Highlights inside

New courses added

AlamoQuality

BioSig-ID Training avail-

able

InSights onDemand

Are you using a FOCUS

Approach?

The 2014 Online Ethics Training is now available in AlamoLearn

→ Do you know what constitutes an employment issue?

→ Test your knowledge with events that could happen here, and find out if the

results are what you expected.

This brand-new training focuses specifically on the ethical issues surrounding the employment subject. This training is fast and

easy to complete right from your desk or from any computer with internet access, at your own pace - it takes about 45 minutes to

complete.

Are you up for a

Challenge?

AlamoLearn has evolved

to the next step and we

need your help. Online

Resumes and Bio pages

have been released soon.

We want you to get a

head start.

To read more about this

project, visit us on Alamo

Share @ Career Planning

FOCUS PDCA Everything can be improved. ~Clarence W. Barron

Improving what we do and how we do it is an important part

of growing as an organization. As the Alamo Colleges devel-

ops and grows, the Chancellor is encouraging key process

owners and their teams to use the FOCUS PDCA systematic

approach to improve processes on a continuous cycle. Using

the FOCUS PDCA model allows for the examination of your

key processes with a focus on improvement of service to your

customers. To aid in this endeavor, a “hands on” FOCUS

PDCA course is offered every semester. This course is consid-

ered “hands on” because the participants come to class with an

identified process to improve. Students study tools to inno-

vate their process. Then, the student applies the tools learned

to the process before the next class. The class participant also

receives one-on-one coaching between classes. Can you think

of a process in your area that continually challenges you?

Two sessions will be offered during summer 2014. Registra-

tion is in Alamo Learn.

Questions? Contact Angela Stewart at astew-

art42@alamo.edu.

Kudos go out the these individuals and the processes they took

through a FOCUS PDCA approach.

Suggestions or comments about this newsletter please email Nicole Rivera at ncustis-rivera@alamo.edu

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2014

ALAS is a leadership program intended for supervisors at the Alamo Colleges. It is a 9-month program designed to equip,

strengthen and prepare leaders in their roles, and to assist in the execution of the Alamo Colleges mission, vision and strategic ob-

jectives.

For more information contact your campus administrator for a recommendation. Additional details can be found on the

ALAS AlamoShare site: http://share.alamo.edu/hrorgdev/SitePages/ALAS%20Application.aspx

Leader Process Identified for Improvement

Rodell Asher SLI awareness and recruitment

Diego Bernal Pre-FAFSA phase of high school

recruitment

Diane Burress Improving the forms process

Roger Castro/Peter Van

Dusen

Intake of non-routine projects/requests

Melody Crabb Volunteer Background Checks/Inventory

of donations

Joe Curiel Collection, storage, and release of found

property

Carmen De Luna-Jones Improving outreach/recruitment for I-

Best

Paul Dunn Alamo Wise Track Web Training

Pati Garza International student: other visa

Celso Guzman Increasing participation rate of employee

giving

Cynthia Hernandez-

Guerra

Renewing articulation agreements

Kin Ho Timesheet approval

Greg Koch Scheduling police personnel

Debbie Martinez/Gloria

Gonzales

Complaint management process

Mario Muniz Marketing to former students

Gary O’Bar Vendor registration and maintenance

Noe Ortiz/Jennifer

Tamayo

Loan processing

Rose Reyes/Lisa Flores Increasing facilities customer feedback

Veronica Reyes Action Plan Transition

Harold Whitis Student withdrawal process

BioSig-ID Online Training Now Available!

Most online faculty have already heard about our new identity verification solution,

BioSig-ID. This easy-to-use, web-based software uses gesture biometrics to identify

students in online courses, with passwords that are almost impossible to share or steal.

Now we’ve made it easy for faculty to learn this new tool by providing self -paced

training in AlamoLearn. And the best part is, the training will appear on your tran-

script.

BioSig has been integrated into Canvas, and will be a required component of fully

online and hybrid classes by Fall, 2014. Alamo Colleges has committed to the use of

BioSig to address a recently added SACS policy statement that asks institutions to

“demonstrate that the student who registers in a distance or correspondence education

course or program is the same student who

participates in and completes the course or

program and receives the credit”.

If you teach online or hybrid courses, don’t

delay – learn about BioSig-ID today!

AlamoQUALITY...The Alamo Colleges’ Online joins Quality

Matters™

AlamoQUALITY is an initiative grounded in the nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer re-

view process --- Quality Matters™. AlamoQUALITY (AQ) professional enrichment opportuni-

ties include the AQ Peer Reviewer and AQ Team-Builders programs.

Becoming an AQ Peer Reviewer requires successful completion of two online professional en-

richment courses offered by the QM™ program team and submission of a course for QM™ peer

review. If the course you submit satisfies the QM™ rubric essentials, your course receives the

Quality Matters™ Recognition Seal. For a list of QM Recognized courses nationwide click here.

