SYNOPSIS:

A report from Superintendent/President Karas is presented as information.

This final report of the calendar year comes post the end of the fall semester. Last week students finished their fall courses and faculty are finalizing grades. I, along with faculty member Brianna Zuber, attended the Pacific Coast Ocean Restoration Initiative (PCOR) annual convening. Mendocino College is part of $18M NOAA funded Nature Conservancy Grant. Under this grant, Mendocino College is developing a certificate/degree program focused on marine ecosystem restoration and to develop a Pacific Corp pilot within the California Conservation Corp.

Student housing process is moving through critical local approval. The construction of student housing requires the removal of existing buildings on the Perkins/Main property. Our demolition permit was accepted by the Ukiah Demolition Review Committee. The permit will be brought to the Ukiah City Council, potentially in January, for final approval. This will allow us to have a shovel- ready site required for the State grant application due June 2026. Thank you to Nicole Marin and Mac Lojowsky who attended the review committee with me to answer questions by the demolition review committee.

Congratulations to Men’s Basketball Coach Offill. Coach Offill celebrated his 250th victory during the annual Ed Boyle Classic hosted at Mendocino College. Mendocino College placed third in the tournament with a win over College of the Siskiyous.

Women’s Volleyball

Our team’s final season game was on November 14 against Contra Costa. Winning that game, we tied for second in our conference standings. Four members of the team were selected as 2025 Bay Valley All Conference Team. Congratulations on a great season and the four all conference players:

Cora Holly- Middle Hitter Jayden Paulich- Setter Cali Schabl- Libero Makayla Mace- Outside Hitter

Enrollment

Summer session is a time when many students take classes to stay on track to complete their goals and high school students enroll to jump start their college experience. Overall, enrollment in summer session continues to increase. As noted in the chart below, Summer 2025 and Summer 2024 were both record years for the college. This has been enabled by deliberate planning of course offerings and delivery of services at all our locations and exceptional learning opportunities taught by our faculty. In the past, summer session was commonly viewed as a “slow time” in the calendar year. That is now relegated to the past. Our dedicated employees serve our students and community year round.
Career Academies

In collaboration with our K12 Pathway Coordinator and Director of Employers Partnerships, Mendocino College faculty lead several Career Academies for high school students. The academy focus areas were sustainable construction, culinary arts, physical therapy assistant, and cyber security. Thank you to the faculty leads instructors Petti, Pai, and Woodhouse. Students from Round Valley, South Valley, Clearlake (Lakeport), and Fort Bragg participated. I had the pleasure of greeting the cyber security students.

Mendocino College Lake Center CDV Spanish Cohort Celebration

The Mendocino College Lake Center was honored to host recognition for our third cohort of students completing a four-course Child Development series taught entirely in Spanish. Completion of this series qualifies students to meet the industry requirement to work in a child care facility as Associate Teachers. While completing the child development coursework, students are also enrolled in ESL classes to support their confidence and transition into English-language child development courses.

With the success of the program at the Lake Center, the model has expanded to include instruction offered via Zoom or through on-ground faculty at each of our campuses. This year, we proudly recognized 22 students from across our district who completed the program. For the first time, we were also honored to welcome a student guest speaker, Ruth Nuñez Pabst, who completed the Spanish-language pathway, transitioned into English-language child development courses, and will earn her AA next Spring 2026. During the event Ruth shared, "We are here because the college gave us an opportunity and the teacher gave us her support and her dedication. I know it has not been easy, I know we are tired and would rather be sleeping, but we choose to study. We study to be an example to both our children and our family. My experience as a student has been the best, thanks to what I learned, I have been able to grow professionally in my job. I have been able to manage situations, because I learned how to do so in the classroom. We leave the classrooms with great foundations. It will always be a challenge, especially a challenge within us. The person we have to fight the most is us; the important part is to remember to keep going and keep learning."

None of this work would be possible without our lead instructor, Angela Cuellar, Ukiah instructor Alejandra Duarte Castillo, the dedicated Lake Center team (Center Manager Dariela Lopez, Center Assistants Neydi Rodriguez Zamora and Machiko Shimada, and Retention Specialist Oscar Moreno Peredia), and the support of Deans Christy Smith and Amanda Xu.

The success of this program has inspired the Lake Center to expand access into additional disciplines. Beginning this Spring, we will pilot a similar pathway in Administration of Justice. Local police departments have emphasized the importance of bilingual officers, and with staffing shortages in Lake County, this partnership represents a promising opportunity to build a diverse pipeline into public safety careers.

