• News & Events
  • Community Calendar
Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
  • Strategies
    • Central Valley Transfer Project
    • Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley
  • Committees and Task Forces
    • English Task Force
    • Math Task Force
    • PIO/Communicators Committee
  • Regional Data Dashboard
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

CVHEC’s Year-In-Review 2023

December 20, 2023

Many strands coming together into one fabric
— a glimpse at the past 12 months

By CVHEC TEAM
(Tom Uribes, Dr. John Spevak and Stan Carrizosa)

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium completes our 21st year with this 2023 Year-In-Review as seen through the headlines of our monthly e-newsletter, now in its 35th edition. (A special summer edition covers June-August).

While much was accomplished the past 12 months, perhaps our main achievement was a combination of many accomplishments, with the CVHEC team working simultaneously on many strands that come together into one fabric. We have remained committed to building a road to educational and career success for all students, especially those in grades 9 to 14, by continuing to focus on efforts with these major strategies throughout 2023:

  • For community college transfer students, we expanded our Central Valley Transfer Project and its Program Pathways Mapper software, inspiring the California Community Colleges to adopt the program as a demonstration project for possible system-wide implementation in the future;
  • For high school students, we have encouraged the ongoing growth of dual enrollment, most notably by partnering with College Bridge to help initiate and develop the Central Valley Math Bridge Program involving many of our community college members and their respective feeder high schools as well as expanding our Master’s Upskilling Program initiated two years ago into Kern County;
  • We are fostering a Central Valley approach to the understanding of Assembly Bill 1705 through our English and Math Task Forces that are now in full swing with an eye to a productive 2024 and the implementation of this legislation that focuses on student success in math and English.

On a broader state and national scale, we closed the year this month with two major conferences: the Talent Hub Convening in Mobile, Alabama by the CivicLab where we revisited how partnerships between industry and education, working off the same playbook, are vital to cross-collaboration success for both landscapes; and the Complete College America conference in Las Vegas, Nevada where we explored “a clear-eyed vision for leading systems change” in higher education throughout our nation.

See this look back at the CVHEC 2023 story:

 

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.

 

SUMMER EDITION

(Published July 19, 2023)

 

Supreme Court ruling is not the death of Affirmative Action but rather a challenge  

Statement by Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, on the June 29 United States Supreme Court Affirmative Action ruling: ‘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.”  See July Director’s Message.

‘Merced Promise Pathway’ streamlines path for Modesto JC, Columbia College student 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 signed July 11 between the university and Yosemite Community College District: the Merced Promise Pathway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the three Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members that 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. See Merced Promise Pathway story.

SOFT START program awarded $2.4M for two CVHEC members in ‘Internet for All’ funding

A collaboration that prepares at-risk students and low-income residents for careers in IT-cybersecurity is set to launch this fall by Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members Fresno State and Fresno City College in partnership with the Fresno County Public Library as part of a two-year, $2.4 million federal grant by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program announced in February. Fresno State was one of five minority-serving institutions to receive a portion of over $18.5 million in “Internet for All” funding meant to expand community technology hubs, upgrade classroom technology and increase digital literacy skills as California faces a shortage of about 73,000 cybersecurity professionals. See CVHEC story and KSEE-24 NBC “Education Matters” report.

UPDATE: Registration is available for two new Fresno State SOFT START Cybersecurity cohorts that begin Jan. 31, 2024: the Beginning Certificate session and the first Intermediate Certificate session. FCC certificate programs will be rolled out in fall 2024.

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.

See CVHEC CCC Chancellor Blog.

 

SEPTEMBER

(Published Sept. 7, 2023)

 

CVHEC Summit Oct. 19-20 features keynote

Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, will return “home” Oct. 20 when she delivers the keynote for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno. With the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” the summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall.  See summit keynote story.

Open Educational Resources movement launched with $580,180 K-16 grant to CVHEC members

The pioneering Open Educational Resources Improvement Project – a collaboration of Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members and partners – kicks off with a $580,180 state grant as well as a new CVHEC OER Task Force and convening planned for later this fall. CVHEC-member West Hills Community College District recently announced the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative Mini-Grant Award for the groundbreaking initiative that is poised to usher in a new era of educational opportunities by revolutionizing learning, teaching and research materials across the Central Valley. The project is in collaboration with the State Center Community College District and its campuses — Fresno City College, Madera Community College and Reedley College (all consortium members) — and CVHEC. See OER story.

UPDATE: plans for the OER convening and task force announcement will be forthcoming in early 2024.

CVHEC 2022 Mini Grant funds FPU Tri-Alpha Honor Society for first-generation students

A Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Mini-Grant awarded to member Fresno Pacific University earlier this year helped establish a local chapter of the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society (Tri-Alpha) that recognizes and engages first-generation college students. The $6,477 CVHEC grant created undergraduate research fellowships that allows the university to provide research stipends for students and faculty as well as covered student membership fees; two induction ceremonies; and speaker honoria and refreshments for monthly chapter meetings. The CVHEC Mini-Grants, funded by the College Futures Foundation, are awarded to member institutions in support of the consortium’s mission to increase degree attainment rates. See FPU Mini-grant story.

CVHEC website feature: English and Math Task Forces 

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium launches two new web pages this month featuring its two intersegmental task forces consisting of math and English educators representing the 15 community college members in the region that are part of the 28-member consortium. First formed in 2019 under the leadership of Dr. John Spevak, a CVHEC coordinator and a former Merced College vice president, the mission of the English and Math Task Forces is to streamline math and English pathways for students by examining topics and issues of those disciplines and recent legislation as part of CVHEC’s mission: improve certificate and degree completion rates in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern. See the English Task Force and Math Task Force stories.

