Langley Community College | Info

The new campus, located on 200 acres along State Highway 47 (adjacent to Traditions Club Golf Course), will allow the HSC to eventually consolidate onto a single campus its academic programs and administration currently located throughout Bryan and College Station.

Attendees included State Sen. Steve Ogden, R-District 5, State Rep. Fred Brown, R-District 14, and State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-District 13; members of the A&M System Board of Regents; officials with the cities of Bryan and College Station; representatives of Blinn College, the Texas Brain and Spine Institute, and Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center; Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.; Broaddus & Associates; FKP Architects; Project GreenVax; Skanska HealthRealty; the Research Valley Partnership; community leaders; A&M System administrators; and invited guests.

“Having presided over unprecedented growth in programs and student numbers, it is particularly enjoyable to dedicate this campus and the state-of-the-art facilities it represents,” said Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for the A&M System. “From a philosophy of meeting the state’s needs to a commitment to partnering and sharing to maximize every dollar spent, this campus represents the future – and it is exciting to step into the future.”

Regents approved the allocation of acreage to the Texas A&M Health Science Center in December 2006, having previously accepted the land gift from the City of Bryan. Fifty of these acres are for health-related public-private partnerships and facilities while the remaining acreage is for academic facilities.

“Providing state-of-the-art health care to the people of Texas through superior medical education is a cornerstone of the mission of the Texas A&M System,” said Michael D. McKinney, M.D., chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “From this spot, we will produce doctors, nurses and an array of health professionals who will make Texas a better place to live. As a physician, I am always uplifted by progress in health care. As chancellor, I am especially proud that the A&M System is once again leading the way.”

The first two campus buildings are the $68 million Health Professions Education Building (HPEB), funded through the Available University Fund (AUF), and the $60 million Medical Research and Education Building (MREB), funded with $45 million in tuition revenue bonds approved by the 2006 Texas Legislature and $15 million from the AUF. The AUF is provided through the A&M System.

The HPEB already is open, with the MREB scheduled for occupancy in spring 2011.

At approximately 132,500 total square feet, the four-story Health Professions Education Building has four lecture rooms, two dividable seminar rooms and 16 small group rooms with videoconference capabilities on the ground floor. The main entry level features an outdoor courtyard area, open meeting and dining space, student services, an information technology help center, a teaching and learning resource center, and a library.

The second level is a Simulation Center comprised of 15 clinical exam rooms, eight multi-functional simulation rooms, two fundamental skills rooms, conference rooms and multiple clinical testing areas. The top floor provides offices for the HSC-College of Medicine and HSC-College of Nursing as well as an outdoor courtyard.

At approximately 131,000 total square feet, the four-story Medical Research and Education Building will have ground floor space for seminar rooms, a scientific display area, imaging lab, and offices for the HSC-College of Medicine associate dean of research and graduate studies and chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics. The second, third and fourth floors will house faculty offices, laboratories and support spaces for the college’s Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis.

And further development of the Bryan campus is moving full speed ahead.

Lon Kruger: “The X’s and O’s of Success” Book Review

Coaches,

I love the christmas break time right now, because it allows me time to think, reflect, and re-direct my basketball energy on new subjects like books and dvds. I had the chance to read a book by Lon Kruger and DJ Allen named: “The X’s and O’s of Success”.

I actually knew some of Coach Kruger’s assistant coaches from my days at Blinn College and had met him briefly while I was out recruiting on the road. He wouldn’t remember the meeting, but I remember that he went out of his way for a young assistant coach and didn’t “Big-Time” me at all unlike a lot of Division 1 coaches.

Coach Kruger came up with a unique formula for success and trys to bring out the very best for his basketball players and teams. He has done things with dignity and class that is not always associated with the sport’s world. He talks about his principles for taking over cultures seeking stability and direction and changing them into positive, productive environments. I felt that his book could be applied to the business and coaching world.

Coach Kruger has made it an “art” when it comes to rebuilding college basketball programs. He does a great job of weaving his own basketball coaching experiences into examples that show leadership and the ability to improve performance. He talks about coaching at Texas Pan-American as the head men’s basketball coach / athletic director at the age of 29, and elite eight appearance in his second year at Kansas State, a final four appearance and team record of 29 wins at University of Florida, a Big Ten title for Illinois, and a Sweet 16 appearance for the “Running Rebels” of UNLV. He also discusses his two and a half year coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA and how they were fired mid-season. He doesn’t pull any punches in this book.

The chapters of the book cover 39 life lessons and how to apply leadership to any field of business or coaching. Each chapter is broken down into three parts: Pre-game, Game-time, and Post-Game. It is a very easy to read book that has life lessons that everyone can take something from. In lesson thirty, here is a quote that I love: “Remember, great leaders develop other great leaders”. It is simple, honest and true.

Here is an excerpt of the book:

“Lesson One: The Simplicity of Success

Pre-game:
It’s simple. Success is a process, not an event.

That’s not always the most exciting thing to hear. We want to believe in quick fixes, silver bullets, catching magic in a bottle.

