Employee Engagement Day

The 2020 Palo Alto College Cares Employee Engagement Day provides the PAC family an opportunity to build community as we celebrate our accomplishments, share best practices, and have a little fun. For this year’s virtual event, we will offer three themes with multiple session options.

Please remember to register for your sessions, so that presenters can plan accordingly. You have the option of staying with one theme, or you can change themes throughout the day.

Schedule

Opening Session

9–10:15 a.m.

College-wide opening session with remarks from college leadership and a special performance.

Break (Zoom-free)

10:15–10:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

10:30–11:30 a.m.

Work-Life Balance

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Free Flow Friday

Yoga, stretching, meditation, and exercise techniques

Hosted by: Shanea Allen and Timothy Castillo

Community Building

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Water Cooler Talk

Building community is essential at any workplace. A strong community is the hallmark of the PAC work experience. This session will be a virtual re-creation of the lighthearted, spontaneous conversations we are used to having at our campus. Bring your favorite story to share on these topics:

Your Favorite Quarantine Entertainment. Net streaming movies, book reading, web browsing or any other activity you are taking part in, how are you keeping yourself entertained?

First thing I will do when the pandemic is over. COVID restrictions are keeping us from doing some of the things we love most. What is that one thing that COVID has kept you from doing that you will be ready to jump into when it’s all over. A concert? A plane trip somewhere? Attend a sports event?

My Home Office. Paint us a virtual picture of your home office and the creativity you have brought into this home design project. What challenges have you encountered? What’s the upside to working from home?

Join us for some fun and funny stories sprinkled with lots of sharing and caring.

Hosted by: Tony Villanueva

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Speed Meeting

Sure, you may have heard of someone's name, perhaps even know what they do on campus, but a person is not just their job/role. Come to this session to play a game of getting to know each other and get connected to a new support system.

Hosted by: Helena Fischer

Remote Working, Teaching, and Learning

10:30-11:30 a.m.

You, Too, Can YouTube

Looking for a way to share videos easily without taking up space on your computer (or Zoom cloud)? Join us for an instructional session on how YouTube can be useful to faculty, staff, and students. This session will cover creating a YouTube account, downloading videos from Zoom, uploading videos to YouTube, and using captions and audio transcripts for accessibility purposes.

Hosted by: Mallorie Alvarez, Instructional Technologist, and Amanda Harrison, Academic Assessment Coordinator

10:30-11:30 a.m.

TidyUP

TidyUP is a Canvas tool that allows you to scan your course, identify unused files, and delete them. TidyUP is already built into your Canvas courses. This webinar will demonstrate how it works. This session will enable participants to:
- locate and activate TidyUP in their courses
- scan their courses to identify unwanted files
- delete the files

Hosted by: Raleigh Way, Instructional Designer for Online Courses

Lunch (Zoom-free)

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

1–2 p.m.

Work-Life Balance

1-2 p.m.

Drink Demo provided by Southside Craft Soda - authentic beverages inspired by the flavors of South Texas.

A Craft Soda Made for Fun, learn to squeeze some Limoncito with easy to learn non-alcoholic recipes! Attendees who register in advance will be entered to win a care package with ingredients used in the demonstration.

Hosted by: Andrew Anguiano

Community Building

1-2 p.m.

Water Cooler Talk

Building community is essential at any workplace. A strong community is the hallmark of the PAC work experience. This session will be a virtual recreation of the lighthearted, spontaneous conversations we are used to having at our campus. Bring your favorite story to share on these topics:

Is This Really Me? The pandemic has changed everyone’s lifestyle in one way or another. What have you learned about yourself as you navigate through this pandemic.

PAC is awesome! Here is why I can’t wait to go back when the pandemic is over. We love PAC and we miss working on campus. What are you missing most about working on campus?

Family and Pet Stories. What has your pooch been whispering in your ear lately? Do you have a fun or funny story to share about your family?

Join us for some fun and funny stories sprinkled with lots of sharing and caring.

Hosted by: Tony Villanueva

1-2 p.m.

Maker Space

Did you know that one of the most powerful ways to complete the stress cycle is to create something? For musicians, it's performance or composition, for dancers it can be choreography, for visual artists, it is work of their hands and minds. Everyone is a maker; baker, knitter, sewer, wood worker, gardener, potter, painter, chef, crafter, etc. Join us for a Maker's Circle to de-stress for an hour by continuing a current make or join to get inspired to make. Share your creations with others.

Hosted by: Helena Fischer

Remote Working, Teaching, and Learning

1-2 p.m.

You down with F.R.G?

Come experience the wonder and excitement that is the PAC Faculty Resource Guide! Your tour guides, Caroline Mains and Elizabeth Ginn, will ensure your trip is memorable! More importantly, you will see all the resources provided for YOU in this one-stop-shop! Staff are welcome to attend as well, as many PAC Staff Areas are highlighted! Bring a cup of tea, your furry office companion, and cozy up to a can't miss session!

Hosted by: Caroline Mains, English Faculty, and Elizabeth Ginn, Speech Communications Faculty

1-2 p.m.

Pandemic Professionalism: How to Feel More Confident on Video Calls

Appearing on camera causes many individuals anxiety. How "unprofessional" a person appears or feels on screen may steal focus from instructing class sessions or collaborating within team meetings. In this session, Natalie Bidnick Andreas will share five completely free ways individuals can look more professional and feel more confident on video calls and presentation. Drawing from her experience in the corporate sector serving as on-camera talent for a digital marketing agency, as well as her distance learning instructional role at Alamo Colleges, Natalie will empower teachers, staff, and administrators to make the most of their virtual experiences.

Hosted by: Natalie Andreas, English Faculty

1-2 p.m.

You, Too, Can YouTube

Hosted by: Mallorie Alvarez, Instructional Technologist, and Amanda Harrison, Academic Assessment Coordinator

1-2 p.m.

TidyUP

Hosted by: Raleigh Way, Instructional Designer for Online Courses

Closing Session

2:15–3 p.m.

College-wide closing session with remarks from college leadership.