Past Sumaries
July 2017
Members of the Friends of Nighthawks held their Summer meeting on July 26. This meeting included a combined session with the Friends of Nighthawks, President’s Advisory Group, and the members of the Lower Valley Schoolhouse restoration project committee. The meeting began with college updates provided by Dr. Garcia to include the recent college milestone that Northeast Lakeview College can now offer federal financial aid to its students. Additionally, the group engaged in a lengthy discussion on college fundraising, as one of the charges to this group is to assist the President’s Office with projects that benefit students and provide advice on projects as they relate to the overall growth of the institution and student success. In addition to providing details on the upcoming 10th Anniversary events to raise funds for student scholarships, the group engaged in conversations on the status of the fundraising for the Lower Valley Schoolhouse Restoration Project. Members were reminded about the history of the project, project expenses, and monies raised to date. The group discussed the next steps to include the overall viability of the project given the cost estimate to renovate the building compared to the balance in the account. A task list was generated to include options on relocating the museum to other historical sites, requesting a second restoration proposal, and ensuring there is a comprehensive list of inventoried items. The project will be brought back for discussion at the Friends of Nighthawks next meeting in September where a final decision on the project will be determined. 8 of the 10 members from the Lower Valley School Restoration Committee attended this meeting.
May 2017
Dr. Veronica Garcia, President, hosted a Meet & Greet session with the Friends of Nighthawks members on May 31. This was the first time that Dr. Garcia, who assumed the position as president in March 2017, had led the group in a discussion. She learned about each member and the constituent group(s) they represent. She also provided members with college updates and highlights to include an accreditation status report and a preliminary overview and timeline of the new building that NLC will receive as a result of the recent Alamo Colleges District bond that was passed. Garcia then engaged the group in a discussion about current workforce trends and in-demand programs. Dr. Garcia will be looking for input from these members and their community constituents as NLC grows and expands program offerings.
August 2016
Members of the Friends of Nighthawks held their Summer 2016 meeting on August 3. Dr. Cleary, the interim president, provided the group with college updates and highlights. Specifically, Dr. Cleary informed the group of the college’s candidacy status that was granted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in June 2016 and he discussed how candidacy status will positively impact the community and the students that the institution serves. Additionally, Dr. Cleary updated the members on the college’s upcoming ten-year milestone. Activities and celebrations for employees, students, and the community are being planned and will be hosted throughout 2017. Members of the group engaged in dialogue about getting community partners involved in these events and other college activities.
March 2016
At the March 23 meeting, members of the Friends of Nighthawks met with Dr. Cleary, Interim President, and the college administrative team. Dr. Cleary highlighted accomplishments from 2015 and discussed future plans for the institution. He provided a recap on the institution’s accreditation journey, to include the February 2016 SACSCOC candidacy site visit. The group also discussed their future goals and focus some of which included a recap of soft skills that NLC graduates should achieve for gainful employment in the community, as well as the discussion on future academic programs at NLC.
October 2015
Members from the Friends of Nighthawks (FON) President’s Advisory Council met on October 28 and were hosted by the City of Cibolo. This month, the group learned more about the demographics and economic profile of Cibolo, TX, one of the nine metrocom cities NLC serves. Additionally, Dr. Wes Adams, assistant chair in the Kinesiology department, provided members an overview of the college’s Wellness Facility and its amenities.
A community wellness survey was being distributed to the group to learn more about how NLC can meet the needs in health, fitness, and wellness in the areas in which the college serves.
July 2015
Hosted by Universal City, the meeting began with a high-level overview of the Universal City demographics to include population, households, ethnicity, income, educational attainment, labor force, current college enrollment of UC students attending Northeast Lakeview College, possible future Northeast Lakeview College attendees and socio-economic data. Additionally, employers in attendance were asked to provide feedback on the soft skills that need to be developed to increase the value of NLC students in the workforce and discuss the specific soft skill(s) that their business or industry needs to see in college graduates.
April 22, 2015
The Friends of Nighthawks held its April meeting on the 22. The group comes together monthly to strategize on how to promote awareness of community colleges, specifically Northeast Lakeview College, and to advance the mission of the institution. Over the last few months, the meetings have focused on information gathering and assessing the community perception of community colleges and NLC.
The group will now begin focusing on scholarships and increasing the use of campus resources and facilities.
February 25, 2015
Friends of Nighthawks, the NLC President’s Advisory Council, held its 3rd meeting on February 25. At this meeting, members were given an in-depth presentation on NLC’s history, student demographics, and the communities in which the college serves. Members of the committee will now survey their local constituents and garner feedback regarding the current perceptions of community colleges, the awareness of NLC, and aspirations for their local institution of higher education.
January 2015
At the January 28 meeting, members of the Friends of Nighthawks decided that Kim Turner from the City of Universal City would serve as the inaugural Chair of the group. College updates and highlights were shared, along with upcoming campus activities and events. Members also discussed the importance of two-way communication between Northeast Lakeview College and the communities that the college serves. The group discussed the meeting scheduled for 2015 and began a preliminary dialogue on the group’s overall objectives for the year.
December 2014
The Friends of Nighthawks held its inaugural meeting on December 3, 2014. The group gathered for the first time and learned more about each other and the organization or city that each represented. The Friends of Nighthawks Advisory Group was formed as a result of the Community Listening Sessions hosted in Summer and Fall 2014. At this first meeting, members of the group were provided with a summary of these Community Listening Sessions to include salient points and key takeaways. The group concluded the meeting with a brief discussion on next steps and requested that an overview of the college include student demographic information and a history of the institution be shared at an upcoming meeting.