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 Nov. 3, 2025
This month's report includes items on
- Selected for $1M Aspen Prize Competition
- We're Pathway Champions
- An Effective Partnership Begins
- Laptop Empowerment
- We've Joined the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program
- A Terrific Transfer Day
- Join the Club!
- Celebrating a Bright Diwali
- World Food Movement
- Draft Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Rolls Out
- Undocumented Student Action Week
- Leadership Academy Kicks Off
- And Mountain Lions Football Kicks Off, Too
- Breaking News: La Voz Wins Big
- Medallion Awards for our Marketing Team Magic
- Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Student Delegation
- Cross-Country Coast Conference Championship Win
Selected for $1M Aspen Prize Competition
De Anza received the honor of being included among 200 community colleges named by the Aspen Institute to be eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Selection criteria included student outcomes data, such as retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor’s attainment rates.
We've made the first cut in this competition three times before:
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in 2023 for the 2025 competition
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in 2021 for the 2023 competition
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in 2019 for the 2021 competition
The Aspen Prize process identifies and celebrates community colleges that provide a roadmap of effective practices and strategies for other colleges to follow.
Next we’ll submit an application and participate in a rigorous review process that will culminate in the naming of the Aspen Prize winner in spring 2027.
Read more about the institutions chosen to compete in this year’s Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. And wish us luck!
We're Pathway Champions
The Campaign for College Opportunity designated De Anza as a Pathway Champion for 2025, recognizing its leadership in advancing equitable student success in transfer-level coursework and strengthening California’s transfer pathway.
The statewide research and advocacy group awarded De Anza top rankings among California community colleges for student success in completing transfer-level math and English in academic year 2023-24.
Based on figures compiled by the Campaign for College Opportunity, De Anza ranked:
- Second in the state for Black students completing transfer-level English within one year of enrolling in their courses (82.6%), indicating the campus is closing equity gaps for Black students.
- Third in the state for students completing transfer-level math (78.8%) within one year.
Congratulaions are in order, too, for Foothill College, which also ranked among the top three colleges in the state for Campuswide Transfer-Level Math Success. Bravo to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District!
I was honored to be a speaker at the celebration event.
De Anza earned similar recognition from the Campaign for College Opportunity in 2024, when the group said De Anza ranked second statewide in two categories for the 2022-23 academic year – students completing transfer-level math within one year (81.4%) and students completing transfer-level English within one year (81.2%).
The nonprofit compiles the rankings to recognize community colleges that are helping students reach their goals through “equitable course placement practices,” following the passage of state legislation in 2018 requiring community colleges to move away from traditional placement methods that led many students to spend time in remedial courses before they could take transfer-level math and English.
In response to that legislation, De Anza developed new assessment practices, curriculum and other services that support students in completing those college-level courses.
An Effective Partnership Begins
De Anza was accepted in April into three statewide programs — each with a competitive selection process — that offer significant opportunities to enhance institutional effectiveness and student success.
We had our first visit for one of the programs, the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Partnership Resource Team (IEPI PRT) in mid October. The IEPI was launched in 2014 as an initiative from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office that provides technical assistance through its Partnership Resource Teams to other colleges in the system. The teams are made up entirely of volunteers. This colleagues-helping-colleagues model is available to colleges, districts, and centers interested in getting support on issues that matter most to them.
The IEPI PRT award included $250,000 to help fund our work across the campus to meet the stated goals.
Above, left to right: Karima Feldhus (Saddleback College); Lisa Mednick Takami (North Orange Continuing Education); Donna Necke (Mt. Sac); Dr. Omar Torres (De Anza); Dr. Dyrell Foster (Las Positas College); Caron Lieber (San Diego College of Continuing Education); Dr. Maniphone Dickerson (San Jose City College)
Laptops Empower the Community
De Anza hosted an AT&T Connected Learning Laptop Giveaway & Resource Fair on Oct. 18 in the Sunken Garden. Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens — a De Anza alumnus — attended this joyous and positive event, along with the leaders of Foothill-De Anza College District, local government, and our community organization partners.
