Message from the President

Monday, Jan. 30, 2023

Dear Skagit Valley College community,

I would like to address and acknowledge the senseless and tragic events that have transpired recently, including the LGBTQ+ club shooting in Colorado, the Lunar New Year shooting in California, and the murder of Tyre Nichols in Tennessee. In solidarity with executive Cabinet members, I (we) adamantly condemn these acts of violence and remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantle the structural and institutional forms of racism that are perpetuated in our society. We remain focused on teaching and learning, and it is part of this mission that requires us to reflect and engage with our community to be part of the change.

We realize that these senseless acts of violence have caused devastation to individuals and communities and recognize the emotional impact and cumulative toll these repeated events can have on us. One of our SVC Guiding Principles is Compassion. I ask that we thoughtfully and deliberately live by this value as we seek to understand how we can support the communities that are most affected by the continuous trauma.

As part of our ongoing commitment, our programming will continue to reflect opportunities to engage and reflect on our anti-racist efforts. We encourage you to participate in these opportunities as they are advertised.

If you are experiencing distress related to these unfortunate events, please reach out to campus or community resources for support. Please remember that SVC campus resources are available to you, should you need them.

SVC Counseling Services – Counseling services are available for current or returning SVC students. To make an appointment, call 360.416.7654 or email [email protected].

For emergency counseling, referral, or assistance:

Employee Assistance Program: Call Health Promotions Northwest toll-free at: 800.244.6142.

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7: Call, text, or chat 988 to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Services will be available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 250 languages. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255.

The Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT), previously known as CPIT Outreach Team: 360.419.3640, 9 a.m. – 12 a.m. 7 days/week – is a mobile team with a chemical dependency professional and licensed mental health professional who can help by phone or in person.

Dial 911 for immediate assistance and health-related emergencies.

As we collectively face the impact of these recent tragedies, I ask that you be compassionate and supportive of one other.

Sincerely,

Christopher Villa, Ed.D
President, Skagit Valley College