The Campaign for College Opportunity has honored seven Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member institutions with its 2022 Excellence in Placement Awards in several categories.
“These colleges have championed student success by implementing equitable course placement practices that give community college students the opportunity to take college-level courses with the support,” the CCO announced recently.
The Campaign for College Opportunity is focused on a single mission: working to ensure all Californians have an equal opportunity to attend and succeed in college in order to build a vibrant workforce, economy and democracy.
CVHEC member honorees in the Campaign for College Opportunity statewide awards are:
Campuswide Transfer-Level English Enrollment for successfully supporting 100 percent of their students to enroll directly into transfer level English coursework:
• Clovis Community College
• Columbia College
• West Hills-Coalinga College
• Campuswide Transfer-Level Math Enrollment for successfully supporting 100percent of their students to enroll directly into transfer level Math coursework.
• Porterville College
Equity Distinction: Latinx Transfer-Level English Enrollment for successfully supporting with distinction 100 percent of their Latinx students to enroll directly into transfer level English coursework.
• Clovis Community College
• West Hills-Coalinga Community College
• Columbia College
Equity Distinction: Black Transfer-Level English Enrollment for successfully supporting with distinction 100 percent of their Black students to enroll directly into transfer level English coursework.
• Clovis Community College
• College of the Sequoias
• Reedley College
• Bakersfield College
• Cerro Coso College
Equity Distinction: Latinx Transfer-Level Math Enrollment for supporting with distinction Latinx student enrollment in transfer-level math, ensuring 100 percent of their Latinx students enroll directly into transfer-level Math coursework.
• Porterville College
Equity Distinction: Latinx Transfer-Level Math Throughput for successfully supporting with distinction at least 60 percent of their Latinx students who enrolled in a transfer-level Math course to successfully complete it within 1 year of their initial enrollment.
• West Hills-Coalinga
Equity Distinction: Black Transfer-Level Math Enrollment for successfully supporting with distinction 100 percent of their Black students to enroll directly into transfer- level Math coursework.
• College of the Sequoias
Equity Distinction: Black Transfer-Level Math Throughput for successfully supporting with distinction at least 60 percent of their Black students who enrolled in a transfer-level Math course to successfully complete it within 1 year of their initial enrollment.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CCOexcellenceawards22-image-1536x1024-1.png10241536Pablohttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CVHEC_logo_315.pngPablo2022-04-26 14:20:062022-05-03 14:20:58CCO Excellence in Placement Awards Honor CVHEC members
Top: Stephen Kodur, Nataly Frias and Veronica Mendez Garcia. Bottom: Alicia Bias, Brianna Zatarain and Isaac Bates.
CVHEC’s ‘Video Stars’ to Make Appearance at Summit May 6
A special feature of the 2022 CHEVC Summit will be participation by five students who were featured in two Central Valley Higher Education Consortium videos in the past year.
The Student Experiences Panel will feature four students and one alumnus including Stephen Kodur, a Reedley College Class of 2021 graduate who served as president of the California Community College Student Senate last year and is now on CCCSS staff as a community organizer, and Veronica Mendez Garcia, current student body president of Fresno Pacific University.
Both were featured in CVHEC’s broadband access video released last year highlighting disparity issues that the pandemic exposed. They will discuss those experiences as well as their collegiate experience in general.
Three other student panelists were also featured in a CVHEC video on dual enrollment that was released last month: Nataly Frias, a current Fresno State junior who earned two associate degrees at age 17 even before receiving her Turlock High School diploma last June; and two current high school students taking dual enrollment classes, Alicia Bias of Washington Union High School who is also enrolled in Fresno City College courses and Isaac Bates of Corcoran High School who is enrolled in College of Sequoias courses.
