr. Cain, Dr. Abel by Dennis Carter; Freezer Burn by Mary Ann Cook; Sonata in G by Rob Clem; The Puppet Factory by Chris Enni; The Vacation by Diane Patterson; Rosie's Break by Rebecca Royce; The Order by Dave Schreiber; and Confusion by Richard Webb.

Evening performances are Aug. 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 at 8:30 p.m. The matinee show is Aug. 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, general admission; $12, students and seniors; $8, students with Owl Card. Parking in lots 1, 5 and 6 only is included in the ticket price. There is no need to purchase a permit to attend shows when patrons park in these lots. Lots 5 and 6 provide access without stairs, but are located considerably further from the Foothill Playhouse. To purchase tickets, call (650) 949-7360.

Summer Holiday Observances & Hours of Operation

Foothill College will observe holidays for Independence Day on July 4, Cesar Chavez’s birthday on Aug. 31, and Labor Day on Sept. 3. The campus is closed for these observances and classes do not meet.

Foothill also observes modified hours of operation during the summer. Most campus offices will be closed Fridays, July 13 through Aug. 31. Call for hours of operation before traveling to the campus to avoid disappointment.

New Student & Parent Orientations in September

Before Fall Quarter classes begin, Foothill College will host orientation sessions for new students and parents of new students. Admission to both events is free and the public is invited to attend. New Student Orientation is Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Smithwick Theater. Parent Orientation is Sept. 19 at 5 p.m. in Room 1501. For more new student orientation information, call (650) 949-7282.

Foothill Is Turning 50: Be Part of Our Anniversary Celebration & Open House

Foothill's 50th Anniversary kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. with the grand opening celebration of the new Campus Center and Lower Campus Complex. We'll continue to commemorate our 50th anniversary throughout the 2007-2008 academic year. For more information about anniversary activities, access www.foothill.edu/50.

Computers for Students

In partnership with the Foothill–De Anza Occupational Technology Institute, Foothill’s Financial Aid Office offers free computers to Foothill students who have completed one quarter and have a 2.0 grade point average. Other restrictions apply and students must apply to receive a free computer in the Financial Aid Office. The systems awarded are Pentium 4s that start at 1.4 GHz and run up to 2 GHz. Windows XP Pro and Open Office software is installed. In addition, new students who participate in the EOPS and CalWORKs programs may be eligible for a free Pentium 3. These systems have Window 2000 installed. Learn more at www.foothill.edu/aid.

Sign Up for Foothill Alumni List

Foothill now offers you an alumni connection so that you can keep in touch with classmates and participate in the college’s 50th anniversary celebration. To sign up or learn more about the alumni connection, access the Foothill College Alumni List.

Innovation of the Year Award for Foothill’s Math My Way Program

Members of the Foothill College Mathematics Department who developed the Math My Way basic skills and developmental education program are the recipients of the 2007 Innovation of the Year Award presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The Math My Way team includes Math Instructors Nicole Gray, Phuong Lam, Faun Maddux, Rachel Mudge and Kathy Perino, Physical Science, Mathematics & Engineering Division Dean Peter Murray and Vice President of Instruction & Institutional Research Rob Johnstone.

Each year, the league honors outstanding innovations that have been recognized by league member institutions as Innovations of the Year. These innovations represent capstone achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the league was founded.

Foothill’s Math My Way Program was designed in response to institutional research demonstrating relatively low levels of progression from the bottom levels of developmental math to the achievement of college-level math success.

Math My Way re-imagines the typical one-instructor, one-classroom model as a flexible design centered on a hands-on series of self-paced math learning modules. This model combines patient and caring instruction with a group of students who have similar math skill levels.

Along with the small groups and one-to-one attention from the math instructors, students are challenged by computer drills, paper drills and computer games that reinforce mathematical concepts. This new model is dedicated to helping students develop math confidence and study skills, and also grasp basic math concepts, providing the foundation for success in subsequent coursework and in the real world.

Foothill College Instructor Wins National Award for Excellence in College Astronomy Teaching

Foothill College Astronomy Instructor Andrew Fraknoi has been named the recipient of the 2007 Richard H. Emmons Award for Excellence in College Astronomy Teaching by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). Fraknoi will receive the award at the ASP's 2007 annual meeting and conference in Chicago in September.

A distinguished astronomy educator with a national reputation, Fraknoi is a longtime, community college instructor, textbook author, and prolific writer and speaker. During his career in education, he co-founded Astronomy Education Review, an online journal; founded the Cosmos in the Classroom symposia for college faculty; and served as the executive director of the ASP for 14 years. He has been a member of the Foothill College faculty and chairman of the college's astronomy department since 1992.

Fraknoi is the lead author of Voyages through the Universe, one of the foremost introductory astronomy textbooks in the country, and has written or edited more than a dozen books on astronomy and astronomy education. His new children's book, Disney's Wonderful World of Space, will be published this summer. He is a frequent guest on local and national radio programs, interpreting astronomical developments in everyday language.

In 2005, his popular Physics 12: Physics for Poets course won the Innovation of the Year Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College, for finding new ways to explain Einstein's ideas without math. Fraknoi is renowned for his ability to present and explain some of the most intriguing areas of modern astronomy and physics for students who are not majoring in the sciences. Students routinely applaud him for his instructional approach, which emphasizes humor, analogies, demonstrations, and relating science to the humanities.

Eight years ago, Fraknoi founded the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, which has grown to be one of the most popular events at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. For many of these lectures, Foothill's 900-seat theater is filled to overflow capacity with crowds eager to hear current and provocative developments in astronomy from world-renowned scientists and researchers. The slate of impressive guest lecturers who have presented at Foothill College include the first woman in history to discover a planet, a U.S. astronaut, a winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, and the discoverer of the dwarf planet beyond Pluto. Professor Fraknoi secured the support for the free series from key stakeholders, including the NASA's Ames Research Center, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, the ASP and the Foothill College administration.

Fraknoi serves on the board of directors of the SETI Institute, and is a Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, specializing in debunking astrology and UFO claims. He was the first community college instructor elected as a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

Among his various awards, he is perhaps proudest that the International Astronomical Union has named asteroid 4859 Asteroid Fraknoi to recognize his contributions to the public understanding of science.