Seven Years and Seven Major Changes at Cuesta College

Grew from 9,000 to over 11,500-12,000 students; reached out to Latinos – North, South, middle of county; new ESL: 12 sites in community; served more older and working adults – Emeritus College, started non-credit programs for senior adults and vocational English learning.
Revitalized vocational/technical and developed several new programs – Auto Body, Computer Networking, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Viticulture, LVN, Paramedic, increased RN from 36 to 56 students; broadcasting, recording engineering; strengthened academic and transfer education – architecture, photography, the sciences, music, general ed faculty and curriculum.
Technology embedded throughout the curriculum, distance learning through on-line classes, Employee Teaching and Learning Center; technology curriculum in Computer Networking, CAD for Architecture, Recording Engineering – distance ed enrollment and courses increase ten-fold, went from a couple of classes to dozens; leaving with the implementation of the sophisticated integrated software system – Banner, internet revolutionized how we deliver education and services.
Four new buildings on SLO Campus, 2 portable and one permanent on North Campus – Art & Music, High Tech Learning Center, Children’s Center, Library Expansion, remodel of Physical Sciences, and now breaking ground on December 6 for the Theater Arts Building and on the North Campus – Allied Health/Math/Science.
Planned for the future – developed the 2001 SLOCCCD Educational and Facilities Master Plan and 2006 update – tried to secure major funding for renovation, technology, new construction through a bond measure.
Changed number of and who worked for Cuesta College – 70% of administration hired since 1999, over 40% of full-time faculty; hired half of today’s permanent workforce; retired/replaced, and increased so we have first full-time faculty in architecture, photography, ASL, Graphic Arts, and Auto body etc.; down-sized when the budget was cut and had to lay-off staff but have now replaced and increased workforce. These past years have been a time of tremendous personnel transition, and the College has now completed most of the retirements and replacements for a few years.
Heightened focus on learning—what do we want the students to learn, are they learning that well enough, what are we as a college learning – outcomes, assessment, evidence based decision-making – these are the concepts and phrases of our last seven and a half years working together.

Leadership means mastering change and helping everyone involved adapt to and embrace changes. Leadership takes vision and it requires a leader to focus on what really matters. At Cuesta College what really matters is the quality of students’ experiences, their learning because they chose to study with us. Leadership takes strength, courage, compassion, listening, and perseverance. To lead a college means anticipating change, taking risks, serving others, accepting responsibility for your decisions and actions. Leading a good college into the 21st century has meant long hours, hard work, and learning, learning, learning….

These seven and a half years have been exciting, fulfilling, intense, rewarding, and exhausting. We have done much together. Yet we have left much work undone. Some of the hardest work – the work of being civil and collaborative even when disagreeing, of being compassionate and forgiving even when offended and disappointed, of being collegial even when negotiating, governing, or adjudicating remains unfinished. Together you have the skills and knowledge to finish the work, to take Cuesta College to an even higher level of service and greater excellence.

I have been privileged to serve as your president, I thank you for your devotion to our students, and I wish you a long future of successful teaching and serving, exciting learning and changing, of creating a stronger Cuesta College for this community. I also wish you wonderful holidays and a great New Year. May each of you find many moments of gratitude for life and love.