New Online Booking Tool

Purchasing, Accounts Payable, and Travel is excited to announce that, effective January 25, 2024, we will be switching to a new online booking tool with our travel agency Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) called Lightning. This new tool will replace Concur. This new tool has an easy to navigate interface, is faster, and provides additional features, such as booking multiple people at the same time on the same flight and the ability to see what seats on a flight are filled with SLCC travelers.

CONCUR TO LIGHTNING SWITCH-OVER 
Lightning will go live on January 25. To make the switch, our Concur system will need be taken down a few days beforehand. Therefore, Concur will be unavailable starting on January 22. Any flights that need to be booked between January 22 - 25 will need to be done directly with an agent, either by email or phone.

LIGHTNING  TRAINING
In the coming weeks, we will announce training sessions for this new tool. We encourage everyone who is interested to attend.

PROFILE INFORMATION
The information in your profile, such as frequent flyer numbers, reward membership numbers, and KTNs, should transfer from Concur to Lightning. However, we encourage travelers to review their profiles prior to booking in the new system. In addition, if a travel arranger is listed on a profile, it may not transfer to the new system. Travelers may need to login to Lightning and reenter their travel arranger.

Note that this system does not replace Chrome River. You will still need to use Chrome River to create pre-approvals and expense reports. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to either Lisa Bradshaw (lisa.bradshaw@slcc.edu) or Brandon Thomas (brandon.thomas@slcc.edu).

Join the SLCC Cohort-based Learning Community

Knock out your generals quicker than you thought possible.

Complete your general education requirements for: EN, HU, SS, AI, and IG.

 

Full-time status with a part-time schedule.

Gain the benefits of taking 15 credit hours while only taking two classes at a time. All classes are held back to back in the same classroom on the same days. No need to figure out how to put together your schedule. We’ve got you covered.

 

A more structured online experience.

75% of class is done online, when you can and wherever you are.

25% of the time you meet in class, get guidance from your professor, and meet with your peers. It’s just enough to keep you on track while giving you the flexibility you need.

 

A writing course that directly applies to your coursework.

The kind of writing you’ll learn is immediately applicable to the 4-week courses. That’s because the cross-course written assignments are developed with all the professors in the learning community. No more guesswork trying to figure what each professor wants.

 

A shared theme to connect your coursework.

Different disciplines approach topics in different ways. The courses in the learning community share the same theme over the semester. That way you’ll be able to make stronger, better connections — essential skills employers demand from college grads.

 

For those who don’t fit the one-size-fits-all college experience.

Not everyone thrives inside the box. The 4-week cohort “learning community” is for those looking for something outside of it.

 

Contact the Registrar’s Office to enroll in the “4-Week Cohort.”

Registration isn’t open to everyone. It’s only for those who want this experience. Email registration@slcc.edu, call 801-957-4288, or come to Student Center (STC) 270 (or any Enrollment Services location).

Jamboree--Computer Science and Engineering Event

Please join us for the SLCC Computer Science and Engineering Jamboree. Celebrating Student Innovation in Computer Science and Engineering.

Date: Thursday, Dec. 7, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Where: Taylorsville Redwood Campus

Room: Science and Industry Building, SI 101 

Build your network with peers, instructors, and representatives from transfer universities such as the University of Utah. Explore your future in Computer Science and Engineering at SLCC through live demonstrations in Robotics and Programming. 

About the Jamboree 

• The Jamboree showcases software and hardware projects from various courses. 

• It encourages students to be builders and celebrates their early accomplishments. 

• It promotes equity by allowing all students to find out what they will learn in upcoming classes and what successful projects look like. 

• It helps students persist in their studies as they see the bigger picture of where they are now and where they can be in a few years as they progress in their studies. 

• It provides students with information about surrounding universities so they can start planning for successful transfer early on.

