CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (November 2024): The fall winds of change
The fall winds of change
Welcome to our post-election edition of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium e-newsletter.
Each presidential election brings new changes and initiatives nationally, and this one will be no exception. In future editions of our newsletter, we will highlight and explore changes coming to higher education from our new administration and how those impact our Central Valley colleges, universities and students in the region and similar rural regions in California.
In this edition, please enjoy articles that feature some of the ongoing work that is taking place and the introduction of local research that gives a more intimate look at the performance of our students from underpromoted communities in the region.
Our Math Task Force has been working in a collaborative manner to address issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of AB 1705, its impact on our students, and how Central Valley math faculty have taken on the task of ensuring the legislation is implemented in an equitable and fair manner. The findings and outcomes of these efforts were highlighted at the “CV Way to AB1705 Success and Beyond” convening held at the Clovis Community College Herndon Center Oct. 25, 2024. Many of these math faculty worked through the summer to prepare for the convening of colleagues from throughout the valley.
You will also be introduced to a research initiative at UC Merced funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by Principal Investigator Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz and Dr. Orquidea Largo: the UC Merced Advancing Educational Opportunity in the Central Valley Project. This team of researchers is taking a deeper more nuanced look at the performance of Central Valley students and their performance in courses designed to prepare them for entrance into the college or university of their choice.
In addition to that article summarizing completion pf phase one of this project last month, you can read more about these efforts in Dr. Aguirre-Muñoz’s “What in the CV-HEC is Happening” blog this month. As the research team continues with the next phases of their work, we are hoping to see evidence that the work by CVHEC colleges and universities in recent years is reflected in the data that emerges.
We also invite you to enjoy news entries about some of our member institutions and other related news articles. With Veterans Day just behind us, we also pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s military who have selflessly served to build a nation liberty and equality.
Now, as we approach the end of the fall semester and welcome the Thanksgiving holiday season, we wish you well!
AB1705 update: Math Task Force Convening draws state higher ed officials
Oct. 25: “The Central Valley Way to
AB 1705 Success and Beyond”
BY JOHN SPEVAK
Math and English Task Forces Coordinator – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
With our Oct. 25 math gathering, “The Central Valley Way to AB 1705 Success and Beyond,” in Clovis a few weeks away, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents our agenda for the day that includes a few new developments for the dedicated and persevering math educators of our Math Task Force who have been engaged in hearty discussions regarding implementation of AB 1705 the past year-plus for the benefit of our region’s students.
Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC Math and English Task Forces coordinator.
First a reminder for those who haven’t already, please register as soon as you reasonably can for the free convening, which I again have the honor of co-facilitating with Tammi Rice-Perez, Ed.D., of the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin).
And thank you to the 61 who to date have registered for this free event which will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clovis Community College Herndon campus (390 W. Fir Ave. in Clovis) and includes breakfast (8 a.m.) and lunch.
The task force’s successful discourse has drawn great interest not only around our region but in the state and even nationally and we are pleased to announce that representatives of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and University of California Presidents Office will participate.
And, the task force has gained national math attention evidenced by the invitation for our three strand leaders to present about the “Central Valley Way to Math Success” collaboration at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Atlanta Nov. 14-17 though the Dana Center.
Shelley Getty – Taft College
Making the trip will be Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College and Shelley Getty of Taft College.
So, what do we have in store for this fourth in-person convening in this mission of math educators from CVHEC’s member community colleges and K-12 partners — in addition to great discussions along the way with significant time for sharing in the afternoon?
First, notice the title of our event — you’ll see something a little different this time around: “… and Beyond.”
Our primary focus remains AB 1705, but as our mission winds down, we will look ahead to our CVHEC Math Task Force continuing the collaboration energy that has effectively been established and maintaining this momentum for future math issues of common concern.
And, I understand that task force members will have developed the curricula for courses beginning in the fall of 2025 so there will be time to talk about and share curriculum ideas. But there will also be time for talking about delivering the curriculum, through innovative pedagogy and best teaching practices.
