UPDATE: CVHEC increases transfers the Central Valley Way


Dr. James Zimmerman (center) on the CVHEC Summit panel, “What the CVHEC is Happening in the Central Valley,” May 9 demonstrated how the Central Valley Transfer Project addresses educational disparities in the region by fostering increased access to higher education for students in the Central Valley. Here he is flanked by Dr. Kristin Clark, chancellor-emeritus of the West Hills Community College District and now CVHEC’s dual enrollment lead, and Dr. Benjamín Durán, president-emeritus of Merced College and now CVHEC’s executive director.


Transfer student Araceli Tilley testified in the CVHEC summit student panel May 9 that the the Central Valley Transfer Program’s Program Pathways Mapper app not only  helped her, but she uses it to help other students in the Merced College Student Success Program where she now works. She has presented her Transfer Project/Mapper experiences at several conferences statewide.

Consortium Transfer Project moves from CCC

‘demonstration’ status to ‘Vision 2030

strategy

BY STAN A. CARRIZOSA, SR.
CVHEC Regional Coordinator
(President-emeritus, College of the Sequoias)

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is renowned for its effectiveness in fostering regional collaboration among all of the Valley’s higher education institutions.

Most notable, as evidenced by the recent Central Valley Higher Education Summit, is the ability to bring intersegmental partners together from the University of California, California State University and California Community college systems as well as independent/private institutions for the purpose of increasing access and success of Central Valley students in their higher education experience.

At the summit, a more recent and very powerful example of this was the presentation by Dr. James Zimmerman on the panel, “What the CVHEC is Happening in the Central Valley,” where he discussed the success of the Central Valley Transfer Project initiated by CVHEC in partnership with UC Merced (UCM), backed in practice by the testimony of successful transfer student Araceli Tilley’s convincing testimony in the student panel earlier that morning.

Determined to overcome the low number of community college transfers to UCM, this partnership set out to carve a new path in accelerating successful transfers.

Fully launched in 2020 the project focuses on streamlining and enhancing the process of transferring from community colleges to four-year institutions within California’s Central Valley. This project seeks to address challenges faced by students in navigating complex transfer pathways and aims to increase the number of students successfully earning bachelor’s degrees.

Historic firsts: faculty input/ CCC implementation statewide

It was an historic first when CVHEC brought UC faculty to the table alongside community college faculty in convenings structured to review and approve lower-division course patterns for successful transfer to UCM.

Dr. Zimmerman recalled the dynamics of this collaboration at the summit re-telling the message UC Merced conveyed to Bakersfield College to lay what would be the foundation of the Transfer Project:

“ ‘Our faculty want to partner with your faculty to make sure that the courses that you have on your campuses, will transfer to UC Merced with no problems’,” he said. “ ‘Can we have a sit down where your faculty talk to our faculty, and we start having a course-by-course listing that shows if they spend their first two years on your campus, they transfer to our campus for two years and they finish with a bachelor’s degree?’ That’s what the goal was.”

He noted that “the cornerstone of what makes this so powerful is the Program Pathways Mapper,” software app students can use with ease to align classes for transfer.

Enter student Araceli. When Araceli speaks, college chancellors, presidents and university officials in the  Central Valley’s 10-county region – and throughout California — listen.

She first did so at the 2023 CVHEC Summit on the student panel testifying how the Central Valley Transfer Program’s Program Pathways Mapper helped her get from Merced College to the University of California, Merced the year before. We have also taken her to the California League of Community Colleges statewide conference to share her story.

“Because of the Pathways Program Mapper, I was actually able to graduate on time because I didn’t realize that the UC had different requirements for a communications class than the CSU system,” Araceli recounted during the student panel at the recent CVHEC Summit last month. “So on the pathways mapper, I saw that the class that I needed, I had to take my last semester at Merced College. If not, I wouldn’t have been able to transfer to UC Merced.”

But this time she had some new developments to share underscoring the Transfer Program’s growth and success in the 18 months since her first summit appearance.

“Now, I work at Merced College in the Student Success Program, and I’m able to use it to help other students that come for help,” Araceli said. “Just anyone that I run into, I’m able to help them navigate — maybe what college they want to go to, because they can look at different requirements at different colleges, or what the course load is going to look like, what classes they’re going to be required to take depending on where they go. I always recommend the Pathways Mapper to them because they’re able to see what the different courses are going to look like, what their path is going to look like. So I’ve utilized it not only for myself, but to help other students that I come into contact with.”

