MEMBER NEWS: CSU sets another first-year student enrollment record

 

 

All-time high for first-year student enrollment and steady overall growth reported,

despite FAFSA challenges, including at three CVHEC member CSU campuses  

 

For the second consecutive year, the California State University (CSU) welcomed an all-time high number of first-time, first-year students for fall 2024—more than 68,500 new students across its 23 universities, including at the three CSU members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium: Bakersfield, Fresno and Stanislaus.

Preliminary data the university reported in October also show an overall enrollment increase of 2% from the previous year to more than 461,000 students, as well as a similar percentage growth in the number of California residents enrolled. CSU’s enrollment for 2024 is also reflective of California’s dynamically diverse demographics, with more than half of first-year students from historically underserved groups (Latinx, Black, Native American).

This week, the three CSU members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium provided these campus breakdowns for the fall 2024 semester:

  • CSU Bakersfield’s total campus enrollment of 10,770 represents 6% growth including a 7% increase in First-time First-year students, a 34% increase in new transfer students, a 7% increase in Latinx students (69% of all students are Latinx) and a 5% increase in African American students
  • Fresno State welcomed a record-setting number of new undergraduate students and transfer students (6,541) this fall: 3,676 freshmen and 2,865 transfer students. Total enrollment for the university’s 114th academic year is 24,310. 57% of its students come from Fresno County while 82% come from the broader six-county region (Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Merced and Mariposa counties).
  • Stanislaus State’s total fall enrollment of 9,295 included an increase in new undergraduate students with 8,243. This was fueled by a 6% increase in new first-time transfer students from 1,241 to 1,316.

“This promising upward momentum demonstrates the confidence that Californians have in the extraordinary power of a CSU degree to transform lives, particularly for America’s new majority, comprised of first-generation students, students of color, low-income students and adults seeking new opportunities,” said Chancellor Mildred García.

“Our world-class faculty and staff look forward to supporting our new scholars’ success as the CSU continues to advance our multi-year, holistic enrollment growth strategy, focusing on recruitment, retention and strengthening pathways for community college transfer students.”

The CSU’s increased enrollment numbers for fall 2024 are also a testament to the monumental efforts of financial aid staff across the 23 universities to ensure that admitted students and their families had additional time to receive and consider financial aid offers that were delayed as a result of the difficulties in the rollout of the 2024-25 FAFSA—the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the CSU report said.

“University financial aid teams worked tirelessly to meet urgent needs, including quickly reaching out to students with incomplete FAFSAs, offering care and reassurance to concerned students and parents, and rapidly processing thousands of provisional aid offers once federal data was received,” the report said.

The CSU also joined the University of California to extend its intent to register deadline for new students to allow more time for students to consider financial aid packages.

The report said that while many states saw double-digit declines in FAFSA applications this year, thanks in large part to the CSU’s efforts, as of August, California is among the top 15 states with the highest 2024-25 FAFSA completion rates.

“What’s more, federal Pell Grant awards for CSU students increased systemwide and at most campuses for fall 2024,” the report said. “Increases in federal Pell awards improve access and affordability and minimize debt for CSU’s diverse students.”

Although fall 2024 overall systemwide enrollment is not expected to exceed pre-pandemic numbers, the preliminary data signals additional growth in the coming years. In addition to a record-breaking first-time, first-year student headcount, the CSU saw growth over 2023 enrollment among transfer students (7%), continuing undergraduate students (1%) and graduate students (2%).

 

​​​Preliminary CSU Systemwide Enrollment for Fall 2024

  • 461,439 total students (2% growth)
    • 408,151 undergraduates
    • 68,525 first-year students (on par with 2023 all-time high)
    • 52,261 transfer students (7% growth)
    • 53,288 graduate and post baccalaureate students (2% growth)
  • 96% of California first-year applicants were admitted
  • 7% increase in California Community College transfers
  • 58% of first-year students are from historically underserved groups (Black, Native American, Latinx). (54% of all undergraduates are from historically underserved groups)
    • ​ 54% of first-year students are Latinx (50% of all undergraduates are Latinx)
    • 4% of first-year students are Black (4% of all undergraduates are Black)
  • 52% of first-year students are from low-income families (50% of all undergraduates are from low-income families)

 

See the original CSU press release (Oct. 8 , 2024)

 

Media contact for each campus:

CSU Bakersfield: Jennifer Self – jself@csub.edu or (661) 319-8778

CSU Stanislaus: Rosalee Billingslea Rush – rbrush@csustan.edu or 209-664-6780.

