As we move into this holiday season, I recognize that CR has much to be thankful for, even in these times of uncertainty and change. I feel very fortunate to be president of a college that is truly dedicated to helping students – of all ages and from all lifestyles. I am proud of our faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment to student success and academic excellence.  I am thankful that I have an opportunity to serve a college community that values equal opportunity of access and fosters a deep appreciation of our diverse communities. 

We are extremely proud of all of our students who have persevered through the trials and tribulations of 2020, to continue their pursuit of a college education. Our faculty and staff’s commitment to their education has likewise been impressive. Many of them have been working above and beyond to make sure our students feel supported and encouraged in their educational journey.

Our Board of the Trustees, faculty, staff, and administrators know that College of the Redwoods is fortunate to be surrounded by a community that believes in our mission and supports us in countless ways. We appreciate the generosity of those in our community who donated this year to support both our Redwoods Room & Board Scholarship Program that provides housing and meals to our CR students who face homelessness and food insecurity, and to our Chromebook Lending Library, which allowed us to provide much-needed technology to those students who are now taking classes from home. Without their support, many of these students would not have been able to continue their education this year.

Although most of our faculty and staff have been working remotely since March, we continued to move the college forward. At the October 6 meeting of the Board of Trustees, the trustees approved a proposal to convert the Eureka campus’s power usage to renewable solar energy. This approval is a major step forward in a project that will put CR at the forefront of sustainability and resiliency in the region.

The Board also elected two new members. Dr. Rebecca Robertson will serve a full four-year term and succeed Mr. Bruce Emad in representing Area 5. Mr. Tracy Coppini will finish out the remainder of Dr. Bonnie Deister’s term representing Area 1.

This fall semester, CR carpentry students, along with industry partners, started repairing the home of beloved community member and highly respected locksmith, Bob Beland, who was tragically killed inside his Humboldt Hill house by a drunk driver in 2019. This is the first project of the new CT-15 Carpentry Techniques for Existing Buildings course, taught by instructor Jennifer Taylor.

Our Career Education division has also formalized a partnership with Nordic Aquafarms and will begin offering new curriculum in the fall of 2022 that will create certificates and a two-year degree pathway in aquaculture. The new curriculum will prepare students for jobs at the new facility.

Our Administration of Justice program convened a Basic Law Enforcement Academy Advisory Committee, comprised of local law enforcement leadership as well as representatives from Native Tribes and Black, LGBTQ, and Latinx interest groups, to take a comprehensive look at our Law Enforcement Academy’s curriculum in order to address racial bias. 

Building on the momentum from last October’s historic summit between the two institutions, CR and HSU have convened a Strategic Partnership Working Group made up of CR and HSU faculty, staff, and administrators. The group will develop and implement new strategies that will foster collaboration in areas such as academic planning, admissions and transfer services, diversity and equity programming, and international student recruitment, among others.

In addition, this year, a record number of CR athletes made the list of State All Academic Honorees published by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) for the 2019-20 academic year. Twenty-five students made the list. The previous high from CR was 17, which was accomplished in 2018-19.

In the community, College of the Redwoods contributed to efforts to support local businesses during the pandemic by providing a series of free de-escalation trainings for retail, hospitality, grocery, and city/county frontline workers so they would be better able to manage stressful situations in working with the public.

We also played a leadership role in supporting the COVID Economic Resilience Committee’s Wear a Mask Campaign in Humboldt County.  As an institution, we believe in science, in supporting public health officials, and in keeping our local businesses open by encouraging everyone to follow the 3Ws of watching your distance, washing your hands, and wearing a mask.

We want to thank the community again for all of the support we have received this year and we look forward to 2021 being a hopeful year for our students, our communities, and our country. I believe that our Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff know more than ever that we need to do everything in our power to support an educational system that is open to all, and to build pathways to success for everyone who walks through our doors.

Finally, don’t miss the Morris Graves Museum presentation Out in the World: Creative Practice by CR Alumni, featuring the work of artists who completed significant foundational training in the CR Art Department and were selected based on a sustained commitment to a creative practice outside of an academic setting. The exhibition will be on display from November 14 through January 3, 2021.