As CVHEC Executive Director Benjamin Duran said at the summit: it’s one thing when adults talk about its value, it’s another when you hear the youngsters vouch for its usefulness.

These protocols were so successful that California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian adopted the Transfer Project as a statewide demonstration project in 2023, announced at our CVHEC Summit that October.

One year later the “demonstration” label has been lifted, and this process is now embedded in the Chancellor’s “Vision 2030” initiative!

Goals of the Project

The Central Valley Transfer Project is designed to:

  • Simplify the articulation agreements between community colleges and universities.
  • Enhance academic advising to guide students through seamless transfers.
  • Improve the equity and accessibility of higher education opportunities.
  • Reduce the time and cost associated with obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

Key Features

The project incorporates several strategies to achieve its objectives:

  • Structured collaboration among faculty and staff from UC, CSU and community colleges.
  • Development of clear and comprehensive transfer pathways in high-demand disciplines.
  • Collaboration among multiple educational institutions to ensure alignment of curricula.
  • Use of technology software to provide up-to-date resources and tools for students.

Impact on the Region

See live links below.

Also at the CVHEC summit May 9, Zimmerman demonstrated how the Central Valley Transfer Project addresses educational disparities in the region by fostering increased access to higher education for students in the Central Valley. It is part of a broader effort to promote workforce development, improve the economic well-being, and elevate the economic and educational profile of the entire Central Valley region.  He urged community colleges to make the most of funding that is available to them for implementation of the Program Pathways Mapper.

The project has now expanded beyond the Central Valley and is being embraced by higher education statewide. 

 Conclusion

The power of CVHEC’s longstanding expertise in promoting regional collaboration is paying huge dividends for Central Valley community college students through this latest effort to increase successful transfers to upper-division institutions. This strong tradition has been the catalyst for faculty and staff from the UC’s, CSU’s and CC’s to work together like never before, dispelling historical stereotypes of each other and building new collegial relationships focused on student success.

By creating smoother transfer pathways and reducing barriers to higher education, the Central Valley Transfer Project plays a crucial role in helping students achieve their academic and professional goals, contributing to the overall advancement of the Central Valley region.

Table 1 below shows the current status of CVHEC membership implementation

Table 2 shows the impact on successful transfers to UC Merced since the project began in 2020.

Table 3 shows the change in percentage of successful completion of on-path courses to degree. The control factor among 5,000 incoming freshman to Bakersfield College is the use by students of the Transfer Project software platform, Program Pathways Mapper (PPM).

Table 4 shows how the use of the PPM closes the equity gap among all students in the increased percentages of completing on-path courses to degree.

Table 5 shows how participation in the Transfer Project keeps students on a clear pathway to completion and reduces the total number of units to degree.

Program Pathways Mapper

PPM Frequently Asked Questions

SPOTLIGHT: ABC30 coverage of CVHEC Summit 2025

CVHEC Executive Director Benjamín Durán was interviewed by ABC30 Fresno at the Central Valley Higher Education Summit May 9.

CVHEC SUMMIT 2025 RECEPTION: Fresno State Latin Jazz Combo

Read more

California’s four higher ed systems to present at CVHEC Summit 2025

May 9 summit also features legislative update

from the region’s five Congressional reps

 

SUMMIT UPDATES:

• Attorney General Rob Bonta’s “Higher Education & Justice Virtual Forum” at CVHEC Summit May 9

• REGISTRATION CLOSED (waitlist open)

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications/Media Coordinator

Representatives from California’s four systems of higher education will tackle pressing issues facing colleges across the nation in the keynote panel for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2025  next month in Fresno under the theme “Navigating Higher Education in a New Era – The Central Valley Way.”

Panelists – including a conversation with legislative members from the US House of Representatives, senate and state assembly – have been announced for the summit set for Friday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (2233 Cesar Chavez Blvd.).

At the summit, the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 valley universities and colleges making up the consortium membership will convene with the higher education system representatives and Congressional representatives as well as other legislators, educators, partner representatives and policy makers to address pressing issues as well as hear from a student panel.