Tachi Yokut Tribe donates $3 million to West Hills College Lemoore for Native American Studies Program

The Tachi Yokut Tribe donated $3 million to the West Hills Community College Foundation for a comprehensive Native American studies program at West Hills College Lemoore. See Tachi donates story.

UCSF Fresno celebrates new doctors for Central Valley/state

It takes 11 years or more to produce a practicing physician after high school, depending on the specialty. On June 15, UCSF Fresno celebrated the completion of years of training for more than 100 graduates. See UCSF Fresno new doctors story.

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Teachers

As students return to classrooms for the fall semester, this month’s “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog is a message about the lifelong impact that teachers deliver for their students by Dr. John Spevak, a former teacher who is a vice president-emeritus of Merced College and currently a regional coordinator for CVHEC.  See Teachers Blog.

 

OCTOBER

(Published Oct. 10, 2023)

 

Summit of college leaders takes on valley’s higher ed issues

Several community college chancellors and presidents lead the charge Oct. 20 when the heads of 28 valley colleges and other educators and policy makers convene for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno that includes a student panel discussing their higher education experiences and a federal education legislative update by U.S. Congressman Jim Costa. CVHEC released its line-up of panelists for the summit which features a keynote address by Dr. Sonya Christian, California Community Colleges chancellor with the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall. See the CVHEC Summit panelists story.

UPDATE:  At the Central Valley Higher Education Summit, Chancellor Christian announced an historic new initiative, the Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, in a partnership with and modeled after CVHEC’s Transfer Project.

CVHEC Math Task Force meets in-person Oct. 13 for AB 1705 follow-up

With two convenings this month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force is tackling questions regarding California Assembly Bill 1705 requiring that California’s community colleges expand their efforts to enroll and support students in transfer-level math courses in the face of implementation deadlines looming in 2024. In partnership with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, CVHEC presents a virtual sessions Oct. 6 to addressing areas of confusion regarding the bill and its implementation and an in-person session, “AB1705 Student Success Workshop,” Oct. 13 to  explore how to best support students within the framework of AB1705 — a follow up to AB 705, previous legislation that fundamentally reshaped placement and remediation at the community colleges. See MTF AB1705 story.

Historic Transfer Project spurs statewide movement to increase transfer rates

As we enter the third phase of the Central Valley Transfer Project, we are pleased to report great progress has been made ranging from its infancy two years ago to nationwide interest — including possible expansion into another region of California in the near future — as our team is invited regularly to present at state and national conferences as well as  at the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s 2023 Summit Oct. 20. Originally born out of dissatisfaction with Central Valley community college transfer rates to University of California, Merced, this effort has spurred a statewide movement at multiple levels to increase the number of successful community college transfers to four-year institutions with the Program Pathway Mapper software and laid the groundwork for the California Community Colleges’ Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project announced at the summit. See Transfer Project update story.

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG: Master’s Upskill Program Success Story

Sanger West High School teacher JADE MARTÍNEZ recounts road to a post-bac degree and her first dual enrollment class.  See Master’s Upskill blog.

Reedley and Merced Colleges host Math Bridge orientation for feeder high schools  

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members Merced and Reedley community colleges hosted high school math educators and administrators from their respective service area schools Sept. 21 for an orientation about the Central Valley Math Bridge Program that is now in full swing. See Math Bridge story.

 

NOVEMBER

(Published Nov. 6, 2023)

 

CVHEC Summit leaves myriad of takeaways for participants

For Araceli Tilley, an alumna of Merced College, the Program Pathway Mapper used by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Transfer Project proved to be not only useful for her transfer to UC Merced in fall 2022, it provided her an easy way to map her college courses for her final two years of college at UC Merced that is leading up to graduation in May 2024 with a degree in psychology. Araceli shared her experiences on the student panel at the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 held in Fresno Oct. 20 where the breadth and depth of CVHEC activities such as the Transfer Project were showcased.  Joined by four other students who shared their experiences in activities CVHEC has sponsored and how much their success could be attributed to those initiatives, Araceli’s remarks at the summit “earned” her a trip with the CVHEC team to share her transfer experiences statewide.  Presented by CVHEC and sponsored by the College Futures Foundation, the summit attracted 184 higher education officials and educators, legislators and partner representatives for a full day of discourse surrounding Dual Enrollment, Transfers, Math Pathways and Open Educational Resources with several panels introduced and moderated by CVHEC board members.  See CVHEC Summit 2023 story and photo gallery.

 CCC Chancellor announces Transfer Pathways Demonstration at CVHEC Summit

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office will launch a new initiative, the Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, Chancellor Sonya Christian announced at the 2023 Central Valley Higher Education Summit in Fresno Oct. 20. In a partnership with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the CV Transfer Pathways — modeled after CVHEC’s Transfer Project — entails developing and publishing 2 + 2 transfer pathways using the Program Pathways Mapper software to clarify the path to four-year colleges for transfer students as well as for campus staff in creating clear paths for transfer students to reach their educational goals while closing equity gaps. See the CCC Chancellor Transfer Announcement story.

Math Task Force begins discussion of AB1705 implementation – Nov. 17 next

With an eye towards ensuring the success rates of their students enrolled in corequisites to gateway math courses, community college members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force kicked off a series of convenings in October to begin preparing for implementation of Assembly Bill 1705 in the 2024-25 academic year. CVHEC announced that follow up meetings are set for Nov. 17 and Jan. 26 to continue a year-long discussion of ideas and options with the task force members and other educators in an ongoing quest for equitable mathematics under AB705 and AB1705. See Math Task Force AB1705 covenings summary story.

 

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG: Expanding the Reach of the Central Valley Math Bridge 

College Bridge Vice President Owynn Lancaster updates the Math Bridge project and, after successful College Orientation meetings in September, the College Bridge team has been darting up and down the San Joaquin Valley meeting with interested feeder highs schools to onboard and launch them for the coming academic year’s CV Math Bridge Project. See Math Bridge update blog. 

