More than 170 CSM faculty and staff took part in a day of presentations, panels and professional development workshops designed to engage the campus community for Flex Day on October 10, twice as many as attended last year. It was the highest number of faculty and staff attending a nonmandatory Flex Day. CSM closed its administrative offices so that all staff could attend.

The day began with College updates by President Mike Claire, Academic Senate President Jeramy Wallace, and Classified Senate President Fauzi Hamadeh. President Claire shared the progress on CSM’s Educational Master Plan (first draft is ready for campus circulation); the searches underway for Vice President of Instruction, Dean of Language Arts, and Dean of Planning, Research, Innovation and Effectiveness; accreditation (institutional report will be finished this summer with a site visit in fall 2019); budget and the revival of a campus Finance Committee; and the stellar performance of CSM’s first year of the Year One Promise program. Jeramy Wallace, entertained the audience with a report on academic senate business while holding his five-month-old son, Charlie, in his arms. The Classified Senate report covered updates on the new transportation committee and the importance of staff getting more involved.

CSM’s Guided Pathways team presented two sessions. In the first, a packed house listened to a panel of four students discussing their experiences with student support services and the challenges they face at CSM. The GP team then provided an overview of the process to date at CSM and the next steps as CSM focuses on designing its new pathways this spring. Faculty and staff also flocked to sessions on program review, employee benefits, educational equity, supporting undocumented students, and other topics.