Citing the Central Valley as the state leader and exemplary model for dual enrollment implementation, California Community College Chancellor Sonya Christian provided a powerful keynote launch for the “Dual Enrollment in The Central Valley” Convening held Feb. 5 in Fresno.
Six interactive breakout sessions and two panels were provided for 140 educators representing secondary and postsecondary institutions from throughout the valley’s 10-county region as well as from student-supporting community programs.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian chats up student panelists Ailyn Morales and Jonathan Alfaro of Mendota High School prior to the Central Valley Dual Enrollment Convening 2025 Feb. 3.
Dr. Christian brought an insightful and encouraging message to the event as she emphasized Vision 2030, a bold strategy set when she was named chancellor in 2023.
“Our mission,” Dr. Christian declared, “is to work toward a future in which all California high school students enroll in community college transfer, career or apprenticeship pathways and complete high school with at least 12 units of college credit.”
Dr. Christian, a former Central Valley community college leader, noted that in 2021-2022, a goal was set to enroll 257,000 students in a dual enrollment course by 2030. She announced that California surpassed this goal in 2023-2024 with almost 290,000 students enrolled in at least one dual enrollment course.
“The Central Valley, with over 20 percent of California dual enrollment students, is the state leader and exemplary model for dual enrollment implementation,” said the chancellor who previously served as a member of the CVHEC Board of Directors when she was president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District prior to her statewide appointment.
However, despite encouraging successes and especially the work in the Central Valley, Dr. Christian reminded her audience that 80 percent of California high school students still do not participate in dual enrollment coursework.
“So what is the work?” she asked. “It is dual enrollment at scale and with equity.”
She cheered on the dedication of the educators convening and collaborating that day to keep improving dual enrollment pathways for valley students.
“I know all of you are engaged in making sure that you are fundamentally supporting each and every student so that they can continue on their educational pathway because that is at the core of what we do at the California Community Colleges,” Chancellor Christian said.
That dedication was reflected in the panels and breakout sessions beginning with a discussion about several models for dual enrollment through a presentation featuring partnerships between Reedley College and Sanger High School; Bakersfield College and McFarland High School; and Coalinga College and Mendota High School.
Moderated by Tressa Overstreet of the State Center Community College District (SCCCD), the “Dual Enrollment Models” Panel included Lissette Padilla, Coalinga College; Jill Jimenez, McFarland High School; Richard Aguilar, Reedley College; Travis Kirby, Mendota High School; Alma Feathers, Bakersfield College; and Carmen Garvis, Sanger High School.
Each described models of dual enrollment implementation such as Middle College; college courses on high school campuses and embedded in the master schedules; and hybrid on-campus and online programs, each suited to the unique needs that school sizes and locations require.
The breakout sessions emphasized a variety of useful elements of dual enrollment presented by successful implementers. Each presenter shared practical resources and “how to” strategies that were immediately applicable. (See agenda for breakout topics and presenter names).
“Attendees were delighted with relevant information that stimulated conversations and promoted in-conference networking, and the exchange of phone numbers and emails to continue sharing,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium who welcomed the participants in the opening session before introducing Chancellor Christian.
‘What Does This Mean for Students?’
But he noted that despite the power packed by the keynote speaker and the panels and breakout sessions, perhaps the highlight of the conference was a panel of high school students currently enrolled in dual enrollment pathway coursework. Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of College of the Sequoias and now a CVHEC lead (Transfer Project), moderated the student panel, “What Does This Mean for Students?,” that closed the event.
Five students representing Sanger, Mendota and McFarland High Schools impressed the large Doubletree Inn ballroom full of educators with their straight-forward talk and thoughtful responses that described their dual enrollment experience. They articulated not only their ambition to attain a higher education – each citing the university they aspire to – but also the satisfaction of meeting the challenge of college courses that has provided a new level of self-confidence. Five of the six indicated they will be the first in their respective families to attend college.
Three of the students are seniors who are on path to earn an associate degree this spring: Andres Medina Zapien and Isaac Dircio, both of McFarland High School, will complete Bakersfield College requirements with their sights set on UC San Diego and Stanford respectively; and Saige Jones, who is enrolled in the Wonderful Ag Plant Science Pathway at Sanger High School, is completing Reedley College associate degree requirements with plans to attend Fresno State in the fall.
The other two are sophomores at Mendota High School with double majors through Coalinga College: Ailyn Morales plans to attend UC Irvine and Jonathan Alfaro is looking ahead to Fresno State then UC Berkeley.
“I believe that the college classes that I am taking are all different as they fulfill my gen ed,” Andres replied when Dr. Carrizosa asked the students what they felt was the greatest success in taking dual enrollment. “I feel like they are very beneficial because they give us new perspectives and open our minds to different things that we can do.”
When asked how dual enrollment students cope with the sacrifice of committing time to the extra school work, Ailyn responded, “It’s all about priorities. You have to determine what comes first, and what benefits you the most.”
Durán said the student panel detailed the challenges and advantages of participating in dual enrollment programs.
“It was heartfelt and insightful – even entertaining in its own way – as we heard the voices of the very youngsters our educators strive everyday to support for academic and personal success. Those voices bring home what we are doing right, and help reveal areas that we need to address.”
A new pre-conference session entitled “Dual Enrollment 101” was offered before the conference formally opened. Bill Vasey of the California Academic Partnership and Sylvia Garvis of Sanger High School presented the session, which Vasey described as intended for those “that don’t feel they know a lot about dual enrollment and want to learn.”
“The conference was a full day of valuable information and relevant suggestions and resources that were well received,” said Durán.
