Tom Burke Named Kern Master’s Upskill Lead

Program with Kern K-16 Collaborative Will Help Provide Teachers for Dual Enrollment Courses

Thomas J. Burke

Thomas J. Burke, chancellor emeritus of the  Kern Community College District, will lead the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Kern Master’s Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics, announced Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program hopes to provide 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 on local high schools.

It was launched this summer as part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant awarded to the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative  to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce. The consortium first implemented the program in Fresno County last year with similar state funding through the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative.

A recruitment campaign with information sessions is now underway for courses that will be taught by Fresno Pacific University and National University, both CVHEC member institutions. Cohorts are set to begin in January.

The application deadline for the math component taught by FPU is Dec. 9 with the final virtual information session set for Nov. 29 at 4:30 p.m.  (Register for the Math Education Information Meeting Zoom link at: https://bit.ly/3PSPesc).

The application deadline for the English component taught by NU is Dec. 12, 2022. The final information session   is set for Dec. 1.  (Register for the English info sessions at www.tinyurl.com/MAENGLISHNU).

With Burke’s appointment, CVHEC is moving full-steam ahead in collaboration with Dr. Krista Herrera, director of the Kern K-16 Collaborative, said Durán.  Burke has also been serving as CVHEC Transfer Project coordinator following his retirement from KCCD in 2021.

“We are pleased that Chancellor-Emeritus Burke will lead this very significant initiative that will ultimately benefit south valley high school students by providing more teachers qualified to teach dual enrollment,” Durán said. “Tom is a natural fit for this project, he is dedicated to serving the communities of Kern County. He and Dr. Herrera will provide a powerhouse team for this project’s goals.”

Burke will serve as the CVHEC liaison for the Kern K-16 Education Collaborative and lead for the MA upskilling project. He will lead the team overseeing recruitment of the high school MA upskilling teachers and well as the community college faculty who will serve as mentors to them.

Burke served the California Community College system for 24 years including as KCCD chief financial officer for 15 years before being named the district’s chancellor in 2016. He retired in July, 2021 and in December, Burke was conferred chancellor emeritus by the KCCD Board of Trustees.

He is an alumnus of CSUB where he earned his Master’s in Business Administration in 1986 after earning his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo in 1981. Burke has served as an adjunct faculty member for CSUB’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.

Prior to KCCD, he worked as a manager of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs and in Financial Planning for Contel and as a Financial Analyst for the Getty Oil Company.

During his five years as chancellor of KCCD — which includes Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, and Porterville College and serves nearly 40,000 students in five counties — Burke was a member of the Community College League of California State Student Centered Funding Formula Taskforce and the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce.

Career highlights include involvement with the California Community College Business Officers (ACBO) and development of the California Community College System’s previous statewide funding resource allocation model adopted in 2006 (Senate Bill 361). In 2014 he was recognized by the Association of California Community College Administrators with their Excellence in Leadership Award.

Most recently, ACBO awarded Burke its Achievement of Excellence Award in October 2022 for his contributions to ACBO and the California Community College System.  As the district CFO, Burke was a region representative, vice president and president of NACBO.  He was also a member of the State Chancellors Fiscal Advisory Group.

When Burke was appointed KCCD chancellor in 2016, Bakersfield College’s student government lauded the appointment, calling him a “champion for student voice and concerns.”

 

See program details

 

For media inquiries, contact:

CVHEC – Tom Uribes at 559.348.3278 (tom@uribes.com)

FPU – Wayne Steffen at 559.453.3677 (wayne.steffen@fresno.edu)

NU – David Hicks at 619.481.7802 (dhicks2@nu.edu).

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, incorporated as a 503c non-profit educational organization in 2002, is made up of 30 institutions of higher education in the valley’s nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties.  The presidents, chancellors and/or directors of member campuses sit on the CVHEC Board of Directors.

