Communication from the Chancellor
Happy Labor Day!
California Community Colleges Colleagues:
The opening weeks of an academic year bring a special kind of energy …. students returning to the fall semester, classrooms filling, new beginnings taking shape, and the thousand details that somehow need our attention all at once. We have been moving at quite a pace.
That makes this Labor Day weekend especially well timed …a moment to step away.
Labor Day carries a meaning that is relevant to community colleges. It recognizes the dignity of work and the people whose labor built our communities and continues to sustain them.
That is very much our story.
Faculty preparing for a new semester. Classified professionals helping a bewildered student find the right office. Counselors untangling schedules. Custodians getting classrooms ready. Trustees serving their communities. Student leaders welcoming their peers. Administrators solving the 37 things that somehow became urgent before 9:00 a.m.
This time of year also makes me think of Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, where I grew up. Onam is filled with flowers and tables set for sadhya, the wonderful feast traditionally served on a banana leaf with an impossible number of vegetarian dishes.
What I love most about Onam is what all that liveliness and food represents: community, homecoming, and the idea that everyone has a place at the table.
That feels very familiar …. Community colleges are places where everyone has a place at the table.
This weekend, stop thinking about enrollment reports, budgets, legislation, AI, accreditation, facilities
… or whatever else is sitting at the top of your inbox.
The problems will still be there on Tuesday….. I checked.
Instead, let’s exhale and take a little inspiration from the American poet Mary Oliver, who captures the feeling beautifully in her poem Today:
Today I’m flying low and I’m
not saying a word
…. I’m taking the day off.
Quiet as a feather.
Happy Onam!
Happy Labor Day!
Your colleague,
sonya
Publications
Chancellor Sonya Christian writes commentary to address key issues facing California higher education. These pieces typically highlight challenges such as access, equity, funding, and student success, while also proposing policy solutions and innovative practices. Through these writings, the Chancellor aims to influence public policy, share best practices, and foster dialogue among educators and stakeholders across the state.
2025
EdSource
December 21, 2025
Don’t fight veterans on earning college credit for their military experience
2024
EdSource
October 31, 2024
California climate initiative could unlock new opportunities for community college students
CalMatters
May 10, 2024
The emerging California job industry that is AI-proof | Opinion
2023
Lift Your Voice: Leadership Institute for Tomorrow
Issue #3
November 2023
Showcase of the voices of leaders who are shaping the landscape of education
EdSource
October 16, 2023
Community Colleges are Key to Solving California’s Toughest Challenges
System Webinars
Webinar Series
System webinars are available in the Vision Resource Center (VRC) and are located in the Chancellor’s Office System Webinars section. Login is required.
In the Media
This collection of articles and podcasts highlight how Chancellor Christian has furthered the work of the California Community Colleges. The articles provide diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the state’s community college system and recognize her contributions to driving systemic change and fostering innovation.
Featured Videos
Panels and Speaking Engagements
To the Field
Honoring the Heroes of the San Diego Mosque Tragedy
Today we honor the heroes whose courage helped prevent even greater tragedy at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
California Community Colleges Communication – Veterans Day 2025
Today, we pause to honor the veterans in our community – students, faculty, staff, and family members – who have served our nation with courage and commitment.
Supporting Our Students to Stay on Their Educational Pathway | Nov. 12, 2024
This last week, I received numerous messages from colleagues across our system and thought I would drop you a note.
Let me start by reaffirming that the California Community Colleges’ mission remains unchanged. Our colleges continue to be places of support and opportunity for everyone, including our undocumented students. Education empowers individuals to break cycles of poverty, shape their futures and contribute meaningfully to the world. Access to quality education must be universal, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, can learn, grow and thrive.
California Community Colleges Communication – Veterans Day 2024 | Nov. 10, 2024
As Veterans Day approaches, the California Community Colleges say thank you to our active-duty military, military veterans, military reservists, and dependents – thank you for your service and for protecting the freedoms we hold dear.
California community colleges are proud to support veterans and active-duty service members as they pursue education and new career paths. California is home to approximately 1.8 million veterans, and many turn to our community colleges for debt-free education and career training. Each year, over 30,000 veterans, active-duty members, and their families enroll in our colleges, gaining access to critical resources like Veterans Resource Centers, credit for prior learning, priority registration and mental health services.
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) | Nov. 10, 2024
It is a great time to be at the California Community Colleges.
The Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) initiative aims to recognize and validate the skills and abilities that have been gained by diverse learning experiences of our students and future learners, particularly veterans, apprentices, and working adults. By equating skills to college credit, we can accelerate progress toward degrees and certificates that align with industry needs. This effort will require unprecedented cooperation between our colleges, intersegmental partners, workforce agencies, labor unions, business leaders, industry, and community partners. You have heard me say over and over again that we are in the age of large-scale collaboration and cooperation.
Chancellor Christian Quoted
Below are some examples of Chancellor Sonya Christian being quoted in the media. Her comments reflect her leadership and commitment to advancing higher education in California.