Dear Faculty and Staff,

Thank you to everyone who participated in the December listening sessions hosted by the Executive Cabinet. We are deeply grateful for your openness, candor, and care for our college. Your insights help us better understand both what is working well and where we must continue to improve.

Below, we reflect the core themes we heard and outline the specific actions we are taking in response. Each action area is sponsored by one or more Executive Cabinet members, who are responsible for advancing this work and ensuring accountability. We welcome and encourage engagement and participation from faculty and staff as these efforts move forward.

How to Get Involved

Faculty and staff are encouraged to engage in this work in ways that feel meaningful and manageable. You may:

• Share feedback or ideas related to any action area
• Participate in workgroups, pilots, or listening opportunities as they become available
• Ask questions or request clarification about planned actions

To get involved, please reach out directly to the Executive Cabinet sponsor for the relevant action area via email or Microsoft Teams. Additional opportunities for engagement will also be shared through regular campus communications.

Themes & Planned Actions

Facilities, Accessibility, & Safety

Executive Cabinet Sponsor(s): Danielle Slota, Tim Wrye, and Michael Pham

A safe, accessible, and inclusive campus environment is foundational to your ability to do your work and fully participate in campus life. We heard concerns about physical accessibility, consistency in meeting practices, clarity around expectations, and the importance of leadership presence at campus events.

Planned actions:

• Update documentation and establish clear standards and expectations for accessibility in all-campus events and employee meetings
  • Meet with the Accessibility Committee to review and prioritize current recommendations for campus events and meetings
  • Standardize guidance on when hybrid access is expected for employee meetings, including all-employee, departmental, and board meetings
  • Clarify distinctions between meetings and training /development sessions
• Share updates from the recent ADA Audit (SBCTC/OCR), along with our action response plan
• Increase intentional Executive Cabinet attendance at campus events
• Create a clear process for event planners to request Executive Cabinet participation (e.g., opening remarks or activity support)

Strategic Communication & Engagement

Executive Cabinet Sponsor(s): Josh Gerstman and Danielle Slota

Timely, transparent, and predictable communication is critical, along with meaningful opportunities to engage with leadership. We heard a strong desire for more structured ways to share feedback, ask questions, and stay informed about institutional priorities and decisions.

Planned actions:

• Implement a Strategic Communication Plan with advanced scheduling to increase awareness and participation
• Offer additional employee listening sessions and student listening sessions
• Establish quarterly meetings for classified staff and exempt staff
• Hold quarterly President Town Halls
• Launch a virtual employee suggestion box to allow for ongoing feedback at any time

Student-Facing Operations

Executive Cabinet Sponsor(s): Maribel Jimenez and Tony Garcia

Clear, consistent communication with students and valuing their perspectives is essential. Ensuring students feel informed, supported, and connected remains central to our mission.

Planned actions:

• Partner more closely with student leaders to strengthen communication and outreach
• Utilize student feedback and voices to identify the most effective methods for sharing information and resources
• Improve coordination to ensure students receive timely, relevant, and accessible messaging

Compensation, Workload, and Morale

Executive Cabinet Sponsor(s): Melanie Lawson and Rolita Ezeonu

Compensation, workload balance, and workplace morale significantly impact well-being and effectiveness. We heard the need for greater clarity, consistency, and fairness in processes, as well as stronger support for supervisors.

Planned actions:

• Review and clarify the complaint process matrix and investigation procedures to promote fairness and transparency
• Provide supervisor training on:
  • Leave management and approval
  • Fiscal management and planning
  • OFM classification tables
  • Conflict management and resolution
• Exempt staff compensation study
• Job description reviews for accurate classified staff allocations

What’s Happening This Quarter

Building on the priorities outlined above, the Executive Cabinet will focus on advancing key actions and milestones during Winter Quarter:

• Finalize and share Executive Cabinet sponsor assignments for each action area
• Meet with the Accessibility Taskforce to review and prioritize current recommendations
• Share an update on the ADA Audit (SBCTC/OCR), including response steps and anticipated timelines
• Begin implementation of the Strategic Communication Plan
• Schedule and announce upcoming employee and student listening sessions, quarterly forums, and town halls
• Identify and publish initial supervisor training opportunities and dates

These actions are intended to make immediate progress while laying the groundwork for ongoing improvements. More detailed timelines and opportunities for engagement will be communicated as this work progresses.

How Progress Will be Shared

To support transparency and accountability, the Executive Cabinet will provide quarterly progress updates to the campus community. These updates will highlight completed actions, upcoming milestones, and opportunities for continued engagement. Updates will be shared through campus-wide communications and during established forums such as President Town Halls and employee meetings.

We are grateful for your engagement, honesty, and continued commitment to our students and to one another. These conversations are an important step, and we are committed to following through thoughtfully and transparently as we move forward together.

If you did not have an opportunity to participate in the December 2025 Listening Sessions, we encourage you to participate in one of the upcoming February and March employee listening sessions outlined below (outlook invitations to follow). Information regarding student listening sessions will be shared separately.

• February 11, Building 2 + Zoom, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
• March 3, Building 2 + Zoom, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Sincerely,
Danielle, Jamilyn, Josh, Maribel, Michael, Rolita, Tim, and Tony