5 Things to Know Weekly Update

August 12, 2025

photograph of meridith randall leaning against a railing and wearing eyeglasses

Dear Colleagues:

Well, it finally happened – I was having such a good time in Iowa, I neglected to write the Monday message! Apologies to those of you who had a difficult Monday without it. 😊 I do have to report that the Iowa State Fair is a deep-fried barrel of fun, and the Des Moines Botanical Gardens are gorgeous (see photo). Summer vacations are done for me, and enrollment is picking up (partly thanks to the Golden Futures and other registration days, like EOPS) since classes start in less than two weeks, so time to get serious. Let’s all remember to have some fun at work, too, and enjoy the students when they arrive.

Meridith

photograph of pink flowers and green foliage

VP Hicks has been tearing his well-coiffed hair out getting the tentative budget for 2025-26 done, and the most recent iteration is looking fairly good – with a caveat. We are now at the end of several special funds we had during COVID – SB 85, for marketing and outreach; HEERF, which was a fund to assist with pandemic recovery; and another COVID block grant – so we need to stay within the parameters of the “regular” budget that we receive. Much more information to come as the budget is finalized – for now, a bit of caution in spending should be our guiding principle.

This week, the managers will have our all-day retreat on Friday at the Coastline Newport campus, and as always, we will mix some professional development with some team-building. We have added a few managers this summer, so if you miss the announcements, you will see them all introduced at Flex Day on August 22.

Kickoff Day is on August 20, and here’s a message from Ben Olague: Fall Kickoff will occur on Wednesday, August 20 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., beginning with check-in at the campus Theater at 9:30 a.m. All major roles have been assigned, but there's always a way to support new, incoming students at Fall Kickoff. During your workday say "hi" to our new students while they tour around the campus, introduce yourself and what you do. Support our new families at the lunchtime Resource Fair in the Student Union (12-1 p.m.).

Contact Ben Olague (bolague1@gwc.cccd.edu), for any last minute opportunities to support the event. Promote full-time enrollment any chance you get. See you all out there!

With the help of President Suarez at OCC and the District General Counsel, the District will be offering a series of free speech trainings this fall for every employee. We will send out the dates when they are finalized. With the continued polarization in the country over many issues, it’s inevitable that we may see or hear opinions that are disagreeable or even offensive. These trainings will clarify when a statement is protected – and it often is, even though offensive – and when it may not be. Please plan to attend – I’ll send reminders.

This week, I’ll be at a District Cabinet retreat today, then back on campus for the remainder of the week. Hope to see how everyone is doing as we gear up for fall.

This week, Raíces and MESA teamed up to host STEM XP—a summer bridge and math bootcamp designed to help GWC students (especially STEM majors) get a strong start. The program gives participants the opportunity to sharpen their math skills ahead of fall courses while building connections, expanding their network, and making new friends.

A big thank-you to Sally Heath, Sacha Moore, and the entire Raíces and MESA teams for making this valuable event possible.

photograph of group of students standing on gwc's campus

photograph of students participating in hands on STEM activity

GWC Mission Statement

Golden West College provides culturally affirming educational opportunities for our students and community to achieve upward mobility. Our academic excellence, exceptional student services, and community partnerships empower students to achieve personal and academic goals and contribute toward an inclusive and equitable society.