These events — part of a broader, nationwide initiative by AT&T — are hosted by the company as part of its project to bridge the digital divide, providing free laptops and other digital resources to students and families. They’re often held in partnership with local organizations, and can include a variety of digital resources and educational support alongside laptop distributions.
Assemblymember Ahrens suggested to AT&T that they donate not just the usual 100 laptops, but 250. AT&T agreed, and provided the machines to four nonprofits in our district: Bill Wilson Center, Sunnyvale Community Services, Foothill-De Anza Foundation, and Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI).
The event primarily focused on students and older adults to foster opportunities for learning. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District was instrumental in providing event space, receiving the laptops and storing them at our facilities, and coordinating the event.
In addition to my remarks at the event, speakers included:
- Lee Lambert, Chancellor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
- Larry Klein, Mayor, Sunnyvale
- Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens
- Susan Santana, President, AT&T California
- Marie Bernard, Executive Director, Sunnyvale Community Services
- Dr. Michael Chang, Executive Director, APALI
- Josh Selo, CEO, Bill Wilson Center
- Dr. Kristina Whalen, President, Foothill College
After the remarks, participants lined up in the sun-drenched Sunken Garden and were each handed a laptop — with smiles and laughter — by the speakers.
Above, left: Larry Klein, Josh Selo, Dr. Omar Torres, Marie Bernard, Patrick Ahrens, Susan Santana, Lee Lambert, Dr. Kristina Whalen, and Dr. Michael Chang with some of the donated laptops; right: It was a joy to shake hands with participants and wish them success.
We've Joined the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program
We received news on Oct. 20 that our application to the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) was accepted. This is wonderful news for transfer students, and will reinforce De Anza’s status as Tops in Transfer!
The goal of TAP is to forge a relationship between our two institutions and to support an honors experience for community college students that will prepare them for transfer admission to UCLA. While TAP applicants aren’t guaranteed admission to UCLA, TAP partners with institutions that foster transfer eligibility, academic excellence, and the success of diverse students.
The TAP reviewers found De Anza’s strengths to be:
- An impressive number of STEM courses that apply toward our honors program
- My letter of support showed my commitment to the TAP program’s growth and to ensuring the college maintains funding, students have a space to gather in the Villages, and the Learning Communities partner with our program
- Our development of cross-campus relationships grew over the past year, allowing recruitment efforts not just for students who seek out our program, but also those who may not see themselves at first as honors students
TAP representatives from UCLA and peer programs will visit us to learn more about our program’s successes and challenges in two years when they launch our initial review.
A Terrific Transfer Day
And more transfer news: We hosted Transfer Day on October 16, an event for students to meet with representatives from UC, CSU and other universities.
A few highlights:
- 55+ university and college representatives attended
- Estimated 500+ students attended
Workshops included:
- University of California Admissions Panel Discussion
- University of Southern California Admissions Workshop
So many connections were made! We’re excited to see where our students go, and to continue showing why we’re Tops in Transfer.
Above: Students get information and talk with representatives of various universities and colleges.
Join the Club!
Fall Club Day took over the Main Quad with tabling, music and performances on October 9, showcasing De Anza’s rich and vibrant co-curricular organizations.
With over 90 student clubs to choose from, there’s something for everyone.
About 300 people attended Fall Club Day, according to organizers, and 85 clubs participated. This included academic clubs like Math Club, community service clubs like Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) Club, diversity clubs like Burmese Student Association, religious clubs like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, special interest clubs like 3D Printing Club, sports clubs like Badminton Club, and support clubs like Active Minds.
Three clubs performed: Music & Volunteering Association, 4 Elements of Hip-Hop, and K-Pop Dance Club. Students enjoyed free cotton candy as they explored the different club options.
