The Luna Light - Luna Community College
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The Luna Light “Crea ng Opportuni es for You!” Second Volume 2, Issue 4 January 15, 2019 Luna Student Services Advisor Janice Medrano assists Manuel Martinez with setting up his schedule on Thursday. First day of classes for spring began on Monday, Jan. 14. Martinez, a Mora native, intends to major in Media Art and Film Technology. For more information on spring classes, please call 505/454- 2550. The last day to register for classes is Tuesday, Jan. 22. Spring registration underway Schedules and related certificate — a full list of Deadline information necessary for which is available on the online registration are website — should consult with to sign up is available via the newly an advisor to ensure that they Jan. 22 updated Luna website, develop the appropriate www.luna.edu. Students may course schedule and take Registration for the also visit the registrar’s office other necessary steps for their spring semester is up and on campus for assistance with chosen program. running at Luna Community registration. Luna also offers a College, and students are For those seeking an number of classes at encouraged to sign up for associate degree or certificate, convenient times for personal classes now through Jan. 22. Luna offers programs in the enrichment and benefit for The first day of class for departments of allied health, the non-degree student. spring 2019 began on business, education, These are also listed in the Monday, Jan. 14, and the last humanities, nursing, STEM current semester schedule day to add or drop classes is and vocations. A student who available online. Tuesday, Jan. 22. wishes to pursue a degree or
Eventful 2018 paves way to promising 2019 at Luna The following is a column written by Luna interim Integral to shared governance was the President Ricky Serna. It has been published in several establishment of the college’s first Staff Advisory newspapers across the region. Senate. The senate serves as a source of input on issues and decisions that relate to regular full-time/part-time F or many, this time of the year prompts much reflection on the reasons to be and non-faculty staff at the college. Within the past year, the senate has conducted elections, completed drafting its bylaws and marked its one-year thankful — the challenges anniversary by re-establishing the college’s Years of overcome throughout the last 12 Service Celebration for employees. months, and goals we hope to In May, the college completed construction of its accomplish in the new year. Media Arts Auditorium. The 18,000-plus square foot For Luna Community auditorium is among the largest public venues in College, 2018 was far from typical. northern New Mexico with a total capacity of 1,200. The year was marked with several Serna Just two weeks after its grand opening, the auditorium challenges that called for a reached capacity when hundreds celebrated the spring community to establish an institutional culture built 2018 commencement. on collaboration, transparency, assessment and quality Following a study, the board of trustees approved outcomes. Although the past year brought about a $300,000 salary parity proposal aimed at raising difficult and uncertain times, we now look back and employee compensation to a level consistent with celebrate the changes that came from the most sister institutions throughout the region. The proposal, challenging time in the college’s history. which yielded salary increases for 70 percent of college The year began with a sense of urgency to personnel, raised the college’s minimum wage to above complete the college’s Show-Cause Report that was $10 per hour. Salary adjustments took effect prior to due to its accrediting agency on Feb. 1. Just months the end of the fiscal year to ensure the 2 percent state- prior, the Higher Learning Commission placed the mandated salary adjustment was applied to increased college on a Show-Cause Order. The order provided salaries. Luna with 90 days to make notable changes in its In addition to addressing staff compensation, the governance and administrative practices, all while college has grown by more than a dozen new positions drafting a comprehensive report that demonstrated the that have been created to increase student services, college’s compliance with all criteria for accreditation. completion and graduation rates. New positions In response to the Show-Cause Order, college include a Director for Institutional Research, faculty, staff and administration came together to developmental education specialists, a total of seven develop and adopt a shared governance policy that faculty/advisors – one for each academic department, provides for a collaborative model of decision making a Director for Student and Career Services, and a that includes the board of trustees, the president, Veterans Resource Coordinator. administration, faculty, staff and students. It is now the process by which institutional direction and Continued on Page 8 policies are developed, modified and implemented. 3