The San Joaquin Valley Broadband Summit Nov. 9 seeks affordable internet across the region

The San Joaquin Valley Affordable Broadband Summit Nov. 9 will bring key community leaders together to strategize for the adoption of affordable internet across the region. The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is hosting the virtual summit that includes a pre-summit Nov. 1 to address broadband barriers, resources and solutions such as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). At the summit, a diverse group of experts, community leaders, and advocates will share their insights and experiences in addressing Broadband Access in the San Joaquin Valley as they seek to bridge the digital divide in the San Joaquin Valley. See Broadband Summit story.

Comcast pledges $100,000 in scholarships to 5 CVHEC CC members

Comcast California presented a $100,000 donation to five Central Valley Higher Education Consortium-member community colleges ($20k each) to support the next generation of students eager to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM): Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera College and Reedley College all in the State Center Community College District and College of the Sequoias.  See Comcast STEAM story.

Community College CEOs first caucus: area state legislators address policy issues  

The newly-formed Central Valley Community College CEO Caucus held its first convening Oct. 26 with valley legislators to discuss a variety of policy issues facing community colleges. The CVCCCEO Policy Summit and Legislator Convening, which brought together Central Valley state legislators, chancellors and presidents, was hosted at Madera Community College by President Ángel Reyna and led by Merced College President Chris Vitelli, chair of the Central Valley Community College CEO Caucus, and West Hills Community College District Chancellor Kristin Clark, board chair for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. See CVCCCEO Caucus story.

KCCD receives ACCT 2023 Pacific Region Equity Award 

The Kern Community College District was awarded the 2023 Pacific Region Equity Award from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) at ACCT’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada last month. ACCT is an organization representing more than 6,500 community college trustees throughout the United States. See the KCCD equity award story.

CVHEC In The News 2023: Affirmative Action OP ED 

https://cvhec.org/cvhec-in-the-news-affirmative-action-oped-fresno-bee/

Following the historic Supreme Court June 29 decision that severely limited, if not effectively ended, the use of affirmative action in college admissions, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Executive Director Benjamín Durán wrote of his reaction and that of many colleagues, family and friends in his Director’s Message for the CVHEC summer newsletter edition. Dr. Durán’s message also served as the basis for this op-ed column that was published in the Valley Voices section of The Fresno Bee Opinion page July 24.

CVHEC In The News 2023: Bee panel examining decline of Latino higher ed enrollment features CVHEC leader

Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, will participate on a virtual panel presented Nov. 8 (6-7 p.m.) by The Fresno Bee’s La Abeja staff, “Central Valley Latinos and higher education completion: Is there a growing gap?”  The hour-long panel, presented in three 20-minute breakouts, features state and Central Valley education leaders examining the barriers to Latino student success and opportunities available. Dr. Duran will be joined by Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity as well as Olga Rodríguez, director of the Public Policy Institute of California Higher Education Center who recently presented at the CVHEC summit in Fresno, and Carlos Nevarez, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs at Sacramento State.  Fresno State students Crystal Navarro and Joseph Aquino also will discuss their experiences. See story.

CVHEC In The News 2023: CETF helps Planada establish digital community  

Together with Comcast, California Emerging Technology Fund provided a $15,000 grant for the Planada Elementary School District to replace 3 laptop carts and purchase 40 Chromebooks for their students.  Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and Merced College president-emeritus, returned to his hometown for the presentation. See story.

CVHEC In The News 2023:  Valley college leaders unveil plan to increase university transfers  

The recent Central Valley Higher Education Summit and announcement of the California Community College Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, by Chancellor Sonya Christian was featured by KVPR Radio and GV Wire. See story

 

DECEMBER

(Published Dec. 20, 2023)

Happy Holidays from CVHEC!

CVHEC’s Year-In-Review 2023

“The CVHEC Way to Math Success — Implementing AB1705” – Jan. 26 convening set

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Gift of Math

Merced College: DR. BENJAMÍN T. DURÁN BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER

Fresno Bee panel: “Central Valley Latinos and higher education completion: Is there a growing gap?”

New CVHEC board members: Bloomberg named Kern CCD chancellor; Sanders is Modesto Junior College president 

CVHEC takes unified Central Valley voice to national/state higher ed conferences

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/YrRvw23Cover-v1-screen.png 924 1640 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-12-20 14:45:552024-01-19 12:05:22CVHEC’s Year-In-Review 2023

CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (November 2023)

November 6, 2023

Chancellor Christian reflects her
commitment to California students

Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,

Greetings and welcome to this beautiful fall weather as we prepare for the upcoming holiday season and the end of the fall semester.

We are delighted to report that we are coming off a very successful Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023  held at the Fresno convention Center Oct. 20 when we were joined by over 150 of our friends and colleagues to showcase the work of consortium member colleges and universities over the last year.

The highlight of the summit was welcoming our new California Community Colleges Chancellor, Dr. Sonya Christian, home to the Central Valley to serve as our keynote speaker.

 As expected, her presentation was inspiring and reflected her commitment to students in the state.  Dr.  Christian took this opportunity at the summit to announce and launch the CCCCO Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project that will build upon the progress of our own Transfer Project partnership between the community colleges, the CSUs and UC Merced here in the valley.   The CCCCO project is unique in California in that it includes the three segments of public colleges and universities and will eventually include the independent universities as well.

In this issue’s “What the CV-HEC is happening” blog, you will read an update about CVHEC’s innovative approach to delivering college dual enrollment math courses for high school students throughout the region via our Math Bridge project in partnership with CVHEC partner, College Bridge.  The project, designed to get high school students through their first gateway college math course, will serve as a springboard for completing their degrees.