Fresno State: Lisa Bell –  lbell@csufresno.edu or 559.278.5366

 

About the Califo​rnia State University

The California State University is the nation’s largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU’s 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. ​

 

CVHEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (January 2025)

2025: ‘higher education is at a crossroads’  

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues …

It is a delight to welcome you to 2025 on behalf of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member colleges and universities as well as the CVHEC staff that has the privilege of working with our members on the impactful work they undertake in our Central Valley region – work that strives to improve the well-being of our students, their families and the communities we live in.

Before we proceed, let me join you all in wishing our colleagues and students from our sister colleges and universities in Southern California safety, security and well-being as they deal with the horrific and unimaginable fires raging.  It is heartening to see those higher education campuses in the region serving as sites joining in efforts to assist the victims.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

In our last edition, we shared with you the successes and highlights of the previous year.  In this, our first newsletter of the year, we are happy to share some of the events and initiatives planned in the coming months.

First, you will note that Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges and Central Valley native, will join us Feb. 3 as the keynote speaker for our convening “Dual Enrollment — the Central Valley Way.” At this event, with educators and policymakers in our 10-county region, we will showcase the successes achieved throughout the Central Valley in the delivery of dual enrollment courses to regional high schools by our community colleges and examine what is ahead so that we work in unison, as one voice, as much as possible.

Also in this edition, you will read about the first cohort of Math Bridge high school students that began in the fall with a prep course and will now be taking their first college course this spring through the innovative approach rolled out in 2023 by College Bridge in partnership with CVHEC, community college consortium members and Rand Corporation.

As the spring progresses, CVHEC will hold similar convenings around other student success initiatives that are being implemented as well as to begin discussing strategic planning for the consortium. Details will be forthcoming on those events and plans but chief among them is the annual CVHEC Summit scheduled for May 9.

The summit is where the heads of the valley’s higher education institutions – the CVHEC Board of Directors – come together for a full day of showcases and discussions regarding education issues pertinent to our region. We will be joined by our colleagues, partners and friends. We look forward to hearing from our annual panel of legislative leaders from the Valley and, just as important if not moreso, them hearing from us. Watch for more details in our February issue.

In this issue, we are pleased to announce that this year the CVHEC Board of Directors will be chaired by Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, chancellor of UC, Merced.  Presently, two board meetings are in the works for this spring.

In closing, we also kick off 2025 with a special edition of our “What the CV-HEC Is happening” Blog: a reprint of the speech delivered by Dr. Jaime Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, at the Complete College America Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana last November: “Progress in a time of disruption: the urgency of reimagining higher ed.”  

CVHEC sent a delegation to the three-day conference where we were fortunate to hear President Merisotis issue both an alarm and a call to positive action. He warned that higher education is at a crossroads due to changes ranging from COVID, climate change effects, worldwide unrest, political polarization here in the US and a declining confidence in higher education due to distorted information.

But he calls upon our higher education community nationwide to heed a unique “opportunity to use this moment of extreme stress to pursue genuine, urgently-needed systemic change.

“Bluntly stated, this means calling BS on the outrageous distortions about higher education while also pursuing urgently-needed changes,” Dr. Merisotis told us. “These things are both possible, and not in contradiction.”

I hope you enjoy the blog and that this national education leader’s words generate some dialogue between you and your colleagues. We encourage you to share those conversations, as we will, on our various CVHEC social media platforms.

Once again, welcome to the new year and we look forward to maintaining and strengthening ongoing relationships with you as the year unfolds.

CVHEC Notes – 2025

CVHEC Notes (January 2025)

CVHEC office changes to Zoom telephone – new number

As of Jan. 1, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)

is transitioning to Zoom phone. Our main office number is now 559.278.0576.

Click here to add your own text

CVHEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE: Valley Higher Ed CEOs

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (December 2024): Happy Holidays!

Best wishes for 2025 from the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team: (FRONT) Dr. Liz Rozell,
Priscilla Arellano and Elaine Cash. (BACK) Tom Uribes, Tom Burke, Stan Carrizosa,
Dr. Benjamín Durán, Dr. John Spevak, Dr. Vikash Lakhani and Ángel Ramírez.

Revisiting an eventful year and strategies

for student success the Central Valley Way

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues …

Welcome to the end of the fall 2024 semester and the beginning of the well-deserved winter break!

