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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

HIGHER ED NEWS: CCLC, Talent Hub and CCA national convenings

December 20, 2023


CVHEC and the national/state perspective: industry and

education working off the same playbook  

 

At two national conferences this month and one state convening last month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team reconnected with partners in pursuit of mutual aims: the Community Colleges League of California Annual Convention Nov. 16-18 in Indian Wells, Calif., the Talent Hubs and National Talent Network Annual Convening, Dec. 4-7 in Mobile Alabama and the Complete College America 2023 Annual Convening: Future Ready Dec. 10-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“These dynamic convenings of nation higher education and community leaders signaled that we are back, post-covid, speaking in a single voice on higher ed policy issues that affect our region with the goal of increasing Central Valley degree and certificate attainment rates,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

“These three events provided us the opportunity to fulfill CVHEC’s role as a unified voice for higher education issues in the Central Valley on a broader state and national scale.”

Dr. Durán led a CVHEC contingency of Ángel Ramírez, finance and operation manager, and Elaine Cash,  grants and programs coordinator, beginning with the Talent Hubs convening presented by CivicLab with sponsor Lumina Foundation.

At Talent Hub, presented by the CivicLab, the CVHEC reps joined colleagues from throughout the nation in revisiting how partnerships between industry and education, working off the same playbook, are vital to cross-collaboration success for both landscapes.

Fresno was first designated as a Talent Hub by Lumina in 2017 with CVHEC selected as a representative because of the consortium’s work to dramatically impact valley degree attainment, retention and persistence rates specifically among Hispanic, African American and low-income populations by utilizing remediation reform with co-requisite models for both English and math to increase college-level course completion.

Dr.  Durán said key themes of the CivicLab convening reinforced the need for and value of cross sector collaboration for career pathways by the members of the Talent Hub nationwide.

“Nobody knows the future, but if industry and education work off the same playbook we will be in a better position,” Dr. Durán said, echoing messages from the opening session. “That’s why partnerships between the two are so important.”

Since the initial Lumina funding, CVHEC has utilized annual grant renewals to achieve its goals in the areas of Dual Enrollment, Transfers, Math Pathways and Open Educational Resources underscored by its annual Central Valley Higher Education Summit.

At the Complete College America conference, participants explored “a clear-eyed vision for leading systems change” in higher education throughout the nation under Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 quote, “The fierce urgency of now!”

Specifically, Dr. Duran presented on a CCA breakout session, “Central Valley Community Colleges and UC Merced – Igniting Intersegmental Miracle to Increase Transfers,” with Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of College of the Sequoias who is now CVHEC’s regional coordinator and Central Valley Transfer Project lead, and Jennifer Johnson, chief partnership officer for the
Foundation for California Community Colleges.

They discussed the CVTP and how it has been adopted by the California Community Colleges as a demonstration project for the consortium’s nine-county region with the goal to expand systemwide as announced by CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian at the CVHEC Summit held Oct. 20.

Also attending the CCA conference were two CVHEC board members, Dr. Lena Tran, president of Columbia College, who presented on the “Golden State Aspirations – Charting a Path to Equitable College Completion in California,” and Dr. Claudia Habib, president of Porterville College.

At the CCLC conference last month, the CVHEC Transfer Project once again presented an update on the historic the  California Community Colleges demonstration project.

A special CVHEC guest panelist was student Araceli Tilley who testified how the project’s Program Pathway Mapper software is a major tool for self-starting students like herself even beyond first-time admission. Joining her and Carrizosa in CVHEC’s presentation at CLCC were Tom Burke, interim chancellor of the Kern Community College District, and Dr. James Zimmerman, special assistant to the executive vice chancellor and provost for Transfer Initiatives at UC Merced.

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NEWS RELEASE – CVHEC Math Task Force: Impactful legislation (AB 1705) Convenings Oct. 6 & 13

September 28, 2023

Impactful legislation is focus of CVHEC Math Task Force convenings

Valley math educators discuss AB 1705 with California Community Colleges, Dana Center

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force will convene twice in October, virtually and in-person, to address issues surrounding California Assembly Bill 1705 requiring that California’s community colleges expand their efforts to enroll and support students in transfer-level math and English courses — a follow up to previous legislation (AB 705) that fundamentally reshaped placement and remediation at the community colleges.

