Bakersfield College Selected for Amazon’s Career Choice Program

CVHEC-member Bakersfield College is among more than 140 national and local universities selected by Amazon for a new program that offers its 750,000 hourly employees in the U.S. fully-funded college tuition.

Amazon’s announcement March 3 is part of the company’s ongoing enhancements to Career Choice – an upskilling program designed to help frontline employees grow their skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere.

Bakersfield College is one of the nation’s oldest continually-operating community colleges, serving approximately 30,000 students annually on the 153-acre main campus in northeast Bakersfield and at multiple community and rural locations. Amazon is also partnering with GEDWorks and Smart Horizons to provide employees with free high school completion and GED preparation, Voxy EnGen and goFLUENT to provide English language proficiency training, and Outlier to provide college preparation courses – all for free.

Bakersfield College Interim President Zav Dadabhoy said he is thrilled to have this opportunity available for Amazon’s local workforce.

“Bakersfield College is here to support our entire community in many different ways,” Dr. Dadabhoy said. “While most students seek a college degree or certificate, many can improve their careers and earning potential through building skills that develop and ensure secure futures.”

He said through Amazon’s Career Choice Program, BC’s students will have the foundational support of steady employment while also working towards their personal academic goals: “All of us at Bakersfield College are thrilled to see the growing presence of Amazon in our community and look forward to a long and productive collaboration.”

As a champion of higher education, Bakersfield College’s expansive list of vocational, technical, and career-driven programs has captured attention statewide.

In 2015, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office announced their selection of BC as one of 15 California colleges to pilot a four-year baccalaureate degree program in Industrial Automation. In May 2018, BC conferred its first BS degrees to the inaugural class and today, one of those initial graduates is employed by Amazon as a Senior Maintenance Manager, here in Kern County.

“Since its founding in 1913, Bakersfield College has been committed to expanding the skilled workforce of Kern County,” said Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the Kern Community College District. “I am beyond proud of BC’s faculty and staff who continue to create pathways and forge innovative partnerships like this one with the Amazon Career Choice Program and by offering employees the opportunity to grow their skills for in-demand jobs of the future, Amazon is positively contributing to the overall wellness and success of Kern County and our community.”

For more information on Bakersfield College’s Career Choice Program, visit: https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/adult-education/amazon-career-choice-program.

See: Bakersfield College press release with additional information about Amazon’s educational programs and jobs.

CHSU Suspends New Pharmacy Program Launch

California Health Sciences University has suspended the launch of a more rigorous, three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program, officials announced March 7 after the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education recently said three of the 25 standards required still need to be met.

CHSU President Flo Dunn said that achieving the three remaining ACPE standards is readily attainable. However, other factors ultimately determined the decision to suspend. Most notably, the growing scarcity of pharmacy jobs and a continuing local and nationwide decline in pharmacy school applications.

“We take our responsibility to build sustainable programs where future graduates have ample job opportunities very seriously,” President Dunn said. “We still believe local students need more accessible pharmacy education, and at the right time we might restart the pharmacy accreditation process. But for now, our priority is supporting the success of current pharmacy and medical students.”

Nearly 250 students have graduated from CHSU’s current, 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. But that program will be discontinued after graduation of the 2024 class.

The decision to suspend pursuit of the replacement 3-year pharmacy program, which CHSU had hoped to begin the  this fall, was made over in a series of meetings by CHSU’s trustees, founders, and top administration.

President Dunn said, “We are thoroughly committed to seeing our current pharmacy students become licensed and serve our region as professionals. We also plan to shift more focus into our medical program and begin exploring five other programs where the student demand and regional need are very high.”

Most pharmacy employees are being retained for the remainder of the program. Any pharmacy employee not staying until 2024, has the option to stay until the end of spring semester or a later designated date. We hope they consider applying for other open positions at the university, said President Dunn.

CHSU offers a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program that has nearly 200 students in its first two cohorts. A third cohort of more than 150 is expected to enter this fall. And as early as 2023, President Dunn said, the university could begin the process of adding the next healthcare specialty colleges, including a Master of Science degree program.

CVHEC in the News: KSEE Central Valley Today Features Dual Enrollment

CVHEC’s dual enrollment measures were featured on KSEE-TV24’s Central Valley Today Program. Host Emily Erwin interviewed CHEC Executive Director Benjamin Duran and Nataly Frias, an alumnus of dual enrollment in Turlock and Merced College where she earned two associate degrees prior to high school graduation. Nataly is now a Fresno State junior majoring in psychology with an eye on the Nursing Program.

