Chancellor's News Brief

Last week’s message addressed the ambiguity that can accompany rapid change and highlighted our proven track record—spanning over 75 years—of responding to such change. We do this through the lens of our mission as a California State Community College, and our commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for our students.

This past week, a series of Presidential Executive Orders, White House directive memos, rescissions of those memos, and the release of new directives gave us the opportunity to stretch those muscles once again. It is human nature to react to chaos defensively, offensively, or sometimes with paralysis. For an institution responsible for the education of over 30,000 students and the well-being of 3,000 employees, none of these responses is ideal.

A steady and measured response, based on the facts available, is the goal. It has been helpful to remember that the executive orders, up to this point, have been limited to federal agencies, and that the purview and power of the executive branch are not unlimited. Coast District, as a California state institution, is responsible to—and sometimes protected by—state laws.

Our students are arriving on campus today for the first day of a new semester. It is appropriate for them to expect a safe and supportive environment in which they can learn, stretch their skills, and find respite from the world outside the classroom. As members of the Academy, with a history stretching back over two thousand four hundred years we must uphold the tradition to educate, inform and enlighten. Keeping our students and employees informed is key to achieving these objectives. There are many resources available at our colleges. You can find key links and answers to the most pressing questions on our District website.

Thank you to all of our employees in student services, public safety, instruction, the president’s offices, and throughout the district, who are working to interpret the information coming from Washington and determine its impact and our response. If this past week is any indication, we will continue to be challenged to control our natural reactionary impulses for the sake of our students and colleagues. Take care of yourself and support each other and our students while remaining focused on our mission to transform the lives of the people we serve. And rest assured Coast District will do all it can to achieve our mission.

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!

The 2025 State of the District will be held on February 27 (Thursday). Save the date and join us at 9:00 am in the CCCD Board Room.

Join as Black History Month is celebrated through events and conversations through Coastline College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College.

• Black History Month Parade & Cultural Faire
• Black College Expo and Battle of the Bands
• Welcome Back and Black History Month Opening Celebration - Orange Coast College
• BHM Speaker Series: Rhona Bolton
• Welcome B{L}ACK- Meet and Greet and Trivia (Virtual)
• Unity in Activism with Ken Nwadike Jr. - Orange Coast College

• BHM Speaker Series – Marcus Omari

• Unity in Our Voices Luncheon featuring OCC Students and Dr. Ron McCurdy– Orange Coast College

• 2025 Pathway Conference at CSU Fullerton

• Unity in Cultural Identity with Dr. Chike Akua - Orange Coast College
• BHM Speaker Series Breaking Barriers and Thriving: A Conversation with Tee Franklin

• Come Laugh with Me: Comedy Night

• OC Black Greek Get down –Region 8

Download Black History Month Zoom Backgrounds for your online meetings and events.

In celebration of Black History Month, Coastline College Student Life/ASG will host an evening with Tee Franklin, a Black, queer, disabled, autistic, and award-winning comic writer. Known for her viral storytelling and creation of disabled characters across Image Comics, DC, Marvel, Archie Comics, and My Little Pony, Franklin has reached millions with her impactful work. Notable characters like Sun-Spider from Across the Spider-Verse and Violette Rainbow from Netflix's Tell Your Tale highlight her commitment to proper disabled representation.

Franklin’s presentation will delve into the intersections of her identity, her creative process, and the importance of authentic representation in media.

This inspiring event will include a moderated discussion exploring resilience, authenticity, and creating meaningful change in storytelling. Open to all students and employees districtwide, this is a must-attend event for those passionate about diversity, inclusion, and creative innovation. The event is scheduled for February 26, 2025, from 5:30-7:00 pm and will take place via Zoom. Register now.

