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Experienced Human Resources Leader Joins Foothill-De Anza

Chancellor Lee Lambert announced today that Dianna Rose has been selected as Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s next vice chancellor of human resources and equal opportunity. Rose, who will begin work at the district Sept. 16, brings more than two decades of human resources leadership experience spanning both the public and private sectors to her new role.

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Christopher Dela Rosa Joins District as Vice Chancellor of Business Services

Christopher Dela Rosa has joined the Foothill-De Anza Community College District as vice chancellor of business services. Dela Rosa, who brings more than two decades of higher education experience to his new role, will begin the position on August 30.

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Anonymous $1 Million Pledge Fuels Foothill-De Anza Foundation Student Basic Needs Initiative

In a remarkable move to bolster the well-being of Foothill College and De Anza College students, an anonymous benefactor has pledged $1 million to the Foothill-De Anza Foundation’s Hope Initiative. This significant donation is designated to match contributions made to the initiative, which addresses basic needs, such as food, housing, and mental health, for students facing challenges beyond the classroom

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Foothill College and Applied Materials Host Semiconductor Manufacturing Forum

Community college leaders and advanced manufacturing employers joined together to discuss ways to increase the pipeline of skilled labor for the growing semiconductor manufacturing sector at the inaugural Silicon Valley Advanced Manufacturing Forum hosted by Foothill College and Applied Materials on Nov. 14 in celebration of National Apprenticeship Week.

The event highlighted a new semiconductor apprenticeship program at Foothill College, which provides students paid hands-on training with employers such as Applied Materials and Infinera. Foothill and local industry partners worked together to develop this new pathway to careers that pay well in response to the gap in skilled technology labor identified in the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act.

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National Student Clearinghouse Data Breach

Foothill College and De Anza College have been notified by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) of a recent data breach. An unauthorized party obtained files from within the NSC systems that may have contained information from current and former Foothill and De Anza students. Foothill and De Anza report student data to NSC for financial aid compliance purposes.

The security breach stems from a vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer tool, used by the NSC and many other organizations to transfer data files. Foothill-De Anza Community College District does not use the MOVEit Transfer tool, and no data stored by Foothill-De Anza or systems operated or maintained by the district were breached. 

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Lee Lambert Named Next District Chancellor

The Board of Trustees has announced the selection of Lee Lambert as Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s eighth permanent chancellor since the district's founding in 1957. Lambert, currently chancellor of Pima Community College in Arizona, will start in his new role Aug. 1.

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District Announces Finalists for Chancellor Position

The Board of Trustees has announced four finalists for the position of chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District to succeed Judy Miner, who retires Sept. 1 after 35 years with the district. 

Each candidate will visit the district for a day between May 1 and May 4 for additional interviews and to participate in open forums. 

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Kristina Whalen Named Next Foothill President

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously January 9 to endorse district Chancellor Judy Miner’s recommendation that Kristina Whalen be appointed Foothill College’s next president. Whalen, a veteran educator with 25 years of experience in higher education, will begin the position March 31.

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Two Foothill-De Anza Trustees Retain Seats

Foothill-De Anza Community College District governing board members Patrick Ahrens and Pearl Cheng will be sworn in for new four-year terms following the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ certification that no challengers filed to run against the incumbents, and no election is required.

The November 2022 election would have been the first in which governing board members were elected by voters from two of five trustee areas rather than at-large by a districtwide vote. The two trustees will be sworn in for their new terms at the Board of Trustees meeting in December.

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Bernadine Chuck Fong Returns As Acting President


Veteran education leader Bernadine Chuck Fong will serve as acting president of Foothill College starting Nov. 1, Chancellor Judy Miner has announced. Fong was president of the college from 1994 until she retired in 2006.

Since 2014, Fong has been director of leadership initiatives in the Office and the Vice-Provost for Graduate Education at Stanford, where she directs the Preparing Future Professors shadowing program for doctoral students interested in academic careers, and the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research.  Her research interests include academic leadership, organizational development and community colleges as agents of educational equity, and she is a recognized leader in organizational transformation and faculty development.

