CVHEC’s Mid-Year Review 2023

A glimpse at the first half of 2023

This year Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents our first summer issue as we take a three-month hiatus from publishing the monthly newsletter. This special edition recaps highlights of the first half of 2023 captured each month from January to May when we reached our 30th edition milestone in three years of publication:

JANUARY

CVHEC Partners with College Bridge for Grant Supporting DE Courses from Six Rural Community Colleges at 21 Valley High Schools

In January, we announced that the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project — a partnership between the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, College Bridge and the Rand Corporation — was awarded a five-year $4 million federal grant in late December. The project, with a total budget of $6.7 million, involves six CVHEC community college members providing college-level math classes at 21 rural high schools that will improve and support college readiness for underprepared students in those colleges’ respective service areas beginning next fall. UPDATE: A kickoff for the participants has held in May. The participating CVHEC colleges are: Cerro Coso, Columbia, Madera, Reedley, Taft and West Hills College Coalinga.

‘First of its Kind’ CVHEC Transfer Project Gaining Statewide Interest 

The CVHEC Transfer Project with the Program Pathways Mapper that began in 2019 was invited to present at several state and national events as the consortium continues to lead a concentrated effort to increase the number and success of community college transfers from the nine-county region to four-year colleges and universities.  The project has grown to nine community colleges and three four-year institutions early research compiled for the project showing a direct correlation between students using the Program Mapper and important student success metrics.

CVHEC Website Feature: Professional Staff Page

CVHEC continued featuring the revamp of its website undertaken in the past year with a new section presented each month including the staff page in January. CVHEC’s 11 team members includes several who are retired from careers dedicated to serving students at their respective institutions of higher education – a service that now continues through CVHEC. All lend their energy, enthusiasm and experience to enhance student success and achievement throughout the region by collaborating with the consortium’s member institutions and the CVHEC Board of Directors.

FEBRUARY

CVHEC Board Member Dr. Christian Makes History as CCC’s First Woman, Asian-American Named Chancellor

Feb. 23, Dr. Sonya Christian, CVHEC board member who is featured in this summer issue with a vlog, made history when she was appointed as chancellor of the California Community Colleges System — the first Asian-American and the first woman to serve as chancellor for the largest and most diverse system of public higher education in the nation as well as a first-generation college graduate. Chancellor Christian began her term July 1 and for our Mach issue, she is featured in our “What the CVHEC is Happening” Blog discussing her time in the KCCD where she was president of Bakersfield College before serving as KCCD chancellor until her new assignment.  In this issue, she is featured in the vlog discussing what lies ahead for the CCC.

Drs. Lakhani, Rozell Named Kern Faculty Mentor Coordinators; MA Upskilling Project Hires Community College Professors to Mentor HS Teachers

Two veteran Kern County educators were named faculty mentor coordinators for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s Kern Master’s Upskilling Project that was launched last year to help high school teachers earn master’s degrees in Math or English so they can teach dual enrollment courses on their campus: Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English). UDPATE: The first cohorts of 21 math students and 25 English students in the Kern Master’s Upskill Program are underway through Fresno Pacific University and National University respectively.

CVHEC Website Feature: Dual Enrollment Page

The February issue’s website feature presented the CVHEC Dual Enrollment Page with the strategies undertaken by CVHEC’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force established in 2019 to identify and establish the best elements of an intentional and sustainable strategy for dual enrollment. CVDEEP is made up of more than 150 secondary and postsecondary education leaders who gather annually for dual enrollment convenings.

MARCH

The Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off set for May 18 

In March CVHEC announced that the movement to promote equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural Central Valley high schools next fall will formally launch May 18 with the Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off in downtown Fresno presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation. UPDATE: 95 representatives of the first cohort of 13 Valley high schools in the new Central Valley Math Bridge Program convened with nine community college members for the May 18 kick-off where they began planning the program’s implementation. Rural high schools may still sign up for groundbreaking project that is a model for meaningful dual enrollment pathways that can be replicated statewide.

Recruitment of community college mentors for HS teachers in Kern MA Upskilling Project is underway

The Kern Master’s Upskilling Project announced the recruitment of community college professors to serve as mentors for high school teachers enrolled in the project. The teachers can earn master’s degrees in math or English qualifying them to teach dual enrollment course at their high school campus.