Dr. Erik Cooper

The first session, “AB 1705 in the Central Valley” on Friday, Oct. 6, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., is a virtual-only event presented by CVHEC in partnership with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

Dr. Erik Cooper, CCC assistant vice chancellor for Data, Visualization and Research, will clarify areas of confusion regarding the bill and its implementation, Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, announced today.

The second session, “AB1705 Student Success Workshop” on Friday, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. hosted by CVHEC at the Fresno Doubletree Convention Center, is an in-person convening with the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin exploring how to best support students within the framework of AB1705.

The 18-member CVHEC Math Task Force consists of math educators and administrators representing CVHEC’s 15 community college member institutions (total 28 CVHEC members with CSU, UC and private colleges in the nine-county region).

Central Valley Math faculty, chairs and deans are also invited and encouraged to attend, said Dr. Durán.  (See registration information below).

Passed in 2022 for implementation July 1, 2024, AB 1705 expands the provisions established in AB 705 (2017) by explicitly requiring community colleges not only to place students directly into transfer-level English and math courses but also to ensure that students actually enroll in those courses.

The recent legislation also establishes that for students who need or desire extra academic support, community colleges shall provide access to such support. The new law clarifies that a community college can require students to enroll in additional concurrent support if it is determined that the support will increase the student’s likelihood of passing transfer-level English or math.

“Throughout California, there is varied understanding of the impacts of this assembly bill on college structures and on math educators,” said Dr. Durán. “Dr.  Cooper will be available to clarify areas of confusion regarding the bill and its implementation.”

For that first CCCCO virtual session, participants are asked to review the AB1705 FAQ. Additional questions can be asked during the virtual session by emailing them to centralvalleyhec@gmail.com by Oct. 2. Dr. Cooper will answer these questions during the Oct. 6 meeting, Dr. Durán said.

At CVHEC’s Oct. 13 in-person second session, representatives from the Dana Center will be present to facilitate the development of materials and strategies that promote student success in the quantitative reasoning, statistics and BSTEM pathways.

“Additionally, we will explore the skills and andragogy (pedagogy) needed for the modern calculus course,” Dr. Duran said.

For more information: Angel Ramirez, CVHEC finance and operations manager, angelr@mail.fresnostate.edu.

 

Registration for the free events is required:

  • Virtual CVHEC/Dana Center AB1705 Webinar (with CCCCO ) registration (Oct. 6)
  • In-person CVHEC Student Success Workshop registration (Oct. 13)

 

(Those unable to attend the Oct. 6 virtual meeting are asked to view the recording of that session prior to the Oct. 13 meeting. The recording link will be available Oct. 7 at the CVHEC website).

For media inquiries: Tom Uribes, 559.348.3278 (cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu) 

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BOARD NEWS: CVHEC Board Reviews AB928, Eyes Retreat In 2023 and Bids Farewell to One of Its Own (Photo Gallery)

December 14, 2022

Outgoing Community College President Lori Bennett sat in on her final CVHEC Board meeting Dec. 8 and was honored by her colleagues including CVHEC regional coordinator John Spevak, who worked with her on special projects at CCC, and Executive Director Benjamin Duran. Jessie Ryan of the Campaign for College Opportunity presented on AB928 (Berman) and transfer reform. Bottom right: Board Chair Kristin Clark, chancellor of the West Hills Community College District, with West Hills College Lemoore President James Preston, Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel and State Center Community College District Chancellor Carole Goldsmith. See photo gallery below.

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors held its final quarterly meeting of the year Dec. 8 highlighted by a discussion of Assembly Bill 928 regarding transfer reform and a farewell to a beloved colleague.

Dr. Lori Bennett, outgoing president of Clovis Community College, was presented a retirement gift during her final meeting sitting on the CVHEC board and representing her institution of higher education.

After a presentation by two dear friends and colleagues — Dr. Kristen Clark, CVHEC board chairperson  and chancellor of the West Hills Community College District; and Dr. Claudia Lourido-Habib, president of Porterville College — President Bennett expressed her appreciation for her CVHEC colleagues.

