Dear Colleagues,

On October 4-6, we held a series of Employee Open Forums at the district office, SAC and SCC. It was a great opportunity to connect with our employees, update you on the budget, district services and initiatives and, more importantly, answer your questions and listen to your concerns and recommendations on how we can continue to improve our organization for both employees and students.

We know that communication can always be improved upon and we are very focused on that. This year we are trying out a variety of ways to increase communication districtwide. These forums are part of our internal communications plan to keep you informed on district activities and issues that may affect you and our students. Not everyone is able to attend the forums so we plan on distributing the questions and answers from the forums so that everyone can benefit. We have also reviewed the recommendations received in the employee forum exit survey and, based on some of those recommendations, plan to make changes to the forums scheduled for March 2017.

On November 8 and 9, we are holding two "Lunches with the Chancellor," at OEC and CEC providing employees an opportunity to discuss issues and answer questions in a smaller group setting. An invitation to these lunches went out last week. In the spring, these lunches will move to SAC and SCC. We are always open to suggestions on how to continue to improve two-way communication so if you want to share your ideas or have any questions, please feel free to call or email me directly.

Workplace Bullying

One of the anonymous questions that we received as a result of the employee forums had to do with workplace bullying. One RSCCD employee asked whether workplace bullying could be considered grounds for disciplinary action. The answer is unequivocally yes.

Bullying is against district policies. It does not matter who does it. Whether he or she is a classified employee, a manager, an administrator, or a faculty member, nobody is above these policies. RSCCD will not condone bullying in the workplace, period.

As we said at each forum, we sincerely hope that the person who sent us this anonymous question will connect with Alistair Winter in Human Resources. We want to look into this allegation and ensure that all of our employees work in a safe environment. Likewise, if you are a victim of bullying or witness a colleague being bullied, please contact Alistair with the particulars about the incident. Only by working together can we ensure a positive working environment for all of our employees.

Your Work Matters

As you know, we are all here to serve students. Of course, the most important work that happens on our campuses happens in the classroom. It is where raw potential is turned into a successful future. Nevertheless, a lot happens outside of the classroom that is a part of and impacts student success. As a former researcher, I often read students' exit surveys and learned what truly mattered to them in college. Of course, they often mentioned the positive impact of a particular instructor, but it didn't stop there. I read many comments about how a custodian, an administrative assistant, an admissions representative, or a counselor contributed to their college experience and success. They spoke of the campus employee who smiled at them every day and was one of the first to acknowledge them. These moments helped them believe in themselves and move ahead toward their higher education and life goals. The fact is we are all part of something bigger than our individual roles at RSCCD. No matter what your job is, your work matters to the success of our students. Thank you for everything you do.

As always, I welcome your feedback, have a great week.

All the best,

Raúl