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Bond Sales Bring Taxpayer Savings


The Foothill-De Anza Community College District has sold its first bonds backed by Measure G, a 2020 voter-approved bond measure, while also refinancing older bonds for an estimated savings to district taxpayers of $26.6 million. Triple-A credit ratings contributed to the successful bond sales and interest rates that are favorable to taxpayers.


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District Begins Move to Trustee Area Elections


On March 11, 2019, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees adopted a resolution stating that the district will change the way that voters elect trustees. Instead of electing trustees “at-large,” voters will elect trustees from five geographic areas beginning in November 2022. The process for making the transition is getting under way this year.

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International Students - Chancellor's Statement

Statement by Judy C. Miner, chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District

International students are essential to the vibrant culture at Foothill College and De Anza College and have been for many years.  Our district is deeply disturbed by the new guidance from the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the significant impact it has on our international student community.  We will join state and national efforts that oppose these draconian measures. 

We are working to find options that will allow international students to continue preparing for university transfer and careers at Foothill and De Anza colleges during the upcoming academic year. I am confident that we will have options available to protect our students' eligibility to study with us. A number of creative ideas have already emerged and we will have more information to share in the coming days.

Our faculty, staff and students value being part of a global family and our community college district will fight to continue that tradition. To our international students, please know that you are welcome here, that we appreciate all that you bring to college life, and that we are working to ensure your continued presence at Foothill and De Anza colleges.

Lloyd A. Holmes Named De Anza College President 

Lloyd A. Holmes, a veteran educator with a track record of removing barriers to student success, will become the next president of De Anza College starting July 1. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously June 2 to endorse district Chancellor Judy Miner’s recommendation that Holmes become De Anza’s fourth president since the college’s founding almost 53 years ago.

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District Joins Lawsuit Over Emergency Aid to Students

Foothill-De Anza Community College District has joined a California lawsuit against U.S. Department of Education to protect hundreds of thousands of students deemed ineligible for federal emergency assistance because of what the suit calls arbitrary restrictions.

 “Foothill-De Anza joined this lawsuit because we want to support the most vulnerable of our students, many of whom are now deemed ineligible for CARES emergency assistance as a result of Secretary DeVos' interpretation of legislation,” said district Chancellor Judy Miner. 
 
“As an open access institution, we are the social safety net for veterans, the newly unemployed as a result of COVID-19, and those who were unable to finish high school to name just a few of the populations we serve.  Lacking a high school diploma or a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should not stand in the way of our students pursuing their educational goals and ultimately contributing back to our communities.”

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Trustees Put Bond, Parcel Tax Measures on March ballot

Trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District voted unanimously to seek voter approval of two ballot measures in March of 2020  to maintain affordable, quality education at Foothill and De Anza colleges and to help students in need.

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Danny Acosta Chosen to Lead Foothill-De Anza Police Department

Chancellor Judy Miner has named Daniel Acosta, a 33-year local law enforcement veteran, as Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s next chief of police. He currently serves as assistant chief. 

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Chancellor Names Veteran Administrator Interim De Anza President

Foothill-De Anza Community College District Chancellor Judy Miner has named veteran administrator Christina Espinosa-Pieb as the interim college president starting July 1. Espinosa-Pieb has worked at De Anza College for almost 40 years, rising from student employee to vice president of instruction. She will succeed President Brian Murphy, who is stepping down June 30.

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Survey: Residents Value Affordability, Preparation for Transfer and Jobs

An independent community survey commissioned by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District in late 2017 shows that local residents strongly support the programs and educational facilities that Foothill and De Anza colleges provide. Top priorities include preparing students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, better preparing students for good-paying jobs, and upgrading classrooms and labs for science, technology, engineering, and math-related fields. 

