WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING GUEST BLOG (NOV. 2022): The Master’s Upskilling Program

Master’s Upskilling experience

was a game-changer

This month’s guest blog is presented by Chet Frantzich, an English teacher at Buchanan High School in Clovis who earned a master’s degree in June through CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program. Chet earned his bachelor’s degree at Fresno State in 2010 (credential 2012) and has taught at BHS since 2018. He shares the value of the upskilling program and how it will benefit not just his personal and professional advancement but also his students through dual enrollment courses he plans to teach in the near future.

By Chet Frantzich
Buchanan High School

The Master’s Upskilling experience afforded me courtesy of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, National University and the Clovis Unified School District was a career altering one.

Not only did achieving my master’s in rhetoric open up pathways for me to teach dual enrollment courses and even courses at my local junior college, but it also impacted the way I teach. Graduating from the program has instilled in me a better sense of what my students need when it comes to functioning in college, yes, but also in life.  The program was a revelation regarding what truly matters in education and regarding how to teach the whole student.

I knew going into the program that it would be demanding — not just the workload each class would require that would make it so, but also balancing teaching and extracurricular responsibilities. However, each class was so organized and each instructor so available and professional that it took hardly any time at all to fall into a kind of groove regarding the work. Before I knew it, the class was over, and hence, the program itself successfully completed.

Each class had a curriculum that was engaging and impactful, relevant to my cohort’s subject area, even to the point where I would read about a strategy or an idea on a Wednesday and apply that idea or enforce that strategy the very next week. It dawned on me early in the program that I was not just earning a postbaccalaureate degree; I was improving as a teacher day-by-day, week-by-week.

Here is an example of what made the program so navigable: from the outset of each class, we (each cohort member) knew exactly what the end goal was we were striving for. From week one on, we would engage with texts and perform activities and interact with one another and building ideas – one upon the other, never in isolation of each other – so that, come the final week of the class, a lot of the work we would have to do for our month’s final project has been completed.

Not only did this help me manage my time and make me feel like my work was consequential, but it also illuminated an idea: why don’t I do this with my students?

And so I did, almost right away. Not long after joining the cohort and being confronted with this realization, my students read a novel where I could show them the result we would be striving for before actually starting the book. This was not something foreign to me. What was new though, was the importance of revealing to people what they are doing, what the end result is, that way how they go about getting to that end destination is of the best quality possible.

The program elevated my teaching abilities in numerous ways, but understanding what my students needed to excel in their next stage of life was the chief way I improved. It is not that I did not know what they needed, but more so that I came to better understand how to get what they needed to them.

My mentor, Jeff Burdick, was a key piece in helping me understand how to help my students. His wisdom and experience in the college classroom revealed some things and affirmed others: that students need to be given a space to be creative, that they need to be shown tough love, that understanding how basic language works is essential to being a great communicator, that writing is the best way to teach people how to think.

Without the program, I think my grasp on those ideas would be decent, vague; graduating from the program, my grasp on those ideas is iron-like.

I cannot wait for the opportunity to teach dual enrollment classes. I have not been granted the chance to teach them yet, but when I do, I know I will be ready, and the Master’s program is a big reason why.

I do not think there is a topic or issue in the English classroom I cannot tackle, so expansive was the breadth of my experience earning my master’s. Going through the program is an experience I will never forget, and it is one I will forever be grateful for. There is no question that the program has made me a better, more well-rounded teacher, and it has inspired me to keep learning about my craft, that way my students get the best version of me year-to-year, month-to-month, week-to-week, day-to-day.

More specifically, I am confident they will find inspiration in the taking dual enrollment courses I hope to soon teach that will lay a foundation for a successful and meaningful higher education experience.

See Mr. Frantzich communicating with his student’s parents for Back to School Night 2021.

CVHEC Board of Directors News

NOVEMBER 2022

SCCCD Selects Dr. Kim E. Armstrong For Clovis Community College Presidency

Dr. Kim E. Armstrong was named president of Clovis Community College by the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) Board of Trustees Nov. 1.

