July – Sara Montgomery, Bookstore Supervisor
Sara consistently goes above and beyond. In addition to her duties in the bookstore, you can often find Sara at College and community events. Per comments listed in the Suggestion Box: Sara has created an environment that is welcoming, and the bookstore now serves as a hangout for our students. She is a go getter, she works hard, and she is always open to collaborate and work together for the good of the students. She has been able to form strong connections with students and serves as a strong student advocate. Thank you, Sara, for your ongoing dedication to the College!
August – JT Tarantino, Director of Institutional Planning and Research
JT was originally hired as the College's Data Analyst and upon the departure of our previous Director of Institutional Planning and Research, JT immediately stepped in and assisted with preparations needed for our Accreditation Site Visit. JT served as interim Director of Institutional Research before being appointed the permanent position in January 2024. The following are what colleagues say about JT: JT consistently goes above and beyond in supporting his colleagues. Whether offering assistance on projects, providing guidance during challenging times, or simply lending a listening ear, JT's kindness shines through in every interaction. His approachable demeanor and willingness to help makes him an invaluable asset to our team. JT is deeply invested in our institution's success. He takes the initiative to improve processes, shares insightful ideas during meetings, and actively contributes to a positive work culture. His commitment to excellence is evident in everything he does, inspiring those around him to strive for their best. One of JT's most admirable qualities is his patient teaching style. He excels in his role and trains and educates others to foster growth and development. JT exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding colleague. Since JT was hired, he has done nothing but amazing cleanup work and has contributed to streamlining processes. CONGRATULATIONS JT and thank you for your invaluable contributions!
2023-2024 Year in Review
Academic Year 2023-2024 ended on a high note! This infographic highlights many, but not all, of our accomplishments. Special kudos to our remarkable students, staff, and faculty that contributed to all of these efforts. I truly can’t wait to see what 2024-2025 brings. Our future is indeed bright!
Fall 2024 Convocation and Faculty Flex Day
On August 15 and 16, the College held its annual Fall Convocation and Faculty Flex Days. A number of outstanding workshops were scheduled.
We Hope You Enjoyed Our Convocation Keynote Speaker, Dr. Todd Bloomquist! We were honored to welcome Dr. Todd Bloomquist as this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Todd Bloomquist serves as Senior Program Officer for the Children, Youth, and Family department at The Ford Family Foundation. His work centers around Youth Development and Education, leading the Foundation’s work specifically aimed at improving outcomes for children and youth ages 4 - 18, while also contributing to the Foundation’s broader, cross-cutting efforts to strengthen supports for children, youth, and families in rural areas.
Prior to coming to the Foundation, Todd served in K-12 schools for 31 years in a variety of roles from classroom teacher, to building administrator, to various district level director positions. Todd holds a master’s degree in English education from Whitworth University and a doctorate in education from George Fox University. Most recently he served in the Grants Pass School District as the Director of School Improvement. He also is an adjunct faculty member for Southern Oregon University, teaching in the administrator licensure program.
Todd is a certified master trainer of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and of the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME) and has been working to help educators and practitioners understand the biology of how we adapt to our environments and how that deeper understanding can lead to resilience as we learn, grow, and age. This understanding of neuroscience can lead to increased regulation, self-control, executive function, and learning.
Well folks… we’re almost there! We are eagerly looking forward to the start of the fall semester and being able to re-connect with our students, faculty, and staff. If you have a class or an activity you would like or need to promote, now is the time to send information to the Public Relations Office. Students are ready to register! Let’s let them know what we will be offering this fall. Are you teaching a new, never before (or has but it has been a long time) offered class? Let us know and we will get the word out
Reminder… Siskiyous Publicity (Creating Flyers, Programs, Digital Ads, and more): Please remember that all publicity, promotional, and marketing materials must be submitted to the Public Relations Office (email: pio@siskiyous.edu) before being posted, printed, or distributed on campus and in the community. This includes images used in social media posts and other print publications. This process ensures that all materials meet branding and accessibility standards. Questions – send an email, call the office, or stop by for a chat. We are happy to meet and discuss.
Sign up for COS Connect: Free system we use to send out emergency notifications, updates, general news, reminders, etc. Receive text message and or email. To sign up, go to the homepage and scroll down to bottom where the button is found and follow directions. Need help, send an email, call the office, or stop by for a chat.
Come Join Our Team: We are looking for new volunteers to join the Eagle’s Nest team. Volunteers work as cashiers, screen items as they come in, price merchandise, repair items, research antiques, etc. There is never a dull moment at the Eagles Nest. We are also looking for student workers. If you know of anyone who may be interested in volunteering or working as a paid student worker, have them call (530) 938-4663 or stop by the Eagle’s Nest Shop to speak with Angel Keen, Shop Supervisor.
