• Reduce waste. Buy products with less packaging or packaging that can be recycled. Recycle everything you possibly can—paper, plastics, glass, cardboard, and metal—and compost plant-based food scraps to make a great soil conditioner for your garden.

• Reuse plastic grocery and shopping bags. They make great liners for small wastebaskets.

• Empty smaller wastebaskets into a larger trash can. That way you don’t have to throw away the bag used to line the smaller basket.

• Choose the right size bag. Using bags that are larger than you need is simply a waste of resources and money.

• Compact your trash by hand. Reduce the volume of bulky items such as milk cartons by pressing or stepping on them.

• Consider investing in a trash compactor. It will reduce the volume of trash and the number and size of bags you use.

• Buy greener trash bags. Purchase bags made with recycled materials, degradable plastic, or biodegradable plastic.

• Read a good book (non-work related, of course)

• Keep up with world news, pop culture and politics

• Travel for pleasure

• Volunteer your time

• Talk to people with whom you don’t work

• Enjoy a hobby

—Submitted by the MCC Wellness Committee (04.28.10)

In a Mitchell Columns article at about this time last summer, I reflected on a few of the items that the College had achieved in the recently completed academic year. In this article, I would like to take a similar approach and list important accomplishments and initiatives that have begun and will continue in the fall. Mitchell Community College is a learning-centered institution and that statement is obvious when we think in terms of our interactions with students. Learning-centered not only applies to our students, but to the organization as well. In my opinion, an organization that is learning-centered in its simplest terms means:

1. We observe and take note of changes.

2. We monitor our performance relative to changes.

3. We strive to continuously improve so that we can meet, and hopefully exceed, our students and other stakeholders expectations.

4. We celebrate our successes.

It is sometimes very challenging to analyze the complex issues that affect our students, our instructional delivery and all of the support required to meet needs. We have a lot to think about and work through as we strive to serve our students and community. What continues to impress me about the faculty and staff at Mitchell is the willingness, despite all of our challenges, to move forward with projects and initiatives that lead to greater service to our students and community. I believe that we are truly a learning-centered organization. There are many examples of how we are striving to improve on what we are doing to remain relevant to our students and community. My abbreviated list for this year includes:

• WiFi roll-out, Singularity, E-Commerce, New Datatel UI, Informer, the virtualization of the network and 19 new projection systems as well as the installation of 400 new PCs campus-wide thanks to the efforts of our IT and Business and Finance Departments

• Substantial development and implementation of meaningful Student Learning Outcomes (SLO), Program Review System and General Education assessment thanks to the work of our Institutional Research Division, Deans and Program Coordinators

• An iPad initiative for instructional and student use thanks to our Instructional Technology committee and faculty members

• The new classroom building at the Mooresville Center with new instructional space for both curriculum and continuing education

• New HVAC and welding space for instructional and industry training

• New program offering in Fire Protection Technology

• New equipment campus-wide in a variety of areas

• Continued expansion of CTL activities

• Success with the statewide performance measures

• Transition from Blackboard to Moodle

• Mentoring program for new faculty members