February 22, 2025

 

A Message from
Chancellor Sonya Christian 

 

CEO Colleagues:                                                                 

On February 20 some of you received a letter from the United States Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to compel compliance with two Executive Orders signed on January 20th Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The letter seeks to prevent college and districts from using federal funding for programs and projects that use “terminology and project components” to promote a diverse and accessible federal workforce.

In the letter, BLM directs colleges that effective immediately, “all project components that conflict with” the Executive Orders must stop, and no further costs related to the conflicting project components should be incurred.

Yesterday, Kathy Lynch, our General Counsel, sent me information that might be helpful to you as you work with your legal counsel and college leadership.

On February 21st, a federal court in Maryland issued a preliminary injunction to preclude the federal government from enforcing the Executive Order that concerned “DEI programs and preferencing.” The court ruled that the order was unconstitutionally vague and violated the defendants’ rights to freedom of speech. “The preliminary injunction factors weigh in favor of issuing a preliminary injunction against the Termination Provision, the Certification Provision, and part of the Enforcement Threat Provision.” Federal agencies are enjoined from enforcing the order against anyone, including parties that did not participate in the litigation. Here is the court’s memorandum opinion.

A motion is also pending to seek a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the other Executive Order, which concerns “gender ideology.” The motion appears to be based on many of the same grounds as the one discussed above. Here is AG Rob Bonta’s press release regarding that motion.

If you experience any delays in scheduled payments or receive letters from any federal agencies (the Department of Education, BLM or otherwise), please notify our office immediately.  Chris Ferguson (CFerguson@cccco.edu) is collecting this information and will keep key state agencies informed.

Your leadership is critical to continuing the work to ensure all Californians have access to a higher education without barriers – one that will provide them with the skills needed to compete in our rapidly changing workforce, in high-demand fields that provide good paying career opportunities while strengthening our state’s economy.

Thnx
sonya

 

 

February 18, 2025

 

A Message from
Chancellor Sonya Christian

 

CEO Colleagues:

By now many of you have seen the February 14, 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (Department). Without identifying any specific educational institution or program, the letter declares the Department’s general belief that any policies intended to promote racial diversity violate existing federal law. The letter says that even some policies we believe are racially neutral may be unlawful if they rely on “proxies or other indirect means” to promote diversity. The Department states that any educational institutions failing to comply with the Department’s interpretation of the law may face potential loss of federal funding.

The Department’s letter acknowledges that it does not change the law or otherwise have the effect of law but rather it merely provides notice of how the Department interprets existing federal law.

It will be up to the courts to decide whether the Department’s interpretation of the law is correct and, if so, 1) what that law means in particular situations and 2) whether a violation of the law allows the Department to withhold any particular federal funding. The courts will address the issues incrementally based on the facts of each case.

While the letter implies that a policy may be unlawful even if consistent with Proposition 209, it is important to remember that Proposition 209 already prohibits the California Community Colleges from “discriminate[ing] against, or grant[ing] preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.”  

The Chancellor’s Office is actively and regularly in conversations with our state and federal partners. We will work swiftly to provide as much clarity, guidance, and support as we can to help our colleges remain focused on serving students without disruption.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a press release last week providing guidance for businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives in the workplace. The release states that for decades, state and federal courts have consistently recognized that DEIA policies do not amount to impermissible discrimination. In fact, Attorney General Bonta says that decades of research and data demonstrate that properly developed and implemented DEIA initiatives help prevent unlawful discrimination and ensure that discriminatory conduct is promptly identified, reported and addressed when it does occur. The evidence makes clear the impact of these efforts to the students, faculty, and staff of our system and to the future of California.

As always, I encourage you to continue your critical work in alignment with state and federal laws, regulations, and our shared goal of expanding educational opportunities, strengthening student pathways, and supporting workforce development to meet California’s economic needs. Our mission remains unchanged: ensuring that every student can succeed and providing them the support to do so.

Please continue to reassure faculty, staff, administrators, and students that our existing programs will continue for the foreseeable future, and to contact their Member of Congress if they are concerned.

If you experience any delays in scheduled payments from any federal agencies (the Department of Education or otherwise), please notify our office immediately.  Chris Ferguson is collecting this information and will keep key state agencies informed.  We are not always aware of every situation “on the ground,” but at this time, nearly all freezes/pauses on federal funding have been blocked by court orders, and funding to both campuses and students should be flowing as usual.

As I wrap up, please note that the League will be hosting a webinar on February 26th, Wednesday, at 9:00 am.  Please plan on participating along with your executive leadership.

Thank you all for your continued leadership and commitment to our students. 

thnx
sonya

 

 

January 29, 2025

 

Trump rescinds freeze on federal funding

 

"The Office of Management and Budget has rescinded its call for a pause on federal assistance, according to the agency's memo shared by Democracy Forward, which led a legal challenge over the effort." -NPR Washington Desk

 

 

January 28, 2025

 

The Department of Education confirmed that direct student loans and Pell Grants will not be interrupted despite the broad federal funding pause. We anticipate further guidance from the DOE, but late this afternoon, a U.S. District Court judge paused the freeze on grants and loans. 

 

Dear SBVC Students,

We understand that recent news about a federal funding freeze may have caused concern and anxiety. We want to reassure you and provide clarity on how this might affect your financial aid.

First and foremost, we want to emphasize that according to the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans will not be impacted by this freeze. Your financial aid through these programs will continue as normal, without interruption or delay.

Key points:

  • Pell Grants and Direct Loans are currently not known to be affected and we expect them to be disbursed as usual.
  • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year has not been impacted at this time.
     

We recognize that this situation may still cause worry, especially given the initial confusion surrounding the announcement. Please know that SBVC continues to monitor the situation and is here to support you through uncertainties you may face during your educational journey.

If you have specific questions or concerns about your financial aid, we encourage you to reach out to our Financial Aid office, faid@valleycollege.edu or come and visit the Financial Aid Office in ADSS 106. Our staff is ready to assist you and provide personalized guidance.

For additional resources and support, please visit our SALA (Services Advancing Learning for All) website.

We are committed to keeping you informed about any developments that may affect your education. Your success and well-being are our top priorities, and we will continue to advocate for your needs.

Stay strong and remember that we're in this together.