November 17, 2025

Hi Fam,

President’s Message

As we approach the holiday season, I want to express gratitude for the passion and commitment our students and faculty bring to creating an inclusive and respectful campus. Gratitude reminds us that, even in times of disagreement, we can appreciate the diversity of thought and experience that makes our college community stronger.

I understand that recent events have caused concern and discomfort for many in our community. Your voices matter, and I appreciate those who have shared their perspectives.

Clovis Community College is committed to fostering a sense of belonging for all students and employees. This includes respecting diverse viewpoints and ensuring that everyone, especially our students, feels safe and valued. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of higher education. At the same time, we expect all interactions to be grounded in respect and civility.

The recent posting of events on a college-sponsored calendar was an error. Student clubs have their own space to share activities, separate from official college channels. We are reviewing our processes to ensure this does not happen again.

We are reviewing our posting protocols and providing additional reminders and training to staff to prevent similar mistakes. We will also offer opportunities for dialogue and learning about how to coexist respectfully, even when we disagree.

In the coming weeks, we will host facilitated conversations for students and employees to discuss how we can uphold our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and respect. If you have ideas or want to participate, please reach out.

Certified and Classified Staffing Update

I want to apologize to you for not communicating with you sooner on this topic. We are still discussing staffing in Chancellor’s Cabinet. I have brought forth the prioritization list that you worked so very hard to prepare for me. And, unfortunately, I have no final answers for you at this time. I continue to be hopeful that I will be able to let you know something soon. Thank you for your continued patience.

SCCCD Foundation Campus Needs

I am excited to announce that we have been awarded $30,000 to support our Crush Pantry! The Foundation Board voted unanimously to support the well written proposal in support of our commitment to serve our students experiencing food insecurity especially due to the increased needs during the government shut down.

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)

This is a group of all higher education CEOs in the Central Valley who meet to provide a regional lens to higher education. I chair the Enrollment Reconnect Advisory Committee where all colleges, universities (public and private), medical and law schools are working on a regional marketing strategy and campaign to demonstrate our seamless and collaborative approach to educating all of our citizens. All college and universities will have their Public Information Officers work on this regional marketing campaign.

Community College League of California (CCLC) CEO Conference

I am attending the state’s community college annual meeting. I am here with all the presidents across the state, as well as our trustee, Debbie Ikeda, and our former student trustee who now serves as a state student trustees. Chancellor Goldsmith, Deputy Chancellor Holt-McDonald, Vice Chancellor Frost, Vice Chancellor El Fattal are also at the conference.

I attended the following sessions:

Employee Free Speech: Legal Boundaries Explained

This was a very informative session. There is a formula The Pickering Balance Test that is used to protect free speech while at the same time addressing the needs of the employer to have efficient operations. This session reviewed legal limits of employee expression, including classroom, workplace, and off duty speech, and offered guidance on compliant policies and institutional responses.

Fighting Fraud: Focus, Fairness, Forward

This session discussed real world strategies, policy considerations and cross campus collaborations that combat fraudulent enrollments while preserving access. We talked about models to protect student aid, while upholding integrity.

Economic Inclusion through Supplier Diversity

This session discussed strategic advantages of supplier diversity. Strategies to engage local businesses from a variety of backgrounds especially using our alumni lists to identify potential suppliers. They discussed PLA in this discussion.

Designing for Resilience: focusing on Impact-General Session

This keynote was provided to us by the President of the American Association of Community Colleges (our national governing body). Dr. De Rionne Pollard is the first woman to preside over this body in its 105 years existence of being an organization. She spent several years of her career in California.

She reminded us that in times of change, community colleges are anchors for stability. We are an integral part to the infrastructure of the nation and continue to serve as engines of opportunity and impact. California alone serves ¼ of all community college students in the country. She further stated that our capacity for adaptation is our most fundamental asset, deepening our influence through partnership with business and industry, coalition building and narrative that capture our transformation value in the lives of our students. She reinforced the national community college priority goals and stressing designing our systems for resilience and the need to center on our students’ futures and on the planning that meets their needs and those of our nation’s evolving workforce.

State of the System – State Chancellor Sonya Christian

We were reassured that the system is strong. There is $60 million in Block Grants to continue supporting HSIs, MSIs, and AANHPI. She informed us that although there are some changes with the Department of Education that there have been alignments with the Department of Labor and Department of State. The Department of Labor is responsible for the distribution of TRiO grants. There have been no changes in criteria, and we are to continue applying for these grants. The Department of State is where International Programs will reside.

