President's Office
March 12, 2026
(1) SRP Approval and Blueprint Realignment
On Monday evening, the Board of Trustees approved the Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP), which includes 19 Foothill College participants and several Central Services colleagues assigned to Foothill. The names of all participants will appear on the April 9 Board agenda. Over the coming months, we will experience many moments of gratitude and reflection as longtime colleagues prepare for retirement. Stock up on tissues!
The loss of institutional history can feel unsettling, and yet every transition brings opportunity. This moment allows us to reflect on how we organize our work to advance the Blueprint for Student Success (BP4S). This spring, we launch Phase Two of a campuswide realignment conversation grounded in equity and student impact.
Phase One (this quarter) focuses on gathering information, engaging with Academic, Classified, and Student Senates and labor partners, and reviewing relevant data.
When spring quarter begins, design teams will convene to imagine and model structures that strengthen our ability to meet BP4S goals. During the last week of April, areas considering structural or responsibility shifts will share proposals at an open campus listening session so students, faculty, and staff may offer feedback before any recommendations move forward to conversations with Human Resources and bargaining units (if needed). These phases reflect our commitment to co-authoring solutions.
(2) New Accessible Website Launches April 13
On April 13, Foothill will launch a newly designed, accessibility-compliant college website. The refreshed external look improves navigation and highlights our mission, while the underlying rebuild supports accessible features that many students and employees depend on.
Thank you to everyone who audited pages, updated documents, re-captioned videos, provided quotes, and revised program content so that our digital front door better reflects our values of inclusion and universal design.
(3) Mission Informed Planning Council and BP4S Equity Work
At last Friday’s Mission Informed Planning Council (MIPC) meeting, council members reviewed the Equity in Action: Equitizing BP4S proposal outlining a strategy for moving equity language into equity mechanics. The presentation outlined a two-retreat model for centering the lived experiences of disproportionately impacted students.
Facilitated retreats will honor and apply the knowledge of our current equity practitioners so that we ensure The Blueprint for Success is trained on erasing disproportionate impact for students.
The conversation emphasized that communities of color will not be asked to carry implementation labor. Instead, Foothill will create culturally affirming listening spaces, then charge college teams to implement the recommendations with clear measures, timelines, and identified owners.
(4) Aspen’s Unlocking Opportunity Projects at Foothill
During the same MIPC meeting, the council affirmed a set of Blueprint-aligned projects that will anchor Foothill’s participation in Aspen’s Unlocking Opportunity network. These projects strengthen opportunities for students to achieve a slot in high-value allied health pathways.
Other projects focus on improving our knowledge of—and the outcomes for—students who transfer from Foothill, and how we can facilitate career clarity for those in our Explorer pathway.
(5) Remembering Foothill Legend Dick Henning
On March 29, Foothill will host a celebration of life for Foothill legend Dick Henning. Henning founded the Celebrity Forum speakers series, which for decades brought high-profile national and international leaders to our community and helped define Foothill’s reputation as a place where ideas come alive.
His vision connected education, civic engagement, and public discourse in ways that still influence how we design events and learning experiences today.
All members of the Foothill community, including retirees, alumni, community partners, and current students and employees, are invited to attend the March 27 remembrance. Please check the Foothill event calendar for time and location details and join us as we honor a colleague and friend whose work shaped the college’s public voice.
Yours in service,
Kristina
Dr. Kristina Whalen
President, Foothill College