SYNOPSIS:

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

The Men’s basketball team had an amazing season. With a strong finish to the season, they were selected as the 19th seed in the State Northern California Playoffs. The team traveled to Consumnes River for the playoffs. Our team played well but lost to Consumnes River. If you see players or Coach Offill around campus, give them a heartfelt cheer. Student-athletes consistently achieve higher GP As and completion rates than the general student population, demonstrating athletics' role in academic success. Athletic programs drive enrollment and retention, contributing directly to institutional sustainability.

On March 3, I attended along with a team from the college (VP Polak, Dean Smith, Human Services faculty Martin, and MCOE K- 16 Pathway Coordinator Tunzi) Mendocino County’s Behavioral Health Sector Economic Development meeting. This meeting brought together stakeholders from public agencies, behavioral health practitioners and providers, education, and county representatives. The focus was to encourage information sharing to promote collaborative efforts in developing a behavioral health workforce that meets the needs of our local behavioral health care providers and agencies. The County indicated there would be further gatherings in 6-12 months.

Spring 2025 Enrollment

Spring enrollment across the district is currently 23% FTES over last year. Significantly, spring FTES are above 2019 and 2018 levels. More detailed information is available through our Institutional Research Office at Spring 2025 Enrollments. SEMESTER

ENROLLMENTS | STUDENTS | TIME | TIME | FTES
ENROLLMENTS: SPRING 2025, STUDENTS: 13591, TIME: 5795, TIME: 981, FTES: 4814, 1256.93
ENROLLMENTS: SPRING 2024, STUDENTS: 11733, TIME: 5084, TIME: 908, FTES: 4716, 1020.79
ENROLLMENTS: SPRING 2019, STUDENTS: 10082, TIME: 4296, TIME: 897, FTES: 3399, 1038.3

SPRING 2018 10225 4361 897 3464 1073.86

Student Housing Update

Through the support of the Mendocino College Foundation, we have proceeded on a critical step in the journey to bring student housing to fruition. This will be a multi-year process and many elements are yet to be determined. In a few months more information will be shared. Below is a copy of a press release sent to media on February 28, 2025.

Mendocino College Announces the Purchase of Property for Future Student Housing

Ukiah, CA – Mendocino College is pleased to announce the purchase of a property at the corner of Perkins and Main Streets in downtown Ukiah, marking the first phase of a multi-year initiative to develop future student housing. This project aims to increase the availability of affordable housing for students and support the local community.

The acquisition of this property is made possible through the generous support from the Mendocino College Foundation and its dedicated donors. The Foundation provided the funding to purchase the property from Redwood Credit Union, and will continue to support the project with additional multi-million dollar contributions for the construction phase. The Foundation has a long- standing commitment to stewarding funds responsibly to support the long-term needs of students, and this project is a testament to their role as a trusted donor partner.

"The Mendocino College Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that donor dollars are used effectively to support the long-term needs of our students," said Julie McGovern, Executive Director of the Mendocino College Foundation. "This project is a perfect example of how we can make a lasting impact on our students' lives and the community."

Student housing at California community colleges offers several benefits, including improved academic performance, stability, and addressing broader housing shortages. Studies show that students who live near campus tend to have higher GP As and are more likely to graduate. Affordable student housing provides stability, allowing students to focus on their education without the stress of housing insecurity. By offering student housing, community colleges help address broader housing shortages in their communities, contributing to socioeconomic mobility.

Mendocino-Lake Community College District has been investigating options to construct student housing since 2018. In 2022, we received an affordable housing planning grant, part of SB 196, from the California Department of Finance. A student housing feasibility study was completed in 2022-2023, which included a survey of currently enrolled students. Key findings of the survey were:

97% of students think student housing would be important for retention and recruitment.

44% of students currently enrolled less than full-time would enroll full-time if Ukiah offered student housing.

Over 8% of students are housing insecure, including homelessness, inability to pay rent or utilities, frequent moves, or residing in unsafe conditions.

There is an acute shortage of rentals in Ukiah, with rental vacancy rates at 2.8%.

75% of housing units in unincorporated Mendocino County are single-family (detached), while only 3% are multi-family (2-4 units) and 3% are multi-family (5+ units).

"We conducted extensive studies to identify the housing needs of our students and determined that a downtown Ukiah location was the best option," said Tim Karas, President/Superintendent of Mendocino College. "This particular location will provide students with access to downtown services as well as easy transportation to the college campus."

