Faculty play an extremely vital role at College of the Redwoods. Because we rely on our faculty across all disciplines to inspire students to lifelong learning, recruiting the very best faculty members, those who love to teach and are willing to dedicate their time to their students and the classroom, remains a top priority at the College. Once they are here, we want to encourage professional development and personal growth that will make them even better educators. Toward that end, CR has introduced two major faculty initiatives.
The first is an interdisciplinary hiring initiative to recruit extraordinary full-time faculty, skilled in new high-demand career education areas important to local economic development and to help the college continue to offer exceptional instruction in the study of liberal arts and humanities, which fosters critical thinking and leadership skills.
In Del Norte County, our prison education initiative at Pelican Bay State Prison has swelled from a small number of students in our first year of teaching to over 450 students today. Time and again we hear how important this program is to our incarcerated students and how invaluable education is for rehabilitation. Many of these students have never had a positive educational experience before prison and it is a leading factor in what got them there in the first place.
We are currently recruiting for business, English composition, and social work and human services faculty in Del Norte. This will ensure that more students than ever can earn their associate’s degree and go on to become productive members of society.
On our Eureka campus, we are replacing many faculty who retired over the last few years in agriculture, computer information systems, forestry and natural resources, library studies, physical education, and welding technology, but we are also hiring two new positions in aquaculture and Native American studies. These new and ongoing programs directly relate to future workforce needs in our area, and will prepare students for a seamless transition to Cal Poly Humboldt if that is their goal.
Lastly, in our adult education program, we are hiring a new English composition position that will allow us to offer more free, college-prep classes to the community.
The second important faculty initiative will kick off next fall semester when we introduce a professional development program that will focus on supporting our newly hired faculty members through their first year. This collaborative administration, Academic Senate and faculty union orientation program will prepare our new faculty members for the idiosyncrasies of teaching at CR, expand their pedagogical expertise, and reinforce our shared commitment to promoting heterodoxy, trust, and a culture of curiosity, risk-taking, and innovation that leads to exceptional teaching.
This investment in faculty hiring and training is particularly important now as we position the College of the Redwoods to thrive in a post-pandemic education landscape. I believe these initiatives will propel CR into the top tier of community colleges in California, will reinforce our academic connection with Cal Poly Humboldt, and help us expand and prioritize offerings that prepare students for living wage jobs.
I want to thank our Cal Poly Humboldt partners and our community for their steadfast support for College of the Redwoods. As ever, your support in invaluable.
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.
