MEMBER NEWS: Merced College dual enrollment success story

Merced College dad to graduate with twin sons whose dual enrollment courses earned an early AA

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) — The chairs are lined up and the stage is set for two graduation ceremonies in Merced County.

Merced College, a CVHEC member, is ready to celebrate the achievements of more than 3,000 students.

Three of the students set to receive their diplomas at the Merced campus share a special bond.

A father went back to school, and his twin sons also earned associate degrees through the college’s dual enrollment program.

Now, all three are transferring to Fresno State, also a CVHEC member.

Here are two stories from KFSN30-ABC on Carl Schwesinger and his sons Jacob and Jeremiah.

Action News photojournalist Alex Ruiz shares how the trio has overcome challenges to turn their tassles together.

BOARD NEWS: Susan E. Borrego appointed interim president of Stanislaus State

California State University (CSU) Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester has appointed Dr. Susan E. Borrego to serve as interim president of California State University, Stanislaus. Borrego’s term will begin August 2, 2023, and she will serve as interim president for approximately one year while the CSU Board of Trustees conducts a national search for the next regularly appointed president.

Dr. Borrego will also assume the Stanislaus State seat on the CVHC Board of Directors at that time replacing Dr. Ellen N. Junn, who retires August 1, 2023 after serving as the University’s 11th president since 2016. (She will be honored at  Warrior Tribute for President Junn June 9).

The interim appointment marks a return to the CSU for Borrego, who previously held senior administrative roles at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Borrego most recently served as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint), from 2014 to 2019. She currently is a consultant project director and special assistant to the president for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

“Dr. Borrego is a principled, visionary and compassionate leader, guided by an unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said Koester. “She has a proven track record of enhancing the student experience, supporting faculty excellence and engaging the broader community. Further, her recent work at the national level to advance authentic access and educational equity will serve Stanislaus State and the CSU well.”

“Working with first-generation students at regional comprehensive universities has been a primary focus in my career, and that is what makes me excited to join such an inclusive university,” said Borrego. “I am drawn to the university’s close-knit community and its collective drive to better not only the lives of its students, but also to elevate the region and broader society it serves. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the progress and momentum so capably built by President Ellen Junn.”

Among her accomplishments as chancellor at UM-Flint, Borrego launched 12 new academic programs, enhanced the student experience, increased retention and led successful philanthropic efforts, which included the largest successful capital campaign in university history. Borrego’s leadership during the Flint water crisis demonstrated her ability to be part of a multidisciplinary conversation related to public health. She served as a trusted communicator to both university and community members. After stepping down from the role, Borrego maintained an academic appointment as a professor in UM Flint’s School of Education and Human Services until 2022.

Borrego’s previous leadership roles include vice president for Enrollment Management, Planning and Student Affairs at CSUDH (2008-14), vice president of Student Affairs at CSUMB (2005-08), and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students for the University of Arkansas, as well as several administrative roles at the California Institute of Technology.Borrego earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and communication from Northwest Nazarene College, a master’s degree in social science at Azusa Pacific University and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate School.

CVHEC IN THE NEWS: Complete College America Day on the Hill

Dr. Dhanfu Elston, senior vice president and chief of staff for Complete College America and Congressman Jim Costa hosted CVHEC Executive Director Dr. Benjamin Duran for CCA On The Hill Day in Washington DC May 16.

CVHEC among national higher education leaders

at Complete College America Day on the Hill

 

(WASHINGTON, May 17, 2023 – PRNewswire) — Dr. Benjamin T. Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, joined national higher education leaders at the Complete College America (CCA) for  its inaugural “CCA Day on the Hill” May 16.

Billed as a federal advocacy visit, the event brought leaders from state systems of higher education, colleges and other state and local organizations to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies designed to help more students chart pathways to college access and completion.

