Reports to the Board of Trustees
Each month, President Torres gives a report on college activities, honors and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
For previous reports, please see the board reports archive.
Board Meeting of Sept. 8, 2025
This month's report includes items on
- College Opening Day and Welcome Day
- Strategic Planning This Fall
- New College Fact Book
- Senior Guided Pathways Launched
- Hispanic Foundation Board
- NOVAworks Internship Funding
- Challenge Team Presentation
- Interview on Asian American TV
- De Anza Tops State and National Rankings
- Another Successful Summer Bridge
- Mendoza Named to CCLC Committee
- Student Named Leader of Promise Scholar
- Peace Pole Dedicated on Campus
- Instructor Featured on AI Learning Podcast
College Opening Day and Welcome Day
We are gearing up for the start of fall quarter later this month, with big plans for our college Opening Day on Sept. 18 and Welcome Day on Sept. 19. Board members and members of the chancellor's office are of course welcome to join us for both events.
College Opening Day
Our Opening Day event will be held in the VPAC Theater on Thursday, Sept. 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m., with a continental breakfast on the VPAC patio at 7:30 a.m. Along with new employee introductions and employee anniversaries, the program will include a review of accomplishments and new initiatives at the college, a discussion of generational approaches to learning, and a keynote speech by Trudi Radtke, an instructional technologist and designer who will talk about “AI Literacy, Equity and the Future of Higher Education.” We’ll also have a lunch for all employees, providing an opportunity to catch up
after the summer session.
Welcome Day
Then we have our annual Welcome Day for students in the Main Quad and other locations, beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19. Students will be able to learn about their Guided Pathways Villages, speak with instructors and counselors, tour the campus and get answers to their questions about financial aid and other services. Each of our six Villages are also planning activities in the Village Centers located around campus. We’ll also have lunch for employees after the event, followed by department and division meetings and a professional development opportunity for our classified professionals.
You can learn more about both events at deanza.edu/employees/welcome-back and deanza.edu/welcomeday.
Strategic Planning This Fall
As we approach the new academic year, we’re also beginning work on a new strategic plan for 2027-2030. This important planning document will guide our college for several years, drawing on a range of data to set priorities for resource allocation and specific goals for action – all in alignment with our college mission and values, the state’s Vision 2030 goals, our Chancellor Lambert’s priorities for the district, and the work of our regional partners.
This strategic plan will serve as the foundation for other important documents, including our next Educational Master Plan. A draft is now available on the college website at deanza.edu/strategic/draft2027. There is a feedback form on that webpage and there will be opportunities for additional input through shared governance and campus town hall meetings.
New College Fact Book
In keeping with our focus on data-driven planning, I’m very excited to present the inaugural edition of the De Anza College Fact Book. This is a comprehensive resource that provides important benchmarks in 10 different categories – from enrollment trends and student population characteristics to certificates, degrees and university transfers, as well as regional demographics and employment projections.
The Fact Book was developed through the leadership of our Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Accreditation and will be updated each year. Printed copies are available from my office and a digital version is available at deanza.edu/president/factbook.
Senior Guided Pathways Launched
One of our new initiatives for fall quarter is the Senior Guided Pathways program, offering credit and noncredit courses for older adults, along with mentoring opportunities in conjunction with our Guided Pathways Villages.
We launched Senior Guided Pathways in partnership with Successful Aging Solutions and Community Consulting (SASCC), a nonprofit service provider in the West Valley. They have found that many adults over 50 want to take college classes – whether to enhance their job skills, prepare for a new phase in their lives or simply to broaden their knowledge. We have put together a wide range of courses that we think will draw the interest of those older adults, and we're promoting these offerings on the web, social media and through the Outlook – a new printed newspaper that is produced monthly by SASCC and mailed to every household in Cupertino. You can learn more at deanza.edu/senior.
Hispanic Foundation Board
I am honored to join the board of directors for the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. The foundation brings together thought leaders, corporate supporters and community advocates to focus on improving the lives and futures of Latinx residents in this region.
In particular, the foundation has supported innovative programs focused on educational excellence, leadership development and increasing the number of Latinx professionals pursuing successful careers in STEM fields. Foundation president and CEO Ron Gonzales is both a former San José mayor and a De Anza alum.
NOVAworks Internship Funding
De Anza will receive $50,000 from the NOVAworks regional workforce development board to support student internships in industrial automation, through the Regional Equity and Recovery Partnerships (RERP) program. Labor market data shows that industrial automation technicians can
earn competitive wages in entry-level positions after completing a program at De Anza.
As part of this effort, De Anza and NOVAworks recently co-hosted a breakfast event attended by representatives from eight regional employers, who provided valuable feedback and affirmed the need for skilled workers who have received the kind of training that De Anza provides through its Design and Manufacturing Technologies programs.