He closed the event by informing participants that CVDEEP will reconvene in the fall to follow up the Feb. 5 discussions and urged them to complete a feedback form that will help improve future convenings
Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC finance and operations manager who coordinates consortium convenings and helps facilitate strategies, urged participants to build on the “Central Valley Way” — the power of collaboration, adding that materials and PowerPoints presented in the convening are available on the event page at the CVDEEP website.
“Let’s continue being persistent and collaborative in what we do,” Ramírez said. “This is why the Central Valley leads the state in our dual enrollment work. We look forward to coming together again at the fall convening.”
In a survey, participants offered these comments about CVHEC’s “Dual Enrollment in The Central Valley” Convening:
“Student comments were raw and great!!”
“Hearing from other districts and high schools and what is working for them pushes me to take new ideas back to my own site!”
“Continue the momentum! DUAL is researched and backed as advantageous for students.”
CVDEEP Convening Feb. 3, 2025 – Photo gallery
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CV-DEconv020325-4515e-sml.jpeg13232500Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-02-12 08:00:272025-02-13 14:15:56CVDEEP Convening wrap: ‘dual enrollment at scale and with equity’
With 2025 well into its second month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents here a look at the success of our Central Valley Transfer Project that was catapulted into the state limelight when it was declared a California Community Colleges Demonstration Project by Chancellor Dr. Sonya Christian in fall 2023. CVHEC’s Central Valley Transfer Project Lead Stan Carrizosa, president-emeritus of COS, reports that 12 of the 15 Central Valley Higher Education Consortium-member community colleges are now on board along with members UC Merced and our three CSU campuses: Bakersfield, Fresno and Stanislaus. Carrizosa updates how “the Central Valley Way” of collaboration and “working smarter, not harder” that characterizes CVHEC initiatives is spreading into a statewide effort to increase successful community college transfers with the implementation of the project’s software platform, Program Pathways Mapper (PPM). He notes that funding to implement the PPM software — which is increasing the rate of successful community college transfers who utilize it to efficiently navigate their journey to a degree or certificate — is available to any community college for their students.
BY STAN CARRIZOSA CVHEC Central Valley Transfer Project Lead
In 2018, a group of community college leaders, meeting in the annual gathering of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors, heard Dr. James Zimmerman, University of California, Merced senior administrator, share an update on the number of Central Valley community college students that had successfully transferred to UC Merced.
The results were dismal, Dr. Zimmerman reported, and UC Merced asked to meet with community college officials to enact a plan to increase successful transfers to UC Merced. The Central Valley Transfer Project was born.
A pilot for the project was funded through a state grant that engaged Merced College and Bakersfield College representatives in convenings with UC Merced staff to create successful transfer pathways from community college. In the beginning, the process was slow and arduous as many details and factors needed to be discussed and incorporated into creating those pathways.
UC Merced graciously broadened the scope of the project to review the already successful Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathways for transfer to CSUs. One-by-one different majors were reviewed, and UC Merced began accepting the ADTs as fulfilling the lower division requirements for successful transfer.
The pilot project ended with both Merced and Bakersfield College having approved multiple ADTs that would fulfill requirements for successful transfer to UC Merced.
The tool for combing combining? these lower division courses with their upper division requirements at UCM is a software platform called Program Pathways Mapper (PPM). PPM is a public-facing, internet-based URL that is easily accessible for students, parents, teachers, counselors and advisors. It is an application that is uploaded on our smart phone that enables us to see the lower division courses required for an ADT and the upper division coursework at the four-year college to complete a degree in the corresponding discipline major.
Taking it statewide – PPM funding available for colleges
PPM has since expanded and is now used statewide by community colleges, CSUs and UCs. It became such an advantage for students that a request was made for the state budget to fund the one-time costs for joining PPM and was approved by the Governor Newsome and California Legislature in 2022. Any community college can receive funding if requested to implement PPM for their students.
This combination of highly efficient convening protocols combined with easily accessible mapping software has spread across the state. In the Central Valley, all but three of the 15 community colleges are now on board along with UC Merced, CSU Bakersfield, Fresno State and CSU Stanislaus.
State Community College Chancellor Dr. Sonya Christian declared the Central Valley Transfer Project a statewide Demonstration Project in her newly adopted “Vision 2030.” The CSU and UC system’s CEOs have also endorsed the Transfer Project and statewide effort to increase successful community college transfers.
Each step along the way, the Central Valley Transfer Team has tried to work smart by leveraging existing structures including ADTs and even dual enrollment for some community college’s by aligning and connecting these structures increasing their effectiveness for successful transfers. This type of intersegmental collaboration requires patience and, more than anything, persistence.
The natural resistance to change is ever-present. A feeling of “initiative overload” and fatigue exist, and the inertia inherent in any bureaucracy requires persistence which we have come to define as commitment with intelligence, often referred to as “working smarter, not harder.”
What the data shows
Baseline data on results are very encouraging. A control group of 5,000 incoming freshman to Bakersfield College were tracked comparing PPM users and non-PPM users over their first two semesters. Leaving all other recruitment services and outreach efforts in place the only variable that differed for these groups were those who used PPM to work their education plan and those who did not.
A review of the percentage of on-path course completion was measured among both groups to see if PPM provided any advantage in increasing students’ completion of required courses on-path to their degree. Both groups were reviewed for the number of units to degree in hopes that PPM would help reduce the number of unnecessary units completed.
Perhaps most importantly, tracking the differences in percentage of on-path course completion rates between subgroups of students by ethnicity addresses equity in success among different groups.