Watch the interview below.

CVHEC Director’s Message: Overcoming the Pandemic for CVHEC Dual Enrollment Successes

Greetings colleagues,

What an extraordinary kick off to spring 2022 we have seen in the past week.

For the first time in two years, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and its partners came together in what one participant described as “a unique space where K-12 educators teamed up with higher education officials” during our Dual Enrollment Convening March 17 in downtown Fresno.

This convening accomplished many objectives, but one is for certain: we did not let the pandemic of the past two years get us down.

Not only did we reflect on the progress we accomplished via virtual existence the past 24 months but we also presented that story through our newest video premiered at the convening and which we reveal publicly in this issue of our e-newsletter – “Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley.”

This video captures the success story of three Central Valley students who have made the most of the dual enrollment opportunity afforded to them: Nataly Frias of Turlock High School; Isaac Bates of Corcoran High; and Alicia Bias of Washington Union High in partnership with CVHEC members Merced College, College of the Sequoias and Fresno City College respectively. They are representative of the outstanding Central Valley students enrolled in dual enrollment college courses while in high school

It also features the advocacy of three dual enrollment champions: West Hills Community College Chancellor Kristen Clark; Merced College Pres Chris Vitelli; and McKenna Salazar, career engagement specialist for the Tulare County Office of Education – all articulating the value of dual enrollment for both the students and the campuses while helping close the equity gap.

And this was the spirit in force at the convening last week, aptly entitled “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley.”

Nearly 140 educators assembled for three morning panels and three afternoon workshops to address challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success as well as review best practices with an eye on future strategies.

We are grateful to Dr. Mayra A. Lara, associate director of Educator Engagement for The Education Trust-West based in Oakland, for her presentation of her organization’s recent report, “Jumpstart California: A Roadmap for Equitable Dual Enrollment Policy & Practice.”  We are happy to have them join us as our newest partners.

Overall, we heard discussion and recommendations for such topics as Advanced Placement v. dual enrollment, weighted GPAs and aligning guided pathways with high school curriculum among other relevant issues.

We plan to have a full report on the convening’s outcomes in April that will lay the groundwork for our task force to continue its trajectory as leaders in dual enrollment.

But perhaps the highlight of the event was the inspiring student panel where the three aforementioned students featured in the video joined us along with a fourth panelist, Arlene Rocha, an alumna of Wonderful Prep Academy and Bakersfield College now completing master’s work at Fresno State and Emerson online.

The students elaborated on their individual dual enrollment experiences before fielding questions from the audience, showing a level of competence and professionalism to marvel. As our student participants, they represented why we do this sometimes overwhelming but satisfying educational work. I’m sure you all came away as satisfied as I was in seeing that our efforts have the concrete results these students demonstrate.

Equally commendable are all 136 convening participants who continued the CVHEC reputation for putting action into words: all the talking, research, and analyses – while important and must continue  – is irrelevant if we do not commit and execute meaningful measures as this group has done in recent years and has pledged to continue in the coming months.

Just as important, if not more so, this second convening demonstrated that our dual enrollment practitioners not only develop local solutions for a collaborative regional approach, but we also lead the way in advocating for state-level policy changes and investment for broader, systemic impact.

What the “CV-HEC” am I talking about? As we reviewed at last week’s convening, concrete results that came from our Zoom adventures of the past two years were:

  • Improvements in the CCCApply application process to the California Community College system. Our CVDEEP Task Force led the way in a statewide user group with the CCC Chancellor’s Office to redesign the application for student friendliness. While work continues on these improvements, we commend the chancellor’s team for listening to our dual enrollment advocates and acting expeditiously. The task force has established a promising road for solid results.
  • The Dual Enrollment Upskilling Teachers Master’s Program that provides access to state funding through the Fresno K-16 Collaborative. This initiative provides funds for high school English and math teachers to earn a master’s degree required for teaching college courses at their high school campus. We were especially pleased to see the examples of the accompanying mentor program in one of the convening panels.