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Students, Employers Like Baccalaureate Progam

An initial review of California’s groundbreaking community college baccalaureate pilot program recognizes its benefits for students and employers but suggests that additional information is needed to comprehensively evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Based on interviews with participating students, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office  found that pilot program appears to be expanding educational access for place-bound students, one of its primary goals. 

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District Seeks Volunteers for Committees

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is seeking two community members who live in the district to serve on committees that advise the Board of Trustees – the Measure C Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and the Audit & Finance Committee. 

Applicants for both committees must reside within the district’s service area, which includes the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and small portions of San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga. Applicants may not be an employee, contractor, consultant or vendor of the district. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22. 2017.

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Tax Rate Drops as Last Measure C Bonds Sold

Foothill-De Anza Community College District has reached a major milestone in its Measure C capital improvement program with the sale of its final series of bonds. Authorized by district voters in 2006, the $490.8 million bond program has transformed the Foothill and De Anza college campuses by funding essential infrastructure upgrades, repairs and renovations to existing buildings, and new construction. With the sale of the final series of bonds, the tax rate for retiring Measure C bond debt is significantly lower than the district’s projection when it placed Measure C on the ballot.  

“We appreciate voters’ support for creating a truly outstanding and environmentally sustainable learning environment for our students and community,” said Chancellor Judy Miner. “The district is committed to being an excellent steward of the colleges and the taxpayers’ investments in them.”   

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District Takes Stand for Undocumented Students
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved resolutions Dec. 12 affirming Foothill-De Anza Community College District’s support for undocumented students and calling for extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program “thereby allowing these students to better their lives and their communities.” 

Resolution 2016-44 in Support of Undocumented Students and Affirming the Privacy of Student Records asserts that the district will not cooperate in efforts to create a registry of targeted groups and will hold fast to its policy on the privacy of student records. 

Resolution 2016-43 in Support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program reiterates the message contained in a recent letter signed by the chief executives of the California Community Colleges, California State University and the University of California urging President-elect Donald Trump to continue the DACA. 

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Measure C Oversight Committee Releases Report


The independent Measure C Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee has released its annual report, which informs the public on how bond funds were spent in 2015-16. Based on independent financial and performance audits, plus its review of the records, the committee determined that bond funds expended over the year were spent in accordance with the purposes set out in Measure C.

Major projects undertaken during the year include construction of the Foothill College Sunnyvale Center and extensive renovation of the libraries at Foothill and De Anza colleges. The bond oversight committee is made up of seven community members representing different interest groups, including students and business and senior citizens organizations.

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Biomedical Device Program Changes Lives


Students in a new biomedical device engineering program at Foothill College have teamed up with California Children's Services to design and create devices that help children overcome disabilities and become more independent. The hands-on program, which launched in 2014, is unusual in community colleges. Students make use of the college's 3-D printers to fabricate assistive devices they've designed, such as tools to securely grasp eating utensils, toothbrushes, pencils and other similar objects.

In January, a student-designed exoskeleton that allows 4-year-old Noel Gaeta to bend his arms to play and perform day-to-day activities was featured in an article in the San Jose Mercury News. Coming up with a successful design was a life-changing experience for the Foothill College student who worked on the project.

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Students Return to Remodeled Libraries

Foothill and De Anza colleges have both unveiled remodeled libraries that feature renovations made with today's students  in mind. The libraries both reopened on Jan. 4, 2016, and both projects were funded by Measure C, the bond initiative that district voters approved in 2006.

Foothill's $10.5 million library remodel features a new learning commons with state-of-the-art technology, improved individual study areas, more group study rooms plus new furniture and climate control. The building has a new roof and improved interior lighting. Read more 

De Anza's $12.2 million renovation also includes modernization and upgrading of the library's interior. Inviting for both individual and group study, the library now features upgraded wireless, more plugs for students' electronic devices and expansion and upgrades of group study rooms. The upgrades at De Anza were featured in a Cupertino Courier article that also ran in the San Jose Mercury News. 

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