www.thechowchillanews.com/109/story/4698.html -
[Cached Version]
Last Visited: 3/11/2009
It's the end of the first week of the fall semester and Dr. Marianne Tortorici is quickly earning her stripes as Merced College's new vice president of Instruction.
Arriving in Merced in early July, Dr. Tortorici has had to hit the ground running.
With 19 new faculty hires, four new Deans of Instruction, and the challenges of balancing a tight budget with increasing demands for services, it's a job best suited for a magician.
But, working Merced College's new vice president for instruction magic is what she is expecting of herself and her faculty."We're making some significant changes in the way the College has conducted its business over the years, and change isn't always easy," Dr. Tortorici said.
"However, I am impressed with the degree of professionalism among faculty and staff and I know that everyone is up to the task."Among the changes coming in the future are increases in online classes for the community, which Dr. Tortorici sees as a natural move in the computer age.
"Anything we can do to address the needs of our students, we will do," she said.Dr.
Tortorici comes to Merced College from Victor Valley College in Victorville where she has served as the deputy superintendent and executive vice president of Instruction.
She has spent the past 17 years in college administration, including being an interim vice president of Instruction at San Diego City College.
She began her community college career as a radiology sciences instructor and taught for 23 years."Merced College has a really solid foundation in place with people who are dedicated to education.
One of the things I investigated when I applied for this position was the College's accreditation report, which demonstrates that Merced College is committed to excellence and that told me that this would be great place to work.
I know I will learn from everyone I will work with, and I hope to be able to give something back."When she first visited Merced, she was struck by the friendliness of the local people, many of whom offered to help her move into her new house.
They smiled at her in the grocery store, saying "Thank you and come again."
They waved at her as she walked through her neighborhood.
In short, they were just being themselves."There's something about how people live in a rural environment," she said.
"Larger cities make strangers of people, I think."Dr.
Tortorici describes herself as an "armchair athlete" and she intends to see a lot of Blue Devil sports in the coming months, and maybe take in a few Fresno Grizzlies games as well."I also want to explore the natural area, the lakes and the mountains, and dive into local history," she said.As she continues to settle into her new job and her new community, she's developing an appreciation for the local area and for the culture of Merced College as well."The faculty and staff are dedicated professionals," she said.
...
It's the end of the first week of the fall semester and Dr. Marianne Tortorici is quickly earning her stripes as Merced College's new vice president of Instruction.
Arriving in Merced in early July, Dr. Tortorici has had to hit the ground running.
With 19 new faculty hires, four new Deans of Instruction, and the challenges of balancing a tight budget with increasing demands for services, it's a job best suited for a magician.
But, working Merced College's new vice president for instruction magic is what she is expecting of herself and her faculty.
"We're making some significant changes in the way the College has conducted its business over the years, and change isn't always easy," Dr. Tortorici said.
"However, I am impressed with the degree of professionalism among faculty and staff and I know that everyone is up to the task."
Among the changes coming in the future are increases in online classes for the community, which Dr. Tortorici sees as a natural move in the computer age.
"Anything we can do to address the needs of our students, we will do," she said.
Dr. Tortorici comes to Merced College from Victor Valley College in Victorville where she has served as the deputy superintendent and executive vice president of Instruction.
She has spent the past 17 years in college administration, including being an interim vice president of Instruction at San Diego City College.
She began her community college career as a radiology sciences instructor and taught for 23 years.
...
Dr. Tortorici describes herself as an "armchair athlete" and she intends to see a lot of Blue Devil sports in the coming months, and maybe take in a few Fresno Grizzlies games as well.
"I also want to explore the natural area, the lakes and the mountains, and dive into local history," she said.
As she continues to settle into her new job and her new community, she's developing an appreciation for the local area and for the culture of Merced College as well.
"The faculty and staff are dedicated professionals," she said.
8 online sources [ view sources ]
Profile is not claimed [ claim profile ]