“There is nothing that I’ve done in my whole career that has been better than being president at Clovis Community College and part of that is being part of CVHEC,” said President Bennett whose retirement is effective Jan. 3.

“It’s amazing what we have here in this valley, all of you in this room, all of us getting to know each other and meeting up and talking and including all the different colleges,” she told the board. “It is beyond my wildest dreams that I could have been part of something like this. I want to thank all of you for the friendship and the work that we’ve done together over the last several years.”

The hybrid board meeting, only the second in-person session since the pandemic for the presidents and chancellors of CVHEC’s 30 member institutions in the nine-county Central Valley region, was hosted by the California Health Sciences University and board member Florence T. Dunn, CHSU president. Dr. John Graneto, CHSU dean pf the university’s College of Osteopathy Medicine, welcomed the academic CEOs with a presentation about the medical school.

Also presenting at the board meeting was Jessie Ryan, executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, who joined the meeting via Zoom. Discussing AB928 (Berman), Ryan acknowledged the role CVHEC has played in the transfer reform movement over the years, noting that the Central Valley is ahead of many in the state.

Ryan said the bill sought three things: to create an intersegmental transfer task force to talk about critical issues related to the production of the Associate Degree Transfer and improving the transfer process for students across the state; to create a common lower division general education pathway into the CSU and UC; and to more strategically ensure that the ADT became the preferred pathway for students where an ADT pathway for transfer existed

The board also heard CVHEC Executive Director Benjamín Durán report that the Consortium will be undertaking strategic planning measures in 2023 that include a program evaluation and a CVHEC Board Strategic Retreat next summer.

Several other CVHEC Projects were discussed; including a progress report on the CVHEC Transfer Project/Program Mapper, updates on the four CERF regions K-16 Collaboratives, and a discussion about the Online Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Costs (OER/ZTC). (See full agenda here – view details).

The CVHEC Board of Directors will meet again in spring 2023.

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WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (December 2022): Year-In-Review/Silver Edition

December 14, 2022

Celebrating Our 25th Edition with a Look Back at 2022 E-Newsletter Stories

The December “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog is presented by Tom Uribes, CVHEC’s communications/media coordinator who joined CVHEC in 2020 after serving as a California State University public affairs specialist for two Fresno State offices in a 30-year career from 1988-2017: the University Outreach Services and University Communications offices, where he also served as the University’s public information officer for two decades of that career. Among his current projects is editor of the CVHEC e-newsletter which presents its 25th edition with this issue. His blog looks back at some of the newsletter stories published in 2022.

By Tom Uribes
CVHEC Communications/Media Coordinator

With the close of 2022 – and near resumption of post-pandemic “normal life” – we present our now annual review of top stories featured in the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium e-newsletter for this December issue: our 25th edition!

This Silver Edition of the CVHEC e-newsletter crowns a venture that started when I signed on with the Consortium in March, 2020 just as the pandemic broke — sending me back home after just one day in CVHEC’s office in Fresno to work out of a hastily revived bedroom office.

Under the direction of my new CVHEC boss at the time, Virginia Madrid-Salazar (who I had hired as one of my first news interns when she was a Fresno State student in the late 80s), we published our first issue in June 2020 and when Virginia left us in August 2021 to play lawyer, Ángel Ramírez assumed this CVHEC communications partnership as my lead. His able and competent guidance and leadership has continued the solid foundation started by Virginia for the growth of this e-newsletter into this, its 25th edition.

We hope you enjoy this milestone issue — a compressed journey through the past 12 months of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. Topics range from our Dual Enrollment Convening and Legislative and Policy Summit in in the spring, the historic CVHEC Board of Directors quarterly meetings, the appointments of new campus leaders, the growth of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog first introduced in 2021 and more.

We strive to tell the CVHEC story: bringing together 30 Central Valley institutions of higher education through its board of directors made up the presidents and chancellors in the nine-county region who make history every time they meet to deliberate, act and speak as one voice on higher education issues and policies affecting our region — a feat not seen too often throughout the academia CEO world.

  • JANUARY

We presented our first year-in-review looking back at 2021 in January with Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, ushering in the New Year in his monthly director’s message:

“We at CVHEC wish you a dynamic start to the spring 2022 semester with hopes of reaching some sort of a new normal that will lead us to working, meeting our students and convening in-person in the near future,” Dr. Duran messaged that month. “While the pandemic has put the squeeze on all of us the past two years, we are more determined than ever to conquer that challenge as we have so many others.”