See our results in the graphics above.
Once Chancellor Christian designated this a Demonstration Project in her Vision 2030, the Central Valley way has begun to influence positive results for students statewide and beyond. The success of the project now reaches as far north as UC Santa Cruz all the way south to UCLA and UC Irvine. Community college transfer to the CSU system make up 50 percent of all their successful graduates.
Increasing successful transfers is a very effective strategy in the quest to increase four-year degree attainment!
This edition of the “What the CV-HEC is Happening “ Blog for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium February newsletter features Fresno attorney Ashley Emerzian of Emerzian Shankar Legal Inc. providing insights into the Stop Campus Hazing Act that was signed into law by President Biden in December, and the newly enhanced Clery Act that requires universities to include hazing data in their annual Clery Reports as well as publish a separate report which describes hazing violations. She reports that “staggering” statistics on higher education campus hazing have been widely reported in recent years and presents key areas of compliance that institutions of higher education will need to implement this year including deadlines and penalties such as loss of federal financial aid funding for Clery violations. She is joined in this blog by law partner Jenna Cummings and Pamela Schock of CVHEC-member Fresno Pacific University.
New year, new laws: the Stop Campus Hazing Act is now in effect
and Pamela Schock, M.A., Assistant Dean of Student Development Fresno Pacific University
In higher education, the number of laws and regulations impacting operations – everything from facilities to human resources and student affairs – is numerous and constantly changing. 2025 is trending towards more of the same.
One of the most recent new laws impacting the higher education sector is the new federal Stop Campus Hazing Act (“Act”). On December 11, 2024, the Senate passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which President Biden signed into law on December 24, 2024. The Act applies to all institutions of higher education in the United States that receive federal funding under Title IV.
Statistics on higher education campus hazing have been widely reported in recent years and are, in many ways, staggering. A prominent national study conducted in 2008 found that more than half of college students involved in a club, team, or other organization experience some form of campus hazing.[1] In athletics, the same study reported that 74% of students involved in varsity athletics programs experienced hazing.[2] This includes forced or coerced alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep-deprivation, or sex acts – which were found by the study to be common across student groups, and across various types of higher education institutions.
Risks to higher education institutions of this behavior occurring on campus are also wide-ranging, including managing student harm and discipline resulting from the conduct, student attrition, negative press, and complex overlays with a variety of laws including Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Clery Act.
The newly enhanced Clery Act, which already required universities to collect and report data regarding crimes on or around campus, now requires universities to include hazing data in their annual Clery Reports. The Act also requires universities to publish a separate report which describes hazing violations. Key areas of compliance Universities will need to implement this year are addressed below.
Clery Report Requirement
Starting January 1, 2025, universities must collect data on hazing incidents reported to campus security or police, even if the incidents occur within student organizations that are not officially recognized by the university. Importantly, the Act defines a student organization as any organization that involves two or more members of the higher education institution. This presents unique jurisdictional considerations for universities to grapple with, particularly if they are typically used to enforcement of policies and procedures only for recognized organizations.
Additionally, universities must begin including this hazing data in their annual Clery Reports, starting with their 2025 Clery Report, which is due October 1, 2026. So, what is hazing?
The Act provides a comprehensive definition of hazing incidents which must be logged. The definition includes, but is not necessarily limited to, any “intentional, knowing, or reckless act” committed by one or more persons against another person, regardless of whether the victim participates willingly, that is part of an initiation or in affiliation with a student organization. Examples include causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing: whipping, beating, electric shock, placing harmful substances on one’s body; sleep deprivation, confinement in small spaces, extreme calisthenics; consumption of food, drug, alcohol or other substances; criminal acts; placing one in reasonable fear of bodily harm through threatening words or conduct; or sexual acts.
Publishing of Hazing Policies
Universities must begin publishing their hazing policies no later than June 24, 2025. These publications may be based on the university’s own definition of hazing instead of the act’s definition. However, deviations from the Acts definition should be considered carefully and in consultation with student affairs administration and legal counsel. The policies must include information on how to report hazing, how hazing is investigated, as well as state and local laws on hazing. The disclosure must also describe hazing prevention and awareness programs.
Campus Hazing Transparency Report
In addition to including hazing data in their annual Clery Report, institutions must begin publishing a separate report, called a Campus Hazing Transparency Report, by December 24, 2025. The report must include information about student organizations that have been found in violation of the institution’s hazing policy. Unlike the Clery Report, this report only needs to include information about recognized or established student organizations. The report must include specific details about the hazing violations, such as the names of the student organizations found responsible, descriptions of the violations, sanctions imposed, and whether alcohol and drugs were involved. Universities must exclude personally identifiable information of involved students from this report in order to comply with FERPA.
Universities’ first transparency report should include information dating back to July 1, 2025. Institutions must update the Report at least two (2) times a year with information regarding new hazing violations and keep each report publicly available on their website for five (5) years after publication.
Penalties
The Department of Education may impose civil monetary penalties for violations of the Clery Act where the institution is found to have “substantially misrepresented the number, location, or nature of the crimes required to be reported.” The current maximum penalty is $69,733 per violation; however, this maximum will be readjusted for inflation in 2025. Additionally, institutions can lose their federal financial aid funding for Clery violations.
As we look forward to 2025, it is recommended that universities begin coordinating their departments to begin implementation of these requirements, including the policy development work that will need to be completed this spring.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MTFconvene102524tuNK-3686-e1739333967224.jpg6871280Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-02-12 07:40:592025-02-19 13:15:23Math Task Force sets next AB1705 convening March 28
University of the Pacific’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is receiving $200,000 from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to provide scholarships for students from underserved areas with the aim of increasing the health care workforce in these areas.