I hope you enjoy the final edition of this year’s CVHEC e-newsletter.  You will have the opportunity to join us in revisiting the highlights of this eventful year and the strategies our colleges and universities have engaged to improve the pathways to retention and timely completion for our Central Valley students. On that note, a hearty congratulations to those who completed their academic journey this month.  And congrats as well to the faculty, staff and administrators who provided the academic guidance to support your success. All the best to you Class of Winter 2024 graduates!

Among the many successes of this past year is the historic mission to address implementation of Assembly Bill 1705 with our Math Task Force convening community college math education professionals from throughout our 10-county region to communicate and collaborate for strategies that benefit valley college students. We have also seen great advancement of our Transfer Project which completes its first year as a California Community Colleges Demonstration Project.

These CVHEC initiatives have established what we call “the Central Valley Way,” a movement that his gained recognition in higher education circles beyond our region.  We have had the opportunity to share this great work with audiences at the state and national levels at such convenings as the Complete College America Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana along with California convenings like the Community College League of California and the California Economic Summit.

It has been an honor and a delight to shine the light on the region and our member institutions and we especially commend our Math Task Force members and Transfer Project team for their diligence this past year.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our funding partners who make it possible for us to do our work.  Thanks to the College Futures Foundation, Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative, the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, the We Will! K-16 Educational Collaborative, College Bridge, and the CVHEC membership.  These colleagues have been instrumental in transforming the region socially, economically and educationally.

As you enjoy our final newsletter of the year, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a wonderful New Year!!

What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog – December 2024: Year-In-Review

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

CVDEEP Task Force convening for

educators in 10-county region to look at

strategic planning, policy changes, student success and equity

 

REGISTER HERE

 

The Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force Convening will be held Feb. 3, 2025 in Fresno where educators will resume discussions of challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success in the valley’s 10-county region.

Registration is now available for the free event presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Fresno. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to participants.New this year will be a pre-conference session from 9-10 a.m. that will provide information for high schools and colleges new to dual enrollment.

The event, postponed from November, will focus on creating a strategic plan for dual enrollment in the Central Valley, policy changes, support, student success and equity, said Dr. Benjamin Durán, CVHEC executive director.

“The dual enrollment opportunity provides a timely gateway to meaningful careers with sufficient earnings to support a quality of life for themselves and their families,” said Durán, who also is president-emeritus of Merced College.

Through dual enrollment, high school students earn college credits while earning their high school diploma which increases their chances of earning credentials, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees as expeditiously as possible. Since 2019, the region has reported the highest share of community college students simultaneously enrolled in K-12 schools of any region in the state.

Durán said at this convening, college and university professionals will highlight their work 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,” Durán said.

CVHEC created the  CVDEEP Task Force — made up of community college and K-12 educational leaders — in July 2019 at the request of community college administrators so Central Valley colleges and K-12 partner districts could purposefully and strategically engage on a regional basis to deliver dual enrollment in a more equitable way.

The first two CVDEEP Task Force convenings in 2020 and 2022  set the stage for educators in the valley to collaborate leading to such gains as improving the CCCApply application process to the California Community College system and getting more high school teachers qualified to teach dual enrollment college courses.

For more information about the convening, contact Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance, at angelr@csufresno.edu or 559.278.0576.

CVHEC media contact: Tom Uribes • cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu • 559.348.3278 (text message)

 

Press release available at https://cvhec.org/cvdeep-task-force-sets-dual-enrollment-convening-nov-14-for-educators-in-10-county-region/

 

BACKGROUND: CVHEC Dual Enrollment White Paper sets the stage

In 2016, a new dual enrollment option was introduced through Assembly Bill (AB) 288, amending Education Code (EC) 76004, and creating the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP). This legislation enabled more high school students to take college courses taught by college professors on their high school campuses.  California AB 30, signed by Governor Newsom in October 2019, expanded and protected dual enrollment through 2027.

In June 2020, CVHEC released a 16-page report, “Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley, Working Toward a Unified Approach for Equity and Prosperity;”   by former CVHEC Strategies Lead Virginia Madrid Salazar, Esq., that highlights this work and provides a blueprint to strengthen dual enrollment delivery in the Central Valley. (See her February 2022 CVHEC newsletter blog).

The task force’s first planning meeting July 22, 2018 brought together about 60 front-line educators who deliver dual enrollment services valley-wide to join forces  establish a regional consensus  that provided the direction for a full conference March 5, 2019.

