The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Britt Rios-Ellis to serve as president of California State University, Stanislaus July 1, 2024 when she will also become a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors made up of the heads of 28 institutions of higher education in the nine-county region.

Britt Rios-Ellis

Rios-Ellis currently serves as provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs at Oakland University (OU), a public research university in Rochester, Michigan.

“I am both honored and humbled to serve this outstanding University alongside the talented faculty, staff, administrators and students at Stanislaus State, and to be the first new president selected under the leadership of Chancellor Mildred García,” said Rios-Ellis.

“I am eager to get to know the Turlock and Stockton communities and work together to ensure that the positive impact of our students’ and the University’s overall success is felt profoundly throughout the region.”

Rios-Ellis will be the University’s 13th leader, succeeding Interim President Susan E. Borrego who has served in the role since the retirement of President Emerita Ellen Junn in summer 2023.

“On behalf of the Stan state community, I welcome Dr. Rios-Ellis,” Interim President Borrego said. “She will join a community of committed faculty, staff and students who are proud to be a part of such an amazing University.”

“Dr. Rios-Ellis is an inspirational, compassionate and mission-driven leader, guided by a commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said CSU Trustee Yammilette Rodriguez, chair of the Stanislaus State Presidential Search Committee. “Her wide-ranging experience, student-centered approach and commitment to broader community engagement make her the ideal candidate to lead Stanislaus State in its next exciting chapter.”

Since joining the Oakland University leadership team in 2021, Rios-Ellis has focused on student and faculty success efforts with a focus on equity, resulting in an 8% increase in retention of underrepresented students, as well as decreasing equity gaps in bottleneck courses, and time to graduation. At Oakland University, she has worked with faculty to increase research activity, with the OU Senate to strengthen shared governance, and with deans and faculty to establish new and needed academic programs. She also coordinated successful fundraising and budget realignment efforts for the university and led an initiative to secure OU’s Carnegie elective classification for Community Engagement.

In all, Rios-Ellis has led more than $59 million in student- and community-strengthening health and education-related efforts funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Education among other agencies, as well as in collaboration with industry partners to reinforce workforce pipelines.

This marks a return to the CSU system for Rios-Ellis. Prior to joining OU, she served as founding dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at California State University, Monterey Bay (2014 to 2020), where she led fundraising and strategic planning efforts and co-founded the Master of Science Physician Assistant Program — the first of its kind in the CSU.

From 1994 to 2014, Rios-Ellis served as a faculty member in the Department of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach. During that time, she also served as founding director of CSULB’s Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training (2005 to 2015) in alliance with UnidosUS, where she worked to promote and advocate for the health, culture and well-being of diverse communities. She was recognized with a CSULB Outstanding Professor Award in 2013 for her significant impact on Latinx health research and education, and she was named Woman of the Year by the National Hispanic Business Women’s Association in 2010 and the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2009. Additionally, in 2008, she received the Sol Award from the Los Angeles County Office of HIV/AIDS Planning Prevention.

Rios-Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish, a master’s degree in health and fitness management and a Ph.D. in community health — all from the University of Oregon.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Rosalee Rush 209.664.6780 or rbrush@csustan.edu

See:

CSU Stanislaus press release

Britt Rios-Ellis appointed as next Stan State president

‘Continuing the CVHEC Way

to AB 1705 Success’ – Part II

Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19 with
a look at chancellor options, adding high school principals voices to the convo

Many of the best math minds in the Central Valley will resume their Assembly Bill 1705 compliance deliberations April 19 for the latest Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Math Task Force convening,  “Continuing the CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success – Part II” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Fresno Convention Center.

The agenda released last week includes a look at recent guidance from the California Community College Chancellors Office (CCCCO) and introduction of a new Principal’s Strand to the ongoing discussions as they work towards compliance with the final stage of AB1705 by July 1: validation of equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.

Participants are encouraged to register for the free event by the April 17 deadline said John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force.

About 85 community college math educators, administrators and institutional researchers are expected to re-convene for the day long CVHEC event co-facilitated by the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), following up two virtual sessions in the fall and two in-person meetings.

This third in-person event on the topic is drawing many new faces with four principals and five other K-12 representatives registered to attend for input regarding what impact AB1705 will have at the high school level and how to work together to align math efforts.

