August 14, 2024

Dear SRJC Community,

Welcome back to the Fall semester. I hope the summer months gave you time to refresh and recharge and you are ready to engage and connect with students and colleagues alike for the 2024 –2025 academic year. 

Our facilities work continued at SRJC over the summer.  You might notice a few changes as we continue renovation projects on our sites. On the Santa Rosa campus, the Tauzer Gymnasium construction project continues.  As a result, C-Lot/Quinn/Tauzer parking lot is still impacted with walking paths open through Bailey Field so please leave plenty of time for travel. We expect this renovation to continue through 2025. Modernization at SRJC Roseland continues with the remaining buildings being abated and demolished and fresh sod placed in the new quad.  

At PDA (Professional Development Activities) Day on the Petaluma campus on Friday, August 16th, I will share with you SRJC’s four strategic priorities for the upcoming academic year during the plenary session and look forward to how, together, we can cultivate a community of excellence and belonging. The day will be filled with workshops and sessions aimed at sparking our creativity, strengthening our commitment to students, and fostering inclusion and equity. I look forward to seeing you there and embarking on a day of professional development together. 

Students are the center of our educational purpose, and their access, success, and completion are part of our daily efforts toward enrollment recovery and growth. For the Fall 2024 semester, there is close to a 6% increase in credit course enrollment year-over-year with concurrent enrollment up 16%, primarily online, and continuing enrollment is up 6.5% primarily seen in Petaluma, Online, and Shone Farm. My deepest congratulations and gratitude go out to each of you because this is what it looks like when students have access to a pathway in higher education.  

The beginning of a new academic year brings a sense of renewal and excitement. It is a time for reflection, reimagining possibilities, and reigniting our commitment to personal and academic growth. I invite you to bring your authentic selves to SRJC and join me in pledging to be a fully engaged member of our college community, fostering authentic connections, and nurturing a learning environment that embodies the legacy and promise of SRJC. 

In community, 
Dr. Garcia
Superintendent/President

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Hosted Shone Farm Individual Listening Sessions: This summer, I invited each faculty, classified employee, and STNC of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and Shone Farm to sign up for an individual conversations. These conversations will conclude in August and the aggregated data will be provided to the Ag/NR and Shone Farm leadership to identify themes and create an operational action plan for this specific site. 

• Welcomed new team members: Karolina Nazari, Director of Strategic Initiatives; and Sarah Pew, Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Public Affairs
• Welcomed new Student Trustee, Anthony Spinozzi
• Welcomed new Student Government Assembly President, Ruben Garcia
• Attended the following events:
  • Farm Bureau Love of the Land Fundraiser Event
  • HSI transformation team retreat
     

• The Distance Education team had a busy summer finalizing the integration of the Insights SLO software, providing training to faculty about the many changes occurring in Canvas, attending and presenting at conferences and webinars, and providing accessibility consultations and remediation. Lisa Beach was reinstated as the President of the CCC Distance Education Coordinators Organization (DECO), as well as continuing to serve as a member of the Distance Education and Educational Technology Advisory Committee (DEETAC) at the Chancellor's Office and the California Virtual Campus Advisory Committee (CVCAC).
• Students in MESA and HSI STEM Avanzando have been busy this summer.  Five (5) MESA students completed research through the NSF EC3 Program at Sonoma State University, where SRJC students can live in the dorms and conduct research in the labs of our closest CSU.  Research posters completed from this experience will be presented at the MESA Open House this Fall. Additionally, MESA and Avanzando staff took 8 students to Boston, MA, for the International Space Station Research and Development Conference. Students were excited to learn about all the innovative research going on at the ISS and networked and connected with STEM professionals across the nation. 
   

• In July, A&R made notable progress across several initiatives. Evaluators began using the new 3C2A Tech Hub online platform for athletic eligibility reviews and certifications, while Ellucian scribes coded degrees and certificates into Degree Works, preparing for the transition to Banner. The team processed 43 manual applications and registrations for the Ignite program, including in-person assistance at the local jail. They also worked to combat fraud by reviewing 20-30 suspected fraudulent records daily and processing over 1,200 transcripts, and 28 verifications, and merging more than 300 student records.
• Student Financial Services is navigating significant challenges due to federal FAFSA changes. They have been consistently sending award notifications for the 24-25 academic year as students become eligible. For the 23-24 academic year, they disbursed $2.5 million more in Pell Grants and $750,000 more in Student Success Completion Grants compared to the previous year. Additionally, the team is actively supporting students seeking housing in Polly Hall for 24-25 by meeting individually to complete Housing Checklists, reviewing financial aid eligibility, discussing yearly budgets, and ensuring optimal use of financial aid and resources.
• On July 1, the Social Worker, Basic Needs Liaison, and Support Services Specialist began their roles at SRJC Roseland to bolster the Homeless and Housing Insecurity Program (HHIP) and Basic Needs support, crucial for students facing housing instability. They have played a key role in connecting students with the Interfaith Shelter Network (IFSN) and will continue to collaborate with Santa Rosa and Petaluma, with a formal announcement planned for this fall to increase faculty and staff awareness of these services. Additionally, a recent tour by the Student Trustee, SGA President, and VP of Diversity highlighted the effective student support and engagement at SRJC Roseland, with the SGA recommending the pursuit of future grants to further enhance student activities.
   

• Roseland Modernization – The final older buildings, including the gym, were abated and demolished and rubble has now been cleared. Preliminary work has begun on Heritage Hall while we await sign-off from DSA. Construction on the new Student Center will begin once approval is received.
• Highway 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing (BPO) - After many years of coordination, at the August Board of Trustees meeting, the Board approved moving forward with the intent to grant multiple easements and a portion of District land to the City of Santa Rosa for the BPO. This paves the way for the next steps in the City’s processes with CalTrans and gets us one step closer to the construction of the BPO. The next step will be to set a public hearing and approval of the documents at the September Board meeting. The BPO is anticipated to land on the south corner of Elliott Avenue at Armory just north of Polly O’Meara Doyle Hall. More information on construction timelines will be released when known, it is currently anticipated the project will be complete in 2027.
   

• Human Resources staff members have worked with District representatives on hiring and onboarding over 17 individuals in July.
• Human Resources staff met with the Office of Marketing & Communications to begin the review and redesign of the HR website.
• Human Resources staff is reviewing the New Employee Orientation. 

Through the end of the 2024 fiscal year (June 30th), the Foundation secured $10.7 million in donations to support scholarships and programs. In FY23 the Foundation also raised $10.7 million. We raised $2.6 million for programs compared to $1.7 last year. We also raised $1.3 million for non-endowed scholarships. The Foundation's investment portfolio stands at $72 million after a 10.44% investment performance in FY24. In 2023-24 SRJC awarded $6.1 million in scholarships.

• Doyle Scholarships
  • 4,728 students offered
  • $4,455,364 awarded
  • $188,421 Doyle Housing (new!)
• Foundation Scholarships
  • 2,041 applications received
  • 2,000 scholarships available from 640 funds
  • 1,887 awards offered
  • $1,710,000 awarded
  • 1,404 unduplicated student recipients
• The 2021-24 Foundation Strategic Plan concluded on June 30th. During that time, the Foundation raised $17 million for funding priorities that included Ag and Natural Resources; Kinesiology, Athletics and Dance; STEM; Petaluma Campus; Construction Trades; Student Housing; Student Success; and Fire Technology. The Foundation will create a new strategic plan and identify new funding priorities in response to the District’s forthcoming Comprehensive Education Plan.