But if you take the time to analyze the large majority of successful people, organizations, companies or teams, you will find that their overall success is a byproduct of simply doing the right things on a daily basis.

That is the reality we face as leaders — the simplicity of success. So how do we address something that is so elementary? How do we affirm this message with our teams day in and day out?

Welcome to the challenge of being a leader.

Game Time:
The average college basketball fan would probably be surprised to learn how much our coaching staff focuses on working with players to develop them off the court, in addition to helping them improve on the court.

When these young men join our program, they are usually 18-, 19- or 20-years-old. Many of them are away from home for the first time.

Some arrive on the scene with a strong work ethic while some lack the concept of working hard. It is all relative to their background and surroundings. While you can learn a little something about the players during the recruiting process, there are just some things you can’t find out about people until you are around them everyday.

Our objective as a staff is to develop our program for long-term success.

This means having kids on our team who are emotionally, mentally and physically able to perform at their highest level possible in basketball as well as in the classroom and socially. We want to maximize the potential of each player in our program.

In order to do this, we must start with the basics. We talk to our kids about the simplicity of success. “Take care of what you have to take care of today,” we tell them. “If you do this day in and day out for your entire tenure with us, you will have success and we will have success as a team.”

It is teaching elementary principles, but it is what works.”

Read Entire Lesson . . .

What others are saying about Coach Kruger and the book:

“Lon Kruger helps to set the bar for integrity in our profession. His history of success in college basketball is even more impressive when you realize he has repeatedly revitalized programs all while operating strictly within the rules. Lon is a coach’s coach. We all have something to learn from him.”
Roy Williams
Head Coach, University of North Carolina

“Coach simply helps you be the best you can be – on and off the court. Players give their best because they know he cares.”
Mitch Richmond
Former All-American for Kruger at Kansas State and six-time NBA All-Star

“Lon Kruger is an outstanding leader and a great teacher. He brings everything to the table, everything it takes to build a program. I encourage you to take the lessons from this book to heart. Lon knows what he is talking about.”
Dick Vitale
Member of Basketball Hall of Fame, ABC and ESPN

“Lon is a brilliant businessman, who just happens to coach basketball. While he is known for his humility, his desire to win and his competitive drive is second to none. That balance of sincere humility with unending competitiveness is a unique trait many of the world’s premier business leaders share.”
Steve and Elaine Wynn
Wynn Las Vegas

“Lon Kruger is one of the finest leaders of young men I have ever witnessed in nearly a quarter-century of covering college basketball for CBS. Moreover, he is a good man. It does not surprise me that he has been a proven winner time and time again. When you mix leadership with passion and integrity, you get Lon Kruger.”
Jim Nantz
CBS Sports

“Very few coaches have been able to change cultures as quickly and successfully as Lon Kruger. He understands how to mold a group of individuals into one team with a common goal and has proven that time and time again. Lon has high standards for all those around him and he possesses a passion for winning, but not at any cost. That is arguably his strongest trait.”
Larry Brown
Head Coach, Charlotte Bobcats
Only coach to win both an NCAA National Championship (Kansas 1988) and an NBA Championship (Detroit 2004)

“Lon Kruger understands business because he understands people. The business world missed out on an all-star when Lon went into coaching.”
Bill Boyd
Executive Chairman of the Board, Boyd Gaming Corporation

I personally loved the book and will reflect back to it alot in the coming years. It gives you things to think about and if you can take one or two things from the book then it would be worthwhile as a basketball coach. I would give it a 5 out of 5 stars. Go to Coach Kruger’s website to learn more about it.

Coach Peterman

Business School Program

The LAUNCH Program at IE Business School

Encouraging Volunteer Work in After-School Programs

Part of the objectives of After-School Programs in Hollywood and Pembroke Pines in Florida is to cater to children's social and emotional learning, and one of the most effective means of instilling these categories of learning is through first-hand experience.

According to child psychologists, encouraging volunteer work for school-aged children, specifically for K-5 graders, is a good platform for their future holistic development. K-5 After-School Programs in Florida, along with many other states, have been integrating volunteer work within their curriculum because it has definite benefits for the kids in terms of their socio-emotional development. Encouraging volunteer work is also a useful tool for effectively teaching better character eduction among young learners.

However, educators also have to be aware of the age appropriateness of the volunteering activities children will engage in. The development of school-aged kids is fast but vary differently by age. Motor skills of first-graders are not yet quite as developed as a second-grader. Generally, kids' fine motor skills become greatly tuned by age seven. Interests and hobbies are also more readily observable in 8 year-olds than 7 year-olds. Principles from Piaget or Kohlberg have listed specific developmental skills for children for every age and being aware of these stages will surely aid the teacher in planning activities for the class.

