This month's Colleagues of the Month is… ANONYMOUS (prefers not to be named)! This person can be described as innovative, dedicated, hardworking and student-centered.
What colleagues have to say about this person:
"Tireless in their efforts for our students, colleagues, and the college."
"Vast knowledge in a variety of areas."
"Available 24/7, truly kind and a wonderful person."
"Creative problem solver; implements ideas that contribute to increases in enrollment and completion."
Congratulations Anonymous! We are so very lucky to have you! To nominate a colleague, go to: Virtual Suggestion Box.
In 2025, Women’s History Month celebrates the theme Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations. The theme recognizes the powerful influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership.
International Women's Day was March 8, and an emphasis is placed on #AccelerateAction. According to internationalwomensday.com:
"At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres."
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Siskiyou Branch is focused on promoting gender equity through fundraising to support TechTrek as well as student scholarships. TechTrek is a one-week, hands on summer camp hosted at UC Davis which connects seventh grade students to women role models in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). AAUW Siskiyou sends two seventh graders to TechTrek annually. AAUW Siskiyou's next meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, March 26. We will be receiving a tour of the Siskiyou Museum at 4:30 pm followed by a general meeting at Pupuseria La Paz at 5:00 pm. To become a member and to learn more, visit AAUW Siskiyou.
Graduation 2025: The Petition to Graduate deadline is April 15. Please encourage students who plan to graduate to submit their petition (sooner than later). Students who may be interested in participating as the featured Student Speaker should apply by April 18. If you have questions about Graduation 2025 or would like to help with the event, send an email to pio@siskiyous.edu.
Graduation will be held at the Weed Campus Football Stadium on Friday, May 16 beginning at 6:00 pm. All students who plan to participate in the ceremony should also plan to attend rehearsal to be held earlier in the day at 1:00 pm.
Website Redesign: Work continues on the new design and we are currently in the 'design phase' working with our project team who are in the process of building out all the pages. Content migration to our new CMS with Modern Campus is currently scheduled for the end of May (a full month ahead of our timeline). In the meantime, we highly suggest all campus personnel with webpages take a look at your pages to ensure content is live and/or update content as needed. Tentative "Go Live" is end of the fall semester.
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.
2025-2026 Foundation Scholarship Applications Now Available: Scholarship applications for academic year 2025-2026 are now available for Siskiyou County high school seniors (graduating spring 2025) and current COS students who plan to attend COS during the 2025-2026 year. The application is due March 31 and can be found online.
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.
March 2025
April 2025
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We are pleased to announce Billie Smith, has accepted the permanent position as the new Payroll Specialist for the district. Billie has been working in the position as an out-of-class Accounting Technician completing the work of the Payroll Specialist since late November. Congratulations Billie on your new position!
The Business Office, along with the rest of the district, are in preparation of submitting reports to the district independent auditors for the 2024-2025 fiscal year audit. The auditors from CWDL will have their first site visit the last week of March during Spring Break, which is less than two weeks away. The first visit will consist of an interim review of various processes and accounting records prior to the year-end close. The auditors will have a second visit in late summer or early fall to complete their review of the district financials, processes and records.
The district is currently recruiting for a new Director of Fiscal Services as Melissa Ericsson has been hired to serve as the new Vice President of Administrative Services. In the absence of a director, VP Ericsson is the Acting Director of Fiscal Services and still working in the Business Office for the next month or two. The anticipated start date for a replacement Director is tentatively set for June 1, 2025. Therefore, the staff in the Business Office are wearing many hats and working to ensure a smooth transition through the many changes.
Budget Manager trainings will be starting the week of March 17 as we are almost fully active in Budget Development for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Salaries and benefits are currently being calculated with the information submitted by budget managers and we anticipate having all payroll related entries entered into Banner before the end of April. The budget development portal will be open for two weeks for budget managers to make any adjustments to their budgets. We expect to open the portal soon.
RARs for the upcoming fiscal year are currently being submitted for consideration within each area. IPB Open Hearings are scheduled for April 4 and April 18 to hear requests and rank them for consideration for the upcoming fiscal year. Spending deadlines for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is April 15, 2025 for all departments, except for summer programs that will begin in June. The 2025-2026 Tentative Budget is expected to be released to the committees by May 9, 2025.
Last week, the Business Office received a letter, plaque and certificate for the 2024 BankMobile ACE (Achieve Campus Efficiency) Award. This award is a joint recognition for the Financial Aid Office and the Business Office for working with students to set-up Bank Mobile accounts for the disbursement of financial aid proceeds after application to student balances. The college was successful in delivering 92.71% of these disbursements through the Bank Mobile system. The hard work and dedication to the student refund process is a collaborative effort between the two departments. We will work together to determine the best places to display the certificate and the plaque.