  • FEBRUARY

CV-HEC BLOG: Dual Enrollment – An Equity Change-Maker

Our first CV-HEC Guest Blog of the year in February featured a guest writer who was instrumental in planting seeds for our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog, the aforementioned Virginia Madrid-Salazar, Esq., former CVHEC strategies lead turned private law practice dependency attorney. Virginia shared some observations on dual enrollment from her unique dual perspective stemming from when she worked with CVHEC setting up the CVDEEP and its convening and as a mom of a dual enrollment student.

“As the strategies lead for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, it was an honor to work alongside area educators to affect transformational changes that have occurred in the region’s higher education sphere during that period,” said Virginia who wrote CVHEC’s white paper in 2020: CVDEEP White Paper: “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity.” 

  • MARCH

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

More than 135 secondary and postsecondary educators assembled for the “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley” Convening March 17 in Fresno to address challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success. Presented by CVHEC’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force, the five-hour convening was opened by Dr. Mayra A. Lara, associate director of Educator Engagement for The Education Trust-West, discussing her organization’s report, “Jumpstart California: A Roadmap for Equitable Dual Enrollment Policy & Practice.”

The event also featured the premiere of CVHEC’s latest education video, “Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley.” The video depicts three student success stories as well as three area educators advocating for dual enrollment including CVHEC board members Dr. Kristin Clark, chancellor of the West Hills Community College District, and Dr. Chris Vitelli, president of Merced College. Convening participants also heard four valley students – including three from the video — share their success stories. Two completed associate degrees before their high school graduation.   See press release.

  • APRIL

CVHEC Founder Welty To Return for Summit and 20th Anniversary

This year for our 20th anniversary, the Consortium reunited with President-Emeritus John D. Welty, CVHEC’s founding president at our Higher Education Policy And Legislative Summit May 6, where the founding president witnessed a 30th member added to the board (see May).

SUMMIT NEWS: Attendees Hear the Voice of Student Experiences

A special feature of the 2022 CHEVC Summit was the student experiences panel including students who were featured in two Central Valley Higher Education Consortium videos in the past year.

  • MAY

CVHEC’s Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit (Photo Gallery)

Nearly 300 intersegmental educators, legislators and partner representatives from throughout the Central Valley and the state joined us for our Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit May 5-6 to examine such issues as equity, dual enrollment, transfer pathways and broadband disparity and access under the theme, “Post Pandemic World: Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley.” The event marked CVHEC’s 20th anniversary featuring the return of founding board of directors president Dr. John D. Welty, president-emeritus of Fresno State, who joined fellow founding board members Dr. Frank Gornick, West Hills Community College District chancellor-emeritus, and Dr. Benjamin Duran, Merced College president-emeritus and current CVHEC executive director, on a summit panel recalling the early days of the consortium. A special feature of the 2022 CHEVC Summit was the student experiences panel including students who were featured in two Central Valley Higher Education Consortium videos in the past year.  The night before (May 5), CVHEC presented its Cinco de Mayo Reception providing the occasion to reconnect in-person with colleagues, new and old, after a two-year pandemic-forced hiatus from in-person convenings. The reception featured Las Hermanas Medinas from Hanford, two college grads and a current student (two of the three attended CVHEC member institution Fresno State and the third is a UC Santa Cruz alumna). See summit agenda.

BOARD NEWS: UCSF-Fresno Becomes CVHEC’s 30th Institution of Higher Education Member

At its quarterly meeting May 5, the CVHEC Board of Directors formally accepted the membership application from the University of California San Francisco – Fresno Campus and welcomed the 30th institution of higher education to join the Consortium. Michael W. Peterson, MD/MACP, associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and Research at the UCSF-Fresno Campus, was seated on the Consortium board joining the presidents and chancellors of 29 colleges and universities in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties.

  • JUNE

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

CVHEC’s Dual Enrollment Teacher Upskilling Program for English and Mathematics pilot program first launched in Fresno by CVHEC in 2021 was funded in June for the South Valley. In partnership with the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, the program will provide 100 South Valley high school teachers with the opportunity to earn a master’s degree that achieves state qualifications for teaching community college dual enrollment English and math courses on local high school campuses.