“We are grateful for the support from The William Randolph Hearst Foundation and Hearst Foundations’ Executive Director Dino Dinovitz,” said Pacific President Christopher Callahan, who previously served as chair of the Hearst Awards Steering Committee. “The foundation’s generosity has helped so many of our programs and initiatives. This grant will allow our students to focus on their academics as they train to become health care providers, filling an urgent need in the community.”
The Hearst Foundation has a history of supporting Pacific and its programs since 1968.
“We are proud to partner with leading institutions like University of the Pacific to help ensure people of all backgrounds have an opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspired lives,” Dinovitz said. “The Foundations are pleased to provide scholarships for students in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program to address the shortage of health care professionals in California.”
California’s Central Valley, with a focus on San Joaquin County and neighboring counties, will be the priority area for recruiting from and returning graduates for added service, said Nicoleta Bugnariu, founding dean of Pacific’s School of Health Sciences.
“Physician assistants are well positioned to work as primary care providers,” Bugnariu said. “The Central Valley is one of the most underserved health care areas in California, and it is a geographic target area for the School of Health Sciences.”
U.S. News and World Report ranks physician assistant as No. 2 in a report of the best health care jobs. Employment growth for physician assistants is expected to increase more than 28% between 2023 and 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Physician assistants work in a variety of health care settings, from outpatient care to operating rooms.
Pacific opened a new building for the physician assistant program on the Sacramento Campus earlier this year.
Physician assistant students have 15 months of classroom work and 12 months of clinical rotations. Professor and Program Director Tracey DelNero said there were 2,400 applicants vying for 75 spots for the spring 2025 cohort.
“Our alumni are poised to provide care across all medical and surgical specialties and receive advanced procedural skills training,” DelNero said. “We recruit and train students in California’s Central Valley. Nearly 50% of the alumni remaining in California provide care in these same medically underserved areas.”
The Hearst Foundation also has provided student scholarships and supported COVID pandemic relief, pediatric oral health care and much more at Pacific over the years.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/UO-New-Facility-_0.jpg500750Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-02-12 07:26:152025-02-12 10:38:54MEMBER NEWS: UOP tackling valley’s health care shortage with Hearst grant
With the advent of a new year, and many new developments across the nation and worldwide, we kick off our first Central Valley Higher Education Consortium newsletter of the year with a special guest edition of our blog featuring a reprint of the speech delivered by Jamie Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, at the Complete College America (CCA) 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 Nov. 18-20 which drew 800 participants from throughout the country who heard Dr. Merisotis issue both an alarm that higher education is at a crossroads and a call to positive action through system changes in higher ed. An internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, Dr. Merisotis has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008. He is a national media commentator and contributor and is currently a regular Forbes contributor. Previously, Dr. Merisotis was president of the nonpartisan, D.C.-based Institute for Higher Education Policy, which he co-founded. He was also the executive director of a bipartisan national commission, appointed by the president and congressional leaders, to study college affordability. A distinguished graduate and trustee emeritus of Bates College, he has been awarded honorary degrees from colleges and universities worldwide. Dr. Merisotis is the author of America Needs Talent, named a Booklist Top 10 Business book of 2016, and Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines, an Amazon bestseller released in 2020.
Progress in a Time of Disruption:
The Urgency of Reimagining Higher Ed
Remarks by Dr. Jamie Merisotis, president/CEO, Lumina Foundation, at the Complete College America Convening Tuesday, November 19, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was introduced by Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, CCA president.
I’m delighted to be with so many close partners and friends in state leadership roles. I’m especially pleased to be part of this convening, because the missions of Complete College America and Lumina have so much in common. We both work to advance ideas and policies to enable more Americans to get the higher education that’s critical to our country’s future. We both see the urgency of reimagining higher ed to meet the needs of today’s students and today’s society. And we both put special focus on reaching those who have too often been left out.
I’m proud of the work that CCA and Lumina have done together in many different ways. For example, we’ve been working to build a network for Black community colleges where leaders can come together to identify strategies and policies that will enable institutions to better serve adults of color. Lumina and CCA have both long pointed out and worked to remedy the systemic inequities, inefficiencies, and unfairness in higher education.
More broadly, CCA’s influence has been pivotal to the significant gains we’ve tried to catalyze in our work at Lumina when it comes to higher education attainment. Those gains, and the enormous benefits derived from millions more people attaining postsecondary credentials, are among the least well-understood stories of broad social progress that this nation has achieved in the last decade.
We need to keep this progress going, because we’re clearly living in a time of ongoing disruption. We haven’t fully escaped the impacts of COVID on higher ed and the country at large. Artificial intelligence is advancing with great speed and uncertainty. The devastation of climate change — on both property and lives — is no longer hypothetical and off in some distant future. It is here today and growing in frequency and severity. The widening war in the Middle East has led to a surge of campus protests as explosive as any since the 1960s.
And of course, sitting here in November of 2024, the presidential election signals a major change of direction for the country and for higher education.
It is early yet, but we all know that President-elect Trump’s pronouncements on higher education, and his prior record from 2017-2020, point toward a challenging time ahead for higher education.
From the efforts to obliterate DEI and target undocumented students, to efforts to undo the student debt relief advanced by the Biden administration, to rhetoric about eliminating the US Department of Education and dismantling the accreditation system, there is no shortage of things that will challenge, frustrate, and possibly realign the fundamental relationship of higher education institutions to the federal government.
