Chancellor's Message  

Dear Colleagues:

It's an exciting and challenging time to be the new chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District. It's been four months since I began my job on August 1, 2008. There is motion and momentum everywhere I look. Both campuses are bustling with students. Parking lots are filled with cars. Students are rushing from class to class. Faculty and staff are fully engaged in the business of education.

In the good news department, enrollment has increased 7 % Districtwide this semester. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to fill our classes - these efforts will help our bottom line. I encourage you to continue our joint efforts to improve efficiency of operations and to increase student enrollment. Do sign up for classes yourself, and tell your friends to do the same.

Our bond activities are moving ahead rapidly. Intensive planning efforts are taking place at Mission College and several major construction projects are underway at West Valley College. I want to thank the West Valley College staff, students and community for your patience with the dust, parking lot closures and occasional water shutdowns.

The search for a new Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services is underway. This critical position oversees the areas of budget, finance, instructional technology, general services, police services, and facilities. A search firm for this recruitment process has been selected and distribution of brochures began on October 15.

Our District's website is currently undergoing an update. Employees are being trained to post committee notes and agendas in order to make information more accessible to both staff members and the general public. When the new site is announced to the public, I encourage you to use it as a valuable tool to promote your programs, accomplishments and events.

The West Valley-Mission Community College District recently co-sponsored the successful 'Vote for Your Future' rally at San Jose State University, held in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Students from Mission and West Valley colleges filled buses (sponsored by the West Valley College Center for Advanced Transportation, Technology and Energy Center) and our college presidents and board members met with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen. Greg Shaw, Mission College videographer, used footage from this non-partisan event to produce a public service announcement encouraging young people to vote.

I'm honored that you are entrusting me with the many challenges facing our District, but I can't do it alone. We need everyone's participation. Let us all work together, devoting our ideas and energy to moving our colleges and district forward and emerging stronger.