In addition to CVHEC, the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, administered through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), includes strategic partners California State University, Bakersfield; UC Merced and UCLA; as well as 46 Kern County school districts;  KCCD; the West Kern Community College District; the Kern Economic Development Corporation; the County of Kern; and numerous economic development/industry partners. [link to Kern K16, here is the correct link]  https://kerneducationpledge.com/

 

MEMBER NEWS: West Hills Coalinga Dedicates New Firebaugh Center

‘Firebaugh Center is a true game-changer for our community

… new opportunities for community members to pursue big dreams.’

West Hills Community College District and West Hills College Coalinga held a historic Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly constructed Firebaugh Center on Sept. 27.

“Firebaugh Center is a true game-changer for our community,” said Dr. Kristin Clark, West Hills Community College District chancellor. “With it brings new opportunities for community members to pursue big dreams.”

The new 41,263 square-foot center Firebaugh Center features new classrooms, labs, a library, office space and a new Fresno County library and field office for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The facility replaces the previous 11,764 square-foot center.

“West Hills College Coalinga aims to provide educational access within its service area, and the new Firebaugh Center will allow its learners to recognize their potential and achieve their goals through the delivery of high-quality academic instruction, programs, and support services,” said Carla Tweed, president of the Coalinga campus.

“The new center has indoor and outdoor classrooms and will allow students access to state-of-the-art technology, labs, and high-speed internet,” said Bethany Matos, dean of Firebaugh Center. “We are planning to offer medical and agricultural programs to students that will help prepare them for in-demand jobs that offer living wages.”

West Hills College Coalinga Firebaugh Center hopes to update classroom technology, improve energy efficiency and water conservation, install campus security and communication systems, install solar panels and battery storage, and update computers and devices through the help of Measure K included on this November’s ballot.

CVHEC NEWS: Lumina Policy Retreat Presentation

CVHEC’s national role in transforming

transfer and college affordability, equity

Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), presented the CVHEC Transfer Project at the Lumina Foundation State Policy Retreat 2022 last month in Indianapolis.

In his session, Dr. Durán convened with national higher education equity leaders to examine how they are transforming transfer and college affordability.

With the theme “Better Together: Increasing Participation, Success, and Employment Alignment,” the policy retreat provided an opportunity for state teams – composed of cross-sector leaders working across higher education, workforce/talent development, public policy, advocacy, employers, etc. – to come together for learning, reflection, and action planning.

Throughout the retreat held Sept. 28-30, participants collaborated with their state teams and with peers across the country and participated in sessions that uplift state case studies and national best practices.

Joining Dr. Durán as part of his break out session, “Transformational Transfer Initiatives,” were Ellen Green, legislative director for California Assemblymember Marc Berman; and Jessie Ryan, executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity.

The session examined an overview of the strategic policy advocacy, development of a winning coalition, and shifting the narrative around student success that has been essential in these transformational student-centered transfer initiatives.

“California envisioned a higher education system accessible to all, with California community colleges acting as the lynchpin to higher education access through their role as open access institutions,” the session synopsis presented.

“That vision, catalyzed by the California Master Plan for Higher Education of 1960, was re-energized by historic transfer reform over ten years ago with the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). Students earning ADTs graduate with fewer excess credits, and ADT earners who transfer to the California State University system complete their bachelor’s degrees more quickly.”

CVHEC NEWS: Elaine Cash Named CVHEC Grants & Program Coordinator

New position supports the growth and sustainability of CVHEC and its work

Educator Elaine C. Cash, retired superintendent of Riverdale Joint Unified School District and a K-12 liaison for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium since 2017, has been named to a full-time position as CVHEC’s Grants & Programs coordinator.

In her new capacity effective October 1, Elaine is responsible for grant writing, management and reporting of grants and sponsored programs, announced Dr. Benjamín Durán, CHVEC executive director.

“This new position for CVHEC will help support the growth and sustainability of the consortium and our work,” Durán said.

Elaine first joined CVHEC in 2016 and, as a liaison, she served as a connection and resource to consortium K-12 partners for strategies such as the valley-wide adoption of the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI), increasing FAFSA completion numbers in Fresno County and dual enrollment.

