Blue waves behind the words Coast Colleges in dark blue

Weekly News Brief | March 12, 2021
From the Office of Chancellor John Weispfenning, Ph.D.

Chancellor Weispfenning, blue jacket and blue tie, in front of the Coast District building

The following is the text of the video sent as a special message yesterday, March 11, 2021.

Next week we mark an important anniversary. Tuesday, March 16, will be exactly one year from the day that our colleges and offices went quiet. At the time, early in the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had no way of knowing how long the shutdown would continue.

I, like many of you, hoped a brief pause of in-person instruction and services would be enough for a strong national public health response to get ahead of the spreading pandemic. We now know that a coordinated response would not appear until much later.

We mark this anniversary with something that has eluded us for too long, hope that the end of the pandemic is near. Every day we are seeing infection rates fall and vaccination rates rise. Those who work in education are now at the front of the line for vaccines. And, we are hearing optimistic projections that by early summer there will be enough vaccine for every adult in the United States.

What we cannot do is let our guard down too early. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we must watch our step. Masks, distancing, and frequent hand washing continue to be the best advice to follow in public spaces. Small gatherings are possible for fully vaccinated people. Small is the operative word.

As a District, we must operate under the belief that our colleagues, students, and the public are not yet vaccinated. Until that changes, we will need to continue the behaviors adopted over this past year.

At the same time, we are beginning to plan for our eventual return to our campuses and offices. That won't happen soon, but it will happen, and we know our plan will need to be flexible.

I thank you, your representatives, our bargaining teams, and all who are helping to begin to plan the return to normal. The time is getting closer for us to put this chapter behind us – taking the best of what we have learned into a much brighter future.

Be well,

 John

John Weispfenning, Ph.D.
Chancellor

 

Celebrating Women In Leadership

The words Women's History Month accompanied by the Coast District's blue waves and the image of women marching some holding girl power signs.

The Coast District is proud to celebrate Women's History Month and the contributions of women in leadership districtwide. Leadership is demonstrated in multiple ways by students, faculty, classified and confidential staff, and management.

Letter to a Past Self

Woman in a grey sweater and pearl necklace

This week, we are highlighting Kisha P. Williamson Champion, a beloved OCC early childhood faculty member. For the highlight, Champion wrote a letter to her past self, which chronicles her journey from graduating high school and attending Long Beach City College to receiving her Master of Science in Education at the University of La Verne. She shares her journey as a testament to the road she took to get to her dreams. Read her letter here.

Please follow the Coast District's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels to see new profiles throughout the month.

 

College News

COASTLINE COLLEGE

Coastline College's ABI Program is partnering with Brain Strategies & Technology (BEST) and Global Brain Injury Awareness (GBIA) to celebrate Brain Injury Awareness Month throughout the month of March. Brain Injury Awareness month is a time to acknowledge and support the millions of Americans impacted by brain injury and honor the 5.3 million Americans living with brain injury. Coastline and its partners are using social media to help spread awareness to reach a global audience. The campaign will be using the hashtag #morethanmybraininjury, which will provide a platform for educating the public about the incidence of brain injury. More information can be found here.

 

The words Coastline College above a shield with the letter C.

GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE

Golden West students standing in front of the Student Services Center with the words Explore GWC! in a green box in the foreground.

Golden West College just announced their Explore GWC! event. The free online event will take place on March 20 for those interested in learning more about what GWC has to offer. The event will be going over academic programs, degrees, transfer options, English language classes, and career education certificates. Also, there will be support for the application process and financial aid (including FAFSA, CA DREAM, and AB 540). All are welcome, from high school students, adult education/English language learners, those returning to college, and even those applying from outside California. To register and get even more details on what the event will cover, please visit the Explore GWC! homepage.

 

Schedule, Week of March 15

Board of Trustees
The next regular meeting will be held Wednesday, March 17, with closed session beginning at 3:45 p.m. and open session beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Chancellor's Schedule
In the District, Monday through Friday

 



publicaffairs@cccd.edu

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