President-select Armstrong will take office Jan. 3, 2023 when she will also join the CVHEC Board of Directors , which is made up the presidents and chancellors of its 30 higher education institution members. She will replace President Lori Bennett, whose retirement is effective Jan. 4.

Dr. Armstrong currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Student, Equity, and Community Affairs at Arkansas State University Three Rivers.

She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Howard University in Physiological/Neuropsychology and has Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization certifications.

See the CCC press release.

CCC media contact:  Stephanie Babb at stephanie.babb@cloviscollege.edu.  

JULY 2022

Taft College President Daniels announces retirement this month

Congratulations to Dr. Debra Daniels who will retire as president of Taft College this month, she announced at the West Kern Community College District Board of Trustees meeting July 13. Brock McMurray, the executive vice president for Administrative Services will serve as interim superintendent/president while WKCCD conducts a search.

“We are grateful for President Daniels exemplary career in higher education and for her service to West Kern students as well as her service on our CVHEC Board of Directors,” said Dr. Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. “We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”

MAY 2022

Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson chosen to lead Delta College – first Latina

Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson who was named San Joaquin Delta College’s 12th superintendent/president. She will be the first Latina and the first woman of color to serve in that role.

A former English professor with nearly three decades of community college experience, Dr. Aguilera Lawrenson has been serving as Delta’s acting superintendent/president since September 2021 when she also joined the CVHEC Board of Directors, which is made up the presidents and chancellors of its 30 higher education institution members.

See the San Joaquin Delta College press release.

Dr. André Stephens selected as the next president of Fresno Pacific University

 Congratulations to Dr. André Stephens who will assume the Fresno Pacific University presidency on July 1. He will join the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors, succeeding Dr. Joseph Jones, who completes five years of Pacific service upon retirement July 1 and also served on the CVHEC board’s executive committee.

Described as a leader with a long commitment to Christian higher education and expertise in student services and enrollment, Dr. Stephens brings 30 years of experience in Christian higher education in California, most recently as vice president for student development at Biola University since 2016.

See Fresno Pacific press release.

Fresno City College appoints Dr. Robert Pimentel to lead the state’s first community college

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Pimentel who was appointed president of Fresno City College Tuesday by State Center Community College District trustees effective July 1, replacing former President Carole Goldsmith who became chancellor for the district in January.  Dr. Marlon Hall was serving as interim president (see Goldsmith and Hall stories below).

Dr. Pimentel is vice president of Educational Services and Institutional Effectiveness at Fresno City College where he has been serving since 2018.  Before beginning his work at Fresno City College in 2018, he worked in leadership positions at West Hills for 11 years and as a classified staff member for more than six years.

He is a first-generation college student and a product of three CVHEC member institutions. He transferred from West Hills College Coalinga to Fresno State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. He earned a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis on mental health at California State University, Bakersfield, and a doctorate in educational leadership, higher education, at Fresno State.

APRIL 2022

Dr. Jones nearing retirement as Fresno Pacific University president  

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.”

A search for a new president is now underway. See the retirement announcement. See President Jones bio.

Dr. Bennett announces retirement as Clovis Community College president  

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

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.

DECEMBER 2021

Goldsmith Named SCCCD Chancellor

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. 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.

In addition to Fresno City College , the district’s campuses are Reedley College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College, Madera Community College at Oakhurst and the Career & Technology Center.

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.”

West Hills College Coalinga Names Tweed President

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.

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.

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.

BOARD NEWS: Clovis Community College President’s Breakfast/State-of-the-College

President Bennett: Finishing Touches on a 30-Year Career

The Clovis Community College President’s Breakfast on Oct. 25 featured President Lori Bennett’s final State-of-the-College Address before her retirement Jan. 4 culminating nearly 30 years in higher education with the last seven as the head of CCC.  She is also a CVHEC board member.

During President Bennett’s tenure, Clovis Community College introduced 70 new degrees and certificates and a competitive athletics program.

Student retention and completion rates have improved and the college has been honored for the high rate of student transfers to four-year colleges including the Campaign for College Opportunity formally recognizing the college four years in a row for its work in increasing the number of students receiving associate degrees for transfer that guarantees transfer to a California State University.

