Board Reports

Reports to the Board of Trustees

Each month, President Kristina Whalen gives a report on college activities, honors, and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.

October 5, 2026

Awards & Achievements

Dr. Kristine Whalen foto with caption AFIT CEO Member

Dr. Whalen Invited into the National CEO Innovation Organization

President Whalen has been invited to join the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation (AFIT), a prestigious organization of higher education leaders, such as presidents and chancellors. AFIT supports colleges and universities as they navigate and adapt to an ever-changing world while advancing equitable outcomes and innovation in higher education. President Whalen's invitation reflects her recognized leadership and commitment to transformative change in higher education.

Dr. Laurie Scolari, Keynote Speaker at CSSO Conference, Releases Her Memoir

Centered on the theme of "Reclaiming Joy at Work," Dr. Vázquez Scolari's keynote will draw inspiration from her book, Free Inside at Work: Reclaiming Joy at Work — A Memoir and Guide. Through personal stories and practical insights, Dr. Vázquez Scolari will explore the importance of resilience, authentic leadership, and cultivating joy and purpose in the workplace. Her presentation will encourage attendees to embrace their full selves as leaders, navigate challenges with courage, and create professional environments where individuals and teams can thrive.

2026 Student Commencement Speaker Madellyn Hill: Successful Advocate of Key Legislation

Congratulations, Madellyn. We are proud of you.

AB 1713 has passed the California Senate and now goes to Governor Newsom for his signature. The bill would require public colleges and universities to accept existing K-12 or regional center records as verification of a student's disability, making it simpler and faster for students to get the support and accommodations they need.

Learn more:

This is a big step forward for students with disabilities across California and a proud moment for Foothill College. Madellyn Hill, a recent graduate and commencement speaker, has been a powerful advocate for AB 1713. Her voice has helped move this bill forward, and it shows what Foothill students do when they turn their own experience into lasting change for others.

Swift Facilities Response Supports Campus Operations

Thank you to Dave Fisch, Alex Lepe, Asha Jossis, Joel Cadiz, Eddie Magana, Michael Hohl, Ty Rock, Rene Avila-Cortes, Derek Ocegueda, Ha Nguyen, and the Facilities Services team.

Our Facilities Services team demonstrated exceptional responsiveness by quickly addressing both a water leak in Smithwick Theatre and a lighting control issue in Parking Lot 4 affecting observatory operations. Through prompt coordination, effective troubleshooting, and efficient remediation efforts, the team minimized disruptions, kept Smithwick Theatre fully operational throughout the week and weekend events, and restored parking lot lighting in time for the September 23 Observatory event. These efforts earned appreciation from campus partners and highlight the team's commitment to reliable service and support of campus activities.

Strategic Updates

Actias School is Now in Partnership with Foothill College

Thank you to Simon Pennington.

The ACTIAS School is a new school specifically designed to support neurodiverse teens. It will combine strong therapeutic support and its own high school curriculum with Foothill's engaging experiential learning approach. Starting with five to eight students, the school aims to grow slowly to serve 15-20 students, who will be dual-enrolled in Foothill's classes and can take advantage of everything the college has to offer. ACTIAS students will also be taking some of their high school classes at Hidden Villa, just up the road from our college, as a connection with nature is at the heart of ACTIAS' therapeutic approach.

Know more about Actias School

Foothill College student working at the computer with Adobe tools

Foothill College and Adobe: Career-Ready Skills for Every Student

Thank you to Aaron Korngeibal, Ron Herman, and the Adobe Creative Team.

A new Adobe for Education video highlights how Foothill College is preparing students for the jobs of the future through its partnership with Adobe.

Watch the video!

Learn more about the partnership:

Under the leadership of President Kristina Whalen, Foothill is making sure students have free access to the skills employers are hiring for, including industry-standard tools like Photoshop and Lightroom, which students in programs such as digital photography use in their coursework. For a student body that includes many first-generation college students, removing the cost barrier to these tools is a direct way to put Foothill's workforce-preparation mission into practice.

Silicon Valley AI Project (SVAIP) Year 1

Thank you, Gay Krause, Justin Sewell, Jen Gibson, and Kas Pereira

Under the leadership of Executive Director Gay Krause, Director of Programs & Partnerships, Justin Sewell, Director of Strategy & Marketing, Jen Gibson, and faculty member Kas Pereira, the Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence Project (SVAIP) successfully launched its foundational year, delivering high-impact professional learning designed to equip educators with essential AI literacy and pedagogical tools.

Year 1 Milestones:

6,414 educators reached across professional learning offerings

214 AI Capstone participants

23 AI-empowered instruction certificate earners

1,422 continuing education units earned

Building on this initial momentum, SVAIP is scaling its footprint significantly for Year 2, with a target to impact 25,000 educators. A comprehensive Year 1 Impact Report conducted by external research partner WestEd will be finalized later this fall and shared with leadership. Learn more and see our reports/resources.

We have an upcoming TK-12 working leadership summit on Friday, November 13th (hosted at Foothill College) that will focus on district AI policy through the AI Readiness Lens. Learn more about the event.

Events

AI Lecture Series

Wednesday, October 7

Please join us on Wednesday, October 7th, for our AI Lecture Series Kickoff. Dr. Zach Justus will be hosting a lecture at 1 pm and a workshop at 2:30 pm.

RSVP

Learn more about Dr. Zach Justus:

Dr. Zach is the California State University Academic Innovation Fellow and a professor of communication studies at Chico State, where he co-created the AI Retrofit program to help faculty adapt their teaching to generative AI. With his colleague Nik Janos, he also hosts Unfixed, a podcast about how AI is reshaping the university. His work has been featured by NPR, which covered his efforts to help CSU faculty adapt their teaching to AI. His lecture will look closely at AI detection software: what it promises, where it falls short, and what that means for academic integrity and trust with our students. After the lecture, Zach will also host an AI Retrofit™ Workshop at 2:30 pm at the Krause Center for Innovation.

Invitations

Celebrated Stanford chemist and Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi will talk about her career and experiences working as a woman in STEM.

October 20, 2026

Please join us on October 20 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM for a talk by Stanford Professor and Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi.

Know more & RSVP link here!

Know more about Dr. Bertozzi:

Dr. Bertozzi received her Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022 for her work on manipulating biological processes inside living cells. Dr. Bertozzi will discuss her education and career and experience as a woman in STEM. Dr. Bertozzi mentored a Foothill student in her lab in 2026 and is very supportive of the CCC system. Dr. Bertozzi's talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

Football Tailgate: Invitation to View Box

October 9, 2026

On October 9, the President's Office will be hosting a tailgate from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. before our game against San José City College. Come enjoy great food, good company, and fun pregame festivities as we cheer on the Owls.

More Details

After the tailgate, we would also like to extend an invitation to our trustees to join us in the viewing box for a bird's-eye view, or should we say owl's-eye view, of the game! We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating together before kickoff.

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