President's Office

Reports to the Board of Trustees

Each month, President Whalen gives a report on college activities, honors and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.

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March 10, 2025 Board Meeting

AWARDS

Chris Allen, Charlie McKellar, Stacy Gleixner and Sarah Parikh: Recognized March 6 by Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce Innovation and Technology Award for the Semiconductor Apprenticeship Progam 

Teresa Ong: Selected for the Aspiring Leader Cohort with UC Davis’ Wheelhouse 

RECOGNITION

Thank you to several members of our leadership team for sharing expertise at various conferences in Febuary as listed below.

Kurt Hueg and  Simon Pennington: Presented at ACCCA on our “Collaborative Approach to Dual Enrollment.”

Simon Pennington, Kathy Perino, and Randy Bryant (De Anza): Presented at the Sacramento CADEP (California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference) on “Navigating facultyCcontracts in Dual Enrollment.” 

Laurie Scolari and Zach Cembellin: Presented at ACCCA on “AI - More Creativity, Less Busywork.” 

Ajani Byrd, Chris Yang and Liz Leiserson: Presented at NADOHE (National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education). The team's presentation shared their strategic choices and the structural components they created that are facilitating Foothill College’s current work to creating a college community where student success is not predictable by race.

Ulysses Acevedo, Ben Kaupp, Lisa Chesser-Nielson, and Mona Rawal: Congratulations to our most recent Foothill tenured faculty, honored at the March 10 Board of Trustees meeting.

Pictured from left: Omar Torres, Kristina Whalen, Leah Smith, Mona Rawal, Ulysses Acevedo, and Lee Lambert. Ben Kaupp joined the ceremony by Zoom, as he was at a conference.

EVENTS

March 12: Silicon Valley Venture Pitch & Panel, 5-8 p.m. in Dining Hall —  Get inspired by the latest trends in venture, technology, and entrepreneurship in the heart of Silicon Valley. Don't miss this opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and gain valuable insights from successful professionals. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned investor, this event is sure to spark your creativity and drive for success. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. Moderated by Silicon Valley Impact. This is the second round from the Bay Angels Pitch event in January. RSVP for Tickets

March 7: Navigating AI Together: A Community College Unconference —  Sponsored by BACCC on Foothill Main Campus, with participation from Laurence Lew and Aaron Krongeibel

March 5: Fourth Annual Ethnic Studies Summit — Thank you to Ulysses Acevedo, Chris Tsuchitani, Valerie Fong and Sheherazade Arasnia for organizing this year's themed summit “Immigration, Resistance, and Hope.” 

STRATEGIC UPDATES

ATAIN is a national initiative supercharging credit mobility and college transfer success for learners across the country. By harnessing cutting-edge AI technology through a software platform called CourseWise, ATAIN aims to eliminate the frustration, friction, and uncertainty 
of credit transfer and empower institutions to best serve their students. ATAIN kicks off at Foothill this month with a cross-district team. Read more about ATAIN at  atain.org and below.

Specifically, CourseWise is the software platform that modernizes the articulation process through the following: 

1. National AI-Informed Equivalency Database | Phase I
   • Gathers course catalogs and existing articulations from participating institutions 
   • It uses AI to suggest new equivalencies at scale, increasing the volume of credits accepted
   • Primary users: Advisors, counselors, articulation officers, and registrars. 
   • Gathers course catalogs and existing articulations from participating institutions 
   • It uses AI to suggest new equivalencies at scale, increasing the volume of credits accepted
   • Primary users: Advisors, counselors, articulation officers, and registrars. 
2. Student-Facing Individualized Program Mapping and Course Selection | Phase II 
   ○ Suggests the best program or institution matches based on user goals. 
   ○ Enables cost and completion time comparisons, assisting students in making more informed decisions. 
   ○ Integrates existing student records so credit applicability is automatically mapped. 
   ○ Rolling out in the Fall of 2025

INVITATION TO THE BOARD

March 14: Pasta for Vets — Please join the Los Altos Rotary Veterans Committee, including Bernadine Chuck Fong, Rob L, and Susan Meilke, for a dinner to benefit our Foothill student veterans. Purchase your ticket here.

May 3: Day on the Hill and Possible Self — SAVE THE DATE!

This annual community day will feature workshops on Transfer and Financial Aid, Campus Tours, and opportunities to register at Foothill in addition to an opportunity to meet faculty and staff. Possible Self will feature local companies, our faculty and staff, and colleges showcasing STEAM careers.