My message to students is simple.  Study hard and take every advantage to expand your knowledge base both formally and informally.  All College employees work hard to make sure all students have a meaningful learning experience.

Learning occurs in many forms, and there are opportunities to get involved in Campus Life.  Various activities are available, some that coincide with your curriculum majors.  So, to students, step outside the comfort zone and embrace something new.  Participate in study groups and develop new friendships.  Get to know the talented faculty who work hard to provide you with the most current instructional content.  Additionally, establish stretch goals that reflect excellence in everything you do.  We want to see you enjoy your experience and graduate with a new and useful set of credentials that will help you succeed.  That is definitely something worth the excitement.

To our faculty and students, I offer my sincere best wishes for a successful academic year.  College life is exciting.  Enjoy it to the fullest.

Is this good?  It may be the new norm, but is it necessary?  Although I found it to be true, I believe it is not necessary if we take time for discipline and focus.  I’ll confess, my attention span is minimal, and that’s not good.  Before I lose you, let me mention and recommend this book for your summer reading.  The book is titled Touchpoints.

TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments (J-B Warren Bennis Series) by Douglas R. Conant and Mette Norgaard (May 17, 2011)

The prescription I wrote to myself was to schedule time on my daily calendar to concentrate on something meaningful and for that period of time attempt to remain free from interruption.  It may be difficult, but I’m trying it.

For certain, human interaction changed.  We need to make the most of every interaction.  The world around us is different and Touchpoints, a very easy and practical read, gets to some core principles on human interaction and the importance of genuine communication that forms the core of exemplary leadership.

My summer reading list contains two additional books, and if they provide interesting insights, you may read something about them in my next blog, because we’re approaching the half way point of four minutes, and I definitely don’t want to lose you.  Stay tuned.  Enjoy your summer.

– Tom Leitzel

There are four main ways to connect with a Smarthinking tutor online:

• Connect with an e-structor now allows the student to meet with a tutor online, post a question, and have a conversation back and forth. The wait is usually about 2.5 minutes to connect with an online tutor this way.
• Schedule a personal session allows the student to set up a half hour block of time to meet with a Smarthinking tutor. It is similar to “connect with an e-structor now” but is pre-arranged.
• Submit your writing allows students to submit a writing sample to a tutor and receive feedback on that sample, usually within 24 hours.
• Submit a question allows students to submit a question and receive a comprehensive response, usually within 24 hours.

Note: Each TCL student is given 2 hours of access to Smarthinking per year (through June 30, 2012). Students can purchase more on their own through Smarthinking. Please view the LRC’s Smarthinking Tutoring LibGuide for information on accessing Smarthinking, and which subjects are available in each resource.

As we begin the summer term, we feel the pressure of an institution that has grown remarkably fast – 65 percent in the last six years – while dealing with lingering budget cuts. Declines in financial support strain a productive institution of its energy and momentum. Despite all this, the faculty continues to advance and deliver a quality education.

 
TCL is moving forward. We are developing a comprehensive facility master plan that will help guide the future direction for building the physical infrastructure. Our strategic planning includes new program exploration that will complement regional initiatives and support economic development.

 
Of noteworthy importance is the new QuickJobs Training Center in Colleton County scheduled for dedication in June. It is truly a pleasure to work with committed leaders in all of our counties who value and support TCL’s vast array of program offerings. That support takes bold action during tough economic times. Our job is to create the infrastructure to support development which leads to a better community. Serving our communities requires courageous leadership and resources. Without question, we have the leadership.

 
We need additional resources to continue to turn out the successful graduates who contribute to the economic well-being of our community. In the near term you will begin to see creative ways to garner the financial resources we need to operate and expand. Education is probably the wisest investment anyone can make. Please support TCL with an investment mentality, and I promise you, the return will be noticeable and tangible. It’s truly about making smart decisions to amass a smart society. I appreciate your support in helping us build a better community for everyone.

Well, in a bold move at the beginning of the season, Michael Jordan, the Chairman and CEO of the Charlotte Bobcats published a full page letter in the Charlotte Observer on October 24, 2010. In the letter Jordan stated his commitment to fans to keep a line of communication open so they can react to the changes he made to the franchise. He claimed the team and the organization are better than any one player or any one employee. Further, he claimed that Dean Smith’s teams at the University of North Carolina won because they played as one. Jordan adopted the mantra: Win as One.

I found this interesting and commendable. I like team concepts. I like team spirit and I like success and giving credit to the team. At TCL, the team I play for, I value those who view us as a team. Teams give it their best. In the long season, we will have victories that we celebrate and we will have some defeats. We have fans who support us, and we need to develop a huge fan base, and we owe them our best. Frankly, it’s part of our accountability to the community and most importantly, our students.

Winning at TCL occurs on so many fronts. Winning can be accomplished by giving a wayward student directions to her or his next class. Wining means helping a classmate understand a difficult concept. Winning can be as simple as correcting errors or an assignment or suggesting ways to improve one’s writing or overall communication. Winning is all about getting a job after one graduates. Winning goes beyond the arena where people watch passively. Winning means accepting botched plays or turnovers in the spirit that we all learn from mistakes.

The Charlotte Bobcats did not make it to the playoffs this year. Truly, it’s a very competitive environment. It’s also a business, one that fits nicely into the entertainment industry. Michael Jordan knows what it takes to win. His day will come in Charlotte. Our day at TCL is here. We are not in a scrimmage. It’s time to get serious about helping students succeed because the full court press requires us to see our students through to graduation, which is the ultimate win. Our stretch goal is to see our students secure and keep a job. That’s what it’s all about.

Our promise to our students is providing opportunities. We will coach you, and hopefully as active players, our students will work hard to navigate the demands and rigor of the curricula. The reward comes when we all work hard as a team. Our promise, like Mr. Jordan’s, is we will win as one.