Brand new windows have been installed in the library. Wow, what a difference between the old and new. Stop by anytime to see the 'new view. You might even find a new hiding spot to read a good book or just chill and relax for a moment.
New Faculty Friday's: Thank you to Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Mark Fields, for inviting Veronica Rivera, Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation (MOT) to meet and speak with new faculty. At their last Faculty Friday meeting, faculty heard about important documents that may help in learning MOT processes and the college. During the meeting, Director Rivera advised new faculty in attendance on where to find and access the following documents on the college's website: Emergency Operation Plan, Injury & Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP), Facilities Master Plan, and how to use FMX to sign up for workorder, van, cart, and facility schedule requests.
In-House: The MOT department recently celebrated birthdays in their area with a home-cooked meal by their supervisors. The menu included homemade rice, beans, and marinaded meats for a wonderful taco feast. There may not always be time to celebrate each person individually, but each and everyone of the staff are appreciated and recognized as much as possible.
Projects: The Volleyball Sand Courts Project has bid openings scheduled for 2:00 pm on Friday, March 14. Construction is slated to begin May 1.
The Athletic Field House Design Committee has two meetings left with the architect to capture the needs of the college defining 'what to incorporate' into this giant usable indoor space. If there is anyone who would like to join the final meetings to listen in or submit an idea, please send an email to vrivera@siskiyous.edu.
The swing space bids are complete and will be discussed at the next Space Committee meeting. All are welcome to sit in on the meetings or join the Space Committee.
A survey link was shared out and posted several weeks ago inviting students and employees to provide feedback and recommendations regarding campus food services and food options. Rob Giordanengo, Campus Food Services Supervisor, and VP Ericsson are currently reviewing survey responses and considering all suggestions. One change that is already in the process of being made is the introduction of "Taco Tuesday" and more changes will be coming soon. The survey is still open and additional input is always appreciated. Supervisor Giordanengo thanks everyone who has participated as the information is very valuable and important in helping Food Services improve their operations and meal options for all.
Greetings from the Office of Academic Affairs. March is upon us… which appears to mean more snow for now! I saw a bunny in my yard yesterday - hoping that means warmer temps on the way?
Personnel Update: We are happy to announce Cheyenne Harris has accepted the position of Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Cheyenne has previously served as an Administrative Assistant, Interim Executive Assistant, and other roles. Congratulations Cheyenne!
Faculty Professional Development Opportunity: Geared for new (full-and part-time faculty teaching less than five years) and all part-time faculty currently teaching in California community colleges, the California Great Teachers Seminar (GTS) is a "high energy and powerful summer retreat that brings faculty together in search of the great teacher within themselves." The seminar will be held later this summer, August 3-7, in Monterey, CA. (NOTE: I completed GTS as a new faculty member and highly recommend it!)
The Faculty Association for CA Community Colleges (FACCC) is proud to offer 40 scholarships for new (full-and part-time faculty teaching less than five years) and all part-time faculty currently teaching in California community colleges. Click the button for details.
Scheduling Task Force Update: A group of campus stakeholders including instructional faculty, counseling faculty, and administration met to discuss options for scheduling classes. Topics included modalities (online/F2F/hybrid), making best use of our facilities/locations (including the RHSI), and options such as increasing short term class offerings. Thank you all for your collaboration on this effort. We will be gathering additional data via surveys of students and faculty prior implementing some of the recommendations. I'll share more information as it becomes available.
Huge congratulations to Academy 46 for successfully completing their IFSAC Testing for the Structural Firefighting 1A Module. Over the course of four intense days, they tackled over 12 skills exams and a demanding written test. Great Job!
Just in the month of February, Fire Technology accommodated over 100 students in different disciplines. This includes Cal Fire Siskiyou unit's annual training, Confined Space Rescue Technician, and we also hosted some students who joined the Fire Academy for IFSAC Firefighter 1 testing. It was a great month with some incredible training for the local fire departments and plenty of firefighters from all over California.
Check out the photos from the very popular Level 1 Avalanche Course put on by Matt Hill and Dennis Campbell. This course is a huge hit so if you missed it, reserve it on your calendar for next year.
March means conference season. Student Services staff and faculty have been attending conferences. Many across Student Services have been attending conferences and learning valuable insights, collaborating with colleagues, and bringing back ideas of how we can better serve students. A big thank you to all that have made time to attend and help make College of the Siskiyous a better place. I personally will be attending three different conferences or trainings this month and I am looking forward to each of them.