She provided us with the 5 criteria for talent pipeline at the federal level and provided the 5 Pillars:

1. Industry led
2. Worker Mobility
3. Integrated management
4. Accountability
5. Outcomes

These pillars are directly aligning with what we are already prioritizing in the vision 2030.

1. Credit for Prior Learning
2. Increase in PELL
3. PELL for California Dream Act
4. Dual Enrollment
5. Justice Impacted (Rising Scholar)
6. Black and African American Students
7. Foster Youth
8. Students Enrolled in CTE
9. Veterans

She talked about the continued importance of the Nursing bachelor’s degree to assist with the medical needs in our communities. She also talked about the importance of internships, work-based experiences and service learning and apprenticeships.

She provided what she called 4 fields of climate practice for her Vision 2030 plan:

1. Facilities and Infrastructure
2. Workforce Development
3. Community Engagement
4. Curriculum

Our state of the system is strong.

DEIA Compliance Amid Federal Scrutiny

This session talked about how California community colleges can sustain DEIA efforts under increasing federal scrutiny. We were provided with strategies to navigate legal constraints while at the same time fostering inclusive environments for students, faculty and classified professionals through policy, hiring and supportive practices. This session talked about Title 5 and specifically support for undocumented students in California.

Navigating the Sacramento-Washington Government Roadmap

This session focused on how the shifting federal landscape impacting Sacramento and community colleges can stay ahead of the curve through sustained advocacy.

President's Reflections

As I reflect on the words of the President of AACC, I also reflect on the events of the past couple of weeks. I am more encouraged that we are moving in the right direction here at Clovis. Our Capacity Café survey results informed us of our collective need and understanding for Organizational Agility. We as the communities’ college have as our “fundamental asset, our capacity for adaption.” I am also reminded of our “need to design our systems for reliance.” Regardless of who is in leadership, it is imperative that this college defines and builds our systems insuring resilience. Like we learned from COVID - high performing community colleges fortified our processes and developed plans for future growth. We are to be agile and to keep moving strategically and collectively forward with a strong commitment to student success.

There is work to be done and I am ever more confident today that Clovis is the right place, at the right time, with the right people to keep focused and moving forward focusing solely on our mission to Create opportunities – one student(every student) at a time. Please also know that I see each of you as lifelong learners, i.e., students too. Let’s never stop allowing ourselves to continue to learn and grow.

Additionally, you will receive a poll to select a time to have legal counsel come to do a collegewide Fireside chat. Please let us know what day will work best for you. I have asked her to come to provide legal answers to some of your questions about the protections for you with regards to ICE and to give us a legal response to concerns of safe space and free speech versus hate language. She only has dates available in January, but we want to make sure to have her provide us with information that we need.

I am reaching out to well respected consultants to assist us with strengthening our culture of respect and civility while respecting our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

I want to assure you that you have meaningful and full inclusion in the final decisions made. This is what I mean by your voice matters. I owe you that.

Today at church, a church member ran up to me and told me that her daughter “rang the bell!” Some of us know what that means. She has completed all of her cancer treatments and is cancer free today and I am thankful for her daughter ringing the bell.

At the Walmart Neighborhood market, the young man collecting the carts told me “Thank you” for my smile. His name is Mohammad and he is from Afghanistan. He found it important to repeatedly tell me that he was legal. He and his wife were brought here for their safety. He was a journalist, and he work in security for UNICEF. He was no longer safe in his country, so our government brought him here. He is thankful to be here. The rest of his family is still in Afghanistan. His mother just had heart surgery, and she is in a coma. Today I am thankful for Mohammad and his wife; glad they are safe and glad that his mother survived heart surgery. He told me God bless me as we finished our conversation. We said we would talk next time I came to the store. I will be looking for Mohammad next time to ask about his mother.

Our interaction only took about 5 minutes, and I was made the better for the time that I spent with him.

I am thankful for the peppers that Jeff left me while I was out of town. I was so excited when Bonnie told me about them that I smiled for the rest of the conference. Imagine the cartoons where they had thought bubbles, that was me. In my thought bubble were beautiful peppers. Thank you, Jeff, for thinking of me.

I ended my week in community with the Interfaith Alliance Thanksgiving Event. I was invited by Cindy. It was a wonderful service where people from different faith came together with a common theme of peace. Both Drs. Kapoor (husband and wife) were honored for their long-standing commitment to peace. It was a wonderful event, and I am glad I was invited.

A tradition of mine is to serve at The Fresno Center on Thanksgiving Day. I am reminded to always give thanks. People are so kind and thankful, and I am honored to serve them. I invite you to join me if you are able.

In all things give thanks. Today, I am thankful for my Clovis Community College family.

It is my honor to serve you.

In service,

Kim E. Armstrong, Ph.D.