Over the past year and a half, Tom Moran, Interim Dean of Library, eLearning and Information Services at Shoreline Community College, has led a group of college librarians from around the state in developing a series of Web-based Information literacy tutorials designed to help students with research skills.

 “The tutorials are organized within broad categories (finding Information, search techniques and evaluating Information) that correspond closely with national standards, Moran said. “Within each of these broad categories are a number of modules focusing on specific themes - Google search tips, primary and secondary sources, etc.  The organization scheme is easily adaptable, allowing new modules to be added or deleted from the main areas as needed.”
           

One of the central features of the project is a 30-question information literacy quiz representing national standards considered appropriate for two-year college students. Information literacy has been identified as one of Shoreline’s six core skills, or General Education Outcomes, that students are expected to demonstrate to receive a degree from Shoreline.

Testing of the tutorials is occurring now and wider distribution could occur as soon as this coming spring. The tutorials were developed with no specific institution information so that each college can apply their own branding and Moran and others are looking at adapting the work for use at Shoreline.

“Faculty collaborating across the state in the creation and implementation of online learning modules related to general education requirements is a model we need to continue to support and develop,” said Shoreline’s Vice President for Academic Affairs John Backes.

Since it was funded through the SBCTC, the tutorials are available for use and local branding by any community college in the state.

Money for the work came from a  grant by the eLearning Council of Washington State that was administered through the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.  With Moran as grant manager, the work involved several librarians from different community colleges across the state, primarily Kitty Mackey from Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.  Meryl Geffner, former Shoreline Community College associate faculty librarian, also made significant contributions to the effort.  

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Masoumeh (Auzar) Varzandeh moved to the United States about 30 years ago.  The nursing degree she had earned in her homeland, Iran, was useless here as was all her experience as a surgery scrub nurse and a registered nurse.  

Life was filled with many new challenges and it was years before Auzar found work as a retail clerk.  Eventually, she learned that she could learn computer skills that would help her find better work with a better income and essential benefits.  She enrolled in English as a Second Language courses at Shoreline Community College and found work as a customer service representative at the Bank of America.  All was good for five years – then her position was eliminated.  Auzar was lucky – she was hired as an administrative assistant at the bank.  Three years later, she found herself unemployed again.  It was time to go back to school.

Auzar returned to Shoreline CC recently and enrolled in ESL and accounting courses, where she learned about the new Bilingual Office Assistant (BOA) program.  Completion of the coursework would provide her with a certificate in just two quarters – she enrolled immediately.

 “I am so glad I took it, because we had two great teachers - Ruth Duffy and Anita McEntyre,” Auzar said.  “They both are very intelligent, caring and going out of their way to make sure we learn everything.  I learned a lot from them so my skill is a lot higher than before.”

Auzar beams when she talks about her two daughters, Vida and Parisa, and their academic pursuits.  Vida served in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps and is now going to nursing school at San Diego State University.  Parisa, who graduated from Oregon State University with a 3.8 GPA, is earning her master’s degree at the University of Washington.

Now, she, too, has begun her journey into college academia and looks forward to its rewards.  The determined Auzar has decided to find a job at which she can utilize her new skills and make a livable salary.  She also plans to continue her studies in accounting and English via online and hybrid classes.  Future plans include earning a Payroll Clerk Certificate and working as a bookkeeper/office administrator.   

The Program:
The BOA program offers a win-win situation for non-native students.  Once students reach level five in ESL coursework, they are eligible for the program, and in a matter of months, they are ready to interview for jobs with confidence and are ready to fill much-needed entry-level office positions in a number of office environments. 

The two-quarter program is one of the college’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) programs, which allows students to spend less time in school and have clear pathways from entry-level jobs to higher-skilled and better-paying careers in high-demand fields. They also are designed so that students may choose to stay in school or return to earn more advanced degrees. 

Job opportunities are endless – with skills applicable to any industry or business genre.  Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion for the 19-credit program.  Students graduate with word processing, spreadsheet, organizational, communication and human relations skills as well as job-related English skills that prepare them for jobs as administrative assistants, receptionists and office coordinators.

To find out more about the I-BEST training opportunities at Shoreline Community College, please call the ABE/GED/ESL Department at 206-546-4602 and ask for Debby Hunter.  

SHORELINE — “La Oficina Bilingüe el Programa que Ayudante en el Colegio de la Comunidad de Costa cambió mi vida,” Julia Siquibache says in her native language.    When the Central American native who moved to the Seattle area just 15 months ago uses her new English skills, she says, “The Bilingual Office Assistant Program at Shoreline Community College changed my life.”

Born in El Salvador, Siquibache had lived the past 20 years in Guatemala when she and her family moved here.  She had no job experience and spoke only her native Spanish.  It became necessary for her to not only find work to help support her family, but to learn a new language. 

When Siquibache first arrived, she took English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Shoreline Community College and earlier this year, she enrolled in the new Bilingual Office Assistant (BOA) program, a two-quarter program that integrates ESL, Adult Basic Education and business classes.   The BOA Program prepares students whose first language is not English for entry-level jobs in a business environment.  Students must already have some English skills to be eligible for the program, and in just six months, they are ready to interview for jobs in a work force that has a high demand for entry-level office positions.  

