Hi, I’m Eunice Bellinger,  from  Academic Affairs at GCC.  I’m trying this blogging out because it’s a cool way to communicate and sounds like it might be fun! As the snow descends on Genesee Community College, thoughts of final exams, projects due and papers to be completed loom large in the minds of both students and faculty.  We acknowledge another semester coming to a close re pleat with successes, failures and memorable moments of understanding.    What I like to think of as the measure of a successful semester is, upon reflection, realizing that I learned something, created something, helped someone and took the time to get to know someone I hadn’t known before.  So, I’m thinking I still have three weeks to make sure this semester comes to a “successful” conclusion.

I know that I learned a great deal about Brazil this semester.  We had the Boyds and the Drexels return this summer from teaching at FATEC college in San Paulo, Brazil.  They shared their experiences in a world I had known very little about.  Who knew that the area had been settled by ex-Confederate Soldiers and their families in the late 1860’s!  I’m looking forward to learning more as faculty and students travel there in the future.   As I serve on the “SUNY Strategic Planning Committee: SUNY and the World” I become increasingly aware of the internationalization of the American educational experience.

We all help to create the “GCC experience” and I guess, as creativity goes, I hope I add something positive to that experience.  We’re still working on new programs and concentrations (Logistics, Medical Office Tech. and Fashion Design) as well as new study abroad opportunities.  And of course we’ve created the “Office of Academic Affairs Newsletter” … another way tocommunicate.

http://gccnet.genesee.edu/depts/AcademicAffairs/AcademicAffairsVol1No3.pdf

I know we all help students and I hope that I’ve done my share as well.  I’ve always figured that we have a great opportunity to transform lives in higher education and I think that is particularly true at the community college level.  Sometimes when conversations are all about the singular events that disrupt our jobs  it’s easy to forget the positive difference we make on a daily basis in the lives of those we touch.

The ‘getting to know people’ part of my successful strategy…. I try hard but I get caught between endless meetings and EMAILS … so you can help me by stopping in, sitting down and chatting with me …. “it’s all about me” …. I need you to help me make my semester a success!  STOP IN!!