Also please plan on attending the virtual zoom San Joaquin Valley Affordable Internet Adoption Summit on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The deadline to register is Nov. 7 at: https://bit.ly/SJVSummitRSVP. Bringing affordable broadband internet services to the most vulnerable populations in the Central Valley is an important part of the work CVHEC does in the valley.

Finally, enjoy our summit photo galleries where we share images and comments about the recent CVHEC summit as well as the board meeting and reception they day before.  I am sure you will see many familiar faces.

Have a great November and a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends!

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dir-Msg-Ben2023-v1.png 1429 2000 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-11-06 14:27:282023-11-06 14:53:40CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (November 2023)

CVHEC Summit 2023 wrap: a myriad of takeaways for participants

November 6, 2023

Porterville College President Claudia Habib (third  from left) introduced CVHEC Summit student panelists Hailee Guerra,  Araceli Tilley, Jesús López Nuñez, Alondra Veloz and moderator Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District.  

Student panelist ‘earns’ a trip to CCLC to share
her transfer experiences statewide

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications/Media Coordinator 

 

See CVHEC Summit Media Coverage:  KVPR Radio and GV Wire. (MORE)

 

For Araceli Tilley, an alumna of Merced College, the Program Pathway Mapper used by the CVHEC Transfer Project proved to be not only useful for her transfer to UC Merced in fall 2022, it provided her an easy way to map her college courses for her final two years of college at UC Merced that is leading up to graduation in May 2024 with a degree in psychology.

Araceli shared her experiences on the student panel at the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 held in Fresno Oct. 20 where the breadth and depth of CVHEC activities such as the Transfer Project were showcased.  The summit is sponsored by College Futures Foundation.

She was joined by four other students who shared their experiences in activities CVHEC has sponsored and how much their success could be attributed to those initiatives: Hailee Guerra,  Araceli Tilley, Jesús López Nuñez and Alondra Veloz.

Araceli Tilley

“The mapper provided a straight path that really helped me out, especially because counseling and advising is super impacted at many colleges and you don’t always get to meet in-person with advisors so it was nice that I was able to self-direct using it,” Araceli said.

“And since I worked at Merced College as an outreach ambassador, I was able to help other students showing them how it works. It’s a very useful tool, especially for students who are self-directed.”

From a major announcement to kick off the day to the student testimonials, the CVHEC Summit Oct. 20 at the Fresno Convention Center accomplished its goal of convening educators and community leaders to continue developing a unified voice for higher ed issues.

“The student panel was a glimpse into the reason why educators dedicate themselves to this profession,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

Araceli’s assessment of Program Mapper and how it helped her plan courses throughout college earned her an invitation by Stan Carrizosa, CVHEC regional coordinator who is the lead for the consortium’s Transfer Project, to participate in the presentation his team will make to the Community College League of California Annual Convention Nov. 16 in Indian Wells.

“I’m very excited about going to the Indian Wells conference,” Araceli said. “I didn’t expect to get asked to go to another conference but it’s a great opportunity to voice my experiences as a transfer student and how the Mapper tool helped me.”

But a key highlight of the summit came early in the day as Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges,  returned “home” to deliver the summit keynote.

In presenting on the CCC Vision 2023 strategy plan, she announced the new Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, evolving from CVHEC’s own Transfer Project, to help community college students streamline the transfer process to four-year. (See  story).

“As expected, Chancellor Christian’s presentation was inspiring and reflected her commitment to students in the state,” Duran said.

PHOTO GALLERIES for the CVHEC Board of Trustees and Summit Reception (Oct. 19) and
the Central Valley Higher Education Summit (Oct.20)
at the Fresno Convention Center:
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CVHEC-2023-06874e2.jpeg 1280 1719 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-11-06 14:15:092023-11-06 17:40:05CVHEC Summit 2023 wrap: a myriad of takeaways for participants

What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog: Math Bridge Update

November 3, 2023

This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” guest blog is an update of the Math Bridge program presented by Owynn Lancaster, vice president for Academic Strategy with College Bridge, a California non-profit based in Los Angeles County dedicated to forging a path towards both college access and success for underrepresented students.  College Bridge is a partner with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in the innovative program designed to improve math outcomes for struggling 11th and 12th graders and streamline Math pathways into college. Funded by a five-year $4 million grant through the US Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program in January,  this ambitious endeavor was kicked off in May with a convening of more than 150 valley K-16 educators in Fresno to begin the onboarding process for this historic intersegmental collaboration between CVHEC member community colleges and high schools in their respective service areas. That initiative was followed in April with a $1.1 million state grant to CVHEC/College Bridge partnership through the Central San Joaquin Valley K-16 Partnership creating the Dual Enrollment (DE) Math Bridge that 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.  This fall, the College Bridge and CVHEC Math Bridge teams have been visiting campuses to continue the onboard process in preparation for the program’s launch next fall.  

 

Expanding the Reach of the

Central Valley Math Bridge

 

BY OWYNN LANCASTER
College Bridge

 

After our successful College Orientation meetings in September, the College Bridge team has been darting up and down the San Joaquin Valley, meeting with interested feeder highs schools to onboard and launch them for the coming academic year’s CV Math Bridge Project.

Inspiring our efforts, two amazing CVHEC member colleges have “jumped to lead the pack” as Dr. Lynn Cevallos, our College Bridge president, often says. The first of those with an impressing showing come from Merced College where their team has helped us garner interest from seven possible high schools! Showing the region’s commitment to opening options for their students in math and the impressive connecting power of the college’s administration.

In equally exciting efforts, San Joaquin Delta College helped to secure two committed high school partners from Stockton Unified, with interest from others in their region. Those two Stockton schools, Amos Alonzo Stagg High School and Captain Charles M. Weber of Applied Science and Technology have been two of the smoothest schools to onboard so far! More importantly addition of these schools and the partnership with Delta College now helps us open the CV Math Bridge Project across the breadth of the Valley.

