Master’s Upskill: Mentors helping teachers, teachers helping students

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Transfer Project Update: from CCC ‘demo’ to national stage at CCA

 

 

 

CVHEC Transfer Project and PPM moves from ‘demo’ to

CCC ‘Vision 2030’ status; national presentation set

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications/Media Lead

The demonstration status that the Central Valley Transfer Project was conferred by California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian in 2023 has been elevated with the inclusion of the project into the CCC “Vision 2030,” the system announced recently.

Simultaneously, the Transfer Project became formalized when the California State Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved state funding for all colleges to align with the “Program Pathways Mapper” software platform that is the Transfer Project’s central feature.  

Now, CVHEC announces that its team will present the Transfer Project at the Complete College America national conference later this fall along with the Central Valley Math Bridge Program presented by College Bridge.

The Central Valley Transfer Project is the fruit of efforts by a small team of Central Valley higher education leaders convened by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) in 2022 who set out to break down the barriers between community college, California State University and University of California campuses to increase successful transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions.  

The project is supported through the PPM software platform, a Cloud-based, public facing application that rides independently on the internet and is accessible to all parties the same as all public applications.

CVHEC’s Transfer Project initiative is also helping eliminate the equity gap among historically underrepresented students, said Stan Carrizosa, president emeritus of College of the Sequoias who is now CVHEC’s Transfer Project co-lead with Tom Burke, chancellor-emeritus of the Kern Community College District

Now the CVHEC initiative will be shared on the national stage at the Complete College America national conference in Baltimore Nov. 18. A CVHEC team will share how the project originated with a pilot effort including UC Merced, Merced College and Bakersfield College.  (CCA line-up)

Chancellor-emeritus Burke will make the trek to Baltimore with Dr. Benjamin Duran, CVHEC executive director, and Jennifer Johnson of California Community Colleges Foundation.

“Our team will present how the process has been refined and streamlined to achieve effective collaboration between all entities,” Burke said.

They will share how CVHEC’s protocols were so successful that CCC Chancellor Christian adopted the Transfer Project as a statewide demonstration project in 2023, first announced at CVHEC’s Higher Education Summit in Fresno that October.

Carrizosa said the Transfer Project process that will be shared at the national conference includes intersegmental convening of faculty, advisors and guidance staff to engage in focused efforts to review, align and approve lower and upper division course sequences as transfer pathways from community colleges to four-year colleges

Through the ease of access to PPM, historically marginalized and underrepresented students have easy access to quality, accurate course sequences to help clearly map their pathway to degree completion, he explained.

“PPM also enables counselors, advisors, high school students and parents to engage with the same official information and start their college planning at any point along their K-12 experience,” Carrizosa said.

“And the Transfer Project is leveraging the implementation of dual enrollment courses in high schools across the system further enhancing timely completion of transfer-level requirements in English and Math and closing the student achievement gap.”

Perhaps just as important, he said, the project now has collected baseline data from 5,000 incoming freshman to Bakersfield College that presents the positive impact the project is having on eliminating the equity gap among historically underrepresented students.

Joining CVHEC at the national conference will be Owyn Lancaster of College Bridge who will discuss in a separate session, “Central Valley Math Bridge: Creating Seamless Pathways for Student Success.”

He will present how the Math Bridge Program, with support from   CVHEC and the Rand Corporation, is redefining math education by creating seamless, equity-driven pathways from high school to college and how, through strategic partnerships between high schools and community colleges, the program aligns curriculum, instruction and support to eliminate learning gaps and boost student success. (See related Math Bridge data article in this issue).

“With an 88 percent pass rate and 248 students earning college credit in 2024–25 alone, the initiative proves what’s possible when systems work together,” Lancaster said. “We will discuss with the national audience how Math Bridge isn’t just about curriculum alignment; it’s about reshaping outcomes, removing barriers and transforming how students experience math, paving the way toward educational equity and degree attainment.”

