性奴调教

November 24, 2025

(1) A Message of Gratitude and Reflection

As we approach the holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each member of our campus community. The coming long weekend is a time for rest, renewal, and connection with family, friends, pets, and colleagues. These moments of replenishment are essential, not only for our personal well-being but also for the strength and resilience we bring to our work and our mission. I am deeply grateful for your heart-forward commitment to our students and to high-quality teaching and learning.

We will need the power of collective strength. We need the possibility that comes with hope. Last week, I attended the Community College League of California Conference, where I received important updates on the national state of higher education, as well as the state of California Community Colleges. While the latter provides good news, the former is fraught and chaotic. I want to share some of these developments with you, as recent headlines directly relate to our community and our work. And I would appreciate your help in reassuring students that recent headlines should not deter them from their continued studies.

(2) Trump Sues California for Providing In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students

You may have seen recent news about a federal lawsuit challenging California鈥檚 ability to provide free or reduced-cost tuition to DACA students. We want to reassure our community that this lawsuit does not change anything about current tuition, enrollment, or access to classes and services for our students.

California鈥檚 AB 540 policies remain fully in effect. California and three institutional segments named in the lawsuit are mounting an aggressive response. Lawsuits like this can take months or even years to resolve, and no court has issued any ruling that would alter existing financial aid, residency classifications, or tuition programs at California community colleges. Our college remains committed to providing an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment for all students鈥攔egardless of immigration status. We will continue to follow state law, uphold our mission of inclusivity, and offer guidance should any policy changes occur in the future. Students should continue with their studies and plans as usual.

A little more about the lawsuit . . .
Last Wednesday, the current administration filed a lawsuit against California, challenging the state鈥檚 policy of providing in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students. The administration argues that this practice unfairly disadvantages U.S. citizens and violates federal immigration laws, claiming it creates incentives for illegal immigration and discriminates against American families. This legal action follows similar moves in other states, most notably Texas and Minnesota.

In fact, according to Inside Higher Ed, 鈥淐alifornia marks the sixth state the federal government has sued over such policies, but unlike some of the others, California plans to fight back. The state is home to more than 102,000 undocumented students, who have been permitted to pay in-state tuition rates since 2001 if they met certain requirements.鈥� California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian has reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring all students who qualify under state law have access to an affordable, high-quality education, and we will continue to comply with all federal and state requirements.

The details about the State of California鈥檚 legal challenge to the suit, which is likely to be a protracted effort, are under wraps. Still, Foothill鈥揇e Anza CCD will likely lend its voice and advocacy in any way feasible. We have done so in support of other states. For example, Chancellor Lambert, on behalf of the district, signed the Amicus Brief in support of the Texas Dream Act when Austin Community College filed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to support tuition equity for undocumented students.

Again, we are messaging students with our gratitude, love, and support. Let's all encourage our Dreamers to stay the course.

(3) Hollowing Out the Department of Education

The Executive Branch lacks the legal authority to dissolve the Department of Education (DOE), but it continues its effort to hollow out the agency. The DOE now has less than half its previous staff, and many regional Offices of Civil Rights have been closed. Key functions are being moved to other agencies. Most notably, the administration has transferred Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to the Department of Labor.

Jon Fansmith from the American Council on Education (ACE) noted to Saturday鈥檚 crowd of trustees and CEOs that this transition 鈥渉as not gone well,鈥� citing administrative confusion, delays, and a lack of coordination between agencies. The move to the Treasury Department for federal financial aid administration has also been met with strong opposition from Treasury officials, who have expressed concerns about their ability to manage the complex infrastructure required for federal student aid. I鈥檒l be following these developments and all the changes being negotiated through the reconciliation process for Pell grants.

(4) Targeted Funding Freezes and Cuts

As noted earlier, California is now in the administration鈥檚 sights, with funding freezes and investigations likely motivated by our Governor鈥檚 bold posture and the recent passage of Prop 50. But, as has been widely reported, the Trump administration is ending or redirecting funding across the board. Research institutions have seen their grants gutted, with over $700 million lost in National Science Foundation grants and $300 million lost in clinical trial research funds. Detrimental to community colleges, TRIO grants have been eliminated.

More frighteningly, there is a thin rationale to end grants based on language in the application. For example, SUNY Adirondack had its grant terminated because 鈥渢hey wanted to ensure the program (Upward Bound) included an equal number of male and female participants, in an effort to address declining male participation in the program.鈥� According to an October article, 鈥渢he grant termination letter鈥攄elivered mid-September, after the program鈥檚 annual Sept. 1 start date鈥擺. . .] said that the line reflected the Biden administration鈥檚 priorities and conflicted with the interests of the current administration.鈥� A naked admission that best practices are replaced with partisan politics.

Funds previously set aside for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) have been redirected to tribal colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). While supporting tribal colleges and HBCUs is laudable, leaders at these institutions have expressed concern about the funds coming at the expense of underrepresented groups, rather than expanding support for all. 性奴调教 submitted a Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) grant that received a nearly perfect score on the rubric. Still, it was followed by news that DHSIs were the subject of a September 18, 2025, withdrawal and cancellation notice () in the Federal Register.

(5) International Student Enrollment

According to data released last week, international student attendance is down by 17% nationally. Our FHDA ISP Executive Director notes that, despite travel bans in countries like Myanmar and visa issues in India, our decrease is lower than the national average. We are still experiencing a decline; however, our overall enrollment remains higher than most of our competitors, and we continue to welcome students from around the world. Of course, we keep a sharp eye on these numbers, as our reputation as a study abroad destination accounts for 10% of our revenue each year.

At these pauses in our work, it is essential to gain fortitude from the powerful work happening here. What we can control is how we show up for our students and for one another. As we enter this season of gratitude, let鈥檚 celebrate the excellence happening all around us: every class taught with care, every student encouraged to persist or complete their transfer applications, every colleague supported in their purpose. Together, we continue to make Foothill a place of radical belonging and hope.

Yours in service,
Kristina

Dr. Kristina Whalen
President, 性奴调教