Secondary education leaders registered to attend are:

• Lisa Castillo – Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District director
• Matt Gehrett – Dinuba Unified School District director
• Christine Johnson – Dinuba Unified School District math coach
• Celeste Azevedo – Mariposa County High School principal
• Marlena Celaya – Orosi High School principal
• Stasha Tiller – Riverdale High School principal
• Beu Her – Sanger High School deputy principal
• Christina Rubalcava – Stanislaus County Office of Education Math Project coordinator
• Brett Toliver – Stockton Unified School District principal

In addition to college administrators and institutional research participants, registration has also been received from representatives of the California State University Chancellors Office, the California Academic Partnership Program, the Fresno State Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the College Readiness Program, Citrus College (Glendora CA), MESA, STEM counselors and college articulation officers.

“Once again, this is an agenda which is engaging and interactive and enables the best math minds in the Central Valley to determine the best path forward to math success for Central Valley students in light of AB 1705 and in light of the recent memo from the Chancellor’s Office,” said Spevak, who is also a vice president-emeritus of Merced College.

He encouraged CVHEC community college members not yet involved to send a delegation of its math educators as well as administrators and institutional researchers to continue collaboration on curriculum discussion that would lead to fulfilling the last phase of the state law signed into law in 2022.

In what has been dubbed “the Central Valley Way,” the Math Task Force and convening participants have gathered to explore five strands of curriculum planning:

• Validating Prerequisites;
• Designing Precalculus for 2025;
• Math Support Outside and Inside the Classroom;
• Building an AB 1705 Campus Team; and
• Guided Self-Placement.

In a Dana Center analysis for CVHEC of the CCCCO memo issued Feb. 27 outlining options for the colleges to consider, Joan Zoellner noted that while the memo provides direction on the validation process for transfer­ level math placement and enrollment practices for STEM programs, it severely restricts the options for the number of transfer-level prerequisite courses that shall be offered prior to calculus.

“The options for that prerequisite course are limited by the memo and validation options as well”, said Zoellner, who is the Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative lead.

Consortium community colleges were asked to review the chancellor’s office memo and some of the findings presented to determine how it affects their respective campus for discussion at the upcoming session including working with campus IR department to confirm the numbers and results prior to the April 19 convening.

To open the April 19 event, Spevak will be joined by Dana Center representatives Tammi Perez-Rice, Frank Savina, and Cassidy Kist in welcoming the participants.

Perez-Rice will provide of an overview of AB1705 and the Dana Center analysis of the CCCCO Memo sent to community colleges Feb. 27 to clarify and discuss options available for compliance. (See the What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog in this issue).

The group will then break out into these one-hour planning sessions:

• Option A planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 coreq
• Option D planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 prereq
• Options B and C – validating prerequisites
• High School Principals

Lynn Cevallos, College Bridge president, introduces a new Principals Strand which will feature high school leaders who currently work with the Central Valley Math Bridge Project.

“In our last session, at the behest of the only principal in attendance, Marlene Celaya of Orosi High, we realized the value of including K-12 voices at the table so we reached out to schools participating in our Math Bridge program with College Bridge,” Spevak said. “We appreciate the leadership of Marlene and Lynn Cevallos to expand our reach. We invite any other interested Central Valley K-12 officials to join us April 19.”

Following her session will be “Reports from Strand Leads:”

• NATHAN CAHOON, Taft College: Validating Prerequisites: Quantitative And Qualitative;
• JEREMY BRANDL, Fresno City College: Designing Precalculus for 2025 (designing calculus with support in 2025);
• Holistic Student Support
  • MARIE BRULEY, Merced College: Building an AB 1705 Campus Team;
  • JAY THOMAS, Lemoore College: Guided Self-placement and Registration Process;
  • TINA AKERS, Modesto Junior College: Math Support Outside the Classroom —

Prior to the lunch break, Spevak will provide a preview of the afternoon breakout sessions which begins with follow up breakouts by strand.

For the final session of the day, college teams will meet to “Set Next Steps and Goals” under these topics: planning curriculum committee process; planning eval/validation; and planning how to set up registration process; and “Continuing the Central Valley Way — More than Just Compliance.”

In a closing 15-minute activity, college teams will each provide a report out.

“We appreciate the immense work by our regional community colleges in collaboration with CVHEC partners the Charles A. Dana Center from the University of Texas at Austin as well as College Bridge,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College. “They are building pathways and eliminating barriers for our students looking to navigate the challenge of completing their gateway courses in college math.”

