5 Things to Know Weekly Update

January 5, 2026

photograph of gwc president meridith randall. Meridith is leaning against a railing with her hands crossed in front of her. She's wearing a dark sweater and top and glasses, and is standing in front of large windows.

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to 2026! That winter break was much appreciated, as always, and allowed me to see my son, new daughter-in-law, and two sisters in New York City – I hope you took advantage to spend time with family and/or travel. My annual resolution is to be more positive and recognize great work at the College, so please hold me to it. We have some exciting projects coming up – hiring new faculty, starting our new nursing director later this month, meeting our new foodservice provider, and getting our first look at a new logo – among many other developments. So take a deep breath and hold on tight. 😊

Meridith

Winter classes start this week, primarily online with a few in person. I’m seeing some student confusion on the app, so let’s all take a moment to help them figure out where they need to be and when. We should start seeing the influx to enroll for spring classes, too.

The rains don’t seem to have revealed any new leaks – but if you do notice anything in your office or work area, please let M&O know right away so that they can take care of it. The link to submit an M&O request is HERE.

photograph showing gwc's main quad after rain. trees are visible lining a concrete path and yellow adirondack chairs can be seen in distance.

Work continues around campus on moving some folks to prepare for the ABC Demo (now slated for late spring) – notably, Adult Education, Research/Dual Enrollment, Distance Education, IT and Human Resources. They should all be moved by the end of January. Also, some signage will go up to identify the Multicultural Center very soon.

Spring registration, as noted above, should pick up, but is a little lackluster at the moment. Encourage any students to register as soon as possible since they may be shut out of the classes they need even if other ones are open.

graphic image of student wearing native american themed earrings and golden west college shirt. image is overlayed on a photo of campus with a opaque green filter. text next to the image says spring classes begin jan 31

My week includes planning for spring, worrying about RSI/accreditation (the team will be here on February 24), and getting back into the groove after time off. Wishing the same for you!

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.