In July 2023, a competitive grant application was submitted to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office to fund a $54M 110-bed student housing project in Ukiah. Although our project was not funded in the 2024/2025 California State Budget, we remain committed to making progress. A historic milestone was achieved in February 2025 with the Mendocino College Foundation purchasing a parcel of land for future student housing. With this critical step, we can move forward to investigate all funding options available to move the project forward.

"We are excited to take this important step towards addressing the housing needs of our students," said Rose Bell, Director of Communications at Mendocino College. "We are committed to being a good community partner and will keep the community informed throughout the project's development."
We are proactively collaborating with the City of Ukiah to find effective parking solutions, and address any concerns about high- density housing downtown. We are committed to transparency and want to set realistic expectations: construction is anticipated to begin in a few years as we continue to secure the necessary funding for the project.

Mendocino College is dedicated to maintaining open communication with the community and ensuring that this project benefits both students and local residents. We look forward to a time when our student housing residents will bring vibrancy to the city core, support local businesses by shopping at nearby stores, dining at cafes and restaurants, and utilizing services within walking distance from their housing. As students pursue their education, they will contribute to the overall strength and vitality of our county.

Pride Program

Utilizing LGBTQ+ funding from the state, Mendocino College has greatly expanded its Pride Program this academic year. Here are some of the activities staff have been working on: All Gender Bathrooms - We have updated the bathrooms that are Gender Inclusive around campus. Chat n Chill - We have been opening up the Transfer Center on most Wednesdays for the LGBTQ+ community and allies, where we provide refreshments and have interactive games, shows, and study groups! We will also be opening up the doors to the LGBTQ+ Studies Class to provide a place for people to study on Wednesdays. The Rainbow Alliance Club is the new LGBTQ+ Club, where we will hold monthly meetings on Wednesdays in the Transfer Center as well. Pop-Ups - Once a month we visit each center for Sock Puppet Pop-ups. Our first one in Lake Center went well, and we will be visiting the North County Center on March 10th and the Coast Center on April 21st. LBGTQ+ Summit - We will be hosting the virtual LGBTQ+ Summit on April 14th and 15th in McMillan Room #1170. Everyone is invited to stop in whenever they would like! We will have gifts and food. So please feel free to pop in anytime between 9:00 am-2:30 pm both days.

Basic Needs

In February, the Basic Needs program successfully hosted two Produce Wednesdays at both the Lake Center and the Coast Center. These events provided fresh produce to students, ensuring they had access to healthy food options. This was in addition to sustaining the hosting of Produce Wednesday on the Ukiah Campus. Many students benefited from the availability of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the program organized two evening student dinners during the month. These dinners provided an opportunity for students to take a break from their classes and enjoy a meal. The turnout was positive, with many students expressing appreciation for the event.

CalFresh

CalFresh outreach week was a success! The week of February 24th- 28th our CalFresh team was able to connect with over 150 students! That Tuesday, we tabled at our Ukiah Campus in front of the library and on Wednesday, we went to the Coast Center as part of their Produce Wednesday. During our time at the Ukiah Campus, we were able to provide students with information about how to use their benefits at the local farmers markets to double their CalFresh benefits. Thursday, we tabled and provided students on the Ukiah campus with coffee and pastries. It was a great week to connect with students and we had the help of our centers to spread the work about CalFresh to help our students receive more nutritious meals.

Counseling

The Counseling Department's calendars are filling up as we continue to provide timely support to students identified through our Eagle Connect: Progress Survey. In just one week, faculty will have the opportunity to participate in the Mid-Semester Progress Survey, which will be open from March 10 to March 21 at 11:00 PM. This survey, conducted at the onset of the semester (20%) and mid-points (50%), serves as a critical tool for providing students with constructive feedback—whether recognizing their strengths or offering targeted guidance for improvement. At this stage in the semester, faculty have gained valuable insight into their students' progress, and their input is essential in keeping students on track for success.

Financial Aid Update

The California Student Aid Commission’s Cal Grant March 3rd deadline has been extended to April 2, 2025, due to the delayed application opening for the 2025-26 Academic Year and a decrease in applications received. T o support students in completing their application the financial aid office will continue to hold workshops to assist students in completing their application by the April 2nd deadline. Workshop dates and times can be found on the financial aid office website at https://www.mendocino.edu/financial-aid.
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