How many of you know someone with diabetes?  I’m sure everyone who reads this blog knows someone who experiences some type of diabetes.

Diabetes is simply your body’s inability to store energy (glucose).  Consider these points:

• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic lower extremity amputation among adults.
• 18 million American children and adults have been diagnosed with diabetes.
• 7 million are undiagnosed
• An estimated 79 million Americans have a condition referred to as pre-diabetes.
• If the current trend continues in the next three decades, 1 in 3 Americans will develop diabetes sometime in their lifetime.
• Those with diabetes will lose, on average, 10 – 15 years of their life.

Here’s the good news:

90% who are at risk can turn this around.

With exercise and a healthy diet, diabetes can be prevented.

Education and awareness are important.  That’s our goal.  Come see us this Thursday, April 21 on the Beaufort Campus and get your STOP DIABETES wristband for a small donation to a good cause.  There are causes worthy of our time and sacrifice in the name of community service.

We can indeed STOP DIABETES.

To get more information or make an online donation, go to www.diabetes.org/savannahkap

I have this uncanny ability to always sit or stand next to the individual who forgets to turn off her or his mobile device during quiet times, like in church or in meetings or other public gatherings. The phone rings and the person ignores it, and people look at me like it’s my phone. It’s embarrassing.

One time, a friend handed me his belongings and said, “I’ll be right back.” Naturally I held his items. Guess what? Yes, during a very quiet time at an important public gathering, his phone rang and people looked at me. While this could be a great practical joke, it was not intended as such. I felt stupid. I didn’t want to answer his phone, and I didn’t know how to mute it.

It’s interesting that technology requires us to consider new sets of protocols. I have trouble sitting next to someone in the airport who is having a private conversation. Do people really have to talk so loud so that everyone is involved in the conversation? Why do we have this desire to be connected to each other constantly? The supermarket checkout line is no time to talk about your social life. At least wait until you are in the car. Is there any such thing as private time anymore?

I think it’s time to write the book on electronic manners and appropriate social technological protocol. Don’t get me started on Facebook and the postings people make. It’s so easy to gripe, but remember, the world is watching.

So what’s my point? Let’s approach our technology with courtesy, always remembering that others are watching or listening. Most of all, be respectful in your communication – all forms of it – always.

This past week, a dear friend of the College and a member of the TCL Foundation sent me a link to a website from the Friends of Heritage Preservation. It contained several meaningful quotes about the importance of heritage. One was:

“The past informs who we are and inspires who we are capable of becoming.”

Think about this powerful statement. Think about this statement in the context of the past and the struggles of others who made life simpler and abundant for us. How cannot one be grateful?

That is the importance of heritage, as we look back with an inspired and grateful heart. Each of us has a personal heritage that may have been influenced or inspired by our own heroes. To TCL, our heritage was formed by an individual with the heart of a servant who sacrificed so others could prosper. Unequivocally, our Mather School past provides a grounding so we can make a difference and inspire others to make a difference. To the beautiful women of the Mather School, I thank you for inspiring us to become better through a platform of learning and caring. I will always treasure our heritage and hope that we use our capabilities to achieve new levels of inspired greatness.

TCL will celebrate its founding with the annual Mather School Alumni Celebration and Bell ringing Ceremony Friday, February 25 at 1:30 p.m. Please contact the TCL Foundation at 843.525.8294 for more information or visit

Our expectations for immediate information are slightly skewed these days. We expect to get and receive responses almost immediately. That expectation applies to our students as well. We try very hard to respond promptly. Again, what has happened? I guess we live life in an instant message environment.

TCL’s enrollment grew 65% in the recent six years, which made us the fastest growing Technical College in South Carolina and number 26 of the fastest growing colleges in the nation among community colleges our same size. During those same six years, TCL had no increases in staff positions. The severe budget cuts did not allow us to expand in the same proportions for support staff positions. That simply means that everyone is working harder serving more students – and at the same time – working smarter. Technology helps us accomplish smarter working habits; yet, it’s difficult to provide that instant response that clients demand especially during peak times. We try hard to please, and we’re getting better.

New technology will be added very soon in the form of software upgrades to improve TCL’s voice mail system. The upgrade is needed and should help us collect and coordinate our responses to incoming phone calls, thanks to economic stimulus dollars provided through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). We believe this is a wise investment. Still, there are other forms of inquiry that fly at us from every direction, and we are giving it our best to respond.

Technology offers solutions. It also creates new pressures and new expectations. For me, only when there is a device that sounds a warning signal when I leave my house in the morning without my PDA will the technology circle be complete. For now I guess I’ll have to revert to tying the string around my finger. Now there’s another form of technology – the string. Remember when string was the connective device we once tied between tin cans to experiment sound wave communication?

While I Breathe I Hope. That’s powerful. It’s optimistic and future oriented. It sends a message of a better day ahead. Leaders, many of whom heard these words spoken from the podium in Columbia are optimistic and filled with hope. In a general sense, I truly believe that people are optimistic and we all have a natural inclination toward a bright future. In our present struggles, whatever they may be, we must remain hopeful and focused on a brighter future. I know that’s the position of our Governor, and we need to unite in a spirit of optimistic cooperation to solve our present day challenges and achieve a prosperous future. It can be done, I hope. I really do hope.

On January 17, we pause to recognize the efforts of a great leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. This man was filled with hope. He breathed hope. He said, in one of his famous quotes, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

I hope we all use the day and the season to reflect on hope. Visionary leaders keep focused on a better day, and they are relentless in making sure their hopes and dreams become realized. It’s a good model for all of us. Dedicate your efforts to noble causes that build better and stronger communities for all. Dream big and remain hopeful.