President's Update - March 5, 2026

Dear Shasta College community,

The agenda for the March 11 Board meeting is now posted, and as always I’d like to direct you to the Cabinet members section, where you will see some excellent reports on what’s going on in Instruction, Student Services, and other areas. If you could read one thing to keep you up to date on the college each month, read that. Item 2.6.

The budget report from VP Becky McCall indicates that we finished 2024–25 in a stable fiscal position, positioning us for stronger total computational revenue this year and, we hope, beyond. Steady enrollment growth contributed to this outcome, as did our transition to the new Standardized Accounting method and careful fiscal management, reflected in last year’s clean audit. This is encouraging news, though we remain mindful of potential headwinds ahead. These include the state deficit, risks to federally funded programs and financial aid, and other uncertainties. Meanwhile, spring enrollment remains robust, up 2.2% as of last week. Our goal is to sustain this positive momentum into the next academic year. Please note, for the sake of transparency, VP McCall has created a folder on the Administrative Services intranet for budget updates and resources. This includes not only the presentations shared at Budget Committee, but also the resources (such as Legislative Analyst’s Office or Department of Finance reports) that her reports and presentations are based on. The intranet is available to any District employee with portal access.

One way we are working to support continued enrollment growth is by committing to the hiring of full-time faculty, particularly in areas of strong student demand. This spring, I approved fourteen full-time positions, exceeding the eight or so retirements and other departures we have experienced. I am grateful to HR, as well as to the deans and faculty who are actively engaged in searches this spring. Fourteen new faculty members represent just over 10% of our current full-time faculty.

A benefit of fiscal stability this year is our ability to move further down the list of prioritized funding requests. These requests appear in the annual Area Plans. Currently, departments and areas are working on their Annual Plans, due at the end of March. These plans are part of the Integrated Planning Process, first adopted by the District in 2012. The process outlines how departments and areas may request funding for items over $2,000. While not perfect, our process has been refined over the years. One persistent challenge has been timing decisions; we cannot commit significant funding until we have analyzed both the overall budget and the requests themselves.

For the Spring 2025 requests submitted last year, we made an initial set of decisions in December, allocating $50,000 with the intention of revisiting the requests once the 2024–25 and 2025–26 budgets became clearer. The goal was to allow departments to pursue at least some purchases this year before the next round of requests is due. With the spring recalculation of our budget, we felt comfortable implementing, for the first time, a “Phase II” of funding, dedicating an additional $223,000 toward last year’s requests. Altogether, using both general fund and categorical resources, we were able to commit approximately $2.2 million to approved requests. We believe this two-phase approach will prove beneficial overall for future evaluations of funding requests. The finalized list is available from your area supervisor.

If your ears were burning last week, it’s because people in Sacramento were saying nice things about us. I am pleased to report that Shasta College has been selected for the 2025–26 Excellence in Energy and Sustainability Award in the Small Innovative Project category for our Carbon Sink initiative. This initiative is a collaboration between the BACTE division and Food Services to compost food and agricultural waste. Our campus generates more than 128,000 gallons of waste each year, most of it agricultural. Food Services and the Agriculture/Natural Resources programs have developed “carbon sinks” to manage this waste in a carbon-neutral manner that benefits both our farm and instruction. Waste is collected, composted, and applied to farm fields twice annually to enrich the soil. Dorm students who help operate the farm participate in this process as part of their coursework, and culinary students also contribute. Dean Mark Klever, drawing on his background as a rancher, collaborated with Food Services Director Denise Axtel and faculty to design an approach that complements instructional needs. Dean Klever, Direct Axtel, and Instructor Leimone Waite will join me at the Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento on March 24 to accept the award.

I also want to mention another instance of the College advancing its Vision. Complete College America is a national nonprofit organization that the District has worked with for years. Its primary goal is to increase college completion rates, close institutional performance gaps, and ensure all students can graduate on time. I have attended several of its annual conventions, as have other District personnel, and they consistently present compelling, practical strategies to help move students forward. In one of its most recent publications, Set Up to Succeed: Meeting California’s Postsecondary Education Goals, CCA features SCAILE’s ACE program as a promising development (see page 39 of the attached document). Congratulations to AVP Kate Mahar, the ACE team, and the many faculty, deans, and staff who have helped make ACE a success.

The last couple of semesters, I wrote you about federal actions regarding immigration status. In January, Chancellor Sonya Christian messaged the college presidents that basically nothing has changed in terms of our response; we are holding the course on our responsibilities when responding to requests for student information. As a reminder, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we are prohibited from sharing any student information unless a valid, signed warrant for this information is presented. Even then, we have a designated process, outlined in Administrative Procedure 3415, to ensure compliance. If you are approached by anyone asking for information about students, please follow these steps:

1. Maintain a professional and courteous approach with any individuals making such requests.
2. Do not provide any student information, regardless of the person’s credentials or documentation.
3. Contact Campus Safety at 530-242-7910 so they can address the request in accordance with our legal guidelines.

If you need more information on student rights and available support services, I encourage you to visit the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Undocumented Students Support Services page. If you have additional questions, you may also contact Student Services at 530-242-7659.

Finally, I’m continuing to hold regular office hours this spring, and the next session is March 25 at 1:00. This semester, I am holding them in the Library foyer right outside Starbucks. Feel free to stop by.

Have a great weekend, and thank you for all you do for our students!

Best,

Frank Nigro, Ph.D.

Superintendent/President