Dr. Krista Herrera was named executive director of the newly formed Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, a partnership between Kern County Superintendent Of Schools, institutes of higher education including the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and Kern business partners to significantly expand Kern County’s workforce development efforts (reported in our July issue).

  • JULY

CVHEC BLOG: UC Enrollment Push Supported by CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Project and new Mapper Software

The June “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” Blog featured guest contributor Dr. James Zimmerman, senior associate vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of California-Merced where he is also director of the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning and a physics professor. He serves on the CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Project committee and for this blog he connects the committee’s work the past year to a recent article on UC enrollment expansion.

  • AUGUST

Pathway for Community College Students to the Medical Field: California Medicine Scholars Program-SJV: a collab of UCSF Fresno and CVHEC members  

A valley wide collaborative by CVHEC partners and Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) led to a major accomplishment for the Central Valley with the launch this summer of the California Medicine Scholars Program and the designation of the University of California, San Francisco – Fresno as one of four Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity (RHHOs) in the state. Sen. Hurtado cited a healthcare provider shortage in the Central Valley and credited CVHEC for rallying leaders of the Consortium from Stockton to Bakersfield to support UCSF-Fresno as one of the state’s four hubs authorized by the legislation.

  • SEPTEMBER

Zero-Textbook-Cost/OER Movement picks up steam with $115m state grant West Hills College Lemoore among leaders; CVHEC plans regional task force

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is creating a regional task force to support its member institutions interested in reducing the overall cost of education for students and decreasing the time to complete degree and certificate programs by using alternative instructional materials and methodologies, including open educational resources (OER).

CV-HEC BLOG: The ZTC/OER Movement

The September blog is the first by a CVHEC Board of Directors member: West Hills College-Lemoore President James Preston who writes about the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Program and the California Community College Chancellor’s Office supporting the system with $115 million to do the work in the “OERevolution” (Open Educational Resources).

  • OCTOBER

CVHEC NEWS: Elaine Cash Is Grants & Program Coordinator as Consortium Grows

Educator Elaine C. Cash, retired superintendent of Riverdale Joint Unified School District and a K-12 liaison for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium since 2017, was named to a full-time position as CVHEC’s Grants & Programs coordinator. In her new capacity effective Oct. 1, Elaine is responsible for grant writing, management and reporting of grants and sponsored programs, announced CVHEC Executive Director Dr. Benjamín Durán. “This new position for CVHEC will help support the growth and sustainability of the consortium and our work,” Durán said.

MINI GRANT SUCCESS STORY: AOA Journal Features CHSU ‘Pre-Med Bootcamp’ for Promoting Cultural Competency, Osteopathic Medicine Awareness

The Pre-Med Bootcamp Program of the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine was recognized nationally for its success in promoting cultural competency and osteopathic medicine awareness and assisting students in applying for the medical school. The bootcamp, held in 2019 and the first of five held since then, was supported by a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Mini-Grant.

  • NOVEMBER

North Valley, East Sierra CVHEC Members Partner for K-16 Collaboratives State Planning Grants Could Lead to Expansion of CVHEC’s Dual Enrollment Initiatives

Two more Central Valley regions – North San Joaquin and Eastern Sierra – were each awarded one-year $250,000 state planning grants for the establishment of Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Programs as part of the statewide drive to strengthen the K-16 education-to-career pipeline. Both collaborative efforts are headed by Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member institutions.

In the Northern San Joaquin Region, the University of California, Merced is the lead agency for the newly formed North Valley Tri-County Workforce and Education (WE Will!) Regional Collaborative that includes four other fellow CVHEC-members: Merced College, Modesto Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College and California State University, Stanislaus. For the Eastern Sierra Region, CVHEC-member Columbia College is heading up the K-16 collaborative planning along with several school districts, colleges and employer groups. These allocations amount to a total of four such collaboratives involving CVHEC members that will help bolster dual enrollment initiatives like the consortium’s successful Master’s Upskilling Program that has already been implemented in the mid valley region through the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative and will be getting underway in 2023 in the south valley area through the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

  • DECEMBER (Silver Edition)

CVHEC Board Winter Meets  (Photo Gallery)

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors held its final quarterly meeting of the year Dec. 8 highlighted by a discussion of Assembly Bill 928 regarding transfer reform and a farewell to a beloved colleague: Dr. Lori Bennett, outgoing president of Clovis Community College who delivered her final State-of-the-College at the CCC President’s Breakfast Oct. 25. See the board photo gallery.