“Despite the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and a fast-changing economy and workforce, states have made incredible progress toward closing gaps in college access and completion over the past decade,” said Steven Gentile, chief policy officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. “We need continued partnership from national leaders to help sustain that progress given the range of challenges facing students today. This is about sharing examples of how states are leading the way on higher education reform and finding common ground solutions to build a system of higher education that is more accessible—and also produces high-quality results for every student.”

The visit coincided with the first-ever national College Completion Day, a day of digital action celebrating college completion and retention. During a day of meetings, leaders discussed priorities for the pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which has not been renewed or changed for nearly 15 years. Representatives from the coalition also raised awareness around Complete College America’s shared federal policy principles, which include saving students time and money by creating clearer pathways to a degree, meeting today’s students where they are, and removing unnecessary barriers to college completion.

Duran and Jessie Ryan, executive vice president for the Campaign for College Opportunity were the California reps. They met with Congressman, Jim Costa and Dr. Dhanfu Elston, Sr. Vice President and Chief of Staff at Complete College America.

“I was happy to join Complete College America advocates from throughout the country in our nation’s capitol for this important occasion to educate our elected officials on the most critical issues facing our colleges and universities,” Duran said.  “I am grateful to our congressman, Rep. Jim Costa, who hosted me in his office to engage in a meaningful dialogue about higher education in the Central Valley.”

Charles Ansell, vice president for research, policy and advocacy at Complete College America, said, “The power of our work stems from states, networks, and institutions working together to solve the greatest challenges facing higher education today. This is about state and local leaders stepping forward to share their unique insights into how we can improve higher education—and create a system of higher education that better meets the needs of students, families and communities.”

The Complete College America’s membership includes more than 40 states and nine regional consortia, covering over one thousand institutions that serve more than 11.4 million students. A 2022 report from Complete College America found that between 2015 and today, almost all states in the Alliance have improved on-time graduation rates for students at both four-year institutions (+6 percentage points) and two-year institutions (+6 percentage points).

The state leaders participating in the inaugural CCA Day on the Hill included:

California: Benjamin T. Duran, Executive Director, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium; Jessie Ryan, Executive Vice President, The Campaign for College Opportunity

Florida: Tamsyn French, Associate Director, Student Financial Success, Florida Atlantic University

Maine: Janet M Sortor, Vice President & Chief Academic Officer, Maine Community College System; Rosa Redonnett, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Credential Attainment, Univ of Maine System Montana: Antony Berthelote, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; Salish Kootenai College

Nevada: Terina Caserto, Senior Analyst, Nevada System of Higher Education Renee Davis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Nevada System of Higher Education

Oklahoma: Kylie Smith, Vice Chancellor for Administration, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Pennsylvania: Dr. Kate Shaw, Deputy Secretary and Commissioner, Pennsylvania Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education

Puerto Rico: Dr. Milagritos González, Professor, University of Puerto Rico-Mayageza, CCA Puerto Rico Lead

Tennessee: Steven Gentile, Chief Policy Officer, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

“Sustaining a national agenda for college completion requires colleges to make shifts in practice and priorities as well as changes to federal policies governing higher education,” said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. “It’s been fifteen years since we last saw a comprehensive, bipartisan Higher Education Act; it’s high time for policymakers to take action to overhaul our system of higher education to better meet the needs of today’s students, communities and employers.”
Bipartisan State Leaders Converge on Nation’s Capitol to Advocate for College … – InvestorsObserver

 

For more information about CCA and to get involved, please visit CompleteCollege.org or contact Charles Ansell at cansell@completecollege.org

 

About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions through data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and equity-driven practices. Since its founding in 2009, CCA connects a national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders and introduces bold initiatives to help states and institutions confront inequities, close institutional performance gaps, and increase college completion rates, especially for marginalized and historically excluded students. For more information, visit www.completecollege.org.

 

SOURCE Complete College America

CVHEC IN THE NEWS: CVHEC co-sponsors Broadband Planning  Workshop

CVHEC co-sponsored Broadband for All and BEAD workshop video (April 15) video.

