Chancellor's News Brief

Congratulations on successfully completing the first week of the fall semester! The energy at the colleges was palpable during my visits on Monday and in the messages I received from leadership throughout the week. Your dedication and hard work have set a positive tone for our students for the academic year ahead, and I look forward to all the coming successes of the rest of the semester!

A strong and fiscally healthy district is integral to the quality of education and services we can provide to our students. This is a foundational belief of mine and why I remain proactive in managing our budget. When our budget is well-managed and our finances are stable, it gives us the ability to invest in programs, faculty, and facilities that help our students thrive academically and professionally and keep our colleges as standouts in the Community College System.

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees met in a Special Meeting where our fiscal team provided a preview and in-depth discussion of the proposed adopted 2024-2025 budget. This meeting was in anticipation of the September 4 Board Meeting where the Trustees will be asked for their approval of the adopted budget for this fiscal year.

Yesterday’s presentation highlighted several critical themes that presented themselves during the formation of the budget. The first theme highlighted was the state's answer to fill the gap in the declining state revenues and their effects on the District budget in 2023-2024 and the outgoing years. The solutions included exhaustion of the state’s K-14 Rainy Day Fund, several one-time resolutions such as the sweeping of unspent funds and manipulations to Proposition 98, and SCFF deferrals to meet baseline obligations of COLA and growth in 2024-2025. The funding of ongoing baseline obligations in future years remains uncertain, with potential for current year funding shortfalls.

At the local level, the Fiscal Stability Plans created by the colleges and presented to the Trustees in March proved to be crucial for reducing deficit spending in 2023-2024. Most of the savings at each of the campuses came from closing vacant positions which resulting in savings with an ongoing impact. The colleges also worked to maximize the use of one time funds and increase their dedicated revenue. It was cautioned that finding savings at the dollar amounts presented in the fiscal stability plans would become more difficult as options decrease but will remain as necessary if the projections of state revenue and college enrollments come to fruition.

More details can be found in the presentation located on the board agenda. I also invite you to attend the Board of Trustees meeting on September 4, which will be held in the District Board Room and begin at 5:00 pm and will include further discussions.

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continued commitment and unwavering hard work in support of our students. While it was the fiscal directors that presented on Thursday, I know that the discussions and decision making that lead to these presentations happen at every level of our institutions. I have no doubt that, together, we possess the strength and determination to navigate these challenges. Your collective efforts ensure that we will have the ability to continue to offer the exceptional education and vital services that our students rely on and deserve.

With gratitude,

Dr. Whitney Yamamura
Chancellor

Please send examples of persistent innovation, by which I mean having a good idea and then putting in the hard work to make that vision a reality. The more examples submitted, the better I can highlight your successes in future letters and in the community!

On August 26, Chancellor Yamamura, Dr. Andreea Serban, Marlene Drinkwine, and Rupa Saran visited each campus to encourage and show their appreciation for the Admissions and Records staff members.

Coastline College recently hosted a district-wide Associated Student Government (ASG) student leadership training at its beautiful Student Services Center in Fountain Valley, bringing together student leaders from Coastline College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College. Approximately 50 student leaders participated in team-building exercises, learned parliamentary procedures to support their roles, and attended an invigorating presentation by Dr. Gyasmine George-Williams, Assistant Professor at CSU Pomona, on "Championing Change: Equity, Advocacy, and Activism." Throughout the workshop, students explored concepts of equity, allyship, and activism, while reflecting on their roles in representing and advocating for the student body. Participants described the event as both inspiring and empowering. We look forward to an exciting 2024-25 academic year!

Orange Coast College student Valeria Arellano was among 21 students selected to participate in the Stanford Summer Community College Premedical Program (SSCCPP) at Stanford Medicine.

Arellano, a biology major at Orange Coast College and Golden West College, spent the summer in traditional classes, medical school admissions workshops, science-based classes like human anatomy and molecular cellular biology, and shadowing physicians and other health professionals.

During the six-week program, Arellano engaged in scholarly research on health disparities and presented their research project: Understanding cardiovascular disease detection and outcomes in Santa Clara and Fresno County.

SSCCPP is an academically intensive experience that exclusively targets California community college students considering careers as physicians and physician assistants. SSCCPP recruits talented and motivated community college students interested in medicine to immerse themselves in the Stanford School of Medicine network through various personal and professional development experiences.

This year, the Office of Diversity in Medical Education (ODME) celebrates 25 years of offering premedical programs for undergraduates, including community college students.

Chancellor, Week of September 2
Dr. Yamamura is in the District, Tuesday through Friday.