I hope this update finds everyone in good spirits as we head into the new week. Below is a brief recap of my Campus and Community Engagement activities from the previous week.

Campus Engagement

• Attended this year’s Tarde de Familia event hosted by the Association of Latinos and Allies for Student Success (ALASS). The goal of this event is to outreach to the local community, inspire potential students, and to raise awareness about the programs we offer at Palomar College. Thank you ALASS for all you do to make this event a success. I would also like to thank Trustee Christian Garcia and Trustee Roberto Rodriguez for their attendance at the event.
• Met with Palomar Black Faculty and Staff Association (PBFSA) members this week to assess our progress on our stated goals for the district.
• Visited two classrooms this week to see our wonderful faculty in action and to connect with students. Thank you, Professors Barbara Baer and Brittany Wong, for the invitations!

Community Engagement

• Met with California Senator Brian Jones (40th district) who visited our campus last week. He spoke with students and staff and was able to see the great work we are doing here at Palomar. He made a positive impression on all of us, and we thank Senator Jones, for visiting our campus! I would also like to thank Trustee Kartik Raju and Trustee Mark Evilsizer for joining the meeting.
• Participated in the Lake San Marcos Kiwanis Club 25^th Annual Holiday Parade. I was honored to be a part of the parade’s dignitary lineup! Thank you to the Kiwanis Club for inviting me to be a part of this fun-filled parade.
• Co-Facilitated, along with Cheryl Kearse, the Black/African American Community Advisory Council Meeting.
• Attended ACCJC training as I prepare to serve as a Vice Chair on an Accreditation team in 2023.

Upcoming Events and Campus News

• Palomar College Team Life is excited to announce guided Arboretum Walks! These walks will be held on the first Wednesday of every month from 12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m. Tony Rangel the Arboretum President will be your guide. The first walk will be on December 7, and everyone will meet up at the Clock Tower.
• Palomar Performing Arts will be presenting The Gods of Comedy by playwright Ken Ludwig which will be playing December 2 – December 11. Performances will be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Palomar College Studio Theatre on the campus. The production is directed by Michael Mufson. The play follows a young theatre scholar who calls on the gods of Ancient Greece to save her career and love life—but it’s not the gods of love who show up to help. Director Mufson stated, “Creating this show has been pure joy for me and the cast. We are thrilled with the big moments of physical comedy and have been surprised to discover little philosophical gems hidden within the zany lunacy.” You can buy tickets here.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Updates and News

• Noche de Cultura is coming up on Thursday, December 15th. It is an opportunity for you to showcase and share your culture through music, dance, poetry, comedy, and much more. Those interested in preforming must sign up by December 5th. Here is a link to the flyer with more information.

Educational and Facilities Vision Plan Update

The Educational and Facilities Vision Plan Task Force will meet this month on December 15^th. During this meeting, the Task Force will engage in a review of the themes identified in the listening sessions and the results of the campus-wide survey. Just a reminder, if you are interested in learning more about the progress we are making on our Vision Plan, please check out our Vision Plan 2035 webpage here.

Hiring Updates

Pending Governing Board approval on December 6, Dr. Tina Recalde will join Palomar College as our Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, and Dr. Todd McDonald, will serve as our Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Fiscal and Administrative Services. Dr. Recalde comes to Palomar by way of San Diego Mesa College. She has over 25 years of experience working in California Community Colleges as an administrator, faculty member, and classified professional with a demonstrated ability in leading academic and workforce training programs. Dr. McDonald will join us from the Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District. He has more than 31 years of fiscal and administrative leadership experience, including budget development and management, compliance and risk management, facilities and construction oversight, and auxiliary service management. I am looking forward to working with both of our new leaders as we continue to achieve our goals and objectives.

Comet of the Week

The Comet of the Week is Stacy Rungaitis, Executive Director of the Palomar College Foundation for her incredible leadership in the Giving Tuesday fundraiser. This year’s Giving Tuesday raised a record breaking ninety-two thousand dollars! Because of Stacy’s hard work and leadership, we will be able to say ‘yes’ to more students who need extra financial support to stay in school. Stacy has led the Palomar College Foundation as the Executive Director since 2017 and currently serves on Executive Cabinet.

Have a great upcoming week. Go Comets!

For pictures of the various events, follow:
Twitter: @palomardrstar
Instagram: @palomardrstar