BOARD NEWS: Steve Watkin is interim president of Bakersfield College

Steve Watkin was named interim president of Bakersfield College (BC) by the Kern Community College District (Kern CCD) Board of Trustees in March,  succeeding Dr. Zav Dadabhoy who was recently appointed deputy chancellor of KCCD.

Previously, Watkin served as associate vice chancellor of Enrollment Management at KCCD. He assumes the role of president May 15 with an expanse of experience and knowledge having worked previously at both public and private higher education institutions like BC, California State University, Bakersfield and Fresno Pacific University.

Watkin earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Master in Education degrees from Fresno Pacific University. In addition to his service to BC and KCCD, he has served as pastor of Church of God in Christ in Arvin for the past 11 years.  Watkin and his wife of 34 years, Kimberly, have six children and 11 grandchildren.

See the full Bakersfield College press release.

MEMBER NEWS: Enrollment Growth & Pathways: Strategy Session April 25 features CCC Chancellor-Select Christian

Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor-select of the California Community College system, will be the guest speaker for the Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium’s “Enrollment Growth & Pathways: A Strategy Session”   Tuesday, April 25 at Fresno City College (1101 East University Ave.) in Fresno

The free event, hosted by FCC President Robert Pimentel, will be held from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.  in Old Admin Bldg/Auditorium with breakfast provided during registration from 9:30 – 10:30am at the OAB East Courtyard. RSVP required.

A CVHEC duo of Angel Ramirez, operations and finance manager, and Elaine Cash, grants and programs coordinator, will present on the regional dual enrollment efforts taking place across the Central Valley.

The Central/Mother Lode Regional Consortium is a regional collaborative that focuses on growing the regional economy by facilitating development and growth of college training and educational programs to meet the needs of identified high growth sectors. It supports education and training to develop a skilled workforce in the Central/Mother Lode Region. Its membership includes 15 CVHEC member community colleges.

For more information and registration visit:

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/enrollment-growth-pathways-strategy-session-tickets-591699668637

 

 

 

New Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project provides support for Central Valley non-traditional rural students

(APRIL 20, 2023) — A new state-funded math dual enrollment program will “positively impact” approximately 630 non-traditional students at seven rural high schools next fall through four area community colleges that are members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium.

Under a regional umbrella of equity and inclusion, the Dual Enrollment (DE) Math Bridge will provide equitable access to transfer-level math courses with embedded support for high school students who are disproportionately impacted, and/or are not traditionally college-bound, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

McKenna Salazar, Tulare-Kings College & Career Collaborative; Orquídea Largo, UC Merced interim associate vice chancellor; Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC; and Dr. Claudia Lourido-Habib, Porterville College president.

“The project provides students with a transfer-level math course with tiered support,” Durán explained.  “Students have the opportunity to earn transferrable college-math credit in all models that satisfy both the California Community College (CCC) and California State University (CSU) General Education Math Requirement.”

The initiative, the second of its kind launched by CVHEC and its partners in the past few months, is funded by a $1,075,340 award by the California Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, a statewide initiative designed to help California’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing long-standing social and economic inequities in higher education and workforce participation with a $250 million appropriation to the Department of General Services (DGS) in the Budget Act of 2021. Collaboratives were set up in 13 regions throughout the state.

For the Math Bridge funding, two Central Valley K-16 programs – the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative and the Tulare-Kings College & Career Collaborative – collaborated to create the Central San Joaquin Valley K-16 Partnership that combines resources to achieve equity-focused goals in the four-county region where college graduation rates are 50 percent below the state average.

Other partners in the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project with CVHEC and the Central San Joaquin Valley K-16 Partnership are College Bridge of Los Angeles (which presented the first Math Bridge program for the region in January using federal funds) and Fresno Pacific University (also a CVHEC member).

The four community college partners are Clovis Community College, Reedley College, West Hills Community College – Lemoore and West Hills Community College – Coalinga.

The participating high schools are Clovis, Clovis East, Riverdale, Sanger and Sanger West with two more high schools slots still available (see below).

Since the K-16 initiative was established, the Fresno-Madera component has also funded CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program that will play a part in the current CVHEC project upskilling high school teachers to teach dual enrollment math and English courses by CVHEC, National University and Fresno Pacific University.

“DE Math Bridge is the culmination of the partners’ efforts to address the identified needs in one, collective project,” Durán said.

The need for the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project stems from students’ failure to pass gateway courses in mathematics and /or English as the biggest barrier for students to be successful in staying enrolled and completing their college degrees, Durán said.

The project will establish systemically aligned dual enrollment courses in college level transfer Mathematics that will become a consistent and ongoing part of the course offerings by the participating high schools and colleges, Durán added.