Upcoming Activities & Events:
Event dates, times, and locations based on information available at the time of publication and are subject to change.
August 2024
September 2024
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As the college is taking part in the Accessibility Capability Maturity Model (ACMM) through the California Community College Chancellor’s office all materials including documents posted on the COS web site need to be accessible. WebAIM offers a training class on creating accessible documents that is provided free of charge through the Chancellor’s office. Registration Information.
We would like to make sure everyone is aware of the overnight parking policy for the Weed Campus. Administrative Services has been hard at working updating the Overnight Parking Policy and it is ready to roll out for the fall semester. Once the 2024 fall semester begins and our constituency groups are back on campus, we will update the language of AP 6750 to reflect the changes.
Overnight parking is allowed on the Weed campus only. It will be available for Lodge residents and students or employees participating in overnight college sponsored trips. A valid overnight parking permit must be displayed, hanging visibly from the rearview mirror of your vehicle. Permits can be obtained as follows: Lodge residents will receive theirs in their welcome packets, athletes from their coaches, and Upward Bound/TRiO participants from their leads. Each permit comes with a corresponding map outlining authorized overnight parking areas. Weed Police Department has also been updated regarding the new policy and permit requirement and they will be enforcing the policy.
Parking overnight in an area not designated for overnight parking, or parking in a designated area without a visible permit may result in warning notices or citation. As we move forward, our goal is to maintain and improve campus safety and we appreciate your cooperation with this new policy. If you have any questions or need more information call (530) 938-5220.
5911 Campus Emergency Radio Line
When to use 5911 or 911:
Examples of 5911 Use:
FMX: FMX is used for maintenance work requests, calendar of scheduled events, schedule requests and transportation reservations. Please use the steps below to help you navigate your way to helping us help you.
Directions for submitting a work order, schedule request, or transportation reservation:
Vice President, Student Services
This summer has been a whirlwind of activity and it went way faster than anyone anticipated. Much was accomplished but now we are in the full swing of things as we prepare for the start of the fall semester. The Lodge BBQ was held August 14 and the food was phenomenal. We had a great turnout from students and they were well fed. It was an adventure as we got caught in a pretty heavy rain and hail storm but it made for a memorable experience and a lot of laughs. Week of Welcome will be held the August 19 - 22 and we have many wonderful activities planned such as bowling and movie nights, a resource fair, ice cream and lawn games, BBQs, swim party, an informational booth each day, and much more! I want to thank all who are helping to make it possible. We are looking forward to the start of a great semester with these student activities.
Recently we added a couple new employees to our Student Services department. We are excited to have Sam Dean as our new Director of Outreach & Retention and Visa Graves as the new Director of Financial Aid. Welcome to both of you!
I also want to acknowledge and express our gratitude for Mary Mericle who recently decided to retire. Mary has been with COS for many years and in the three years I have known her it has been a genuine pleasure to see her each day. She will be missed and it will be very difficult to fill her shoes.
We have had some gaps for a little while in Student Services due to some vacancies and pretty much every department has been affected. It has required many to take on additional responsibilities and help fill those gaps. I honestly can’t think of a single department that hasn’t had to step in and help out. That’s one of the many reasons why I am so grateful for the COS Student Services team. They do what they can and help wherever they can and they do so with a smile and desire to serve students. I am blessed each day to be surrounded by an amazing team of professionals. I hope some relief is coming soon as we fill a few more staffing vacancies but thank you all who have pitched in an helped out. You rock!
Congratulations to College of the Siskiyous Summer Certified Nursing Assistant graduates on their program completion. These CNA students completed their CNA training on August 2 and the Certificate Pinning Ceremony was held August 7, 2024.
Hi everyone,
The hot days of summer are coming to an end. At this time of year, I’m always caught off guard by how quickly the summer went by. I usually set goals to accomplish over the summer, but as usual… get the bare minimum done and this summer was no different. I’m hoping someone else can relate.
I know many of you were busy with work this summer and your "break" may have been fleeting. Some of you taught over the summer. Some of you engaged in professional development by going to a seminar or taking a course. Some of you have been involved in hiring committees, while others may have been busy recruiting future students. Many of us are now prepping our courses and updating our curriculum. I hope you have gotten an opportunity to rest a bit before the semester starts.
I’m thrilled about the nine new faculty members that are joining us this semester. They come from a range of disciplines including Athletics, Nursing, Paramedic, Communications, English, and Art. It’s also exciting that many have worked for us previously and are familiar with our campus and students.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again in the coming days!
Thanks for listening,
Andrea Craddock, Ph.D.
Academic Senate President
No other reports received.
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Athletics