See CCA full lineup

 

###

Math Bridge update: data shows an 89% pass rate

 

In 2022, CVHEC partnered with College Bridge to expand its Math Bridge program into the Central Valley as a model strategy to align math pathways.  Using dual enrollment college courses as the delivery method, this effort is intended for high school students who have historically struggled with math and might feel they are not college-ready.  Thanks to K-16 Collaborative state funding, this project has been implemented in two regions of CVHEC’s 10-county service area – Mid-Valley and North Valley – with our sights set on expanding this pioneering program to other regions in the next year. This story by Audra Burwell of College Bridge shares data demonstrating the initiative’s impact to date and how a targeted program like Math Bridge effectively helps rural high school students successfully complete gateway college level courses before graduating from their high school.  Research shows that programs like these with wrap-around services for targeted student populations serve as springboards towards college completion for these students .

From Doubt to Determination

CV Math Bridge first

cohort explodes with Success Revealing an 89% Pass Rate

 

(July 8, 2025) — For many high school students, especially those who struggle with math, the idea of college can feel distant, even impossible. The Math Bridge Project was created to change that trajectory.

Designed as an academic intervention, Math Bridge aligns high school and college mathematics programs, offering a supported, credit-bearing alternative that prepares students for college success.

What makes this program truly transformative is that many of the students who joined Math Bridge didn’t initially plan to take higher level math courses during high school. Some believed they weren’t “math people.” Others had never taken a college course or imagined they could. But throughout the school year, they participated in a supportive environment where college faculty and high school teachers worked collaboratively to guide them. Students engaged with rigorous college-level material, received detailed feedback on their work, and built confidence. Now, many are looking toward college with a sense of purpose, a completed math requirement, and a clearer idea of the future they want.

Partner Colleges & Schools

College Bridge spent over a year visiting high schools up and down the Central Valley, building relationships, engaging with educators, and ultimately securing the following partnerships:

  • San Joaquin Delta College: Stagg HS, Weber Institute of Applied Sciences & Technology
  • Merced College: Golden Valley HS, Livingston HS, Atwater HS, Buhach Colony HS, Mariposa HS
  • Reedley College: Dinuba HS, Orosi HS, Sanger HS, Sanger West HS
  • Taft College: Taft HS
  • West Hills Lemoore College: Riverdale HS

Student Eligibility Criteria

The Math Bridge Project is specifically designed to support students who have historically struggled with math and may not see themselves as college ready. To qualify, participants must be in the 12th grade, have a cumulative GPA between 2.3 and 3.4, and must have already completed their high school graduation math requirements. By targeting this particular student population, the program ensures that those most in need of academic support receive guidance and the opportunity to succeed in college-level math.

Spring 2025 Math Bridge Outcomes: By the Numbers

For the 2024-2025 school year, the Math Bridge program served over 300 students across fourteen classrooms. Looking ahead, we estimate that the number of students enrolled in Math Bridge will double for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Program-Wide Success Rates

Across all partner schools, Math Bridge achieved an impressive pass rate of 89% for the 2024-2025 school year. Each student completed a transferable college-level math class, which for many, will be the only math course they will need to graduate from college.

Several classrooms distinguished themselves with outstanding outcomes. Notably, Buhach Colony, Riverdale, and Sanger West reached a 100% pass rate in their college classes.

90% of Math Bridge graduates are headed to college:

  • 65 % plan to attend a California Community College
  • 23% will be enrolling in a California State University (CSU) 10% are headed to a University of California (UC) campus Expanding Access & Empowering Students

The Math Bridge Project is more than just a math course; it’s a model of how educational systems can work together to eliminate barriers and open doors. With this year’s data reinforcing the power of collaboration, we’re excited to expand even further in the 2025- 2026 school year by adding an additional community college and several more high schools to the Math Bridge project. More students. More schools. More futures rewritten.

As one student stated: “I feel more prepared for college-level math thanks to the Math Bridge program. It is helpful to see what I can expect in the future.”

– Julissa, Livingston High School

Are you an educator or school leader interested in transforming the math journey at your school or campus? Explore our website to learn more about the Math Bridge project, discover how it’s making an impact, and find out how you can become involved.