Much has been written about the intense polarization in our country, including a supposedly inexorable divide in views of higher education among red and blue states. But if I can take liberties with Mark Twain, our own work shows that some of those reports have been greatly exaggerated. For example, Texas, led by Republicans, and Illinois, led by Democrats, are both reevaluating and increasing funding for higher ed. Texas recently redesigned how it funds community colleges, while Illinois is taking on how it funds universities.
Both states agree that more equitable distribution of taxpayer dollars across higher education is vital and that more resources are needed to help students earn credentials valued in the workplace. And the 21st century industries that all states are pursuing – things like renewable energy, AI, chip-making, advanced manufacturing, and biologics – all require the kinds of skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities that come from higher education.
So I think everyone in this room will acknowledge that this is a pivotal moment for American higher ed. My point simply is that this polarization is not a new challenge, but a more extreme one.
Now I know you share my frustration that, at a time when higher education has never been more important for our citizens or our country, we’re facing stiff headwinds everywhere we look. And while there was a welcome uptick in enrollment last year, we’ve struggled again this year. This reflects a longer-term trend, one where the total number of undergraduates is more than a million fewer than in 2018, and two million fewer since 2012.
So we must be clear-eyed about our current challenges.
Not only have we seen a long-term enrollment decline, but the fact that there are fewer Americans under 18 makes this trend difficult to reverse. Throw in a robust job market, and the fact that fewer than two-thirds of high school graduates are going on to college — a percentage well down from a decade ago — and the headwinds become a hurricane.
But the biggest concern is that for the first time in American history, many are questioning whether higher education is still worth it.
According to a Gallup poll, confidence in higher education is at an all-time low, with only 36% of Americans saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. This is a 20-point drop from eight years ago.
Higher education is at a crossroads. It can push back on the critiques that have led to this declining confidence. That certainly makes sense in a number of ways, since many of the criticisms of higher education ARE distortions. They are often caricatures of the unique world of elite, highly selective institutions, where relatively few students attend college. Those distortions leave little room for understanding what really happens on most college campuses.
But higher education also has an opportunity, which is 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. These things are both possible, and not in contradiction. Let me explain what I mean.
Let’s start first with the facts about why higher education has been and remains a fundamental building block of American greatness.
For individuals, the data are clear that a bachelor’s degree is still the surest route to the middle class. A study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found a lifetime gain of $1.2 million for those with bachelor’s degrees.
Of course, the benefits of going to college go beyond making more money. Many studies say that today’s workers will typically have 10 or more jobs over their lifetimes, and we know that college embeds habits — such as discipline, curiosity, and critical thinking — that give one a leg up on learning new things. This is true for people who earn any postsecondary credential – bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, certificates, and other credentials.
The data are also clear that people without education past high school not only earn less than those with some higher education — they also struggle more.
They’re more prone to depression, they need more government assistance, they pay less taxes, they divorce more frequently, they vote and volunteer less often, they even live shorter lives. The latest research by Anne Case and Angus Deaton — the Princeton economists who coined the term “deaths of despair” — reveals that the gap in life expectancy between Americans with college degrees and those without has surged to 8½ years.
We also can’t overlook the tremendous societal and national value of higher ed.
In a recent op-ed in our local Indianapolis newspaper, Ball State University Economist Michael Hicks points out that the combination of business incentives and cuts to funding of higher education has left Indiana’s economy weaker vis-à-vis other states. He concludes this way:
“To put it as plainly as possible: Educational attainment alone is now a more powerful predictor of a region’s economic success than everything else combined.”
Let me share one more argument I’ve been making in gatherings like this.
The economy’s shift from high-paying manufacturing jobs to technology-mediated office work requiring college education has made life more challenging, broadening the popular appeal of authoritarianism. It’s a global phenomenon, and even here in the United States we’re seeing the growing appeal of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
We know the solution: Studies going back decades have shown that higher levels of education make it less likely people will turn away from democracy. Data from surveys that track authoritarian leanings show that higher levels of education reduce such beliefs and values. The election results are in line with these findings: College-educated people were far more likely to reject the rhetoric that praises dictators and disdains democracy.
Higher ed promotes independent thought and curiosity. It exposes people to other cultures and ideas. It can equip people to handle complexity, differences, and rapid societal changes. A better-educated population, then, is not only essential to individual prosperity — what we have long called the “good jobs and good life” dividends of education — but also shared prosperity, the strongest bulwark against growing threats to our democratic way of life.
So, we can all agree that, when it comes to value, of course higher ed is worth it. That’s been the case throughout our country’s history, and the evidence is overwhelming that it’s still the case.
But that doesn’t mean that the system as it’s been for the past century or more is sufficient going forward. High costs have put too many schools out of reach for many Americans. The system is inflexible and hard to understand. College schedules often don’t work for today’s students — more of whom are older, working, many with families of their own. And students are often unsure if their coursework will prepare them for today’s jobs.
Higher ed must be responsive to what society needs, and those needs have evolved in light of global, technological, economic and social changes.
The good news is that many states get it and are adapting. Data show that price increases are easing — sometimes dramatically — and states are expanding scholarships and need-based aid.
More states are encouraging schools to look at options like three-year degrees rather than the traditional four-year model. They’re looking at non-degree credentials and offering more flexible scheduling to meet the needs of today’s learners. More states are creating real financial incentives for schools to partner with businesses to ensure they’re teaching in-demand skills, and are using internships, apprenticeships, stackable credentials and other programs to give their students entrée into good jobs.