Radio Bilingüe interview in Spanish with Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College (April 13, 2023):

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium was featured nationally on Radio Bilingue April 13 as a co-sponsor of one of 20 Broadband for All Digital Equity and Broadband Equity, Adoption, and Deployment (BEAD) Planning Regional-Local Workshops being held throughout the state by the California Department of Technology.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, served as a spokesperson at the Merced event held April 14 and was interviewed  for the Spanish-language show Linea Abierta on Radio Bilingüe, the nation’s only daily Spanish-language talk show in public radio airing live Monday to Friday at noon. 

At the workshops, attendees can learn more about the digital equity plan, provide feedback on how to make it more effective and connect with others who are passionate about digital equity in California.

The series of 20 workshops is being held statewide to engage with the public and collect feedback as part of California’s $6 billion Broadband for All  investment. Input shared during the workshops will help California develop the State’s Digital Equity and BEAD Five-Year Action Plans that will determine how future federal dollars are allocated to address digital inequities in the community.

Future events are scheduled for Tuolumne, Santa Maria, Seaside and Oakland.

See original media advisory.

Fresno City College broadband workshop video (April 15):

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING GUEST BLOG (May 2023): Enrollment Growth and Pathways: A Strategy Session

This month’s “What the CV-hec is Happening” guest blog is by Dr. Jessica Grimes, regional chair and interim associate vice chancellor of career education and workforce development for the Central Valley/Mother Lode Regional Consortium based at the Kern Community College District in Bakersfield.  She reflects on CVML’s recent “Enrollment Growth and Pathways: A Strategy Session” held in Bakersfield that addressed pandemic recovery and bolstering enrollment with emphasis on increasing dual enrollment as an equity strategy. Several community organizations and agencies gathered for the day-long event including the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium.

The way forward is together …

 

BY DR. JESSICA GRIMES

 

It is no secret that the pandemic resulted in seismic changes in higher education, most notably in the warp-speed transition to online learning and other hybrid modes of delivery for hard-to-convert career education courses.

The pandemic also revealed opportunity gaps among students experiencing a host of besetting challenges, such as homelessness, food insecurity and limited broadband.

The Central Valley/Mother Lode‘s  15 colleges responded admirably by reimagining and redesigning programs with more flexibility and supports. It was in that innovative spirit of converting challenges to opportunities that the idea of the “Enrollment Growth and Pathways: A Strategy Session” was born.

Hosted by Fresno City College April 25, EGP was designed to address one of the most pressing challenges from the pandemic: recovering and bolstering enrollment. Given that the community colleges have always been integral in offering pathways out of poverty through career technical education (CTE) programs and work-based learning opportunities, the EGP strategy session explored ways to increase dual enrollment as an equity strategy, an idea developed by Dr. Sonya Christian, incoming California Community Colleges chancellor who served as keynote speaker.

Dr. Robert Pimentel, FCC president, welcomed over 100 people from the CVML Regional Consortium and beyond. The one-day planning session started with setting the context around equity and dual enrollment where Dr. Christian spoke about “Ninth Grade to Baccalaureate: The Critical Eight Years” and  howthe convergence of Guided Pathways, Vision for Success, the Governor’s Roadmap, the Student Centered Funding Formula and Completion Metrics have made it possible to accelerate student access and equity, aided by policy reform and system reform.

I poke about reimagining the student journey as one that reflects the myriad educational policies that have progressively included more students from diverse backgrounds — suggesting that, just as the Vocational Education Act imagined Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society,” the Strong Workforce Program also imagines more students having access to careers regardless of background.

Michelle Stricker from the Foundation of Community Colleges spoke on the ecosystem that supports dual enrollment, i.e. Guided Pathways and the support that regional coordinators provide to ensure that dual enrollment students benefit from pathways that lead to good, quality careers. Stricker touched on the Guided Pathways Toolkit as a resource for developing pathways rather than “random acts of dual enrollment.”