 

Audra Burwell

© 2025 All Rights Reserved

College Bridge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

‘What the CV-HEC is Happening’ Blog (Summer 2025): Dr. Brandon Protas, Complete College America

For this summer edition of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we feature Dr. Brandon Protas, assistant vice president for Alliance Engagement for Complete College America (CCA) based in Indianapolis. The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is one of 53 affiliates — states, systems and consortia — participating in the CCA Alliance nationwide. Dr. Protas, who resides in Colorado, was invited to Fresno for the CVHEC Summit in May to present on the panel, “Data at Every Level: Sharing National, State and Local Insights” (above). He addressed national trends in higher education, college completion rates and his higher education experiences nationwide. In this blog, Dr. Protas shares observations from the summit noting that CVHEC is a national model for strengthening higher education’s impact through unity and collaboration and the summit served as a clarion call in today’s climate of hostility against diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility as well as undocumented students. CCA is now preparing for its national conference set for Nov. 17-19 in Baltimore that is attended by a CVHEC delegation.

Reflections from the CVHEC Summit 2025: regional unity and collaboration

a national model for strengthening higher education impact

 

DR. BRANDON PROTAS

Assistant Vice President for Alliance Engagement

Complete College America

I was honored to participate in the 2025 Central Valley Higher Education Summit which showcased the remarkable power of collaboration across California’s educational sectors May 8 and 9 in Fresno.

It was my first visit to this Central California city and the annual summit that is presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium that comprises 28 institutions of higher education in the 10- county region. The consortium is a partner in the Complete College America alliance.

The time in fellowship I experienced at the 2025 CVHEC Summit highlighted the collaborative approach of the Central Valley region and serves as a national model for strengthening higher education’s impact through unity and collaboration.

I saw first-hand how the Central Valley higher education momentum that emerged over those two days (the first day was a reception alive with genuine fellowship) provides an essential force to the nationwide movement for increased attainment rates.

In the West, the Central Valley stands out in its approach to higher education, illustrated by opening comments from University of California, Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors who noted this gathering was a reflection of how the colleges and universities operate together in the region through a spirit of cooperation rather than competition.

The building of solutions among the state’s four segments of higher education – the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities — played out throughout the summit and is a model worthy of attention.

For example, the Central Valley is focused on a number of pathway programs to open opportunities for students with multiple points of entry and connection. This includes dual enrollment initiatives, the Math Bridge Project, and the Transfer Project with its Program Pathways Mapper app for students, all of which were highlighted as essential tools for student success. These initiatives exemplify the region’s leadership in creating seamless educational journeys for students. This impact was reinforced by a panel of students whose testimony reminded us that their successes are direct outcomes of these programs.

Another theme of the summit was noted by Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District, who captured the essence of the event when she observed that a gathering like this has a restorative power for educators to draw strength from each other.

This sentiment resonates deeply in today’s challenging educational landscape and is paired with the importance of constructing and maintaining unified messaging.

For example, the transformative impact of financial aid on students’ ability to achieve their postsecondary goals is at risk. The billions of dollars of financial aid that students across the state receive not only impacts individual lives but also strengthens institutions and regional economies. By bringing together the power of the collective whole, the region can stay strong and advocate for policies that do support rather than harm students.

A powerful call-to-action that emerged throughout the summit is to amplify student stories, demonstrate higher education’s local economic impact, and preserve support programs that enhance student wellbeing. We heard that the Central Valley has only become more excellent as it has become more diverse.

This serves as a clarion call in today’s climate of hostility against diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility as well as undocumented students. As was noted in the summit, California is and has been compliant with state and federal laws on these issues. The law hasn’t changed, and therefore neither should the practices that support students.

CCA looks forward to continued collaboration with our alliance partner CVHEC as we work on various national initiatives together enroute to our national conference Nov. 17 in Baltimore.

(CVHEC blog submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu).

MEMBER NEWS: Record dual enrollment grads at Coalinga College

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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

HIGHER ED NEWS: Dual enrollment growing but access gaps linger

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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.  