“Elaine provided understanding about the K-12 system that CVHEC, with our focus on higher education, was not articulate in,” said Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC Operations and Finance manager who supervises staff positions.

Elaine also is the executive director of her own education consultant company, ECC Education Group LLC and currently works as the facilitator for the FAFSA Completion Work Group with the Fresno Compact. She also serves on the Fresno State College Readiness Advisory Board and as a management trustee for California’s Valued Trust.

As a consultant, Elaine has worked with school districts throughout the Central Valley, largely focusing on student transition from high school to college.

She retired as Riverdale Joint Unified School District superintendent in 2010, capping, at the time, a 27-year career in education that included experience as a classroom teacher, elementary and high school principal and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

During Elaine’s nine years as superintendent, all Riverdale schools earned the California Distinguished Schools recognition and Riverdale High School received the College Board National Inspiration Award.

Her article, “A Change in Beliefs Leads to A Change in Behavior and Student Achievement,” was published in the National Staff Development Council’s Journal of Staff Development in June 2010.

Elaine earned her BA at the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA in Educational Leadership and Administration at Fresno State.

Zero-Textbook-Cost/OER Movement picks up steam with $115m state grant

West Hills College Lemoore Among the Statewide Leaders; CVHEC Establishes Regional ZTC Task Force

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is creating a regional task force to support its member institutions interested in reducing the overall cost of education for students and decreasing the time it takes students to complete degree and certificate programs by using alternative instructional materials and methodologies, including open educational resources (OER).

One of the first goals of the task force will be to support members in applying for new state funding for the California Community Colleges to establish Zero-Textbook-Cost programs systemwide.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, sent out a call to members in late August to recommend appointments to the Central Valley Zero-Textbook-Cost Task Force.

“This task force will bring attention to how districts can access the $115 million available to community colleges to implement the program and benefit their students,” Duran said. “We hope the task force will help create a collaborative environment to support each other in providing zero cost textbooks to our students.”

He anticipates the task force will be named in early October and set its first meeting shortly after to ensure members are aware of CCC’s ZTC webinars.

Duran is working with James Preston, president of West Hills College Lemoore and member of the CVHEC Board of Directors, who has been at the forefront of the ZTC Degrees Movement with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

“Zero-textbook-cost degrees” means community college associate degrees or career technical education certificates earned entirely by completing courses that eliminate conventional textbook costs by using alternative instructional materials and methodologies, including open educational resources (OER).

In a blog for this issue of the CVHEC e-newsletter, President Preston explains that Open Educational Resources are free, openly licensed and accessible materials that faculty can retain, revise, remix, reuse, revise and redistribute. OER materials come in many forms such as open textbooks, videos, articles and ancillary support materials.

“When creatively combined into a Canvas course shell, OER create what we now know as a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) course,” he said. “Teamwork between discipline faculty, an area administrator, library or instructional design support and student services personnel, along with the financial support for people to collaborate, can quickly move things from a ZTC course to a ZTC degree.

“Add in a dose of creativity, strategy, policy, equity and guided pathways thinking and you are on your way to a full OERevolution,” the West Hills College Lemoore president writes.

This OERevolution started for West Hills College Lemoore in 2016 when the campus received a $100,000 grant from the Achieving the Dream (ATD) network to create a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degree for an Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) in Elementary Education.

Other CVHEC members receiving the 2016 seed funding were Reedley College, Taft College and WHC- Coalinga. CVHEC four-year members also utilizing the Zero Textbook Cost Program are Fresno State (see video “Be A Hero: Adopt Open Educational Resource” and press release “Fresno State partners with OpenStax to increase use of free textbooks on campus”) and National University.

CVHEC audience members wishing to recommend task force participants may email Angel Ramirez, Operations & Finance Manager, at angelr@csufresno.edu.

 

Links

What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog by WHC-L President James Preston (September 2022 CVHEC Newsletter).