So perhaps the real victory in all this is the undeniable demonstration by members of our CVDEEP Task Force — with  CVHEC member community colleges and K-16 partners — rising to the challenges they imposed on themselves at the first convening in 2020; identifying potential solutions; and collaborating relentlessly for these two concrete measures that help expand dual enrollment opportunities in the region.

And all this is only the tip of the iceberg. Wait until you see what we have planned for the upcoming CVHEC Legislative and Policy Summit May 5-6 when a historic occasion is revisited: the presidents and chancellors of the region’s 29 higher ed institutions convening to address issues relevant to pursuing our goal of improving the degree and certificate attainment rate for valley residents.

Nowhere else in the nation does a region’s higher education chief executives convene in the same room for a common cause. Keep an eye out for details in our next newsletter (and be sure to register for the summit by the April 29 deadline).

To all of you partnering with us in these endeavors – thank you. This is not about one organization. It’s about you and your collaborative efforts to serve students. This is YOUR consortium.

I hope you enjoy CVHEC’s new dual enrollment video. We encourage you to use it as you see fit in telling our dual enrollment success stories and advocating for improvements.  We look ahead to continuing our partnerships with each and every one of you.

Taft College Centennial — Celebrating 100 Cougar Years

By EMMA GALLEGOS – Bakersfield.com

Feb 26, 2022

To mark its 100 years in the community, Taft College will be having a big party.

There have been and will continue to be events commemorating the 100th birthday all year, including a breakfast in January and a barbecue coming up in August. But March 26 will serve as the marquee event of the season: the Centennial Celebration Gala.

“We’re looking forward to dressing up and celebrating the college in our community,” said Taft College President and Superintendent Debra Daniels.

It will be an evening of music and good food, and also a time for alumni and community members to share their memories. Former offensive line coach for the New England Patriots Dante Scarnecchia will return to his alma mater as a special guest for the evening.

Taft College prides itself on being a small college that punches above its weight. This semester its unduplicated headcount is at 2,636.

That’s certainly true when it comes to athletic prowess. Scarnecchia is just one in a long line of alumni with impressive records that have taken them to the Olympics, NFL and MLB.

But Daniels said that just scratches the surface: One million people have been students of Taft College. They work in the college and serve as leaders in the community.

She says you can just look no further than the district’s board: president Kathy Cole and trustee Kathy Orrin, who also serves as executive director of the Taft Chamber of Commerce, are both alumni. Others include Bo Bravo, who works for Chevron, and Janice Ashley, who serves on the West Side Health Care District.

But Taft College’s origins are very humble. Like many of the oldest community colleges in California, Taft College’s first act began as a junior college that was essentially an extension of the high school.

On Aug. 30, 1922, Taft Union High School approved Taft Junior College, making it the 16th in California. The first faculty members were the heads of the high school departments, and the first dean was the high school principal.

Even 100 years ago, it was advertised not only as a way to save money on college expenses, but also as a way for parents to keep a closer eye on their young adult children.

“The fact that the student may be kept under the parental eye for two more years than is ordinarily the case and that the expense of text books and board is also saved is a large factor in making the junior college course desirable,” read a front-page article in The Bakersfield Californian.

On the first day of school, Sept. 15, there were 20 students enrolled at Taft Junior College. The first courses offered were in Spanish, French, Latin, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geography, public speaking, history, philosophy, economics, political science, hygiene and physical education.

The junior college would grow exponentially, especially after World War II, to the point that it required its own facilities and dorms, independent of the high school system. In 1962, it officially became an independent college district. In 1971, it would take on the name we know it by today: the West Kern Community College District.

The district has gone through highs and lows: the price of oil, California’s budget or bond measures funded by the community determined the fate of the campus. During a particularly painful period in the early 1990s, all athletic programs were cut. Most of them, save for the football and track programs, were eventually brought back.

It was during this lean period that the Taft College Foundation was formed. Since 1991, it has raised more than $5 million to support the district’s goals. It helped the college in key moments, such as securing the loan for the facility where the dental hygiene program was launched in 1993. Today it helps the college in a variety of ways, including through offering emergency funds for students or innovation grants for professors, Daniels said.

Bond measures have been key through the years. In 1961, a tax election for 50 cents was roundly defeated while the college was still under the auspices of the high school district. But in 1964, the newly-created district passed a 13.5-cent tax override with strong support. Subsequently, the campus was able to massively expand its infrastructure.

