@PimaNews

Nov. 14, 2024

College Updates
- EPAF to Replace ePARs for Most Personnel Action Requests
- Leadership Dialogues with Department Heads
- AZ NOSS Free Virtual Conference on Students’ Post-pandemic Needs
- Cababi Art & Literary Magazine Submissions Due Dec. 15
- Get Help with Your Community Engagement
- Social Security 101 Virtual Workshop
- Join Pima Foundation Team for Nov. 23 El Tour de Tucson
- ARC Seeks Donations for Winter Wonder Bags
- College Earns International Green College Award
- Pima Honored at NACCE Conference
- Minimum Wage Increase for City of Tucson
- Submit a Pima Story Idea
Pima Arts News
Pima Athletics News
Employee Wellness
- Sign Up for Virtual Workshops and Challenges

College Updates

EPAF to Replace ePARs for Most Personnel Action Requests
The Electronic Personnel Action Form (EPAF) will replace ePARs for the majority of personnel action requests effective Dec. 1, 2024.

Employees who currently create or approve ePARs should attend an EPAF training session in the next few weeks. Enrollment is via My Career Center: Introduction to EPAF (Electronic Personnel Action Form) [FY25].

If you have any questions, please email esc-employee-processing@pima.edu.

Leadership Dialogues with Department Heads
Below are the forthcoming workshops for department heads.

Foundations of Department Headship – CQI Basics: Are you curious about the finer details of making curriculum changes or starting a new program at the College? When it comes to program review, do you have questions about how the process works? For answers to these questions and others related to curriculum, assessment, additional locations and aspects of accreditation, join the Curriculum Quality Improvement (CQI) team at 1 p.m., Nov. 14 on Google Meet.

The session also will cover the systems used at the College, such as Curriculog, eLumen and the catalog during this session.

Additional Locations & Teaching Sites Department Heads: An Initial Three-Part Series:

I. Supporting Faculty at Additional Locations & Teaching Sites (ALTS) Courses: 2 p.m., Nov. 15 on Google Meet; this is the first of three trainings covering essential DH expectations for ALTS course preparation and management. This training on dual enrollment programs will cover the following topics:
- Understanding the definitions of an Additional Location vs. a Teaching Site
- Preparing ALTS faculty by reviewing the ALTS Course Preparation Form
- Assisting DHs in setting course and instructor expectations for ALTS faculty
II. Facilities and Sites Preparation and Documentation for Additional Locations & Teaching Sites (ALTS) Courses: 2:30 p.m., Nov. 22 on Google Meet; this is the second of three trainings covering essential DH expectations for ALTS course preparation and management. This training, on managing facilities and related compliance documentation, will focus on:
- Understanding the definitions of an Additional Location vs. a Teaching Site
- Reviewing the approval process for off-site teaching locations through our Facilities’ Site
- Collecting necessary documentation, including safety compliance information in required areas

AZ NOSS Free Virtual Conference on Students’ Post-pandemic Needs
Arizona National Organization for Student Success (AZ NOSS) hosts a free virtual Hot Topic Conference for college professionals on Nov. 15.

The Fall 2024 {Hot Topic Conference}: Meeting the Needs of Students Post-pandemic will be 10-11:30 a.m. Participants are eligible to receive CEUs.

Cababi Art & Literary Magazine Submissions Due Dec. 15
Cababi Art & Literary Magazine is now accepting art and literary submissions for the 2024-2025 edition. Submit your artwork, photography, creative writing or performance videos by Dec. 15 here. If you're interested in volunteering for Cababi, please contact Molly McCloy, mamccloy@pima.edu.

Get Help with Your Community Engagement
The Community Engagement dashboard is accessible on MyPima. There you can:

Learn more about Pima’s college-wide community engagement and the resources available to you.
Report your community engagement for posting to the college-wide calendar.
Sign up for volunteer opportunities to share your subject-matter expertise.
Share your volunteer opportunities and outreach photos.

Learn more about these opportunities and sign up here. If you have questions, contact Joi Stirrup, jstirrup@pima.edu.

Social Security 101 Virtual Workshop
The College has partnered with the U.S. Social Security Administration to host a free virtual workshop about Social Security, 11 a.m.-noon, Nov. 15. SSA Public Affairs Specialist Jack Burns will cover several topics, including:

When are you eligible to receive retirement benefits?
How does early retirement affect your benefits?
Do you qualify for disability, survivor and spouse benefits?
How do you get the most from your benefits?
What is the future of Social Security?
When should you file for Medicare?

Create a free “My Social Security” account online, then print your Social Security statement to have for the workshop. If you have questions, contact esc-benefits@pima.edu.

Join Pima Foundation Team for Nov. 23 El Tour de Tucson
Tucson cyclists and runners, are you ready to pedal for a purpose? Sign up to be on the Pima Foundation El Tour de Tucson team. Register online for the Nov. 23 event. Join us in our mission to make education accessible and life changing. If you have questions, email Savannah Franco, savannah@pimafoundation.org.

ARC Seeks Donations for Winter Wonder Bags
The ARC Resource Center and Food Pantry, which each month hands out 500 food bags to PCC students, would like to give out a Winter Wonder Bag along with each weekly food bag. Each Winter Wonder Bag, including a $15 turkey/ham/veggie platter voucher, as well as a selection of essential holiday meal items, will help a student over Winter Break, when ARC is closed.

ARC is having a fundraiser through Dec. 2 to help it fund its goal of providing 200 Winter Wonder Bags. You can make a one-time, tax-deductible donation through the Pima Foundation website (Comment: "Winter Wonder Bag") or sign up here for the employee payroll deduction program.

Or, you can drop off food items at designated locations. For details, see the Nov. 5 Pima-All email for details or email pcc-arcpantry@pima.edu.