“The dual enrollment courses will be provided at no cost to students, on their high school campus, during the regular school day,” said Dr. Lynn Cevallos, president of College Bridge.  “Also embedded in the courses will be a College Transition Bridge (CT Bridge) curriculum to prepare students for college success.”

Students will have access to either a Statistics and Liberal Art Math (SLAM) or Business, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (BSTEM) option with a level of support determined by their GPA band.

Each DE Math Bridge model will be taught and assessed by a local team consisting of college and high school math instructors with a college math instructor participating in course planning, common assessments and team grading.

The general goals of the DE Math Bridge proposal are:

1) develop and maintain strategic high school/college partnerships to address educational inequities and foster college success,

2) provide an intersegmental Professional Development program to foster continuous improvement,

3) utilize dual enrollment as a strategy to close equity and achievement gaps,

4) develop a sustainability plan,

5) scale DE Math Bridge and develop a sustainable model that can be replicated in other parts of the Central Valley and rural California.

“CVHEC and its partners are committed to undertake this deeper work that can effectively blur the lines between high schools and its colleges in the Central Valley,” Duran said.

High schools interested in participating, contact Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC finance and operations manager: centralvalleyhec@gmail.com or 559.292.0576.

 

For CVHEC media inquiries: Tom Uribes (tom@uribes.com or 559.348.3278)

 

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WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING GUEST BLOG (April 2023): Kern Math Master’s Upskilling/Dr. Manjula Joseph

With the first cohorts of the Kern Master’s Upskilling Program underway, this guest blog is by Dr. Manjula Joseph, associate professor and program director for math education at Fresno Pacific University, a CVHEC member institution.  She reflects on the experiences of the math cohort offered by FPU with 21 current practicing high school teachers enrolled in the program designed to empower them to create classrooms that foster a love for math with specific sights set on eventually teaching dual enrollment courses at their respective high schools. This first Kern math cohort completes in July 2024. (An English master’s cohort offered by CVHEC member National University is also currently in session).

Transforming Practicing Teachers into Innovative Math Educators

Embracing the shift in math education for the Kern Master’s Upskilling Program: Fresno Pacific University’s MA in Mathematics Education  

 

By Dr. Manjula Joseph

Program Director, Math Education – Fresno Pacific University

 

I enter the (zoom) room and observe a class in session.

The students in the first cohort of our Kern Master’s Upskilling Program for practicing high school math teachers are sharing celebrations and challenges about life events – school, family, health, etc. Some of them request prayer.

After this brief time of sharing, they are presented with a graph of an intertwined circle and parabola with a red-shaded area and asked to respond to the prompts “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” on a Google Jamboard. Their two-dozen responses range from noticing symmetry to wondering what the center of the circle might be. Then, moving to breakout rooms to discuss how they might solve the problem at hand, they write their thoughts on the Jamboard.

The complex problem involves differential and integral calculus, trigonometry and intricate algebraic manipulation. Not initially finding answers only seems to push them further to learn unfamiliar concepts, expand prior knowledge and reach a solution.

Professor Alice Keeler, the instructor, and I silently observe this activity unfold and marvel. What I have just observed firsthand is a genuine “community of learners” engaged in supporting and strengthening each other’s content and pedagogical knowledge.

Student Kim Halbrook also observes: “The program is designed to build ‘a community of educators’ willing to support and help each other be the best teachers they can be.”

 

So, what makes FPU’s program unique?

In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, our Master of Mathematics Education program at Fresno Pacific University (FPU) stands out as a beacon for change.

Focused on a humanized, student-centered approach, we transform practicing teachers into innovative math educators who embrace the shift from traditional instruction towards a more engaging and holistic learning experience without compromising rigor.

 

Propelling the Shift in Humanizing Mathematics

We see mathematics as a deeply humanizing activity emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration — a fundamental shift from viewing it as cold and abstract, and emphasizing speed and competition.

Mathematics affords us the space to explore the mysteries of the universe and appreciate the beauty and order that underlies it. Mathematics also allows us to think logically and critically about the challenges and inequities that plague society, empowering us to contribute to the advancement of human knowledge, social justice and progress.

Our program helps teachers embrace this shift, enabling them to foster a love for mathematics, a joy for exploration and a passion for problem-solving in their own classrooms.

“Fresno Pacific University has provided more content-specific advancements in my career as an educator than the entirety of my Teacher Preparation Program,” says student Brandon Butler.

 

Believing Engagement is More Than Just Fun

Our program recognizes that engagement is not synonymous with fun. We believe that true engagement comes from feeling rewarded for one’s efforts and that students would rather work on challenging tasks (absorption) than boring, easy tasks (compliance).

We prioritize student engagement through personal connections, using collaborative tools and interactive activities. Our approach models compassion and grace, encouraging teachers to create classroom environments where mathematics is seen as a means for thinking and engaging, rather than as a competition.