Historic CVHEC Transfer Project/Program Mapper Featured at CSSO

The historic Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Transfer Project and its Pathways Program Mapper continues to break ground across the state for transfer reform with a presentation at another statewide convening: the 2023 Chief Student Services Officers Association (CSSO) Annual Spring Conference March 15 in Los Angeles.

APRIL

New Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project provides support for Central Valley non-traditional rural students

(APRIL 20, 2023) — A new state-funded math dual enrollment program will “positively impact” approximately 630 non-traditional students at seven rural high schools next fall through four area community colleges that are members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. The Dual Enrollment (DE) Math Bridge – a partnership between CVHEC, College Bridge,  the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative, the Tulare-Kings College & Career Collaborative and CVHEC-member Fresno Pacific University – will provide equitable access to transfer-level math courses with embedded support for high school students who are disproportionately impacted, and/or are not traditionally college-bound.

CVHEC leads California delegation at CCA Day on the Hill 

(APRIL 20, 2023) — Dr. Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, joined Complete College America for its CCA Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C.  May 16- 17 where “a network of higher education experts shared strategies and lessons for the implementation of higher ed strategies at scale.” Complete College America is a national non-profit alliance of state and higher education leaders. He met with Valley Congressmember Jim Costa.

CVHEC Summit Re-scheduled for October 2023

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Higher Education Summit 2023, originally set for May, has been rescheduled for Oct.  20, 2023. The CVHEC Board of Directors will meet the day before the summit (Thursday, Oct. 19).

Recruiting for second cohort of Kern Math/English HS Teachers for Master’s Upskill Program supporting dual enrollment with Kern K-16 Collaborative

Recruitment for the second cohort of Kern high school math teachers to enroll in the  Kern Dual Enrollment Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics that qualifies them to teach dual enrollment courses began in April with classes set to begin this August.

FCC: Motherlode ‘Enrollment Growth & Pathways: Strategy Session’ features CCC Chancellor-Select Sonya Christian

Dr. Sonya Christian, California Community College system chancellor, was the guest speaker for the Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium’s “Enrollment Growth & Pathways: A Strategy Session” April 25 hosted by Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel. CVHEC’s Angel Ramirez, operations and finance manager, and Elaine Cash, grants and programs coordinator, presented on the regional dual enrollment efforts taking place across the Central Valley.

MAY

CVHEC board to appoint ZTC/OER Task Force Spring board meeting: 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. The next CVHEC board meeting is set for Oct. 19.

Central Valley Math Bridge: kickoff event brings K-16 partners to the table for stronger math programs that would help preserve STEM careers opportunities

Representatives of the first cohort of 13 Valley high schools in the new Central Valley Math Bridge Program convened with nine community college members of the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium May 18 in Fresno to formally launch the program and plan for its implementation. Presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation, the event drew 95 participants to kickoff the project that promotes equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural high schools in the region next fall.  Dr. Lynn Cevallos, founder and president of College Bridge, warned in her keynote, “The State of Mathematics in California,” that the dire reality of academic disjuncture which has culminated in a pending crisis could see “the doors to STEM careers closing for our students. Fortunately, the Math Bridge project is designed to keep those pathways open,” she said.

Broadband for All Digital Equity and BEAD Planning Workshops CVHEC co-sponsors Broadband Planning Workshop; featured on Radio Bilingual nationwide

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. CVHEC Executive Director Benjamín Durán served as a spokesperson at the Merced event held April 14 and was interviewed the day prior for the Spanish-language show Linea Abierta on Radio Bilingüe, the nation’s only daily Spanish-language talk show in public radio. 

Merced College milestones:  60th Commencement and first in Los Baños

Merced College observed the 60th anniversary of its Commencement Ceremony held May 26 by presenting a full commencement ceremony at its Los Baños campus May 25 for this first time. The Los Baños ceremony was the latest in a series of investments and initiatives to grow the campus and give Westside students a complete educational experience close to home.

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MEMBER NEWS: Merced Promise Pathway

Representatives from Yosemite Community College District and UC Merced pose for photo following the signing of the Merced Promise Pathway MOU July 11 (left to right): Dr. James Zimmerman, UC Merced special assistant to the provost on Transfer Initiatives; Dr. Chad Redwing, MJC interim president; Dr. Don Davis, YCCD Trustee Area 1; Dr. Marjorie Zatz, UC Merced interim executive vice chancellor and provost; Mrs. Jenny Nicolau, YCCD Trustee Area 4; Mr. Antonio Aguilar, YCCD Trustee Area 7; Dr. Henry C. V. Yong, YCCD chancellor; Dr. Lena Tran, Columbia College president; Mrs. Leslie Beggs, YCCD Trustee Area 6; Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, UC Merced chancellor; Dr. Milton Richards, YCCD Trustee Area 3; Dr. Charles Nies, UC Merced vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

Streamlining the path for students at

Modesto JC, Columbia College to transfer to UC Merced

Students at Modesto Junior College and Columbia College will have increased access to University of California, Merced thanks to an agreement between the university and Yosemite Community College District.

