Professional Development

Professional Development Day, Fall 2025

Everything you need to know about Professional Development Day

Graphic to go along with the theme - Planting the Seeds: Nurturing Change showing people and flowers

We want to hear from you! Please fill out the anonymous evaluation survey for Fall 2025 PD Day.

Professional Development Day took place on Thursday, August 28, 2025

Schedule:

8 AM - 3:45 PM

From 8 - 8:15 AM, and 10 - 10:40 AM, coffee and tea was served in the SMC Main Campus Pavilion (Corsair Gym).

Lunch was from 12:15 - 1:15 PM in the Pavilion and  catered by Tut's Authentic Egyptian Cuisine. 

The theme for Fall Professional Development Day was Planting the Seeds: Nurturing Change.

The theme Planting the Seeds: Nurturing Change is a call to action - an invitation to imagine the powerful transformation that begins with small, intentional steps, much like planting seeds in a garden. We invite you to reflect on how each of us plays a role in cultivating a more equitable and inclusive campus community.

Through the insights of Dr. Garcia, we will grow in our understanding of what it truly means to serve our students, especially as a minority-serving and a designated Hispanic-serving institution. Dr. Garcia will guide us in exploring how intentional practices can transform our work, both inside and outside the classroom, and within our student support services. This day is about planting meaningful seeds of change that lead to lasting impact for all.

This day is about tending to the soil, planting seeds of equity, and nurturing them with purpose - so that together we grow a campus culture where all can thrive.

 

Although there are a small amount of HyFlex/Zoom options in the afternoon, we want to encourage everyone to come to campus! Stronger connections form when we share the same space and spend meaningful time together. Please note, though certain workshops were designed with a specific employee group in mind, in the spirit of professional development, every session is open to all employees at SMC.

Lunch is from 12:15 - 1:15 PM. For anyone who didn't RSVP, meals will be available on a first come, first served basis. Please note: we will have a variety of options to cater to different dietary needs.

Opening Addresses and Keynote 

Session Time Title and Description Link/ location

8:15 - 10:00 AM

Welcome and Keynote by Dr. Gina Garcia

  • Welcome by Brian Rodas, Ashanti Blaize, and Abigail Orosz 
  • Dr. Sara Nieves-Lucas will give a meaningful land acknowledgment.

Keynote: Servingness 2.0: An Updated Approach to Hispanic-serving institutions in Practice. 

Presenter: Dr. Gina Garcia

Join us for this transformative keynote by Dr. Gina Garcia, the author of the book Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions for Equity & Justice. Dr. Garcia encourages audience members to think about how committing to equity and justice is grounded in organizational change and transformation.  

Servingness is common vernacular in the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) community. But what does it really mean and how do you advance it in practice? In this keynote, Dr. Garcia defines servingness and discusses the soon-to-be released Servingness 2.0 Framework (expected 2026), which extends the original model and includes new dimensions. She lays out the updated framework, providing a definition of the “structures for serving” and offering examples of how HSIs are transforming to better serve their students. She also complicates the “indicators of serving,” providing examples of how HSIs can assess their progress toward student success, liberation, and thriving. Moreover, the updated framework includes active “servingness processes” and “barriers to servingness,” making it more dynamic. Dr. Garcia challenges the audience to think about servingness as a multidimensional concept that can be addressed by every person on campus, for all students, and across all enrollment-based MSIs including HSIs, AANAPISIs, and Black-Serving Institutions. 

SMC Main Campus Pavilion (Corsair Gym)

This will be an in person event but has been recorded and will be available for SMC employees to view soon!

Here is Dr. Gina Garcia's slide deck from the keynote.

 

Coffee and Community in the Pavilion (Corsair Gym) from 10:00 - 10:40 AM

Planting the Seeds: Nurturing Change

Session Time Title and Description Link/ location

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
  • State of the College Address by Dr. Kathryn Jeffery, Superintendent/ President
  • Brief remarks from Jose Hernandez, new President of the Managers Association; Cindy Ordaz, President of CSEA and Dr. Vicenta Arrizon, new Academic Senate President. 
  • The Dream Resource Center Advisory team will be giving a presentation entitled "From Seed to Sanctuary: Growing a Culture of Servingness for Undocumented Students."​

SMC Pavilion (Corsair Gym)

This will be an in person event but recorded for future viewing.

Lunch Event in the Pavilion (Corsair Gym)

Lunch will be provided from 12:15 - 1:15 PM

Please join us in person in the Pavilion (Corsair Gym) for a delicious lunch from Tut's Authentic Egyptian Cuisine. 

Please join your SMC colleagues for some (unofficial) college community- building after your work day today! 

Time: 4 - 5:30 PM

Location:  Cosetta | 3150 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica 90405

We’ve got a section reserved, so pop on by this (no host) event!

In the meantime, enjoy the plethora of afternoon workshops starting at 1:30 PM! See more below.

Breakout Sessions Schedule

Check out our breakout sessions by clicking the yellow + signs below.

General Questions and Guidelines

Check out our frequently asked sessions by clicking the yellow + signs below.

Classified Professional FAQ

Check out our frequently asked questions by clicking the yellow + signs below.

Faculty FAQ

Check out our frequently asked questions by clicking the yellow + signs below.

If you have any questions about Professional Development Day, contact epicenter@smc.edu.