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Weekly News Brief | November 3, 2023
From the Office of Chancellor Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.
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Today, I write you from COLEGAS, a gathering dedicated to developing, elevating, and increasing leadership from our Latina/o/x community throughout higher education. I'm joining delegations from Coastline, Golden West, and Orange Coast led by President Vince Rodriguez and President Angelica Suarez.
I have attended many powerful sessions already, as of writing this on Thursday afternoon. One session stood out in its presentation of cultural competency from a Latina/o/x frame. It connected to much of our morning keynote speaker's emphasis on the biased history of higher education in America as an English dominated institution, when in fact the oldest universities on the continent were in Mexico and Peru. A further exploration shows even the European roots of our modern form of collegiate instruction originate in Spanish and Italian speaking countries.
The morning keynote from Horacio Sierra also tackled his journey as a "hyphenated Cuban-American" growing up in a predominantly Cuban city in the United States. He and his husband were later to navigate a shared life as a blended family with different histories. This includes the choice of Horacio's husband to take the Sierra last name and the choice of the couple to give their children Spanish first names. This was a uniquely personal view into a family negotiating deep cultural values.
In attending COLEGAS, I am also reflecting on the DEIA Institute from September and the debrief we had of the Institute this past Monday. A powerful takeaway was that buy-in is important yet should not be construed as a veto on work that is morally, ethically, and often legally required. Undue delay continues to place our students and colleagues at risk. Another takeaway was that our work should be connected, either to a framework we develop together (like our equity plans) or to a theoretical framework that emerges through research and practice.
Lastly, a participant of the DEIA Institute debrief shared the three Cs essential to change: courage, compassion, and capacity. With that in mind, I ask that you read the announcement below regarding Dr. Dana Emerson's new districtwide role in DEIAA leadership. I know she will bring great courage, compassion, and capacity to our DEIAA efforts.
With gratitude,
Whitney
Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.
Chancellor
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Dr. Dana Emerson to Shape Equity Efforts
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The Coast Community College District welcomes Dr. Dana Emerson to the District Office as Executive Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (DEIAA) and Fiscal Stability. In this role, Dr. Emerson – a longtime educator, administrator, mediator, and facilitator – will be responsible for coordinating districtwide DEIAA efforts to increase student retention, close equity gaps, and broaden diversity in employee hiring. Dr. Emerson will also lead efforts to identify resource efficiencies and external funding opportunities. "Much of my career and professional life has focused on creating inclusive spaces for women, people of color, and other communities that have been historically ignored or marginalized in higher education," said Dr. Emerson. "There are no easy answers when the system is broken; so, we are called upon to do the hard work of challenging the status quo, questioning assumptions, embracing disruption, and changing the ways we do things." Read more here.
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Report from the Board of Trustees
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On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the Board of Trustees met and received a report on the Coast District's Faculty Obligation Number (FON) and 50-percent law compliance. These two requirements govern the number of full-time faculty required related to full-time equivalent students and the District spending required to be allocated to instruction. The District exceeded requirements in both measures (specifically being 14.7 percent above the FON), therefore the Board adopted a recommendation that no full-time faculty be hired for Fall 2024 except in limited situations where hiring is necessary due to accreditation, licensing, or specific program requirements. The Board also reviewed a semi-annual report on the Chancellor's goals. The Chancellor noted that the work reflected in the report was thanks to faculty, staff, and managers. Trustees also reviewed a self-evaluation, including districtwide survey input. Trustees thanked those who completed the survey and those who regularly attended Board meetings. Draft Board goals were also presented for further consideration. Various items were presented in reports from Associated Students, Academic Senates, Classified Senates, employee representative groups, trustees, presidents, and the Chancellor. These included steps to address issues around artificial intelligence and sustainability in collaborative ways. Celebrations surrounding new facilities were also noted. The Chancellor discussed actions to advance work on diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility.
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Coffee Breaks with the Chancellor
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College News
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COASTLINE COLLEGE |
Coastline College will be hosting a student panel, Student Panel: Students Sharing Stories About Their Families, History, and Culture, on Wednesday, November 15 at 10:30 am – 12:00 pm. The panel will highlight student panelists' personal and family narratives as they share their stories. All are invited, as participation will make the event all the more enriching. The event will be held at the Coastline Student Services Center Conference Room 109 and via Zoom.
On Monday, October 30, 2023, Coastline College's Career Education Department at the Garden Grove Campus welcomed 60 students from La Quinta High, Century High, and Estancia High for a Halloween-themed Digital Media Design (DMD) Pathway Day, led by Professor Angela Gomez-Holbrook. Keynote speaker, Instructor Kent Nerhus, highlighted Drone Careers. The event featured hands-on workshops such as insights into sought-after drone career skills, 3D Animation using Blender taught by Instructor Stephen Burns, and a session on Adobe Express Halloween videos using audio voice recording, and Generative AI taught by Professor Angela Gomez-Holbrook. Students departed with valuable information on Coastline's DMD courses, dual enrollment options, certification pathways, and emerging career prospects.
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GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE |
Golden West College has been named as one of 150 top community colleges around the nation eligible to compete for the prestigious Aspen Prize, a $1 million grant that recognizes high achievement and performance. The prize – to be handed out in 2025 by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program – recognizes institutions with outstanding achievements in six key areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor's attainment, workforce success, equitable access to the college, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. The Aspen Institute invites 15 percent of more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide to apply for the Aspen Prize annually. In California, 19 community colleges were invited to apply for the 2025 prize. The top ten finalists for the 2025 Aspen Prize will be named in 2024. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished prize jury will select a grand prize winner, finalist(s) with distinction, and rising star(s) in Spring 2025.
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| ORANGE COAST COLLEGE |
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Orange Coast College has also been named as one of 150 top community colleges around the nation eligible to compete for the prestigious Aspen Prize. More to follow.
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Schedule
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Chancellor, Week of November 6
Dr. Yamamura is in the District, Monday through Thursday.
Friday is the Veterans Day holiday.
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publicaffairs@cccd.edu
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