Also participating will be Brianna Zatarain who completed five dual enrollment courses through Bakersfield College while attending Robert F. Kennedy High School in Delano where she resides. She is now completing requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies at California State University, Bakersfield where the degree will be conferred in May before beginning her credential program at University of La Verne (Bakersfield) in the fall. Brianna currently works as a teacher’s aide in a McFarland elementary school with her sights set on a career as an educator.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CVHEC-video-collage-summit2-1536x994-1.jpg9941536Pablohttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CVHEC_logo_315.pngPablo2022-04-26 14:18:322022-05-03 14:19:24Summit News: Attendees Will Hear the Voice of Student Experiences
Greetings and welcome to our April CVHEC e-newsletter,
This is a special issue in that we highlight your first live Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit (May 5-6) in two years and inviting you to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the CVHEC.
This year’s summit with the theme, “The Post Pandemic World: Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley,” will focus on the good work the members of the consortium have been doing on their campus in spite of the limitations imposed on us all by the pandemic.
As the theme indicates, the conditions brought on by the shutdown of campuses due to the COVID19 virus highlighted some inequalities on our campuses that demanded attention. In the post pandemic world, our college and university campuses will be much more attentive and responsive to creating environments that take into account, equity, inclusion, diversity and social justice. If you will be joining us, we know you will find value in the panels on the program.
We also invite you to join us as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding of CVHEC in 2022. A special bonus for the day is the attendance of Dr. John Welty, President-Emeritus of California State University, Fresno and the founder of the Consortium. He will be joined by a couple of other founding members to discuss the origins and the issues that led to the establishment of CVHEC.
We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter and we look forward to seeing those of you who are able to join us May 5-6 at the summit (do come in for our Cinco de Mayo Reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday).
Apr 13, 2022 — The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Science Building at Fresno City College was held April 21 at the site near Weldon and Blackstone avenues. The new structure will serve as the new “front door” to the campus.
Construction on the $87 million project is underway and should be completed mid-2024 with occupancy expected in the fall. The new Science Building replaces the old one built on the FCC campus in 1973. Funding consists of $79 million from the 2016 Measure C facilities bond, $5 million from Fresno Unified School District, and $3 million from the FCC budget.
The 87,000 square foot building is three levels featuring modern labs across the science disciplines that include biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, math, and physics. Tutoring spaces and flexible study areas will be available for students.
“The new Science Building will be a signature building for California’s first college and features a strong architectural link to the college’s historical past while offering students a bright future. Professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields are undeniably in high demand. This new building has been thoughtfully designed to serve the educational needs of our students who are seeking education in STEM fields,” said Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District.
In addition to the Math, Science and Engineering Division it will also be home to Design Science Middle College High School, continuing a great partnership with Fresno Unified School District. Design Science Middle College High School offers a dual enrollment program that gives students the possibility to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time.
“Congratulations to Fresno City College on the construction of your new science building. We are grateful for our dual enrollment partnership with you and we know that our Design Science High School students will thrive here. Thank you for your commitment in helping our students achieve their greatest potential,” said Bob Nelson, Fresno Unified School District Superintendent.
The new Science Building, designed by Lionakis Architects and being built by Harris Construction, is one of five building projects by Fresno City College. Other construction projects are a new parking structure across the street from the Science Building, a new Child Development Center adjacent to the building and off campus sites, the West Fresno Center on Church Avenue and the First Responders Center at North and Willow avenues.
“The Fresno City College groundbreaking is another demonstration of our commitment to the voters of Measure C. This new college facility will reshape the future of many generations to come,” added Dr. Goldsmith.
Those who wish to attend the Ground Breaking Ceremony in-person are asked to RSVP on Eventbrite
Feb 15, 2022 — The long-awaited First Responders Center is becoming a reality. After years of planning, the site has been purchased and construction is beginning.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new First Responders Center was held February 17 at 3300 W. North Avenue (northwest corner of North and Willow avenues). The event is avaibable on Facebook and YouTube.