CVHEC Master’s Upskilling Program making its mark

[UPDATE APRIL 24, 2025]: the WeWill Program has approximately three seats open for the English cohort. Interested high school  teachers may sign up for an information session at the National University team’s calendly link.


Recruitment underway for

North Valley English HS teachers cohort

 

The  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Master’s Upskilling Program – now successfully scaled across three California K-16 Education Collaboratives regions throughout the consortium’s 10-counties — is now recruiting for 12 North Valley and three more Kern County English high school teachers interested in earning a master’s degree that will qualify them to teach dual enrollment college courses.

An online information session is set for April 22 with registration now available.

The program, which provides tuition funding support, is open to English Single Subject credential holders who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in English with a specialization in rhetoric. In addition to dual enrollment courses, the degree also qualifies them to work as adjunct instructors in a community college.

The CVHEC Master’s Upskilling Program was first launched in 2021 with the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative. In 2022, the program was funded for the South Valley by the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative and in 2024 for the North Valley by the WE Will! K-16 Workforce and Education Collaborative.

The program is in partnership with two CVHEC-members — Fresno Pacific University (math) and National University (English) — along with CVHEC member community colleges and their service-area high schools.

In addition to covering  a large part of the cost of the upskilling coursework, the program provides the high school teachers with community college mentors to support them in their academic journey and in their eventual role as college instructors, said Tom Burke, CVHEC’s  Master’s Upskilling Program coordinator.

For the North Valley participants (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, & Merced counties), CVHEC’s We Will! Workforce and Education Collaborative grant provides $12,500 per student. National University provides a 20 percent tuition reduction scholarship per student also in partnership with CVHEC.

For the South Valley participants receive $14,400 each from Kern’s Regional K16 Education Collaborative and the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC).

They also receive a 20 percent ($3,978) employee tuition reduction each from the CVHEC partnership with National University.

Classes are scheduled to begin Spring/Summer 2025 for completion in 12-months or less with 10 courses (45 quarter units) that are fully online, asynchronous instruction in a one-course-per-month format. The program uses a cohort-based model with 12 students per cohort.

Similar to the Fresno and Kern initiatives, National and CVHEC are now working with Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Superintendent of Schools Offices to recruit for the 12 slots open to high school English teachers in the three North Valley counties seeking this opportunity, as well as working with regional community colleges to identify mentors for the participating teachers.

The Kern program has been recruiting for 15 slots the past few months with 12 slots filled to date.

The April 22 info session webinar covers both North Valley and Kern participants, said Jessica Gladney, senior director of Educational Partnerships Workforce and Community Education (WCE) for National.

Burke said community college professors interested in serving as a mentor should contact the respective coordinators:  Dr. Lori Bennett (math) at lori.bennett@csun.edu or Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English) at vikashlakhani@hotmail.com.

He provided this breakdown of the program’s progress since it began in 2022, with 188 high school teachers to date in the valley’s three K-16 regions completing the postgraduate degree requirements that will qualify them to teach California Community College courses in dual enrollment at their respective high schools:

  • The Fresno/Madera K-16 completed eight cohorts in 2022 that produced 140 master’s degrees: four English cohorts resulted in 54 master’s degrees and in the math component, 86 degrees were conferred in four cohorts also.
  • For Kern K16, 48 master’s degrees have been conferred: three English cohorts have been completed with 32 degrees and a fourth cohort will begin this spring for completion in May 2026 with 12 high school teachers currently recruited (recruitment is still open for three additional slots). In math, one cohort has been completed resulting in 16 degrees conferred and two cohorts are in progress with 12 students set to complete in May 2025 and 22 students in May 2026.
  • The North Valley K-16 (WeWill) program began this year: one English cohort of 12 will begin this spring for completion in May 2026. Recruitment is still open with the April 22 information session.  One math cohort also begins this spring for completion in fall 2026 with 10 students enrolled (recruitment for this math cohort is closed).

For questions about the English program cohort openings, contact Kondwani Prater, National University outreach specialist at kprater@nu.edu or text (818) 214-9044.

