Fresno City College President Denise Whisenhunt said her time in office so far has been defined by listening, to help her understand the needs of students, faculty and the overall community. 

“I’ve been trying to listen rather than assume,” Whisenhunt said.

Since stepping into her role, Whisenhunt has done what she described as a “listening tour,” meeting with hundreds of people across campus, including student government, faculty and students.

 Through these conversations, one theme stood out to her.

“Time and time again from students and staff, is that they love the school,” Whisenhunt said. 

That feedback shaped her early priorities, which includes strengthening connections within FCC and continuing to build a strong community.

Whisenhunt plans to introduce many ways to keep the FCC community involved, an example being celebrating FCC’s 115th anniversary. This includes more community events such as the “night walk” on April 30 highlighting FCC’s history.

Whisenhunt emphasized that understanding FCC’s legacy can play a big role in building school pride.

“I just wanted to create that sense of pride that’s already existing, kind of elevate those voices by connecting us to our roots,” Whisenhunt said.

One of the most important concerns by students was the district’s ICE protocol, which had caused some confusion for students. The protocol asked students to notify the president’s office if approached by an ICE agent and also call the State California Community College Police Department. Whisenhunt said FCC is actively working to improve communication and clarity.

“Our commitment to make this a safer place for students is important for all students,” Whisenhunt said.

Efforts to improve the protocol includes expanding information to FCC’s website and continuing to talks with student groups and clubs. 

“This has been an ongoing thing that we’re working on,” Whisenhunt said. “We’re in troubling times, and we’re really trying to do as best we can.”