Salt Lake Community College Sees Healthy Jump in New Student Enrollment

With the 2023-2024 academic year well underway, Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) new student enrollment increased by a robust 6.35% from last fall, for a total of 3,686 new students. Overall, student enrollment is now at 26,764.

“We’re thrilled to see so many high school students enrolling and taking advantage of our small, affordable classes as they figure out their educational and career paths,” said SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin. 

“The pandemic years were hard on our student body and enrollment, and now the energy and buzz of students can be felt across all our campuses.”

SLCC’s Latinx/Hispanic student enrollment is also at an all-time high with 24.2% of students identifying as such. These enrollment levels are leading the way as SLCC strives to earn the designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which requires 25% of the student body to identify as Latinx/Hispanic. SLCC is currently an emerging HSI.

“It has been a big year for SLCC, as we’ve celebrated our 75th anniversary and opened a new campus in Herriman to continue our mission to increase access to higher education,” said Huftalin. The Herriman campus, a unique collaboration with the University of Utah, currently serves 846 students. Huftalin added, “As awareness about this campus increases, and the area continues to grow, we anticipate climbing enrollment on our Herriman Campus.”

Volunteers Needed for STEM Outreach Booth at FanX

 

Attention Students, faculty and staff: Join SLCC for a STEM Outreach Event at FanX’s KidCon and earn a pass to FanX if you volunteer at least 5 hours. 

Volunteers are needed to staff the booth and run STEM activities for three days of the event:

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2 to 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 22, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For full/part-time SLCC faculty and staff needed to manage the booth. See a list of jobs and responsibilities here. 

Click on the links to sign up for either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. 

For students, faculty staff to run the activities, see a list of jobs and responsibilities here.

    Some of the activities include: 

        -Slime making with the Chemistry department

        -Drive Wall-e through the trash maze 

        -Planetarium shows. Learn about “A Galaxy Close, Close, Nearby” Mandalorian style

        -Hands-on interactive demos

        -We will also be giving away swag and having a mad scientist photo booth

Click on the links to sign up for either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. 

The deadline to volunteer is Sept 15.

Age requirement for volunteers 18 years and up. 

You do not need any special knowledge or skills to participate but there will be some simple training and need to volunteer a certain number of hours at the convention to get a Fanx pass. 

There are a limited number of volunteer passes. The pass gets the volunteer in the building and access to the vendor floor for all three days. It does not include backstage access or access to panels, celebrities or photo ops. 

Please leave younger children at home. A regular Fanx pass allows kids under 10 in free with the holder but the volunteer pass will only get the volunteer in. We are promoting and representing SLCC and volunteers need to be directly affiliated with SLCC and not the children of students/faculty.

Please contact Janalee Harrison to get involved Janalee.harrison@slcc.edu, SI 275

2023 - 2024 SLCCSA Vision Statement

Joyce Wambuyi, 2023 - 24 SLCCSA President

Our society has been grappling with numerous challenges: escalating inflation, job market uncertainty, and socio-political tension. The impact of these factors has made many aspects of life increasingly difficult, as housing crises and soaring prices of basic needs have become pervasive. Regrettably, education has not been immune to these difficulties. Although SLCC students strive for success, many struggle to survive. This struggle has led to a disheartening erosion of their sense of belonging and ability to learn. It is important that our college prevent this trend. SLCC recognizes knowledge gained in college is an asset to our community, especially in such challenging times. Therefore, we are more determined than ever to prioritize student accessibility. SLCC Student Association has identified three guiding questions to support our students in the face of these challenges:

• How can SLCC eliminate, reduce, or create greater transparency about the hidden costs of college?
• How can we reconnect students to campus and find greater value in their time at SLCC? 
  
• How can we enhance the online learning experience, making it both meaningful and accessible?