Clubs give students an opportunity to broaden their college experience; find friends and community around shared interests; and build personal, leadership, and team development. They're a big part of bringing life to our campus!
Above: A group photo of all the clubs participating in Fall Club Day 2025.
Celebrating a Bright Diwali
De Anza once again held its biggest cultural festival on October 22 with Diwali — Festival of Lights. I was able to join in the festivities, enjoying food, fun and entertainment at this
campuswide celebration in the Main Quad.
Diwali is celebrated annually in South Asia and around the world — and it will be a state holiday in California starting in 2026, following the signing of Assembly Bill 268, which takes effect January 1.
The festival represents the spiritual victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. It also commemorates different historical events and stories for people of different
regions and languages.
Diwali is celebrated with family and friends by lighting earthen lamps (Diya), prayers (Puja), rituals, Rangoli decorations, fireworks and sweets.
World Food Movement
The campus held a World Food Movement (WFM) event on October 8. The event was an opportunity for participants to learn about how WFM supports students with free hot and nutritious vegetarian meals.
After a successful pilot, De Anza officially launched World Food Movement, beginning October 1 and will be serving free hot and nutritious vegeterian meals every Wednesday during lunchtime in The Hub’s new, expanded location in the Baldwin Winery building.
Our partnership with the World Food Movement (WFM) launched in January, with an ambitious goal to serve 50,000 meals by the end of this academic year and 1 million meals by 2030. This partnership builds on the WFM’s extraordinary legacy, serving over 2.2 million children daily in India and recently celebrating the milestone of 4 billion meals.
Draft Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Rolls Out
Our draft Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM) is posted and available for review.
The SEM plan lays out a three-year road map, along with specific goals and metrics for measuring progress.
It was developed through participation in the SEM Academy sponsored by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office in June 2025. A team of 10 classified professionals, faculty members and administrators from the areas of Instruction and Student Services worked collaboratively to identify seven key areas in which to promote moderate enrollment growth – about 3-5% from 2027-28 to 2029-30.
The plan identifies seven strategic goals that will frame efforts to increase enrollment and improve outcomes for key student population groups, while drawing on the important work of De Anza's Strategic Plan and Student Equity initiatives to achieve institutional transformation. It includes specific measures to address regional demographic shifts and maximize funding opportunities through the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF).
De Anza is now engaged in a collegewide implementation process that will take place throughout the plan period and beyond.
The campus community is invited to provide comments by Nov. 14.
Undocumented Student Action Week: Helping Our Students Thrive
As part of the ninth annual California community colleges’ Undocumented Student Action Week October 13–17, De Anza held a series of workshops dedicated to supporting undocumented students and covering a range of essential topics to help our students thrive.
The workshops included sessions on legal support, financial aid, dual enrollment and transfer support specifically tailored for undocumented students. These topics are crucial for providing the necessary resources and guidance to ensure these students’ academic and personal success.
Higher Education for AB 540 Students (HEFAS), the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action (VIDA) and UndocuSTEM hosted several events during the week to support students, employees and everyone who advocates for undocumented students.
De Anza affirmed its support of undocumented students alongside the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Community College League of California and our statewide partners.
Leadership Academy Kicks Off
I welcomed participants in our first De Anza College Leadership Academy on Oct. 24, hosting a group of about 30 administrators from various departments for
an educational and inspiring kick-off session.
The President's Leadership Academy is designed to cultivate skilled, innovative leaders within our community college. Participants will sharpen essential leadership skills, distinguish leadership from management and build a strong network of administrative peers.
In this first session, we discussed the history of the California Community College System; transformation, growth, and opportunity; the role of planning in institutional transformation; and many other topics.
Our speaker, my dear friend Dr. Dianne Van Hook, chancellor emeritus of College of the Canyons, gave talks on “Seeing the Big Picture: Who We Are and How Did We Get Here,” and “Dare to Lead: Transformation and Designing the Way to Growth and Opportunity.”
