Reports to the Board of Trustees
Each month, President Torres gives a report on college activities, honors and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
For previous reports, please see the board reports archive.
Board Meeting of Aug. 4, 2025
College Promise Coalition Event
De Anza welcomed education leaders, policymakers and community advocates to our campus on Friday, Aug. 1, for the second annual convening of the Northern California College Promise Coalition. This day-long event featured important discussions and breakout sessions that focused on building a more equitable, accessible and affordable postsecondary future for California students.
Additional co-hosts included Assemblymembers Patrick Ahrens and Ash Kalra, state Senator Dave Cortese, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, and several leading education organizations. Speakers included Dr. Martha Kanter, former U.S. Undersecretary of Education and former chancellor of our college district.
(Assemblyman Patrick Ahrens)
(From left: Chancellor Lee Lambert, Trustee Laura Casas, President Torres
CEO Leadership Academy
I was pleased to serve as a panelist for a discussion on finance and enrollment management during the annual CEO Leadership Academy, hosted by the Community College League of California in Riverside on July 24-26. Also on the panel were Greg Schulz, president and superintendent of Citrus College, and Marvin Martinez, chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
We discussed the intricacies of community college finance and how enrollment management plays into a college’s long-term fiscal health. It was great to exchange ideas with so many college CEOs from around the state, including President Kristina Whalen of Foothill College, who was also in attendance.
Industry Driven Regional Collaborative Grant
I’m thrilled to announce that De Anza has been awarded a $500,000 grant to expand our programs in advanced manufacturing and industrial automation, through the Industry Driven Regional Collaboratives (IDRC) initiative of the state chancellor’s Workforce and Economic Development Division.
Our Design and Manufacturing Technologies Department will use the IDRC grant to build out programs in collaboration with local employers, workforce boards and educational partners. The funds will help pay for new curriculum, equipment upgrades, faculty training, lab renovations and targeted outreach to underserved students.
This statewide grant program is intended to provide funding for regional training programs that respond directly to industry needs in high-growth and emerging technology sectors. Congratulations and thank you to Lydia Hearn, our faculty coordinator for Strategic Innovation and Development, Manisha Karia, dean of Business, Computer Science and Applied Technologies, Randy Bryant, vice president of Workforce Innovation and Economic Advancement, and Katrina Tran, CTE internship coordinator and job developer, for successfully pursuing this funding.
Metallica Scholars Initiative
I’m also excited to share that De Anza was awarded a $75,000 grant from the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This initiative provides funding for career technical education and training through a collaboration between the American Association of Community Colleges and All Within My Hands, the foundation established by the music group Metallica.
The money will provide scholarships for two cohorts of De Anza students as they pursue training and certification to become skilled workers in two important job sectors: Electric Vehicle technicians and Computer Numerical Control machinists. We will grant scholarships of $500 per quarter, for up to three quarters, to 50 students who will commit to earning one of these certificates within one academic year. We expect this money will make a big difference in helping our students focus on their coursework with less worry about paying for food, shelter, child care or other expenses.
Congratulations and thank you to Lydia Hearn, Manisha Karia and Randy Bryant, as well as Dave Capitolo, chair of the Automotive Technology Department, and Mike Appio, chair of the Design and Manufacturing Technologies Department, for successfully pursuing this funding.
Successful Summer Academy
More than 530 middle school and high school students participated in this year’s successful De Anza College Academy summer program, hosted by our Community Education Division on the De Anza campus over four weeks in June and July. The program offered 68 class sections across nine subject areas, with the strongest enrollment in math, science, computer programming and language arts.
Expanded course offerings and new marketing initiatives helped drive a nearly 30% increase in both enrollment and revenue, compared to last year. Our parent survey found more than 90% of families were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the program format and schedule.
The program continues to be financially self-supporting, with tuition covering all instructional and operational costs, and remains a vital bridge between the college and the broader community.
Study Abroad Trip to Paris
Students in our annual Study Abroad program have returned from this year’s three-week trip to Paris, where they were able to explore the City of Lights and learn first-hand why Paris has been a source of literary, artistic and intellectual inspiration for generations.
We had 42 students participate in this year’s program, led by English instructor Julie Pesano and Psychology instructor Susan Thomas, along with John Swensson, our director of Global Education Partnerships. Courses focused on literature, composition and the psychological and sociological dynamics of this ever-evolving city. Our students visited Versailles, the Louvre and a number of other historic and cultural landmarks.
Next summer, the program will go to Barcelona. More information on that trip will be available soon.
Volleyball Team Academic Award
De Anza’s Women’s Beach Volleyball team has been honored with a Team Academic Award from a national organization, the American Volleyball Coaches Association, based on the teams' overall grade point average of 3.52 for the 2024-25 academic year.
The award is presented to high school and college volleyball teams that maintain a year-long GPA of at least 3.3. Our Beach Volleyball team has received this honor for three years in a row!
Curriculum Institute
A delegation from De Anza attended the annual Curriculum Institute convened last month by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. This year’s institute explored the important challenges of providing equitable opportunities for students through curriculum and curriculum design, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence.
Among the conference presenters and panelists were Erik Woodbury, president of De Anza’s Academic Senate and a statewide senate representative, and De Anza English instructor Karen Chow, who is an at-large representative to the statewide senate.
(From left: Sam Bliss, Shagun Kaur, Ram Subramaniam)
(From left: Karen Chow, Erik Woodbury, Mi Chang, Mary Clark-Tillman, Katelyn Endow)
Also in attendance were Ashley Egbert, Sukhjit “Bob” Singh and Christa Steiner.
South Korean Student Delegation
Our college hosted a visit last Tuesday, July 29, by 25 university students from South Korea, who came to California on a tour co-sponsored by the Hwaseong City Talent Development Foundation and the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce. The students were interested in learning about academic programs and study options at De Anza, as well as about career paths and innovation in Silicon Valley.
During their time on our campus, the students heard from several speakers – including myself and representatives from Amazon, Intuitive Surgical and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Jennifer Brook, our district's executive director of International Student Programs, also attended. In addition to the students, the South Korean delegation also included municipal officials from Hwaseong City.