Angel Ramirez and Elaine Cash of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium — made up of 28 colleges from Stockton to Bakersfield and a statewide leader in dual enrollment advocacy with several initiatives — spoke on consortium progress accomplished through its Central Valley Dual Enrollment Equity & Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force, regional coordinators and communications team.  Strategic planning involves convening K-12 partners and community colleges to collaborate on creating pathways for students as well as communications outreach with a video, media features and student involvement.

They also discussed CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling initiative to address one of the challenges of expanding dual enrollment: meeting minimum teaching qualifications. CVHEC is piloting this MA program with 112 teachers from Fresno County (56 in math and 56 in English) and 100 in Kern County (50 in math and 50 in English).

Following the CVHEC session, Dr. Craig Hayward provided data decks on the 15 colleges in the CVML and explained the correlation between students who are dual enrolled and those students attending community colleges: “Overall, college attendance increases with the number of dual enrollment units earned; moreover, four-year college attendance increases significantly with the number of dual enrollment units earned and, conversely, two-year college attendance decreases as the number of dual enrollment units increases.”

The last session, co-presented by Dr. Naomi Castro (Career Ladders Project) and Kylie Campbell (Kern Community College District), was an interactive session that honed in on dual enrollment expansion in the CVML.

Beginning with legislation that made dual enrollment possible, Castro and Campbell defined the types of dual enrollment that can be offered – early college and middle college (offered at the college), CCAP and non-CCAP offered at the high school and concurrent enrollment offered at the college. Then they circled back to Dr. Christian’s presentation on the eight-year journey for ninth graders and asked participants who were organized in different college teams to present .

Campbell asked participants to strategize DE pathways through three activities: (1) planning an educational pathway for all ninth graders based on the incoming headcount and from the data decks that Dr. Hayward provided; (2) using a pathway mapping tool, outline course and pathway offerings that would increase student access; and (3) set short-term goals for 2023-2024 and long-term goals for the next three years using the previous two activities.

I began this post about our “Enrollment Growth and Pathways: A Strategy Session” with a reflection on the pandemic being a mixed bag of blessings for education. Also, I noted how the CVML region rose to the challenge and is continuing to do so locally, sub-regionally and regionally as exemplified in the Enrollment Growth and Pathways. While this convening isn’t unique for the region — we come together annually to plan projects in June — it was the first of its kind for us in spearheading a planning session around a singular goal: increasing equity and access via dual enrollment.

This also serves another purpose: increasing enrollment.

The CVML mission focuses on decreasing equity gaps that perpetuate generational poverty. The way to bring about more opportunities for prosperity for all is to co-construct strategies together and to dismantle what isn’t working so that pathways to prosperity become more and more accessible for students living in rural as well as urban or suburban areas.

The way forward is together. While that might sound like a pithy sentiment, it’s true.

For me, the Enrollment Growth and Pathways session is a template to continue addressing other challenges that we face in education, so I look forward to expanding partnerships and bringing together thought partners from K-16, adult education consortia,  industry, economic development corporations, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce, nonprofits and community-based organizations, centers of excellence and the like to keep moving forward toward our shared goals.

Central Valley Math Bridge kickoff May 18

Read more

CVHEC Board to appoint  ZTC/OER Task Force

Spring board meeting features strategic planning,
Transfer Project/Math Bridge convergence

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s new Zero Textbook Costs/Open Educational Resources Task Force will form in the coming months, West Hills College-Lemoore President James Preston reported to the CVHEC Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting May 11 in Fresno.

The action highlighted a full agenda of information for the board made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region.

In addition to the ZTC Task Force, the agenda also included:

  • Announcement of the development of a strategic plan in concert with Ed West that will drive the organization’s work for the next 3-5 years;
  • A presentation outlining the convergence of two CVHEC projects: the Central Valley Transfer Project and Math Bridge;
  • A welcome and farewell of incoming and departing members of the board, signifying transition among the valley’s higher education campus leaders.

