MID YEAR REVIEW 2025
Summer Edition 2025: CVHEC’s first six months of the year
BY TOM URIBES
Communications/Media Coordinator — Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
Presenting our second annual Mid-Year Review summer edition featuring CVHEC’s first six months of 2025 as reported in our news and social media platforms from January to June, prepared by Tom Uribes, the consortium’s communications/media coordinator. See more headlines on the CVHEC website (button link below) …
JANUARY 2025 (No. 46)
– Published Jan. 16
CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian to keynote Dual Enrollment Convening Feb. 3
New: pre-conference session for schools new to dual enrollment [STORY]
Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, will keynote the “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley” Convening set for Feb. 3 in Fresno. More than 100 secondary and postsecondary educators from throughout the valley’s ten-county region will hear the chancellor address challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success that can pave the way for high school students statewide leading to a degree or certificate.
Presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and its Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force, the convening will 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Registration is free, with breakfast and lunch included.
“Dual enrollment is a game changer in bringing college to first-generation students whose parents did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education,” said Chancellor Christian. “Central Valley colleges have shown tremendous momentum in expanding dual enrollment pathways. The work led by The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in collaborating, facilitating, and realizing dual enrollment is truly a gold star standard for the rest of the country.”
According to the CCC DataVista website, the Central Valley has reported the highest share of community college students simultaneously enrolled in K-12 schools of any region in the state …
BLOG: ‘Progress in a Time of Disruption: The Urgency of Reimagining Higher Ed’ – Y DR. JAMIE MERISOTIS, President/CEO, Lumina Foundation
With the advent of a new year, and many new developments across the nation and worldwide, we kick off our first Central Valley Higher Education Consortium newsletter of the year with a special guest edition of our blog featuring a reprint of the keynote address delivered by Dr. Jamie Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, at the Complete College America (CCA) Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana last November: “Progress in a Time of Disruption: the Urgency of Reimagining Higher Ed.” https://cvhec.org/what-the-cv-hec-is-happening-blog-cca-keynote-dr-jamie-merisotis-lumina/CVHEC sent a delegation to the three-day conference Nov. 18-20 which drew 800 participants from throughout the country who heard Dr. Merisotis issue both an alarm that higher education is at a crossroads and a call to positive action through system changes in higher ed. An internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy and public policy, Dr. Merisotis has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008.
https://cvhec.org/what-the-cv-hec-is-happening-blog-cca-keynote-dr-jamie-merisotis-lumina/
UC Merced Chancellor Muñoz to chair CVHEC Board of Directors
Consortium board’s executive committee sets sights on planning for 2025
Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, chancellor of University of California Merced, is the new chairperson for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors beginning a one-year term this month. As chair, Chancellor Muñoz leads the executive committee of the CVHEC board which is now preparing for the consortium’s upcoming Central Valley Higher Education Summit tentatively set for May 9. Two board meetings are planned this spring, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director. He succeeds Dr. Kristen Clark who retired from her position as chancellor of West Hills Community College District in August, an action that also vacated her seat on the CVHEC board and ended her time as board chair.
Math Bridge: foundation for postsecondary journey, academic success
Since the Central Valley Math Bridge program was funded in late 2022 in partnership with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the Rand Corporation and several community college members of the consortium, its small but energetic College Bridge team has made headway into 18 high schools in the consortium’s 10-county region thanks with funding from the California K-16 Collaborative (Central – Fresno, Madera, Kings Counties; and We Will! – North Valley).
The first Math Bridge cohort at 13 of those schools began in the fall with a prep course and now the 332 high school students enrolled in the program at those schools will be taking their first college course this spring (see list). The other five schools will start in fall 2025. This update submitted by Audra Burwell, College Bridge communication coordinator, presents the program’s 2024 progress as it moves into 2025 with its first cohorts.
https://cvhec.org/math-bridge-update-providing-tools-for-postsecondary-journeys/
CVHEC Summit 2025 set for May 9
The 2025 Central Valley Higher Education Summit is set for Friday, May 9 in Fresno when the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of the 28 higher education institutions – the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors – convene together with colleagues, partners and friends for a full day of discussions and showcases regarding education issues pertinent to the consortium’s 10-county service region. The day-long free event is presented by the CVHEC board with main funding support from College Futures Foundation.