In Leadership Academy Session 2, participants will hear from various CEOs, their journeys and how they plan for the future in an effort to create opportunities for their students. I look forward to it!
Above, left: A group shot of Leadership Academy Session 1 participants, with Dr. Dianne Van Hook and me seated in front; right: Dr. Van Hook addresses the session.
And Mountain Lions Football Kicks Off, Too
We celebrated Homecoming in traditional collegiate style, with a dance Friday night and a thrilling football game Saturday afternoon — which we won!
The game was a clash of Golden Coast League (GCL) unbeatens, with our No. 19-ranked Mountain Lions holding off Coalinga to win 42-40.
The victory pushed De Anza (8-0 overall) to 3-0 in the GCL, and also improved the
program's regular-season winning streak to 18.
Read a full recap of the game on the Athletics website.
Above right: The Mountain Lions roar (photo by student Arav Patel); left: At the game with Dr. Hyon Chu Yi-Baker, associate dean of Student Affairs — and of course, our beloved mascot, Roary the Mountain Lion
Breaking News: La Voz Wins Big
De Anza College’s student publication, La Voz News, was a big winner at this year’s annual Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) NorCal Conference, held Saturday, Oct. 25, at San José State University. The event brought together student journalists from across Northern California for a full day of workshops, contests and networking.
La Voz News earned an impressive 31 awards, including two coveted General Excellence honors recognizing the publication’s entire staff for outstanding online and print publications. Of the 31 total awards, five were for on-the-spot contests held during Saturday’s conference, where students competed in real time.
In addition to its achievements in the publication coverage, the La Voz team was also recognized for its weekly webcast and broadcast news show, “Fact Friday,” which features student-reported stories, interviews and campus updates.
For our Journalism Department’s Competitions and Awards site to see a complete list of De Anza winners.
Medallion Awards for our Marketing Team Magic
And in more great award news: Our Office of Communications team once again has demonstrated its excellence by winning two honors in the 2025 National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) Medallion Awards.
Our prizes were:
- Bronze for our informational postcard on the Euphrat Museum of Art Glimmers exhibition
- Silver for our promotional video, Working @ De Anza College
On a side note, not only did our Senior Graphic Designer, Edwin Carungay, design this postcard, but also his photography was featured in the exhibit. Our team is truly talented.
The NCMPR Medallion Awards are the premier regional competition recognizing outstanding marketing and communications and public relations achievements at community and technical colleges within each of NCMPR's seven districts. These prestigious awards exclusively honor the innovative work of two-year institutions across all media, celebrating the creativity and dedication of their marketing and communications professionals.
Congratulations to this incredible team that works hard and makes us proud every day!
Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Student Delegation
Chancellor Lee Lambert and I had the pleasure of meeting with the Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Student Delegation at De Anza on Wednesday last week. The students recieved a campus tour and information about De Anza and community colleges.
Cupertino and the city of Hsinchu, Taiwan, began their relationship in 1998, and officially
became sister cities in 2007 when the mayors of the two cities signed a formal agreement.
The Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Association (CHSCA), a community-based nonprofit, conducts events supported by the two cities. This includes visits to Hsinchu by delegations led by the mayor of Cupertino, as well as an annual student exchange program that began in 2004.
Above: Chancellor Lee Lambert (fourth from left) and I (third from right) with the delegation.
Cross-Country Coast Conference Championship Win
Congratulations are in order for the De Anza women's cross-country program and head coach, Andy Ponce de Leon, for claiming the Coast Conference Championship on Oct. 29 in Salinas. The women upset the No. 1 ranked team in the state, Hartnell College, on their own course by a narrow margin of just a single point! Andy also received acknowledgment by his peers on being voted 2025 Coast Conference Head Coach of the Year for women's cross-country.
Congratulations also go out to our men's team for finishing in second place at the championships. Both teams are sitting in a tremendous position to make some
noise this week at the Northern California Championships in Fresno.
Read more in this race recap.