The keynote panel, “Stronger Together: Aligning Systems for Equitable Outcomes,” from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., will feature key representatives of the state’s four higher education systems: California Community Colleges, California State University, University of California and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.

For the legislators update panel “The Path Forward: Higher Ed Policy and the New Administration” at 1:15 p.m., panelists will address issues surrounding abrupt changes and imperiled federal funding, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

He said this year’s event will have a different focus than previous years.

“With the dismantling of the Department of Education and wholesale severance of federal funds, higher education now faces perhaps its biggest challenge in the nation’s history,” Durán said.

“Now, as massive ongoing policy and program changes hit, we find it imperative that our region’s university and college leaders deliberate critically but thoughtfully with legislators, policy makers and other educators in general to share our perspectives in search of concrete solutions for the benefit of our student populations. We must act judiciously. Our 2025 summit, with leaders from the state’s higher ed systems and our Congressional representatives  sets the stage for this interaction.”

About 150 participants are expected to attend the summit that is open to the public with free registration compliments of the College Futures Foundation, event sponsor. Breakfast and lunch are included with the registration.

The quarterly meeting of the CVHEC Board of Directors – the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of the consortium’s 28 member colleges and universities in the ten-county region from San Joaquin to Kern – will precede the summit the day before along with the CVHEC Welcome Reception from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. featuring the Fresno State Latin Jazz Ensemble (Thursday, May 8).

The summit features five 45-minute sessions. Members of the CVHEC Board will provide panel introductions and serve as moderators.

Dr. Juan Muñoz, UC Merced chancellor and chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors, will open the summit at 9 a.m. with a board welcome followed by Durán reviewing the summit agenda.

The keynote panel, “Stronger Together: Aligning Systems for Equitable Outcomes,” from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., will be moderated by State Center Community College District Chancellor Carole Goldsmith after CSU Stanislaus President Britt Rios-Ellis introduces the panel:

  • Rowena M. Tomaneng, California Community Colleges deputy chancellor;
  • Nathan Dietrich, California State University assistant vice chancellor of University Relations and Advancement;
  • Yvette Gullatt, University of California vice president for Graduate and Undergraduate Affairs, vice provost for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and chief diversity officer;
  • Alex Graves, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities vice president for Government Relations.

“This year’s CVHEC summit will give our systems panelists, as well as all the panelists, the opportunity to share their thoughts on these tumultuous times and help lay foundation to unite for formidable action,” said Durán, who is superintendent/president-emeritus of Merced College, serving on the CVHEC Board during that tenure from 1998-2012. He became the consortium executive director in 2015.

A panel featuring student testimony, “In Their Words: Real Students Talking about Central Valley Strategies,” follows from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. facilitated by Lemoore College President James Preston. Columbia College President Lena Tran will introduce the student panelists.

The third panel, “Data at Every Level: Sharing National, State, and Local Insights,” will be moderated by Merced College President Chris Vitelli.  Kern Community College District Chancellor Steven Bloomberg will introduce the panelists:

After lunch, the legislative update panel, “The Path Forward: Higher Ed Policy and the New Administration,” from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. will be moderated by Chancellor Muñoz after Porterville College President Primavera Monarrez introduces the panelists serving in the United States Congress and the State Legislature.

Congressmembers Jim Costa (21st District) and Adam Gray (13th District) and California State Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (District 27) will present in-person updates regarding the elected officials’ efforts to address such issues as federal funding cuts and student concerns amidst deportation and other immigration actions by the Administration that took office in January.

At 2 p..m. Attorney General Rob Bonta will Zoom in for the “Higher Education & Justice Virtual Forum.”

The final panel before the closing session, “What the CVHEC is Happening in the Central Valley,” from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m. will be moderated by Durán after Fresno Pacific University President André Stephens introduces the panelists:

For the summit’s Closing Comments session, “Where Do We Go from Here?” from 2:30 to 3 p.m., Durán will discuss plans for a regional data project and a campaign to support former students seeking to complete degree requirements, the Central Valley Reconnect Project.

“This year’s CVHEC summit attendees will leave with a good understanding of the work Central Valley higher education institutions have been doing,” Duran said.  “They will also be introduced to some new initiatives like the Reconnect Project, which will reach out to those students who left their studies before completing their degrees and certificates.  This project alone will go a long way in lifting the economic and educational wellbeing of the Central Valley.”