The center will bring together all first responder programs, academies for police, fire, and EMT, into one 40-acre location. Currently, the FCC Fire Academy is located at the Career & Technology Center on Annadale Avenue and the Police Academy is located on the main campus behind Ratcliffe Stadium. The new facility will include fire training structures, a scenario village for police training, simulation spaces. a running track, and a driving pad. Funding for the $46.1 million project comes from Measure E ($45m) and Measure C ($1.1m). Measure E was approved by the voters in 2016 and Measure C in 2002.
Both the directors of the Fire Academy and the Police Academy are excited that they will have a state-of-the-art training site to prepare future first responders to best serve our community.
“The ability to put all our programs on one site will allow for several things. The two most important will be the building of relationships between programs at our level and second being able to interact with the community as a group and not three separate programs on three campuses,” said Peter Cacossa, Fire Academy Director.
Police Academy Director Gary Fief agrees. “The Police Academy is looking forward to having a facility to train our law enforcement, fire and emergency medical students serving our community so that they are well prepared for the challenges ahead of them,” he said.
The project is expected to be completed by late summer or early fall 2023. The center was designed by SIM-PBK Architects. The modular building construction contract was awarded to American Modular Systems.
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Presidential searches are underway at two CVHEC-member institutions: Fresno City College and Fresno Pacific University with public forums and interviews held this week.
At FCC, virtual public forums were held April 19 with four finalists in the search to fill the position vacated by the appointment of Dr. Carole Goldsmith to chancellor of SCCCD last year.
They are Dr. Cory Clasemann, Vice President for Student Success at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana; Dr. Lataria Hall, FCC Vice President of Student Services; Dr. Madjid Niroumand, Vice President of Student Services at Orange Coast College; and Dr. Robert Pimentel, FCC Vice President of Educational Services & Institutional Effectiveness. A decision is expected by ______, ? said Kathy Bonilla, FCC public information officer.
At Fresno Pacific, semifinalist interviews were held April 18 and 19 in the search for a 14th president to succeed Dr. Joseph Jones who announced his retirement effective this summer (or: ____ actual date?). The date for finalist review will be determined after the university’s May 7 commencement, reports Wayne Steffen, FPU associate director of Publications and Media Relations.
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Fresno State is one of just 10 institutions nationwide to earn the Excelencia in Education 2021 Seal of Excelencia certification this academic year, ensuring an unwavering commitment to intentionally serve Latino students, while serving all.
“This designation validates our ongoing commitment to closing education equity gaps for our talented students, through intentional efforts and proven services,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval.
Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced the certification last fall. The organization promotes Latino student achievement, conducts analysis to inform educational policies, and advances institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders.
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Funded by Measure C with matching funds from the state bond program (CA Prop 51), the project is scheduled for completion in fall 2023. Seals Construction has been awarded the contract to build the facility and Darden Architects designed the building.
Various Career Technology Education (CTE) programs will be housed in the building including Mechatronics, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Digital and Commercial Music and more. Measure C funding is providing new and modernized buildings for all State Center Community College District colleges and centers.
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Dr. Jones nearing retirement as Fresno Pacific University president
Dr. Joseph Jones, President – Fresno Pacific University
Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Jones, who will be retiring as president of Fresno Pacific University this summer after nearly five years of faithful service.
FPU Board of Trustees Chair Joshua Wilson, J.D., announced the retirement last fall saying, “On behalf of the FPU Board of Trustees I want to thank Joe and Yvette for their faithful service to the university and to the communities the university serves. We wish them all the best in their future journey and pray for God’s blessing on them.”
Dr. Bennett announces retirement as Clovis Community College president
Dr. Lori Bennet, President – Clovis Community College
Congratulations to Dr. Lori Bennett, who informed the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors earlier this month that she will retire as president of Clovis Community College effective January 2023.
President Bennett was appointed to serve as the second president of Clovis Community College in July, 2016.
Dr. Marlon Hall Named Interim President Of Fresno City College
Dr. Marlon Hall
Interim President – Fresno City College
Congratulations to Dr. Marlon Hall on his appointment to serve as interim president of Fresno City College by State CenterCommunity College District Chancellor Carole Goldsmith in January.
