Reports to the Board of Trustees
Each month, Interim President Coon gives a report on college activities, honors and achievements during the regular meeting of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees.
For previous reports, please see the board reports archive.
Board Meeting of August 10, 2026
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Leadership |
Around Campus |
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News and Media |
Partnerships |
Leadership
Welcoming Christopher Dela Rosa as Incoming Interim President
Chancellor Lee Lambert shared in a campuswide message July 28 that Dr. Christopher Dela Rosa will serve as interim president of De Anza College starting September 1, following the conclusion of Interim President David Wain Coon's
term on August 31.
Dela Rosa has been part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District since September 2024, serving as vice chancellor of business services and chief business officer. He has spent more than 28 years in higher education, including teaching and administrative leadership roles at community colleges and universities. His experience spans instruction, technology, finance, operations and organizational leadership, with a demonstrated commitment to collaboration, problem-solving and student success.
Chancellor Lambert offered his gratitude to Interim President Coon for his leadership and service to De Anza College while welcoming Dela Rosa to this new role. The campus community had an oportunity
to meet Dela Rosa at an informal gathering on campus on August 5.
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District will continue its recruitment process for a permanent president while Dela Rosa serves in the interim position.
Top: Incoming Interim President Christopher Dela Rosa greets members of the De Anza campus community; above: Dela Rosa, right, with Vice President of Instruction Ram Subramaniam
News and Media
De Anza Ranks High for Online Degrees
De Anza was ranked third on Forbes Advisor's Best Online Associate Degrees listings, published July 24.
Forbes said it analyzed nearly 3,000 schools, evaluating factors including affordability, credibility and student outcomes, to find the best online associate degrees.
The publication found that De Anza had the best graduation rate, at 70%, and the highest median postgraduate earnings, at nearly $60,000.
The ranking reflects the care and rigor De Anza faculty, staff and students bring to every course and program, whether online or in person, said Interim President David Wain Coon.
But it also speaks to the college’s embrace of the whole student with wrap-around support services and rich learning communities that help students stay connected and on track to reach their goals.
“This ranking is a testament to our students and the people who serve them,” said Coon. “De Anza students succeed, and our community of professionals is here
to do everything we can to support them."
Sharing our Work in Learning Abstracts
De Anza College’s unique integration of Villages, Learning Communities and basic needs support was featured in an article in the August edition of Learning Abstracts, a monthly online publication by the League for Innovation in the Community College that focuses on student learning, teaching strategies and academic success.
Penned by Vice President of Instruction Ram Subramaniam and Vice President of Student Services Michele LeBleu-Burns, The Evolution of an Ecosystem: How De Anza College Fuels Student Success Through Integrated Support describes how we developed our synergistic model and the early results it’s producing. It will be featured in the next issue of "League Connections," the League's monthly newsletter.
We’re excited to share our work of weaving these pillars together and building toward the systemic change we aim to create.
Alumni Spotlight: Rey Claude Villaseñor
Recent graduate Rey Claude Villaseñor — a 2026 DeHart Scholarship winner — was featured in a YaleNews article about the
Warrior-Scholar Project, Warrior-Scholar Project: Answering the call of military service and college. The article describes his military service, participation in the WSP boot camp and
his time at De Anza, where he founded the Veteran Scholar Society.
Villaseñor is transferring to Cornell University this fall.
New Videos: Rising Scholars, Career Training
Our multimedia team has been hard at work creating several great new videos that demonstrate the inclusivity, depth and value of the educational opportunities at De Anza College.
Rising Scholars: Covering the remarkable Rising Scholars program, which supports students who were previously incarcerated or had other experiences
with the criminal justice system, or who have been affected by a family member’s incarceration.
Career Training: Highlighting our courses designed by industry experts to provide the skills in demand by employers.
Paralegal Studies- Photography
- Business, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Facility and Sustainable Building Management
Around Campus
Making the Most of Summer: Summer Session and Summer Academy
Between summer session and Summer Academy, campus has been abuzz during these warm months. Here is an update on both of these valuable offerings.
Summer Session
Summer session began June 29, with many students joining us for summer courses to speed up their progress, catch up on credits or finish tough prerequisites quickly.
This summer we’re offering 576 sections, with most — nearly 70% — online. We have nearly 2,000 full-time students attending.
Summer Academy
We also ran another very successful Summer Academy, which offers enrichment classes for students in middle and high school during the summer months. Summer Academy 2026 began June 29 and completed its four-week session July 24, serving students in grades 6–12 each weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Enrollment: The program served 532 students across 1,124 total filled seats, a 12% increase year over year. Students could enroll in up to four one-hour classes; the average student took 2.11 classes, reflecting strong engagement within the program. In total, 68 class sections were offered across a broad range of subjects.
Program Mix: Offerings spanned both academic enrichment (math, science, writing, reading) and pre-career exploration (leadership, public speaking, robotics, 3D printing, digital art and design, coding). Among new additions, financial literacy (Money Mastery for Teens) stood out as the most successful launch, resonating strongly with families and filling quickly.
Campus Partnerships: Summer Academy continued to draw on De Anza's own strengths, partnering with Physical Education, De Anza Planetarium and the Euphrat Museum of Art to enrich the student experience with campus resources not available elsewhere.
Campus and Community Impact: Summer Academy's continued growth reflects strong local demand for enrichment and supervised summer programming. The Academy has become a reliable option for families in the surrounding area, drawing them back year after year and reinforcing the campus's role as a community hub for young students and families.
Partnerships
De Anza, Tesla Partner to Launch Engineering Technician Training
In partnership with Tesla, De Anza announced the launch of a structured, hands-on training program for the company's incoming engineering technicians, marking the college's growing role as a workforce training partner for Silicon Valley employers.
Co-developed with Tesla, the 480-hour curriculum draws on De Anza's expertise in Automotive Technology and Design and Manufacturing Technologies, preparing participants for work in Tesla's test engineering, R&D and manufacturing environments.
The first cohort of 15 technicians, selected directly by Tesla, began on July 20. The current agreement covers two cohorts, with additional cohorts anticipated.
The collaboration reflects our broader commitment to providing industry-connected workforce training that responds to the evolving needs of Silicon Valley employers.
The collaboration also provides opportunities to inform future educational pathways for students interested in advanced manufacturing, automotive technology and related technical careers.