The College of the Redwoods district mission statement begins with this line “College of the Redwoods puts student success first by providing accessible and relevant developmental, career technical, and transfer education.” Student success is the cornerstone of our mission and our guiding philosophy. Never in our history has the focus on student success been more critical than now, as we emerge from the pandemic.
Due to the hard work of our student support staff and faculty, despite all odds, our student success metric for fall to spring persistence is 63%, course retention is 87%, course success is 72%, and our 2020-21 degree and certification completion numbers have all remained above our institution set standards. Additionally, we have not lost ground in our vision for success goals related to completions, transfer degrees, and average unit accumulation of degree earners.
While these numbers are encouraging, they are just numbers. I would like to share the success stories of three of our students. Students who have changed their lives through hard work and with great support from our faculty and staff.
Athens Marron is a first-generation student who came to us from a single-mother household. He thought that he would forgo higher education and go straight to work to help support his mom and siblings, but he knew that to break generational patterns and create a different set of opportunities for himself, he needed to go to college. The only way for him to do that successfully was to go to a community college away from home but close to the university he eventually wanted transfer to. So he came to CR.
According to Athens, CR was the first place where instructors and staff actually took the time to listen and help him. His counselor, Dianne Caudillo, helped him get connected to community resources and start therapy for the first time in his life. Taking care of his mental health is what he needed to balance his personal, work, and academic life. Athens eventually graduated and transferred to Cal Poly Humboldt this fall.
Another example is Shamieka Kiel. Her academic journey began with little discipline, guidance, focus, or awareness of what resources were available to her. She was challenged with trying to balance her classes while also working and raising a 2-year-old, among other family challenges. Thanks to the support she received from our Multicultural and Diversity Center and her own determination, she was able to focus on her education and graduated with an A.S. in social work and human services and an A.A. in liberal arts: behavioral and social science. She is attending Spelman University this fall.
Our third story is of Marlia Luzier. After leaving the Marine Corps, Marlia had only a vague idea of what she wanted to do. Transiting from the structured and often traumatic life of a Marine to the civilian world can be disorienting. Through conversations with loved ones and friends, she decided that college was her next step, and, luckily for us, that direction lead her to College of the Redwoods and our Veterans Resource Center (VRC).
With the support of the staff in our VRC, Marlia enrolled in classes with a goal of gaining a degree in forestry and natural resources. She also became a student worker in the Veterans Program. She eventually found herself as an elected officer in the Forestry club and is earning a 3.44 grade point average.
These are just a few of the hundreds of stories you will hear if you happen to be on any of our campuses and talk to our students or any of the hardworking and dedicated faculty and staff who work with them every day. These are the stories that inspire us to continue improving, innovating, and creating futures for people who will someday lead the world.
Every day, I come to work with optimism and pride in the community we have created together and as we begin this new school year, I truly believe that our best days are yet to come.
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.