Heartening optimism for a rewarding 2021
Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D. CVHEC Executive Director
Greetings Colleagues and Friends of CVHEC,
Welcome to the first issue of the CVHEC E-Newsletter of the new year. We are enthusiastically optimistic for 2021 and all it promises to bring after experiencing one of the most challenging and troubled years in our nation’s history.
We hope you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday break and were able to stay safe and healthy as you spent time with your families. It is heartening that optimism also lies ahead on the pandemic front with the new national strategy for vaccines and other measures to overcome COVID-19.
In this issue we update you on the continuing work of our member colleges and universities. We are excited to share with you the work we are doing with the Fresno K-16 Collaborative to increase the number of high school teachers holding MA degrees in English and mathematics to enhance the region’s ability to deliver dual enrollment courses on their local campuses to give students a jumpstart on their college careers.
You will also learn about the ongoing virtual professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff in our nine-county region. Our Charles A. Dana Center FOCI workshops have been a great success, filling to capacity. Thank you to all who have registered and are taking advantage of these opportunities to improve student-centered outcomes.
Finally, please be sure you see the uplifting account of Miguel Contreras, a courageous student from the College of the Sequoias, a CVHEC member institution, who was featured in a national photojournalism publication of the Lumina Foundation included. He did a wonderful job of representing the Central Valley to the rest of the country and the ongoing challenges our students navigate.
Thank you all for your continued support of students like Miguel who make up our regional higher education institutions and for the professionals at those campuses and all they do to lift the social and economic well-being of the Great Central Valley.
Let’s make 2021 a banner year!!
Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D.
Executive Director – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)
