What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog Pt. 2: CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian

For this summer edition of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we feature part two of California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D, with this podcast interview by Dr. Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California.

With more than three decades of experience at all levels of community college leadership, Chancellor Christian was appointed in February becoming the first woman and the first person of South Asian heritage named to the permanent role leading the 116-college system. Dr. Christian, who began her term July 1, served on the Central Valley

 Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors when she was president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District.

In this interview for CCLC’s podcast “Leading Community Colleges in California,” the new CCC chancellor talks about her family’s commitment to education, the importance of equity for students and communities and dual enrollment opportunities as a seamless gateway to college:

Leading Community Colleges in California: Episode 20 with Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D.

 

(See the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog Part 1 – March 2023 issue).

MEMBER NEWS: West Hills College Coalinga picked as Bee’s “best college”

Three CVHEC members honored with Bee’s Central California People Choice Awards for Best College/University awards;
West Hills College Coalinga takes Gold

 

Congratulations to three CVHEC members for earning the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California People Choice Awards for Best College/University including West Hills College Coalinga receiving the highest honor, the Gold Award.

Fresno State won the Silver Award in that category and West Hills College Lemoore, also a part of the West Hills Community College District, earned the bronze.

The Fresno Bee’s People Choice Awards is a highly anticipated event celebrating Central California’s best businesses and organizations. This year’s competition was fierce, with over 445,000 votes cast by more than 136,000 voters.

West Hills College Coalinga emerged as this year’s top choice, showcasing its strong community support and reputation for excellence.

“We are honored to receive the Gold Award in the Best College/University category of the Fresno Bee’s People Choice Awards,” said Dr. Carla Tweed, President at West Hills College Coalinga.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students who consistently strive for excellence. We are grateful for the community’s and our students’ overwhelming support.”

Similarly, West Hills College Lemoore has reason to celebrate as well earning the Bronze award in two esteemed categories, “Best College/University” and “Trade/Technical School,” in the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California Awards.

This achievement followed the college’s previous year’s success when it secured the Gold award in the “Best College/University” category. These consecutive wins demonstrate the consistency and quality of education offered at West Hills College Lemoore, said James Preston, president of West Hills College Lemoore and CVHEC board member.

“We are immensely proud to have been honored with the Bronze award in two categories of the Fresno Bee’s Best of Central California Awards,” President Preston said.

“This recognition underscores the dedication and tireless efforts of our faculty, staff, and students. We take great pride in offering a comprehensive range of programs tailored to the needs of our community, empowering our students to achieve their aspirations. Earning bronze in the Trade/Technical school category proves that the career and technical education programs we have built for the past seven years positively impact our community and prepare students to go directly into the workforce.” 

Dr. Kristin Clark, West Hills Community College District chancellor, said the Gold Award for West Hills College Coalinga and the Bronze Awards for West Hills College Lemoore reinforces the importance of quality education and the tireless efforts put forth by these institutions in creating a brighter future for their students and the region as a whole.

“I’m thrilled to see both West Hills Community College District colleges receive this prestigious award and recognition,” said Chancellor Clark, who is chair of the CVHEC Board of Directors. “Our two colleges have faculty and staff who go the extra mile to make students feel at home, and they are relentless in the pursuit of student success.”

 

See press releases:

 WHC-Coalinga  

WHC-Lemoore

Fresno Bee – Best of Central California

MEMBER NEWS: Delta College marks 60 years

Computer science courses have changed just a bit since 1963 (courtesy of SJDC website).

San Joaquin Delta College, a Central Valley Higher Education Consortium member, marked the 60th anniversary of its name this month.

Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson, SJDC superintendent/president 2023

Founded as Stockton College in 1935, the college adopted its new name July 1, 1963 when the institution separated from the Stockton Unified School District and charted its own course as an independent community college.

“Sixty years is a long time, and it is hard to summarize the immense impact that Delta College has had on the communities we serve over all these years,” said Superintendent/President Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson in a story by Manteca/Ripon Bulletin reporter Alex Breitler earlier this month.