See:

AGENDA – The CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success Part 2

CCCCO Validation Memo (Feb. 27, 2024)

What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog

KCCD Trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Delta prof Cirian Villavicencio appointed

Two Central Valley community college representatives were appointed to the California Community College Board of Governors: Cirian Villavicencio, a professor at  San Joaquin Delta College in the North Valley, and Kern Community College District trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg from the southern San Joaquin Valley.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointments Feb. 28 for the board, the highest governing body in California’s community college system that advocates for nearly 2 million students at 116 colleges across the state.

They will be working with systemwide Chancellor Sonya Christian, who served on the CVHEC board when she was a Central Valley higher education leader, to provide guidance and strategic direction to districts and community colleges in California by implementing the Governor’s Roadmap to Success for California Community Colleges.

They will also work with the chancellor to advance the California Community College’s “Vision 2030” action plan which focuses on improving student outcomes while focusing on four strategic areas: guiding field practice, removing barriers, fostering policy reform, and supporting college implementation.

“We are delighted that in addition to Chancellor Christian, the Central Valley can now claim two new members of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium.

“We are especially pleased that these two new BOG members — coming from the north and south regions of our valley — provide the governing board with true representation from throughout our nine-county region,” Durán added. “Please join us in extending a Central Valley congratulations to the two new Board of Governors members.”

Gomez-Heitzeberg, who taught at Porterville College and was an administrator at Bakersfield College, is a lifelong advocate for education who has witnessed firsthand the transformational power of community colleges.

“My experiences in the classroom, as an administrator, and as a trustee have strengthened my advocacy,” said Trustee Gomez-Heitzeberg. “I appreciate the opportunity to represent the Central Valley and look forward to working with my colleagues to bring Vision 2030 to implementation across the State.”

She brings more than 30 years of experience in serving the disinvested rural student populations of Kern County in various roles, including as: a tenured faculty at Porterville College; an interim president and vice president of Instruction at Bakersfield College; a director of Bakersfield College’s Delano Campus; and the associate vice chancellor for Kern CCD Child Development Centers.

Upon her retirement from BC’s administration, Gomez-Heitzeberg was first elected to serve on the Kern CCD Board of Trustees in November 2018.

Kern CCD Board of Trustees President John Corkins noted that the Southern San Joaquin Valley had been lacking representation on the Board of Governors for a long time.

“Trustee Gomez-Heitzeberg has a deep understanding of what our students here in the Central Valley need to be successful,” Corkins said. “Through her appointment to this important governing body, she will be a tireless advocate for Central Valley students and a voice for higher education in the Valley up in Sacramento.”

Former Kern CCD Chancellor, Tom Burke has worked with Trustee Gomez-Heitzeberg in a variety of roles over the last 25 years.

“Her extensive experience working to provide higher education opportunities for students in the San Joaquin Valley will serve the Valley well as she joins the Board of Governors as the only representative from the Southern Central Valley,” said Burke who is now a regional coordinator for CVHEC helping lead its Kern Master’s Upskilling Program and Central Valley Transfer Project.

Villavicencio, a Delta College Political Science professor and co-chair of the Department of Political Science who will assume one of two faculty seats on the board, said he is “deeply humbled” by the Governor’s appointment.

“I will help represent and elevate the voices of 1.9 million California community college students, as well as 56,000 of my fellow faculty colleagues,” said Villavicencio who received Delta’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2020.

“While our system faces many challenges from artificial intelligence to closing equity gaps among our underserved and disproportionately impacted students, I know there are many opportunities to improve our system and the lives of our students.”

Dr. Villavicencio has over 18 years of experience in higher education and has been active in local, state, and national politics, including serving as a staffer for the California Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus in the state Capital. He was elected twice as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in support of former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

“We are so very proud of Dr. Villavicencio and his commitment to serve the entire community college system in California,” said Delta College Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson, a CVHEC board member.

“The fact that he was selected to represent professors from all over the state speaks to the high quality of our Delta College faculty and their determination to help students succeed,” President Lawrenson added.

The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges was established in 1967 to provide statewide leadership to California’s 73 community college districts, which operate 116 community colleges.

The Board has 18 voting members as specified in statute. Twelve members are appointed by the Governor, require Senate approval for six-year terms, and must include two current or former local board members. Five members are appointed by the Governor to two-year terms and include two students, two faculty members, and one classified member. The lieutenant governor also serves as a member of the Board.

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See:

Announcement from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office
Announcement from Gov. Newsom’s office

Kern press release [checking with KCCD PIO to see if they will post it. If not, we can post the pdf)

Delta press release