In 2004, the community supported Measure A, a $39.8 million general obligation bond measure. It funded the modernization or construction of new buildings, including the Student Center. It opened at the beginning of this school year, just days before students arrived on campus after almost two years in distance learning.

Education is a big piece of how the college gives back to the community, Daniels said.

“They start businesses, and they become great employees,” Daniels said.

For local students it literally is a gift through the Taft College Promise. All Taft Union and Maricopa High School students attend their first two years for free, and they are offered wraparound services such as counseling that make them more likely to succeed.

But Daniels said that Taft College is also one of the largest employers in the area. It provides jobs and contracts with local vendors. The college has always had strong support from the community.

“They come out to our events and take an interest in our school,” Daniels said.

She said she’s looking forward to welcoming the community for the Centennial festivities.

The Centennial Celebration Gala will be held at Taft College Student Center on March 26. The pre-party mixer will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the gala will start at 6:30. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3GoGplt

Reprinted from the Bakersfield.com. 

Dual Enrollment Convening: Face-To-Face Space for K-12 and Higher Ed

Four valley students shared their dual enrollment success stories at the “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley” Convening during a panel moderated by Merced College President Chris Vitelli, a CVHEC board member (center): Alicia Bias, Isaac Bates, Arlene Rocha and Nataly Frias.

CVHEC premieres new video at CVDEEP convening

‘Blurring the Lines Between High School and College:

Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley’

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Media/Communications Coordinator

More than 135 secondary and postsecondary educators assembled for the “Establishing Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley” Convening in downtown Fresno March 17 to address challenges and barriers to dual enrollment success.

They also heard four valley students share their success stories – including two who completed associate degrees before their high school graduation.

Presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and its Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force, the five-hour convening  at the DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel  also featured the premiere of CVHEC’s latest education video, “Blurring the Lines Between High School and College: Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley.” (See related story this issue).

Dr. Mayra A. Lara, associate director of Educator Engagement for The Education Trust-West based in Oakland,  discussed her organization’s recent report, “Jumpstart California: A Roadmap for Equitable Dual Enrollment Policy & Practice.”

While many concrete and soul-searching discussions arose from three morning sessions and three afternoon sessions, the highlight of the event was the panel of four students discussing their dual enrollment experience:

  • Arlene Rocha, who earned an associate degree from Bakersfield College at age 17 while attending Wonderful Prep Academy in Delano before earning a bachelor’s degree at Fresno State by age 19, is now enrolled in the Emerson College Master’s Program online as well as the Speech Language Pathology Assistants Certification Program at Fresno State. She mapped out a rigorous and challenging — but “fun” — dual enrollment program for all four years of high school that led to 375 credits (250 required for graduation) and a 4.18 GPA.
  • Nataly Frias, who earned two associate degrees from Merced College at age 18 while at Turlock High School and is now enrolled in upper-division courses for a degree in psychology at Fresno State. She said more schools should promote dual enrollment and ensure college credit is given;
  • Isaac Bates, a Corcoran High School senior currently enrolled in dual enrollment courses from College of the Sequoias, said he was able to get college credit for his dual enrollment classes while his friends in Advanced Placement did not;
  • Alicia Bias, a Washington Union High School senior taking Fresno City College courses where she is completing clinical labs for a medical assisting certification.

Nataly was accompanied by her parents Anthony Frias, who is a counselor at Modesto Junior College, and Sabrina Frias, a counselor at Merced College.  Alicia’s mother Valerie Saenz accompanied her. All were welcomed warmly by the educators in attendance.

CVHEC Executive Director Benjamín Durán said “perhaps the highlight of the event was the inspiring student panel where the  students elaborated on their individual dual enrollment experiences before fielding questions from the audience, showing a level of competence and professionalism to marvel.

“As our student participants, they represented why we do this sometimes overwhelming but satisfying educational work,” Durán said. “It was very  satisfying to see that our efforts have the concrete results these students demonstrate.”

He also commended all 136 convening participants “who continued the CVHEC reputation for putting action into words.

“All the talking, research, and analyses – while important and must continue  – are irrelevant if we do not commit and execute meaningful measures as this group has done in recent years and has pledged to continue in the coming months.”

Durán added that this second “annual” convening “demonstrated that our dual enrollment practitioners not only develop local solutions for a collaborative regional approach, but we also lead the way in advocating for state-level policy changes and investment for broader, systemic impact.”

