President's Update: November 12, 2024

Dear Shasta College community,

I hope you all had a restful long weekend and are looking forward to a shorter week ahead. A special thank you to all of our veterans, whom we honored yesterday and continue to celebrate this week. I hope you’ve had or will have the chance to connect with the veterans in your own life during this time.

I’m excited to share some good news: Shasta College has been selected to participate in the Chancellor’s Office Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) through a Partnership Resource Team (PRT) project in Spring 2025. We submitted a letter of interest to seek input on our faculty professional learning activities, and as part of this initiative, a team of 6-8 experts from across the state will visit Shasta College to listen to our goals and challenges and provide valuable resources to guide our next steps. Additionally, we are eligible for up to $200,000 in funding to support our professional learning objectives. You’ll hear more about this in the coming months, and there will be opportunities to get involved. If you’ve ever considered serving on a PRT, it’s a fantastic opportunity—kind of like being on a low-key accreditation team. You can find more information here.

Recently we experienced some heavy smoke on our Stillwater Campus. This came from a controlled burn north of campus. The smoke outside was extremely heavy but quickly dissipated; inside there was still a strong smoke smell in many buildings, including my own. Please note that guidance and safety measures for dealing with situations like this are now at the Campus Safety page. This page recently received an overall update, by the way - well worth checking out.

Thank you to those of you who have been able to attend the monthly coffees with me. For me, it's been great fun to get to know some of you better. Last week I did one at our Tehama Campus and had the pleasure of hanging out with our amazing staff down there who are doing so much to serve the students of Tehama. If you've never been to the Tehama Campus, it's well worth stopping by to see the campus and meet our team.

Accreditation Update: No new news here, but we’ll receive the ACCJC’s decision on the focused site visit team’s report in January. I am confident in a positive final decision that will reflect our hard work and dedication.

Board Meeting reminder: Tomorrow night marks the last board meeting for Trustees Rhonda Nehr and Stephen Bell, both of whom have served our District with distinction. If you’d like to wish them well, there will be a farewell gathering at the Community Leadership Center downtown, starting at 6:00 p.m., just before the regular board meeting. Light refreshments will be provided.

As always, I encourage you to review the institutional reports on each board agenda. These reports—from Senate, Senate subcommittees, Student Senate, and our VPs—provide an excellent overview of the ongoing work at Shasta College. It’s truly inspiring to see the many accomplishments and initiatives underway, from Common Course Numbering in Senate and IT updates to the events celebrating Veterans Day hosted by our Veterans Support and Success Center. Congratulations to Student Services on the new veterans health grant! You’ll also find enrollment and student success updates in the Instruction report, as well as a PowerPoint from Theresa Markword showcasing progress on our bond projects. It’s incredible to witness all that "mighty little Shasta College" is achieving.

On a personal note, I know that many of you are celebrating or processing the recent election results. When I went to bed last Tuesday and woke up on Wednesday, I thought, "No matter the outcome, our mission remains unchanged." The work we do, the students we serve, and our shared commitment to education unite us. Elections can stir strong emotions, but we find strength in our common purpose. I’m deeply inspired by the work we do together and proud to be part of this community college—an institution dedicated to accessible education and fostering a supportive environment for all.

If you or anyone you know—whether colleagues or students—are feeling overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We have a range of resources available to help us navigate challenging times together.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. Take care, and let’s continue supporting each other.