Health care services open to Luna Students at Luna Community College now have access to services at the Student Health Center at New Mexico Highlands, thanks to a new agreement between the institutions. The memorandum of understanding signed Jan. 8 between Highlands and Luna also includes El Centro Family Health, which currently delivers medical and behavioral health services to Highlands’ students on the main campus in Las Vegas. “We recognize that there is a need for college students to access care, and Highlands has had a great partnership with El Centro for 27 years,” said Photo by Rick Loffredo, NMHU Kim Blea, dean of students at Highlands. “The idea NMHU President Sam Minner, El Centro CEO Lore for this new agreement is for the parties to work Pease and Luna interim President Ricky Serna sign an agreement that enables Luna students to use the together for the mutual benefit of supporting our Highlands Student Health Center run by El Centro. students’ holistic well-being through medical and behavioral health services.” “This collaboration is an opportunity to join Blea said the agreement is designed to serve as a forces with Luna and El Centro to provide medical pilot project in extending services to Luna students. and behavioral health services in a cost-effective way At Highlands, students pay a student health fee that so that students from both institutions can lead gives them access to services. Luna students will pay healthy lives of great meaning and purpose. This is a their own student fee. win-win for all of us,” Minner said. “El Centro is well known for the quality of its Ricky Serna, interim president for Luna service and commitment to serving underserved Community College, said: “It’s a pilot project that populations in rural Northern New Mexico and local allows us to gauge the long-term needs for our Las Vegas public schools,” Blea said. “El Centro is students in health and behavioral health services. We very community minded and it’s exciting that we can look forward to working with Highlands and El now extend this kind of care to other college students Centro to increase overall capacity and access to in our community through this new collaboration services in this region.” with Luna.” El Centro Family Health was previously known Blea said Highlands has a strong, long-term as Health Centers of Northern New Mexico. commitment to ensure that its students are supported “I’m really pleased that this new partnership in every aspect of their life, including physical and will ease the stress of students going through college,” emotional well-being. said Lore Pease, CEO for El Centro. Highlands University President Sam Minner The new health center agreement is for spring said another benefit of the Highlands agreement with semester 2019 with the option for the three parties to Luna and El Centro is that the cooperation will lead to renew the pilot project if all approve. cost savings through the shared usage of space at Highlands. — Margaret McKinney, NMHU University Relations 4
Davi and Jose Mondragon, shown celebrating their recent graduation from Eastern New Mexico, both got their start in higher education at Luna Community College. The brothers credit Luna for the beginning of their promising careers in the STEM field. ‘A stroke of luck’ Mondragon brothers got good start at Luna J (but) I still wanted to play baseball Mondragon said. “She also secured past high school. The program at scholarships for my brother (Davi) ose Mondragon has LCC allowed me to continue to do and I to continue our education at been good at math and science for a that, so I chose to got to LCC Eastern New Mexico University, long time. So it’s a natural instead. It turned out to be a which set us up for an amazing conclusion that he’d pursue a beneficial choice for my future future. Her kindness also extended career in engineering. career.” to any other LCC student that she talked with … I will be forever But it took the opportunity “The experiences at Luna grateful for the help (she) gave me.” presented via Luna Community taught me very well about how College’s baseball program to give college works and what it takes to “I decided to pursue the him a kick start. And it took the be successful in college,” he said. engineering field because I knew I caring approach of at least one LCC “Attending Luna helped strengthen had strengths in math and some faculty member to guide him along me for my future college years.” sciences,” he said, noting that he’d his way. been enrolled in Advanced Betsy Sanchez, who oversaw Placement math classes throughout “Attending LCC was a stroke the pre-engineering program at the high school and did well in them. “I of luck for me,” Mondragon time, was a particularly helpful ally. figured that would be the field that recalled of the days after his “She always made sure I was would best suit my strengths. The graduation from Albuquerque’s in the correct classes and was design and creating different things Valley High in 2013. “I intended to making sure to do all my work to is what piqued my interest the go to the University of New Mexico the fullest of my ability,” most.” 6
Although he had a natural “My dad (Frank Mondragon) working his way up in the company aptitude for math and science, showed me how to work hard and or moving to a research position at Mondragon encountered his share have perseverance and drive. My a national laboratory. “The sky is of challenges in finishing his hard work ethic is due to him.” the limit,” he said. studies. “The best advice I could give Like his brother Jose, Davi “The biggest challenge I high school students is to always graduated from Albuquerque’s would talk about is the semesters I continue your education,” he said. Valley High. He spent plenty of took an overloaded class schedule “I can promise you that if you go to time growing up in Taos, his father to maintain my double major,” he college and take it seriously, it will Frank’s hometown. noted. “I think the credit hours I create a tremendous future. College His parents – Frank took was around 18 to 20 for two is definitely the hardest thing I’ve Mondragon, a mechanic who ran semesters. The whole school year done, but it pays itself off in great his own business, and Juanita was comprised of 12- to 15-hour value.” Lujan, a Duke City native who days of classes and homework to *** earned an accounting degree from stay up to date with my classes. UNM – both were major influences, That year took a lot out of me, but it From his childhood days, albeit in different