Published December 15, 2022

To the Shasta College Community:

As we close the fall 2022 semester, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you all for your continued excellent service to our students and our communities. Shasta College plays such an important role in improving the lives of our students that can influence generations to come.  Over time, our first generation students will be role models to their children to pursue education as a key way to improve their lives.  Thank you for all you do to make these outcomes possible. 

Success Stories
Although it officially ended yesterday, the 71st annual Art Faculty Exhibit is currently still hung in the gallery in the 300 building.  I enjoyed seeing the creative works of our faculty in this long-standing fall show.  Thanks for bringing light and hope through art to our community!

I found out that our own Dr. Liz Waterbury and the Shasta College Community Chorale were featured in three recent performances (in Chico, Red Bluff, and Redding) with the North State Symphony.  The Holiday Pops performances featured various carols and some holiday classics like Fantasia on Greensleeves and the Hallelujah Chorus.  Thanks, Liz, for being a positive ambassador to our communities.

I also enjoyed attending the first ever Physical Therapy Assistant graduation ceremony this week.  Thank you to our faculty involved in that program, especially Marcee Martinez and Jeff McCormick, for your great work in establishing this new program and getting accreditation complete for this first class.  

Some final Business for the semester…
After some time of rest and refreshment, I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the in-person Welcome Back day being planned for January 13. So mark your calendars now for that day. It will be good to be back in the theatre and interacting together.

Enrollment is still down from pre-pandemic levels (2019-20) by around 20-25%, but the latest reports show us up nearly 2% this fall from the prior fall and 5% up to date for spring registration compared to spring 2021 (with about 60% of registrations in).  Hopefully this holds and we continue to rebuild enrollment by 2024-25 to as close to pre-pandemic levels as possible.  My challenge to you is this – be thinking about how we can continue to become more and more “learning” centered in our approaches.  Being learner centered can mean many things, but I’d invite us all to look for things that we do simply because that’s how we have always done it, or because, frankly, it works better and is easier for us.  I bet there are quite a few small things that are in our power to change just a little that would make it easier for students to feel more welcome or meet their needs and be successful over time.   

OK – that is all for now.  I truly wish you all a time of renewal and relaxation over the coming weeks, and a very merry new year! 

Joe Wyse
Superintendent/President
Shasta College
11555 Old Oregon Trail
PO Box 496006
Redding, CA 96049-6006
Ph: 530-242-7510