Board of Trustees Meeting

Executive Summary: IA is engaged in supporting, promoting and leading numerous activities that happen on campus during Spring Quarter and in a variety of events in the community. On campus activities include Foundation Scholarship application process, Distinguished Alumni nominations, Y.E.L.L., and support for Expo, Native Success Summit, and Commencement. Community events include Seattle Southside Workforce and Education Summit, Federal Way Chamber meetings and Soroptimist of Seattle Southside. Communications / PIO has been busy reporting on accomplishments of students (All Washington), faculty and staff and participating in college wide emergency response training.

Core Theme 1: ACCESS, Reduce Barriers and close equity gaps to access for all community members

• A record number of Foundation Scholarship Applications have been submitted (more than 400 at time of the report) and are undergoing review for funding for 2024-2025 academic year.

Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve

• Highline College Foundation, through the efforts of Ashley Kerr, collaborates with Academic Affairs on annual project funding for faculty called Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grants (TLE). Foundation staff are prepared to review reports on the 7 projects awarded $19,750 in funding as faculty conclude their projects.

Core Theme 3: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, Create a more inclusive working environment and a more valued, visible relationship with communities we serve

• The HC Foundation served as the fiscal agent for the annual Students of Color Conference (SOCC) held at Green River College in April. The Foundation was asked by the Multicultural Student Services Directors Council (MSSDC), to be the fiscal agent based on similar work it does for the annual Faculty and Staff of Color Conference.
• Review of nominations for the annual distinguished alumni award is underway.
• Communications and Marketing provided significant assistance and support for the recent EXPO held on campus for high school students, including the design and production of the ThunderQuest activity that the Expo Committee created to engage the visiting students to learn about different programs and resources at Highline College.
• The HC Foundation was a high-level sponsor for the Seattle Southside Chamber Workforce and Education Summit at the accesso Showare Center in Kent, where Dean Gabrielle Bachmeier, Academic Affairs served on an education panel and VP Josh Gerstman gave the closing keynote.
• The SBDC/StartZone team was the program for the May General Membership Luncheon for the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce
• The Gates Foundation formally announced the four partnerships throughout the state to receive grants from the Horizons Program. The Puget Sound Partnership includes the Federal Way Public Schools, Highline College, Highline Public Schools, Tukwila School District and the Puget Sound Educational Service District is the back bone organization for the 3 year $1.2 million program to increase college going rates of black and brown youth in our region.

Core Theme 4: CULTURE & CAPACITY: Promote a campus culture which fosters equity and inclusivity supporting employee growth and development, and institutional capacity for transformation.

• Highline College has submitted applications to both Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Adam Smith’s offices for Community Project Funding in consideration of support for the envisioned sports field complex, which would replace the mostly unable natural grass playing surface with all weather artificial turf and other amenities such as lighting and seating for multiple sports, including soccer.

Division Honors and Achievements

• IA’s newest team member Jess Underwood, Associate Director of Communications and Public Information, has been hard at work reporting on accomplishments of students, faculty and staff. Her work has resulted in local media picking up stories about Highline’s All Washington elections (Grace Thykkuttathil and Maureen Ondatto) and notification about Dr. Jamilyn Penn’s selection for the Aspen Rising President’s Fellowship and Dr. Maribel Jimenez being selected for the Rhonda Quash Coats for Excellence in Multicultural Student Services.

Report submitted by Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Joshua Gerstman