At that first full convening in 2019, attendees representing 52 school districts, 12 community colleges and two education organizations/agencies spent the day in two panels and three breakout sessions discussing their experiences and ways to navigate forward.

John Spevak, a CVHEC regional coordinator, at the time commended the educators for their efforts in developing dual enrollment programs, telling his audience, “I’m just impressed with the amount of work that we have to do to make this successful. It just doesn’t happen by itself. This is one of the most intensive activities I have ever seen take place between high schools and colleges.

The second convening March 17, 2022,  with the theme “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley,” attracted more than 150 secondary and postsecondary educators to discuss and recommend action that has come into fruition as a result of their efforts :

  • Improvements in the CCCApplyapplication process to the California Community College system.

 

MEMBER NEWS: Cerro Coso’s new Tehachapi campus

Cerro Coso Community College administrators and staff in front of property in Tehachapi recently purchased to provide a local campus. From left Chad Houck, Alec Griffin, Peter Fulks, Michael Chiang, Lisa Stephens, Anna Carlson, Karee Hamilton and Frederick Wheeler. (Photo courtesy of Cerro Coso Community College).

Cerro Coso Community College announces new campus

Land acquired for relocation expanding access to higher education in Tehachapi 

Cerro Coso Community College, a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member institution, will expand its educational opportunities in the Tehachapi area with the acquisition of land for the home of a new campus there.

Sean Hancock, President – Cerro Coso Comm. College

Dr. Sean Hancock, Cerro Coso president and member of the CVHEC Board of Directors, announced the purchase and relocation Nov. 1 saying it marks a transformative step forward for Cerro Coso’s commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education to meet the growing needs of students and the broader community.

He expressed appreciation for the support from the Tehachapi Unified School District which has been leasing space to Cerro Coso for the current location saying that their partnership has enabled the college to establish a strong foundation in the community.

The new campus will further this partnership by offering a dedicated space to help more students achieve their academic and career goals, the president said.

“This expansion not only strengthens Cerro Coso’s presence in the region but also aligns with the college’s mission to empower individuals through education and serve as a community hub for growth and opportunity,” President Hancock said.

“We are thrilled to be moving forward with this project and look forward to what this means for our students and the future of our college.”

The Cerro Coso Tehachapi campus relocation will support the college’s goal of meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding student body in an area with a strong demand for skilled professionals.

Lisa Stephens, Cerro Coso Director of East Kern Center & Campuses, shared her excitement, stating, “I am thrilled about this new chapter for our college and the exciting opportunities it brings for our students and community. Our Tehachapi team looks forward to continuing to connect and strengthen our partnerships in Tehachapi.”

Updates on the project will be shared as progress continues, and the college eagerly anticipates the positive impact the new campus will bring to Tehachapi.

For more information about Cerro Coso Community College please visit www.cerrocoso.edu.

See Tehachapi press release

UC Merced project to improve college readiness data completes first phase

UC Merced Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Orquidea Largo, left, and Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz lead research efforts on the “Advancing Educational Opportunities in California” project.

‘Despite significant growth in dual enrollment

participation rates in Central Valley, disparities persist ’

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

A University of California, Merced research team has completed the first phase of a two-year project project to create a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of college readiness among high-school students in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly those from underrepresented and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.

The UC Merced Advancing Educational Opportunity in the Central Valley Project, announced earlier this  year and led by Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, principal investigator, focuses on surveying and analyzing college-readiness data, policies and infrastructure to determine how certain academic pathways and access disparities impact student populations — including Latinx, Black, Native American and English learners — and their preparedness for higher education.

newAP_JS_map

UC Merced is a member of the Central Valley higher education Consortium that is made up 28 colleges and universities in the valley’s 10-county region.

In the “What the CV-Hec is Happening Blog” for this November issue of the CVHEC e-newsletter, Aguirre-Muñoz writes that in October, the research team completed the first phase of the project with an in-depth analysis of student and districtwide data on dual enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) access and participation for key demographic groups in the Central Valley.

“The analysis highlights significant growth in dual enrollment participation rates across the Central Valley, with a rise from 3.3 percent in 2015 to 11.1 percent in 2021 among 11th and 12th graders,” she blogs. “This rate has now surpassed participation levels in other parts of the state, reflecting a local commitment to increasing college readiness opportunities for students. However, disparities persist.