College Earns International Green College Award
The College recently was awarded a 2024 International Green College Award for its work on Target 2 in Pima’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan (infusing climate action through the curriculum). This work is supported by StAR and is being done by a group of dedicated instructors – Maria Pereira, Crystal McKenna, Charles MacCabe, Donya Meggs, Eric Aldrich, Noah Fay, Tiffany Young, Elliot Mead, Mary Prasciunas, Franscisca James-Hernandez, Katy Brown, Cora Varas-Nelson, Michael Esser, Anne Huth, Dustin Fancher, Richard McAllister, Chelsea James and Emily Halvorson-Otts.

The award was announced at the Green Schools Conference, part of NYC Climate Week and officially associated with UNESCO.

The Pima group is using a General Education approach to educate all students on the aspects of climate change most appropriate to their field of study.

Pima Honored at NACCE Conference
The College recently was honored at the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) conference.

Pima was 2024 NACCE Entrepreneurial College of the Year Runner-Up and received an honorable mention for Distinguished Achievement as an Entrepreneurial College. This video, highlighting key strengths in Pima’s program participation, community impact, and leadership involvement, was created for the final selection process.

Also at the conference, in the Skilled Trades Pitch competition, a Pima team earned a $25,000 award to expand the PimaSTART program, which provides training for those working with shelter providers. Team members were Business Department Head Vivian Knight, Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning Amanda Abens, Pima Foundation President and CEO Marcy Euler, Director of Innovation and the Small Business Development Center Sue Oliver, Academic Dean James Craig and Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development and Innovation Ian Roark, Ed.D.

Minimum Wage Increase for City of Tucson
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the minimum wage in the City of Tucson will increase to $15.00 per hour. While Arizona’s state minimum wage will be $14.70 per hour, the City of Tucson’s higher rate of $15.00 per hour applies to employees who work at least five hours per pay cycle within Tucson’s city boundaries. This increase will impact temporary employees paid under the Unclassified Pay Schedule. If you have questions regarding this change, please contact Human Resources, hr@pima.edu.

Submit a Pima Story Idea
The College wants to highlight the incredible achievements of our outstanding students and alums. We need your help! We want stories to inspire current and potential students, stories that deserve to be shared with our community. If you know of any inspiring success stories or remarkable accomplishments by our students or graduates, we would love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your story ideas. Together let’s shine a spotlight on their achievements and highlight the diverse and remarkable journeys in our Pima community. If you have questions, contact Web Systems.

Pima Arts News

Here are some ongoing and upcoming Pima Arts events:

Through Jan. 9: “Neda Contreras - Paintings,” Desert Vista Art Gallery, Pueblo Building, Desert Vista Campus; this exhibit showcases Contreras’s oil paintings, which blend whimsical beach scenes with skeletons, and lowrider scenes depicting the society and culture in the Southwest, rooted in Mexican Folk Art traditions.
Through Jan. 12: “I|AM: Muxe, S/He, Him, Family: Graciela Iturbide, Vittorio D’Onofri, Liz Cohen, Jess T. Dugan, Mariette Pathy Allen, Catherine Opie, Keri Pickett, Roy Blakey, John Kirby and poet TC Tolbert, Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, ; Reception: 5-7 p.m., Nov. 14, Lecture, 6 p.m. by Vittorio D’Onofri”; 6 p.m., Dec. 5 Poetry Reading / Artist Talk: TC Tolbert and Liz Cohen, with Eric Crosley (virtually).
Nov. 21-24: Pima Theater presents “Wandless: Power Beyond Spells”, Thursday-Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday 2 p.m., ASL Night: Nov. 22, Black Box Theatre, West Campus Center for the Arts; tickets: $5/$10, PCC students receive one free ticket, tickets at eventbrite.com; Box Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. and one hour before each performance.
Nov. 23: Piano Day, 3 p.m.; piano faculty, talented students and accomplished alumni perform music of French composers, including Debussy works for piano solos, piano duets and two pianos, four-hands.

Unless noted otherwise, Pima Arts programs and exhibitions are free to the public.

The Bernal Gallery will be closed on Nov. 28-29 in observance of the Thanksgiving Day Holiday and Dec. 23-Jan. 3 for Winter Break.

Stay up-to-date on upcoming Pima Arts events by checking the Pima Arts Calendar. For questions, contact 520-206-6986 or centerforthearts@pima.edu.

Pima Athletics News

Pima sports teams have these home games this week, including Men’s Basketball hosting the Aztec Fall Classic:

Nov. 14-16: Men’s Basketball Aztec Fall Classic, Aztec Gymnasium-West Campus, Pima vs. Dallas College Eastfield 4 p.m. Nov. 14; Pima vs. Wenatchee Valley College 4 p.m. Nov. 15; Pima vs. Big Bend Community College, 4 p.m. Nov. 16
Nov. 14: Women’s Basketball vs. Illinois Central College, Aztec Gymnasium-West Campus, 6 p.m.

Keep up with Pima Athletics at pimaaztecs.com.

Employee Wellness

Sign Up for Virtual Workshops and Challenges
Sign up online for Employee Wellness virtual workshops and challenges.

Visit the Employee Wellness Intranet page to access free resources and tools. Employees also are encouraged to visit the Employee Wellness website for additional resources, news and information on the Pima Healthy Rewards Program and wellness-related activities that qualify for Pima Wellness Activity points.

@PimaNews is an electronic newsletter for employee news of Pima Community College. The Marketing Office publishes this e-newsletter every Thursday, except when the College is closed for a holiday or break, during the semester and every other week during the summer. Please send announcements and news items – 75 words or fewer – to pimanews@pima.edu by noon on Monday. Check any links before sending. Back issues are available on the @PimaNews webpage. The newsletter also accepts submissions about Pima employee accomplishments.