In his opening remarks at the convening, Durán reviewed concrete results that were recommended at the first CVDEEP gathering in 2020 and progress in the two years since:

  • Improvements in the CCCApply application process to the California Community College system.

“Our CVDEEP Task Force led the way statewide in collaborating with the CCC Chancellor’s Office to redesign the application for student friendliness,” he noted.  “While work continues on these improvements, we commend the chancellor’s team for listening to our dual enrollment advocates and acting expeditiously. The task force has established a promising road for solid results.”

  • The Dual Enrollment Upskilling Teachers Master’s Program that provides access to state funding through the Fresno K-16 Collaborative for high school English and math teachers to earn a master’s degree required for teaching college courses at their high school campus.

“We were especially pleased to see the examples of the accompanying master’s Mentor Program in one of the convening panels,” Durán said.

“The real victory in all this is the undeniable demonstration by members of our CVDEEP Task Force — with  CVHEC member community colleges and K-16 partners — rising to the challenges they imposed on themselves at the first convening in 2020; identifying potential solutions; and collaborating relentlessly for these two concrete measures that help expand dual enrollment opportunities in the region,” he added.

“And a wonderful by-product from these interactions is that we are all learning from each other here in the Central Valley.”

Martín Macías, superintendent of Golden Plains Unified School District in San Joaquin who spoke on the panel “Meaningful Dual Enrollment Pathways in the Central Valley,” commended the task force because the convening “facilitated ways to provide access to the students with the greatest needs (our valley) and by helping us come to the table and share practices that are providing positive results systemically.”

A full report detailing recommendations from the sessions will be forthcoming in April.

See related links:

CVDEEP Convening event website

Full press release announcing the convening  

BACKGROUND

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

SAVE THE DATE: CVDEEP Convening – March 17, 2022

(UPDATE – the CVDEEP Convening has been rescheduled to March 17. Details will be available in the upcoming February issue of the CVHEC e-newsletter).

CVHEC’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) is now planning to re-convene in person Friday, March 17 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Fresno for the first time since the pandemic shutdown two years ago.

Open to secondary and postsecondary educators and community leaders interested in dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.

See details and registration info:  https://www.cvhec.org/cvhec-dual-enrollment-convening-march-17/

 

• See story about the 2020 CVDEEP Convening.

CVHEC BLOG: ‘WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING’ (Dec. 2021)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The opening panel discussion at the CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Project convening Nov. 4 in Merced included Shirley Asher, Jennifer Johnson, Karissa Morehouse, Sonya Christian, Gregg Camfield and Chenoa Woods.

 

The beat – serving student success – goes on!

An inside look at the CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Pathways Initiative and Mapper

By Tom Burke
CVHEC Transfer Project Coordinator

(Photo Gallery below)

In June, when I stepped down as chancellor of the Kern Community College District, many thought I would embark on the typical “retirement” life of fishing, hunting, traveling and just resting after a 40-year career.

While I did enjoy some of that, I also soon found myself right back in the saddle in a “new” role with KCCD as Deputy Chancellor and as a coordinator with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. So for those of you wondering: no I’m not officially “retired!”

Rather I am happy to report that the past few months have been quite a rewarding whirlwind as I plunged headlong into a new “assignment” as coordinator of CVHEC’s Transfer Project with the intent to enhance what has been my life’s work: serving students in general and in this case specifically, helping build effective pathways to our community colleges for a smoother, efficient transfer experience.

To that end, these past 45 days alone have seen the fruition of two great milestones.

First was the public celebration of the completion of Phase I of a joint program, the CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Pathways Initiative, at a convening Nov. 4 on the UCM campus with community college partners Bakersfield and Merced Colleges.  Secondly, at that historic event, we also launched Phase II of this project that includes the participation of four more CVHEC member institutions: Porterville College, Reedley College, Clovis College and West Hills College-Lemoore.

 

Revolutionizing Positive Outcomes

The Transfer Pathways Initiative is the result of a $500,000 grant from the California Educational Learning Lab to Bakersfield College, Merced College and UC Merced for the development of 2+2 transfer maps that streamline and guide the transfer of community college students to the University of California system.