CV-HEC BLOG: Year in Review-2022

The December “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog takes a look back at some of the newsletter stories published in 2022.

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CV-HEC Photo Blog: Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit May 5-6, 2022

May 24, 2022

For this issue, our What The CV-HEC Is Happening feature is a “photo-blog” capturing scenes from the  CVHEC Higher Education Policy and Legislative Summit held May 5-6 presented under the theme “Post Pandemic World: Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley” in Fresno.

Dr. John D. Welty, Fresno State President-emeritus who left the CVHEC board nine years ago when he retired, returned to join founding board members Dr. Frank Gornick, West Hills Community College District chancellor-emeritus, and Dr. Benjamin Duran, Merced College president-emeritus and current CVHEC executive director, in recalling the early days of the consortium.

At the rare gathering of the presidents and chancellors of 30 Central Valley higher education institutions and other leaders, summit participants engaged in four panel presentations exploring challenges faced by colleges and universities during the pandemic with these topics:

  • Looking at Recovery Through a Lens of Equity and Inclusion
  • Dual Enrollment as an Equity Strategy for Valley High School Students
  • Creating the Central Valley Transfer Model – A Pathway for Valley Students
  • Broadband for All – Taking Broadband to the Next Mile in the Central Valley

A student panel once again provided the voices of those served by higher education professionals including several who “starred” in two CVHEC videos made in the past year:

  • “Pursuing the Last Mile: Broadband in the Central Valley”
  • “Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley”

During the CVHEC Board of Director’s quarterly meeting held the day before the summit, the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine Fresno regional campus was seated as the 30th member institution of the consortium.

Following that board meeting, CVHEC presented a Cinco de Mayo Reception featuring Las Hermanas Medina (Sofia, Bela and Paulina) of Hanford and theme decorations by the Kings Cultural Center in Armona. (Special thanks to Dr. Juan Medina, KCC Director, and wife Chely)

 

 

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CVHEC  Dual Enrollment Convening set for March 17 in Fresno

February 18, 2022

The “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley” convening Thursday, March 17, will bring more than 150 secondary and postsecondary educators together in person for the first time since the pandemic shutdown to address challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success.

Presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the convening will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  at the DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel in downtown Fresno.

Registration to participate is now open at: https://bit.ly/DEpathwaysCV (the hotel link is https://bit.ly/DoubleTreeFresno).

This second convening will continue the work started on March 5, 2020 – two weeks before the pandemic shutdown – which resulted in several initiatives that have enhanced the delivery of dual enrollment in the region:

  • Improvements in the CCCApply application process to the California Community College system.
  • The Dual Enrollment Upskilling Teachers Master’s Program that provides access to state funding through the Fresno K-16 Collaborative providing funds for high school English and math teachers to earn their master’s degrees.

“This unique event — intersegmental collaboration at a regional level — will be highly interactive and will engage audience members with panel presenters from valley colleges and high schools including practitioners and student success stories,” said Dr. Benjamín T. Durán, CVHEC executive director.

This renewed localized promotion of dual enrollment began in Spring 2019 when Central Valley community college leaders approached CVHEC to provide convening assistance surrounding dual enrollment, a strategy that allows secondary school students to earn college credits before their high school graduation.

As a result of the discussions in these early gatherings, the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force was formed with about 60 community college and K-12 educational leaders who deliver dual enrollment services valley-wide.

“These educators endeavor purposefully and strategically in addressing the complexity of dual enrollment to spotlight both challenges and best practices for colleges and high schools in the nine-county CVHEC region,” Durán  said.

In June 2020, CVHEC released a 16-page report, “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity;”   by former CVHEC Strategies Lead Virginia Madrid Salazar, Esq., that highlights this work and provides a blueprint to strengthen dual enrollment delivery in the Central Valley. (Also, see her blog in this issue: https://bit.ly/CVHECblog-DualEnrollment021822).