Mendocino College Faculty Diversity Mentorship Recruitment

Mendocino College is proud to welcome applications for the second cohort of the Faculty Diversity Mentorship Program. This year-long paid mentorship initiative builds a diverse local pipeline of future faculty through a $2,500 stipend, structured mentoring, and professional development for emerging educators with at least an Associate’s degree. Developed collaboratively by Dean Amanda Xu, Program Coordinator Marcello Bice, and Human Resources, the program prepares participants for part-time teaching roles. Following a successful inaugural year, the program has refined its curriculum, expanded outreach through campus information sessions, and strengthened alignment with faculty hiring practices to support the College’s goals around equity, access, and workforce development. https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/mendocinoedu/jobs/5146290/faculty-diversity-mentorship-program? pagetype=promotional Jobs

EOPS/CARE/ NextUp

This semester marked a significant achievement for our support programs. EOPS, CARE, and NextUp served a record number of students for fall semester, reflecting an 8.4% growth for EOPS, 18% growth for CARE, and 6.7% growth for NextUp compared to last fall. New Students: Welcomed 198 students new to EOPS, 22 students new to CARE, and 5 students new to NextUp expanding access to vital resources and support.

Retention: Successfully retained 331 EOPS students, 37 CARE students, and 11 NextUp students from Spring 2025, demonstrating strong persistence and engagement.

Current Focus: Actively reaching out to 188 EOPS students, 25 CARE students, and 8 NextUp students who have not yet enrolled in Spring courses to ensure continued success.

Counseling accessibility: Increased drop-in availability to meet growing demand, especially around drop and registration dates.

These accomplishments showcase the dedication of our team and the resilience of our students in pursuing their educational goals.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office is excited to announce that they are now offering Zoom drop-in sessions to make support more accessible for students at our Center locations. December 2nd, 9th, 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For zoom link and additional dates visit: https://www.mendocino.edu /financial-aid Students can connect with financial aid advisors from anywhere via Zoom. No appointment needed, just join during scheduled hours. Designed to serve students at our center locations who may not be able to visit the main office.

We understand that navigating financial aid can be challenging. By offering Zoom drop-ins, we’re removing barriers and ensuring every student has the opportunity to get timely help with applications, forms, and questions.

Athletics Counseling

Alicia Mendoza and Jose Venegas Hernandez have partnered with the Athletic Director to offer regular group workshops for our student athletes. These sessions provide timely, informative guidance on academic planning, eligibility requirements, and the steps needed to stay in good standing. They also support students’ athletic and transfer goals as they prepare for opportunities at the university level. Strong collaboration with the coaching staff has contributed to high participation and has reinforced the value of these workshops for the teams they serve.

CalWOR Ks

The number of Lake and Mendocino County participants in the Welfare-to-Work program has continued to rise, with each semester showing notable growth. We are now serving an average of 100+ students per term—an impressive increase compared to our post-COVID participation levels. We’re excited to see what Spring of 2026 brings. For example, to illustrate this growth:

Fall 65 106 99

Spring 80 119 TBD Welfare-to-Work programs provide vital support to participants seeking to build long-term stability through education. By connecting individuals with resources such as academic counseling, financial assistance, childcare, and career planning, these programs help reduce barriers to enrolling in and completing community college. Through this partnership, participants gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to pursue meaningful careers and achieve lasting success.

Retention Specialist

The retention team continues to connect and follow-up with students on their journeys. Most recently, the focus has been on connecting with students around completion of the required Comprehensive Education plan. Out of 70 students they reached out to, 36 have had follow-up support from the Retention team. Recently, they started to reach out to the first-time, first-semester students to support continued enrollment for the Spring 2026 term. As such, supporting persistence goals. They initiated contact with 248 students and are focusing on that high-touch support to close the loop.

Veterans Resource Center

Mendocino College proudly honored Veterans Day with a campus celebration that brought together students, staff, and community members to recognize and support our veterans. The event featured an information booth with resources for veterans, dependents and their families, along with participation from multiple Mendocino College departments committed to student success. Attendees enjoyed a tri-tip lunch, fostering connection, appreciation, and community spirit. The gathering highlighted the college’s ongoing dedication to supporting veterans through services, outreach, and meaningful engagement.

Native American Student Support and Success Program

Mendocino College Art Gallery unveiled its Native Now; K'edi Waddim on Thursday Nov. 20th! This collaboration between the Art Gallery and Native Staff saw the curation of Indigenous Art, showcasing Native American talent. The opening welcomed 251 community members, with food provided by the Culinary Department, The Native American Club, and drinks from Tara Riizer's Lemon'Aaaaay D! The opening welcome began with speeches made by curators, Jazzminh Moore, Kyle Whiterock, and Victoria Ramos. The exhibition runs through February 8th, 2026, with gallery hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, and Wednesdays from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Pride Program

Pride Social events happened on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Both events went very well. Although the groups were small, it was welcomed by the students during Thanksgiving week. In total about 14 students participated. We shared good talk, laughter, music, and games.
Conversation with a Leader: Rodney Wilson

On Tuesday, October 21, the Pride Program hosted a conversation with Rodney Wilson, founder of LGBTQ + History Month. About 35 students and staff participated in the conversation, where attendees learned about his personal life and experience.

CANCELLED-BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA - REGULAR MEETING

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