Dr. Kristin Clark, CVHEC Board of Directors chair, welcomed the 14 members who attended the meeting at the Wyndham Inn and another 7 joining in virtually.

Dr. Juan Munoz, University of California, Merced chancellor who is the board treasurer, reported  the consortium’s $2.9 million budget shows a carry-forward of $855,000.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, confirmed the annual CVHEC Higher Education Summit has been rescheduled for Oct. 19-20 and announced that the consortium’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force will convene in September.

But the three major presentations underscored the value the consortium provides the higher education community from Stockton to Bakersfield.

OER / ZTC Task Force Forming

For the ZTC project, CVHEC board members were asked to begin selecting a representative for their respective institutions to serve on the new local task force to strategize about pursuing state funding available for this movement that has led to significant savings for students as well as improved materials quality.

President James Preston, who serves on the statewide California Community Colleges ZTC Task Force, explained the project and funding streams as well as strategic follow up steps to his fellow CVHEC board members.

“The Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program reduces the overall cost of education for students and decreases the time it takes students to complete degree and certificate programs,” he said. “We call it the ‘OER revolution’ because it really was kind of a revolution against the price gouging of textbooks. It has become an evolution of teaching and learning.”

He said funding is coming from the K-16 collaborative grant; statewide ZTC funding from the CCC Chancellors Office; and California State University or private university funding, noting that $90 million will be available for phase three.

“As a small college, West Hills College – Lemoore averages between 3,500 and 5,000 students and we have saved our students about $6.5 million since 2017,” Preston said. “We’ve got up to 15 ZTC degree pathways now with 70 percent using zero textbook cost and about another five percent that are low textbook cost.”

He outlined several pluses for the use of ZTC/OER including that “it’s a huge win for diversity and equity” and it allows for “culturally responsive relevant materials” that can be updated in a timely fashion.

CV Transfer Project and Math Bridge Overlap

In a presentation about the convergence of the Transfer and Math Bridge projects, the uniqueness of the CVHEC concept was recognized when Dr. James Zimmerman, UC Merced provost, and Dr. Lynn Cevallos, president of College Bridge, recounted the successes of their respective projects to date as well as some of the challenges faced.

Zimmerman noted that while the transfer project — in implementing its Program Mapper software — helps students plan out courses leading to successful community college admissions and then to four-year, they discovered the need for student planning to start much earlier in high school. In discussion with fellow CVHEC partner Cevallos, they realized CVHEC’s dual enrollment projects provide that missing piece.

“In our conversations about our good work, we’re thinking why in the world aren’t we trying to take these two silos and integrate them in a way that’s going to be best for your institutions and best for CVHEC’s mission,” Zimmerman told the board.

“So we’re calling it an evolution,” he said. “We’re hoping that we can move this forward. We’re excited about what’s been happening and just wanted to give you a sense of what we’re thinking.”

Cevallos said the Central Valley is ripe for this forward thinking due to more consistency among the CVHEC collaborators than in other areas of the state, noting that the consortium’s role in bringing together its community college members with school district partners provided the foundation for the College Bridge success that will extend to this merger.

Zimmerman said MOUs are in the works for state funding to carry the merger idea forward.

Duran told the board that “this melding represents two unique elements we don’t see around the state” — the collaboration between intersegmental faculty literally sitting down in a room together and the intersegmental institutional collaboration between its members.

“The University of California Merced is the only UC campus in the state that is collaborating with community colleges and CSU’s to create this model transfer project,” he said.

He reported that the CVHEC Transfer Project team is in communication with other UC campuses around the state as well as higher education institutions nation-wide interested in trying something similar.

“This is a unique organization that you folks have brought together,” Duran told the board.

Strategic Planning and Evaluation

The third presentation is designed to strengthen CVHEC strategies: virtual guests were Laura Lara-Brady and Kathy Booth of West Ed which CVHEC has contracted to conduct an evaluation that will help develop a strategic plan to drive the organization’s work for the next 3-5 years.

