At the start of the 2025-26 academic year at Redlands Community College, I introduced our campus theme: “Leading by Example.” This theme reflects our belief that education is about far more than textbooks and lectures. It is about putting our values into action, both on campus and throughout our broader community.

From our students to our faculty and staff, we are striving to lead by example every single day:

  • Affordability: We have kept tuition costs flat for eight consecutive years. This ongoing commitment reflects our belief that higher education must remain accessible and that financial barriers should be reduced.
  • Community Service: Students, faculty and staff volunteer their time and talents across Canadian County and beyond, serving local organizations and agencies. Their civic engagement demonstrates that education and service go hand in hand.
  • Leadership and Governance: Members of the Redlands community serve on numerous boards within our city, in communities across the state, and in statewide organizations, helping shape the future of education, workforce development, and community progress in Oklahoma.
  • Campus Leadership Development: We are intentional about cultivating leadership within our student body. Students are participating in programs such as the President’s Student Leadership Academy, Campus Ambassadors, Ag Ambassadors and Student Government. We also invest in our employees. This fall, all campus supervisors participated in a professional development workshop focused on effective leadership.
  • Student Support and Growth: We have expanded student mental health and medical-care services, recognizing that success requires support beyond the classroom. Additionally, Redlands has experienced eight consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, a testament to the quality and relevance of our programs.

We strive to model what our students can become: ethical professionals, informed citizens and community-minded leaders. When our campus lives out these values, our students internalize them and carry them forward into their own lives and careers.

This theme matters because the world our students will enter after graduation demands more than academic knowledge. It requires character. It requires commitment. It requires a willingness to step up, not just for personal success, but for the greater good. At Redlands, we believe that by leading by example, we prepare our students to do exactly that.

We are proud of the culture we are building, one where affordability, service, leadership and community engagement are not simply aspirations but everyday realities. We invite our friends and neighbors in El Reno, Canadian County and beyond to join us. Attend a campus event, volunteer with one of our student groups, partner with our faculty and staff in service, and help us strengthen our region together.

In education, as in life, the greatest lessons are rarely learned in the classroom alone. They are learned by watching others live the values they profess. That’s what we are doing at Redlands Community College: leading by example. And we invite you to watch, to join us and to lead, too.