Yuba College will continue to meet the needs of the community
After approval from the Board of Trustees of the Yuba Community College District in June, I have the privilege to serve as the 12th president of Yuba College. As I said in the board’s meeting that night, I want to extend gratitude to the trustees, Chancellor Doug Houston, the hiring committee and the faculty, staff and students who have entrusted me with this role.
I will work every day to make you proud.
Between COVID-19, floods, and fires, our college and the communities we serve will need time and attention to recover, reactivate, reimagine and reform. Yuba College has and will continue to meet the needs of our community by educating and training our students to become the employable workforce our economy needs.
YC is working to reimagine our college for the fall semester in a way that balances progress for our students with the imperative to keep them and our faculty and staff safe.
I want to introduce myself to you and share some thoughts about what the future may look like for Yuba College in the longer-term.
My first experience with the area was as an active-duty Air Force officer stationed at Beale Air Force Base. I have returned to work and live here by choice. I started working in post-secondary education at a career and technical education school in Oklahoma. I knew right away that working in higher education was the right place for me.
YC will remain focused on providing the services that community colleges are well known for providing. The college will train the workforce for vital careers like healthcare, help people get back to work quickly through career programs, and be flexible to meet the needs of our current situation.
Community college students everywhere know that we are open access, committed to meeting them where they are, and dedicated to equitable success for all. You will see the college strengthen partnerships with the chambers of commerce, economic development corporation, local government, and business and industry leaders. We will come with our hands out and full of options to support our ability to develop and foster our economy.
Our college will also be committed to equity and inclusion. All students will not only feel welcome at our institution, but they will find themselves supported to succeed.
To close, my family and I are excited to be committed members of our community. I am looking forward to being a supportive partner, staunch student advocate, and leader focused on developing a faculty and staff that does their best possible work for Yuba and Sutter Counties. I invite you to email me with questions and feedback at tdotson@yccd.edu and look forward to working together. My goal will be to make every effort one that connects and lifts our community to greater heights.