Among the highlights was a presentation on the PODER Program (Title V grant) and a video presenting its successes in increasing the number of  Latino and low-income students in the Central Valley who have access to and complete degrees or certificates in STEM disciplines through guided pathways and partnerships that support increased transfer into four-year university STEM programs.

The campus is now preparing for the 6th Annual “Giving Tuesday” Nov.29.

Related stories

Clovis Community College Holds President’s Breakfast

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MEMBER NEWS: Madera Community College First President’s Breakfast

California’s Newest Community College Makes History

With First President’s Breakfast/State-Of-The-College Address

Two Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members held milestone events this fall with the resumption of their pandemic-delayed President’s Breakfast and State-of-the-College Address: Madera Community College and Clovis Community College Oct. 25.

Madera Community College made campus history Oct. 21 with its first President’s Breakfast since gaining full college status in July 2020 when it became the 116th and newest campus in the California Community College system. The event was kept on the drawing board during the corona virus pandemic until this fall.

Additionally, President Angel Reyna delivered his first State-of-the-College Address during the breakfast held at the Madera County Superintendent of Schools Office where among the many highlights was the screening of an award-winning video, “Sentido de Pertenencia” – a sense of belonging – that won the nationwide “Million Dollar Community College Challenge” sponsored by the Lumina Foundation.

Chosen from among ten finalists announced in August, Madera earned A $1 million grant from Lumina for the winning video that was created by student ambassador Jennifer Hernandez and featured recent alumna Marisela Maciel, an immigrant and mother of three children. The MCC video was also featured in a Forbes article.

The president said the $1 million grant will support several projects such as murals reflecting the community (Chicano art and migrant farmworkers), a multicultural center, web site re-design and initiatives to support students age 25+ as well as identify gaps affecting underserved students.

President Reyna, who was appointed by the State Center Community College District Board of Trustees effective May 20, 2019, reported that Madera Community College will open its 35,000 square-foot Academic Village later this year.

He also announced he is partnering with Dr. Robert Pimentel, Fresno City College president and fellow CVHEC board member, to present a Men of Color Summit set for April 23, 2023 at FCC.

Related stories:

ABC30 Coverage of the MCC President’s Breakfast

Reyna Begins Tenure as MCCC President

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CVHEC IN THE NEWS: KBAK features Kern Master’s Upskill Program

 

CVHEC’s Kern Master’s Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics was featured on KBAK’s Eyewitness Mornings with host Tony Salazar interviewing project coordinator Tom Burke and Dr. Krista Herrera, director of the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

The program is currently recruiting South Valley math and English teachers for the cohorts to be presented next spring.

See: KBAK interview  (Oct. 19, 2022).

 

CVHEC NEWS: ACBO Honors KCCD Chancellor-Emeritus Burke with Excellence Award

Thomas J. Burke

Tom Burke, chancellor-emeritus of Kern Community College District, was honored by the Association of Chief Business Officials/California Community Colleges with its ACBO Achievement of Excellence Award last month.

Burke, who now serves as coordinator of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Transfer Project  and this month was named to lead the Consortium’s Kern Master’s Teacher Up-skilling Pathway for English and Mathematics, was presented the prestigious award during ABCO’s annual conference (Oct. 24-26) in Indian Wells, CA.

Formerly the Walter Star Robie, the award is presented to professionals in California community college business administration who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and exemplary service as chief business officials in their respective districts and the state of California.

Burke served the California Community College system for 24 years including 15 as KCCD chief financial officer before being named the district’s chancellor in 2016. He retired in July, 2021 and in December, Burke was conferred chancellor emeritus by the KCCD Board of Trustees.

MEMBER NEWS: SCCCD Trustee Ikeda Honored with ACCT Ensign Award  

Deborah Ikeda, vice president of the State Center Community College District Board of Trustees and retired founding president of Clovis Community College, was honored recently by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).

Ms. Ikeda also serves as chair and trustee of the California Health Science University Board of Trustees, also a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member with along with SCCCD.

Trustee Ikeda, who served on the CVHEC Board of Directors during her CCC presidency , was presented ACCT’s M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award recognizing outstanding community college trustees, equity programs, chief executive officers, faculty members and professional board staff members from throughout the nation.