ways. Juanita, he sure has paid off.” when he’d accompany his dad into said, “always instilled in me the his mechanic’s workshop, his young Upon graduation from importance of education.” Frank mind full of wonder about how ENMU, Mondragon secured a job taught “the importance of a good things worked, Davi Mondragon with Oncor Electric Delivery, an work ethic and gave me expeireince was a natural fit for the world of electric transmission and working with my hands, which was engineering. distribution company in north- very fun for me.” central Texas. In school, he did well in math Between its affordability and and “loved to build and design “I work on the protection the fact it provided an opportunity things in classes like wood and equipment for high voltage for him to play collegiate baseball, metal shop.” transmission and distribution Luna emerged as the college of equipment,” he said. “This job is Today, Mondragon is choice for Mondragon. But he got very fun and technical. I feel employed as a technician for Oncor more out of the experience than accomplished every day from my Electric Delivery in Texas, getting he’d anticipated. work and am very happy with the to do what he loves – using his “My experience at Luna job.” mind and his hands to help provide played a very important role in a vital service to the public. Mondragon said he’d like to where I am today and what I was Mondragon, who used his either get further into professional able to do after I left,” he said. education at Luna Community engineering or continue his While he felt confident in his College as a springboard to an master’s in electronic engineering. academic abilities going into engineering degree at Eastern New college, Mondragon was unsure of He’s grateful to Sanchez, Mexico University, said it’s “an what to do with his life beyond whom he called the best teacher, extremely fun and fulfilling job,” graduation and he didn’t know and to his parents. “My mom that’s given him opportunity to what he needed to do to get there. (Juanita Lujan) always pushed me build his career. He also is educationally and made sure I was considering earning his master’s in continuing my education,” he said. engineering and potentially Continued on Page 8 7
Luck... Continued from Page 7 2018... “The great instructors at Sanchez and Collins, he said, Continued from Page 3 LCC and my advisor helped me “inspired me to dream bigger … not only build on my confidence and helped me move on to a four- Following a site visit and as a student but find and year university.” Sanchez committee hearing in Chicago, the maximize opportunities that set introduced him to the field of Higher Learning Commission me up for the future,” he said. engineering and got him to look at Board voted in July to remove the “The personal and one-on-one several universities. Collins college from Show-Cause and place relationship with everyone at helped interest him in computer the institution on probation. This Luna was amazing and is science, in which in he attained measure recognized the significant something you just don’t get from certification. work and changes achieved by the large universities or junior After graduating from Luna institution over a short period. colleges. At the end of my in May 2015 with as associate Just a few months ago, the community college career, I had a degree in pre-engineering, college went live with its all-new lot of experience on my resume Mondragon went on to earn his website. The new site, which is still and was set up to go to an bachelor’s in engineering and located at luna.edu, captures the excellent university.” computer science this past May. increased levels of sophistication, In addition to completing professionalism and service that “The aspect of his basic core classes and getting can be found throughout the understanding how things work individual attention at Luna, campus. and developing new ways to Mondragon benefitted through All this, and so much more, improve products with new extracurricular activities like has given Luna Community College technology and designing visiting university campuses and reason to celebrate a wonderful completely new products the state legislature, serving as a intrigued me the most about 2018. It also sets the stage for a student ambassador, and working engineering,” he said. “Also, being wonderful new year. In the past 12 on a summer research project. able to improve people’s lives months, we learned much about “Luna helped me find out through this gives me our ability to persevere under more what I wanted to study when satisfaction.” pressure. We learned much about I did move on,” he said. “I always the undivided support of the “The advice I have for high had a general knowledge of what I communities we serve. However, school students is to find wanted to do but in the end I had most important, we learned that we something that you love doing and a better focused idea of what to can never be successful if we don’t work hard at becoming the best at study when I moved on.” first face trials. it,” he said. “Life is too short for Advisor Betsy Sanchez, you to be mediocre and not give it On behalf of the campus Nichole Collins and Lorraine your all. Never make any excuses community and board of trustees, Martinez proved especially for yourself because no matter thank you for helping make 2018 a helpful. “They all truly cared how bad it is, there are others out wonderful year! Thank you for your about my future,” he recalled, there who are not getting the support, honesty and for holding us “and without a doubt I can say opportunities you’re getting, so it accountable. We wish you a very that I wouldn’t be where I am is important to make the most out prosperous new year. today without them.” of them.” 8
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