Last month’s convening, “Charting Better Maps to Degrees – Developing Transfer Pathways to UC Merced,” demonstrated how we can revolutionize positive outcomes across enrollment, completions and equity for students while emphasizing UC Merced’s commitment to significantly expanding transfer pathways for community college students within the San Joaquin Valley to UC Merced.

With about 172 participants representing all three segments of higher education, the hybrid convening itself was a hallmark of sorts being the first major gathering convened by CVHEC and its partners since the pandemic shut down the world in March 2020. The energy from seeing and hearing our colleagues in the flesh was very evident throughout the six-hour event that was also presented virtually via Zoom (130 virtual and 42 in person).

CVHEC member community colleges were well represented at the convening where we discussed how in Phase 1, our partner teams completed 14 Transfer Pathways from Merced College and Bakersfield College to UC Merced as well as Transfer Pathway work with California State University, Bakersfield.

The convening also further introduced interested colleges to the Pathway Mapper software program, particularly its ability to enhance the student transfer experience as well as early student success results from institutions utilizing the Pathway Mapper. Participants also received information on future Program Mapper software enhancements that are scheduled.

The topics of four breakout sessions portrayed the breadth and depth of our mission:

  • The Tech Behind Program Pathways Mapper
  • Student Impact of Program Pathways Mapper – On-path Percentage, Student Engagement
  • Getting Started with Program Pathways Mapper: Cleaning and Loading Your Curriculum
  • The Technology of Collaboration – How to set up effective intersegmental discipline faculty teams and develop 2+2 transfer Documentation of process and guidelines.

 

Implementation teams of faculty, staff working hand-in-hand

The second great milestone is the launch of Phase II which actually got its start in the summer when a convening of representatives from all 15 CVHEC community colleges included an update presentation on the aforementioned Phase I completion of the 14 Transfer Pathways from Merced and Bakersfield Colleges to UC Merced.

At that June 16 convening, significant interest was expressed for participation in Phase II project implementation so in the early fall CVHEC reached out to interested member community colleges with a call to form and submit their implementation teams.

The four Phase II community colleges mentioned above — Porterville, Reedley, Clovis and West Hills-Lemoore — established teams and scheduled convenings to commence the development of curriculum transfer pathways to UC Merced. They will now be individually convening in the next four months with the first held Dec. 2-3 at Porterville College.

That recent convening was my first as a coordinator and I was impressed with the commitment and excitement by the Porterville College, faculty, staff and administrators to develop nine transfer pathways directly to UC Merced including a new pathway in Spanish.

Perhaps the pinnacle of that enthusiasm was to observe, when a potential curriculum issue arose, how UC Merced staff collaborated and interfaced with community college faculty and staff for solutions on the spot.  They collectively brainstormed and developed options for resolving the issue.

In particular, the level of commitment by host Porterville College to fulfill this mission for their students was further demonstrated by the active involvement and attendance in the two-day convening by the Vice President of Instruction Thad Russell, Vice President of Student Services Primavera Arvizu and President of the Academic Senate Robert Simpkins.  In addition, Porterville College President Dr. Claudia Habib made an appearance at the convening impressing upon faculty and staff the importance of their contributions to this project for their students’ success and thanked them for their work on the pathways.

Equally, I was impressed with the Transfer Project planning team, especially CVHEC colleague Stan Carrizosa, a former College of Sequoias superintendent/president, and James Zimmerman, senior associate vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Education at UC Merced.

We hope this level of partnership by all parties will be emulated by all our members, which I am convinced will only lead to a great reward: positive outcomes across enrollment, completions and equity for students.

And that will clearly make for happier fishing, hunting and traveling days along the way (when I can squeeze them in)!

Happy Holidays to all!

See UC Merced press release: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2021/uc-merced-offer-simpler-transfer-pathway-central-valley-community-college-students

See Merced Sun Star story: UC Merced announces partnership to encourage Valley community college student transfers

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director; Dr. Sonya Christian, Kern Community College District chancellor; Lark Park, director of the California Education Learning Lab; and Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, UC Merced chancellor.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=”6150,6118,6120,6119,6184,6171,6164,6162,6161,6147,6148,6149,6151,6144,6142,6141,6096,6140,6107,6170,6139,6138,6136,6135,6121,6122,6126,6127,6130,6131,6132,6133,6110,6109,6108,6143,6059″ img_size=”large” autoplay=”yes” title=”Gallery: CVHEC/UC Merced Transfer Pathways Initiative — UC Merced campus Nov. 4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Los Baños Campus of Merced College Celebrates 50 Years Nov. 5

Merced College will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its Los Baños Campus with a free celebration Nov. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the outdoor quad of the campus (22240 West Highway 152).