Known as the Merced Promise Pathway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the agreement between the three Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members provides a clear, streamlined pathway to UC Merced for MJC and Columbia students as well as a variety of supports to help them prepare for life at a four-year university.

CVHEC board members Dr. Henry C. V. Yong, YCCD chancellor (left), and Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, UC Merced chancellor, signing the Merced Promise Pathway MOU July 11.

YCCD Chancellor Henry C. V. Yong called the agreement “a great day for our students and residents in our district,” which covers all or parts of Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Santa Clara counties.

“With this agreement, our students’ futures are now brighter and more promising,” said Yong, who signed the MOU with UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz at a ceremony on the university campus July 11.

The UC leader said the Merced Promise Pathway will help his campus achieve one of its key goals from its founding in 2005.

“In signing this agreement, we honor the original purpose that impelled the UC system to place its newest campus in the Central Valley – a vow to increase college-going rates among the valley’s population, and a promise of progress and a better life,” Muñoz said.

Highlights of the Merced Promise Pathway include:

• Review pathways to facilitate an orderly and smooth transition from MJC and/or Columbia to UC Merced.

• Attract, track and retain qualified YCCD transfer students to UC Merced with an aspirational goal to increase transfers to 100 students by 2025.

• Target first-year YCCD students for program participation who applied to UC Merced as high school seniors but were not granted admission.

• Develop an online program mapper, a clear, simple-to-use tool that will allow students to select a program of study and accelerate their progress toward completion.

• Develop opportunities for summer undergraduate research projects for community college students on track to transfer to UC Merced.

• Develop a Yosemite Promise Scholars program for students who met specified criteria and for UC Merced to offer a financial scholarship package to attend the university as part of a transfer pathway.

Together, MJC and Columbia serve more than 30,000 students. Many of them are the first in their families to attend college or come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Roughly 75 percent of MJC and Columbia students receive some form of financial aid. Like with CSU Stanislaus in Turlock – another popular transfer destination for YCCD students – the proximity of UC Merced offers an economic incentive for many students and their families.

“Due to UCM’s prime location, many YCCD students will not even have to leave home to attend a UC institution,” Yong said. “They will end up saving money on housing, which they could use for their graduate studies. All in all, this agreement is definitely a pathway to success for MJC and Columbia students.”

This is the third agreement of its kind between UC Merced and community college districts in the Central Valley. The other partnerships include are with Merced College and Fresno City College.

See: full YCCD/UC Merced press release

UC Media Contact: Alyssa Johansen, Public Information Officer
Office: (209) 413-9330 ajohansen@ucmerced.edu

YCCD: Chancellor’s Office: (209) 575-6509, publicaffairs@yosemite.edu

What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog Pt. 2: CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian

For this summer edition of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we feature part two of California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D, with this podcast interview by Dr. Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California.

With more than three decades of experience at all levels of community college leadership, Chancellor Christian was appointed in February becoming the first woman and the first person of South Asian heritage named to the permanent role leading the 116-college system. Dr. Christian, who began her term July 1, served on the Central Valley

 Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors when she was president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District.

In this interview for CCLC’s podcast “Leading Community Colleges in California,” the new CCC chancellor talks about her family’s commitment to education, the importance of equity for students and communities and dual enrollment opportunities as a seamless gateway to college:

Leading Community Colleges in California: Episode 20 with Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D.

 

(See the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog Part 1 – March 2023 issue).

CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (Summer 2023): Affirmative Action challenge!

Supreme Court ruling is not the death of Affirmative Action but

rather a challenge to renew and reinforce its spirit and outcomes

 

NOTE: See the June 24, 2023  Fresno Bee Op-Ed version of this message: https://bit.ly/CVHECoped-RenewAffirmativeActionSpirit.

 

Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,

As I was preparing to write the introduction for this special summer edition of our e-newsletter, the much anticipated, but still devastating, decision by the United States Supreme Court to strike down Affirmative Action burst into the national scene June 29 sending my phone into non-stop notifications from family and higher ed colleagues beset with disappointment and anger.