The AQ Team Builders program is designed to support an interdisciplinary collaboration team in modifying their existing core

curriculum courses. Teams collaborate with other faculty and instructional designers to update their courses using problem based

learning pedagogy along one of the following themes: creative and communication arts, business and entrepreneurship, health and

biosciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, public service, or science and technology.

If you are interested in participating, Below is the link. You select “add new item” to submit a proposal.

http://share.alamo.edu/acol/Lists/AlamoQUALITY_Proposals/AllItems.aspx

You will be taken to the Alamo Share portal to complete a simple form. If you need assistance or have questions, please call Vir-

ginia Huntley at 210.485.0165.

Are you looking for opportuni-

ties to connect with colleagues

in your discipline? Or, are you

seeking FREE, web-based,

peer-reviewed resources to en-

hance student learning? If so,

please join us for a workshop

introducing our partnership

with MERLOT.

MERLOT stands for Multime-

dia Educational Resources for

Learning and Online Teaching.

MERLOT collections contain

over 41,000 teaching and

learning materials of 19 types

including open courses for ad-

aptation, open journal articles,

open textbooks, simulations,

and tutorials. You can enrich

your professional development

by learning more about teach-

ing leveraging digital content,

becoming a peer-reviewer in

your discipline, or participating

on the editorial board.

Sign up for our MERLOT 101

Workshops in AlamoLearn and

then go to MERLOT.org today

and create your account using

your Alamo Colleges e-mail

address. MERLOT 101 Webi-

nar Workshops for the Alamo

Colleges are scheduled for:

If you need assistance or have

questions, please call Virginia

Huntley at 210.485.0165.

Upcoming FranklinCovey Sessions in AlamoLearn

Leading Across Generations Leaders know they need to get their teams past the generational stereotyping and through the conflicts so they can keep the focus on the work, but how? What if leaders could leverage the differences between gen-erations instead of just eliminating conflict? Great leaders recognize the importance of putting generational differences to work in finding more creative solutions to problems, fostering robust, productive dialog, and engaging team members in giving their highest and best contribution

7 Habits of Highly Effective People In three one-day sessions , learn how to improve focus, communication, and balance. Turn ineffec-

tiveness to effectiveness with The 7 Habits®. Problems caused by ineffectiveness cannot be solved

with the same ineffective thinking that created them. This workshop has provided the ultimate in

productivity training for thousands of people and organizations worldwide.

Sign up for - Neon

Buzz®: Lighting Up

Organizational

Performance.

This is a highly interactive,

fast-paced workplace

simulation that places

learners in the middle of a

dysfunctional organization

and encourages them to

discover how teamwork and

empowering leadership can

make a world of a

difference.

*Open to All employees.

Continue to browse

through AlamoLearn to

find a course that suits

your needs. Click the icon

to learn more about this

project.

Crucial Conversations Workshop

ONE CLASS LEFT...MAY 20, 2014 Open to Everyone

A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where stakes are high, opinions

vary, and emotions run strong. These conversations—when handled poorly or ignored, cause

teams and organizations to get less-than desirable results. Put our award-winning Crucial Conver-

sations Workshop approach to work for you and your team.

Register in AlamoLearn! Seats are filling up quickly.

Crucial Accountability Workshop

ONE CLASS LEFT...JUNE 5, 2014

This one-day course builds on the skills learned in Crucial Conversations and introduces a pow-

erful set of new skills to resolve your most challenging accountability issues. It enables those who

already have knowledge of crucial conversations skills to diagnose why someone keeps falling

short of set expectations and then derive a plan that both motivates and enables the other person to

successfully change his or her behaviors. These additional skills are perfect for crucial accounta-

bility conversations that seem resistant to dialogue skills alone. Register in AlamoLearn!

*MUST HAVE ATTENDED CRUCIAL

CONVERSATIONS TO ATTEND THIS COURSE*

Make Sure Your Training Sticks

Now that you have experienced a FranklinCovey workshop, how do you reinforce what you have learned? Even the most devoted

workshop participants can lose what they learn, especially if they haven’t consistently applied the principles after the training. Used

as a reinforcement tool, FranklinCovey’s InSights On Demand can help you continually apply principles you have learned in train-

ing.

InSights are short, Web-based, video-rich learning courses based on 15 core competencies. These influential courses reinforce the

basics of great leadership, effectiveness, and productivity. The library consists of 52 titles.

These short 10- to 15-minute courses are designed to help you learn at your own pace and at a time that’s convenient for you. Each of the 88

courses starts with one of FranklinCovey’s Hollywood-quality videos followed by introspective questions, a takeaway summary, and a goal-

setting form.

Log into AlamoLearn and type InSights

into Search to start learning today.