United & Strong · United Faculty / NOCCCD / CCA / CTA / NEA
Incumbent trustee, Board President and community college faculty member seeks re-election to the North Orange County Community College District Area 1 Board of Trustees in the November 3, 2026 General Election.
United Faculty (CCA/CTA/NEA) endorses Dr. Barbara Dunsheath for re-election to NOCCCD Trustee Area 1, a seat that sets policy for Fullerton College, Cypress College and NOCE (North Orange Continuing Education). Area 1 voters in Cypress, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Anaheim can confirm their registration and find Vote Centers and drop boxes at ocvote.gov, the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
The Endorsement
United Faculty endorses Dr. Dunsheath because of the potential for a stronger working relationship between faculty and the Board. Dr. Dunsheath sought UF's endorsement, and UF expects her to bring faculty concerns to the Board's table.
Why Dr. Dunsheath
- A faculty member on the Board. Dr. Dunsheath has been a community college professor for more than 30 years and continues to teach at East Los Angeles College. She holds an Ed.D. and has chaired the Women/Gender Studies Department at East Los Angeles College.
- A long record of Board service. She has served on the NOCCCD Board of Trustees since 2005 and has held the office of Board President in 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026.
- Statewide leadership. She was sworn in as President of the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) Board in May 2026. The CCCT Board takes positions on education policy before the Board of Governors and the Legislature. She also received the Community College League of California's Fulfilling the Trust Award.
- Experience across the work of the colleges. Her background includes accreditation, faculty professional development and distance education, and she is a co-founder of the California Community Colleges Women's Caucus.
- A focus on students. She has said, "Students are our guiding stars."
What United Faculty Asks of Dr. Dunsheath
United Faculty looks to Dr. Dunsheath to use her experience on the Board to make decisions, ask questions and invite faculty to participate in important trustee decision-making. As a faculty member who works with students, she brings a perspective the Board benefits from.
Public comment is where faculty, students and community members reach the Board. District agendas direct speakers to complete a "Request to Address Board of Trustees" card. Comments on agenda items are taken as the Board takes up those items, and comments on matters not on the agenda are heard at the end of all other public session business, with a three-minute limit.
UF members report that recent changes to the process make public comment difficult and, at times, impossible. February 2025 revisions to BP 2345 (Public Participation at Board Meetings) and AP 2345, significantly altered the public comment process. Now speakers must submit a written request to the Board's Recording Secretary at the beginning of the meeting, summarizing the item and providing their name and organizational affiliation. Comments are scheduled at the end of a long meeting (with no official end time - it's common for a meeting to run up to 3 hours), and board member items can taken up without advance notice, leaving the constituents of the Trustees little chance to be heard.
The Brown Act provides that every regular meeting agenda shall give the public an opportunity to address the Board on any item of interest within its jurisdiction, before or during the Board's consideration of the item (Gov. Code § 54954.3(a)). It requires the agenda to be posted at least 72 hours before a regular meeting (Gov. Code § 54954.2(a)). NOCCCD Board Policy 2345, Public Participation at Board Meetings, cites section 54954.3.
UF asks Dr. Dunsheath, as Board President, to use her influence to revisit the process now, not only after the election:
- Hear public comment on each item before or during the Board's consideration, including any item added or taken up out of order.
- Place comment on matters not on the agenda at a point in the meeting that the public can reasonably reach.
- Remove procedural requirements, such as advance submission of questions, that keep members of the public from speaking.
Because Dr. Dunsheath sought UF's endorsement, UF expects she will use her influence to address this concern after her election in November, if not sooner.
How United Faculty Made This Decision
Dr. Dunsheath sought UF's endorsement and was interviewed at a UF candidate forum on September 23, 2026, and the Representative Council recommended her through a structured, scorecard-based process.
- Forum format: one-minute introductions, five prepared questions with two minutes per candidate per question, then open-floor Q&A.
- Schedule: the forum was set to conclude by 4:30 p.m., followed by closed deliberations.
- Scoring: scorecards used consensus-scale voting.
- Result: the Representative Council reached consensus in favor of endorsing Serrano.
What We Asked
Each prepared question tested the same standard: compliance, transparency and continuity in how the Board governs.
- The district's top two challenges over the next decade.
- State legislation and policy changes that will challenge the district.
- Board oversight of cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) compliance and dispute resolution.
- How the Board evaluates district human resources, legal and accountability functions, including compliance with PERB decisions.
- Board stewardship to address faculty recruitment and retention barriers that affect instructional quality and student access.
The endorsement reflects UF's judgment that the Board's working relationship with faculty can grow stronger with Dr. Dunsheath's continued service and engagement.
Vote in the November 3, 2026 General Election
Election Day is November 3, 2026. Vote-by-mail ballots have been going out since October 5, and every registered Orange County voter receives one.
- On your ballot: Governing Board Member, NOCCCD Trustee Area 1. Barbara Dunsheath, Trustee, North Orange County Community College District, Area 1.
- Who votes in Area 1: residents of portions of Cypress, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Anaheim. Check your address on the District's Where We Serve map.
- October 19: voter registration deadline. After that date, you can still register and vote in person.
- October 24: select Vote Centers open.
- October 31: all Vote Centers open.
- November 3: Election Day.
Return your ballot by mail (no postage needed), at a drop box, or at any Vote Center. Election officials recommend mailing it at least seven days before Election Day. For registration status, Vote Center and drop box locations, and hours, visit ocvote.gov, the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Have a question or concern? Bring it through your Rep Council member — that is the formal channel for accurate, timely response. See Leadership & Reps for your campus and division contacts.
Official UF updates are distributed only by email from UF role-based accounts and posted to UnitedFacultyNOCCCD.org.