CSU sets another first-year student enrollment record
All-time high for first-year student enrollment, despite FAFSA challenges, including three CVHEC member campuses
For the second consecutive year, the California State University (CSU) welcomed an all-time high number of first-time, first-year students for fall 2024—more than 68,500 new students across its 23 universities, including at the three CSU members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium: Bakersfield, Fresno and Stanislaus.
https://cvhec.org/member-news-csu-sets-another-first-year-student-enrollment-record/
Taft College names new acting superintendent/president
Dr. Leslie Minor has assumed the acting superintendent/president role at West Kern Community College District/Taft College effective Jan. 13. As CEO of a CVHEC member institution of higher ed, President Minor now serves on the consortium board.
https://cvhec.org/cvhec-board-of-directors-news-interim-csub-president-begins-term/
CCA ‘Math Pathways 2.0’ report: national conversation corequisite focus
Complete College America (CCA) has released its latest report, Formula for Success: How to Support Every Student Through Math Pathways that, drawing from extensive work with institutions nationwide, offers a comprehensive framework for implementing Math Pathways 2.0 and transforming mathematics education to support student success and advance equity goals. Dr. Benjamín Durán, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium executive director, said the report reinforces work that CVHEC members and partners such as the Dana Center at the University of Austin (Texas) are pioneering in Central California.
(Social media – JAN) TO DO
FEBRUARY 2025 (No. 47)
– Published Feb. 12
Dual enrollment at scale and with equity
CCC chancellor: ‘Central California is state model for dual enrollment’
Citing the Central Valley as the state leader and exemplary model for dual enrollment implementation, California Community College Chancellor Sonya Christian provided a powerful keynote launch for the “Dual Enrollment in The Central Valley” Convening held Feb. 3 in Fresno.
The day-long event, presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and its Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force in partnership with the California Guided Pathways Project at the Foundation for California Community Colleges, featured a panel of five valley high school students sharing their dual enrollment experiences and the foundation set for future academic goals.
Dr. Christian brought an insightful and encouraging message to the event as she emphasized Vision 2030, a bold strategy set when she was named chancellor in 2023.
https://cvhec.org/cvdeep-convening-wrap-dual-enrollment-at-scale-and-with-equity/
Transfer Project Update
Persistence: commitment with intelligence
With 2025 well into its second month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents here a look at the success of our Central Valley Transfer Project that was catapulted into the state limelight when it was declared a California Community Colleges Demonstration Project by Chancellor Dr. Sonya Christian in fall 2023. Transfer Project Lead Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of COS, reports that 12 of the 15 Central Valley Higher Education Consortium-member community colleges are now on board along with members UC Merced and our three CSU campuses: Bakersfield, Fresno and Stanislaus. Carrizosa updates how “the Central Valley Way” of collaboration and “working smarter, not harder” that characterizes CVHEC initiatives is spreading into a statewide effort to increase successful community college transfers with the implementation of the project’s software platform, Program Pathways Mapper (PPM). He notes that funding to implement the PPM software — which is increasing the rate of successful community college transfers who utilize it to efficiently navigate their journey to a degree or certificate — is available to any community college for their students.
| CVHEC Math Task Force
Next AB1705 convening March 28: going ‘beyond’ its service to student success |
While its work with math curriculum for Assembly Bill 1705 over the past two years nears a conclusion for now, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force will convene this spring to ramp up its mission within a broader math landscape for the valley’s 10-county region.
CVHEC announced “The Central Valley Way to Math Success: AB 1705 Success and Beyond” Convening is set for March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the new West Fresno Center of Fresno City College.
The daylong event continues two years of discussion by Central Valley community colleges and their counterparts statewide about meeting the requirements of the state law related to equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs. Dr. Erik Cooper of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is scheduled to address the CCCCO memo issued Dec. 10, 2024, “Updated Guidance for Placement and Enrollment for Students in STEM Programs.”
https://cvhec.org/math-task-force-sets-next-ab1705-convening-march-28/
BLOGL New year, new laws: the Stop Campus Hazing Act is now in effect
This edition of the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog features Fresno attorney Ashley Emerzian of Emerzian Shankar Legal Inc., who specializes in education law, providing informative insights into the Stop Campus Hazing Act that was signed into law by President Biden in December, and the newly enhanced Clery Act that requires universities to include hazing data in their annual Clery Reports as well as publish a separate report which describes hazing violations. She reports that “staggering” statistics on higher education campus hazing have been widely reported in recent years. Here she presents key areas of compliance that institutions of higher education will need to implement this year including deadlines and penalties such as loss of federal financial aid funding for Clery violations. She is joined in this blog by law partner Jenna Cummings and Pamela Schock of CVHEC-member Fresno Pacific University.
https://cvhec.org/what-the-cv-hec-is-happening-blog-stop-campus-hazing-act/
UOP: Hearst Foundation supports physician assistant program with new grant
The University of the Pacific’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is receiving $200,000 from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to provide scholarships for students from underserved areas with the aim of increasing the health care workforce in these areas.
California’s Central Valley, with a focus on San Joaquin County and neighboring counties, will be the priority area for recruiting from and returning graduates for added service, said Nicoleta Bugnariu, founding dean of Pacific’s School of Health Sciences.
https://cvhec.org/member-news-uop-helping-tackle-valleys-health-care-shortage-with-hearst-grant/
(Social media – FEB) TO DO
MARCH 2025 (No. 48)
– Published March 30
Topics set for CVHEC Summit 2025
Complete College America rep will provide national perspective for higher ed CEOs May 9
As educators across the nation face urgency reimagining higher education to meet the needs of today’s students and society, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2025 Friday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fresno is shaping up with topics that present voices from policy makers and practitioners nationally, statewide and from throughout the Central Valley’s 10-county region. The CVHEC 2025 Summit will bring together chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 Central Valley institutions of higher education — who make up the CVHEC Board of Directors – with other educators and policy makers including elected officials who develop litigation that affect the region.
One of the panelists participating this year will be Dr. Brandon Protas (at right), assistant vice president for Alliance Engagement at Complete College America, a national alliance of higher education institutions and organizations including CVHEC in California, Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, announced.
BLOG: Blazing a Trail: my journey as an undocumented student and the path forward for higher education — BY DR. ILIANA PEREZ – Executive Director, Immigrants Rising
This edition of the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog features Dr. Iliana Perez, executive director of Immigrants Rising, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing opportunities for undocumented communities. Dr. Perez, who was raised in the Central Valley (Turlock), is an alumna of CVHEC-member Fresno State where she earned a BA in mathematics before attending Claremont University for her master’s and PhD. She and her organization have worked with several CVHEC-member campuses regarding issues related to undocumented students including an entrepreneurship incubator and pitch competition for undocumented students with a shark tank style competition planned at Fresno State later this semester. In this month’s blog, she shares her personal experience as an undocumented student who has reinvested herself in her community. She outlines gains and ongoing challenges in that landscape and resources regarding undocumented students available to institutions of higher education. CVHEC members interested in collaborating with Immigrants Rising for their undocumented students may contact Dr. Perez at iliana@immigrantsrising.org.
See the full ‘What The CV-HEC is Happening Blog’ – Dr. Iliana Perez
Getty, Brandl share ‘The Central Valley Way’ to AB1705 at AMATYC national meet – March 28 MTF agenda released
Among the highlights of the upcoming Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force convening this month in Fresno will be a full report from two members featured in the national spotlight when they presented at a math conference in Atlanta last fall about “The Central Valley Way” in tackling AB 1705 curriculum issues.
CVHEC released the official agenda for the “The Central Valley Way to Math Success: AB 1705 Success and Beyond” Convening set for March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the new West Fresno Center of Fresno City College where community college professors Shelley Getty and Jeremy Brandl will discuss how they shared at the national math conference Nov. 17 CVHEC’s approach to addressing AB 1705 the past two years. They attended with Dr. Tammi Pérez-Rice, course program specialist for the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin)
Getty called it an “amazing experience” where the attendees were “very interested both in the challenges we have faced in California and the benefit CVHEC and the Dana Center have offered us. I have learned a lot from some great presenters and gathered ideas that will be very beneficial as we continue to move forward in this adventure we call AB1705. It has been really good to see how schools across the country are wrestling with similar challenges, but on much longer timelines. It has made me very thankful to be a part of ‘the Central Valley Way’.”
For the March 28 convening in Fresno, in addition to updates in five breakout sessions from Central Valley community colleges regarding their revised calculus and precalculus curricula, a visit by Dr. Erik Cooper of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is planned. He will be presenting “Reflections from Chancellor’s Office” regarding a Dec. 10, 2024 memo which provides “additional direction on placement and enrollment options.”
https://cvhec.org/cc-math-profs-to-present-national-story-at-next-ab1705-convening/
CVHEC presents Master’s Upskill, Math Bridge programs
for California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference
Over 650 educators, presenters and sponsors met at the 3rd California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference in Sacramento Feb. 23-26 including a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium delegation that presented a panel on two dual enrollment initiatives: the Master’s Upskilling Project and the Central Valley Math Bridge Program.
The statewide conference featured a virtual message from California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Chistian. Co-hosts were California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships (CADEP), Career Ladders Project and Education Trust–West.
Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, led the CVHEC delegation of eight with six presenting on the panel, “Using Dual Enrollment as a tool for Math Alignment and Increasing Instructor Capacity in the Central Valley.” The panel team was (at right:) Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC (visuals); Seth Williams, Sanger High School; Ginny Sandhu, Sunnyside High School (Fresno Unified); Taft High School Principal Mary Alice Finn; Taft math teacher Oscar Nuno; and Owynn Lancaster, College Bridge (Math Bridge Program) …
Dr. Clark resumes higher ed career leading CVHEC dual enrollment with Cash
Dr. Kristin Clark, chancellor-emeritus of West Hills Community College District (WHCCD), has joined the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium core team as a consultant leading the development of a “Dual Enrollment Guide/Playbook of Best Practices” for Central Valley colleges, especially those serving students in rural areas.
Dr. Benjamin Duran, CVHEC executive director, recently announced the appointment bringing the former chancellor out of retirement seven months after stepping away from her 30-year career in higher education that also included the presidency of West Hills College-Lemoore (now Lemoore College) and service on the CVHEC board of directors.
Dr. Clark will pair up with Elaine Cash, CVHEC grants coordinator and former superintendent of Riverdale Joint Unified School District who last month was named to co-lead CVHEC’s dual enrollment project.
“We are very fortunate that Dr. Clark was available and willing to join us for this very important project,” Duran said. “Her addition to the powerful CVHEC consulting team comprised of retired higher education and K12 leaders will be a benefit to the entire area.”
https://cvhec.org/dr-kristin-clark-resumes-higher-ed-career-with-cvhec/
| DUAL ENROLLMENT WEEK: March 10-14, 2025
CVHEC featured on “The Bridge to Success: Navigating Dual Enrollment” podcast |
To help kick off Dual Enrollment Week March 10-14, we present the California Department of Education podcast “Bridge to Success: Navigating Dual Enrollment” recorded Feb. 25 at the California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference featuring members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium delegation.
Interviewed and sharing our dual enrollment initiatives at the third annual statewide conference held Feb. 23-26 in Sacramento were Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director; Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC Operations & Finance manager, Ginny Sandhu, Sunnyside High School (Fresno Unifed) English teacher who earned qualification to teach dual enrollment courses through CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program.
The podcast by Diane Crum, Education Programs consultant in CDE’s High School Innovations and Initiatives Office, explores dual enrollment success stories from around the state of California. She dives into inspiring stories, best practices and expert insights to help students bridge the gap between high school and college.
DREAMSCAPE: Merced College pioneers first community college VR lab in the state
A little journey into an immersive alien landscape at Merced College’s new Dreamscape Learn Lab that is now in use to aid in learning the basics of biology provided Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team members a break from their usual routines recently.
