President's Office

Reports to the Board of Trustees

Sept. 8, 2025, Board Meeting

Each month, President Kristina Whalen gives a report on college activities, honors, and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.

View Board Reports Archive

Awards & Achievements

Unlocking Opportunity

The Unlocking Opportunity initiative connects community colleges across the country in learning together, with support from the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and the Community College Research Center.

Announced August 19, Foothill is one of 55 colleges selected nationally through a competitive process to participate in the program

The focus is on strengthening how our programs help students after graduation—whether that’s moving into good‑paying jobs or transferring successfully to complete a bachelor’s degree. This work builds on what faculty and staff are already doing, while providing research, tools, and collaboration opportunities to help us refine our programs and increase student success.

Congratulations to Teresa Ong and Elaine Kuo for serving as Project Lead and data lead, respectively. And thanks to the leadership of  Voltaire Villanueva and Vanessa Santillan-Nieto for bringing important voices to this work. 

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Foothill College Ranked #1 Community College in the Nation by Niche for 2026 (also #1 in the Bay Area and in California)

#13 HSI in USA (No community colleges above us) and #16 AANAPISI in USA (No community colleges above us)

Niche's college rankings are a widely used, data-driven evaluation of colleges based on student reviews and comprehensive statistical analysis, and they help guide students and families in making educational choices by highlighting institutions with proven success, satisfaction, and outcomes. We are very proud to be ranked #1 in California for the third year running and #1 in the nation for the first time since 2023. Congratulations and thank you to all our faculty, staff,  and administrators of Foothill College.

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NCAI Wellness Coach Grant

Foothill College is the recipient of a $200,000 grant to align curriculum to train much needed mental health professional in Santa Clara County school sites. Congratulations Patricia Gibbs Stayte and Aaron Korngiebel. Curriculum alignment will be undertaken by Florina Petcu and Nicole Kerbey

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Events

Foothill College Visible and Active at Community Events this Summer

We've been able to connect many thousands of community members to resources and meet thousands of happy alumni of our outstanding programs. From students who were here in 1961 to recent graduates...and students about to join us soon. Thank you to the Outreach team and Foothill administrators and students for helping staff our booths.

• Los Altos Rotary Fine Art in the Park, Aug. 9-10, 2025, 10 a.m.– 5:30 p.m. in Lincoln Park
• Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, Aug. 23–24, 2025  10 a.m.–6 p.m. on University Avenue in Downtown Palo Alto
• Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, Sept. 6–7, Downtown Mountain View on Castro Street, Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

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Ideas Inspire Fellows Lunch, Aug. 15 at Shoupe Park

President Whalen attended this convening of fellow recipients and supporting organizations from United Way Bay Area, Silicon Valley Community Fund, Second Harvest, Peninsula Community Fund, Sparkpoint, SJSU, UC Santa Cruz, to name a few. 

Foothill Students Vania Behnoud and Van Huyn were recipients of the Ideas Inspire Fellowships.

Congratulations Asha Guhas, with the support of the President’s Office, most especially Antoinette Chavez, and the FHDA Foundation.

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SLI STEM internship Presentations — Thursday, Sept. 4  & Friday, Sept, 5

This summer, 20 Foothill students participated in internships, gaining skills in research with the guidance and support of mentors at universities and tech and biotech companies. Their final presentations ranged from topics as diverse as Developing Assistive Technology with AI to Measuring Poverty in Brain Development Research.

Thank you to Sophia Kim and the SLI team.

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KFJC Brought Back Famous Record Swap to Campus on Sunday,  Aug. 9

Hundreds of community members flocked together in the Foothill College Dining Hall to swap records and CDs and enjoy music. All proceeds benefited KFJC.  Thank you to KFJC station manager Eric Johnson!

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Invitation to the Board

Thursday, Sept. 18 • Foothill Opening Day • 9 a.m.

The 2025 year will kick off at Foothill College in the Smithwick Theater during our annual Opening Day. Join us in the morning for the President’s address entitled The Whole Heart and the Whole College.

President Whalen’s address will highlight how a heart-forward approach forms the essential core of our Blueprint for Success, guiding all we do. She will share how Foothill College, harnessing the power of the Fly Wheel Effect, has built steady momentum through consistent gains. This momentum uniquely equips Foothill College to advance two transformational goals with collective purpose. Buoyed by our newly adopted values of love and compassion—for each other and our students—we will rise together and face the speed of change (and chaotic headwinds) bravely.

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Saturday, Sept. 27 • Field Box Viewing of Foothill Football Home Game

Trustees and the Chancellor are warmly invited to join President Whalen in the field box to watch Foothill battle Sacramento City College at 6 p.m.

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Saturday, Oct. 4 • Alumni Hall of Fame Event

Please join our faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community members to celebrate our inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame inductees. The event is by emceed by Dr. Laurie Scolari. Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens will close the event by raising needed funds for transformational experiential learning.