One of the conferences that I will be attending is a one-day training provided by the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA). Lately, it feels like we have had an increase in students needing behavioral intervention and mental health services. I want to remind everyone that the BIT form can be found in the mySiskiyous portal and to encourage anyone who feels the need to fill one out if they are concerned about a student's wellbeing. BIT will do the best we can to try to mitigate issues and prevent them from escalating. At times, a crisis on campus may emerge. Please reach out to the Counseling Office and the Student Services Office for crises that are not life threatening to the student or others, or that don’t require medical attention. Counselors and the Vice President of Student Services will handle these crises and reach out to other support services, if needed. If there is a medical emergency or a life- threatening situation, immediately call 911 - do not delay. Our local law enforcement and emergency personnel are trained, professional, and ready to help.
Next month the college will host its annual 8th Grade Inspiration Day on April 10. This event is always one of the highlights of the year. Sam Dean, Director of Outreach and Retention is coordinating the event and it truly takes the entire campus to pull it off. Huge shout out to Sam for her efforts in coordinating it all.
Interviews for the Director of Student Housing & Student Life, Dual Enrollment Counselor, and SAS Counselor are all taking place at this time. We look forward to adding these key additions to our team and the College.
Lastly, with March means St. Patrick's Day. My grandmother was born in Northern Ireland and taught us to be proud of our Irish roots. I have always tried to honor, respect, and appreciate those that came before me. Grandma was a kindhearted woman and loved sharing her Irish pride. So, from this Irish lad I leave you with this Irish Blessing…
May your troubles be less,
And your blessings be more,
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door.
The month of February flew by for Basecamp, and we had plenty of events to keep us busy (along with a few snow days). As always, we enjoyed participating in "Welcome Fest" and planning events to get students excited and energized for the new semester. We loved partnering with the ASC, Library, and Outreach and Retention for our first spring semester monthly Game Night held in the Library Loft. The event had quite the turn out and it was great to see so many new and returning faces. Our lead ambassador Maddy, hosted her event for the spring semester, which was called Macaroons and Masterpieces. Students were able to enjoy sweet treats and paint some beautiful masterpieces. The 'Paris' themed event was well attended and students had a wonderful time.
At the start of every semester Basecamp hosts a Campus and Community Resource Fair, now called the Resource Jam! Approximately 20 campus and community partners joined us for the event and our students were able to learn about resources available to them, as well as receive fun swag that was being given out. Another popular event taking place this semester is the "Hot to Go" event held every other Thursday. This is one event our students look forward to. Also, during the first week of the semester we served close to 30 grilled cheese sandwiches to hungry students. Brand-new this semester, Basecamp and the Lodges are offering van trips for students to access the grocery store. We appreciate the campus community in helping us spread the word so students are aware of this new service.
One exciting thing we wanted to highlight this month is the success we have had growing Basecamp's social media presence. As most of you know we have hired a student, Dustin Wood, as our social media ambassador, and he has done an amazing job. We really appreciate all of his hard work and creativity. In the month of February, we had over 22.8K views on our Basecamp Instagram page! That is amazing and would not be possible without Dustin. He has been excellent at collaborating with Kaci Greene, the college's Social Media Coordinator to make sure Basecamp posts are also shared on the main COS page. Student engagement has increased so much since doing so. Please check out our Instagram (@cos_basecamphq) if you have not and give us a follow.
Hello everyone.
It is that time of year to begin considering the composition of the Senate Exec for the next academic year. All positions on the Senate Exec are open, and I sincerely hope faculty members will consider participating. Serving on the Senate Exec is a fantastic opportunity to stay informed about college activities and help shape policies through participatory governance. Even if you're new to the college, I encourage you to volunteer for one of the "at-large representative" positions. These roles don't require significant time commitment but offer a great way to get involved.
Although I was elected in May last year to serve another two-year term as Academic Senate (AS) President, I announced at that same time I would only serve one more year. I still intend to step down at the end of this semester. Specifically, I will resign at the beginning of May to align with the election schedule outlined in the Academic Senate Constitution.
There have been discussions behind the scenes about potential replacements for Senate Exec positions, but nothing has been confirmed and no decisions made at this time. Initially, I considered finishing my term if no one volunteered to replace me. However, I have decided to resign regardless of whether a successor is in place. I strongly believe in the importance of bringing in new leadership with fresh ideas and perspectives. While I have gained invaluable experience as Academic Senate President over the past few years, I feel ready to pass on these responsibilities as my capacity to manage them has diminished.
Please remember that nominees for Senate Exec positions must be announced by Tuesday, April 15, with elections scheduled for May 6 and 7. I urge all faculty to seriously consider participating. Our college is at a crucial juncture, and your involvement in our local governance can make a significant difference.
Thank you for considering this opportunity and for your attention!
Thanks for listening.
Andrea Craddock, President Academic Senate
mySiskiyous
Athletics