 See:

Panelist bios

Welcome Reception May 8

 

 

 

ABOUT CVHEC

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is a California non-profit made up of 28-instutitions of higher education in the ten-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.  

Wrap up: CVHEC Math Task Force Convening Mar. 28

Read more

Higher Education Summit May 9, 2025 – topics set; CCA provides national data

Valley’s higher ed CEOs to convene at CVHEC Summit 2025

Complete College America will provide national perspective; summit topics announced

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

As educators across the nation face an urgency to re-imagine higher education to meet the needs of today’s students and society, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2025 this spring 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.

With the theme “Navigating Higher Education in a New Era: The Central Valley Way,” registration is now open for the CVHEC summit set for Friday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. The event is open to the higher education community who register in advance with breakfast and lunch included. Registration is free compliments of  the College Futures Foundation, event sponsor.

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. Various CVHEC board members will moderate the panels that are planned.

CVHEC’s Welcoming & Networking Reception will be the day before the summit, May 8 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., at the convention center’s Valdez Hall Breezeway to provide an opportunity to connect with other attendees and the CVHEC Board of Directors in an informal relaxed setting.

Dr. Brandon Protas, Complete College America

One of the panelists participating this year will be Dr. Brandon Protas, 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.

“Join us as we convene with national, state and regional colleagues, partners and friends for a full day of discussions and showcases related to higher education in the valley that lead to degree completion for our students,” Durán said.

Topics to date include an overview of CVHEC efforts such as the Central Valley Transfer Project; the Master’s Upskilling Project, dual enrollment initiatives; and math alignment measures such as the CVHEC Math Task Force and the Central Valley Math Bridge Program with College Bridge.

Also featured will be a “Legislative Update” with federal legislators providing the latest about higher education laws; a student panel “What Does this Mean for Students?”  and a panel with the four segments of higher education in California.

Dr. Protas will be a panelist on the “The Central Valley Landscape: Honing in on the Data” panel.

The CCA vice president, who guides the planning and management of the CCA Alliance to support institutions, systems and states in their efforts to improve student success, will participate on the data panel providing insights to CCA’s nationwide data compilation efforts. CCA works with states, systems, institutions and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success.

Durán represents CVHEC as an alliance lead responsible for providing oversight and coordination for local initiatives as well as CCA-sponsored projects and in November, he led a consortium delegation to CCA’s three-day conference which drew 800 participants from throughout the country.  He said the CVHEC summit provides a regional and state version of CCA’s national gathering.

“The CVHEC annual summit always draws interest from our region’s higher education community, but this year brings a difference sense of urgency as we learned at the Complete College American national conference last fall,” said Durán, president-emeritus of Merced College, referring to the national conference’s keynote address delivered Nov. 19 by Dr. Jamie Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all which also provides support to CVHEC.

“We both see the urgency of reimagining higher ed to meet the needs of today’s students and today’s society,” Dr. Merisotis’ said at the conference regarding the partnerships between Lumina and CCA. “And we both put special focus on reaching those who have too often been left out.”

CVHEC featured that keynote as the “What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog” in the consortium’s January newsletter and Durán said Merisotis’ message fuels the CVHEC summit as well as the CEOs of its member institutions from San Joaquin County in the North Valley to Kern County in the South Valley.

“I hope that this national education leader’s words generate some dialogue between you and your colleagues and we encourage you to share those conversations, as we will at our 2025 CVHEC Summit and on our various consortium social media platforms,” Durán said in setting the tone for the summit.

 

 

ABOUT CVHEC

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is a California non-profit made up of 28-instutitions of higher education in the ten-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.  

 

CVDEEP Convening wrap: ‘dual enrollment at scale and with equity’


Caption

 CCC chancellor says Central California region

is state model for dual enrollment implementation

By Elaine Cash
CVHEC Dual Enrollment Co-Lead

and

Tom Uribes
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

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. 5 in Fresno.

The day-long event was 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.

Six interactive breakout sessions and two panels were provided for 140 educators representing secondary and postsecondary institutions from throughout the valley’s 10-county region as well as from student-supporting community programs.