With schools as far north as Stagg High School and as far south as Taft Union High School the reach of this project is now slightly smaller than the state of South Carolina! This means several more flights and drives are still ahead for our College Bridge team to continue to onboard and launch these high school partners, but in the end, we are excited by this transformative work.

The CV Math Bridge’s first cohort of schools will be starting in the coming academic year, 2024-2025, and there’s still room for more in the second cohort starting in academic year, 2025-2026. We invite high schools interested in participating to reach out and contact me at Owynn.Lancaster@college-bridge.org.

 

Also see: https://bit.ly/CVHECblog1223-GiftOfMath 

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png 0 0 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-11-03 15:29:282024-03-14 22:36:41What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog: Math Bridge Update

CVHEC Summit 2023 panelists: summit of college leaders takes on valley’s higher ed issues

October 10, 2023


 

(UPDATED OCTOBER 19, 2023) – Several area chancellors and presidents lead the charge Oct. 20 when the heads of 28 valley colleges and universities and other educators and policy makers convene for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno.

Panel discussions include the historic CVHEC Transfer Project and its Program Mapper software that is widely acclaimed statewide and nationally and other topics such as a student panel sharing their higher education experiences and a federal education legislative update by U.S. Congressman Jim Costa.

CVHEC released its line-up of panelists for the summit which features a keynote address at 9:15 a.m. by another former valley higher education leader and former consortium board member, Dr. Sonya Christian, who became chancellor of the California Community Colleges July 1.

With the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” the summit will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall (702 M Street). See summit agenda).

About 200 higher education officials and educators, legislators and partner representatives are expected to attend the summit sponsored by the College Futures Foundation.  The quarterly meeting of the CVHEC Board of Directors – consisting of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of the consortium’s 28 member colleges and universities in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern – will precede the summit the day before.

CVHEC’s Welcoming & Networking Reception also will be the day before the summit, Oct. 19 following the board meeting to provide summit participants an opportunity to connect with other attendees and the CVHEC Board of Directors in an informal relaxed setting.

Reception music will be provided by Fresno vocalist Merlinda Espinosa, an alumna of CVHEC-members Fresno City College and Fresno State where she studied early childhood education. Merlinda is a preschool teacher at St. Joachim School in Madera and performs regularly at events throughout the Valley.

The summit will feature conversations on Dual Enrollment, Central Valley Transfer Project, Math Pathways and Open Educational Resources starting with  Dr. Kristin Clark, chancellor of West Hills Community College District and the chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors, who will open the event with a welcome at 9 a.m.

For the keynote remarks, Chancellor Christian will be introduced by Tom Burke, interim chancellor of Kern Community College District who is temporarily filling the position vacated by her CCC appointment.

Following the keynote, Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of Fresno State, will introduce the first topic of the day, “The Central Valley Landscape: Pathways to and through College in the San Joaquin Valley.”  Olga Rodriguez, director and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, will share some data and findings about the Central Valley’s educational landscape.

Dr. André Stephens, president of Fresno Pacific University, will introduce the first panel, “Central Valley Transfer Model: The Breakthrough.”

Panelists will be facilitator Stan Carrizosa, CVHEC regional coordinator and president-emeritus of College of the Sequoias in Visalia; Dr. James Zimmerman, special assistant to the executive vice chancellor and provost for Transfer Initiatives at University of California, Merced; and KCCD Interim Chancellor Burke.

Dr. Lisa Aguilera-Lawrenson, superintendent/president of San Joaquin Delta College, will introduce the second panel, “Different Approaches to Equitable Dual Enrollment.”

For that panel, Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College, serves as facilitator for panelists Lynn Cevallos, founder and president of College Bridge; Dr. Vivie Sinou, dean of Regional Education and Distance Learning at San Joaquin Delta College; Dr. Richard Aguilar III, director of Dual Enrollment/Early College at West Hills College Coalinga; and Dario Diaz, principal of McFarland High School.

Following lunch, Chancellor Clark returns to introduce Rep. Jim Costa, 16th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives for his annual “Federal Legislative Update” remarks.

In the panel, “Real Colleges Serving Real Needs,” Madera Community College President Ángel Reyna will introduce fellow community college chief executive, James Preston, president of West Hills College Lemoore, as facilitator. Panelists are fellow CVHEC-board member Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel and Jeff Garner, executive director of the Kings Community Action Organization.

The final panel of the day, “What Does this Mean for Students?,” features student voices introduced by Dr. Claudia Habib, president of Porterville College and facilitated by Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District. The student panelists will be:

  • Alondra Veloz, an  Open Educational Resources student at Fresno Pacific University discussing her experiences with OER;
  • Araceli Tilley, discussing her transfer experience from Merced College to University of California, Merced;
  • Hailee Guerra, an OER Student at West Hills College Lemoore  transferring to Fresno State;
  • Jesús López Nuñez, whose dual enrollment experiences led to an associate of arts degree from West Hills College Coalinga while attending Avenal High School and is now enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The closing session at 2:50 p.m., “Where We Go from Here” will be brief remarks delivered by Durán.

Registration for the free event is now closed. Summit updates are available at https://cvhec.org/event/2023-cvhec-summit/ or email Ángel Ramírez, finance and operations manager, at centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.

 

  • See the original CVHEC Summit news release online
  • CVHEC September e-newsletter
  • Panelist Bios
  • CVHEC Summit 2023 Agenda

 

CVHEC media inquiries: Tom Uribes at 559.348.3278 (cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu)

 

ABOUT CVHEC — The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is a California non-profit made up of 28-institutions of higher education in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern that is the size of some states. Through CVHEC, higher education professionals and academicians in the Central Valley address difficult and complex initiatives, scaling them up across the region for mutual effectiveness to serve our students and communities. CVHEC provides its members a unified voice at local, state and nation levels to address issues of higher education affecting the region.

