UPDATE: CVHEC increases transfers the Central Valley Way


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


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

Consortium Transfer Project moves from CCC

‘demonstration’ status to ‘Vision 2030

strategy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historic firsts: faculty input/ CCC implementation statewide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goals of the Project

The Central Valley Transfer Project is designed to:

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

Key Features

The project incorporates several strategies to achieve its objectives:

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

Impact on the Region

See live links below.

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

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

 Conclusion

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

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

Table 1 below shows the current status of CVHEC membership implementation

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

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

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

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

Program Pathways Mapper

PPM Frequently Asked Questions

SPOTLIGHT: ABC30 coverage of CVHEC Summit 2025

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

MEMBER NEWS: CHSU Future DOctor Pathway accepts 7 Fresno State students

Read more

HIGHER ED NEWS: Dual enrollment growing but access gaps linger

Read more

BOARD NEWS: UCSF-Fresno Vice Dean Barral Sánchez

New UCSF Fresno vice dean joins CVHEC board as regional campus eyes 50th anniversary

 

José M. Barral Sánchez, MD, PhD, was seated on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting May 8 in Fresno upon assuming the position of vice dean for the UCSF Fresno Regional Campus, effective May 1.

Dr. Barral Sanchez’ appointment was announced in February by UCSF School of Medicine Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD  as the regional campus prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.

He said Dr. Barral Sánchez oversees medical education, faculty development and research growth, including an expanding partnership with UC Merced, also a CVHEC member.

“This newly established role supports UCSF Fresno’s expansion as a regional campus,” said Dean King at the time.

Founded in 1975, UCSF Fresno was established to address the physician shortage in the San Joaquin Valley and help meet the region’s health care needs.

“With a career dedicated to academic leadership, faculty mentorship and community-driven medical education, Dr. Barral Sánchez is well-positioned to advance the UCSF Fresno Regional Campus’s mission of improving health care in the San Joaquin Valley,” added Dean King.

Dr. Barral Sánchez joins UCSF from the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), where he has served as the inaugural chair of Biomedical Science and founding co-director of the MD-PhD Program with Caltech since 2018. He previously held leadership roles at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, including senior associate dean for Academic Affairs and vice chair of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy.

“I am looking forward to immersing myself in UCSF Fresno and learning what the needs and aspirations are of the campus community, Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley,” said Dr. Barral Sánchez. “I want to become embedded in the environment and learn how I can become a catalyst for enhancing the overall educational and research culture — everything that comprises an academic medical center and to enhance attracting health care providers to train and remain in the region.”

 

See original UCSF-Fresno press release.

For media inquiries about UCSF Fresno: Brandy Ramos Nikaido brandy.nikaido@ucsf.edu 

For media inquiries about the CVHEC Board: Tom Uribes cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu

 

BOARD NEWS: Interim Superintendent/President at Taft College

Dr. Leslie Minor  joins CVHEC Board  

 

Leslie Minor, Ph.D., Taft College interim superintendent/president, was seated on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting May 8 in Fresno. She was named to the Taft position effective Jan. 13.

Dr. Minor is an experienced and dedicated educational leader who joined Taft College initially as the vice president of Instruction in 2019. While at Taft College, Dr. Minor has collaborated on the development of the college’s Educational Master Plan and other strategic plans, accreditation self-studies, a baccalaureate degree and has worked to update processes and procedures at Taft College while promoting professional development programs for district employees.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Minor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington, as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Her prior administrative leadership experience spans both Oregon and California, and she brings many years of teaching experience in psychology, sociology, teacher preparation, and business human relations to her work. She was the regional representative to the Chief Instructional Officer Executive Board for the California Community College system and participates in statewide committees. She has received recognition for her work, including two international Fulbright travel awards.

Dr. Minor has also been an active member of her community, serving with organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Long Beach Farms, and the National Forest Service. She takes great pride in her role as a mentor and in supporting students, including her three adult children, all of whom attended community college.

Her passion for education, leadership, and service continues to inspire her work at Taft College, where she is committed to creating pathways for students to succeed academically and professionally.

Source:  https://www.taftcollege.edu/faculty-staff/employee-directory/profiles/LeslieMinor.phpd

CVHEC SUMMIT 2025 RECEPTION: Fresno State Latin Jazz Combo

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SPOTLIGHT: elevating CVHEC’s visibility, impact to a state and national higher ed voice

Ángel Ramírez (right) represented CVHEC in the Central Valley Community Foundation delegation of area leaders attending the Achieving the Dream Conference in Orlando Feb. 19-22, 2024 (from left): Carlos Castillo; Phong Yang; Estefania Avalos Chavez; Vianey Barraza Chavez; Julie Vue; Ángel.  

Ángel Ramírez named CVHEC associate director

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications/Media Coordinator

“Ángel Ramírez believes — and is living proof — that access to higher education can transform lives, especially in historically underserved regions like the Central Valley,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium  executive director, in announcing today that Ramírez has been named CVHEC’s associate director.

Ramírez begins his new assignment effective May 5 and Durán said the move reflects the work he has already been doing in his most recent capacity as operations and finance manager: overseeing the organization’s operations, finances, board relations, staffing, event execution and strategic planning efforts.

Ramírez joined CVHEC in 2014 as a social media intern while enrolled at California State University, Fresno, a CVHEC member institution. He has served the consortium in a range of positions including administrative assistant, events coordinator and communications manager.

Durán said this gives Ramírez “a unique, comprehensive understanding of the consortium’s work and mission.

“Since joining CVHEC, Angel has helped elevate the organization’s visibility and impact including our transition from a behind-the-scenes collaborator to a recognized voice in state and national higher education conversations,” Durán said.

He noted that Ramírez has directed the organization’s signature event, the annual CVHEC Summit which will be held this week in Fresno.  (On Friday, Ramírez announced the summit has reached its goal of 175 participants and registration is now closed).

“Under his leadership, the summit has steadily grown in scope and attendance, becoming a valued gathering for higher education leaders, faculty and partners across the Central Valley’s 10-county region,” Durán said. “He has helped build the foundation for the summit objectives of fostering collaboration, highlighting promising practices and advancing strategies that support student success and degree completion in the region.”

Ramírez will also continue supporting the executive director in driving organizational growth, including the expansion of the team, the development of internal systems and the execution of new initiatives. He contributes to grant writing and reporting, helps shape strategic communications and manages the consortium’s annual budget and financial operations to ensure long-term sustainability.

A native of San Joaquin, Ramírez is an alumnus of Tranquility High School and a first-generation college graduate earning a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Communication and Journalism (public relations emphasis) at Fresno State and a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership at National University.

Durán said, “We are delighted to extend this commitment to Angel and his promising career just as he has renewed his commitment to CVHEC and its ideals.”

See Ángel Ramírez bio.

ABOUT CVHEC

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), a 501(c)3 incorporated non-profit, is a regional consortium of higher education institutions representing a ten-county region from San Joaquin County to Kern County. Composed of accredited public and private colleges, universities and community college district members, the consortium’s mission is to increase the region’s degree attainment rate. CVHEC was founded in 2002 by then Fresno State President John D. Welty along with 18 college and university leaders. Today, it has expanded to 28-member-institutions that jointly serve over 250,000 students in California’s Central Valley.

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.  

Contact Us

  • cvhecinfo@mail.fresnostate.edu

  • 559.278.0576

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