WHC-Lemoore OER – (https://www.westhillscollege.com/lemoore/oer/)

OER video – (https://youtu.be/qop5VhYv2nw)

California community colleges implement zero-textbook-cost (Inside Higher Ed – Sept. 19, 2019)  

CVHEC Mini-Grant Application 2022

Read more

CMSP-SJV: Pathway for Community College Students to the Medical Field 

California Medicine Scholars Program-SJV: a collab of UCSF Fresno and other CVHEC members

A valley wide collaborative by Central Valley Higher Education Consortium partners and Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) has led to a major accomplishment for the Central Valley with the launch this summer of the California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP) and the designation of the University of California, San Francisco – Fresno as one of four Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity (RHHOs) in the state.

Established under Senate Bill 40, CMSP is designed to pave the pathway to medical school for community college students, increase the numbers of underrepresented minority physicians and result in more physicians and allied health professionals settling in the region. The budget bill signed in June by Governor Newsom includes $9,975,000 to establish the regional pipeline system for community college students who want to go to medical school.

“We are delighted to announce the establishment of the California Medicine Scholars Program (SJV-CMSP) hub at UCSF-Fresno, one of four hubs in the state authorized by SB 40 and authored by our very own Sen. Hurtado,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

“Establishing a hub in the Central Valley helps build a culture that promotes equity of opportunity in medicine and pre-medicine among eligible, local community college students,” Duran said.

CVHEC plays key role

Sen. Hurtado, who introduced the legislation last year in response to a provider shortage in the Central Valley, said a key factor in the Valley being the only region initially guaranteed a hub in the final legislation was Duran’s  collaboration and advocacy on behalf of CVHEC partners in the early planning meetings.

“The Central Valley is experiencing a healthcare provider shortage,” Sen. Hurtado said. “Patients face longer than average wait times to see a physician and have to drive long distances to access the nearest hospital. Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Duran and the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium on the passage of the California Medicine Scholars Program, many students in the Valley will be given the opportunity to live their dream and attend medical school.”

CVHEC rallied leaders of the Consortium that is made up of 30 institutions of higher education in the nine-county region from Stockton to Bakersfield to support UCSF-Fresno as one of the state’s four hubs authorized by the legislation for the program. UCSF-Fresno, a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, joined the Consortium as its most recent member in May.

Duran credited Dr. Kenny Bahn, assistant dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at UCSF Fresno, who headed the Central Valley team that developed the application for funding in collaboration with CVHEC partners — California Health Sciences University, Fresno State and regional community colleges — that will feed the medical pathways in the valley.

He also praised the CVHEC community college leaders who responded to his invitation in January to support Sen. Hurtado’s bill.

“These collaborative efforts will hopefully lead to more physicians and allied health professionals settling in the region,” Duran said.

Statewide, the CMSP will be housed at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. In addition to UCSF-Fresno serving as the lead agency for the San Joaquin Valley Regional Hub of Healthcare Opportunity (SJV-RHHO), the state’s three other regional hubs of will be based at the UC Davis School of Medicine, UC Riverside School of Medicine and UC San Diego School of Medicine

The four hubs will bridge gaps between community colleges, four-year universities, medical schools and community-based health clinics and organizations to provide greater pre-medical opportunities for students and help diversify California’s primary care physician workforce, UCSF-Fresno said in its announcement of the hubs and funding June 28.

Addressing physician shortage

All hubs reside in regions underserved in health care and are currently experiencing a physician shortage. Each grantee will receive $1.6 million for the first three years ($540,000 annually) with additional funding ($250,000) available in the fourth year for sustainability. Funding supports the creation of the RHHOs and provides a strategy to increase the number of underrepresented minority physicians and ultimately reduce disparities in health and health outcomes across the state.

The SJV-RHHO launched July 1, creating the first pre-medical diversity pathway from community college to primary care physician program in the San Joaquin Valley under the name California Medicine Scholars Program (SJV-CMSP).

Dr. Banh said the vision of the SJV-CMSP is to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority physicians through a collaborative partnership effort.

“This program fulfills a need in the pathway to practicing physician at the community college level,” Dr. Banh said. “The mission specifically is to increase the number of regional community college students who transfer to and are accepted into medical schools from California State University, Fresno.”

