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Week of April 10, 2023 Update

Posted on by Star Rivera-Lacey

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

  • Participated in ongoing faculty interviews.
  • Attended the Budget Committee meeting.
  • Attended a Special Executive President’s Cabinet meeting where we discussed critical elements of the Educational and Facilities Vision Plan.
  • Attended various sessions of our outstanding Political Economy Days (PED). The purpose of PED is to broaden students’ exposure to political, economic, and historical topics. This year’s PED featured lectures by professors from Palomar College, Mesa College, CSU San Marcos, UC San Diego, and various others. A special thank you to our Palomar faculty members Peter Bowman, Jennifer Herrera, Anastasia Zavodny, Mark Malebranche, and Gary Castaneda who organized this semester’s program. I would like to especially highlight the hard work of faculty members Herrera and Zavodny. They performed the logistical, promotional, and technical work that made the event a success. Thank you all for another awesome PED event!
  • Attended the Regular Governing Board Meeting. At this meeting, the Board called for nominations for the Election of Officers. Congratulations to new Board President Roberto Rodriguez, Board Vice President Judy Patacsil, and Board Secretary Michelle Rains. At the same meeting we had an update on the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team’s (FCMAT) recommendations. Also, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee’s (ICOC) 2021-22 Annual Report was accepted and approved.
  • Attended the Educational & Facilities Vision Plan Coordinators meeting. At this meeting, we worked on finalizing the Educational Plan and continue the work on our Facilities Plan.
  • Attended the College Council meeting where we had a presentation on our District’s Basic Needs effort and discussed other general operational priorities.
  • Attended the Disabled Student Experience Panel, one of the Disability Resource Center’s many wonderful Access & Equity Hour events. It was fantastic to hear directly from our students about what we are doing well and what we still need to focus on to support student success.

Community Engagement

  • Attended the Vista Chamber of Commerce’s “Meet the Leaders” event. I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to our local leaders and to explore potential opportunities for Palomar College. The event featured Congressman Mike Levin, State Senator Catherine Blakespear, Assembly Member Laurie Davies, County Supervisor Jim Desmond, and Vista Mayor John Franklin.
  • Met with the San Diego North Economic Development Council Board of Directors, who held their meeting at the San Marcos campus. Thank you, administrators Tina Recalde, Susan Wyche, Nichol Roe, and Julie Lanthier Bandy, for supporting the event and organizing a campus tour.

Educational and Facilities Vision Plan Update

  • The Educational and Facilities Vision Plan Task Force is scheduled to meet Thursday, April 20th. During the meeting, the Task Force will consider the connections between the Educational Vision plan’s goals and objectives and college facilities. In future meetings, they will review facility analysis reports for the San Marcos campus and the Education Centers. The team will also contribute observations gained by the tours that took place of our different sites. This work is exciting as we consider the future of our district and how our indoor and outdoor spaces will serve the needs of our campus community.

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

  • April is federally proclaimed as Second Chance Month, for the purpose of, “recognizing the importance of helping individuals, communities, and agencies across the country appreciate their role in supporting the safe and successful reentry of millions of people returning from incarceration each year. Second Chance Month aims to inform and highlight the many opportunities for state, local, and tribal governments, and community-based service providers to build meaningful second chances for our returning community members.” Learn more about our own Rising Scholars Program and Palomar’s continuing efforts to support these students.
  • On Monday, April 17th, we have two exciting DRC focused workshops scheduled. They will be led by renowned expert attorneys Paul Grossman and Jamie Axelrod. Their presentations will shed light on the evolution of the disability rights movement, provide information on how to be a disability ally and discuss the rights and responsibilities written in disability laws. You can either participate in person (LRC 438) or via Zoom. Here is the flyer to sign up.
  • Tarde de Familia will take place on Friday, April 21st from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Student Union. Please mark your calendars and spread the word by sharing the social media flyer. For any questions, or for more information, contact the Association of Latinos and Allies for Student Success at alass@palomar.edu
  • Registration is now open for the 2023 Black Student Success Week, scheduled for April 24th through April 28th. This year’s theme is “Vision to Action: Building Systems and Structures for Black Student Success.” Register for webinar events through this link. Webinars listed for the 12:00 p.m. events can be watched in person in LRC-116. For the in-person events, a light lunch will be provided, and a facilitated discussion will follow. Please go to our DEI website for more information.
  • The second annual Queer Pride event at Palomar College will take place next month on May 10th. This event is an important opportunity for faculty, staff, and administrators to demonstrate their support for our LGBTQ+ students here on campus. Queer Pride is especially important as we see the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments across the country. Come help us create a space to celebrate the progress we’ve made toward being an inclusive campus. For details, check out the event flyer. Volunteers are still needed to help out on the day of the event. Those interested in volunteering, or would like to have a booth, can sign up through this flyer.

Comets of the Week

In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), the Comets of the Week are our wonderful team of Police Dispatchers: Eduardo Padron, Karina Aguilar, Nieves Suarez, Miguel Duarte, Adela Franco, Andrea Gilman, and Mia Martinez. This team works hard 24/7 to keep our campus community safe. I would also like to recognize Lead CSO, David Reza, who helps the dispatch team by covering shifts whenever needed.

Have a great upcoming week. Go Comets!

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