Gathering with family and friends is especially significant this holiday season as we re-establish relationships strained by the necessary actions taken to reduce COVID-19 infections and deaths. Although COVID-19 has yet to move beyond a pandemic to the long-awaited endemic stage, this holiday season is still a great time to reflect on what we are thankful for, and what we want to see in the future.

And College of the Redwoods has a lot to be grateful for this academic year. Notably, the fact that we have been able to safely reopen our campuses and provide in-person classes and activities while minimizing COVID-19 cases is an accomplishment. We are grateful for our hard-working students who are persisting semester by semester. We are appreciative of our resourceful faculty and staff who have navigated the various pandemic-related protocols to make sure that we were able to maintain continuity in the high-quality instruction and services we provide to our community.

As the end of the fall semester moves steadily closer, I would like to highlight a few additional things College of the Redwoods is grateful for. After a long hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, CR hosted face-to-face intercollegiate athletic contests in cross country, volleyball, and basketball. We received a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Education Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity grant that will help us support our distance education technology and reinforce our dual enrollment relationships with our high school partners.

The college, in partnership with Forefront Power, has made steady progress on completing the feasibility study for a new solar microgrid for the Eureka campus, and we are optimistic that the solar microgrid will be operational sometime in 2023.

The Board of Trustees approved a recommendation to award a contract to the S&B James Construction Company to build a new Creative Arts Building on the Eureka Campus. We look forward to beginning the construction of this long-awaited building in 2022. Additionally, the state-approved funding to build a new Physical Education/Field House complex. We anticipate beginning the construction of the PE Complex in 2023.

We were able to interact with many of our regional economic and education partners to discuss the future of College of the Redwoods. These inspiring discussions included numerous CR advocates who shared their thoughts on how we can better contribute to the economic vitality of our region and prepare students for great job opportunities with area employers.

One result of these interactions is the tiny home partnership with the Hoopa Tribe. This collaboration will allow us to offer our Construction Technology-89 (Tiny House Construction) at the long-dormant Hoopa Modular Construction facility. Upon completion, the college will transfer ownership of the units to the Hoopa Tribe to use at the Kimtu recreation area, which will generate additional rental revenue and provide housing to tribal members during important events.

While we are grateful for all we accomplished this year, we remain aware that the effects of COVID-19 are still with us, and that the times we live in are still difficult for many. This is why I would like to remind the community of the many ways you can give to College of the Redwoods and support the academic aspirations of students from our community.

• The Redwoods Room & Board Scholarship Fund supports students struggling to find a safe place to sleep and enough food to eat while dedicating themselves to earning an education.
• Donations to the athletic department or to a specific team provides academic and sports opportunities to 250 student-athletes.
• The Pelican Bay Scholars program provides face-to-face college courses to incarcerated students in the far northern region of California. Donated funds will be used as scholarships for students who are continuing their education on the outside and need access to educational resources such as laptops.
• Several scholarships provide individual students with much-needed funds for expenses outside of tuition and fees, and help to ensure they complete their studies in a timely manner, without long-term debt.

You can donate to these and other programs on the CR Foundation website at https://www.redwoods.edu/foundation.

I truly hope that in the coming weeks, everyone will be able to safely gather with family and friends and take some time to reflect on what means the most to them. I know that I, personally, am extremely appreciative to serve as president of this amazing institution, and have the privilege of working with remarkable faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees members who share a passion for education, enhancing student success, and bringing hope to our communities.

Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.