[image 1]Thanks to everyone who took the time to attend one or more of the sessions with Mark Smith, the SACS (Southern Association for Colleges and Schools) Vice President assigned to Northwest Vista College. He was most helpful in broadening our understanding of the accreditation process and expectations as well as in helping to clarify current issues with which we are grappling.
For those individuals who did not see last week’s La ReVista message, here is a link to the message: https://mylarevista.org/54992. There you will find links to various SACS documents regarding Principles of Accreditation.
Supporting the NVC Value of Diversity
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” -Booker T. Washington
In support of Northwest Vista College’s commitment to diversity, college employees have organized several events, including several developed for Black History Month. I encourage you to take part if you have the opportunity.
[image 2]One event has already occurred. The community was invited to a multimedia jazz concert on Feb. 12 honoring the Harlem Renaissance’s Langston Hughes. The concert featured poetry, videography and of course jazz.
I hope faculty members will encourage your students to take part in a poetry contest about Martin Luther King Jr. and how his work, beliefs and ideas are reflected in four NVC values: community, caring, synergy and diversity. The deadline to apply is Feb. 21 and the winner will receive $100. For more information, see the link.
The NVC library also has a fantastic display honoring Black History Month. Located in the reference section, the display covers various aspects of African American history and culture, including slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Each display has an extra credit assignment sheet associated with it, so send your students to the library.
As part of the NVC Diversity Speaker Series, the college is privileged to have on campus from Feb. 11 to March 1, Jim May, artistic director of the Sokolow Theater Dance Ensemble in New York City. May will share his knowledge and train students on Anna Sokolow’s “Lyric Suite,” which will be performed on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the Palmetto Theater. Sokolow is widely regarded in Mexico as the founder of modern dance.
Also, don’t miss the exhibit of Iraqi women that’s currently on display in the Lago Vista Room of the Cypress Campus Center until Feb. 24. The exhibit shows three generations of women who, in the face of significant challenges, have pursued education worked for peace in their country.
The exhibit is appropriate for classes in many areas, including literature, history, political science and sociology. To arrange a discussion for your class, contact Sister Martha Ann Kirk at kirk@uiwtx.edu or call her at 829-3854.