Additionally, our discussions have grown to include many guests/partners on the agenda from the state’s three segments of higher education as well as representatives from the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC) who will participate first by observing what we’re doing as well as sharing what they are doing in relation to teaching math and, in particular, to teaching STEM math.
Jeremy Brandl – Fresno City College
The session will open with a general introduction acknowledging the state leaders who will participate:
- Dr. Erik Cooper, California Community College vice-chancellor will join us by Zoom to represent CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian;
- Rolin Moe, executive director of UC Online in the University of California Office of the President will make the trip to Clovis to represent UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D.
- FredUy, director of Systemwide California State University Education and Leadership Program;
- Ted Coe, vice president, Content Advocacy – Mathematics of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), and a member of the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC).
At 9:30 a.m. for the Math Strand Report Outs, our three strand leaders will present and lead discussion on work undertaken with other Math Task Force members from throughout our 15 community college CVHEC members since our April 19 meeting – including ongoing strategizing over the summer – on three strands and discussion regarding Chancellor office guidance:
- Developing a single-course prerequisite to calculus – Jeremy Brandl, Fresno City College
- Developing a calculus course with a corequisite – Shelley Getty, Taft College
- Verifying single-course prerequisite – Nathan Cahoon, Taft College
- Profs concerned about C.O. guidelines – Tina Akers-Porter, Modesto Junior College
Vice Chancellor Cooper will take the virtual stage from 10:30 to 11 a.m. to present “Reflections from Chancellor’s Office.” He first joined us a year ago in our second session of what will now be seven AB1705 meetings by the Math Task Force since mid-2023.
Next, we will present the “Updates on Regional and State Math Innovations” segment with these topics:
- Innovation in Central Valley High Schools — College Bridge (5 mins)
- K-16 Collaborative Math Mentorship Program – Liz Rozell, CVHEC Kern Master’s Upskilling Program math faculty mentor coordinator (10 mins)
- UC-CCC Dual Enrollment: Enhancing Transfer Opportunities Through Online Collaboration” – Rolin Moe, UC Office of the President (20 mins)
- Update from CSU: Statewide Math Initiatives – Fred Uy, director of Systemwide CSU Education and Leadership Program (20 mins)
- Update from the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC): “What CMEC is Currently Doing” – Ted Coe, CMEC (10 mins)
Following a 40-minute lunch break, we will hear a discussion about “National Best Practices in Math Student Success,” by Joan Zoellner, M.A. and Dr. Rice-Perez, both from The Dana Center from 12:40-1:10 p.m.
The afternoon breakouts session, “Sharing, Discussion Primarily on Pedagogy and Data,” will follow up the three stand topics (above) led by the three strand leaders
Report-outs from the breakout sessions will be presented before the day wraps with the topic “Where do we go from Here? Setting the Date for Spring 2025” presented by Tammi and myself from 2:45 – 3 p.m.
This closing discussion will serve to bring our work on AB1705 to a close and begin looking to what lies ahead.
I am impressed with two observations about the past year and half of intense work by the Central Valley Math Task Force that I have mentioned before: I believe we are in the midst of a “math tsunami” in our state and our country. And we in the Central Valley are not only in it, but we are in many ways leading the way via “The Central Valley Way” to student math success.
Our Math Task Force members have been going above and beyond duty for the sake of students and their success so we are preparing for a good turnout Oct. 25. The more math brains involved, the better the outcomes.
Event questions: contact Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance, at angelr@csufresno.edu or 559.292.0576.
Media inquiries: Tom Uribes, text 559.348.3278 or cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Dr. Eric Cooper – CCC Vice Chancellor
Joan Zoellner, M.A., and Dr. Tammi Rice-Perez, both from the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), with Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, at the first in-person MTF/AB1705 Convening last year.
CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (October 2024)
Fall momentum: creating rich learning
environments for successful collegiate experiences
Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues …
We are delighted to share the October CVHEC e-newsletter with you and welcome you to enjoy the content we have prepared as this fall 2024 semester moves into high gear.