 

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SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Bennett named CVHEC’s math faculty mentor coordinator


Dr. Lori Bennett, president-emeritus of Clovis Community College who joined the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team this month, with Dr. John Spevak (left), CVHEC Math and English Task Forces lead, and Executive Director Benjamín Durán at her final CVHEC board meeting upon retirement from CCC in 2023.

MA Upskilling Project seeking

community college professors to mentor HS teachers

 

Dr. Lori Bennett, president-emeritus of Clovis Community College (CCC), is the latest addition of talent to the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), announced Executive Director Benjamín Durán.

Bennett, who retired from CCC in 2023, will serve as Math Faculty Mentor coordinator for CVHEC’s Master’s Up-skilling Project for English and Mathematics.

She joins the MA Upskilling team of Tom Burke, the Kern MA Upskilling lead, and Dr. Vikash Lakhani, English Faculty Mentor coordinator.

Burke also announced that the project is currently recruiting community college professors to serve as mentors to the program participants for assignments starting in fall of 2025. The community college mentors receive two stipends of $1,000 each during their mentorship period.

To apply for a mentor position, contact Bennett (math) at lori.bennett@csun.edu or Lakhani (English) at vikashlakhani@hotmail.com.

The Master’s Upskilling Program is an innovative degree program that incentivizes dual enrollment delivery by providing Central Valley high school English and math teachers the opportunity to earn a master’s degree through CVHEC members Fresno Pacific University and National University that qualifies them to teach community college dual enrollment English and math courses at their respective schools.

The program is a partnership between CVHEC and three California K-16 Education Collaboratives throughout the consortium’s 10-county region. First launched in 2021 with the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative, the program was funded for the South Valley in 2022 by the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative and for the North Valley in 2024 by the WE Will! K-16 Workforce and Education Collaborative.

Program funding helps reduce the cost of tuition for participating high school teachers seeking a master’s degree in English and Math.

A key component of the program is the pairing of the participating high school teachers with community college professors who will serve as mentors. They provide support to the mentees along the way and help them navigate the process to becoming an adjunct community college faculty member.

As a Faculty Mentor Program coordinator, Bennett joins Lakhani in working cooperatively with Burke to recruit, assign and coordinate professors from community colleges as mentors for high school teachers participating in the MA Upskilling Project.

“I look forward to working with Lori and Vikash over the next couple of years on this very important project to increase the Central Valley’s capacity to deliver dual enrollment courses at our local high schools,” Burke said.

Dr. Lori Bennett

Dr. Bennett began her career in marketing, working for banking and consumer products
companies, including a Fortune 500 company. She also owned and managed her own small business.

She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from California State University, Northridge; Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago; and Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Bennett’s 30-year career in higher education began as a part-time instructor at Highline and Tacoma Community Colleges in Washington. After moving to California, she spent 20 years at Moorpark College serving as a full-time faculty member, department chair, dean and executive vice president of instruction and student services. In 2016, Dr. Bennett was named the second president of Clovis Community College.

Under Dr. Bennett’s leadership, Clovis Community College student enrollment grew more than 40 percent and the college was named a Champion of Higher Education five years in a row for its exemplary work in awarding associate degrees for transfer.

Dr. Bennett is a staunch advocate for student equity and success and in 2022, Clovis CC was also acknowledged as a Champion for excelling in equitable course placement in campuswide English enrollment, Latinx English enrollment and Black English enrollment. In addition to expanding the transfer and career technical education (CTE) curriculum, she focused college resources on innovative, targeted outreach and retention activities to create a direct positive impact on student access and completion.

Dr. Bennett has served on a variety of boards and organizations, including the CVHEC board when she was CCC president; the Clovis Chamber of Commerce; Fresno K-16 Collaborative; Fresno County DRIVE Initiative for Economic Development; and Chief Executive Officers of California Community Colleges. She is currently a board member for Community Health Systems.

Since her retirement in 2023, Dr. Bennett has enjoyed higher education consulting, working with a variety of California community colleges to develop comprehensive educational and strategic plans.

She said she is excited to continue her involvement with CVHEC through the MA mentoring program and encourages community college math professors to consider applying to serve as a mentor for the participating high school teachers.

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