President's Office

District & Foothill Opening Week 2024

Wednesday–Friday, Sept. 18–20

Each year, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Foothill and De Anza colleges host Opening Week events to welcome faculty, staff and students to the upcoming fall quarter and academic year. 

View details on this page for all faculty and staff Opening Week activities.

To see what's planned for students and parents, see details for Foothill Parent Night and New Student Welcome Day on Sept. 16 and 17.

 

 

Welcome from President Whalen

The programming for this year's Opening Week weaves in parallels to our own renowned bamboo garden.

Bamboo is often found in groves and thrives in community, relying on the support of neighboring plants for strength and growth. Drawing upon those characteristics, much of our work this academic year aspires to rebuild an organizational culture with both properties: strength and growth.

Nurturing both those properties requires a mindset journey—o​ne where the growth mindset lessons buoy an interactive, team-based work culture. Collaboration and rich interaction among colleagues and with students provides a foundation for growth, while authentic, inclusive engagement allows us to address challenges and serve students, forming a grove of strength and support.

With the spark of collaboration, the energy of innovation, and the trust abundantly present in shared learning spaces, the goal is to use the lessons from the grove to expand our capacity, building strong communities, and make an astonishing difference.

 

Thank you for attending and have a great fall quarter and 2024-2025 academic year!