In this edition, we congratulate and welcome Dr. Vernon Harper as the newly installed president of California State University, Bakersfield. Please join us in reaching out to him with well wishes.
We also congratulate and welcome Dr. Todd Hampton as the newly appointed interim superintendent/president of the West Kern Community College District/Taft College. Both Dr. Harper and Dr. Hampton bring strong leadership to the students in Kern County and to our CVHEC Board of Directors.
You will also see the continuing efforts in the Central Valley by our member institutions to create a rich learning environment to make our students successful as they strive to complete their post-secondary education. You will see references to two upcoming convenings that will highlight these efforts the “The Central Valley Way to AB 1705 Success and Beyond” later this month and the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force Convening next month.
For the first convening Oct. 25, read about the CVHEC Math Task Force bringing together regional mathematics faculty to continue addressing challenges and barriers resulting from Assembly Bill 1705. These math professionals have worked through the summer and into the fall semester to develop strategies for delivering math solutions for many students and sharing them with their colleagues in the region for compliance with the state legislation.
We are especially proud that two of these faculty members have been invited to represent the Central Valley by delivering a session at a national mathematics convention in Atlanta, Georgia this November. It is so good to see our region receiving national attention for the good work of our faculty. Congratulations Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College and Shelley Getty of Taft College.
For the CVDEEP Task Force convening Nov. 14, we will see college and university professionals highlighting their work around delivering college level courses to high school students from rural high schools using an online dual enrollment strategy as a vehicle to reach populations that do not typically have the opportunity to benefit from taking college level courses while still in high school. This is a great way to infuse equity and inclusion into our partner institutions for those students who will benefit from getting a jump-start on gateway college courses that are essential for the successful completion of their degrees and certificates.
We will also be participating in some conferences of our own. CVHEC representatives will be at the California Economic Summit Oct. 8-10 in Sacramento and the Complete College America National Conference Nov. 18-20 in Indianapolis where we hope to re-connect with many of our partners across the state and nation and meet new ones.
This month’s “What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog” is by guest blogger Marni Cahoon, a Taft College math professor, reflecting on the successful dual enrollment venture our consortium member in the West Kern Community College District has implemented
Lastly, enjoy highlights of CVHEC member institutions and other topics we thought would be of interest.
WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (Oct. 2024): Taft College dual enrollment
This month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium announces the return of our Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force Convening set for Nov. 14. So for our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog this issue, we take a look at one member’s approach to dual enrollment at Taft College. Marni Cahoon, M.S., adjunct instructor of mathematics for the West Kern Community College District, recounts the road the Taft College faculty traveled to establish a program that helps its students face challenges on their academic journey with a renewed sense of hope and accomplishment. An alumna of University of Alaska, Southeast, Brigham Young University and the University of West Florida, Prof. Cahoon has been teaching at Taft since 2022.
The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: send to Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Dual enrollment: overcoming
higher ed obstacles
‘… a force for opening college opportunities to more of our students’
BY MARNI CAHOON, M.S.
Adjunct Instructor of Mathematics (Taft College – West Kern Community College District)
During the 2022-2023 school year, I had the opportunity to teach the first dual enrollment mathematics course taught through Taft College on the campus of Taft Union High School in Taft, CA. Taft is a small tight-knit community on the southwest edge of the San Joaquin Valley, and about a 45-minute drive to Bakersfield.
Historically, Taft exists because of the presence of oil fields; indeed, many are still employed in this industry. As with much of the San Joaquin Valley, there is also a strong agricultural presence here.
Before embarking on my adventures at Taft High, I sought to understand the population I would be working with. At that time the latest data available was from the 2021-2022 school year. I found that Taft High serves a predominantly minority population with over 82% of students considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. Unfortunately, the latest test scores also showed that only 9% of Taft High students tested met or exceeded state standards in mathematics.
Economic disadvantages and low test scores combined with local industries not known for encouraging college education have perhaps left Taft High students less likely or seemingly unable to pursue higher education.
I see dual enrollment as vital to overcoming obstacles to higher education within my community. With the ability for students to enroll in and take higher education courses on their own high school campus, at no monetary cost to them or their families, I hope that dual enrollment is a force for opening college opportunities to more of our students.