And, as the country was reeling from that monumental decision, SCOTUS took further action to declare unconstitutional President Biden’s efforts to bring some relief to those holding student loans.

In one week — after decades of progress — equity, diversity and access in higher education were simultaneously under attack.

However, I offer that this Supreme Court ruling is not the death of Affirmative Action but rather a challenge to renew and reinforce its spirit and outcomes.

Upon hearing the news and fielding those phone calls, I thought back to 1996 when California voters passed Proposition 209, effectively ending Affirmative Action in California; and even back to the University of California vs Bakke case in 1976.  Having spent decades in higher education first as a student and mostly as a professional educator, I reflected on and contemplated how California dealt with those landmark decisions.

I recalled that, despite the initial impacts from those decisions that have cost countless students of color the chance to earn a higher education, advocates and colleagues here in California have nonetheless long embraced the quest for equity in pursuit of student populations that reflect the rich diversity of our state despite legislation and court action to the contrary.

Following that elimination of Affirmative Action in our state 27 years ago, educators in our four segments of higher education — the University of California, the California State University System, the California Community College System and the Independent Colleges and Universities — initiated new strategies and initiatives to attract and enroll students from underrepresented groups that had been targeted by Proposition 209 and the Bakke case.

Yes we made some gains in the face of anti-Affirmative Action adversity here in California but there is still more work to do, especially as evidenced by these new Supreme Court rulings.

If we truly believe that all means all and everybody means everybody, it is appropriate that the impact of race, economic status and a person’s life experiences are all factors that should be considered as students pursue the dream and promise of a higher education.

Today, now more than ever, the equity efforts long in play here in California are essential nationwide. We must not let up in our quest to strive and reach goals that have not yet been met but are being pursued relentlessly by countless higher education professionals, policy makers, legislators, students and community supporters throughout our state and in other states similarly affected.

Locally, the work of Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members – made up of 28 colleges in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern – under our equity umbrella aligns very well with reinforcing and renewing efforts to address the spirit and outcomes of Affirmative Action as it was intended when first conceptualized, not as it has been characterized lately.

I am confident that our Central Valley colleges and universities will continue to make their institutions open to all because it is the right thing to do, not because it is legislated.

So I invite and encourage my esteemed colleagues serving students throughout the Central Valley and beyond to once again rise to this new challenge, as we have always done, with a renewed vigor in continuing the good work you have done for our students.

Let us use the anger and disappointment we felt initially and get on with the work ahead of us. We must assure that the spirit of Affirmative Action, as it was originally intended, thrives for the good of our entire community.

Now, please do enjoy the rest of this historic summer!

MEMBER NEWS: West Hills College Coalinga picked as Bee’s “best college”

Three CVHEC members honored with Bee’s Central California People Choice Awards for Best College/University awards;
West Hills College Coalinga takes Gold

 

Congratulations to three CVHEC members for earning the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California People Choice Awards for Best College/University including West Hills College Coalinga receiving the highest honor, the Gold Award.

Fresno State won the Silver Award in that category and West Hills College Lemoore, also a part of the West Hills Community College District, earned the bronze.

The Fresno Bee’s People Choice Awards is a highly anticipated event celebrating Central California’s best businesses and organizations. This year’s competition was fierce, with over 445,000 votes cast by more than 136,000 voters.

West Hills College Coalinga emerged as this year’s top choice, showcasing its strong community support and reputation for excellence.

“We are honored to receive the Gold Award in the Best College/University category of the Fresno Bee’s People Choice Awards,” said Dr. Carla Tweed, President at West Hills College Coalinga.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students who consistently strive for excellence. We are grateful for the community’s and our students’ overwhelming support.”

Similarly, West Hills College Lemoore has reason to celebrate as well earning the Bronze award in two esteemed categories, “Best College/University” and “Trade/Technical School,” in the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California Awards.

This achievement followed the college’s previous year’s success when it secured the Gold award in the “Best College/University” category. These consecutive wins demonstrate the consistency and quality of education offered at West Hills College Lemoore, said James Preston, president of West Hills College Lemoore and CVHEC board member.

“We are immensely proud to have been honored with the Bronze award in two categories of the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California Awards,” President Preston said.

“This recognition underscores the dedication and tireless efforts of our faculty, staff, and students. We take great pride in offering a comprehensive range of programs tailored to the needs of our community, empowering our students to achieve their aspirations. Earning bronze in the Trade/Technical school category proves that the career and technical education programs we have built for the past seven years positively impact our community and prepare students to go directly into the workforce.” 

