April 9, 2025

Dear SRJC Community,

It is my honor to serve as Acting Superintendent/President during this time and to share the monthly update for this month with you while Dr. Garcia is on medical leave. We continue to keep her in our thoughts as she focuses on healing and recovery.

March brought incredible achievements across the District, with the college community engaged in many inspiring ways. From academic competitions to statewide advocacy, SRJC’s mission, vision, and values were on full display. The Forensics team brought home top honors in multiple categories at the state championships, the Baseball team continues to hold its #1 ranking in California, and our Cheer Team won a national title. These milestones are more than just achievements—they reflect the commitment and excellence that define us.

I also want to share a few key updates from March that align with our institutional priorities:

1. IDEAA – Operational Assessment & Change:
   After an extensive search, we are pleased to welcome Alia Dunphy as SRJC’s next Vice President of Human Resources. Alia comes to us from College of the Redwoods, where she most recently served as Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, EEO, and DEIA. She brings deep experience and a collaborative leadership style that will strengthen our HR operations and support an inclusive, people-centered workplace culture. Alia officially joins SRJC on April 21.
2. Student Success:
   Building on our work to support our undocumented student community, the District launched a newly enhanced Undocu Immigrant Dream Center website (dream.santarosa.edu). The redesigned site improves access to essential resources and provides clear, compassionate guidance for undocumented students and their families.
3. Student Success & Institutional Effectiveness:
   Yesterday the Board of Trustees held a study session on AB 1705, focusing on the legislative intent, implementation timelines, local curricular and pathway redesign, data review, current efforts, and new opportunities to optimize equitable student placement, support, and completion as it relates to this legislation at Santa Rosa Junior College. The session was designed to ensure the Board is well-informed about the shifts required by this law and how they affect student experience, instructional practices, and institutional planning. Throughout the discussion following the presentation, the Trustees expressed deep appreciation for the staff’s efforts and shared optimism about the district’s leadership in advancing equitable student success. Thank you to the presenters for leading a thoughtful and informative discussion:
   • Dr. Jen Carlin-Goldberg, Math Department Chair
   • Dr. Sheryl Cavales Doolan, English Department Chair
   • Dr Robert Holcomb, Vice President, Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent
   • April Oliver, English for Multilingual Students Department Chair
   • Dr. Roam Romagnoli, Dean of Language Arts and Academic Foundation
   • Dr. Jeremy Smotherman, Senior Director, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning
   • Dr. Victor Tam, Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics

April is full of opportunities to celebrate and connect—from student recognition events to Classified Professionals Recognition Week. I look forward to engaging with many of you at these upcoming activities, including the Classified Senate Raoul Yriberri Memorial Classified Professionals Recognition and Awards Dinner and Silent Auction on Thursday, April 17. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and to one another. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive SRJC.

Kate Jolley
Acting Superintendent/President

 

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Office of the President

• Hosted a Pop-Up with the President at SRJC Roseland which included the Food Pantry for students to have access to fresh produce, grains, protein, and power snacks and Dream Center with resources, and answer questions about our response to immigration activity on campus
• Participated in an informal press conference with The Oak Leaf to engage with student reporters on SRJC priorities and key initiatives.
• Served on a panel at Sonoma County Alliance on the crucial intersection of education and workforce development, in partnership with the CTE Foundation and Sonoma State University, focusing on developing pathways and partnerships that effectively align educational outcomes with the needs of our local businesses.
• Presented at Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) Best Practices Conference on how a year-long “Transformation Teams” program supported SRJC drive equity and change for Latine students, using a collaborative approach led by Dr. Gina Ann Garcia and other leaders.
• Attended National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) Leadership Fellows Program.

Academic Affairs

• Nearly a dozen students from MESA, Avanzando, and the Physics Club attended the APS Global Physics Summit in Los Angeles. Additionally, eight MESA students participated in the Women in Engineering Conference at San Jose State University. The annual Narcan Workshop, offered by Avanzando, MESA, and HOPE in collaboration with Micah’s Hugs, was also held on the Santa Rosa campus.  Together, these programs provide crucial academic, personal, and career support to help students succeed at SRJC and beyond.

• On March 1, SRJC hosted the 3rd annual Golden State Field Day, a collaboration between Industrial & Trade Technology and Shone Farm. More than 500 4-H and FFA students from over 35 chapters across California competed in a two-day event showcasing skills in agriculture and technology.  Supported by North Coast Ag Partners and the Bay Region Consortium, contests were led by high school agriculture teachers and SRJC instructors, each paired with a student from SRJC’s Ag Leadership class, taught by Kerry Williams. This event serves a powerful outreach and educational opportunity, connecting North California students in agricultural sciences with SRJC’s resources and industry partners.
   