Presented Oct. 28 at its 2022 ACCT Association Awards, ACCT’s awards recognize the tremendous contributions made by community colleges and their leaders to meet the needs of their communities.

“Community colleges are uniquely committed to making high-quality higher education accessible to all people, serving as gateways to meaningful careers and even higher education for many,” said James Cooksey, 2021-22 ACCT Chair and Moberly Area Community College Trustee. “This year’s regional awardees represent the most outstanding people and programs across this great nation.”

 See:

• The full ACCT press release.

•  Trustee Ikeda bio.

• CHSU press release.

Dr. Kim E. Armstrong Named Clovis Community College President

Dr. Kim E. Armstrong was named president of Clovis Community College by the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) Board of Trustees Nov. 1.

President-select Armstrong will take office Jan. 3, 2023 when she will also join the CVHEC Board of Directors. She replaces the President Lori Bennett, whose retirement is effective Jan. 4.

“The Board of Trustees are grateful to the search committee whose commitment to the District’s values of academic excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion was evident throughout the process,” said Board President Nasreen Johnson.

SCCCD Chancellor Dr. Carole Goldsmith said, “Dr. Armstrong is widely regarded as an effective and collaborative higher education leader, and I look forward to working with her in this new role as the third President of Clovis Community College. I am confident she will continue to accelerate the college’s mission to Create Opportunities – One Student at a Time.”

The presidential search began earlier this year when the current President, Dr. Lori Bennett, announced her retirement effective January 4, 2023.

Dr. Armstrong currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Student, Equity, and Community Affairs at Arkansas State University Three Rivers.

She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Howard University in Physiological/Neuropsychology and has Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization certifications.

The Arkansas Community College Student Success Center and Achieving the Dream selected her to be one of only 50 nationally certified Student Success/Guided Pathways Coaches and one of only 8 selected to serve as an Arkansas Holistic Student Support Coach.

Dr. Armstrong serves on the Arkansas Community Colleges Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce. Her DEI initiatives received several state and regional recognitions.

She serves on two Arkansas United Way Boards. In Illinois, she served as Co-Campaign Chair for the United Way where she led efforts to raise $8.4M.

Under her leadership, both Black Hawk College and Arkansas State University Three Rivers were cited by regional accreditors for their student success, inclusion, and community engagement culture.

Clovis Community College enrolls approximately 13,000 students annually and offers curriculum for students seeking transfer to a four-year college or university, short-term Career Technical Education, or basic skills education. Clovis Community College is a college of the State Center Community College District.

 

See the CCC press release.

CCC media contact:  Stephanie Babb at stephanie.babb@cloviscollege.edu.  

CVHEC Website Feature: News/PIO Page

This issue’s feature for our renovated Central Valley Higher Education Consortium web site is the CVHEC News and PIO/Communicators Committee Page.

This web page has a twofold purpose:

1) to showcase the many communications experts working behind the scenes at CVHEC’s 30 member campuses as the professionals who help craft messages and tell stories that inform students and the community about the opportunities available and ongoing campus life;

2) to provide a resource to news media professionals and others seeking media relations services and information and communications services in general at any of our member campuses in the nine-county Central Valley region.

The PIO/Communicators Committee is chaired by Tom Uribes, CVHEC Communications/Media coordinator, whose 30-year career at Fresno State included two decades as the university’s public information officer until his retirement as a California State University public affairs specialist in 2017. He was honored as a Media, Communications and Journalism Fellow at the Fresno State Department of Media, Communications and Journalism Hall of Fame Reception in 2017 and the University’s Bold Visionary Award at the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration in 2019. Uribes joined CVHEC in 2020 and in addition to the PIO/Communicators Committee he coordinates media strategies and projects and serves as the CVHEC e-newsletter editor.

Tom Uribes

Tom Burke Named Kern Master’s Upskill Lead

Program with Kern K-16 Collaborative Will Help Provide Teachers for Dual Enrollment Courses

Thomas J. Burke

Thomas J. Burke, chancellor emeritus of the  Kern Community College District, will lead the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Kern Master’s Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics, announced Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program hopes to provide 100 South Valley high school teachers the opportunity to earn a master’s degree that achieves state qualifications for teaching community college dual enrollment English and math courses on local high schools.