Challenge Team Presentation
I gave a presentation on some of De Anza’s recent achievements and new initiatives at the Aug. 14 meeting of the Mountain View-Los Altos Challenge Team. This group brings together leaders from local school districts, public agencies, nonprofits and other groups to address issues affecting youth in our local communities.
During my presentation, I spoke about recent senior leadership appointments, our new bachelor’s degree program in Automotive Technology Management, and recent grants including the Industry Driven Regional Collaborative (IDRC) and Metallica Scholars funding. I also described some new initiatives including the Career Center, credit for prior learning, strategic planning and expanded opportunities in dual enrollment, workforce training, noncredit courses and contract education.
Interview on Asian American TV
I also had the opportunity to speak about De Anza and our efforts to expand opportunities for students during an interview last month on Ding Ding TV, an internet video platform that focuses on the Asian American community.
I was interviewed by Diana Wei Ping Ding, host of the "Innovation Dialog" program, and Dolly Sandoval, former Cupertino mayor and Foothill-De Anza trustee. Our wide-ranging discussion included De Anza’s Learning Communities and other programs that serve all students, while working to reduce equity gaps between population groups. I also described some of our recent initiatives – including De Anza's new cybersecurity program, our bachelor’s degree in Automotive Technology Management, and grants to expand our industrial automation career programs – which are aimed at preparing students for good-paying jobs in new and evolving employment sectors.
De Anza Tops State and National Rankings
De Anza was ranked highly in two new reports last month that examined education and career outcomes for public and private college students.
Return on Investment
First, a new report by the College Futures Foundation ranked our college 18th among 327 California community and career colleges in return on investment. The study focused on how long it takes students to recover their out-of-pocket costs for education, with those at De Anza and other top-performing colleges recouping those costs within six months.
The foundation study, conducted in partnership with research and consulting agency The HEA Group, found that public colleges are much more likely to offer a significant return on investment, or ROI, than were private nonprofit or for-profit institutions. Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the president of the foundation and former chancellor of California Community Colleges, wrote that "This distinction reflects [De Anza's] dedication to affordability, learner-centered support, and alignment with workforce opportunity."
Best Community Colleges
Meanwhile, a separate study from personal finance company WalletHub named De Anza among the five best community colleges in the nation.
WalletHub based its rankings on data from the 2024-25 academic year, including cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes.
Another Successful Summer Bridge
De Anza held its annual Summer Bridge program last month, which is designed to introduce first-time students – especially
first-generation college students and those from historically underserved backgrounds – to our campus and provide them with resources for navigating higher education.
This three-day program on Aug. 26-28 included sessions on financial aid, career training, transfer planning and a variety of Learning Communities and student services available at De Anza. I had the pleasure of speaking with the students on the second day of the program. As in previous years, after the Summer Bridge program concluded on the third day, there was a separate UndocuWelcome orientation designed specifically to make undocumented students and their families feel welcome at our college.
These events are organized each year by our Equity and Engagement Division faculty members and classified professionals, with additional support from other offices. Congratulations to Associate Dean Adrienne Hypolite and to everyone who worked on this year’s excellent programs!
Mendoza Named to CCLC Committee
Eric Mendoza, our dean of Physical Education and Athletics, has been named to a coveted position on the Community College League of California’s Advisory Committee on Legislation.
The committee monitors state and federal legislation and advises League boards on strategies and priorities for advocacy.
Foothill-De Anza Trustee Laura Casas also serves on this panel, of which I’m a former member.
Student Named Leader of Promise Scholar
De Anza student Mia Lin has been selected as a Leader of Promise Scholar by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Mia is majoring in computer science and business, and also serves as the De Anza chapter president for Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students.
Each year, the Leader of Promise scholarship program recognizes 220 outstanding students nationwide. They must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and meet other eligibility requirements.
Peace Pole Dedicated on Campus
I was honored to join fellow members of the Cupertino Rotary, along with De Anza Student Government leaders and others on Aug. 20 for the dedication of a new Peace Pole on our campus.
The peace pole is a global symbol that carries a message – "May peace prevail on Earth" – in several languages. The new pole, located outside the Media & Learning Center, is the first one in Cupertino and stands as a visible reminder of our shared commitment to creating a more peaceful world.
Thanks to the Rotary Club for organizing the dedication event. (Pictured: Jayven Huang, DASG president; Dolly Sandoval, Rotary Club member, former Cupertino mayor and former Foothill-De Anza trustee; President Torres.)
Instructor Featured on AI Learning Podcast
One of our instructors recently spoke on a podcast about AI literacy sponsored by the California Education Learning Lab.
Chesa Caparas, an instructor of English and Asian American Studies, joined faculty members from Cal Poly Maritime and UC Santa Cruz to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education and the humanities.
The podcast is called “My Robot Teacher” and Chesa’s episode is titled “The End of Literacy As We Know It.” The Learning Lab is a state-funded organization that awards grants to support innovation in teaching and the use of technology in higher education.