The project is a collaboration between the UC Merced, Language, Learning, and Teaching Lab led by Aguirre-Muñoz and the UC Merced Center for Educational Partnerships led by Dr. Orquidea Largo, CEP interim associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer who is the project’s co-principal investigator. It is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation whose $500,000 grant first announced in February is the foundation’s first award to UC Merced.

newDE_JS_map

“High-school students in this region, on average, encounter more barriers in accessing dual enrollment or AP (Advanced Placement) courses compared to students in other areas of California,” explained Aguirre-Muñoz when the grant was first announced last spring.

“This grant funding will contribute valuable insights and practical solutions that can shape state policies aimed at addressing the persistent disparities in equity and academic achievement, which hinder the upward mobility of underrepresented, minority students as they progress through high school.”

In a supplemental summary of the first phase she provided this month for the blog, Aguirre-Muñoz said the project’s findings will support state policy makers and regional leadership in continuously improving evidence-based pathways for accelerating college readiness rates in the Central Valley’s most vulnerable student populations.

She said this first phase summarizes key findings from the Strategic Landscape Analysis that provides descriptive detail of both dual enrollment and advanced placement (AP) availability and participation for key demographic groups in the Central Valley, adding that “a mixed effects hierarchical modeling analysis also was completed to identify critical factors affecting dual enrollment access in the Central Valley, focusing on geographic, socioeconomic and demographic variables.”

In the summary, Aguirre-Muñoz broke down these highlights from the project’s Strategic Landscape Analysis:

Dual Enrollment Growth: Between 2015-2021, dual enrollment rates in the Central Valley increased significantly, surpassing non-CV rates by 2020-2021. Although schools in the CV now offer dual enrollment at rates comparable to other parts of California, AP course access remains lower, with the gap widening over time.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities: While dual enrollment participation has increased, underrepresented minority (URM) students, especially Black and Latinx students, continue to enroll at lower rates than their White and Asian/Pacific Islander peers. This disparity persists even in schools that offer dual enrollment, suggesting that simply increasing availability does not fully address access inequities.

AP Participation: Central Valley schools lag behind the state in AP course offerings and student participation. For example, AP enrollment among Asian/Pacific Islander students in the region decreased slightly, resulting in a narrower but still present racial/ethnic gap.

“The analysis indicates the need for targeted interventions, particularly in rural and high-poverty schools, to further bridge these educational gaps and enhance college readiness across the Central Valley,” she said.

Aguirre-Muñoz’s summary also reports that the first phase presents this analysis of Central Valley dual enrollment availability:

Model Structure — three models were developed to examine dual enrollment factors, gradually incorporating geographic (e.g., location and urbanicity), socioeconomic (e.g., poverty rates), and demographic (e.g., race and ethnicity) elements.

Significant Findings:

  • Regional Trends: Schools in the Central Valley are generally less likely to offer dual enrollment than other regions, though local initiatives have improved access over time.
  • Urban-Rural Divide: Urban schools have a higher likelihood of offering dual enrollment than rural schools.
  • Socioeconomic Factors: Schools with high Black student populations showed an increase in dual enrollment availability, while high-poverty and high-URM schools faced more access challenges.

Interaction Effects — notable interactions include:

  • Central Valley and Year: Positive trends over time indicate regional improvements and positive impact of local efforts to increase access.
  • URM and Poverty: High-URM, high-poverty schools saw improved dual enrollment access under certain conditions, suggesting that targeted support may benefit these schools.

Model Fit: Model 3, incorporating interaction effects, was the strongest predictor of dual enrollment variability, offering the most comprehensive insights into access disparities.

“The analysis suggests a need for targeted support in high-poverty, rural, and URM-focused schools to enhance dual enrollment accessibility and improve educational equity across the Central Valley,” Aguirre-Muñoz said in her summary.

In her blog, she declares that, “as educational leaders and policymakers digest these insights, the path forward becomes clear: invest in dual enrollment for underserved communities, prioritize high-poverty areas with significant Black and Latinx populations, and bridge the gap between urban and rural school districts.

“By expanding these opportunities, we can create an educational environment that empowers every student to reach their fullest potential, regardless of race, geography, or socioeconomic status,” Aguirre-Muñoz wrote. “This is the promise of dual enrollment, and it’s a promise that Central Valley students deserve to see fulfilled,”

She told CVHEC that two more phases will be complete in spring 2025.