Dr. Kristin Clark, West Hills Community College District chancellor, said the Gold Award for West Hills College Coalinga and the Bronze Awards for West Hills College Lemoore reinforces the importance of quality education and the tireless efforts put forth by these institutions in creating a brighter future for their students and the region as a whole.

“I’m thrilled to see both West Hills Community College District colleges receive this prestigious award and recognition,” said Chancellor Clark, who is chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors. “Our two colleges have faculty and staff who go the extra mile to make students feel at home, and they are relentless in the pursuit of student success.”

 

See press releases:

 WHC-Coalinga  

WHC-Lemoore

Fresno Bee – Best of Central California

MEMBER NEWS: Delta College marks 60 years

Computer science courses have changed just a bit since 1963 (courtesy of SJDC website).

San Joaquin Delta College, a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member, marked the 60th anniversary of its name this month.

Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson, SJDC superintendent/president 2023

Founded as Stockton College in 1935, the college adopted its new name July 1, 1963 when the institution separated from the Stockton Unified School District and charted its own course as an independent community college.

“Sixty years is a long time, and it is hard to summarize the immense impact that Delta College has had on the communities we serve over all these years,” said Superintendent/President Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson in a story by Manteca/Ripon Bulletin reporter Alex Breitler earlier this month.

“I’m proud of the efforts of our faculty and staff both past and present, I’m proud of our students and alumni for their perseverance and achievements, I’m thankful to the Board of Trustees for its leadership, and I’m thankful to our communities for their support and partnership,” said the president who sits on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors.

San Joaquin Delta College actually dates all the way back to 1935, when Stockton College came into existence, Breiter reports. But for many years the College operated under the umbrella of Stockton Unified.

Dr. Burke Bradley – first SJ Delta College president (1963)

Dr. Burke Bradley, who was named president of the College in 1956, ultimately decided that the College would never properly develop until it was able to operate as a totally independent district, according to retired history professor Chuck Bloch.

The public finally approved establishment of an independent college district in September 1962. Leaders studied no fewer than 129 potential names, including “San Joaquin College” and just “Delta College,” before settling on San Joaquin Delta College.

The College officially took control of its own destiny on July 1, 1963, and eventually moved to the present-day Pacific Avenue campus in the 1970s, The Bulletin reported.

 

See SJDC’s website feature with photo gallery.

See Manteca/Ripon Bulletin article.

 

 

 

MEMBER NEWS: New Merced College Isakow Plaza; Historic Commencements

New Merced College Plaza, sculpture unveiled at ‘State of the College;’

60th MC Commencement and first Los Baños campus commencement celebrated

In a one-week span culminating the spring semester, Merced College celebrated several milestones highlighted by its 60th commencement May 26 and followed by the unveiling of the new Hermione Isakow Plaza on campus during President Chris Vitelli’s State of the College address May 30.

And for the first time, a full commencement ceremony was held at MC’s Los Baños Campus on May 25.

The ninth annual Merced College State of the College event was a celebration of the Isakow Family including presentation of the President’s Medallion Award — which recognizes the college’s greatest supporters — to the Isakow family with several family members present.

Located near the front of the campus, the plaza is envisioned as a welcoming space for the community and campus visitors, a gathering place for students and the campus community, a unique learning space for the college’s arts program, and an intimate outdoor location for events.

“The State of the College event is our opportunity to let the community know about all the innovative initiatives happening at Merced College, and to honor a family who has made such a generous contribution to our district,” said President Vitelli, a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors.

“The Hermione Isakow Plaza is a beautiful addition to our Merced campus, providing an engaging new space that will be enjoyed by students and community members alike for decades to come.”

The event drew over 500 supporters including Dr. Benjamín Durán, president-emeritus of Merced College, who is now CVHEC executive director.

“It is aways a delight for me to return to Merced College where I began my college experience as a young student to ultimately having the privilege of serving as President,” Dr. Durán said.

“I was especially touched by the dedication of the Hermione Isakow Tree of Life, because as an immigrant, she understood that Merced College can serve as the tree of life for many of the immigrants attending the college.”

After living most of her life in South Africa, Hermione Isakow and her husband Leiz moved to Merced in 2010 to be closer to their eldest son Isaac and his family.