“I’m proud of the efforts of our faculty and staff both past and present, I’m proud of our students and alumni for their perseverance and achievements, I’m thankful to the Board of Trustees for its leadership, and I’m thankful to our communities for their support and partnership,” said the president who sits on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors.

San Joaquin Delta College actually dates all the way back to 1935, when Stockton College came into existence, Breiter reports. But for many years the College operated under the umbrella of Stockton Unified.

Dr. Burke Bradley – first SJ Delta College president (1963)

Dr. Burke Bradley, who was named president of the College in 1956, ultimately decided that the College would never properly develop until it was able to operate as a totally independent district, according to retired history professor Chuck Bloch.

The public finally approved establishment of an independent college district in September 1962. Leaders studied no fewer than 129 potential names, including “San Joaquin College” and just “Delta College,” before settling on San Joaquin Delta College.

The College officially took control of its own destiny on July 1, 1963, and eventually moved to the present-day Pacific Avenue campus in the 1970s, The Bulletin reported.

 

See SJDC’s website feature with photo gallery.

See Manteca/Ripon Bulletin article.

 

 

 

MEMBER NEWS: New Merced College Isakow Plaza; Historic Commencements

New Merced College Plaza, sculpture unveiled at ‘State of the College;’

60th MC Commencement and first Los Baños campus commencement celebrated

In a one-week span culminating the spring semester, Merced College celebrated several milestones highlighted by its 60th commencement May 26 and followed by the unveiling of the new Hermione Isakow Plaza on campus during President Chris Vitelli’s State of the College address May 30.

And for the first time, a full commencement ceremony was held at MC’s Los Baños Campus on May 25.

The ninth annual Merced College State of the College event was a celebration of the Isakow Family including presentation of the President’s Medallion Award — which recognizes the college’s greatest supporters — to the Isakow family with several family members present.

Located near the front of the campus, the plaza is envisioned as a welcoming space for the community and campus visitors, a gathering place for students and the campus community, a unique learning space for the college’s arts program, and an intimate outdoor location for events.

“The State of the College event is our opportunity to let the community know about all the innovative initiatives happening at Merced College, and to honor a family who has made such a generous contribution to our district,” said President Vitelli, a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors.

“The Hermione Isakow Plaza is a beautiful addition to our Merced campus, providing an engaging new space that will be enjoyed by students and community members alike for decades to come.”

The event drew over 500 supporters including Dr. Benjamín Durán, president-emeritus of Merced College, who is now CVHEC executive director.

“It is aways a delight for me to return to Merced College where I began my college experience as a young student to ultimately having the privilege of serving as President,” Dr. Durán said.

“I was especially touched by the dedication of the Hermione Isakow Tree of Life, because as an immigrant, she understood that Merced College can serve as the tree of life for many of the immigrants attending the college.”

After living most of her life in South Africa, Hermione Isakow and her husband Leiz moved to Merced in 2010 to be closer to their eldest son Isaac and his family.

Hermione’s final years were clouded by a long bout with amyloidosis, and she died in 2020. In 2021, her sons chose to honor her memory and her contributions to their lives through a $1 million gift to fund the design and construction of the Hermione Isakow Plaza.

The centerpiece of the plaza is a large sculpture of a Baobab tree, which carries great symbolic significance in Africa and is known as the “tree of life,” because it produces fruit and nectar year-round and stores large amounts of water in its trunk, even in very dry climates.

Scott and Madelyn McGrath of McGrath Arts in Mariposa designed and built the 4,100-pound, galvanized steel sculpture, which stands at 15 feet tall and includes branches that span 20 feet. The tree is decorated with 3,000 hand-forged metal leaves, orb-shaped fruits, whydah birds, parrots, an owl in a lighted knothole, and 30 lighted flowers. The 6-foot-wide trunk is textured to represent holes made by elephants to pull water from the giant succulent.

The occasion was a fitting tribute to commencement milestones the previous week when the Merced College family noted six decades of graduation exercises and the establishment of the firsts commencement at the Los Baños campus where about 200 students participated in that ceremony held in the quad.

The Los Baños ceremony is the latest in a series of investments and initiatives to grow the campus and give Westside students a complete educational experience close to home.

