SYNOPSIS:

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

On March 20th I had the pleasure to attend the North County Center hosted College Day. Hundreds of high school students from Northern to Southern Mendocino County came to the Willits Center to learn about our program, connect with local agencies, and attend workshops. The North County Center team with staff support from the other centers and Ukiah did an excellent job highlighting the center and the exceptional programs we offer.

If you have had the chance to drive on Perkin’s Street in Ukiah, you may have noticed the two banners on the parcel at main/Perkins. This parcel is intended for future student housing. We will keep the community posted on the college webpage https://www.mendocino.edu/student-housing.

The month ended with the final performances of Mendocino Stories. This was Reid Edelman’s final production for Mendocino College. Reid is retiring at the end of the spring semester. Mendocino Stories was a timely production focused on our local communities.

Between March 24-28 was spring break. During this week of no classes, I hope everyone had some personal time to enjoy themselves. I had the opportunity to celebrate Greek Independence Day on March 25. Many national movements in the 19th century took inspiration from the United States and our Declaration of Independence expressing universal rights such as “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Greece’s struggle gave birth to the national motto of Greece "Eleftheria i Thanatos" (Ελευθερία ή θάνατος), which translates to "Freedom or Death".

I appreciate the students who spoke at the March Board meeting on the issue of cultural smudging. We are determined to provide a way to support these practices at the college. Prior to the March Board meeting, I reached out to begin that process. In that message I noted that “I am beginning a process to develop guidelines. It will take consultation and time to complete the guidelines, however, in the end we will have inclusive guidelines to support the cultural integrity of our Indigenous/Native American students, faculty, staff, and guests”. I welcome beginning the consultation process.

Blue Zones

I am pleased to announce that Mendocino College has been designated a Blue Zones Approved Worksite. Blue Zones is a nationally recognized leader in well-being transformation, and this certification underscores our commitment to the health and well-being of our employees.

As part of the certification process, Mendocino College earned an outstanding 90 out of a possible 78 points, demonstrating our strong foundation in supporting employee wellness. Moving forward, we are committed to sustaining and expanding these efforts to ensure the continued well-being of all staff.

We will celebrate this milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony during the Health & Wellness Fair on May 7th from 1:00–2:00 p. m., with the fair open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. I invite you to join us at this important event.

Federal Government Updates

As you may have read in the news, the Federal Department of Education is poised to undergo significant staffing reductions. While the specific impact on programs and projects is still unclear, it is important to note that our general fund exposure to federal funding is minimal. Our general fund revenue totals around $35 million, with only $69,000 coming from federal sources. Detailed budget information can be viewed on the college website.

However, there are grant programs in our restricted budget that rely entirely on federal funding, including the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), Hispanic Serving Institutions Grant (HSI), and Perkins (CTE) funds. The status of these funds depends on actions from the Federal Department of Education and the Federal Budget Act.

Our most significant connection to the federal government is through our authorization to distribute student financial aid (Pell grants). This funding is critical to our students, and any federal decisions could affect disbursements, deadlines, and program requirements. At this point, nothing has changed, and we will continue to operate as usual. It is disheartening that federal decisions may have a significant impact on our students.

MLCCD programs and practices comply with federal laws, California codes and regulations, and the Constitutions of the United States and California. We will continue to uphold our Mission, Vision, and Values.

Recent Developments

On March 14, 2025, a federal judge ordered the mass reinstatement of fired federal workers at 18 agencies, including the Education Department. This decision follows a major reduction in workforce at the U.S. Department of Education earlier this week, which affected hundreds of attorneys, student aid workers, and civil rights office staff. While department officials have stated that the reduction in force will not affect the work of the department’s Federal Student Aid office, its civil rights investigations, or how federal funds are distributed, these actions raise questions about the future of federal support for higher education. Notably, Student Aid.gov, the federal website for student loans and financial aid, experienced an outage last week, contributing to ongoing uncertainty about the department’s ability to maintain essential services.

The federal administration has indicated through an executive order its view on federal Department of Education programs. This included proposing that student financial aid be moved to the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Department of Education has announced a 50% cut in its workforce and the SBA announced a 40% cut in its workforce. Additionally, the Department of Education will be closing seven of the Office for Civil Rights 12 regional offices. The San Francisco regional office is slated to be shuttered.

ICE Protocols

In response to inquiries about what would happen if ICE came onto campus and detained a faculty or staff member, and what protections are in place regarding personal employment information, I would like to provide the following information:

If a federal immigration enforcement official, such as an ICE agent, requests access to a campus, MLCCD personnel should immediately refer the official and their request to the Office of the Superintendent/President. The Office will work with MLCCD’s legal services to determine the lawfulness of the request. Similarly, if an ICE agent requests access to a student’s information/record, MLCCD personnel should refer the request to the Office of the Superintendent/President, which will work with legal services to make a final determination. If an ICE agent refuses to follow the above protocols, MLCCD personnel should immediately call campus security at 707- 468-3155. Even if no direct request is made by an ICE agent, MLCCD personnel and students should report the presence of federal immigration enforcement officials on any MLCCD campus by calling 707-468-3071.