He replaces Dr. Goldsmith who was appointed SCCCD chancellor in December. A search for the next FCC president is currently underway.
Dr. Carole Goldsmith, who was named the 11th chancellor of the State Center Community College District last month, was confirmed by the SCCCD Board of Trustees Dec. 14 and begins her new position on Jan. 1. She fills the position vacated when Dr. Paul Parnell retired on July 6.
Dr. Carole Goldsmith
Dr. Goldsmith was serving as the president of Fresno City College at the time of her appointment and in that capacity was a member of the CVHEC Board of Directors, which is made up of the presidents and chancellors of its 29-member institutions in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties. She will remain on the board now as SCCCD chancellor. Dr. Goldsmith has also previously served as president of West Hills College Coalinga.
Dr. Goldsmith earned a bachelor of arts degree in history at Fresno State, a master of science in educational administration from National University (both CVHEC member institutions) and a doctorate in educational administration from the Joint Doctorate program offered by Fresno State and University of California, Davis.
SCCCD Board President Annalisa Perea said, “With more than 20 years of experience in a variety of educational leadership roles along with her knowledge of this district and the community, she is the right choice for this significant position.”
Dr. Carla Tweed, a Central Valley native, will lead her alma mater as the 6th president of West Hills College Coalinga effective January 14, 2022 when she also becomes a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium board of directors. See the WHCCD press release.
Preston Selected to lead West Hills College Lemoore
Mr. James Preston, former vice president of Educational Services who was serving as interim president of West Hills College Lemoore, was selected earlier this month to serve as the college’s 4th president effective January 1, 2022. See the WHCCD press release.
Thank you Sonia for your service to the CVHEC Board
Congratulations to Sonia Gutierrez-Mendoza, director of UMass Global’s Visalia Campus, (formerly Brandman) on her appointment as assistant vice chancellor for Admission Operations of the independent university. The appointment was effective Nov. 29 when Sonia moved to her new office in the Irvine central office. She participated in her final CVHEC Board meeting during the recent quarterly Zoom call Dec. 2. Gutierrez-Mendoza joined UMass Global in 2009 and the CVHEC board in 2018. She has led multiple university campuses in the Central Valley since 2012 and in 2018-2019 she spearheaded the initiative for a new campus location established in Visalia.
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(APRIL 27, 2022) — In 2000, then-Fresno State President John D. Welty lamented that the Central Valley lagged behind the rest of the state in the number of students who attain baccalaureate and graduate degrees.
So he, along with other area leaders in higher education, set out to make history.
Dr. John D. Welty, President-Emeritus Fresno State
They created the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), a non-profit organization that summoned the chief executives of all 23 institutions of higher education in the Valley’s nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties for a rare, united mission: to jointly improve the quality of life by increasing the college-going rate for Central Valley residents — “a seamless higher education system” that would be vital to the valley’s future, Welty said at the time.
This year, the Consortium will observe its 20th anniversary – now with 29 member-institutions of higher education from Stockton to Bakersfield whose presidents and chancellors make up the CVHEC Board of Directors – at its Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 6, at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Fresno.
This year’s summit theme is “Post Pandemic World: Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley.” The deadline to register for the free CVHEC Summit is May 2 at https://bit.ly/CVHEC2022Summit.
And, President-Emeritus Welty, who retired from Fresno State in 2012 when he also left the CVHEC board, will return to serve on a historic panel and celebrate the 20th anniversary, Dr. Benjamín T. Durán, CVHEC executive director, announced.
The summit will draw nearly 150 higher education leaders from Central Valley colleges and universities; philanthropic, legislative, and state and national policy partners; and friends and advocates from throughout the region invested in creating an environment for students to succeed and complete their education in a timely manner.