Ed West is presently surveying board members and stakeholders to establish strategic themes and follow up interviews. The results will be used by the CVHEC board’s executive committee at its working meeting in September to propose a strategic plan for full consideration at the board’s fall meeting in October, Duran reported.

One example of some of the comments shared in this preliminary discussion touched on the CVHEC’s uniqueness in bringing together the four segments of California’s higher education system to speak as a collective voice for the Central Valley.

“That’s very unusual. We’re kind of a Unicorn in that respect, we’ve heard that said several times,” said Dr. Clark. “And I come from outside the Central Valley. I know that people do not play nice together in other pockets. I mean you can’t even talk to the high school down the street much less talk to regional partners like this so I think that we get a lot of attention because we’ve made it work and people want to replicate that.

Transitions

In the transitions portion of the board meeting, four new campus CEOs were welcomed to the board: President Kim Armstrong, Clovis Community College; Interim President Steve Watkins, Bakersfield College; Interim President Chad Redwing, Modesto Junior College; and Interim Chancellor Tom Burke, Kern Community College District.

Two board members were bid farewell: Dr. Ellen Junn, whose retirement as Stan State President is effective August 1; and Dr. Sonya Christian, Kern Community College District chancellor who left that position April 30 to become chancellor of the CCC effective June 1.

Chancellor Christian was unable to attend her final meeting but she plans to reconnect at the summit in October when she returns in her new role.

President Junn attended, returning to the city where she served as provost at Fresno State prior to Stan State. She echoed the satisfaction of serving with “remarkable” valley CEO colleagues noting “it is unusual for college leaders to have so much camaraderie” as the CVHEC board enjoys. She will be honored at  Warrior Tribute for President Junn June 9.

The next CVHEC board meeting will be Oct. 19, the day before the summit.

CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (May 2023): Extraordinary times!

Winding down an extraordinary

academic year in the Central Valley 

Greetings colleagues,

As we welcome you to the May issue of our newsletter, we take this opportunity to thank, congratulate and salute all the CVHEC educators who have dedicated themselves to sending off another group of Central Valley students into the next phase of their academic and or professional lives.  This annual commencement season is truly a magical time of the year and reminds us all why we chose careers in higher education.

In this issue we present more about Math Bridge, the math pathways initiative launched May 18 by bringing together representatives of six regional community colleges and their partner feeder high schools. At this kickoff held in downtown Fresno, these dedicated and determined professionals began the process to jointly create college level dual enrollment math courses targeted at underrepresented student populations that will allow them to complete a college math course before graduating from high school.  This innovative project is unique because of the intersegmental collaboration between high school and community college math faculty members working together to ensure their students’ success.

You will also have an opportunity to visit the CVHEC board meeting held May 11 in Fresno.  Board members heard a joint presentation by Dr. James Zimmerman, senior associate vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education at UC Merced, and Dr.  Lynn Cevallos, president and founder of College Bridge.  They addressed the evolution and overlap of two CVHEC endeavors, the Central Valley Transfer Project and the Math Bridge initiative, that helps clear pathways for students getting into and through community college and onto the university of their choice.

We also bid farewell to two dear colleagues although one will remain well in sight, Dr. Sonya Christian who served on our board as chancellor of the Kern Community College District but now moves up to chancellor of the California Community College system. And joining us one last time at the meeting was the esteemed Dr. Ellen Junn, Stanislaus State president whose retirement is effective next month. We know you join the board in thanking them for their service to higher education in general and the consortium in particular. And you may read about our newest board additions in the story and photo gallery about the board meeting.

Please enjoy this issue as well as the conclusion of this extraordinary semester.

