Sam Bliss
Associate Vice President, Instruction
Sam Bliss is De Anza's associate vice president of Instruction, overseeing the Equity and Engagement Division and the Online Education and Learning Resources Division, which includes the Library and Online Ed Center. He also oversees the offices of Articulation and Transfer Services, Curriculum, Professional Development, Scheduling and other activities.
Before starting his current position in February 2024, Bliss served for eight years as dean of Community Education, overseeing the De Anza Child Development Center (CDC), Euphrat Museum of Art, Planetarium, and De Anza College Academy, all programs located on campus and deeply affiliated with divisions and departments across Instruction. During this time, he developed and expanded Community Education relationships within the divisions of Social Sciences and Humanities; Creative Arts; Physical Sciences, Math and Engineering; and Academic Services and Learning Resources.
He also served as interim dean of the Physical Education and Athletics Division in 2018-2019, and as co-interim dean of the Creative Arts Division in 2023.
Before coming to De Anza, Bliss was an English instructor and department chair at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, where he developed curriculum articulating with the University of California and served as director of the school's Summer and Independent Programs. He earned a master's degree in education from Santa Clara University and a bachelor's degree in English, with a focus on medieval literature, from Princeton University.
During his time as dean of Community Education, Bliss was responsible for managing and expanding programs that are highly regulated and financially self-sustaining. He also showed a commitment to equity through a series of measures – including reopening the Title I fund for the Planetarium, which enabled more underserved schools and students to participate; initiating the provision of fee waivers for the De Anza College Academy and establishing the college as the primary provider for the Extended Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) for low-income students in Cupertino schools; collaborating with the new CDC director on plans to increase slots for low-income and student parents; and, previously, expanding Bellarmine's summer programs to include significantly more students from targeted populations in underserved high schools.
Related Offices
The AVP of Instruction oversees the following areas and activities
- Affordable Textbooks and Materials
- Articulation and Transfer Services
- Catalog and Curriculum Office
- Equity and Engagement Division
- Guided Pathways
- Online Education and Learning Resources Division (includes the Library and Online Ed Center)
- Professional Development
- Scheduling
- Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant
- Tenure Review
Important Deadlines
Curriculum:
Scheduling: