Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D. CVHEC Executive Director

Seasons Greetings to all!

The holiday season always brings not only the sense of joy and warmth of family, great friends and colleagues, but serves to bestow wonder to what lies ahead in the new year.

But this year feels “different.”

Yes, many of us can still aspire to that same holiday cheerfulness, but clearly the year 2020 has wrought a new world that, while we feel somewhat subdued, reinforces gratitude for what we have accomplished and fortifies a renewed commitment and motivation to face any challenge.

As we collectively look back on the last nine-months, CVHEC takes pride in that we all stepped up in a meaningful way and are meeting these challenges together.

That collective pride was aptly displayed at our board meeting this week when we personally bid farewell to one of our ardent leaders, Dr. Joseph I. Castro, as he departs his position as Fresno State president to become chancellor of the California State University system in January. It was befitting of the season to hear so many heartfelt expressions of appreciation for Joe’s contributions as a CVHEC board member and of support for his new quest — enough to light up any holiday celebration! We look forward to continuing to rely on Joe in his new post as we move through this time of transition.

So many we serve in our region have faced extraordinarily trying times this year and for them, life may never be the same. We know higher education is evolving to better meet our student’s needs and new paths for higher education delivery are continuously being forged. Although this is an ongoing challenge, we will be adamant in doing our part.

As we look ahead, we have our sights set on many endeavors, most notably our upcoming CVHEC Virtual Summit Series which is a spin on our annual live Higher Education Legislative Policy Summit (usually held in October). In the Spring, we will take on some of those challenges presented to us this year: Broadband in the Central Valley – focusing in on Education, Ag and Telemedicine needs; calling for action through the CVHEC Equity and Racial and Social Justice Ad Hoc Committee; and yes, exploring the future of Higher Education in the Central Valley.

This season of giving also provides cause for pause to acknowledge our many partners, funders, and friends. Thank you for continuing to support the work CVHEC is doing for our students in the valley, thank you for the flexibility and creativity that this year has made us all tap into, and thank you for being ready to take on 2021 with us. You make the work we do at CVHEC possible.

I’ll leave you this issue with the final words that Chancellor-select Castro expressed to the board this month as he departed our Zoom session: “The best is yet to come, both here at Fresno State and across the Central Valley. Keep being bold!”

May you and your family find continued happiness during this “different” holiday season.

Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D.
Executive Director – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)

Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D. CVHEC Executive Director

As our Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) member institutions approach the end of a historic and challenging 2020, we are delighted to report that faculty, staff, administrators and leaders have pulled together to continue to deliver a high-quality higher education experience to our Central Valley students.

In the midst of this historic pandemic, we can confidently say that there were, and are, heroes on our campuses who stepped up to serve our students.

First, speaking of heroes and in observance of Veteran’s Day, we extend a very special thank you to the many men and women who served and are currently serving in our United States Armed Forces, especially any veterans on our board, faculty, staff and students at our member institutions.

As we come to the end of the fall semester, the CVHEC Board of Directors join together in wishing our own Dr. Joseph Castro, president of Fresno State and the new Chancellor-select of the California State University System, the very best as he prepares to assume his new role Jan. 4 as leader of the largest four-year public university system in the United States. We in the Central Valley have much to be proud of as we see one of our own rise to this prestigious and important post.

Dr. Castro, your friends and colleagues in the CVHEC wish you success and good luck as you assume your new role. Know that we will always see you as an esteemed Central Valley colleague whose support and contributions to higher education in our region are immeasurable. We are forever grateful!

And as we say goodbye to our longtime partner, we welcome two new colleagues and friends to the CVHEC Board of Directors: Dr. Sean C. Hancock and Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval.

Dr. Hancock was appointed president of Cerro Coso College by Kern Community College District Chancellor Thomas Burke this summer, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Dr. Jill Board.  Dr. Hancock most recently served as vice chancellor for Student and Institutional Success at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District in El Cajon and brings more than 20 years of experience in community college administration to his new role.  President Hancock, welcome to the Central Valley.

Dr Jiménez-Sandoval, Fresno State’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, was appointed by California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White in October as interim president to guide the University when current Fresno State president Dr. Joseph I. Castro begins his new role as chancellor of the CSU Jan. 4, 2021. We look forward to these two talented leaders joining our CVHEC board at our next quarterly meeting, Dec. 7.

In this issue, we highlight some of the activities and strategies we are planning for the rest of the fall semester and the 2021 spring semester.  CVHEC, with the Charles A. Dana Center of the University of Texas at Austin and other partners, will continue to bring professional development opportunities to Central Valley faculty and staff to better serve students in our region.

Also, to further opportunities that serve students, we are pleased to again offer our CVHEC mini-grants to partner institutions. The mini-grants, up to $7,500 each, provide opportunities for faculty and administrators to engage in innovative approaches that lead to student success in a virtual environment given rise by the pandemic.

Finally, since the Consortium was unable to hold its annual Legislative and Policy Summit, the board of directors will offer a series of mini-summits that will address salient topics currently being discussed such as, “The Impact of the Pandemic on Our Students” and “Addressing Equity and Racial and Social Justice in Central Valley Colleges and Universities.”

And, in observance of Veteran’s Day Nov. 11, we extend a very special thank you to the many men and women who served us in our United States Armed Forces, especially any veterans on our board, on faculty and staff working at our member institutions and our student veterans.

Please enjoy the latest issue of our newsletter and thank you for being a supporter of higher education in the great Central Valley.

Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D.
Executive Director – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)