Golden West College has selected Jennifer Mower as the new director of the GWC Foundation. Mower began in her new role on Jan. 29, and replaces longtime Foundation Director Bruce Berman, who retired in June 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Mower to Golden West College,” says President Meridith Randall. “Jennifer’s experience with donor cultivation and corporate partnerships, in addition to her extensive connections in Orange County, make her an excellent choice to lead the GWC Foundation. We know her expertise will help open new doors for our students, strengthen partnerships and enhance the College’s opportunities for growth.”

Mower has more than 25 years of experience working with mission-driven organizations, and comes to GWC from the Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, where she served as Director of Development since 2016. Other previous roles include Director of Corporate Relations for the Salvation Army’s Southern California Division, and Director of Development for One Legacy Foundation.

“I am honored to join the Golden West College Foundation and excited to support its mission of advancing education and opportunities for all students,” says Mower. “I look forward to collaborating with donors, community partners, and campus leaders to expand opportunities for students, raise awareness in the community about all that GWC has to offer, and drive meaningful impact for the College as a whole.”

Mower has a Masters of Arts in Communications and Bachelors of Arts in Communications, both from California State University, Fullerton. She currently lives in Whittier with her husband and two daughters.

OCC’s Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) team will host a Lunar New Year Celebration on Thursday, February 6, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Main Quad.

Activities will start at noon with a community resource fair featuring many local organizations that support the Asian community. During the celebration, the campus community will have the chance to win prizes, participate in photo opportunities, enjoy Asian appetizers, partake in a tea tasting, and hang their New Year’s wishes on a Wishing Tree. The highlight of the celebration, The Lion Dance performance, will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Coast CCD was once again well represented at two conferences hosted by the Community College League of California from last Thursday through Monday evening. First, Trustees Jim Moreno, Phu Nguyen, Board Secretary Ricky Goetz, and I attended the Effective Trusteeship Workshop. The sessions provided an in-depth look at topics relevant to our colleges from a board perspective, including finance, accreditation, and supporting colleges in evolving social environments. The conference also offered the opportunity for many statewide committees to hold in-person meetings. Meridith Randall, GWC President; Angelica Suarez, OCC President; and Diane Fiero, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources—each of whom holds leadership roles on these committees—were in attendance.

Immediately following the Trustee conference was the League’s Annual Legislative Conference, which focused on college and system priorities and strategies for advocating with state elected officials. Adding to the Coast team for this conference were Rupa Saran, Chief of Information Technology, and Julie Clevenger, Governmental Affairs. Sunday was a full day of breakout sessions and caucus meetings, preparing us for our visits with elected officials on Monday.

Two of our representatives, Tri Ta and Steve Choi, were engaged on the floor of the Assembly and Senate, respectively, at the time of our meetings. However, they left us in the capable hands of their legislative analysts. Assemblymember Ta has proposed a bill that would fill a gap in the eligibility of Cal Grants for armed services dependents.

After the Assembly concluded its floor session, we met with Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, who showed great interest in solutions to combat fraudulent applications and financial aid scams. Funding to address this issue is included in the Common Cloud Data Platform project, for which Rupa Saran is the project lead and Coast is the fiscal agent.

We also met with Josh Lowenthal, who, while not in our service area, sits on the Committee on Appropriations and has significant influence on future bond measures and fiscal bills, including two capital outlay projects: OCC’s Skill Center and GWC’s Gymnasium, both of which were included in the Governor’s January budget proposal.

We received continued support for those projects when we met with Mike Fong, Chair of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee. As Chair, he and his staff played a crucial role in the passage of the bond that provides funding for capital outlay planning and construction.

Assemblyman Fong also provided valuable insight into the priorities of the Higher Education Committee, asking for our support of his bills related to dual enrollment, the Strong Workforce Program, and protections for immigrant and international students.

Advocacy is a year-round effort, with our trustees actively participating through their work with the CCLC, regional legislative groups, and one-on-one meetings with local elected officials. Thank you to Trustee Moreno for his in-person support during Monday’s meetings, and to all our trustees for their ongoing efforts to build and maintain these important relationships throughout the year.

Chancellor, Week of February 3

Dr. Yamamura is in the District on Monday through Friday.