CVHEC Summit 2023 – Student Panel


CVHEC reception music Oct. 19 will be provided by vocalist Merlinda Espinosa, an alumna of two CVHEC member colleges.

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Summit23PANELISTart-v05c.png 877 1763 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-10-10 15:13:262023-10-19 12:23:51CVHEC Summit 2023 panelists: summit of college leaders takes on valley’s higher ed issues

MEMBER NEWS: Reedley and Merced Colleges host Math Bridge orientation for feeder high schools  

October 10, 2023

Reedley College President Jerry Buckley addresses math officials from feeder high schools Sept. 21. Earlier in the day, his counterpart at Merced College, President Chris Vitelli, addressed his north valley districts. Both are CVHEC board members.

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members Merced and Reedley community colleges hosted high school math educators and administrators from their respective service area schools Sept. 21 for an orientation and onboarding about the Central Valley Math Bridge Program that is now in full swing.

In a morning, session, Merced College hosted about 30 math officials from its service area feeder school districts who were welcomed by President Chris Vitelli. At the afternoon session in Reedley 30 were welcomed by President Jerry Buckley.

They met with the CVHEC and College Bridge teams led by Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, and Dr. Lynn Cevallos, president and cofounder, of College Bridge to discuss how the program could benefit their students and follow up steps.

“We wanted to bring all the feeder high school leaders for Merced College and Reedley together to create a Math Bridge cohort of high schools involved in the project and create a regional community of practice for networking and collaboration,” Cevallos said.

She said interactions with participating high schools has been positive and supportive, “focusing on opening up options for their students and helping them to strengthen their connection between their college and feeder middle schools.”

Among several program features, the educators learned that this funding opportunity earmarked for the Central Valley specifically, will bring $160,000 in services per high school at no cost to districts.

Funded by a five-year $4 million grant through the US Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program, the ambitious endeavor was kicked off in May with a convening of more than 150 valley K-16 educators in Fresno to begin the onboarding process for this historic intersegmental collaboration designed to improve math outcomes for struggling 11th and 12th graders and streamline Math pathways into college for their students.

See: 

  • https://bit.ly/CVHEC-mathbridgeARCHIVE
  • the Math Pipeline Readiness Project (MPreP) which has morphed into the Central Valley Math Bridge Project 
  • “What the CV-HEC is Happening” guest blog by Dinuba High School counselor, Augustina Sanchez  (CVHEC e-newsletter February 2023).

UPDATES

  • What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog: Math Bridge Update 
  • “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog – The Gift of Math 

Merced College

Reedley College

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MBmerced092123-0132e.jpeg 1752 2000 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-10-10 14:54:232023-12-22 12:39:39MEMBER NEWS: Reedley and Merced Colleges host Math Bridge orientation for feeder high schools  

CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (October 2023)

October 10, 2023

CVHEC Summit panelists bring dynamic convos to the table

Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,

We are delighted to welcome you to the October edition of our CVHEC e-newsletter as we enjoy fall in the valley, which is always a special time of the year.

With our 2023 CVHEC Annual Summit, “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley” just around the corner (Friday, October 20), we present our lineup of distinguished panelists and the official agenda.  We are especially excited to welcome back to the Central Valley our own Dr. Sonya Christian, newly appointed Chancellor of the California Community Colleges as well as the many CVHEC board members who will introduce and serve on the four dynamic panels we are presenting this year.  Dr.  Christian, the former chancellor of the Kern Community College District and former CVHEC board member, will serve as our special guest and deliver the keynote address.

If you have not registered for our no-cost summit yet, please take the time to do so. Join us as we showcase the great work being done by our colleges and universities in our nine-county region that continues to capture state and national attention.

You will hear about and discuss our innovative Math Bridge Project intervention for targeted high school students and our Central Valley Transfer Project, which is providing pathways to our partner universities from our local community colleges (for a preview, see colleague Stan Carrisoza’s Transfer Project update in this issue). The summit also will feature a panel of Central Valley students who have benefited directly from these initiatives.

As always, we also direct you to our “What in the CV HEC is Happening?” Blog that features guest contributors each month.  This month we are pleased to share the contribution from Sanger West High School (SWHS) English teacher Jade Martínez.

Mrs. Martinez is amongst the first of our Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative Master’s Upskilling grads from National University. This fall, she has taken her new degree into the classroom at SWHS and is delivering her first college English dual enrollment class to her students.  This, folks, is what it is all about.  Great job Jade!!

We hope to see you on Oct. 20, at the Fresno Convention Center for our CVHEC Summit.  Feel free to bring your colleagues and partners (registration).

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dir-Msg-Ben2023-v1.png 1429 2000 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-10-10 13:04:172023-10-10 16:47:43CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (October 2023)

CVHEC Summit 2023 features CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian keynote Oct. 20

September 7, 2023

 

‘Homecoming’ for former CVHEC board member

now leading California Community Colleges

 

Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, will return “home” Oct. 20 when she delivers the keynote for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno.

With the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” the summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall.

About 200 higher education officials and educators, legislators and partner representatives are expected to attend the summit sponsored by the College Futures Foundation.

The quarterly meeting of the CVHEC’s board of directors – the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of the consortium’s 28 member colleges and universities in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern – will precede the summit on Oct. 19.

CVHEC’s Welcoming & Networking Reception also will be the day before the summit at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdez Hall Breezeway, following the board meeting, providing an opportunity to connect with other attendees and the CVHEC Board of Directors in an informal relaxed setting.