Making a weekly plan for After-School Programs is usually easier to do than a monthly calendar of activities. This way, revisions or follow-up sessions can easily be done by the teachers. Some example of age appropriate activities would be making place mats for a soup kitchen by first-graders. This activity is more apt than actually serving a soup kitchen. For the older age group, teachers could ask them to lead a bike-riding safety seminar for their grade rather than conduct an anti-pollution seminar for their peers. The right activity for the right age makes all the difference in the effectiveness of the whole experience. By the end of this part of the curriculum, teachers can expect personal growth, an increased sense of social responsibility, and better interpersonal skills from the children.

Today, enrichment programs in Broward County have also began involving school children in annual volunteer work for retirement homes such as Park Summit and Covenant Village. Volunteer work has also made its way to many summer camp programs across the state including Dade County, Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines. Collected data on children's positive behavior have continuously increased since the adaptation of this activity to their curriculum.

After-school programs including tutoring may also opt to include this particular learning experience for the students especially for kids who are in trouble or those who have problems in their family. Studies from the Points of Life Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network have indicated that engaging troubled children in volunteer work gives them a greater sense of self-worth and increases the probability of staying in school and avoiding vices. Tutors for after-school programs can gradually introduce the concept of volunteering by discussing the importance of taking social responsibility for the community. However, leading the children to actually liking volunteer work can not be done in a single session. This is why educational field trips are important to the curriculum. Exposure to places that raises social awareness and sympathy for those in need helps children realize the need to be involved in serving people. Reinforcing their exposure to places such as retirement homes or orphanages with positive moral and social concepts will pave the way to more ready and willing young volunteers. Tutoring in Broward County and Dade County, Florida has involved over 300 kids in socially relevant work for over 5 years now.

• A review of the South Loop Parking Study led by a representative from CDOT  
• Area development update
• Bash on Wabash volunteer and event information
• Join our "Community Living Association Committee". We plan to gather condominium board representatives to plan networking events, share resources, and launch our first "Condo Building Fair". 
• An update from the Alliance for a Greener South Loop and information on the 2nd annual "Green, Greener, Greenest Awards"

But Kustra is defending his stance that there’s no reason for the Broncos to continue traveling to play the Vandals on their home turf in Moscow.

Kustra’s criticisms of the Vandals came during an interview with the Idaho Statesman editorial board Tuesday. Kustra later said in a prepared statement to Idaho media that questions about the rivalry “hit a sore spot” after someone sent him a recent opinion piece entitled “Reasons to Hate Boise State” from the University of Idaho student newspaper.

“It troubles me that the occasion of an annual football game causes the air waves and Internet to be full of disparagement of Boise State’s students, faculty and programs, year after year,” Kustra said.

Boise State’s pending move to the Mountain West Conference from the Western Athletic Conference means the Broncos aren’t likely to play the Idaho Vandals in 2011.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen put the future of the long-standing rivalry in further doubt Monday, saying his team should no longer travel to Moscow.

Kustra said he didn’t care if the Broncos ever play the Vandals again.

Boise State spokesman Frank Zang said he was present during the interview and the university does not dispute the context of Kustra’s remarks.

“He does recognize that they came out harsher than he intended,” Zang said.

Kustra did not plan to do any follow-up interviews about his remarks, Zang said.

University of Idaho president Duane Nellis said he was disappointed by Kustra’s comments.

“I’m sorry to hear that Bob feels so negatively about his visits to Moscow,” Nellis said in a statement.

The annual matchup between the Broncos and Vandals alternates between Boise and Moscow. The teams are scheduled to play Nov. 12 in Moscow.

“In-state rivalries are meant to be fun,” Nellis said. “Our long-time rivalry with BSU is important to the state, the economy, and the fans from both teams. We embrace and celebrate that rivalry and I very much hope it continues.”

FENIMORE DIES

Bob Fenimore, a two-time All-American who became the top pick in the 1947 draft, died after a fight with cancer. He was 84.

Fenimore was a star on offense and defense for Oklahoma A&M in the 1940s, highlighted by his 1945 season when he led the nation in total offense and rushing, finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting and led the Aggies to a perfect 9-0 season.

OKLAHOMA STATE SAFETY IN TROUBLE

Oklahoma State safety Victor Johnson will face a possession of a controlled substance charge in addition to an accusation of obstructing a police officer leveled against him after his weekend arrest.

According to a police report released Wednesday by the university, Johnson was arrested after police responded to a complaint about a suspicious odor at his apartment.

If memory serves correct Tomey was able to do miraculous things with 60 available scholarships, loss of practice time etc.. due to NCAA APR sanctions. That’s the only reason he was viewed that way. Nobody expected any wins in 2006 let alone wins over Stanford, Fresno State, NM Bowl win etc.. Remember they almsot beat Washington and Boise State too. I don’t see too many coaches being able to pull off what Tomey did given the circumstances.

The APR mess will be over this year. The Spartans are up to 75 available scholarships this year and the full allotment of 85 next year. Exciting times are ahead for the program not just the football team. Every student, alumn, neighbor should be at the games but no they have more important things to do, NOW THAT’S what really disgusts me.

Coach Mac is a great coach, you’ll see. I would be surprised if he doesn’t get poached after 1 year.