The campus will soon gain an outdoor gym, allowing the addition of three in-person kinesiology courses. A new campus café will provide hot meals and alleviate food insecurities. New faculty will be added in high-demand fields like welding, computer technology and information systems, and the college’s well-regarded, popular agriculture programs. Construction of a new Child Development Center, for both childcare and training, will be completed this summer.

“Our students already get a top-quality, reasonably priced education right here in their community, and now they can celebrate their graduation here, as well,” said Los Baños Campus Dean of Instruction Jessica Moran.

She called it “an inspiring moment for our graduates and their families, and a milestone for the growth and development of our community.”

Merced College media contact: James Leonard, james.leonard2@mccd.edu, 209-681-1061

See:

Full Merced College press release

Historic MC Commencement – press release

The Merced College Los Banos Campus – Inaugural Commencement

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CVHEC in the NEWS: Cybersecurity Program Launches

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MEMBER NEWS: Fresno City College West Campus Open House set Aug. 4-5

Take a look inside  the ‘project of love’ – Fresno Bee

Fresno City College’s new west campus sets open houses Aug. 4 and 5

Fresno City College’s West Fresno Center will open its doors to students for the start of classes Aug. 7 with staff moving into the facility beginning July 31 and two open houses planned for Aug. 4 and 5.

The Friday open house is 4 – 6 p.m. and on Saturday  from 9 a.m. – noon at 600 E. Church Avenue in West Fresno.

The new 40-acre campus, an $86.5 million project funded mainly through bond measures and a Transformative Climate Communities grant from the state, was deliberately planned for Fresno’s westside, Fresno Bee reporter Julianna Morano wrote in a recent Bee Education Lab feature.

“A lack of educational investments and high poverty rates plaguing the area have stymied graduation rates and pathways to college for southwest Fresno students,” she wrote.

The state-of-the-art academic and career technical satellite campus located at Church and Walnut avenues will provide the West Fresno community with a complete college center offering diverse educational opportunities, from career technology courses to transferable college credits.

The West Fresno Campus will include facilities for:

  • Associate Degrees for Transfer in Social Justice and Public Health
  • General education classes including pre-requisites for nursing and allied health programs including Medical Assisting
  • Advanced Transportation
    • Automotive Technology
    • Automotive Collision
  • Warehouse Distribution
  • Student Services, Library and Tutoring

The project is funded by $70 million coming from facilities bonds and $16.5 million from the Transformative Climate Community (TCC) program.

The City of Fresno received a total of $66.5 million in TCC funding to provide disadvantaged communities with neighborhood projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the City of Fresno is providing $11 million in off-site improvements, $4.5 million toward the construction of a new neighborhood park, improved public transportation services to the new campus with its all electric transit buses.

FCC press release

FCC media contacts:

]Kathy Bonilla, Public Information Officer  – (559) 753-3293 

 Cris Monahan Bremer, director of Marketing and Communications  – (559) 307-5019

See: Bee story

 

FCC WEST CAMPUS – NEWS ARCHIVE:

Construction Projects | Fresno City College

West Fresno Campus Virtual Groundbreaking Ceremony | Fresno …

Future Health Care Professionals Program at West Fresno Campus …

2020-10-07 West Fresno Campus site | Fresno City College

MEMBER NEWS: Merced College dual enrollment success story

Merced College dad to graduate with twin sons whose dual enrollment courses earned an early AA

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) — The chairs are lined up and the stage is set for two graduation ceremonies in Merced County.

Merced College, a CVHEC member, is ready to celebrate the achievements of more than 3,000 students.

Three of the students set to receive their diplomas at the Merced campus share a special bond.

A father went back to school, and his twin sons also earned associate degrees through the college’s dual enrollment program.

Now, all three are transferring to Fresno State, also a CVHEC member.

Here are two stories from KFSN30-ABC on Carl Schwesinger and his sons Jacob and Jeremiah.

Action News photojournalist Alex Ruiz shares how the trio has overcome challenges to turn their tassles together.