This first dual enrollment math course was conceived with the desire to offer Calculus I to high school seniors, particularly those with an interest in entering the highly desirable STEM fields. Because the incoming senior class had spent a few of their high school years in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, a dual enrollment Precalculus course was offered as a prerequisite during the fall 2022 semester to ensure students would be prepared for the rigors of Calculus I in the spring.
My students came to me having had Algebra 2 and much of their high school’s Precalculus course online. As such, they had fought through much adversity to be eligible for Calculus I. Even so, the semester of dual enrollment Precalculus was invaluable in reviewing and reteaching concepts from algebra and trigonometry. I also saw this first semester as good exposure to the expectations of a college-level math course. By the time Calculus I came around that spring semester, my students understood that our course would move at a pace much quicker than a typical high school math class and were able to plan accordingly. They also were prepared for open-ended tests, and deeper dives into critical thinking. With these benefits, it was decided to continue teaching dual enrollment Precalculus before Calculus I in subsequent years.
As I have continued to teach dual enrollment throughout the semesters, I am always impressed with my students’ abilities to rise to the demands presented to them. Although many of my students have or will become the first in their families to attend college, they are determined to succeed.
Most importantly, my students are able to start a journey of essential self-discovery. Having successfully taken a rigorous college course undoubtedly gives these students confidence in their abilities to be successful college students. Indeed, as Calculus I is often considered a gateway to STEM careers, the ability to take the course before becoming traditional college students has allowed many of my students to narrow their academic focus and have a better understanding of the direction they would like their college education, and their future careers, to take.
Most of my students have gone on to enroll in engineering programs and Calculus II after high school graduation, with several attending Taft College. Others were able to decide before entering college full-time that a STEM degree wasn’t the best fit for them, thus allowing them to start their freshman year of college in a major better suited to their interests. So far, all of my students have started college after high school graduation.
Whichever path my students ultimately end up taking after leaving my class, the ability to take college-level math courses in high school will help them transition to life as college students. They are better able to rise above the demographics of their community and position themselves to take advantage of additional higher education opportunities.
CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (September 2024)
PPIC report/panel, CVHEC
board meeting kick off fall 2024
Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues …
The CVHEC Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting Sept. 4 and heard a detailed report about the region’s equity and student success work from the previous spring semester, as well as the introduction of three new initiatives that are being launched valley wide.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the welcoming of nine presidents and chancellors who are new to their positions that automatically places them on the CVHEC board. You will have an opportunity to meet them as you read through this edition.
This issue, we are also unveiling a new logo for the Consortium, the next step of a brand refresh which will be followed by an updated website this winter!
Though the summer break provided an opportunity for rest, reflection and rejuvenation for some, a pool of dedicated math professors of our CVHEC Math Task Force worked throughout the break on the implementation of AB 1705, a piece of legislation designed to redesign the way calculus and other college math courses are delivered to incoming college freshmen. The work of this group will culminate in the Central Valley Math Convening of math professionals in the region on Oct. 25. This convening is a testimony to the dedication of the math educators and other education professionals in our valley serving our students.
Finally, let me call your attention to a report delivered by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) that speaks to the college going rates in our region and some of the efforts that CVHEC and other partners throughout the valley are engaged in to address issues around enrollment, transfer and completion rates. The PPIC hosted a statewide virtual panel to showcase the report and invited me to join my colleagues Dr. Orquidea Largo from UC Merced and Tressa Overstreet from the Fresno Unified School District to discuss the report from both the higher education and K-12 perspectives.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read about the terrific work that our Central Valley colleges and universities are doing to advance the economic and social wellbeing of this import part of California.
PHOTO GALLERY: CVHEC Board of Directors – Sept. 4, 2024 (Lemoore College)
Photos by Antonio Aguilar, West Hills Community College District photographer, and Tom Uribes, CVHEC. Special thanks to Amber Myrick, WHCCD director of Marketing, Communications and Public Information.
WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (Sept. 2024): The college scene resumes
With the advent of the fall semester for our 28 member-institutions and for education throughout the nation, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents a few words from Kevin A. Nelson, Merced College English professor who teaches at the Los Baños Campus, as the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog for our September issue. An alumnus of California State University, Long Beach and Cal Poly Humboldt, Prof. Nelson has been teaching at Merced College since 2013. Here he offers some insights about his experience at the Los Baños Campus with words that capture the essence of college life across the nation as the fall semester is now in full swing.
The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: send to Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.
‘Our goals are to succeed, to learn and understand
and to rise up and make life better’
BY KEVIN NELSON
Professor of English – Merced College Los Banos Campus
I have been teaching English at the Merced College Los Baños Campus since 2013: reading, writing, critical thinking and literature. I’d like to talk a little about why this campus is a good place to learn.
I attended Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly Humboldt, and I lived and taught all over the world before coming to the Central Valley. My life experiences have been vastly different from the majority of my students and many of my peers, but somehow, we find common ground and form a community — a group of people who know each other and have common goals.
It is this little community of 15 to 35 people in my classrooms (and the people who support them every day) that makes the Los Baños Campus a great place to work and maybe, more importantly, a really great place to attend college.
My little community is diverse in and out of the classroom.
This year, we celebrate our math teacher’s 30th year of service at Los Baños Campus, and at the same time we welcome a new English instructor who was once a Merced College student!
One of my classes (a typical mix) has 16- and 17-year-olds who got to college faster than most of us, as well as returning students in their 30s and 40s and beyond. I get students who want to start a career, discover a new adventure, find a new path or embark on a second, third or fourth act!
I have students who struggled in K-12, students who excelled, students who struggle to keep up and students who zip through the work.
I have confident, shy, introverted, extroverted, older, and younger students. I have students who co-parent, students who help support their families financially, students with their own kids in college and students who are just starting families.
If you look around my classroom, you can get a glimpse of the community around the college.
My students are different from each other, but the same. Our similarity is in our goals and values. We value education, learning, collegiality — the opportunity to grow and be a stronger, more capable, more informed person. Our goals are to succeed, to learn and understand and to rise up and make life better.
For my little community, the goal is significant — every one of my students wants to be better at something. They have life and work goals, and they recognize that this is where better begins.
For me, community isn’t just about finding like-minded people, it’s about action — doing. This is why I live here and do this. I hope you will join us.
CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (Summer 2024): A break for reflection
Summer break provides pause for reflection
Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues!
I welcome you to the mid-summer edition of our CVHEC newsletter. We hope you are having a restful and enjoyable summer and taking time to recharge and prepare for the upcoming fall semester.
This time of the year we try to step back, take a breath and highlight the great work that has been taking place on our member campuses by the dedicated faculty and staff.
As you visit the entries, you will get a sense of the efforts across the Central Valley in the last six months to improve access, retention and completion of students at our CVHEC member institutions in the region.
We also acknowledge ongoing transition in the region’s higher education scene with CEO changes at WHCCD, Porterville College, Fresno City College and Clovis Community College. One of those changes is the departure of Dr. Claudia Habib who left her Porterville presidency this month for the Ventura College presidency. We thank President Habib for her service to her students and to the CVHEC board.
All the best Claudia …as well as to Dr. Kristin Clark whose retirement as chancellor of WHCCD takes effect Aug. 8. We are especially appreciative of her service as the chair of the CVHEC board the past few years. We said our goodbyes to Kristin at our recent board executive committee meeting and also at a farewell reception for her July 26 at Lemoore College.
Speaking of the board, members should have received detailed info about our upcoming quarterly meeting in early September. If you have not received anything, please do contact Angel Ramirez at centralvalleyhec@gmail.com ASAP.
Finally, please allow me to close this summer message with a Happy Birthday greeting to … US! It was on Aug. 5, 2002 that CVHEC became formally incorporated under the leadership of then Fresno State President John D. Welty. Watch for more about our history in the near future.
We hope you enjoy our newsletter and continue enjoying your summer.