With a college as diverse as ours, I imagine many types of traditions will be celebrated on Thanksgiving this Thursday. I am sure many of you have preparations in mind and menus designed to be enjoyed by all. I recently read an article that mentioned an interesting approach to a Thanksgiving meal that both celebrates the holiday as well as honoring Native American Heritage month, by focusing on the many contributions of Native Americans to our food sources, cooking, and celebratory tables. Whether you celebrate with a large group of loved ones, or prefer a smaller and quieter gathering, I sincerely hope you enjoy the well-earned respite. I also hope you get a chance to reflect on this past year, consider all that you are grateful for, and take the time to celebrate the incredible work you have done throughout the year. On behalf of the Governing Board and the Executive Cabinet – Happy Thanksgiving!
The Week in Review
Campus Engagement
As a college, we are thankful for the time and dedication of the Palomar Faculty Federation, Council of Classified Employees, Palomar College Foundation and the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. They made it possible for hundreds of families to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal by hosting the drive-thru food distribution event on Saturday. It was rewarding to participate and connect with colleagues to support this important endeavor. A special thank you to Teresa Laughlin and Barbara Baer for their incredible leadership! Also, a special note of appreciation to the many volunteers, including Trustee Rodriguez, who gave generously of their time and effort to make this event a success.
I also want to recognize our Student Life and Leadership team for also taking care of our students this past Tuesday by way of a food distribution event. Our students benefitted from the Anita & Stan Maag Food and Nutrition Center by receiving dried food, canned goods, fresh produce, diapers, and hygiene products. A big thank you to Sherry Titus and Pippa Pierce for leading these efforts!
This week the Career Center invited me to share my career journey with students. I was happy to share my experience as a first-generation community college student and the path that led me to becoming Palomar College’s Superintendent/President. It is always important to take a moment and reflect on the milestones along the way. I am thankful that my path has now led me to work with so many talented faculty and staff here at Palomar that positively impact the lives of our students. Thank you for the invitation, Rosie Antonecchia!
I spent time with the leaders of the Administrative Association and CAST to discuss important topics that impact employees and the district. I always enjoy exchanging information and ideas on how to best get us back on campus with Jim Odom, Marti Snyder, Joe LeDesma, Connie Sterling, Jennifer Finn, Jessica Horn, Nelida Martinez, Nancy Browne, Ruth Barnaba, Yasue Oneill, and Vice President David Montoya.
This week also included a meeting with the dedicated Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) President’s Action Team. Our conversations centered on the continuous improvement, and meeting, of our DEI goals as set within the Antiracist Framework. It is admirable to see the efforts of all the leaders working to build an inclusive culture that serves all students.
I ended the week with a meeting with our Math Department faculty. It was encouraging to learn about all the amazing work they have done to implement AB705 and to discuss ideas to further improve the success of our students. Thank you to Craig Chamberlin. Shelbi Hathaway, Tracy Johnston, Fariheh Towfiq, Cynthia Anfinso, Mike Mumford, Mark Clark, Kelli Miller, Luis Guerrero, Yuan-Lin Lee, Eli Ziade, Mona Ellis, Perri Gellman, Cynthia Torgison, and Yan Tian, for your time and commitment to our college.
Our women’s basketball team never fails to entertain. It was a great match up between the Comets and Alan Hancock College on Friday evening. The team played with great energy and grit in their tournament wins over the weekend. Thank you head coach Leigh Marshall, and assistant coaches Chris Kroesch, Damian Cephus, Kailey Rowan, and Bianca Littleton for leading our student athletes throughout the season.
Our Performing Arts department also never ceases to amaze me. I was able to welcome patrons, students, and employees to the 75th season of the Palomar College Symphony Orchestra and enjoyed the performance, “Epic Tales from the Heart”. After rehearsing for more than a year and half online, the Orchestra returned to a live audience at the Howard Brubeck Theatre. Thank you, Dr. Ellen Weller for the invitation and opportunity!
Community Engagement
The Community College League of California (CCLC) hosted its annual conference this past week. The theme this year was, California Community Colleges: Always Essential. The virtual conference focused on recognizing the indispensability of our colleges. It highlighted how we contribute to economic and social mobility, foster civic engagement, and support an equity-based economic recovery. Palomar had strong representation as I was joined by Trustee Evilsizer, Trustee Miyamoto, and Trustee Raju.
I also attended my last session of my Aspen/USC Racial Equity Leadership training. This month the featured speaker was Dr. Shaun Harper, who discussed the challenges, opportunities, and strategies in advancing the mission and interests of the institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
COVID-19 meeting
All department supervisors have received their Fall 2021 Return to Work Safety Plan from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). These plans are to be reviewed and updated to reflect the Return to Onsite Work date of January 17, 2022. Changes may reflect additional personnel, hours of operation and any technology or facility related needs. It is important for all areas to be operational Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can reference the memo here and please connect with your supervisor or Vice President if you have any questions. This past Thursday, we had 120+ attendees at the Weekly COVID-19 Return to Campus and COVID-19 Update meeting. In case you missed it, you can review the recording here.
Accreditation
You should have an invitation in your inbox for the all-campus forum on Thursday, December 1, 2021. During the forum we will discuss how our approach to governance aligns with accreditation Standard IV.A Decision-Making Roles and Processes. We will set aside time during the forum to answer your questions on our new governance structure as well. Here is the Zoom link to join. See you there!
Comet of the Week
Congratulations to our wonderful women’s basketball coach, Leigh Marshall, on her outstanding milestone of reaching her 200th win at last Friday’s game!
Have a great restful upcoming week. Go Comets!
For pictures of the various events, follow:
Twitter: @palomardrstar
Instagram: @palomardrstar