Affordability Is Accessibility
In anticipation of base costs like tuition and fees, students are working multiple jobs, taking out loans, and applying for scholarships. On top of that they must also support themselves and their families. Although our college is lower cost than most in the state, that is offset by the unexpected costs students encounter after classes begin. Students are unable to plan for the actual cost of college which includes books, parking, course fees, and a myriad of other hidden expenses. SLCCSA believes strongly that accessibility is affordability. By focusing on making SLCC more affordable, we can reduce the financial burden on already struggling students.
 
Connection Adds Value
Our student body represents the racial and socio-economic diversity of the Salt Lake valley, which deeply enhances the academic and co-curricular environment in which we learn. Essential to an effective and diverse learning environment is the connection a student feels to their school. Regrettably, we have seen a lack in this connection which has left our campus feeling empty. There are many issues that hinder student connection to the college, especially for diverse and first-generation students. We can improve connection by creating fun and inspiring student-centered spaces, stabilizing resources like food services, and increasing visibility and involvement in outstanding campus resources.
 
Reliable Digital Resources
We are living in a boom in innovative technology; students are more likely to enroll in online classes and use online tools. Some online platforms are hard to access and have minimal guidance in how to navigate them. SLCC currently has two challenges: representation of online students and the accessibility of online tools. Nothing interrupts your day faster than the internet being down, struggling with the basic functions of an online platform, or not being able to find accurate information online. With so many students taking at least one online course, the digital resources at SLCC are remarkably underdeveloped and unreliable. While in some cases this means adding online resources, it is often about making what is online easier. SLCCSA hopes to shed light on these issues by addressing problems with technology and the inclusion of online students.

Purchasing Updates as of May 17, 2023

We are excited to announce some significant updates.

1. The Small Dollar Guidelines have been updated. You are encouraged to review these new guidelines. Below is a summary of the changes:

1. Increasing the Small Dollar Purchase Limit from $1500 to $2500. All p-card per transaction limits will automatically be updated. We will also update your cycle limit to $7500. Any card that has special limits will not be altered unless requested. Departments are encouraged to use their p-card for orders under $2500 whenever possible. For orders under $2500 that cannot be completed using the p-card, departments may submit a Payment Request. If the purchase requires a contract, a Payment Request cannot be used. Please follow the contract request process.

2. Added sections regarding the purchase of computers, tablets, audio-visual equipment, catered food and event items.

3. Clarified that flowers can be purchased as a gift.

4. Added language about contracts.

5. Removed restrictions on purchasing food and gifts for profession-specific observance days.
   
   

2. A new contract process for simple services has been created. This new process will allow departments to utilize a one-page contract form for specific small-dollar services. These contracts do not need to be submitted through the Procurement Contract Request process in SLCCBuy. They can be completed by the department and signed by the contractor prior to the work being performed. After the work is completed, the department submits the form as a Payment Request in SLCCBuy. Please see the Simple Service Contract Guidelines for more information. We hope that this will simplify the process and decrease the time it takes to get a contract in place.
   
   

3. The Purchasing and Accounts Payable department websites are being combined into a single website. This will create a single place for all information, forms, and training. The new website should go live within the next few weeks. Along with this update, many of our forms are also being updated. Please do not use any forms that you have previously downloaded. Please download a copy of the form from our website each time you need it. This will ensure you are always using the most recent form. Once the new webpage is live, we will start the process of updating links to documents and other sites. Please be patient with us as we update these links.

   
   

4. With the launch of the new website, we are introducing a new Purchasing Training Center. This will be a one-stop shop for all training documents and videos. We will be continuously creating new content for this page.   

As a reminder, Year End is quickly approaching. The deadline for submitting requisitions for orders that need to be bid and encumbered by June 30 has passed. This means that we cannot guarantee that funds will be encumbered before the end of the year. Please see the Year End Cut Off Dates and Memo for more information.

The New Year PO checkbox has been turned on early. You can now enter requisitions to request a new year PO. Make sure to check the New Year PO checkbox in the General Section before submitting your requisition. Note that after the requisition has been approved, it will be placed in a holding queue until July 1 to prevent it from being sent to the vendor or encumbered before year end.