Hermione’s final years were clouded by a long bout with amyloidosis, and she died in 2020. In 2021, her sons chose to honor her memory and her contributions to their lives through a $1 million gift to fund the design and construction of the Hermione Isakow Plaza.

The centerpiece of the plaza is a large sculpture of a Baobab tree, which carries great symbolic significance in Africa and is known as the “tree of life,” because it produces fruit and nectar year-round and stores large amounts of water in its trunk, even in very dry climates.

Scott and Madelyn McGrath of McGrath Arts in Mariposa designed and built the 4,100-pound, galvanized steel sculpture, which stands at 15 feet tall and includes branches that span 20 feet. The tree is decorated with 3,000 hand-forged metal leaves, orb-shaped fruits, whydah birds, parrots, an owl in a lighted knothole, and 30 lighted flowers. The 6-foot-wide trunk is textured to represent holes made by elephants to pull water from the giant succulent.

The occasion was a fitting tribute to commencement milestones the previous week when the Merced College family noted six decades of graduation exercises and the establishment of the firsts commencement at the Los Baños campus where about 200 students participated in that ceremony held in the quad.

The Los Baños ceremony is the latest in a series of investments and initiatives to grow the campus and give Westside students a complete educational experience close to home.

The campus will soon gain an outdoor gym, allowing the addition of three in-person kinesiology courses. A new campus café will provide hot meals and alleviate food insecurities. New faculty will be added in high-demand fields like welding, computer technology and information systems, and the college’s well-regarded, popular agriculture programs. Construction of a new Child Development Center, for both childcare and training, will be completed this summer.

“Our students already get a top-quality, reasonably priced education right here in their community, and now they can celebrate their graduation here, as well,” said Los Baños Campus Dean of Instruction Jessica Moran.

She called it “an inspiring moment for our graduates and their families, and a milestone for the growth and development of our community.”

Merced College media contact: James Leonard, james.leonard2@mccd.edu, 209-681-1061

See:

Full Merced College press release

Historic MC Commencement – press release

The Merced College Los Banos Campus – Inaugural Commencement

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CVHEC in the NEWS: Cybersecurity Program Launches

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MEMBER NEWS: Fresno City College West Campus Open House set Aug. 4-5

Take a look inside  the ‘project of love’ – Fresno Bee

Fresno City College’s new west campus sets open houses Aug. 4 and 5

Fresno City College’s West Fresno Center will open its doors to students for the start of classes Aug. 7 with staff moving into the facility beginning July 31 and two open houses planned for Aug. 4 and 5.

The Friday open house is 4 – 6 p.m. and on Saturday  from 9 a.m. – noon at 600 E. Church Avenue in West Fresno.

The new 40-acre campus, an $86.5 million project funded mainly through bond measures and a Transformative Climate Communities grant from the state, was deliberately planned for Fresno’s westside, Fresno Bee reporter Julianna Morano wrote in a recent Bee Education Lab feature.

“A lack of educational investments and high poverty rates plaguing the area have stymied graduation rates and pathways to college for southwest Fresno students,” she wrote.

The state-of-the-art academic and career technical satellite campus located at Church and Walnut avenues will provide the West Fresno community with a complete college center offering diverse educational opportunities, from career technology courses to transferable college credits.

The West Fresno Campus will include facilities for:

  • Associate Degrees for Transfer in Social Justice and Public Health
  • General education classes including pre-requisites for nursing and allied health programs including Medical Assisting
  • Advanced Transportation
    • Automotive Technology
    • Automotive Collision
  • Warehouse Distribution
  • Student Services, Library and Tutoring

The project is funded by $70 million coming from facilities bonds and $16.5 million from the Transformative Climate Community (TCC) program.

The City of Fresno received a total of $66.5 million in TCC funding to provide disadvantaged communities with neighborhood projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the City of Fresno is providing $11 million in off-site improvements, $4.5 million toward the construction of a new neighborhood park, improved public transportation services to the new campus with its all electric transit buses.

FCC press release

FCC media contacts:

]Kathy Bonilla, Public Information Officer  – (559) 753-3293 

 Cris Monahan Bremer, director of Marketing and Communications  – (559) 307-5019

See: Bee story

 

FCC WEST CAMPUS – NEWS ARCHIVE:

Construction Projects | Fresno City College

West Fresno Campus Virtual Groundbreaking Ceremony | Fresno …

Future Health Care Professionals Program at West Fresno Campus …

2020-10-07 West Fresno Campus site | Fresno City College

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