California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian chats up student panelists Ailyn Morales and Jonathan Alfaro of Mendota High School prior to the Central Valley Dual Enrollment Convening 2025 Feb. 3.

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.

“Our mission,” Dr. Christian declared, “is to work toward a future in which all California high school students enroll in community college transfer, career or apprenticeship pathways and complete high school with at least 12 units of college credit.”

Dr. Christian, a former Central Valley community college leader, noted that in 2021-2022, a goal was set to enroll 257,000 students in a dual enrollment course by 2030.  She announced that California surpassed this goal in 2023-2024 with almost 290,000 students enrolled in at least one dual enrollment course.

“The Central Valley, with over 20 percent of California dual enrollment students, is the state leader and exemplary model for dual enrollment implementation,” said the chancellor who previously served as a member of the CVHEC Board of Directors when she was president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District prior to her statewide appointment.

However, despite encouraging successes and especially the work in the Central Valley, Dr. Christian reminded her audience that 80 percent of California high school students still do not participate in dual enrollment coursework.

“So what is the work?” she asked.  “It is dual enrollment at scale and with equity.”

She cheered on the dedication of the educators convening and collaborating that day to keep improving dual enrollment pathways for valley students.

“I know all of you are engaged in making sure that you are fundamentally supporting each and every student so that they can continue on their educational pathway because that is at the core of what we do at the California Community Colleges,” Chancellor Christian said.

That dedication was reflected in the panels and breakout sessions beginning with a discussion about several models for dual enrollment through a presentation featuring partnerships between Reedley College and Sanger High School; Bakersfield College and McFarland High School; and Coalinga College and Mendota High School.

Moderated by Tressa Overstreet of the State Center Community College District (SCCCD), the “Dual Enrollment Models” Panel included Lissette Padilla, Coalinga College; Jill Jimenez, McFarland High School; Richard Aguilar, Reedley College; Travis Kirby, Mendota High School; Alma Feathers, Bakersfield College; and Carmen Garvis, Sanger High School.

Each described models of dual enrollment implementation such as Middle College; college courses on high school campuses and embedded in the master schedules; and hybrid on-campus and online programs, each suited to the unique needs that school sizes and locations require.

The breakout sessions emphasized a variety of useful elements of dual enrollment presented by successful implementers. Each presenter shared practical resources and “how to” strategies that were immediately applicable.   (See agenda for breakout topics and presenter names).

“Attendees were delighted with relevant information that stimulated conversations and promoted in-conference networking, and the exchange of phone numbers and emails to continue sharing,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium who welcomed the participants in the opening session before introducing Chancellor Christian.

‘What Does This Mean for Students?’

But he noted that despite the power packed by the keynote speaker and the panels and breakout sessions, perhaps the highlight of the conference was a panel of high school students currently enrolled in dual enrollment pathway coursework.  Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of College of the Sequoias and now a CVHEC lead (Transfer Project), moderated the student panel, “What Does This Mean for Students?,” that closed the event.

Five students representing Sanger, Mendota and McFarland High Schools impressed the large Doubletree Inn ballroom full of educators with their straight-forward talk and thoughtful responses that described their dual enrollment experience. They articulated not only their ambition to attain a higher education – each citing the university they aspire to – but also the satisfaction of meeting the challenge of college courses that has provided a new level of self-confidence. Five of the six indicated they will be the first in their respective families to attend college.

Three of the students are seniors who are on path to earn an associate degree this spring: Andres Medina Zapien and Isaac Dircio, both of McFarland High School, will complete Bakersfield College requirements with their sights set on UC San Diego and Stanford respectively; and Saige Jones, who is enrolled in the Wonderful Ag Plant Science Pathway at Sanger High School, is completing Reedley College associate degree requirements with plans to attend Fresno State in the fall.

The other two are sophomores at Mendota High School with double majors through Coalinga College: Ailyn Morales plans to attend UC Irvine and Jonathan Alfaro is looking ahead to Fresno State then UC Berkeley.

“I believe that the college classes that I am taking are all different as they fulfill my gen ed,” Andres replied when Dr. Carrizosa asked the students what they felt was the greatest success in taking dual enrollment. “I feel like they are very beneficial because they give us new perspectives and open our minds to different things that we can do.”