See:

Project media inquiries: Alyssa Johansen, UC Merced Public Information Officer, at 209.413.9330 or ajohansen@ucmerced.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Kern Master’s Upskill Program launches new English cohort

Successful dual enrollment teacher program

awarded funding for 15 more high school teachers

 

To schedule an information session:  individual OnDemand appointments

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

The success of the Kern Master’s Upskill Program has resulted in the creation of an additional English cohort of 15 slots that will begin in March 2025 – meaning more Kern high school teachers can obtain funding to earn a master’s degrees qualifying them to instruct dual enrollment courses at Kern County high schools as well as to become adjunct community college instructors.

The program by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, in partnership with the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), provides eligible high school teachers with a grant and tuition reduction through two consortium members:  Fresno Pacific University offers a Master’s degree in Mathematics education and National University offers a Master’s degree program in English.

For this new fourth cohort, English Single Subject credential holders who are interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in English with a specialization in Rhetoric can receive a $14,400 grant from the Kern K16 Collaborative and CVHEC and a $3,978 (20%) “employee tuition reduction” per student because of National University’s partnership with CVHEC.

Jessica Gladney, program coordinator for National, said interested high school English teachers may learn more about the program and apply by attending information sessions available through individual OnDemand appointments to fit their own schedule.

Additionally, mentors are assigned to each of the 15 students to counsel them during the course of their postbaccalaureate degree studies as well as help access adjunct hiring pools at the local community colleges.

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program is part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant in June 2022 to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce under KCSOS, which serves as the administrative agent for the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

CVHEC was awarded $1.7 million to produce, over three years, up to 100 qualified dual enrollment teachers to teach English and Math.  Tom Burke, a CVHEC regional coordinator and chancellor-emeritus of the Kern Community College District, was appointed the consortium’s Kern Masters Upskilling Program lead.

Burke recently reported that in the past academic year since the Kern program’s inception, 48 students earned their master’s degrees: 32 English master’s degrees have been conferred in three cohorts to date with nine still in progress and 16 math master’s degrees have been conferred from the first of three cohorts. (In the math program, cohort two currently has 11 students on course to graduate in May 2025 while cohort three commenced this current fall semester with 22 master’s candidates scheduled to complete requirements in spring 2026).

He added that this newly-funded fourth Kern English cohort, combined with the first three, will increase the number of high school teachers with a English master’s degree in Kern County by 56, just a little over half of the intended goal.

“We are appreciative that the Kern K-16 recognizes the success and value of CVHEC’s Master’s Upskill Program that inevitably supports dual enrollment opportunities for our students and professional advancement for our high school teachers,” said Burke.

KCSOS spokesperson Kimberly Graham said Kern K-16 approved the additional funding for the CVHEC Upskilling project “to support the formation of an additional cohort because it addresses limitations the first three cohorts faced in achieving maximum participant outcomes.”

She calls it a strategic move because increasing the number of qualified high school teachers who can teach dual enrollment English courses aligns with the overarching goal of the Kern K-16 program as well as a long-term strategy for educational equity and success in the region.”

“The Kern K-16 program aims for greater educational access and equity, and the continued investment in the CVHEC project will support this by upskilling teachers and expanding dual enrollment opportunities for students,” said Graham who is the chief leadership support officer for the KSOS Local, Regional and Statewide Systems of Support.

“Adding a fourth English cohort contributes to the educational development of the region by preparing students for college-level coursework earlier in their educational paths.”

She added that by collaborating with National University, the project ensures that high school teachers receive flexible and rigorous online master’s degree programs, making them eligible to teach at the community college level.

The consortium has also implemented the program in two Central Valley K-16 regions:  the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative where the program was first launched in 2021 with a  $1,830,500 grant and this fall with the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative in the North Valley under two $400,000 state grants.

It includes the CVHEC Mentor Program pairing each enrolled high school teacher with an English or math professor from a local community college district to help navigate the process to becoming an adjunct community college faculty member and provide other support along the way.

In Kern, the Mentor Program coordinators are Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English). Burke said the program is currently recruiting for math mentors.  English mentors will be recruited in the spring.  They receive a $2,000 stipend.

For questions about enrollment, please contact Jessica Gladney at jgladney@nu.edu or 310.968.5805.

For questions about CHVEC and its Master’s Mentor Program, Burke may be contacted at tburke5@att.net.  

 

 

 

 

See:

·  Kern Master’s Upskilling Program: 2nd cohort graduates – next cohort recruitment underway

 

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