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 the Educational & Facilities Vision Plan Coordinators meeting where the Task Force continues to review the 2035 Educational Vision Plan’s Goals and Objectives.
• Attended several Women’s History Month workshops.
• Attended the Palomar Black Faculty and Staff Association/Umoja leadership meeting.
• Met with Executive Council leadership.
• Met with Professional Development leadership.
• Met with Palomar Faculty Federation leadership.
• Met with the provisional trustee appointment ad-hoc committee.
• Co-facilitated, along with Cheryl Kearse, the bi-monthly College Council meeting.
• Facilitated the Pre-Board Agenda Review.

Community Engagement

• Attended the SDICCCA (San Diego Imperial Counties Community College Association) Alliance Meeting which included a special Strong Workforce Session that focused on data-driven outcomes, along with an emphasis on innovation. Thank you, Trustee Roberto Rodriguez, for representing Palomar during the Trustee Board Alliance portion of the meeting.
• Spoke at the CalRTA (California Retired Teachers Association) Division 63 Luncheon. It was great to see some of our former faculty members and to have the opportunity to share all the amazing happenings at Palomar College. A special thank you to retiree Cynthia Poole for the lovely invite.
• Met with NCCHC (the National Community College Hispanic Council) to plan for the Annual Leadership Symposium in September. NCCHC has been working to advance the number of Hispanics/Latinos in leadership positions in community colleges. I am proud to be on the Board of NCCHC, and I am happy to represent Palomar on the national stage.
• Attended the Community College League of California’s 2023 CEO Symposium. I love learning, and strategizing, with other like-minded and well-intentioned system leaders on how to best meet the needs of the 300,000 California Community College students we serve. The CEO Symposium is the annual convening of California Community College Chancellors, Superintendents/Presidents, and Campus Presidents from across the state. The conference was held in San Diego from Thursday-Sunday.
• Represented Palomar College, along with Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction- Dr. Tina Recalde and Foundation Executive Director-Stacy Rungaitis, at the 2023 TrueCare Fundraiser. It is always wonderful to support the great work our community partners are doing in the region. TrueCare is one of the largest healthcare providers in the San Diego and Riverside Counties.
• Continued to serve as the Vice Chair for an ACCJC accreditation visit. I am excited to be of service to another institution while learning nuanced skills that will greatly benefit Palomar through our own accreditation process.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Upcoming Events and News

• One of the most notable figures in disability rights history, Judith “Judy” Heumann, passed away on March 4. To learn more about her impact and incredible life, you can read this New York Times article or watch the Netflix documentary on YouTube (free access) to learn more about this incredible activist.
• We have two exciting workshops, by two renowned experts, one day only. Attorney Paul Grossman and Jamie Axelrod will present on Monday, April 17, information to help participants discover the evolution of the disability rights movement, gain information to be a disability ally on campus, and learn about rights and responsibilities under disability laws. You can either participate in-person (LRC 438) or via Zoom. Here is the flyer to sign up.
• What is Access & Equity Hour? Please join the Disability Resource Center in learning new ways to become Disability Allies at Palomar College. During the weekly workshop, they explore how disability fits into the DEIAA framework, how support services around campus can aid in better access for all students, how faculty design accessibility into their courses and teaching philosophies, and they aim to promote a deeper understanding of some of the intersectional identities of our students to better foster a sense of belonging for all at Palomar. These workshops take place every Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Zoom (Zoom ID: 849 9512 3146). Please register today! The full spring program can be found in the PD Portal.
• Also, please register for the Disabled Student Experience Panel scheduled on April 14^th,12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The flyer can be found here.

Comets Doing Great Things

• Dr. Nora Kenney-Whitley has been named the 2023 Palomar College Woman of the Year! Dr. Kenney-Whitley was nominated by colleagues who specifically noted her outstanding work on behalf of our Rising Scholars/Transitions program students. She was recognized for her unwavering commitment to Palomar’s DEIAA efforts, and for empowering other women at our campus and region. The Empowered Women Alliance at Palomar College continues to celebrate sisterhood, womanhood, activism, and social justice. Dr. Nora will be honored at the Inaugural Empowered Women Alliance celebration on March 23 at 4pm in LRC-438. Please register to join the amazing celebration of the women in our Palomar community. Here is the flyer for the event.
• Congratulations Barbara Baer, PFF Co-President and Part-Time faculty in Economics, and Jenny Fererro, PFF Lead Negotiator and Full-Time faculty in Child Development. The California Federation of Teachers selected Barbara and Jenny as the 2023 co-recipients of the 2023 Women in Education Award. Each year, the California Federation of Teachers recognizes leaders for promoting the rights of women and issues of gender equity within the educational workplace. They have been selected because of their steadfast dedication to pursuing parity in health care coverage for part-time faculty. The push for equity in health care for part-time faculty ensures access to high-quality health care which helps keep families and our community healthy. Barbara and Jenny will be honored at the CFT convention in San Francisco later this month.
• Congratulations to Journalism Professor Erin Hiro on the General Excellence award for Palomar’s Impact Magazine received this weekend at the Journalism Conference in San Francisco.

Comets of the Week

The Comets of the Week are the Women’s Basketball student-athletes and coaches. This team had an unbelievable season under the fantastic leadership of Head Coach Leigh Marshall and coaching staff Chris Kroesch, Damian Cephas, and Kailey Rowan. Although their season ended on Saturday night with a heartbreaking 1 point loss in the semi-final game of the State Championship, it does not take away from the team’s incredible achievements this season! They ended with a 30-1 season, 14-0 in PCAC play for a conference championship title, and earned a trip to the State Final Four. We are proud of you, thank you for the phenomenal games, and can’t wait to watch what next season brings!

Have a great upcoming week. Go Comets!

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