President's Office

June 5, 2024

Happy PRIDE Month. I look forward to seeing many of you at the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Flag Raising event taking place at the District Office flagpole today at noon. You may want to arrive in style by joining the joyful procession to the D700 building that begins at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 11:30 am. Here's the 1-2-3-4-5.

1. The Physics Show Honored by the League of Innovation.

I am pleased to announce that Frank Cascarano, David Marasco, and Christy Moore were selected for the Innovation of the Year award for The Physics Show by the League of Innovation. This national award "recognizes significant community college innovations that improve the ability of institutions to serve their students and communities." The brainchild of Frank Cascarano, the first show launched in 2007. Its popularity now means that the fun-infused learning platform reaches an annual audience of 20,000. The Physics Show is a love letter to science education and a remarkable equity-minded gift to young learners and our community. You may view the national recipients here.

2. “What Am I Missing?”

Broadening Our Understanding of Israel, Palestine, and the Conflict on College Campuses this Friday, June 7th at noon in the Toyon Room (in-person only). If you have RSVP’d for this event through the Outlook calendar, please also register via this link. Why Register? The facilitator would like to establish some shared agreements about how participants engage in the topic together. Additionally, the Office of Equity & Inclusion is using the list to order the appropriate amount of food for the event. Description: Do you want to engage in dialog related to the war in Gaza and Israel? Maybe you have strong feelings or maybe you feel like you’re not knowledgeable enough. How can we engage in conversation about this divisive issue in productive ways? How can we effectively manage what comes up when we feel vulnerable? How can we maintain our convictions and respect those who disagree with us? The program will offer insights and guidance to help us all recognize limitations in our view and harness empathy and curiosity to broaden our perspective. All Foothill College faculty, staff, and administrators are welcome to attend. Dr. Tania Israel is a Professor of Counseling Psychology and an Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Gevirtz School at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Israel authored an award-winning book about dialogue across political disagreement, Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work.

3. Retirees Honored at “End of the Year Celebration” June 12 at noon in the Campus Center Plaza

Please join the celebration (party + poster session + awards) in the Campus Center Plaza next Wednesday. The 13-55 implementation groups will showcase their work via a poster session. Habit Burger food truck will be on location! Special honors given. And, it's an opportunity for the campus to honor our 2024 retirees!

4. Mission Informed Planning Council (MIPC), June 7th at 1:30.

The penultimate MIPC meeting of the 23-24 academic year will take place this Friday at 1:30 in the 1901. Please note the adjusted time. As always, the agenda may be found on the MIPC website.

5. Foothill Fiscal Forum.

Last Friday’s Fiscal Forum was well attended. If you missed the virtual happening or want to watch it again with a glossary of budget and enrollment acronyms, you may watch the recording here.

Yours in service,
Kristina