PRESS RELEASE: Central Valley Math Bridge kickoff May 18 in Fresno

ADVISORY: For media coverage of the Central Valley Math Bridge Kickoff on Thursday, May 18 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), or for spokesperson availability, please text Tom Uribes at 559.348.3278. LOCATION: The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel/Fresno Convention Center (2233 Ventura St. – Fresno).  See Agenda.

(UPDATE May 26, 2023) – See Math Bridge coverage.

 

Central Valley Math Bridge: keeping the doors to STEM careers open for our students


13 rural high schools, six community colleges to convene for program kickoff May 18 in Fresno

(May 16, 2023) — The first cohort of 13 Valley high schools has been secured for the Central Valley Math Bridge Program that will promote equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural high schools in the region next fall (see list of high schools below).

The participating educators will convene this week with six community college members of the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in Fresno to formally launch the program and plan for its implementation at the Central Valley Math Bridge Kickoff from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Fresno Convention Center.

The launch is presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation.

Dr. Lynn Cevallos, founder and president of College Bridge, will deliver keynote remarks, “The State of Mathematics in California,” an analysis of intersegmental mathematics policies and practices statewide over the last 20 years that highlights a pending crisis now facing Valley students.

“The doors to STEM careers are closing for our students,” Cevallos warned. “The Math Bridge project is designed to keep those pathways open.”

In one morning session, “Collaborating Towards a Common Goal: Dinuba Success Story,” officials from Dinuba High School will share their experience with a previous College Bridge program — the Math Pipeline Readiness Project (M-PReP) — that provided the foundation for the current project.

Presenting will be DHS Principal Andrew Popp, Counselor Auggie Sanchez and Jim Gilmore, Math professor at Reedley College which was the DHS community college partner.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, will deliver closing remarks along with Cevallos.

“The DE Math Bridge Project will prepare and guide students as they transition to college or university equipped with math credits and confidence,” said Durán, president-emeritus of Merced College who became CVHEC’s executive director in 2016.  “It creates a model for meaningful dual enrollment pathways and expansion that can be replicated in other regions of California serving underprepared students. This also supports CVHEC’s mission to increase degree attainment rates.”

The Central Valley Math Bridge project was initially funded by a $4 million five-year Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program federal grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to College Bridge in late December.

College Bridge recently completed an extensive four-month recruitment campaign to secure eligible high schools for the first of two cohorts. Recruitment of the second cohort will begin this summer, Cevallos said.

The first cohort of high schools to-date and their respective community college partners are (with three additional pending*):

Cerro Coso College: Lone Pine, Tehachapi;

Columbia College: Bret Harte*, Calaveras*;

Madera College: Liberty, Madera, Madera South, Matilda Torres, Yosemite;

Reedley College: Dinuba, Orosi, Parlier, Reedley*

Taft College: Taft High School

West Hills Coalinga College: Firebaugh, Tranquillity.

High schools and community colleges interested in participating in the second cohort may contact Nicole Korgie at nicole.korgie@college-bridge.org.

For more information about the  May 18 event, contact Angel Ramirez, CVHEC operations manager at 559.292.0576 (centralvalleyhec@gmail.com). Media inquiries:  Tom Uribes at 559.348.3278.

 

NOTE: A parallel project funded by the state in February through the Central San Joaquin K-16 Partnership — made up of the Fresno/Madera and the Tulare/Kings K-16 Collaboratives — will serve an additional two colleges and seven high schools in the region (see https://bit.ly/CVHEC-DualEnrollmentMathBridge).

 

See background stories

https://bit.ly/CB-DualEnrollmentMathBridgeAnnounced

https://bit.ly/MathBridgeDualEnrollmentKickoff

UPDATES

ABOUT CVHEC and COLLEGE BRIDGE

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium based in Fresno, made up of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region, is assisting the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project by using its role as a regional convener to bring the participating higher education and K-16 representatives together with College Bridge, a California non- profit based in Los Angeles County dedicated to creating a seamless K-16 pathway for students.

AGENDA-MathBridgeKO(051823)media

 

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