BOARD NEWS: Susan E. Borrego appointed interim president of Stanislaus State

California State University (CSU) Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester has appointed Dr. Susan E. Borrego to serve as interim president of California State University, Stanislaus. Borrego’s term will begin August 2, 2023, and she will serve as interim president for approximately one year while the CSU Board of Trustees conducts a national search for the next regularly appointed president.

Dr. Borrego will also assume the Stanislaus State seat on the CVHC Board of Directors at that time replacing Dr. Ellen N. Junn, who retires August 1, 2023 after serving as the University’s 11th president since 2016. (She will be honored at  Warrior Tribute for President Junn June 9).

The interim appointment marks a return to the CSU for Borrego, who previously held senior administrative roles at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Borrego most recently served as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint), from 2014 to 2019. She currently is a consultant project director and special assistant to the president for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

“Dr. Borrego is a principled, visionary and compassionate leader, guided by an unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said Koester. “She has a proven track record of enhancing the student experience, supporting faculty excellence and engaging the broader community. Further, her recent work at the national level to advance authentic access and educational equity will serve Stanislaus State and the CSU well.”

“Working with first-generation students at regional comprehensive universities has been a primary focus in my career, and that is what makes me excited to join such an inclusive university,” said Borrego. “I am drawn to the university’s close-knit community and its collective drive to better not only the lives of its students, but also to elevate the region and broader society it serves. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the progress and momentum so capably built by President Ellen Junn.”

Among her accomplishments as chancellor at UM-Flint, Borrego launched 12 new academic programs, enhanced the student experience, increased retention and led successful philanthropic efforts, which included the largest successful capital campaign in university history. Borrego’s leadership during the Flint water crisis demonstrated her ability to be part of a multidisciplinary conversation related to public health. She served as a trusted communicator to both university and community members. After stepping down from the role, Borrego maintained an academic appointment as a professor in UM Flint’s School of Education and Human Services until 2022.

Borrego’s previous leadership roles include vice president for Enrollment Management, Planning and Student Affairs at CSUDH (2008-14), vice president of Student Affairs at CSUMB (2005-08), and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students for the University of Arkansas, as well as several administrative roles at the California Institute of Technology.Borrego earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and communication from Northwest Nazarene College, a master’s degree in social science at Azusa Pacific University and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate School.

CVHEC IN THE NEWS: Complete College America Day on the Hill

Dr. Dhanfu Elston, senior vice president and chief of staff for Complete College America and Congressman Jim Costa hosted CVHEC Executive Director Dr. Benjamin Duran for CCA On The Hill Day in Washington DC May 16.

CVHEC among national higher education leaders

at Complete College America Day on the Hill

 

(WASHINGTON, May 17, 2023 – PRNewswire) — Dr. Benjamin T. Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, joined national higher education leaders at the Complete College America (CCA) for  its inaugural “CCA Day on the Hill” May 16.

Billed as a federal advocacy visit, the event brought leaders from state systems of higher education, colleges and other state and local organizations to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies designed to help more students chart pathways to college access and completion.

“Despite the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and a fast-changing economy and workforce, states have made incredible progress toward closing gaps in college access and completion over the past decade,” said Steven Gentile, chief policy officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. “We need continued partnership from national leaders to help sustain that progress given the range of challenges facing students today. This is about sharing examples of how states are leading the way on higher education reform and finding common ground solutions to build a system of higher education that is more accessible—and also produces high-quality results for every student.”

The visit coincided with the first-ever national College Completion Day, a day of digital action celebrating college completion and retention. During a day of meetings, leaders discussed priorities for the pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which has not been renewed or changed for nearly 15 years. Representatives from the coalition also raised awareness around Complete College America’s shared federal policy principles, which include saving students time and money by creating clearer pathways to a degree, meeting today’s students where they are, and removing unnecessary barriers to college completion.

Duran and Jessie Ryan, executive vice president for the Campaign for College Opportunity were the California reps. They met with Congressman, Jim Costa and Dr. Dhanfu Elston, Sr. Vice President and Chief of Staff at Complete College America.

