CR's December 26, 2025 Times Standard Education Matters Article

Published on Dec 20 2025

Archbishop Desmond Tutu died the day after Christmas in 2021 at the age of ninety. As often happens this time of year, I find myself reflecting on Archbishop Tutu’s quote “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” These words speak to an individual’s responsibility toward collective good. It also captures what I believe is CR’s commitment to doing good work, evidenced by the care we give to each other and our students.

Our classes have ended, students have finished their exams and papers, and many of our faculty and staff are enjoying a much-deserved rest with their families. Like me, many of them may find themselves thinking about the state of the world. The never-ending conflicts. The political winds blowing in directions we may find unsettling and worrying. In these uncertain times, I hope that they, like me, can find solace in the knowledge that College of the Redwoods is an extraordinary place where our capacity to uplift all voices and find value in diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and beliefs makes us special. For this college community we call home; our ability to demonstrate care for each other is at the core of who we are, and I am forever grateful for it.   

It has been an eventful year, and every challenge and success has made me even more appreciative of the people who make CR a wonderful place to learn and work. I want to share a few of our successes that demonstrate how we make a difference where we are.

Our enrollment growth has continued. Last fall, we surpassed our enrollment target by 9%, and we are on track to end this fall semester with a 10% increase. This progress reflects the dedication of counselors, advisors, faculty, student life teams, and colleagues across our departments.

This year also brought notable accolades for the College. We were recognized by the Campaign for College Opportunity for supporting the highest percentage of Black students to complete a transfer-level English course within one year of initial enrollment.

The College also advanced its commitment to academic and workforce excellence through significant program accreditation achievements. Our Fire Academy was approved as an Accredited Regional Training Program. This recognition signifies that CR meets the highest state standards for fire service education and training delivery. And our forestry program was awarded accreditation by the National Society of American Foresters. This makes us one of only two community colleges in the state with that designation.

We hosted the Live Your Language Alliance conference that brought together Indigenous leaders, educators, and learners to advance the restoration of Native languages. This work reflects CR’s deep commitment to partnering with Tribal communities to ensure that Indigenous knowledge, identity, and voices continue to thrive for generations to come.

These are just some of our accomplishments, and it is important to underscore that all of this success was unfolding during a period of political disruption and increasing public skepticism about higher education. Those of us who see the daily impact of teaching, mentoring, and outreach know how transformative our work is. That makes it even more important that we support one another, stay grounded in our purpose, and continue demonstrating the value of what we do.

I know that when the College comes back together in January, it will be with the same commitments and values that have served our community for decades: the belief in the potential of every student, a commitment to the well-being of our entire college community, and an understanding that our contribution to society is never more important than when education, equity, and speech are under threat.

Having served CR through times of immense challenge, I know that fulfilling our mission will require a heightened sense of collaboration, an increased level of mutual support and understanding, and the creativity and resilience of every person at CR.

We will continue to be a place where we talk with each other and where dialogue across our diverse perspectives is valued. We will continue to be a place that encourages and supports mutual understanding and where the commitment to our students and each other is unwavering. I fully expect that the College of the Redwoods I know and love will be preserved, our community will thrive, and we will be proud of how we met the challenges of this hour. Of all these things, I am certain.