August 19, 2024

Dear Colleagues,  

During the Fall 2024 PDA Plenary, I shared the District's commitment to creating a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for both students and employees to learn and work. We have recently embarked on a District-wide effort to build community and excellence by creating a culture of belonging for everyone.  

As I previously shared in two communications in June (Institutional and Workplace Culture Initiatives and President's Report from the June Board of Trustees Meeting) we must commit to an intentional cultural shift in the norms of our workplace for equity and justice to occur. One of the ways we are doing so is through fostering open dialogue and community engagement in facilitated discussions. It is important we reconnect as humans to honor the experiences of one another and learn how we may move forward toward a more welcoming and supportive community.  

Register for a Facilitated Discussion 
I am inviting all employees to participate in a facilitated discussion hosted in person or on Zoom. The sessions will be facilitated by Rooted in Love, a consulting firm supporting our IDEAA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility) initiatives.

Interim Vice President of Human Resources Theresa Richmond will attend all sessions and may be joined by one or more of the following: Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Kate Jolley, Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Holcomb, or Vice President of Student Services Molly Senecal. The Vice President’s presence and learning will keep the District accountable for implementing immediate and long-term actionable change.  

There are several dates and times over the next two months at all sites. Please register for one session at any site.  Depending upon attendance, we will consider adding additional sessions if necessary.  

The direct link to sign up for an in-person or Zoom session is:  https://signup.com/go/cbVKuYo 

If you would prefer to share your experiences individually instead of in a group session, you may share your perspectives via this form, which will be treated with confidentiality but is not anonymous: https://santarosa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9wCFUcFIhm1XAa . Should you experience any issues with accessing this online form, please direct your questions to Jeremy Smotherman at jsmotherman@santarosa.edu. (Important: This form is not part of the grievance process. To file a grievance, please visit:  https://hr.santarosa.edu/district-compliance.)

At the sessions, facilitators will begin with group agreements to establish the expected collegial behavior and explain the role of each administrator in attendance. The agreements include:  

1. Practice an Ethic of Care 
   • Practice community care by taking space and making space. 
   • Practice community care by valuing every voice. 
   • Practice self-care by engaging, disengaging, or re-engaging according to your level of comfort. 
   • Be an active listener.  
2. Respect Others 
   • Speak collegially and practice empathy. 
   • Assume positive intent. 
   • Speak only your truth, knowing it’s only part of the truth. 
   • In offering responses, ask for consent. 
   • Maintain confidentiality. 
3. Uphold a Nonhierarchical Dynamic 
   • Be aware of power dynamics, real or perceived. 
   • Challenge ideas, not people. 

 The conversation will be focused on three prompts:  

1. How would you describe the work culture at SRJC? Can you share specific examples? 
2. What actions can the District take to foster a stronger sense of belonging among employees and create a community of inclusivity that aligns with our values? 
3. What could the District do to improve your experience with SRJC’s HR processes? 

The intention for these sessions is to: 

• Help SRJC understand what should have been done so we can respond with the corresponding and appropriate changes. 
• Prepare our college community to move forward, which does not mean we are dismissing or ignoring the past.    
• Offer space to share, but not act as healing circles or training sessions.    
• Reveal themes that can be used as data points to inform SRJC’s IDEAA Taskforce’s charge.    

 We want to ensure that every employee’s voice is heard. We are asking managers to work with their classified employees and schedules so they can attend a session.

Feedback from these sessions will be provided to the IDEAA Taskforce as they develop recommendations to develop a comprehensive and informed proposal to cultivate a community of belonging, create safe spaces, and the actions necessary to be a community rooted in IDEAA. Vice President Theresa Richmond will also analyze the feedback specific to HR policies and operational procedures. I anticipate sharing a summary of the broad themes identified in these sessions with the community by December, however, the IDEAA Taskforce will provide regular communications updating the SRJC community of its work and learnings. 

I believe that these meaningful, engaged discussions focused on identifying and addressing our systemic culture change are most effective when held in person. As an institution of higher education, we have the privilege to engage in different modalities and spaces, whether they be in shared governance, department meetings, PDA Day, or email.   

While employees cannot opt out of email listservs, there are steps you can take to reduce the impact of emails that may cause disruption, distraction, and, in some cases, harm. The attached document provides information on how to create rules for your inbox that allow you to move specific email conversations to folders or to take other desired actions.   

Thank you for your willingness to engage in a meaningful connection with one another, so that we may co-create the solutions necessary to make systemic changes. I appreciate your expertise, contributions, and talents and I look forward to working together to foster an inclusive community.  

 

In community, 

Dr. Garcia

Angélica Garcia, Ed.D. 
Superintendent/President 
707-527-4431, angelicagarcia@santarosa.edu