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

SEE: CVHEC report, “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity” and press release).

  • The 2020 CVDEEP Convening
  • Updated CVDEEP press release (March 14, 2022)

 

BACKGROUND

In 2016, 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.  

CVHEC media contact: Tom Uribes • tom@uribes.com • 559.348.3278

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‘What the CV-HEC is Happening?’ Guest Blog FEB. 2022: Dual enrollment

February 18, 2022

Virginia Madrid-Salazar, Esq., was CVHEC’s strategies lead from 2015 through July 2021. In August, the San Joaquin College of Law alumna’s service to her community shifted to private law practice as a dependency attorney serving parents and minors involved in Dependency Court of the Fresno County Superior Court. She is also a board member of the Fresno County Office of Education Foundation. Not only did she utilize her skills while at CVHEC to help develop dual enrollment strategies with CVHEC member institutions and educational partners, Virginia also supported her own son’s productive dual enrollment journey – so we asked her to share some observations on dual enrollment from this unique perspective for our fourth “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog.

 

Dual enrollment: an equity change-maker

By Virginia Madrid-Salazar, Esq.

As the strategies lead for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, it was an honor to work alongside area educators to affect transformational changes that have occurred in the region’s higher education sphere during that period.

This blog entry gives me a welcome opportunity to share my perspective, first, reflecting on the dual enrollment work that CVHEC champions; experiencing dual enrollment in my own son’s educational career; and lastly, expressing my hope for where the Central Valley will go with dual enrollment. As a dependency attorney, I welcome the push of dual enrollment for foster youth.

Energizing for Dual Enrollment Despite Pandemic Limitations

Right before the pandemic hit, on March 5, 2020 CVHEC hosted a groundbreaking event for Central Valley higher education and K-12 educators. Nearly 200 interested educators gathered to create an action plan to create a dual enrollment model that improved the delivery of dual enrollment for the Central Valley’s rural and urban communities.

It was an energizing event. A CVHEC-convened taskforce primed the agenda to allow colleagues an opportunity to identify shared barriers to dual enrollment and devise action plans to dismantle those barriers. This collaboration proactively allowed for a valley-wide approach.

Among the needs that emerged included improving CCCApply for dual enrollment students (the application was not originally  designed for use by high school students taking college-credit bearing courses and it showed); and the simple fact that not enough teachers met minimum qualifications Ito teach college courses on their high school campuses.

During the pandemic, CVHEC brought those interested parties together virtually via Zoom where these challenges were further examined and solutions were crafted.

Application Frustrations Raised and Fixed

An executive committee of the task force identified frustrations experienced by Central Valley students when enrolling in dual enrollment courses. These concerns were shared with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office team working to improve the application process.

As a result, improvements have been implemented and there are more students now overcoming that barrier.

Growing Dual Enrollment Teachers on High School Campuses

CVHEC got to work on another barrier and organized grant applications to the Fresno K-16 Collaborative to fund high school English and math teachers to earn their master’s degrees (see Dual Enrollment Upskilling Teachers Master’s Program). In December 2021, the first of three cohorts completed their degrees. Not only will these teachers teach dual enrollment courses on high school campuses, but some will serve at rural high school campuses where the need is great.

These efforts are the beginnings of improving dual enrollment for Central Valley students.

Improving dual enrollment access does not necessarily mean a student must earn their associate degree by the time they finish high school either. Rather, the opportunity to take at least six units of college-credit bearing courses – especially an English or math course – before they finish their high school career can transcend a student’s outlook on their college career.

That was my son’s experience.

Students Getting a Head Start in College Career

In his senior year of high school, my son enrolled in six units of college credit-bearing course work taking Communications and English 1A. It was the first he heard of these dual enrollment classes offered on his campus and he decided he would give it a shot. Not only did he find the course work and his instructors interesting (he earned A’s in both courses) but, perhaps more importantly, he saw himself as a college student – in that moment.

“That dual enrollment is clutch!” That was his exclamation in our kitchen with his ed plan in hand. It was clear to him he was free to take a few other courses he needed to transfer to his choice school. This was all because he got a head start on his college career with dual enrollment. All I could do was smile.