The summit, which will also include a panel of students providing first-hand experiences in their higher education journey, will feature conversations on:

  • Dual Enrollment
  • Central Valley Transfer Project
  • Math Pathways
  • Open Educational Resources

Chancellor Christian, whose keynote Friday will be at 9:15 a.m., made history as the first woman and first Asian-American, as well as a first-generation college graduate, named chancellor of the state’s community college system when she was appointed Feb. 23.

The chancellor served on the CVHEC board when she was president of consortium member Bakersfield College from 2013 to 2021 and more recently when she was chancellor of member Kern Community College District from 2021 to May until assuming the CCC top spot June 1.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, said the board looks forward to welcoming back its former colleague.

“The California Community Colleges Board of Governors made a wise choice by selecting a leader who has proven she understands California’s community colleges and will advocate on their behalf at the state and national level,” Dr. Durán said when Dr. Christian was appointed.

“Chancellor Christian understands the needs and challenges of community colleges in the rural areas of California and the students and communities they serve.”

The remainder of the summit on Friday includes a “Federal Legislative Update” by Congressman Jim Costa and Dr. Hans Johnson, of the Public Policy Institute of California, presenting “The Central Valley Landscape.”

“Central Valley Transfer Model: The Breakthrough” will be the topic of the day’s first panel presented by CVHEC’s Transfer Project team of Dr. James Zimmerman, senior associate vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Education, UC Merced; Dr. Craig Hayward, dean of Institutional Effectiveness at Bakersfield College; and facilitated by team lead Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of College of the Sequoias who currently serves as a CVHEC regional coordinator.

In the past year, the Transfer Project team has delivered presentations on their progress throughout the state and nation as the CVHEC initiative, with its historic Mapper Project, has become a national model.

“The Central Valley Transfer Project includes streamlined processes for CC and CSU/UC faculty to collaborate like never before,” he added. “This has not only provided clear and easily accessible transfer pathways for students but builds a community of Higher Education instructors who care about and support each other’s success!”

The morning session ends with a panel on “Different Approaches to Equitable Dual Enrollment” including Dr. Lynn Cevallos, president of College Bridge, discussing the Math Bridge dual enrollment project now underway in two CVHEC initiatives (EIR and K-16).

Following lunch, the panel “Online Educational Resources / Zero Textbook Costs” with James Preston, president of West Hills College-Lemoore and a CVHEC board member.

This panel will discuss how CVHEC is in the process of creating its Zero Textbook Costs/Open Educational Resources 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.  This summer, the project received a $580,180.00 state grant through the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative Mini-Grant Award  to begin Phase 1.

Also featured will be a panel of Central Valley college students sharing their experiences with Math Bridge; dual enrollment (earned an AA); OER; and CVHEC’s Transfer Project.

(NOTE: Panelist names and final agenda will be announced in the next CVHEC newsletter issue).

Registration for the free event and Summit updates are available at https://cvhec.org/event/2023-cvhec-summit/ or email Angel Ramirez, operations manager, at centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.

 

MEDIA INQUIRIES

CVHEC: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu (559.348.3278)

 

Registration:  CVHEC 2023 Higher Education Summit Registration, Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite

  

ABOUT CVHEC

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is a California non-profit made up of 28-instutitions of higher education in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern that is the size of some states. Through CVHEC, higher education professionals and academicians in the Central Valley address difficult and complex initiatives, scaling them up across the region for mutual effectiveness to serve our students and communities.  

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CVHEC-Summit23-Sonya-v2.png 720 1280 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-09-07 12:48:142023-09-07 12:48:40CVHEC Summit 2023 features CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian keynote Oct. 20

Open Educational Resources movement launched with $580,180 K-16 grant to CVHEC members

September 7, 2023

 

 

Open Educational Resources has the potential to save students millions of dollars in textbook and material costs that helps minimize financial barriers impeding access to quality education, said Dr. Kristin Clark (left), WHCCD chancellor, with West Hills College-Coalinga President Carla Tweed and West Hills College-Lemoore President James Preston.

OER Task Force and convening

planned for this fall

 

The pioneering Open Educational Resources Improvement Project – a collaboration of Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members and partners –kicks off with a $580,180.00 state grant as well as a new OER Task Force and convening planned for later this fall.

CVHEC-member West Hills Community College District recently announced the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative Mini-Grant Award for the groundbreaking initiative that is poised to usher in a new era of educational opportunities by revolutionizing learning, teaching and research materials across the Central Valley.

The project is in collaboration with the State Center Community College District and its campuses — Fresno City College, Madera Community College and Reedley College (all consortium members) — and CVHEC.

Open Educational Resources has the potential to save students millions of dollars in textbook and material costs, said Dr. Kristin Clark, WHCCD chancellor, in the Aug. 22 award announcement. This helps minimize financial barriers that impede access to quality education.

“OER is pivotal in alleviating financial burdens on our students with the transformative power to enrich education, making it more affordable and accessible,” Chancellor Clark said.

 

The free exchange of knowledge

The initiative promotes accessibility, reusability, adaptation and redistribution said the chancellor who also serves as chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 Central Valley institutions of higher education in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties.

OER encompasses a diverse range of materials, such as textbooks, curricula and multimedia resources made available under open licenses that encourage the free exchange of knowledge.

Since 2016, West Hills College Lemoore has been at the forefront of OER development, showcasing WHCCD’s dedication to providing an inclusive and equitable learning environment that serves as a testament to the district’s commitment to academic excellence.

Chancellor Clark said the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative Mini-Grant Award “will empower us to advance education in the Central Valley by leveraging the potential of Open Educational Resources underscoring our unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and student success.”

She called the grant “a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Central Valley’s educational community and the strides we can achieve together. We are incredibly excited to embark on this significant endeavor alongside our esteemed partners.”

 

Statewide leadership to a ZTC degree pathway

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, said this visionary partnership of consortium members will expand on WHC-Lemoore’s pioneer work with faculty and instructional administrators developing Open Educational Resources /Zero Textbook Cost textbooks, courses and pathways that serve area institutions and their feeder high schools.