I mentioned the Texas funding increases, which are in a bill known as HB 8. The legislation focuses on awarding “credentials of value” — defined as degrees, certificates, or credentials that offer, in the words of the bill, “purpose in the economy, value in the labor market, and opportunities for good jobs and meaningful careers.”
Lumina, CCA, and many other organizations also are putting renewed emphasis on tying degrees and credentials to return on investment, good jobs, more opportunities for further education, and other measures of value.
Let me also single out two areas that remain at the heart of our mission.
First is the importance of continuing to bring an equity lens to this work despite the current backlash against DEI and other such efforts. Again, speaking candidly, we should not leave it to others to define what equity is.
There has been a long-standing and widely understood agreement about what equity is about. It’s about ensuring that everyone has access to resources and opportunities to succeed, including—and in particular—those who have been historically disadvantaged or underrepresented. It acknowledges that people come from different places and have different needs. Equity in education is important because it’s aimed at ensuring that the outcomes of learning cannot be predicted based on one’s race, ethnicity, income, or geographic location. That enduring definition is in the best interests of everyone, and that’s what we need to make clear.
We know that, for all the efforts going back decades, gaps in educational attainment have long existed due to historical, social, systemic, and structural factors that continue to persist. Our collective futures depend on bringing off the sidelines the people who too often have been left out.
A recent report from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce provides powerful evidence of why this matters. It notes that the proportion of people with degrees increased 6.7 percentage points from 2010 to 2020, and as a result, US workers will earn more than $14 trillion more over their lifetimes.
Of course, it’s not just the college graduates who benefit. When people earn more, they spend more — not only on cars, homes, and groceries but on their own communities through civic involvement and charitable giving.
The Georgetown center’s analysis also found that if all racial and ethnic groups reached the same educational levels as white Americans, those groups would see an additional $11 trillion in net lifetime earnings, on top of the $14 trillion all graduates will gain.
What this means is that we’ve got to do a better job of designing policies and programs to meet the needs of today’s students, especially regarding affordability and academic quality. Programs from the humanities to sciences and specialized technical programs must be made more affordable and built to support students who are more likely to work while in school, provide care for family members, and experience economic insecurity. Programs should be completed in reasonable time frames, offer scheduling flexibility, and lead to family-sustaining livelihoods.
Second, I want to underscore the importance of developing not just productive individuals but informed, engaged citizens.
I mentioned earlier how even the US is not immune from the appeal of authoritarianism — which is on the rise around the world and is arguably reflected in the recent US election results.
Research has shown that education plays a key role in protecting democracy, but that role has often been understated, undervalued, and underinvested. Our task now is to highlight more clearly the continuing economic and social benefits of higher ed while also making the case that it’s one of our best bets to help protect democracy. Increasing college attainment alone will not solve all our nation’s challenges with cohesion and democratic vitality, but the sector can do more to play a positive role.
There’s an opportunity now to build bridges — despite the many signs of increased polarization. Among the reform efforts needed in higher education, we must reimagine higher ed’s role in preparing people for active, informed citizenship.
It’s not just about voting—as important as that is. Active citizenship requires us to be truly engaged in our communities and society. And to support that effort, educators must connect learning with the persistent issues that confront individuals and their communities.
That means answering tough questions, including:
What do people actually need to learn and experience to prepare them to be better equipped for the human work of today and tomorrow while also serving as engaged and active citizens?
How do we respond to the torrents of misinformation in ways that allow us to work across our differences?
How can we reckon with America’s troubled past and present, particularly as it relates to race, ethnicity, income, and geography, while also working toward a brighter future?
And, how can we show young Americans that education can equip them to have a real impact on the problems they see around them?
At the end of the day, we need to make clear what higher education is FOR, not just what it is against. Thinking about why higher ed is so valuable — and what it is truly for — points us in the right direction. It can lead us to the most productive responses, at a time when such responses are desperately needed.
Advancing American talent through a robust system of higher education is the best pathway to individual and shared economic prosperity. Graduates equipped with 21st century skills and immersive experiences in problem-solving, communication, digital literacy, critical thinking, teamwork, and other foundational skills have higher wages. They also are the best contributors to their communities and are the best defenders of freedom and democracy.
Even more than in past gatherings, this is our leadership moment, a time for creativity, for new approaches, a time when we need to think of strategy — not in terms of either-or, but both-and.
So this meeting could not be more timely, and I’m very much looking forward to our panel and to hearing what’s on your minds.
ABOUT LUMINA
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision higher learning that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s talent needs through a broad range of credentials. We work toward a system that prepares people for informed citizenship and success in a global economy.
CVHEC Photo Gallery – Complete College America (CCA) Conference Nov. 18-20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CVHEC-Blog-banner-0125-Merisotis-Lumina-v2-blue-1.png14292000Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-01-16 08:45:412025-02-12 09:09:20‘What the CV-HEC is Happening’ Blog: CCA keynote Dr. Jamie Merisotis (Lumina Foundation)
Registration is free, with breakfast and lunch included, at https://bit.ly/CVHECDualEnrollConvene-REGISTERweb.
Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, announced this week that Chancellor Christian, a former member of the CVHEC board of directors, will discuss the CCC dual enrollment commitment that is part of CCC’s “Vision 2030 – A Roadmap for California Community Colleges” plan and how the Central Valley is an active leader statewide.
According to the CCC DataVista website, the Central Valley has reported the highest share of community college students simultaneously enrolled in K-12 schools of any region in the state.
“Dual enrollment is a game changer in bringing college to first-generation students whose parents did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education,” said Chancellor Christian.