Student Edna Cruz affirms: “I have learned so much about integrating technology in a way that encourages students to think and engage in productive struggle. All this in a course that unites a group of people who genuinely love math and the advancement of education, to better serve the students of our community. We are all taking what we are learning and implementing it in our own classrooms.”

 

Balancing Commitment with Life

Our program acknowledges the challenges faced by teachers who must balance their commitment to earning a master’s degree with their existing teaching responsibilities and family life.

With this in mind, we designed a student-centered program that cares for students not just as learners but as individuals with unique personal and professional lives. This philosophy influences assignments, discussions, and interactions. We view students (both ours and their students in turn) as whole persons, cultivating an environment where teachers can develop their skills while maintaining a strong connection to their own values and personal lives.

 

 

A Passion for Reimagining Math Education

In conclusion, the Master of Mathematics Education program at Fresno Pacific University offers a transformative experience for practicing teachers passionate about reimagining math education.

Focusing on humanizing mathematics, emphasizing human-centered approaches, and embracing a balanced approach, our program empowers teachers to create classrooms that foster the love for mathematics and nurture the critical thinking skills necessary to be successful in finding solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

 

 

 

#WomansHistoryMonth: The Woman Leaders of CVHEC

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MEMBER NEWSL SCCCD Men Of Color Summit 2023 is March 24 at FCC

The second annual State Center Community College District Men of Color Summit will be Friday, March 24 from 9 a.m. – 2. p.m. at Fresno City College.

The event is for all high school male seniors in the SCCCD service area which includes Clovis Community College, Reedley College, Madera Community College, Oakhurst Career & Technology Center and FCC.

The Men of Color Summit is designed to empower and motivate high school seniors to strive for excellence. Students will engage in discussions addressing the needs and issues that specifically men of color face, and how those issues intersect with their academic and professional careers.

Workshops will include cover topics about navigating and succeeding in school; life options and choices; and understanding how a college education equates to earn more money.

Many of the education leaders in the Central Valley who are men of color will serve as presenters.

Students may register for the Men of Color Summit through their high school counselor. For more info: https://www.scccd.edu/lp/men-of-color-summit.html#

 

CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Clovis Community College President Kim E. Armstrong welcome

Clovis Community College President Kim E. Armstrong was honored at a welcome reception March 15 on campus led by Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District.

President Kim E. Armstrong, who replaced Dr. Lori Bennett, took office Jan. 3, 2023. She will be seated on the CVHEC Board of Directors at its May 11 quarterly meeting.

Related links:

Dr. Kim E. Armstrong Named Clovis Community College President

Dr. Kim E. Armstrong named new CCC President effective Jan. 3, 2023

See the photo gallery and event video:

 

CVHEC’s 2023 Higher Education Legislative and Policy Summit – Oct. 20, 2023

UPDATE – CVHEC SUMMIT RESCHEDULED: the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Legislative and Policy Summit 2023 set for this May is rescheduled for Oct. 20 due to scheduling conflicts.  

 

Registration is now available for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Legislative and Policy Summit 2023 now set for Friday, Oct. 20 (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) at the Fresno Convention Center in Fresno.

Also join us for the CVHEC Board of Directors Summit Reception on Thursday, Oct. 19 (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.) at Arte Americas following the board’s quarterly meeting.

Sponsored by the College Futures Foundation, the summit is expected to draw 150-200 higher education officials and educators, legislators and partner representatives for discussion and action regarding Dual Enrollment, our Central Valley Transfer Model, Math Pathways and more.

Register now at our CVHEC Summit 2023 page.

 

Recruitment of community college mentors for HS teachers in Kern MA Upskilling Project is underway — applications available

The Kern Master’s Upskilling Project is now recruiting community college professors to serve as mentors for high school teachers enrolled in the project to earn master’s degrees in Math or English qualifying them to teach dual enrollment courses.

Tom Burke, Kern MA Upskilling Lead, said that with the naming last month of two faculty mentor coordinators, Dr. Liz Rozell and Dr. Vikash Lakhani, the project welcomes community college professors in the South Valley to serve as mentors to the participating high school teachers.

The mentors  will provide support as the mentees set up curriculum and pedagogy Burke said. They will be paid two stipends of $1,000 each during their mentorship period.

As faculty mentor coordinators, Rozell and Lakhani are working with Burke to recruit, assign and coordinate professors from community colleges as mentors.

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program is a partnership between the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative and the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium that was launched in 2022 as part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant awarded to the collaborative to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce.

Dual enrollment is one pathway the K-16 state grant will achieve its objectives with the upskill program providing 100 South Valley high school teachers the opportunity to earn a master’s degree that achieves state qualifications for teaching community college dual enrollment English and math courses at local high schools.