“I was happy to join Complete College America advocates from throughout the country in our nation’s capitol for this important occasion to educate our elected officials on the most critical issues facing our colleges and universities,” Duran said.  “I am grateful to our congressman, Rep. Jim Costa, who hosted me in his office to engage in a meaningful dialogue about higher education in the Central Valley.”

Charles Ansell, vice president for research, policy and advocacy at Complete College America, said, “The power of our work stems from states, networks, and institutions working together to solve the greatest challenges facing higher education today. This is about state and local leaders stepping forward to share their unique insights into how we can improve higher education—and create a system of higher education that better meets the needs of students, families and communities.”

The Complete College America’s membership includes more than 40 states and nine regional consortia, covering over one thousand institutions that serve more than 11.4 million students. A 2022 report from Complete College America found that between 2015 and today, almost all states in the Alliance have improved on-time graduation rates for students at both four-year institutions (+6 percentage points) and two-year institutions (+6 percentage points).

The state leaders participating in the inaugural CCA Day on the Hill included:

California: Benjamin T. Duran, Executive Director, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium; Jessie Ryan, Executive Vice President, The Campaign for College Opportunity

Florida: Tamsyn French, Associate Director, Student Financial Success, Florida Atlantic University

Maine: Janet M Sortor, Vice President & Chief Academic Officer, Maine Community College System; Rosa Redonnett, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Credential Attainment, Univ of Maine System Montana: Antony Berthelote, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; Salish Kootenai College

Nevada: Terina Caserto, Senior Analyst, Nevada System of Higher Education Renee Davis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Nevada System of Higher Education

Oklahoma: Kylie Smith, Vice Chancellor for Administration, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Pennsylvania: Dr. Kate Shaw, Deputy Secretary and Commissioner, Pennsylvania Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education

Puerto Rico: Dr. Milagritos González, Professor, University of Puerto Rico-Mayageza, CCA Puerto Rico Lead

Tennessee: Steven Gentile, Chief Policy Officer, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

“Sustaining a national agenda for college completion requires colleges to make shifts in practice and priorities as well as changes to federal policies governing higher education,” said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. “It’s been fifteen years since we last saw a comprehensive, bipartisan Higher Education Act; it’s high time for policymakers to take action to overhaul our system of higher education to better meet the needs of today’s students, communities and employers.”
Bipartisan State Leaders Converge on Nation’s Capitol to Advocate for College … – InvestorsObserver

 

For more information about CCA and to get involved, please visit CompleteCollege.org or contact Charles Ansell at cansell@completecollege.org

 

About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions through data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and equity-driven practices. Since its founding in 2009, CCA connects a national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders and introduces bold initiatives to help states and institutions confront inequities, close institutional performance gaps, and increase college completion rates, especially for marginalized and historically excluded students. For more information, visit www.completecollege.org.

 

SOURCE Complete College America

CVHEC IN THE NEWS: CVHEC co-sponsors Broadband Planning  Workshop

CVHEC co-sponsored Broadband for All and BEAD workshop video (April 15) video.

Radio Bilingüe interview in Spanish with Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College (April 13, 2023):

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium was featured nationally on Radio Bilingue April 13 as a co-sponsor of one of 20 Broadband for All Digital Equity and Broadband Equity, Adoption, and Deployment (BEAD) Planning Regional-Local Workshops being held throughout the state by the California Department of Technology.

Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, served as a spokesperson at the Merced event held April 14 and was interviewed  for the Spanish-language show Linea Abierta on Radio Bilingüe, the nation’s only daily Spanish-language talk show in public radio airing live Monday to Friday at noon. 

At the workshops, attendees can learn more about the digital equity plan, provide feedback on how to make it more effective and connect with others who are passionate about digital equity in California.

The series of 20 workshops is being held statewide to engage with the public and collect feedback as part of California’s $6 billion Broadband for All  investment. Input shared during the workshops will help California develop the State’s Digital Equity and BEAD Five-Year Action Plans that will determine how future federal dollars are allocated to address digital inequities in the community.

Future events are scheduled for Tuolumne, Santa Maria, Seaside and Oakland.

See original media advisory.

Fresno City College broadband workshop video (April 15):

Contact Us

  • centralvalleyhec@gmail.com

  • 559.292.0576

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