“This Central Valley OER movement provides statewide leadership leading to a full ZTC degree pathway in Elementary Education for our students that immediately serves the Fresno and Madera County areas,” Duran said.

“We commend our community college members for uniting under CHVEC for this grant, enabling them to create a wealth of high-quality educational resources for the benefit of students and educators throughout the Central Valley and beyond.”

 

An evolution of teaching and learning

West Hills College-Lemoore President James Preston, who serves on the statewide California Community Colleges ZTC Task Force, said in a CVHEC “What Is Happening Blog” a year ago that his campus jumped into the “OERevolution” as a way to eliminate textbook cost barriers for students.

“However, what started as a revolution against textbook publishers and outrageous prices quickly turned into an evolution of teaching and learning as faculty utilized OER materials in creative and powerful ways,” wrote President Preston.

“Thousands of hours of teamwork, a few additional grants and six years later West Hills College Lemoore has saved students over $8 million dollars, revolutionized teaching and learning and currently offers 62 percent of our courses in the ZTC format with a dozen degrees and certificates that students can complete without any textbook costs.”

In a presentation to fellow CVHEC board members at their quarterly meeting in May,  President Preston said the use of ZTC is “a huge win for diversity and equity” that “allows for culturally responsive relevant materials.”

 

OER/ZTC Task Force

Dr. Duran said the next step for CVHEC is to finalize formation this fall of the OER/ZTC Task Force consisting of representatives from the consortium’s 28-member institutions.

“This new task force will support our members as they assist students attain basic needs that help navigate their way towards the completion of their educational goals. “

He said the first OER/ZTC Task Force Convening will be set for later this fall when task force members and other individuals and campuses can further explore strategies for addressing those basic needs.

For more information: centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.

 

For media inquiries:

WHCCD – Amber Myrick (559.934.2132) ambermyrick@whccd.edu

CVHEC – Tom Uribes (559.348.3278) cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu

SCCCD – Jill Wagner  jill.wagner@scccd.edu

 

Also see:

  • WHCCD full press release (link to come)
  • CVHEC Board to appoint ZTC/OER Task Force (CVHEC e-Newsletter – May 2023).
  • Zero-Textbook-Cost/OER Movement picks up steam with $115m state grant (CVHEC e-Newsletter – September 2022).
  • What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog by WHC-L President James Preston(CVHEC e-Newsletter – September 2022).
  • WHC-Lemoore OER– (https://www.westhillscollege.com/lemoore/oer/)
  • OER video– (https://youtu.be/qop5VhYv2nw)
  • California community colleges implement zero-textbook-cost(Inside Higher Ed – Sept. 19, 2019)  

 

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/OERart0923-v4.png 788 940 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-09-07 12:46:342023-09-08 12:24:52Open Educational Resources movement launched with $580,180 K-16 grant to CVHEC members

CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (September 2023)

September 7, 2023

An ambitious fall 2023 semester!

 

Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,

Welcome to the fall 2024 semester and the September edition of the CVHEC e-Newsletter. We hope the summer provided you with an opportunity to enjoy some personal time to recharge, reconnect with family and perhaps finally get some long-planned travel in.

WITH THIS EDITION of our newsletter, we announce phase one of the CVHEC Open Educational Resources  Improvement Project  introduced previously: the awarding to member West Hills Community College District of a $580,180 mini-grant from the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative.

 This funding will expand on West Hills College-Lemoore’s pioneer work with faculty and instructional administrators  developing OER/ZTC textbooks, courses and pathways that serve area institutions and their feeder high schools in a collaboration of CVHEC members in the WHCCD and State Center Community College District (Fresno, Madera, Clovis, Reedley colleges) leading to a full ZTC degree pathway in Elementary Education shared with project stakeholders that immediately serves the Fresno-Madera areas. CVHEC’s OER/ZTC efforts will be scaled throughout across the Central Valley.

AS NOTED IN previous newsletters, we are delighted by the appointment of our own Dr. Sonya Christian, former chancellor of the Kern Community College District, as the new leader of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the start of her tenure June 1.  Now, we are further delighted to announce that Chancellor Christian will join us as the keynote speaker to open our annual CVHEC Summit scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20.  See the save-the-date and registration information in this issue.  We hope you are planning on joining us for the summit.

AND FINALLY, WE are pleased to present in this issue’s “What in the CVHEC is Happening” blog  a special back-to-school message also by Dr. Spevak. He shares an email he received from a former student who attributes his success today to teachers like John, a former English teacher and vice-president emeritus of Merced College. It’s a timely message as so many educators return to the classroom for the fall semester and that ever-gratifying sense of making a difference in students’ lives. Cheers to teachers everywhere!

Enjoy our newsletter and may you all get off to a great start this fall.

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dir-Msg-Ben2023-v1.png 1429 2000 Tom Uribes https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Tom Uribes2023-09-07 12:40:342023-09-07 12:46:40CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (September 2023)
Page 4 of 8«‹23456›»

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.

Latest News

  • ‘What the CV-HEC is Happening’ Blog (June): Commencement 2025 – Ellie OlivaJune 4, 2025 - 7:45 am
  • ‘What the CV-HEC is Happening’ Blog: Dr. Kristin Clark  April 17, 2025 - 7:45 am
  • MATH BRIDGE UPDATE: providing tools for postsecondary journeysJanuary 16, 2025 - 7:40 am
  • CVHEC Notes – 2025January 16, 2025 - 6:30 am
  • CVHEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE: Valley Higher Ed CEOsJanuary 16, 2025 - 4:42 am
Contact Us
  • cvhecinfo@mail.fresnostate.edu

  • 559.278.0576

Join Our Newsletter

Scroll to top