2024 State of the College Address, Lake Tahoe Community College

This Is Coyote Country

Welcome to Coyote Country! As I stood before a packed house at this year's State of the College Address (SOCA), I set out to celebrate Lake Tahoe Community College ’s (LTCC) accomplishments and honor colleagues while cultivating a shared vision for the College’s path forward. This annual event, my 8th as President of LTCC, is one of my favorite opportunities to reflect on everything that makes LTCC special. Yes, it’s a chance to review achievements, but it is also about celebrating who we are as a community. This year, the theme "This is Coyote Country" gave us the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Coyote Country is about the people: the students, faculty, staff, and partners who create the dynamic and supportive environment that makes LTCC what it is today. The College’s strength comes from a sense of community and shared purpose. I want to thank all these people for their continued support, hard work, and dedication to making LTCC a great place for students to get an education.?

As LTCC transitions to a residential campus, we are not just expanding our physical footprint but deepening our commitment to serving students. Soon, the College will be a place where students live and learn, further enhancing the vibrancy and energy that already make this campus so special.

A Little College Doing Big Things

At LTCC, we often hear that we are “a little college doing big things,” and this phrase couldn’t be more accurate. While we may be a small institution, the impact we have on the students, community, and region is anything but little. This past year has been one of tremendous progress, marked by major milestones and achievements across the board.

One of the most significant aspects of Coyote Country is our federal designation as an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). This status is more than just a label; it reflects our ongoing commitment to serving a diverse student body. With 25% of LTCC students identifying as Hispanic or Latinx, we are dedicated to ensuring that all students have access to the resources and support they need to succeed.

Last year, we brought in Dr. Gina Garcia, a national expert on HSIs, to help LTCC better understand how we can lean into our HSI status and use it to benefit students and the community. We’re now making this identity more visible on campus with new signage that reflects our HSI distinction. When people step onto campus, I want them to see immediately that LTCC is a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.

Guided Pathways: A Commitment to Student Success

A cornerstone of LTCC is an ongoing commitment to Guided Pathways, an initiative that aims to transform how we guide students through their educational journeys. Guided Pathways is a comprehensive approach to making higher education more accessible, navigable, and achievable for every student.

During the past few years, LTCC has made significant progress on this front. We’ve clarified educational paths with the introduction of Meta Majors (groups of related academic and career paths), provided streamlined degree options, and enhanced career counseling services. Events like Coyote Kickoff, Meta Major events, and Tahoe Basin High School senior days have helped students find their paths and make informed decisions about their futures.

Our job doesn’t end when students arrive on campus. It’s LTCC’s responsibility to ensure they have the resources and support to stay on the path and succeed. We’ve expanded our wraparound services and financial support through scholarships and other basic needs services. On-campus housing, available next summer for qualifying students, will be another critical support for students, ensuring they have a stable environment in which to thrive.

Celebrating the Class of 2024

I am beyond excited that we closed the academic year with our largest commencement ceremony ever. The Class of 2024 was LTCC’s largest graduation class ever and included 329 graduates, earning 271 associate degrees and 184 certificates. It was also our most diverse graduating class, with nearly three-quarters of students coming from low-income backgrounds and more than a third being the first in their family to attend college.?

These numbers reflect our commitment to being a student-ready college: meeting students where they are and helping them achieve their goals.

Going From Good to Great

Author Jim Collins, who wrote the admired book Good to Great, speaks to the “flywheel effect” in building a great organization. Moving a flywheel requires consistently doing the little things supremely well to build meaningful and transformational momentum. We are focused on this concept at LTCC and have been building momentum for years to become a great institution. Some of the updates I shared that can be read in further detail in LTCC Annual Progress Update online at ltcc.edu/SOCA. Here are some highpoints of what was accomplished in the last year:

• The College is achieved notable enrollment growth, with an overall increase of 24% in face-to-face and online enrollments compared to the previous year, marking the highest levels of student enrollment in the college’s history. In the 2023-24 Academic Year, LTCC served more than 10,000 individual students representing 2191 Full-Time Equivalent Students. Talk about building momentum!
• Part of this growth is better serving our local community. South Tahoe High School had 44% of its graduating class attending LTCC during the 2023-24 academic year, the largest STHS capture rate in years.
• Mt. Tallac High School students saw 54% of their graduating class come to LTCC, almost double the number of students from the previous year.?
• The Lake Tahoe College Promise program has been building momentum since its inception in 2018. It’s on track to welcome its largest cohort with more than 300 students this year and growing. This program offers tuition-free education and robust support services to first-time students from throughout the entire Tahoe Basin and the state of California.
• A first-of-its-kind partnership with the United States Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center has granted more than 300 Credit for Prior Learning units to service members with demonstrated skills and knowledge in a particular field.?
• The number of Latinx students enrolling in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields has increased by more than 56% compared to the previous academic year, showing promising early results of the HSI STEM grant. Plus, the number of Latinx graduates earning a STEM degree doubled in 2024.?
• The vision of an Equipment Storage Facility, on LTCC’s master plan for almost 25 years, was finally realized. This critical infrastructure protects the college’s public safety equipment, maintenance equipment, busses, and more from those harsh Tahoe winters.?
• All facets of the Remodel for Efficiency Project, which gave needed updates to campus facilities, are complete and open to students as of this fall.
• LTCC’s new student housing complex is on track for a fall 2025 grand opening. You can find a recent video walkthrough on LTCC’s website. Additionally, off-site campus housing is getting a fresh update with new paint and new student furniture throughout the units.
• The 18-month celebration of LTCC’s 50th anniversary is in full swing. Upcoming events include Alumni Weekend (August 8-10th 2025) and LTCC’s 50th Anniversary Gala (May 10th, 2025).?

Throughout the SOCA, I was honored to highlight several students making key contributions to both the LTCC campus and more importantly to their future. Their stories are a testament to the transformative power of education and the support systems LTCC has built to ensure all students can succeed.? To hear more about the exciting things happening at LTCC, I encourage you to check out a quick video of the SOCA highlights at the following link: bit.ly/SOCA24Highlights.?

Coyote Country is on a path to greatness. The flywheel is gaining momentum here at LTCC, propelling us forward in support of students and the community. Together, let’s continue to push boundaries and show the world just how big this ‘little’ college can be.

#LTCC #WelcometoCoyoteCountry #HigherEd #CACommunityCollegeProud #CalCommColleges #SOCA #StateoftheCollegeAddress #Leadership #LakeTahoe #communitycollege #comm_college