From the Desk of the President
Greetings, colleagues.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I want to thank you for what you did (individually and collectively) over the summer to actively engage in your own professional development activities, begin implementing the College’s 2022-25 strategic plan, participate in process and policy enhancements, care for yourself and your families and develop new programs and services to better serve our students – many of whom are beginning their higher educational journey with us for the very first time. Therefore, as you read this edition of the SKI GRAM celebrating many successes, I am confident you will note the continual need for us to regularly commit ourselves to enthusiastically creating new and innovative opportunities and achievements for our students, each other and the communities we serve.
Like many of you, I was thrilled to see our campuses come alive with many more students returning for face-to-face instruction and bringing a renewed energy and excitement to our campuses nearly four weeks ago. Thanks to many of our colleagues, we held numerous events celebrating new and returning employees and, especially, students to our favorite community college. During the first two weeks, as I visited with students and colleagues on our five campuses, I reminded them that HACC is more than what happens in the classroom. Though what happens in the classroom is very important, what happens in our labs, libraries, cafés, hallways, office areas and on athletic fields is also beneficial to educating the whole person. To that end, I encouraged every group I spoke with to take time to get to know each other, especially many of our colleagues who were hired over the past two years, learn with and from them while striving to consistently foster kindness, civility and generosity, which are underscored by HACC’s commitment to caring.
Considering all the successes highlighted in this SKI GRAM and those we will accomplish during this academic year, higher education, and HACC specifically, will continue to be faced with many challenges to address, including:
declining number of high school graduates from most of our 65 high school districts
rising inflation rates
increasing numbers of those impacted by our current pandemic
widening of the learning gaps due to COVID-19
increasing demand for just-in-case, flexible, compressed and industry-sponsored certificate programs
ongoing social, racial and economic injustices
declining unemployment rates
attracting and retaining employees
decreasing number of adults attending college than ever before
increasing competition among colleges and universities for the same students
reducing federal and state support for higher education
declining confidence in American higher education
The opportunities these challenges present us with makes it critical that we find alternative and creative ways of serving working adults, undereducated community members and individuals who have been disadvantaged by discriminatory policies. As you hear me say often and we see in action, regularly, a HACC education can assist in transforming lives, destinies and family trees.
So, with enthusiastic anticipation, I look forward to working with each of you during this academic year to:
renew our focus on inclusion, diversity and belonging
expand our outreach to nontraditional and underrepresented students
understand real student needs and implement effective enrollment strategies
remove complexity in offerings, processes, structures and services to better serve students
innovate academic offerings
enhance our career pathway opportunities
enhance current partnerships and create new ones
optimize College operations
ensure HACC is seen as an inevitable choice rather than an option
By doing so, we will continue to create a productive and more inclusive teaching and learning environment for everyone who desires to receive a HACC education. As the song Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey states, “Don’t Stop Believin’…Hold on to that feelin’”.
Books I've Read or Currently Reading
A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home, Frances Mayes
The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the collapse of globalization, Peter Zeihan
Free: A Child and Country at the End of History, Lea Ypi
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, Haben Girma
Hillbilly elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, J.D. Vance
Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility and Meaning, Mike Hayes
Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop, Danyel Smith
The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel, Kati Marton