“The Merced College Los Baños Campus 50th year celebration highlights our commitment to serving the community and the thousands of people on the west side of Merced County who have advanced their education and created better lives for themselves,” said Dr. Chris Vitelli, president of CVHEC-member Merced College.

Campus Dean Jessica Moran, a native of Los Baños and a graduate of its high school said, “We plan to welcome our community to showcase what we have accomplished over the past five decades.”

The celebration will feature free food including taco trucks and a volunteer barbecue crew led by Merced College Trustee John Pedrozo and Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke. Free entertainment will include carnival games.

Present and past Los Baños Campus staff and students will be honored, as well as emeritus board member Gene Vierra and several adjunct instructors who have worked at the campus for many decades. Previous deans of the campus will be acknowledged including John Spevak, former Merced College president of instruction, who is now a coordinator for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium.

Dean-emeritus Spevak contributed to this series of columns on the history of the Los Baños Campus published in the Merced Sun-Star:

See Merced College press release:  http://www.mccd.edu/news/press-releases/items/2021-10-19-los-banos-50-years.html

(CVHEC members are encouraged to submit items for this column: centralvalleyhec@gmail.com).

Charting Better Maps to Degrees

Historic UC Merced transfer initiative with Bakersfield, Merced Colleges launches Nov. 4

A hybrid convening at the University of California, Merced Nov. 4, “Charting Better Maps to Degrees,” will launch the historic UC Merced Transfer Pathways initiative between three Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member campuses and demonstrate how the new Program Pathways Mapper can revolutionize positive outcomes across enrollment, completions and equity for students.

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz will be joined by Bakersfield President Sonya Christian, Merced College President Chris Vitelli and CVHEC Executive Director Benjamin T. Duran. Also speaking will be Dr. Craig Hayward, dean of Institutional Effectiveness at Bakersfield College and  Wayne Skipper, president of Concentric Sky.

The pilot transfer project and the hybrid in-person/virtual event are the result of a $500,000 grant from the California Educational Learning Lab to Bakersfield College, Merced College, and UC Merced for the development of 2+2 transfer maps that streamline and guide the transfer of community college students to the University of California system.

During the event, which will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the UC Merced Conference Center, the grant team will unveil the UC prototype of the Program Pathways Mapper that will make online, interactive transfer maps freely available for current and prospective students.

The convening also will be digitally mediated allowing both virtual and in-person attendees to interact and participate together while providing a higher education bridge across the valley floor.

“UC Merced was created in the Valley to help serve the Valley and we are dedicated to fulfilling that mission,” said Chancellor Muñoz, who will welcome the participants at 9 a.m. followed by the community college presidents and Duran. “This project to simplify transfer pathways means that more young people from our region will recognize a UC education as an achievable goal, and will help students, educators and families chart a course to that goal.”

Duran will discuss CVHEC’s support for the regional roll-out of the Program Pathways Mapper for colleges and universities in the Central Valley. CVHEC consists of 29 colleges in the nine-county region from Stockton to Bakersfield with the presidents/chancellors of each member institution serving as the board of directors.

He said this groundbreaking project, which supports CVHEC’s core mission to improve college completion rates while also supporting the valley’s only UC campus in collaboration with member community colleges, is unique in the state.

“Nothing like this is taking place anywhere else in California that I’m aware of,” said Duran a former Merced College president. “This kind of collaboration, especially intersegmentally, just isn’t happening. This is a big win for the Central Valley.”

Work is well underway to implement the same type of partnership transfer agreements between CVHEC’s CSU member campuses at Bakersfield, Fresno and Stanislaus, he said, with the intent to make this new model available for community college transfers in other regions of the valley.

Members and prospective members of the Program Pathways Mapper community are invited to attend the free event that will include breakfast and lunch. Space is limited but registration is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/program-pathways-mapper-convening-tickets-168987649609.

For additional information and updates, including details on speakers and breakout sessions, see www.foundationccc.org/ChartingBetterMapstoDegrees.

Additional event questions may be directed to Lori Ortiz,  executive secretary for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Bakersfield College at lori.ortiz@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

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