President Thayer’s Board Report for October 8, 2024
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
Presented by Cypress College President Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
on October 8, 2024
HACU Selects De La Cruz for Second Enlace Cohort
Cypress College’s Dr. Damon De La Cruz was selected to participate in The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ second cohort of its Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program. Fifty-four participants have been selected to begin the program this fall, according to HACU’s announcement on Monday, September 30, 2024.
The six-month leadership development program for mid-level college and university professionals is designed to increase the number, variety, and quality of Latino/a talent in leadership positions at Hispanic-Serving Institutions and in higher education overall.
De La Cruz and his peers will participate in programming covering academic and student affairs management; regional institutional accreditation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and higher education advocacy issues. Participants will also interact with a professional search firm.
Undocumented Student Action Week
EOPS and the Grads to Be Program are leading the celebration of Undocumented Student Action Week from October 14-17. The array of activities and workshops are designed to share the journey and experiences of the undocumented community, to share resources, and to learn strategies to support our students and as an UndocuAlly.
In addition to events presented by the CCCCO system, Cypress College is holding campus-based events Monday through Thursday:
- On Monday, from noon-3 p.m., Butterfly Journey and Esquite takes place in Gateway Plaza;
- On Tuesday, from 10 p.m.-noon, CHIRLA, Grads to Be, and EOPS are tabling with to provide information to attendees in Gateway Plaza;
- On Wednesday, from 3-4:30 p.m., Paint Night Butterfly Art Session is held in Humanities-314; and
- On Thursday, from 2-4 p.m., CHIRLA Ally training takes place in CCCPLX-419.
USAW began at the state level eight years ago and encourages California Community Colleges to engage in advocacy and support efforts in solidarity with undocumented students throughout the state. If you are interested in joining any of the statewide webinars, please see below for the offerings and links to register.
Second Annual DEI International Cultural Festival Held on Oct. 3
Cypress College hosted its second annual DEI International Cultural Festival on Thursday, October 3. The event planning was headed by Mihoko Luther, a faculty member in Language Arts. The full day of events began at 11 a.m. and continued into the evening with astronomy observations kicking off at 7:30 p.m.
The Cypress College International Cultural Festival is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our diverse cultures together. Participants enjoyed a variety of international dishes prepared by students in the Culinary Program, as well as cultural and ethnic performances led by the Dance Ensemble, Filipino Dance, Mariachi Band, Cielito Lindo singing performance, Drag Queen Show, Cosplay Character Show, and Chinese Dragon Lion Dance. There was a touching collaboration between the Choir and the ASL Program, a live cooking show, music, dance, live mural creation, presentations, film screening, and discussions.
Puente and EOPS Present ‘The Distance Between Us’ on Oct. 10
The Puente and EOPS Programs invite you to an exciting event with Reyna Grande, the acclaimed author of “The Distance Between Us.” The event takes place on October 10, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in CCCPLX-414. Registration is required.
Mazda MAST Program Celebrates Completion of New Vehicle Lifts
The Automotive Technology Department is hosted a “Lift Area Dedication Ceremony” on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 to mark the completion of new vehicle lifts. The dedication ceremony was followed by the T-TEN, Mazda MAST, and General Program advisory meetings.
Congratulations to Automotive Technology faculty members Martin Orozco and Enrique Aispuro.
Mazda MAST courses began in the spring 2024 semester as a blended program, meaning the general automotive courses will integrate the Mazda students and training for those who become part of MAST. MAST students complete current courses and current requirements for certificates and graduation, with additional Mazda certifications and training on factory vehicles, equipment, tools, and software, and graduate as certified Mazda technicians.
3rd Annual Walk of Hope Held on Sept. 25
Congratulations to the Student Health and Wellness Center and Active Minds teams — including Marla McBride, Krista Chavez-Camacho, and Anna Spencer-Lonetti — on a successful 3rd Annual Walk of Hope, which took place on September 25, 2024. This year we had an amazing turnout of 171 registered attendees and additional guests who collected resources from community partners throughout the day.
