July 17, 2024

Dear SRJC Community,

As part of my commitment to transparency and clear communication which I shared about a few weeks ago, I am providing an update on two initiatives – Fostering Open Dialogue & Community Engagement and Operational Assessments & Changes.   
 

1. Fostering Open Dialogue & Community Engagement
   
   In July, each faculty and classified employee of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and Shone Farm were invited to sign up for an individual conversation with myself, Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Holcomb, and Interim Vice President of Human Resources Theresa Richmond in one space.  We are offering sessions this July for those faculty, classified employees, and STNCs working this summer or who wish to participate now. We recognize that some of our colleagues, especially faculty, are on summer break and unavailable, so we will be offering additional sessions in early September for those who do not sign up for a July session.
   
   Additionally, all students enrolled in an SRJC Agriculture or Natural Resources class in Spring 2024 or Summer 2024 were invited to attend a facilitated discussion in July to share their experiences. 
   
   I am working with Rooted in Love, Vice President of Human Resources Theresa Richmond and other senior leadership, to identify the dates for facilitated discussions for employees and students at all our sites, as well as Zoom. These are intended to be part of our intentional and ongoing commitment to create shared understandings, collegial respect, actionable outcomes, and department and organizational transformation. While these sessions will not make right what has been wrong for a long time, we must engage in a real dialogue with respect and honesty to take actionable steps forward. You will see those invitations in mid-August.
    
2. Operational Assessments & Changes
   
   I want to thank our constituent groups leaders from our Senates and unions who joined me for a discussion recently about the shared responsibility we have towards intentionally shifting the culture and norms of our workplace. We discussed actionable steps the District is taking, many of which will require collaboration with the Senates and unions. We are planning a second meeting in early August to continue to learn more about the efforts the Senates and unions may be considering and ways the District can support those efforts. We continue to move forward with the important work identified in June and a few updates include:

• Board Policy and Administrative Procedure Review and Revisions – The President’s Cabinet has identified and prioritized board policies and administrative procedures to begin immediate review and discuss in the fall through the appropriate participatory governance process within College Council.  
   
• Training Programs – We are creating new tools to help our community understand the difference between Title V, Title VII, and Title IX, and streamlining the process for reporting. 

This is by no means a comprehensive list of the work the District is undertaking, but rather specific outcomes from my original message.  I will continue to provide updates on this work throughout the year and encourage you to engage with your constituent leaders on any of these areas.