“Julia, soft-spoken and shy, often would observe her classmates, self-conscious of her own English ability, says Siquibache’s ESL instructor, Ruth Duffy.  “Today, her confidence has flourished.  In the BOA program, not only did she excel in the technology but also in her language skills.  She became a leader in the class, often assisting others who had not quite grasped a particular concept.”

Siquibache is one of the first of nine to graduate from the 19-credit program and earn a Certificate of Completion.  She and her fellow graduates have word processing, spreadsheet, organizational, communication and human relations skills that make them eligible for jobs as administrative assistants, receptionists, office coordinators and other entry-level administrative jobs – jobs that are in high demand in business and industry.    Guest speakers from the college, business community and a community-based organization shared their knowledge, experiences and resources with the BOA students as well as provided question and answer sessions.  The students also attended a job fair and received materials from local temp agencies. 

These graduates take their native language skills to the job market as well. 
Humanities Dean Norma Goldstein says that the diversity of the graduates is a real plus for business.  “They would attract employers whose needs for bilingual office assistance is high,” says Goldstein.  

The first graduates are from Nepal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iran, New Guinea and El Salvador.

Additionally, completion of the program is a great place to start for those who would like to continue their studies and go on to earn a degree. 

“The BOA is designed as a career pathway program that leads to the Business Technology Certificate of Proficiency and the A.A.A.S. degree that prepare them for better-paying jobs in high-demand fields,” says Business Instructor Anita McEntyre.  She says that most of the nine graduates are staying in school to earn degrees.

“Julia has already tested into English 100 and is planning to enroll in the accounting program,” says Duffy, one of the team of two to teach BOA.  She says that research shows that students learn literacy and job skills faster when they enroll in programs like BOA that pair ABE or ESL with work force (occupational skills or professional and technical) training.

The BOA program is one of three Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training
(I-BEST) programs at Shoreline Community College, which train students specifically for jobs that are in demand.  These short-term professional-technical classes incorporate ABE/ESL instruction with technical training resulting in literacy and qualified personnel for the work force.   Graduates have enough basic skills training for entry-level, living wage, high-demand jobs. 

Shoreline Community College is one of 10 colleges in the state to receive state funding to develop and implement I-BEST programs.  Shoreline also offers I-BEST training in the automotive and manufacturing arenas.

To find out more about the I-BEST training opportunities at Shoreline Community College, please call the ABE/GED/ESL Department at 206-546-4602 and ask for Debby Hunter.  

A group of students and instructors from Shoreline Community College is headed for Korea in the second phase of a unique exchange program with Ajou Motor College.

“We’re very excited for this opportunity,” said Pete Calkins, director of the SCC automotive program. “This will broaden their view of the auto industry, which is really a global industry.”

The 15 students and two faculty members will visit the school in Boryeong, just a few miles from the west coast of South Korea. Ajou is a two year college with individual curriculum emphasis on automotive repair, design and manufacturing. The school also offers a focus on motor sports and even has its own test track.

Ajou has received several awards of excellence from the Korean Ministry of Education.  Along with the agreement with SCC, Ajou has exchange programs with automotive technical schools in Japan, Australia, and China, and they are currently working with Shoreline Community College.

SCC’s automotive program has received a number of awards itself and is seen as one of the best in the U.S., Calkins said. SCC offers a general automotive technician certificate in cooperation with local dealerships as well as a number of technician programs with direct support form specific manfacturers, including Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota and Honda. This past year, SCC’s Toyota training program was honored as tops in the country. SCC also hosts the Puget Sound Automobile Dealers Association (PSADA) as part of the automotive program.

The trip is funded from donations by PSADA, the SCC Foundation, individual donors and even car wash staffed by the students. In June, the SCC Foundation and Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu hosted an event for potential donors that included a visit by Korean Consul General Haryong Lee.

Despite the comprehensive approach at SCC, Calkins said the exchange will offer students a valuable perspective.

“In the U.S., we look at the automobile in terms of distinct systems and teaching is geared toward how to repair those systems,” said Calkins, who visited Ajou in 2007. “In Korea, they take a different approach. They’re reaching the same ends, but getting there in a different way.”

In 2007, SCC President Lee Lambert, state Sen. Paull Shin, D-Mukilteo, and others visited Ajou to formalize the exchange program. Later that year, the first group of Ajou students visited SCC for two weeks of exposure to the campus, training facility and Puget Sound region.

Before leaving, Shin took time to meet with the SCC students and talk about the importance of the trip and provide some insight into what they may encounter in his home country.

“Let offer three thoughts,” Shin, a former SCC faculty member, told the students. “First, expect people to be hospitable. They will like you so don’t be defensive. Second, enjoy (the trip), have a ball. Ajou has some very high-tech stuff.

“And last, don’t be afraid to get to know them. Most people will be willing to speak English, since it is required starting in grade school. If you try a little Korean, it will help.”

Shin also urged the students to try the food.

“If you like spicy food, you will like Korean food,” Shin said, pointing out Health magazine has ranked kimchi, the spicy fermented vegetable dish, as one of the top five foods in the world.

SCC students and faculty are scheduled to leave July 5 and return July 18. A second group of Ajou students will be right on their heels, with plans to arrive here in late July.