“Central Valley colleges have shown tremendous momentum in expanding dual enrollment pathways,” she continued. “The work led by The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in collaborating, facilitating, and realizing dual enrollment is truly a gold star standard for the rest of the country. This area is leading the state in the number of students earning college credit while still in high school. Their phenomenal effort ensures equity in access, a key pillar in the work we are doing with our Vision 2030 plan.”
The daylong session will feature two panels and two interactive breakout sessions concluding with recommendation summaries. A student panel will provide first-hand testimony about dual enrollment successes and barriers. (CVHEC plans to release the full agenda Jan. 22).
Also new this year will be a pre-conference session, “Dual Enrollment Primer,” from 9-10 a.m. that will provide information for high schools and colleges new to dual enrollment, which is a strategy that allows secondary school students to earn college credits during high school. In some cases, students are able to actually complete associate degrees before their high school graduation.
Durán noted that CVHEC’s dual enrollment convening is unique because it features intersegmental collaboration at a regional level. It will be highly interactive and will engage audience members with panel presenters from valley colleges and high schools, including practitioners, and topped with student success stories, he added.
“CVHEC’s dual enrollment convenings help ensure that the outcomes from the ongoing dialogue between community colleges and their K-12 partners in the Valley will continue,” said Durán who will welcome the educators in the opening session.
“The convening also continues the CVDEEP Task Force’s advocacy efforts to institutionalize dual enrollment as a strategy that blurs the lines between high school and community college for those students who can benefit from taking college courses and get a leg up on their quest for a college degree or certificate.”
But Durán said the highlight of the event will be Chancellor Christian “who is a dual enrollment trailblazer in her own right leading initiatives that are part of the Central Valley’s highly successful dual enrollment landscape when she was with KCCD from 2013 to 2022.”
Dr. Christian served on the CVHEC Board of Directors — made up of sitting CEOs of higher education institutions in the valley’s 10-county region — when she was president of consortium member Bakersfield College from 2013 to 2021 and when she was chancellor of member Kern Community College District from 2021 to 2022 before assuming the CCC top spot.
With her appointment by the CCC Board of Trustees Feb. 20, 2022, Dr. Christian made history as the first woman and first Asian-American — as well as a first-generation college graduate — named chancellor of the state’s community college system.
The chancellor will discuss the “Vision 2030” dual enrollment strategy which calls for the preparation of high school students to choose a workforce pathway earlier in their academic journey so they see themselves as college scholars. Its “ninth grade strategy” works toward a future in which all California high school students enroll in community college transfer, career or apprenticeship pathways and complete high school with at least 12 units of dual enrollment credit.
“This dual enrollment opportunity must be available to all high school students and particularly tailored to those who have historically not been provided these opportunities,” the plan states. “In so doing, California’s youth will receive a self-development and career-exploration opportunity that will increase their interest in and understanding of college and career. As high school students engage in tailored dual enrollment programs, they will learn how to develop a college education plan, how to access financial aid and other support programs and explore possible careers for their futures.”
Chancellor Christian said early exposure to college and career is particularly important for historically underrepresented students and will equip colleges to utilize dual enrollment as a tool to close equity gaps, something she said is evident in the valley’s 10-county region.
Among the CVHEC initiatives are the Master’s Upskilling Program that provides a path for high school English and math teachers to earn a master’s degree required to teach community college dual enrollment courses at their respective schools (this was one of the outcomes of CVHEC’s first two dual enrollment convenings), and the Math Bridge Program with College Bridge.
This is the third convening of the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force since it was formed by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium following legislation in 2016 when a new dual enrollment option was introduced through Assembly Bill (AB) 288, amending Education Code (EC) 76004, and creating the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP). This legislation enabled more high school students to take college courses taught by college professors on their high school campuses. California AB 30, signed by Governor Newsom in October 2019, expands and protects dual enrollment through 2027.
Planting the seeds for what has eventually led to CVHEC’s slogan, “The Central Valley Way,” the CVDEEP Task Force was formed with about 60 community college and K-12 educational leaders who deliver dual enrollment services valley-wide. CVHEC brought them together after community college leaders approached the consortium to provide assistance surrounding dual enrollment in 2019.
As chair, Chancellor Muñoz leads the executive committee of the CVHEC board which is now preparing for the consortium’s upcoming Central Valley Higher Education Summit tentatively set for May 9. Two board meetings are planned this spring, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.
He succeeds Dr. Kristen Clark who retired from her position as chancellor of West Hills Community College District in August, an action that also vacated her seat on the CVHEC board and ended her time as board chair.
“We appreciate the energy and contributions from Chancellor-emeritus Clark as CVHEC board chair the past three-plus years,” Durán said. “We now look forward to Chancellor’s Munoz’ leadership of one of the most unique collaborations in the nation: the CEOs of a region’s colleges and universities working in unison as a consortium board for the success of more than 250,000 higher ed students in our 10-county service areas.”
“I am excited to serve as incoming chair of this important consortium with a proven history of fostering dynamic partnerships, driving impactful innovation and intentionally expanding access to transformative educational experiences for students and their families across the Central Valley,” said Chancellor Muñoz. “I look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues and their institutions to further align our collective efforts in creating a brighter and more equitable future for all.”
The CVHEC board consists of the chief executive officers of 28 institutions of higher education in the valley’s 10-county region that comprise the consortium membership. The executive committee is selected from board members representing the state’s four higher education segments,
“The CVHEC board’s executive committee conducts business on behalf of the board when it is not available, especially for timely or urgent matters,” said Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC operations and finance manager. “It also helps sets the agenda for board business.”