It was launched this summer as part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant awarded to the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative  to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce. The consortium first implemented the program in Fresno County last year with similar state funding through the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative.

A recruitment campaign with information sessions is now underway for courses that will be taught by Fresno Pacific University and National University, both CVHEC member institutions. Cohorts are set to begin in January.

The application deadline for the math component taught by FPU is Dec. 9 with the final virtual information session set for Nov. 29 at 4:30 p.m.  (Register for the Math Education Information Meeting Zoom link at: https://bit.ly/3PSPesc).

The application deadline for the English component taught by NU is Dec. 12, 2022. The final information session   is set for Dec. 1.  (Register for the English info sessions at www.tinyurl.com/MAENGLISHNU).

With Burke’s appointment, CVHEC is moving full-steam ahead in collaboration with Dr. Krista Herrera, director of the Kern K-16 Collaborative, said Durán.  Burke has also been serving as CVHEC Transfer Project coordinator following his retirement from KCCD in 2021.

“We are pleased that Chancellor-Emeritus Burke will lead this very significant initiative that will ultimately benefit south valley high school students by providing more teachers qualified to teach dual enrollment,” Durán said. “Tom is a natural fit for this project, he is dedicated to serving the communities of Kern County. He and Dr. Herrera will provide a powerhouse team for this project’s goals.”

Burke will serve as the CVHEC liaison for the Kern K-16 Education Collaborative and lead for the MA upskilling project. He will lead the team overseeing recruitment of the high school MA upskilling teachers and well as the community college faculty who will serve as mentors to them.

Burke served the California Community College system for 24 years including as KCCD chief financial officer for 15 years before being named the district’s chancellor in 2016. He retired in July, 2021 and in December, Burke was conferred chancellor emeritus by the KCCD Board of Trustees.

He is an alumnus of CSUB where he earned his Master’s in Business Administration in 1986 after earning his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo in 1981. Burke has served as an adjunct faculty member for CSUB’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.

Prior to KCCD, he worked as a manager of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs and in Financial Planning for Contel and as a Financial Analyst for the Getty Oil Company.

During his five years as chancellor of KCCD — which includes Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, and Porterville College and serves nearly 40,000 students in five counties — Burke was a member of the Community College League of California State Student Centered Funding Formula Taskforce and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce.

Career highlights include involvement with the California Community College Business Officers (ACBO) and development of the California Community College System’s previous statewide funding resource allocation model adopted in 2006 (Senate Bill 361). In 2014 he was recognized by the Association of California Community College Administrators with their Excellence in Leadership Award.

Most recently, ACBO awarded Burke its Achievement of Excellence Award in October 2022 for his contributions to ACBO and the California Community College System.  As the district CFO, Burke was a region representative, vice president and president of NACBO.  He was also a member of the State Chancellors Fiscal Advisory Group.

When Burke was appointed KCCD chancellor in 2016, Bakersfield College’s student government lauded the appointment, calling him a “champion for student voice and concerns.”

 

See program details

 

For media inquiries, contact:

CVHEC – Tom Uribes at 559.348.3278 (tom@uribes.com)

FPU – Wayne Steffen at 559.453.3677 (wayne.steffen@fresno.edu)

NU – David Hicks at 619.481.7802 (dhicks2@nu.edu).

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, incorporated as a 503c non-profit educational organization in 2002, is made up of 30 institutions of higher education in the valley’s nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties.  The presidents, chancellors and/or directors of member campuses sit on the CVHEC Board of Directors.

In addition to CVHEC, the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, administered through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), includes strategic partners California State University, Bakersfield; UC Merced and UCLA; as well as 46 Kern County school districts;  KCCD; the West Kern Community College District; the Kern Economic Development Corporation; the County of Kern; and numerous economic development/industry partners. [link to Kern K16, here is the correct link]  https://kerneducationpledge.com/

 

Contact Us

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  • 559.292.0576

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