• The SRJC Forensics Bear Cubs led by faculty member Josh Hamzehee, returned from the State Championships in Los Angeles with wins in 3 of 11. Student Salvatore Barone earned a state title for his speech on solitary confinement, which he also delivered during public comment at an SRJC Board of Trustees meeting. In total, eleven SRJC students received awards.

Student Services

• Student Outreach and Dual Enrollment 
  In March, the Student Outreach and Dual Enrollment Teams partnered with the Sonoma County Office of Education to host the annual High School and Community Partners Breakfast on Monday, March 24. More than 30 high school counselors and community partners attended to hear updates on outreach, admissions, financial aid, counseling, dual enrollment, and CCAP. This event aims to strengthen collaboration with local high schools and expand access, support, and success for students at every stage of their educational journey.

• Undocu•Immigrant•Dream Center 
  The Undocu•Immigrant•Dream Center launched an updated website designed to provide easier access to information and resources for students, staff, and the community. Special thanks to Sarah Pew and the MarCom team for their support in this effort. The Center encourages ongoing feedback from students and staff to further improve website navigation and usability.

• Disability Resources Department (DRD) 
  DRD secured the Randolph Newman Cultural Enrichment Grant to support the upcoming "Redefining Disability" monthly speaker series, launching in Fall 2025. The department also participated in the UCLA Tarjan Center ACCESS webinar "The Power of Partnerships in Career Technical Education: Creating Pathways for Students with Disabilities." DRD's weekly ASL Hours continue to welcome 6-9 students and community members, fostering sign language practice, Deaf culture education, and social connections. Faculty engagement efforts included a presentation to the Culinary Arts Department on de-escalation techniques for neurodivergent students, with ongoing conversations about enhancing social-emotional support. The department hosted a Deaf Board Game event, bringing together Deaf community members, instructors, students, and American Sign Language (ASL) learners in an inclusive, interactive setting. New initiatives include the launch of "Empowered Connections: A Neurodivergent Approach to Dating and Relationships," a weekly series that explores strategies for navigating platonic, romantic, and professional relationships. To support student well-being, DRD introduced therapy dog visits every other Tuesday and launched a "Virtual Calm Down Corner" on the Disability Culture Center (DCC) website, offering coping skills and self-regulation strategies. DRD also contributed to campus outreach by presenting on "Academic Wellness & Burnout Prevention" at Polly Hall's "Wellness Wednesday" series, supporting dorm residents in managing academic stress.

• Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) 
  On March 4, a team of EOPS students and staff participated in the annual "March in March" advocacy event in Sacramento. This event included a march from Southside Park to the west steps of the Capitol, where students, faculty, and legislators from across the state gathered for a rally in support of students’ rights. 
   

Finance & Administrative Service

• Stephanie Jarrett, Acting Vice President of Finance & Administrative Services, served as a judge for the Press Democrat’s 2025 Celebrate Community Youth Service Awards in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) category. This prestigious honor recognizes 12 outstanding high school seniors from across Sonoma County for their volunteer service to their schools and communities. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 scholarship to support their continued education. The award celebrates young leaders who are already making a meaningful impact in their communities.
   

Human Resources

• The HR Technicians completed revisions successfully reworked and opened all 118 Associate Faculty job announcements for the 2025-2026 recruitment year. This significant achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of an amazing team!
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee is actively advancing the deliverables outlined in the Equal Employment Opportunity Plan submitted to the State. The committee is currently planning a Career Empowerment Conference for students on Friday, May 2, in the Lindley STEM Center. A special thank you to the committee for their dedication to this effort!
   

Foundation

• The 2025 Spring Scholarship Application closed in early March. The Foundation and Scholarship Office are pleased to offer students access to more than 630 scholarship opportunities, many with multiple awards. Ten scholarship reviewer trainings were held, preparing 120 reviewers for their current scholarship review process.
• The Grants Committee recently reviewed the eleven applications we for funding from the Randolph Newman Cultural Enrichment Endowment and awarded six projects a total of $26,755. Funded departments include the Art Department Agrella Gallery, Biology, Student Life & Cultural Programs, Disability Resources, Humanities and Religious Studies, and Health Sciences. We are grateful for the breadth of programming presented this year.
• Through the end of February, the Foundation secured $8.9 million for scholarships and programs, including $2.2 million from the Doyle Trust. This represents an increase of nearly $2.8 million over last year and includes more than $3.8 million in new endowment donations.