Per CVHEC bylaws, each higher education segment has a set number of representatives on the committee who are selected by the full board of directors. Executive committee members serve three-year terms beginning in October the first year.
The membership of the 2025 CVHEC Executive Committee by segment with their terms noted is:
The first executive committee meeting under Chair Muñoz is being set for late January / early February at UC Merced (date to be announced), and the second will be May 8, the day before the CVHEC’s higher ed summit, said Ramírez.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CVHEC-EC25-featured-canva.png12001800Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-01-16 07:55:472025-01-21 11:54:59BOARD NEWS: Chancellor Muñoz to chair CVHEC Board of Directors
The 2025 Central Valley Higher Education Summit is set for Friday, May 9 in Fresno when the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of the 28 higher education institutions – the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors – convene together with colleagues, partners and friends for a full day of discussions and showcases regarding education issues pertinent to the consortium’s 10-county service region.
The day-long free event is presented by the CVHEC board with main funding support from College Futures Foundation.
Details about the summit will be forthcoming in the February newsletter. Registration info for the summit also will be available soon. (Follow CVHEC social media platforms for updates).
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Summit25-flier.png7681366Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-01-16 07:46:442025-02-12 09:03:19SPOTLIGHT on CVHEC: 2025 Higher Ed Summit Save-The-Date (May 9)
“Building on the concept that the math courses students take should be relevant to their programs of study and career goals, we now expand to think about how students are brought in and supported through corequisite support,” said Brandon Protas, Ed. D., assistant vice president for Alliance engagement at CCA.
Dr. Benjamin Duran, CVHEC executive director, with Complete College America officials at CCA’s national conference in November in Indianapolis: Dr. Brandon Protas, assistant vice president for Alliance Engagement; Nichole Mann, M.A. Alliance Engagement director; and Dr. Dhanfu E. Elston, chief of staff and senior vice president for Strategy.
“When we look across the country, there is a lack of consistency in the courses that make up the math pathways sequences, particularly for STEM,” Protas added. “CCA is now sharing clear recommendations of what courses should be part of this sequence to maximize student success.”
Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, welcomed the report as reinforcement for work CVHEC members and partners such as the Dana Center at the University of Austin (Texas) are pioneering in Central California.
“The CCA Math Pathways report emphasizes the importance of effective math placement processes that put students first,” said Durán who is also president-emeritus of Merced College. “This ideology aligns with the math alignment, AB705, and AB1705 work that is being done by our Math Taskforce here in California’s Central Valley. Seeing the country moving in the same direction with math pathways is really encouraging.”
Key highlights of the report published Jan. 8 include:
Introducing the concept of math pathways 2.0, building on existing math pathways work, insights, and successes
Specific recommendations on aligning gateway courses with programs of study
Providing strategies for implementing effective math placement processes that start with student goals
Outlining approaches for providing math corequisite and other student supports
Offering guidance for measuring success and tracking student outcomes
The report provides critical insights for higher education leaders, faculty and staff committed to removing barriers in math education and expanding access to and success in all programs of study, particularly for historically excluded students. Additionally, the publication also includes specific recommendations for courses in the STEM pathway to ensure alignment with every student’s program of study.
Formula for Success rolls out math pathways 2.0, addressing critical challenges in postsecondary math education the persistent use of prerequisite remediation, inconsistent gateway course requirements across institutions, and practices that inadvertently steer students away from STEM pathways. By offering specific strategies to overcome these obstacles, including backmapping gateway course content, revising course placement processes, and providing corequisite support in gateway courses, the report provides a roadmap for colleges, universities, and systems to implement math pathways that work for all students.
The report builds on years of research and practice in mathematics education reform, particularly focusing on the nuances and challenges of math pathways in STEM fields. By working directly with colleges and universities of all types, CCA has developed a comprehensive approach that helps institutions close performance gaps and address inequities in student success.
Download the full report to learn how your institution can implement effective math pathways that support every student’s success.
The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is a member of the Complete College America (CCA), a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, serves as an alliance lead responsible for providing oversight and coordination for local initiatives as well as CCA-sponsored projects, acting as a strategic thought partner and leader and promoting the efforts and importance of CCA. Other CVHEC team members serving as CCA leads: Elaine Cash, policy; Ángel Ramírez, equity; and Tom Uribes, communications.
See the “CVHEC What is Happening Blog” in our January 2025 newsletter for the keynote speech delivered at CCA’s national conference November 20, 2024 in Indianapolis by Dr. Jaime Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation.
CVHEC sent a delegation to the three-day conference Nov. 18-20 (see CVHEC photo gallery below) which drew 800 participants from throughout the country who heard Dr. Jamie Merisotis, president of the Lumina Foundation, issue both an alarm that higher education is at a crossroads and a call to positive action through system changes in higher ed: Tom Uribes (CVHEC communications); Delta College President Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson; Dr. Benjamín Durán (CVHEC executive director); Coalinga College President Carla Tweed, Elaine Cash (CVHEC grants), Coalinga College English Professor Brandy Wilds; Ángel Ramírez (CVHEC operations/finance).See blog and photo gallery: https://bit.ly/CVHECblog-CCA24keynoteMerisotisLumina.
https://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image001.png267570Tom Uribeshttps://cvhec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CVHEC-Logo-Primary-Color-Medium-e1728590737483.pngTom Uribes2025-01-16 07:15:422025-01-21 12:05:08HIGHER ED NEWS: Complete College America (CCA) ‘Math Pathways’ report