Regarding employee immigration status, MLCCD will only provide information in response to a lawful subpoena as required by law. The district does not sponsor work visas for employment, and it is unlikely that an immigration enforcement official would come to campus concerning employee immigration status. If you have specific concerns, please reach out to your supervisor or human resources.

CSU Budget Cuts

The CSU system is facing a challenging fiscal landscape. The system began this year with a $200 million funding gap, and the Governor’s proposed 2025/26 State budget includes a 7% reduction in funding for the CSU system. This fiscal outlook has led to difficult proposals from our CSU partners, including program reductions and the elimination of athletics at Sonoma State University, program reductions at Cal Poly Humboldt, and the closure of the Tiburon Field Station at San Francisco State University. These changes may affect our students' transfer pathways and opportunities. Our excellent counseling faculty are available to assist students in their decision-making process.

Native Storytelling

On March 20th, we had a very well attended Native Storytelling event at the Ukiah campus. It was a collaboration with Professor Lori Laiwa Thomas, from our ethnic studies department and the NASSSP program. The event was greatly supported by the Native American club. Our Director of Student Life and Support, Bonnie Lockhart, played a large role in making the night a success.

Fraudulent Applications

Admissions & Records continues to work diligently to ensure the applications for admission processed are from legitimate students. Fraudulent applications continue to plague most community colleges in California, and it takes a significant effort to review each application to determine if it is fraudulent or legitimate. Since fall 2024, the Admissions & Records Team has been reviewing and hand keying all online applications to ensure Mendocino College is enrolling, and issuing aid and other resources, to legitimate students. We are also working with a consultant to add automated measures to assist staff in the review/fraud determination process and to streamline the application entry for legitimate applications. In the last year, we have seen a 50% increase in online applications, much of that due to fraudulent application submissions.
2nd Annual Graduation and Transfer Fair

In preparation for graduation, which will be held on Friday, May 23rd, Articulation Officer Osea and the Admissions & Records Team will host the 2nd Annual Graduation and Transfer Fair. This event, offered for 4 days on the Ukiah Campus, is designed to celebrate our graduating students and assist those transferring to four-year institutions by connecting them with the resources and support they need for a smooth transition. In conjunction with other Student Services and Support Departments, this will be an opportunity to confirm students are on track to graduate and/or transfer, ensure they have all the needed information to participate in the annual graduation and other upcoming ceremonies, hand out regalia and other items needed for these celebrations, have studio photos taken with a professional photographer and/or selfies with a celebratory Mendo backdrop, and to get students excited about the culmination of their hard work!

Professional Development for Admissions & Records Staff

Several of our Admissions & Records Team have, or will be, attending conferences and trainings in the next month. Beronica Leon, Admissions & Records Technician attended the Chief Student Services Officers (CSSO) conference before spring break. She and Sheryl Miralles, Admissions & Records Technician, will attend the California Association of Community College Registrars and Admissions Officers (CACCRAO) conference in late April. On April 8th, the Admissions & Records Technicians and the Director of Enrollment Services Anastasia Simpson-Logg, along with Dean Smith and Instructor Molly Thomas will attend the MAP Regional CPL Training to learn more about using the MAP system to create equivalencies for military training and CTE industry certifications.

Outreach Activities

The Outreach Team is in the heart of their Reg-2-Go work as they work with local high school seniors to complete the steps to become a student and prepare to meet with a counselor to select classes before the registration periods for summer and all open. In addition to their Reg-2-Go work, the Outreach calendar has been filling up with local events and our Team will represent the college at the following local events: April 10: Lower Lake High School College and Career Day (Lower Lake) April 12: Redwood Valley Rancheria Spirit Run (Redwood Valley) April 19: Clean Canvas 2025 (Willits) April 19: Coyote Valley Earth Day Celebration (Redwood Valley) April 22: Cahto Tribe Earth Day Event (Laytonville) April 26: Big Valley Youth Summit (Lakeport) April 27: 10th Annual Día del Niño Celebration (Ukiah)

7th Annual California Community Colleges LGBTQ+ Summit

The Pride Program is hosting a virtual watch party for the 7th Annual California Community Colleges LGBTQ+ Summit in McMillan Hall, Room #1170. Join us on April 15th and 16th, from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, discover ways to support our students, and engage in meaningful discussions from a place of love and understanding.

Basic Needs Update

Basic Needs successfully hosted its very first Produce Wednesday at two different centers, Lake Center and Coast Center in late February. This outreach event provided fresh produce to approximately 100 students in total, expanding our efforts to support food security across multiple locations. The overwhelmingly positive response highlights the growing impact of our services and strengthens our commitment to reaching more students in need.

On March 10, the Basic Needs center and ASMC hosted an exciting Student vs. Staff Volleyball Game, along with an Appreciation Event for the Basketball Team, to recognize their dedication and hard work. The day was filled with enthusiasm and friendly rivalry. Students and staff gathered in a fun and energetic setting, promoting teamwork through friendly competition.

Upcoming Events

Details can be viewed on the Events page, https://www.mendocino.edu/events, or the Athletics page, https://www.mendoeagles.com. The monthly student newsletter https://www.mendocino.edu/newsletters, The Eagle, provides a listing of upcoming events and campus news too.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA - REGULAR MEETING

Meeting Information

Supporting Documents