A key component of the program is the pairing of the participating high school teachers with community college professors who will serve as mentors.

The first cohorts of 21 math students and 25 English students in the Kern Master’s Upskill Program began courses in January through Fresno Pacific University and National University respectively. (The current cohorts will be assigned mentors this summer).

Burke said this mentorship will advance intersegmental collaborations in several ways:

  • Instructors from high schools and colleges will get to know each other better, sharing curricula, pedagogy, and andragogy;
  • Mentors will share their experience of teaching college courses, while the high school teachers will share their knowledge of motivating high school students;
  • Opportunities in the future can include high school teachers with master’s degrees teaching on the college campus and college instructors teaching on the high school campus, as both increase their knowledge and understanding of the cultures of each institution;
  • Mentors and mentees in the region may form a collegial group that will come together during and after the project to compare notes and create a network of intersegmental instructors in the area.

For more information,  contact the mentor coordinators: (Math) – lizrozell@gmail.com;  (English) – vikashlakhani@hotmail.com.

The Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off set for May 18 in Fresno 

Rural high schools signing up for groundbreaking project that is ‘a model

for meaningful dual enrollment pathways that can be replicated statewide’

 

(UPDATE May 26, 2023) – See Math Bridge Kickoff May 18 coverage.

 

(MARCH 19, 2023) — The movement to promote equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural Central Valley high schools next fall will formally launch May 18 with the Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off in downtown Fresno presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation.

The project, funded initially by a $4 million five-year Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program federal grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to College Bridge in late December, targets six  small CVHEC-member institutions partnering with 21  rural valley high schools in the colleges’ respective service areas.

The recruitment and onboarding of the Central Valley rural high schools is in full swing, said Dr. Lynn Cevallos, founder and president of College Bridge, announcing this week that 12 are presently confirmed.

The participating high schools to-date are: Amador (Sutter Creek), Argonot (Jackson), Boron, Clovis East, Clovis, Firebaugh, Orosi, Riverdale, Sanger, Sanger West, Tranquility and Taft.

The participating CVHEC colleges are: Cerro Coso, Clovis, Columbia, Madera, Reedley, Taft,West Hills College Coalinga and West Hills College Lemoore.

Eventually, a parallel project funded by the state in February through the Central San Joaquin K-16 Partnership — made up of the Fresno/Madera and the Tulare/Kings K-16 Collaboratives — will serve an additional two colleges and seven high schools in the region (details to come).

“A total of 32 high schools will participate and there is still room for seven more,” Cevallos said. “Any high school within the participating colleges’ service areas that serve low-income, minority or rural students and is interested in an innovative, proven math intervention should apply.”

Cevallos describes the DE Math Bridge as an innovative high school intervention that will close equity and attainment gaps in college math and college completion at the participating Central Valley rural high schools.

She noted that while the project’s target audience is nearly 8,000 low-income, Black or Latino, or rural 11th or 12th grade students who lack access to rigorous math courses, it will be open to all eligible students.

The May launch, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Fresno, will convene the DE Math Bridge partners for the first of what will be an annual event where the partners will come together for intersegmental collaboration, Cevallos said.

She calls the convening a “getting-to-know-you” and a “roll-up-your-sleeves-and-go-to-work” session.

“This will allow all the DE Math Bridge partners in the Central Valley to connect as a group, building a unified project plan,” Cevallos said.

In the morning session, the college and secondary professionals will create a regional, intersegmental alignment of their student success goals, she explained. In the early afternoon, they will collaborate in a job-aligned “community of practice” to lay the foundational work for the project.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, said the sessions will be designed around four communities of practice: leadership (administrators); student recruitment (counselors and advisors); curriculum and assessment (college and high school math teachers); and institutional research (IR and data staff).

“We are excited to shine a light on the great work that can come out of small colleges in the Central Valley and that we will share with the rest of the state and nationally,” said Duran, who also is president-emeritus of Merced College serving as CVHEC’s executive director since 2016.

“The DE Math Bridge Project, which will prepare and guide students as they transition to college or university equipped with math credits and confidence,” Duran said. “It creates a model for meaningful dual enrollment pathways and expansion that can be replicated in other regions of California serving underprepared students. This also supports CVHEC’s mission to increase the degree attainment rates.”

The consortium, made up of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region, is assisting the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project by using its role as a regional convener to bring the participating higher education and K-16 representatives together with College Bridge, a California non-profit based in Los Angeles County dedicated to forging a path towards both college access and success for underrepresented students.

Valley high schools interested in participating may contact Nicole Korgie at nicole.korgie@college-bridge.org.

For more information about the kick-off, contact Angel Ramirez, CVHEC operations manager at 559.292.0576 (centralvalleyhec@gmail.com).

 

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