FIRST WEDNESDAY REPORT/ OCTOBER 2013 Is it fall already? Even if we don’t have a federal government this week, multi-hued pumpkins of various shapes and sizes are appearing at the grocery store. Congratulations to newly elected 2013-2014 Planning, Review, and Budget Committee (PRBC) cochairs Sandra Genera and Ken Grace, who follow in the (metaphorically) giant footsteps of last year’s chair, Jan Novak. This hard-working group is undertaking a number of key initiatives this academic year, including a review and updating of the College’s Mission Statement and a continuation of our strategic planning process as we review Unit Plans through the Program Review Process with reference to our strategic goals and objectives. Our sage Accreditation Liaison Jim Matthews is in attendance at each PRBC meeting, a significant fact as we move into this next accreditation cycle. One important theme emerging from last year’s PRBC work is resonating this semester through the convening of the Presidential Taskforce on Learning Communities, chaired by Dr. Jeanne Wilson and Deonne Kunkel. Someone asked me if the Taskforce was “by invitation only”! ALL College shared governance committees are open to all. Come on by. Another theme across the Colleges and District is, of course, the set of legislative mandates rolled out across the State by the Student Success Agenda. Dean Matt Kritscher and Interim VPs Wagoner and Shimada attended last week’s Student Success Summit in the Capitol and debriefed with administrative staff and classified and faculty reps about updates on new and forthcoming legislation. At the October 1st Board Study Session meeting Vice Chancellor Kingston, our own Articulation Officer Jane Church along with LPC Interim President Jan Noble gave an update to the Trustees on Student Success developments, with a focus on the new Transfer Degrees (per SB 1440) at both campuses. Jane did us proud, and kudos again, to Jane and the many faculty leads who worked on our new transfer degrees. A number of Trustees raised important questions about the larger State agenda, and to what degree it alters the community colleges’ missions under the Master Plan. It was a good discussion. Second Level interviews take place this week for our permanent VP of Academic Services, and the committee to screen the Foundation/Development Director position is in place and getting started with their process. As we emerge from a period of deep austerity across the State (into what I’ll characterize as a period of “lesser austerity”), we badly need to restore functionality to any number of areas starved by recent years of drought. Among many other important roles, we need a web master and we need to provide faculty support in the process of aggregating SLO and related “accountability” data. At this month’s College Forum (yes, we are still looking for a date that works!!!), VP Connie Willis and I will be presenting the College’s Adoption Budget for scrutiny and review by the College community. It should be interesting. I’ll soon be presenting recommendations for administrative organization recommended by admin staff over the summer, as well as the recommendations of the Classified Senate regarding classified hiring at PRBC, the Senates, and College Council. Our annual Law and Democracy Lecture was well-attended and continues a tradition of civic engagement that is deeply meaningful to the College and community. Ditto our ongoing Faculty Lecture Series which highlights some of our home-grown brilliance. On October 15th the Board of Trustees will meet in regular session here at Chabot with a special presentation by Dean VoKumamoto on recent developments in the MESA Program. Before the Board meets, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for our newly updated Automotive facility, with a number of old friends and luminaries in attendance, including, it is rumored, some of the BMW brass themselves (who I hear are pretty thrilled about the program.) Onward and upward into autumn! Best, Susan OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 25555 Hesperian Boulevard ▪ Hayward CA 94545 ▪ Office (510) 723-6641 ▪ Fax (510) 723-7126