When asked how dual enrollment students cope with the sacrifice  of committing time to the extra school work, Ailyn responded,  “It’s all about priorities. You have to determine what comes first, and what benefits you the most.”

Durán said the student panel detailed the challenges and advantages of participating in dual enrollment programs.

“It was heartfelt and insightful – even entertaining in its own way – as we heard the voices of the very youngsters our educators strive everyday to support for academic and personal success. Those voices bring home what we are doing right, and help reveal areas that we need to address.”

A new pre-conference session entitled “Dual Enrollment 101” was offered before the conference formally opened.  Bill Vasey of the California Academic Partnership and Sylvia Garvis of Sanger High School presented the session, which Vasey described as intended for those “that don’t feel they know a lot about dual enrollment and want to learn.”

“The conference was a full day of valuable information and relevant suggestions and resources that were well received,” said Durán.

He closed the event by informing participants that CVDEEP will reconvene in the fall to follow up the Feb. 5 discussions and urged them to complete a feedback form that will help improve future convenings

Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC finance and operations manager who coordinates consortium convenings and helps facilitate strategies, urged participants to build on the “Central Valley Way” — the power of collaboration, adding that materials and PowerPoints presented in the convening are available on the event page at the CVDEEP website.

“Let’s continue being persistent and collaborative in what we do,” Ramírez said. “This is why the Central Valley leads the state in our dual enrollment work. We look forward to coming together again at the fall convening.”

He said CVHEC now has its sights set on the upcoming 2025 California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference presented by the California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships, Career Ladders Project, and EdTrust–West Feb. 24-26 in Sacramento where the team will present on CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program and the Central Valley Math Bridge.

In a survey, participants offered these comments about CVHEC’s “Dual Enrollment in The Central Valley” Convening:

  • “Student comments were raw and great!!”
  • “Hearing from other districts and high schools and what is working for them pushes me to take new ideas back to my own site!”
  • “Continue the momentum! DUAL is researched and backed as advantageous for students.”
CVDEEP Convening Feb. 3, 2025 – Photo gallery

Math Task Force sets next AB1705 convening March 28

Read more

Dual Enrollment Convening 2025 – Keynote: CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian

CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian to deliver keynote at

Central Valley Dual Enrollment Convening Feb. 3 in Fresno 

Agenda includes pre-conference session for schools new to dual enrollment

 

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, when more than 100 secondary and postsecondary educators will 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 be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

Registration is free, with breakfast and lunch included, at  https://bit.ly/CVHECDualEnrollConvene-REGISTERweb.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, announced this week that Chancellor Christian, a former member of the CVHEC board of directors, will discuss the CCC dual enrollment commitment that is part of CCC’s “Vision 2030 – A Roadmap for California Community Colleges” plan and how the Central Valley is an active leader statewide.

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.

“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,” she continued. “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. This area is leading the state in the number of students earning college credit while still in high school. Their phenomenal effort ensures equity in access, a key pillar in the work we are doing with our Vision 2030 plan.”

The daylong session will feature two panels and two interactive breakout sessions concluding with recommendation summaries. A student panel will provide first-hand testimony about dual enrollment successes and barriers. (CVHEC plans to release the full agenda Jan. 22).

Also new this year will be a pre-conference session, “Dual Enrollment Primer,” from 9-10 a.m. that will provide information for high schools and colleges new to dual enrollment, which is a strategy that allows secondary school students to earn college credits during high school. In some cases, students are able to actually complete associate degrees before their high school graduation.    

Durán noted that CVHEC’s dual enrollment convening is unique because it features intersegmental collaboration at a regional level.  It will be highly interactive and will engage audience members with panel presenters from valley colleges and high schools, including practitioners, and topped with student success stories, he added.

“CVHEC’s dual enrollment convenings help ensure that the outcomes from the ongoing dialogue between community colleges and their K-12 partners in the Valley will continue,” said Durán who will welcome the educators in the opening session.

“The convening also continues the CVDEEP Task Force’s advocacy efforts to institutionalize dual enrollment as a strategy that blurs the lines between high school and community college for those students who can benefit from taking college courses and get a leg up on their quest for a college degree or certificate.”

But Durán said the highlight of the event will be Chancellor Christian “who is a dual enrollment trailblazer in her own right leading initiatives that are part of the Central Valley’s highly successful dual enrollment landscape  when she was with KCCD from 2013 to 2022.”

