President's Updates

 October 2024

Dear FRCC Community,

We hope you’re all having a wonderful Hispanic Heritage Month! The celebration is not over—we’ll continue the festivities through October 15.

I hope you’re taking time to learn something new about our country’s rich Latinx history and heritage by joining the office decorating contest, picking a book from our reading list or joining in a community celebration. And keep an eye out for the stories we’ll be sharing that feature members of the college community—highlighting how our colleagues see these vibrant cultures reflected in our work at FRCC.

Check out our Hispanic Heritage Month webpage for details. ¡Sigue la celebración!

Spread the Word

Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship

I want to make sure you all know about a special scholarship opportunity for our students. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a prestigious national award that can provide each scholar with as much as $55,000 a year to complete a bachelor’s degree. The JKC Foundation also provides personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid.

Last year, our incredible international student Vatey Ouy was awarded this life-changing scholarship. Please share this information with your students so they know about this truly wonderful opportunity. The JKC scholarship application opens this Thursday, October 3, 2024, and will be available to students until Thursday, January 9, 2025.

You can find more information on the JKC website. Students can also email questions about the program and eligibility directly to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. If FRCC students need assistance or want to connect with a person here, have them contact our very own Assistant Director of Academic Services Xinyu Zhang via phone (303.404.5769) or email.

Tools & Resources

Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are welcoming and affirming spaces that promote a sense of belonging for staff members from historically underrepresented groups. These voluntary, peer-led groups are open to anyone who identifies as a member of that community. ERGs connect employees to a supportive network of peers, equity-focused volunteer and professional development opportunities, and resources at FRCC and in the communities we serve. 

Groups meet monthly and employees may participate in one or more groups at any campus. FRCC hosts the following ERGs at each campus: 

• People of Color (for employees who identify as people of color) 
• People with Disabilities (for employees who identify as neurodivergent, are chronically ill, or have physical or non-physical disabilities)
• LGBTQIAA2S+ People (for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Agender, Two-Spirit and queer-identified employees)
• Allies and Advocates (for any employees who are interested in discussing equity, inclusion and creating a sense of belonging for everyone at FRCC)

For an updated meeting schedule and locations, please visit the Division of Equity & Inclusion's intranet page or add oei@frontrange.edu to your Outlook calendar. 

College Updates

Expanded Leadership Team

FRCC has a new Expanded Leadership Team (ELT) designed to facilitate transparent communication and collaboration among department leaders and Cabinet members on strategic initiatives. Made up of collegewide directors and deans, the ELT's 32 members are responsible for bringing forth concerns and challenges their teams are facing, disseminating information to their teams, and collaborating to ensure details on important topics are shared more broadly with all employees.

The overarching purpose of the group is for members to: 

• Help keep each other up to date on what is going on in other areas of the college.
• Guide discussion on—and identify opportunities for—cross-departmental and cross-divisional collaboration.

We’re excited about the progress this new group is already making. I encourage you to ask your dean or director for updates on topics being discussed by the ELT—and share with them any suggestions you may have for future topics the group should add to its agenda. 

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Visitor

As I hope you recall, FRCC faculty and students are participating in the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program, through which they receive support from the SUNY COIL Network and work with colleges around the world. FRCC has been partnering with international institutions in a number of innovative ways to connect our courses with theirs.

This week, a distinguished guest is visiting FRCC from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán (UPNFM) in Honduras. Profesora Sandra Alvarado teaches English and is currently planning a second COIL project with our very own English faculty member Matt Stilwell.

While here at FRCC, Profesora Alvarado is attending classes, meeting with COIL and college leadership, and attending academic and cultural activities that tie in with her interdisciplinary interests. She is enthusiastic about the potential for establishing international research connections for future collaboration—and we are thrilled to have her here learning and discussing future partnership opportunities. Welcome, profesora!