Congressman Jim Costa will provide a federal update at 11:10 a.m. followed by a legislative panel at 11:30 a.m., “Broadband for All,” when he will be joined by Stan Santos, legislative chair for Communications Workers of America (Coastal Valley Council), and Lisa Lawrenson, acting superintendent/president of San Joaquin Delta College. Dr. Frank Gornick, former CVHEC president and chancellor-emeritus for West Hills Community College District, will facilitate the panel.
Much to celebrate, much to do still
The CVHEC Board of Directors will hold its quarterly meeting the day before – its first in-person meeting since the pandemic shutdown two years ago – followed by a Cinco de Mayo-themed reception for summit attendees that first night. They will have much to celebrate such as, among other accomplishments since the last summit in 2019, how they banded together virtually almost weekly in the early days of the shutdown to share challenges and solutions to that crisis.
But on Friday, with state and national legislators, policy makers and practitioners in the house, they will delve head-long into the theme of the summit to tackle such issues as equity, dual enrollment, transfer pathways and broadband disparity and access.
Dr. Kristen Clark, chancellor of the West Hills Community College District and president of the CVHEC board said the summit underscores the uniqueness of CVHEC: bringing together educators, legislators and advocates to focus on enhancing student success efforts across the Central Valley.
“Our panelists will introduce practices and initiatives taking place nationally, statewide and locally that are designed to provide greater access to more students, improve the completion rate and reduce time to degree,” Chancellor Clark said.
This is what Welty envisioned 20 years ago and Duran said CVHEC is honored that its founding president will return to Fresno for the summit.
“It is only fitting that two decades of productive work by the consortium and its member campuses be highlighted by our founder,” said Duran, a Merced College president-emeritus who served on the founding board of directors with Welty. Duran retired as Merced’s chief executive in 2015 and was called back into action as executive director of CVHEC in 2016.
He said 20 years of ongoing dedication to achieving its mission has vaulted CVHEC into a rare position: it is one of the few organizations of its kind in the nation that brings the chief executives of a region’s higher education institutions together to speak with one voice and act collectively on issues and challenges facing Central Valley college students.
“This summit and CVHEC are a rarity nationwide,” Duran added. “While it is a natural occurrence for colleges to be in competition for students in their respective regions, CVHEC fosters a unified voice dedicated to positively impacting the educational and social well-being of ALL students in California’s Central Valley as we pursue our mission to increase access, persistence and certificate and degree completions.
“Along with others, John Welty’s vision paved the way for this successful venture.”
A national leader in higher education
During his two-plus decades at the helm of Fresno State, the president-emeritus was recognized as a leader in the 23-campus CSU and an authority in national higher education issues. He chaired and served on multiple national boards and has testified before Congress.
He also served as trustee professor of the California State University for two years after retiring from the Fresno State presidency and holds professor status in Fresno State’s Kremen School of Education and Human Development. He is past chair of the California Health Sciences University Board of Trustees and continues to serve on the CHSU board.
‘… A seamless higher education system’
Welty also was a leader in establishing several University partnerships and initiatives such as the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in 2000, obtaining a one-year $110,000 grant from The James Irvine Foundation to support the consortium and its members’ efforts to boost the college-going rate in the San Joaquin Valley.
Joined by then-UC Merced Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey and area community college officials to create CVHEC, Welty called it “a seamless higher education system” for valley students.
“It is critical that we increase the educational attainment of the residents of our region if we are going to enhance economic development and the quality of life in the Central California Valley,” the Fresno State president said at the time.
In the 20 years since it incorporated, the CVHEC has undertaken such initiatives as The College Place, College Next, Corequisite Support, Transfer Pathways, Guided Pathways and broadband access. The Consortium has also created the CVHEC Equity Task Force to pursue equity and social justice issues in higher education as well as the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP).
The CVHEC Cinco de Mayo Reception on May 5, open to all registered participants, will feature Las Hermanas Medina, a trio of sisters from Hanford who grew up performing and teaching for the Kings Cultural Center and are all either college alumni or current students, including CVHEC-member institutions.