Dr. Christian served on the CVHEC Board of Directors —  made up of sitting CEOs of higher education institutions in the valley’s 10-county region — when she was president of consortium member Bakersfield College from 2013 to 2021 and when she was chancellor of member Kern Community College District from 2021 to 2022 before assuming the CCC top spot.

With her appointment by the CCC Board of Trustees Feb. 20, 2022, Dr. Christian 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.

The chancellor will discuss the “Vision 2030” dual enrollment strategy which calls for the preparation of high school students to choose a workforce pathway earlier in their academic journey so they see themselves as college scholars. Its “ninth grade strategy” works toward a future in which all California high school students enroll in community college transfer, career or apprenticeship pathways and complete high school with at least 12 units of dual enrollment credit.

“This dual enrollment opportunity must be available to all high school students and particularly tailored to those who have historically not been provided these opportunities,” the plan states.   “In so doing, California’s youth will receive a self-development and career-exploration opportunity that will increase their interest in and understanding of college and career. As high school students engage in tailored dual enrollment programs, they will learn how to develop a college education plan, how to access financial aid and other support programs and explore possible careers for their futures.”

Chancellor Christian said early exposure to college and career is particularly important for historically underrepresented students and will equip colleges to utilize dual enrollment as a tool to close equity gaps,   something she said is evident in the valley’s 10-county region.

Among the CVHEC initiatives are the Master’s Upskilling Program that provides a path for high school English and math teachers to earn a master’s degree required to teach community college dual enrollment courses at their respective schools (this was one of the outcomes of CVHEC’s first two dual enrollment convenings), and the Math Bridge Program with College Bridge.

 

Event information: Angel Ramirez, CVHEC finance and operations manager, at centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.  

CVHEC media inquiries about the convening: Tom Uribes via text 559.348.3278 or cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu

CCC media inquiries (Vision 2030): Melissa Villarin at 916.327.5365 or mvillarin@cccco.edu.

Check for updates and follow-up at the CVDEEP Convening event website. 

See press release full version online: https://cvhec.org/dual-enrollment-convening-2025-keynote-speaker-ccc-chancellor-christian/ 
and https://bit.ly/CVHEC-DualEnrollConv25

 

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BACKGROUND

 

This is the third convening of the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force since it was formed by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium following legislation in 2016 when a new dual enrollment option was introduced through Assembly Bill (AB) 288, amending Education Code (EC) 76004, and creating the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP). This legislation enabled more high school students to take college courses taught by college professors on their high school campuses.  California AB 30, signed by Governor Newsom in October 2019, expands and protects dual enrollment through 2027.

Planting the seeds for what has eventually led to CVHEC’s slogan, “The Central Valley Way,” the CVDEEP Task Force was formed with about 60 community college and K-12 educational leaders who deliver dual enrollment services valley-wide. CVHEC brought them together after community college leaders approached the consortium to provide assistance surrounding dual enrollment in 2019.

In June 2020, CVHEC released a 16-page report, “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity,” a blueprint to strengthen dual enrollment delivery in the Central Valley; and for the 2022 convening, the consortium produced a dual enrollment video, “Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley,” that underscores the CVDEEP drive by featuring the success stories of several area students whose voices put the task force educators’ endeavor in perspective.

 

RELATED LINKS:

CVHEC ‘Dual Enrollment Convening – the Central Valley Way’ Feb. 3

CVHEC Video: ‘Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley’ CVHEC report, “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity” and press release.

CVHEC Website Feature: Dual Enrollment Page

Dual Enrollment Convening: Face-To-Face Space for K-12 and Higher Ed

‘Dual Enrollment Upskilling Teachers Master’s Program’ Advances Equity

CVHEC Teacher Upskilling Program for Master’s Degrees Supports Dual Enrollment in South Valley via Kern K-16 Collaborative Grant

North Valley Masters Upskilling Program begins recruiting — info sessions set

CVHEC Partners With College Bridge in Grant Supporting DE Courses from Six Rural Community Colleges at 21 Service Area High School

The CVHEC blog by former CVHEC Strategies Lead Virginia Madrid Salazar, Esq., providing a parents perspective on dual enrollment.

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