President Chris Vitelli extended an invite to Dr. Benjamín Durán (at left), CVHEC executive director, for an exclusive tour Feb. 28 of the first permanent, brick-and-mortar virtual reality learning facility in the California Community College system to deploy both a Dreamscape Learn classroom and a free-roam pod experience. Joining Dr. Duran on the virtual reality trek were Priscilla Arellano, Ángel Ramírez, Elaine Cash, and Tom Uribes. [MORE]
https://cvhec.org/spotlight-on-cvhec-merced-college-dreamscape-tour/
UCSF Appoints Dr. José M. Barral Sánchez as Fresno Regional Campus vice dean
José M. Barral Sánchez, MD, PhD, was named vice dean for the UCSF Fresno Regional Campus, effective May 1, 2025, UCSF School of Medicine Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, announced recently. Dr. Sánchez will oversee medical education, faculty development and research growth, including regional campus expanding partnership with UC Merced, Dean King said. [MORE]
UOP receives nearly $200k in collaboration with WE Will! initiative
University of the Pacific has received a nearly $200,000 grant from the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative to expand college readiness in the Central Valley. The WE Will! Workforce and Education Collaborative, led by UC Merced, has awarded $14.2 million to education and healthcare partners in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. The funding will help Pacific establish a new financial wellness program, provide scholarships to the Pacific Summer High School Institute and expand engagement with Spanish-speaking students and their families. [MORE]
(Social media – MARCH) TO DO
APRIL 2025 (No. 49)
– Published April 17
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(Social media – April) TO DO
JUNE 2025
CVHEC SUMMIT 2025 WRAP
175+ higher ed professionals, leaders and students
‘Navigating Higher Education in a New Era – The Central Valley Way’
More than 175 higher education leaders who gathered at the Central Valley Higher Education Summit in Fresno on May 9 rallied to address sweeping federal changes reshaping the education landscape nationwide.
The summit, hosted by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) and sponsored by College Futures Foundation, was marked by a powerful virtual address from California Attorney General Rob Bonta (see related story). It featured panels addressing national trends, equity, the state’s higher education systems policies, student experiences and collaborative innovation.
The summit theme, “Navigating Higher Education in a New Era – The Central Valley Way,” was delivered through five panels with members of the CVHEC board providing panelist introductions and moderating.https://youtu.be/Y7kLTfa0YsU
Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, chancellor of UC Merced and chair of the CVHEC board, set the tone for the panels and Bonta’s remarks later in the afternoon: “The focus of today’s summit is unique in that higher education across the nation is dealing with challenges created by a new administration in Washington and the ever-changing higher education landscape”
https://cvhec.org/cvhec-summit-2025-wrap-more-timely-and-impactful-than-ever/
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BBLOG
Like many high school seniors, Ellie Oliva had big college dreams after graduating from high school. But, just like for numerous students, her plans changed and she “took a break” to earn some money and “live life” before eventually returning to her academic journey.
For our commencement season “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we recruited Ellie to tell her story of not giving up on her dream and eventually experiencing the thrill of graduating from two CVHEC-member colleges in the past 365 days including walking in two commencement events last month.
Right after her Fresno State graduation May 17, Ellie began her full-time professional career with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno as its social media coordinator.
https://cvhec.org/what-the-cv-hec-is-happening-blog-may-2025-commencement-class-of-2025-ellie-oliva/
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https://cvhec.org/update-cvhec-increases-transfers-the-central-valley-way/
CVHEC BOARD MEETING: New Taft College, UCSF-Fresno reps welcomed to board; key initiatives discussed
The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Board of Directors welcomed two new members at its quarterly meeting May 8 in Fresno: Acting Superintendent/President Leslie Minor of Taft College and Vice Dean José M. Barral Sánchez, M.D., Ph.D. from the UCSF Fresno Regional Campus.
https://cvhec.org/board-meeting-may-2025-taft-college-ucsf-welcomed-to-cvhec-board/
(Social media – JUNE) TO DO
National Higher Education Day June 5
In observance of #HigherEducationDay2024 today … a salute to the leaders of 28 Central Valley institutions of higher ed in our nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern who make up the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors: speaking in a single voice on higher education policy issues that affect our region. Collectively these educational executives – chancellors, presidents, campus directors — collaborate to increase Central Valley’s certificate and degree attainment rates while serving as a regional convener on post-secondary equitable work. A special shout out to board members in transition: Dr. Robert Pimentel, Fresno City College president named as the new chancellor of West Hills Community College District succeeding retiring Chancellor Kristin Clark effective Aug. 1; Porterville College President Claudia Lourido-Habib on her new assignment as president of Ventura Community College. Appointed Porterville interim president was Dr. Primavera Monarrez effective this month.
West Hills Community College District (WHCCD) Chancellor-select Pimentel
SUMMER – TO DO
(Social media ONLY – JUNE/JULY)
