President Thayer’s Board Report for September 9, 2025
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 September 9, 2025
Semester Starts with Activities, Enrollment Approaching Historic Level
Cypress College’s enrollment is in the range of an all-time high. Currently, 16,858 students are enrolled in the fall semester, a 5.73% increase over the prior-year head count. We are reviewing historical data, but this number is believed to be one that challenges the historical fall-semester high. We look forward to chasing this record as we approach census and finalize enrollment numbers.
The college is just under the 6,000 mark for FTES, which projects to meet our 5% enrollment increase targeted for this academic year. Our fill rate is at 93%.
As classes moved into their second week, the campus was alive with activity. Among the events was Welcome Back, hosted by Associated Students and Student Life and Leadership. The event was held in Gateway Plaza on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
Our Theatre Arts program also saw robust interest in auditions — more than five dozen students sought roles — for The Crucible and Into the Woods during the first week of the semester.
VRC, Culinary Arts Student Jesse Aguilar Featured in Canvas Rebel
Cypress College student Jesse Aguilar was recently featured in Canvas Rebel, an online publication that connects artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in an effort to share their stories and successes.
Aguilar is a student veteran who is majoring in Culinary Arts. He runs a non-profit providing food assistance to veterans and connecting them the resources and community.
“What sets us apart is that we don’t just provide resources—we provide understanding,” Aguilar told the publication. “Because I live with chronic pain and the challenges of transition myself, I know what it means to feel unseen or to wonder if the struggle is worth it. Every day, despite my condition, I choose not to give up because I know other veterans are out there facing their own battles, both visible and invisible.”
After serving 10 years in the military — something he had hoped would be his career — Aguilar medically retired due to fibromyalgia.
“It was a life-altering moment—one day I was serving with pride, and the next I was faced with chronic pain, the loss of the career I had built my identity around, and the uncertainty of what my future would look like,” he said.
“The transition was not easy. As a student veteran, I had to navigate school, family, and the emotional toll of losing the career I thought I’d have for life—all while pushing through pain every day. Yet through those challenges, I found a new mission: to continue serving those who once served with me. Operation Nourish was born out of that commitment.”
The full Canvas Rebel story is linked above.
#CYPossible: Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng, Cypress College Alumna
First-generation Filipina immigrant Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng chose to enroll at Cypress College simply because it ticked two geographical boxes: close enough to commute from home in Cerritos easily but far enough away to put some distance between her and her high school community. It wound up being where she began a professional trajectory that led her to give back to Cypress and the 116 community colleges in California in a professional role that she feels passionately about.
She’d always loved reading and gravitated toward the Humanities at Cypress. The professors at Cypress, she says, sparked her interest in her future profession.
“I credit Cypress College and faculty in the Humanities for exposing me to teaching as a profession. I was inspired by my professors because they were passionate and loved their disciplines, so I became interested in becoming a teacher.”
She went on to earn a B.A. in English at UC Irvine, a masters in English and Literature at UC Santa Barbara, and an Ed.D. in International Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco.
Her career path included positions as tenured faculty and other administrative roles at De Anza College, president of Berkeley City College, and president of San Jose City College before joining the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
Her initiatives with Chancellor Sonya Christian and the Board of Governors are to implement the systemwide Vision 2030 goals: Equity in Access, Equity in Support, and Equity in Success through three strategic directions: Equitable Baccalaureate Attainment, Workforce and Economic Development, and AI and the Future of Learning. Her work comes from her heart.
“I am most proud of the impact I have made across three California Community Colleges to increase sense of belonging and a welcoming learning environment for students and employees, and to increase curricular and employee diversity so that our diverse communities and cultures are reflected in and out of the classroom.”
Read Dr. Tomaneng’s story on the Cypress College website and view her interview on YouTube.
CA Coalition to Dual Enrollment Summit Comes to Cypress College
The 12th Annual California Coalition To Dual Enrollment (CCEMC) Summit, which will include representatives from the Chancellor’s Office and Dual Enrollment professionals from across the state of California, will be held at Cypress College. The event takes place on September 10, 2025.
The event, part of the Rising Scholars and Rise Youth Program, comes to campus at 9:30 a.m. and features lunch, opening remarks, a panel discussion, and a closing ceremony for two groups of students.
Know Your Rights Workshop Presented by CHIRLA on September 11
Cypress College invites students and the campus community to join us for a Know Your Rights Workshop facilitated by CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. This workshop is designed to inform about immigration-related topics and empower and promote understanding legal rights.
Participants will learn:
- Understanding your legal rights regardless of immigration status
- How to navigate interactions with law enforcement and ICE
- Gaining knowledge about immigration-related resources available to the community
The workshop takes place on Thursday, September, 11, 2025, from 2-3 p.m., with a virtual option available. For information, please call (714) 484-7368.
Student Life and Leadership Events Scheduled for Fall Semester
Student Life & Leadership has planned the following events for the semester:
- Regular A.S. Meetings — every Monday from 1-3 p.m. (unless Monday is a holiday)
- Club Rush — Tuesday and Wednesday, September 9 and 10, from noon-2 p.m.
- A.S. Leadership Retreat — Friday, September 5 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Ralph B. Clark Regional Park, Buena Park
- CCCSAA Student Leadership Conference — October 17-19, 2025, Santa Clara, California
- Voter Registration Event — TBD
- Town Hall Event — TBD
- Pumpkin Bash — Last week of October – TBD
- Finals Fuel Pop-up — Finals Week – TBD
Fitness Lab Open to Cypress College Employees for Wellness Campaign
The open FITLAB for Cypress College faculty and staff is underway this fall. A coach will be onsite each day to check employees in and answer any questions you may have about the space or equipment.
Location: Gym I (Building 7), Room 102 Hours: Monday-Thursday 5-7 p.m.
The rules are simple:
- Check-in with coach upon arrival
- Wear proper athletic attire
- Wipe equipment after use
- No food
The fitness lap availability is for all current Cypress College employees.
40th Annual Foundation Golf Classic on September 15
The 40th Annual Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic takes place on Monday, September 15, 2025, at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park.
Event registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The awards banquet and live auction immediately follow the conclusion of play.
You can sign up to participate through the Cypress College Foundation.
Brazda Named to National Allstate NACDA Good Works Team
Cypress College Men’s Water Polo athlete Wes Brazda has been named to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team, becoming the only community college student-athlete in the nation to earn the honor this year.
Recognized for his excellence in athletics, mentorship, and service, Brazda stands among NCAA student-athletes across all divisions. In addition to this prestigious recognition, Allstate will provide Brazda with an NIL deal to further support and amplify his community impact.
Across 25 games last season, he made 10 starts and recorded 72 goals, 31 assists, and 29 steals, finishing ranked among the top five in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) in goals scored. His exceptional performance earned him First-Team All-Conference honors as well as recognition as a Charger of the Week recipient.
Read more about Brazda and the award on the Cypress College athletics website.
Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!