The SJV-CMSP Network

In addition to UCSF Fresno, CHSU, Fresno State and CVHEC, the SJV-CMSP partners include: the State Center Community College District (Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera/Oakhurst Community College, Reedley Community College); College of the Sequoias (Hanford, Tulare and Visalia campuses); the Merced Community College District (Merced and Los Banos campuses); the West Hills Community College District (Coalinga, Firebaugh and Lemoore campuses); the Yosemite Community College District (Columbia College and Modesto Junior College); the California Area Health Education Center Program; the Central Valley Health Network; and the Valley Health Team Family Residency Medicine Program.

“Developing a high-quality undergraduate medical education program and the foundation for a future medical school requires that enough qualified students from the region are available to be recruited to the program,” said Michael W. Peterson, MD, associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and Research at UCSF Fresno.

“Improving efficiencies and developing financial sustainability of pathway programs are essential to continue the tremendous momentum and success we have accomplished to date with programs like the Doctors Academy built by our very own Katherine A. Flores, MD, and to expand to serve community college students with the SJV-CMSP,” Dr. Peterson added.

To better coordinate and increase the success of existing pathway programs, SJV-CMSP and future programs, Associate Dean Peterson and Assistant Dean Banh also announced that UCSF Fresno created an Office of Health Career Pathways within the Department of Undergraduate Medical Education.

Named as the office’s inaugural director was Emy Lopez Phillips, EdD, who is an alumna of three CVHEC members: Fresno City College, California State University, Stanislaus and Fresno State.

See:

 

Dr. Herrera to Head Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative

Dr. Krista Herrera was named executive director of the newly formed Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, a partnership between Kern County Superintendent Of Schools, institutes of higher education including the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and business partners to significantly expand Kern County’s workforce development efforts.

Dr. Krista Herrera
Kern K-16 Regional Collaborative

Dr. Herrera, who was also appointed administrator of Instructional Services by KSOS Superintendent Mary C. Barlow, will provide leadership for the implementation of over $18 million in state funds awarded to Kern.

The grant is aimed at improving student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the Kern County workforce.

The Kern Collaborative will support numerous efforts that will streamline pathways in three occupational areas, including healthcare, education and engineering/computing. The initiative will focus on first-generation college students, those from low- income families and students of color to improve preparation for college and career access and success.

CVHEC is a partner in the collaborative with its $1.7 million project, the CVHEC/Kern Dual Enrollment Teacher Up-skilling Program for English and Mathematics, to provide master’s degrees for up to 96 South Valley high school teachers that achieves state qualifications for teaching community college dual enrollment English and math courses on a high school campus.

In addition to the Kern Collaborative, Dr. Herrera will provide oversight for several instructional programs within KCSOS, including the development of the statewide High Quality Online Instructional Materials initiative and the district’s equity work, including the annual Equity Symposium.

“We look forward to the success of this initiative under Krista’s capable leadership,” said Lisa Gilbert, deputy superintendent of KSOS Instructional Services.

Dr. Herrera brings nearly 15 years of experience working in education including the past four years serving as administrator of Professional Learning & Student Support for KCSOS. She earned degrees at San Diego State University, Point Loma Nazarene University and the University of LaVerne. Among her professional affiliations is serving as facilitator and coach for the California Coalition Dedicated to Dual Enrollment (CCEMC).

SEE:

CVHEC Master’s Upskilling Program press release

CVHEC MEMBER NEWS

JUNE 2022

President James Preston of CVHEC-member West Hills Community College-Lemoore accepts The Fresno Bee “Best of Central California” Award for Best College/University.

West Hills College-Lemoore Named
‘Best College/University’ (MORE)

Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative
receives $18 million state grant (MORE) Fresno/Madera K-16 grant (MORE)

CSSA honors Fresno State president with President of the Year Award (MORE)

Joseph and Yvette Jones built relationships for Fresno Pacific University (MORE)

(CVHEC members are encouraged to submit campus stories: centralvalleyhec@gmail.com). 

CVHEC IN THE NEWS: KGO features Dual Enrollment Master’s Upskilling Program

Read more
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