Dear Campus Community,
Before sharing the updates below with you, I want to acknowledge how busy we are at this time of the semester and how we and our students may be experiencing any number of stressors. I encourage all of us to allow grace and even consider in the hardest and best of times what we are grateful for. Please take time to acknowledge how we may experience this coming holiday differently. To some, it may be a day of Thanksgiving while to others it may be a day of remembrance or mourning for indigenous peoples, the original inhabitants of this land. I encourage all of you to consider the native land upon which your city or community is built.
And while we enjoy the opportunity for much-deserved rest from our regular routines, I hope that we individually take time to honor the special moments of understanding and care that have brought us growth and awareness this past year—centering our thoughts on resilience, love and care as the foundation of our common humanity.
And now for the updates:
Dean of Academic Counseling and Student Success
The search and selection considered reference checks, search committee perspectives, forum feedback, and reflection on what the current college needs are as we move forward in defining student success, building a cohesive-comprehensive counseling structure to increase student achievement, and refocusing the Education Master Plan goals and priorities. A thoughtful review of this information affirms my decision to offer the position to Dr. Stormy Miller Sabia. Dr. Sabia’s position approval is scheduled for the December 10 Board of Trustees meeting. Her start date is January 13, 2025, pending board approval.
Dr. Stormy Miller Sabia is a seasoned student affairs professional who understands the intersection of theory and practice when designing services to center student development. She is a transformative leader who embodies empathy, active listening, strong communication, adaptability, collaboration, leading by example, and an understanding of individual needs. I look forward to Dr. Sabia’s leadership in counseling, student success programs, and across campus.
Full-Time Faculty Prioritization
The faculty prioritization process has concluded. Thank you, department chairs, faculty, and deans for submitting twenty-one full-time faculty requests for the 2025-2026 academic year. It takes much effort and time to work with colleagues to forecast and articulate programmatic and course offering needs to increase student success.
Please review the four full-time faculty prioritization rankings from the Academic Affairs Council (department chairs), Academic Senate, and Academic Affairs Leadership Team, which have informed the President ranking.
Additional information that informed the full-time faculty prioritization list consisted of full-time and part-time faculty ratio, fill rate, number of course sections, personnel, and student achievement data. Hiring future permanent faculty is central to our mission to provide the highest quality educational services. And I look forward to the coming hiring season. The next update on faculty positions will be shared at the December 12 College Council meeting.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions.
In solidarity,
Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Ph.D.