Fall is in the Air!

Good Afternoon!

I hope that all of you had a restful Labor Day weekend and enjoyed the great weather!  For me the Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and the start of the fall.  Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year as it signifies the start of many great things including football season (Go Bears!), changing of the leaves, bringing out the sweatshirts on cool evenings, and the new staff to the Division of Academic Success.

Please join me in welcoming BriAnne Nichols as the new Director, Student Support Services.  BriAnne has been working with the program on a limited basis as the Student Success Strategist from Enrollment Services.  She brings a wealth of information to the program and we are happy to have her join our team on a full-time basis.  BriAnne's office is in A106, ext. 3484 and her e-mail is bnichols@triton.edu.

**SPECIAL THANK YOU!!**

I would like to thank the Library faculty and staff for accommodating the Triton College K-8 Partnership meeting in the Silent Study Room this past Tuesday.  Hosting this event in the Library was a great way to showcase our beautiful facilities and our committed staff.  Special thank you to the ETRC staff for welcoming this group during their tour of our facilities.

***REMINDERS***

Just a couple of quick reminders regarding up coming events -

Please join the Triton College community in celebrating the annual Corn Roast which will be held on Wednesday 9/14 in the mounds.

The College will also be hosting the Fall Family Fun Fest on Saturday, October 1st from 10am-2pm.  Come to the botanical gardens and celebrate the changing weather with a variety of activities and goodies!  The Division of Academic Success will be hosting a book making activity at this event - visit our table or let me know if you would like to volunteer your time!

As you may be aware, the College has started the process of implementing a new ERP system on campus to replace RALPH.  This process is in the VERY beginning stages and will take years to complete.  However, all staff should be aware that this project is underway.  On September 14th-16th various vendors will be on campus to demonstrate their products and answer questions regarding our needs for a new system.  More information on the project and the ERP teams that have been created to support the project can be found at the Triton intranet pages (trojans).


**DID YOU KNOW?**

Triton College has a Greening the Campus Committee?  This committee meets the second Monday of each month at 1pm in the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Rm. E210.  Please feel free to join the committee if you are interested in participating.

Vice President Doug Olson recently defended his doctoral dissertation?  Dr. Olson completed his Ed.D. at Northern Illinois University.  If you get a chance please congratulate Dr. Doug Olson on this amazing accomplishment!

Triton College requires all incoming students to take the Placement Exam prior to enrollment?  For more information please contact Dr. Amanda Turner in Enrollment Services.

Triton College is hosting the One Book One Triton event which will focus on the book entitled The Last Lecture.  For more information please contact English faculty member Dr. Renee Wright.


**CUSTOMER SERVICE**

Please remember to wear your staff ID badges at all times while "on the clock".  If you still need an employee ID please visit HR as soon as possible.

Remember kindness, smiles, empathy and understanding go a long way in defusing situations with upset students/faculty/staff/etc.  Triton College employees, especially those within the Division of Academic Success should strive for high quality, high energy, friendly customer service at all times.


**FINAL NOTES**

As we begin to embrace the many changes that the fall season brings, I cannot help but start planning for winter.  Please make sure that you have all of your contact information updated with your supervisor and on your department calling tree.  The weather in the Chicago area is like our beloved Chicago Bears - you hope for the best, but prepare for the worst (remember I am a life-long, die-hard fan).

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the hard work that you do on a regular basis to support the Triton College community.  I am proud of the employees within the Division of Academic Success and am confident that the role you play in the lives of our students truly impacts their success.  THANK YOU!!!