Unbridled excitement for his future. It’s an indescribable feeling to see the positive impact of transformational change. That must be what our Central Valley higher education leaders pursue as they explore how to grow dual enrollment in the valley.

Opportunities to Grow Dual Enrollment – Equitable Growth

That excitement I saw in my son – a mix of relief, inspiration and a vision he saw for himself – is for everyone. Growing dual enrollment offers an equitable growth opportunity. As of late, I’ve noticed a push for foster youth in dual enrollment. (See Career Ladders Project Dual Enrollment for Foster Youth: Toward Effective Practice.) Now as a Dependency Attorney, and not someone in the daily challenge of growing dual enrollment, I see the experiences foster youth endure and the resiliency they display and I applaud this push on their behalf.

This is where I have a unique perspective. I can see the transformation that can occur for foster youth if they participate in dual enrollment – even if it’s a few college courses. Not just because of the impact higher education can have on someone’s life, but because for a senior who is living life as a foster youth, a lot rides on that last year of high school. Let me explain.

When foster youth are not reunified with their family as they near the age of majority, they may continue to receive County support through age 21 if they work or attend college through what is known as AB 12 Extended Foster Care Program and Benefits.  If foster youth can envision themselves as college material while in high school that young person will be inclined to participate in AB 12 and pursue a college education. This is a decision they make during that last year of majority or their senior year of high school. I cannot emphasize enough how a dual enrollment opportunity can transform that young person’s life.

Simply put, in all its fashions, dual enrollment cannot be denied in its ability to create long-lasting, unimaginable change.

Yes, it was such an honor to lend my skill through CVHEC to help Central Valley educators create transformational change.

I cannot wait to see what transformations take shape in the next few years and what other barriers to dual enrollment Central Valley educators will dismantle.

 

Check the CVDEEP Convening Website for updates and follow-up of the March 17, 2022 event.

See CVHEC White Paper Released: ‘Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley: Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity’

 

0 0 Pablo https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Pablo2022-02-18 00:17:452024-03-01 22:41:51‘What the CV-HEC is Happening?’ Guest Blog FEB. 2022: Dual enrollment

SAVE THE DATE: CVDEEP Convening – March 17, 2022

January 27, 2022

(UPDATE – the CVDEEP Convening has been rescheduled to March 17. Details will be available in the upcoming February issue of the CVHEC e-newsletter).

CVHEC’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) is now planning to re-convene in person Friday, March 17 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Fresno for the first time since the pandemic shutdown two years ago.

Open to secondary and postsecondary educators and community leaders interested in dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.

See details and registration info:  https://www.cvhec.org/cvhec-dual-enrollment-convening-march-17/

 

• See story about the 2020 CVDEEP Convening.

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png 0 0 Pablo https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Pablo2022-01-27 09:31:042022-01-27 09:31:04SAVE THE DATE: CVDEEP Convening – March 17, 2022

End of academic year brings high hopes for brighter days

June 7, 2021

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

Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,

We are delighted to present the June, 2021 CVHEC Newsletter as we welcome a much anticipated culmination of the 2020/21 Academic Year.  This is our 10th issue since we began publishing a year ago.

It was a delight to see commencement exercises in various forms on CVHEC member college and university campuses throughout the region where students and families once again celebrated degree attainments during this magical and life-changing time of the year.

And we are happy to report that due to the efforts of dedicated faculty, staff and administrators across the Central Valley, degree attainment numbers are on the rise.

In this issue we welcome some new members to the CVHEC Board of Directors and say goodbye to those who are leaving us for other opportunities.

We also are happy to announce that as the world strives to return to normalcy, we too will present our annual CVHEC Higher Education Legislative and Policy Summit live, in-person Dec. 2 and 3.  Be on the lookout for a save–the-date notice for the event followed by additional communications with specifics for registration and other pertinent details.

Our newsletter will be on summer hiatus for July but watch for our next issue in August as we usher in the fall 2021 semester with a new hope and optimism for a more sane and open post-pandemic world.

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

https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png 0 0 Pablo https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.png Pablo2021-06-07 13:41:172021-06-07 13:41:17End of academic year brings high hopes for brighter days
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