A special thanks from the event organizers to Connect-OC and Partner- s4Wellness for helping the Student Health and Wellness Center, once again, plan this event a year in advance, providing opportunity drawings and sponsoring TK Burgers. Many thanks to Associated Students for assisting with setup very early in the morning and throughout the event. Thanks also to M&O for setting up all the canopies, tables, and chairs, to Academic Computing Services, to Gary Gopar and student DJ Eliseo Meza, and to Campus Communications.
Special thanks also go to Active Minds Student Leaders and our Health and Wellness Peer Educators. Your commitment and passion to student health and wellness is unwavering. Thank you for all that you do at these events and your hunger for learning and helping others.
Photo Exhibits Open in Edouard de Merlier Gallery Through Nov. 21
The Cypress Photography Department is pleased to present Ed Heckerman’s solo exhibition, Recent Offerings, an evocative collection of photographic works that span seven years of artistic exploration. The exhibition showcases eight of Heckerman’s captivating series: Broken Rice Cosmos, Sokkan Another Present Era, The Local Elsewhere, Pinhole Pleasures, Glimmer, Memorial Kites, and Walkstreets Panoramas.
The Cypress Photo Club proudly presents the board member show Tru Blue, along with Maria Calixto Martinez’s Mi Mundo Azul. Both exhibitions will feature an all-cyanotype process. “Cyano is one of our favorite processes that we have explored with, and we have the greatest honor to show you what we have been creating!”
The exhibitions will remain on view through November 21, 2024, in the Edouard de Merlier Gallery on the second floor of the Tech Ed 1 Building.
Sen. Josh Newman Honors Father-and-Daughter Students for Heroism
California Senator Josh Newman came to campus on Friday, September 27, 2024, to present his office’s Citizen of the Month award to Cypress College students Tony and Bivianne Munguia. The father-and-daughter duo were on their way to campus when they heroically saved a woman trapped in her burning home this past April.
Tony and Bivianne, who are residents of Stanton, were nominated by a member of the Stanton Neighborhood Watch, who also attended the small on-campus ceremony.
Coffee With the President Rolls Out Onto Campus
Dr. Thayer and his office team of Kristi Valdez and Dorothy Jackson debuted a new mobile coffee cart and took the “Coffee with the President” event on the road for the first time. The event, which will rotate locations each month, was held in SEM-117 on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The next event takes place on Thursday, October 31, from 9-10 a.m., in the Health Science Building.
de Dios Honored by Garden Grove Chamber with Silver Spoon
Paul de Dios, Cypress College’s Vice President of Student Services will be honored by the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce with their volunteer of the year award for HOPE. Dr. de Dios is a long-standing member of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce’s executive board and has served as president of the board, as well as headed the organization’s Business & Education Committee. The 60th Silver Spoon Award Ceremony was held on Sunday evening, October 6, 2024.
The Silver Spoon Award Ceremony was conceived as a heartfelt tribute to the unsung heroes within the Garden Grove community. Each honoree is presented with a sterling silver spoon pin, which symbolizes how these volunteers consistently “serve up” their dedication and commitment to their respective organizations.
Cypress College Remembers Charter Faculty Kaleta Brown
Cypress College is remembering charter faculty member and former dean Kaleta Brown, who passed away on Thursday, September 27, 2024. Dr. Brown was a member of the original faculty at Cypress College when the campus opened in 1966.
She served as the first Theater Department coordinator and directed the first plays held at the college. She worked in what was then the Fine Arts Division (Now Visual and Performing Arts) from 1966-1998 before retiring. She returned to Cypress College in 2002 as the Fine Arts dean. She remained in that role until the end of 2004 when she retired once again — though she subsequently taught as a member of the adjunct faculty.
According to the college’s official history “A Tree Grows in Cypress,” authored by retiree Pat Ganer, Dr. Brown was recognized in 1986 as part of Cypress College’s 20th Anniversary celebration. The book notes that she was one of 10 people “who had been identified as having made significant contributions to Cypress.”
In her first stint at Cypress, Dr. Brown was an Academic Senate president, Curriculum Committee chair, and was involved with state and national theater organizations. She also helped found the Americana Awards in 1976 as part of a call from then-U.S. President Gerald Ford as the national Bicentennial celebration.
Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!