Building on the momentum from last October’s historic summit between the two institutions, CR and HSU have convened a Strategic Partnership Working Group. The group is made up of CR and HSU faculty, staff, and administrators and its mission is to develop and implement new strategies that will foster collaboration in areas such as Academic Programming, Admissions and Transfer, Student Services, Athletics, and Career Services, among others.

Although this is an ongoing process, there are some areas where this partnership has already taken root. Alia Dunphy, CR’s Director of the Multicultural Center (MCC), has been working with HSU’s Academic Centers For Excellence and the Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Center, which has allowed CR students to participate in nearly every activity they have organized surrounding issues related to cultural expression, cross-cultural learning, and social justice work opportunities.

In the fall of 2019, the CR MCC hosted a discussion about the $1000 HSU scholarship for on-campus housing and how it applies to transfer students featuring HSU’s Dr. Jason Meriwether, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Pedro Martinez, Director of Admissions, and Dr. Stephen St. Onge, Vice President for Student Success.

Ms. Dunphy says, “Bridging the gap between our campus and Humboldt State ensures students have a seamless experience and go from one supportive environment to another. In my opinion, it is so much bigger than just academics - this is how we build community. By making sure our students have the confidence and the connections at both institutions, we eliminate the barriers that would hinder their progress.”

Shared faculty members further this feeling of synergy. Transfer students may take classes with the same professor at both institutions and those professors can offer on-the-ground support to students who in the early stages of the transition. Transfer also can offer a pathway back to CR from HSU for those students who are struggling at a four-year college, and may need to take a step back before moving on again.

"This partnership is something we are all excited about at HSU. Regardless of our roles at the university, we all understand that the success of our communities and our institutions depends on our working well together," says Lisa Bond-Maupin, HSU's Acting Deputy Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President. "We share many of the same students across HSU and CR and want to do everything we can to ease the pathway across our institutions. We are excited about strengthening articulation across existing programs while envisioning new programs together to expand our relevance and impact in the region. As we work within our budgets, we also have opportunities for space and other resource sharing to the benefit of all. We are grateful to Presidents Jackson and Flamer for their vision and for showing us how this is done through their mutually-supportive leadership."

As both CR and HSU work to update their Education Master Plans, the committees at each institution remain in close contact, so that their curriculum and mission more seamlessly align, making the transfer path less redundant and easier to navigate, and to make sure our curriculum and offerings serve the needs of the community.

The Strategic Partnership Working Group will meet regularly to provide a framework that includes ongoing assessment, closing the loop, and continuous improvement.

 “The CR Board of Trustees is extremely pleased with the enlightened collaborations that have been nurtured and supported by Presidents Keith Flamer and Tom Jackson,” said CR Board President Colleen Mullery. “We believe that this coupling goes a long way to creating outstanding educational opportunities for both CR and HSU students and the community at large.”

“It was very clear to Dr. Jackson and me, when we first signed the MOU last year, that a formal collaboration between College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State University could be a powerful partnership that will produce successful outcomes, “said CR President Keith Flamer. “I could not have asked for a better educational partner that Tom Jackson.”

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Photos: HSU President Tom Jackson speaking at the summit in 2019. Group photo of CR and HSU administrators at the summit in 2019.