Tag Archive for: California Community Colleges

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (November 2024): The fall winds of change

The fall winds of change

 

Welcome to our post-election edition of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium e-newsletter.

Each presidential election brings new changes and initiatives nationally, and this one will be no exception.  In future editions of our newsletter, we will highlight and explore changes coming to higher education from our new administration and how those impact our Central Valley colleges, universities and students in the region and similar rural regions in California.

In this edition, please enjoy articles that feature some of the ongoing work that is taking place and the introduction of local research that gives a more intimate look at the performance of our students from underpromoted communities in the region.

Our Math Task Force has been working in a collaborative manner to address issues and concerns surrounding the implementation of AB 1705, its impact on our students, and how Central Valley math faculty have taken on the task of ensuring the legislation is implemented in an equitable and fair manner.  The findings and outcomes of these efforts were highlighted at the “CV Way to AB1705 Success and Beyond” convening held at the Clovis Community College Herndon Center Oct. 25, 2024. Many of these math faculty worked through the summer to prepare for the convening of colleagues from throughout the valley.

You will also be introduced to a research initiative at UC Merced funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by Principal Investigator Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz and Dr. Orquidea Largo: the UC Merced Advancing Educational Opportunity in the Central Valley Project.  This team of researchers is taking a deeper more nuanced look at the performance of Central Valley students and their performance in courses designed to prepare them for entrance into the college or university of their choice.

In addition to that article summarizing completion pf phase one of this project last month, you can read more about these efforts in Dr.  Aguirre-Muñoz’s “What in the CV-HEC is Happening” blog this month.  As the research team continues with the next phases of their work, we are hoping to see evidence that the work by CVHEC colleges and universities in recent years is reflected in the data that emerges.

We also invite you to enjoy news entries about some of our member institutions and other related news articles. With Veterans Day just behind us, we also pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s military who have selflessly served to build a nation liberty and equality.

Now, as we approach the end of the fall semester and welcome the Thanksgiving holiday season, we wish you well!

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (October 2024)

Fall momentum: creating rich learning environments for successful collegiate experiences   Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues … We are delighted to share the October CVHEC e-newsletter with you and welcome […]

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (September 2024)

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (Summer 2024): A break for reflection

Summer break provides pause for reflection

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues!

I welcome you to the mid-summer edition of our CVHEC newsletter. We hope you are having a restful and enjoyable summer and taking time to recharge and prepare for the upcoming fall semester.

This time of the year we try to step back, take a breath and highlight the great work that has been taking place on our member campuses by the dedicated faculty and staff.

As you visit the entries, you will get a sense of the efforts across the Central Valley in the last six months to improve access, retention and completion of students at our CVHEC member institutions in the region.

We also acknowledge ongoing transition in the region’s higher education scene with CEO changes at WHCCD, Porterville College, Fresno City College and Clovis Community College. One of those changes is the departure of Dr. Claudia Habib who left her Porterville presidency this month for the Ventura College presidency. We thank President Habib for her service to her students and to the CVHEC board.

All the best Claudia …as well as to Dr. Kristin Clark whose retirement as chancellor of WHCCD takes effect Aug. 8. We are especially appreciative of her service as the chair of the CVHEC board the past few years. We said our goodbyes to Kristin at our recent board executive committee meeting and also at a farewell reception for her July 26 at Lemoore College.

Speaking of the board, members should have received detailed info about our upcoming quarterly meeting in early September. If you have not received anything, please do contact Angel Ramirez at centralvalleyhec@gmail.com ASAP.

Finally, please allow me to close this summer message with a Happy Birthday greeting to … US!  It was on Aug. 5, 2002 that CVHEC became formally incorporated under the leadership of then Fresno State President John D. Welty. Watch for more about our history in the near future.

We hope you enjoy our newsletter and continue enjoying your summer.

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (May 2024): Medical Doctor degrees in the Central Valley

Among the many dignitaries participating in the historic UC Merced Medical Education Building groundbreaking May 14 with Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz were Dr. Ivan Gomez of UCSF Fresno, Dr. Angel Reyna, president of Madera College, Dr. Kenny Iban of UCSF Fresno and Dr. Rosa Manzo of UC Merced who will be the first faculty member hired for the B.S. to M.D. Pathway, SJV PRIME+ Program. 

Special edition: medical education

CVHEC members delivering medical doctor degrees to

produce more healthcare professionals for our region

 

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues!

First, let me congratulate our consortium members – 28 colleges and districts across the Central Valley — for completing another spring semester highlighted by the always joyous commencement season. It has been delightful seeing all the media reports on your graduations.

Now, it is my pleasure to present you this month’s special issue of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium e-Newsletter that focuses on the universities and medical schools in our membership delivering medical education and training leading to medical doctor degrees that will counter the shortage of healthcare professionals in our Central Valley region.

Our three main stories feature California Health Sciences University (CHSU), the University of San Francisco School of Medicine, Fresno Campus, (UCSF  Fresno) and the University of California, Merced.

In the CHSU article, you will learn about the newest medical school in the Central Valley that just celebrated its first commencement, graduating 66 new Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine.  Established in 2020, and based in Clovis, the medical school – now with 500 students – recently received a full seven-year accreditation. And fittingly, our CVHEC board member, Flo Dunn, was recognized with an honorary doctorate degree for her service as the CHSU founding and current president. Congratulations Dr. Dunn!

You will also read about the exciting initiatives being delivered by the University of California San Francisco Fresno campus creating pathways to the medical field for students in the Central Valley including an update on the California Medical Scholars Program. Among those initiatives are the new SJV-MedBridge pathway for community college students, the recently launched SJV PRIME+ Baccalaureate-to-MD pathway in collaboration with UC Merced, UCSF Fresno residency and fellowship training programs, and UCSF Fresno’s robust continuing medical education portfolio as well as its efforts in mental healthcare training.

In the UC Merced contribution, the medical education program has developed over the years to help breach the shortage of physicians and other health care professionals in the Central Valley with its most recent exciting development: the groundbreaking for the new Medical Education Building held earlier this month. Slated for completion in fall 2026, the new facility will house the SJV PRIME+ Baccalaureate-to-MD pathway mentioned above in addition to other efforts UC Merced is pursuing to create cohorts of students and direct many of them into the medical field in the region to help address the shortage of medical professionals.

And, as National Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close this week, we are pleased to present a community perspective in this medical education movement with our monthly “What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog” by Juan Garcia, Ph.D, executive director of Integral Community Solutions Institute (known as  Community Counseling Services). Dr. Garcia articulates this non-profit organization’s work addressing mental healthcare in underrepresented communities in partnership with CVHEC members UCSF Fresno and Fresno State through the Bienestar Wellness Early Intervention Program.

In closing, we extend a special thank you to West Hills Community College District Chancellor Kristin Clarke, Taft Community College Superintendent/ President Brock McMurray and Porterville College President Claudia Habib for their service to the students of the Central Valley during their tenure as higher education leaders in the region.  Chancellor Clark and President McMurray will be retiring and entering the next phase of their lives while Dr. Habib will be taking the presidency at Ventura Community College.  We wish them all well.  They will always be part of the CVHEC family.

Thanks again to you and your institutions that have brought statewide and national attention to the Central Valley.

We look forward to meeting and welcoming new CEOs in the region at our next CVHEC Board of Directors meeting tentatively set for August when we also will introduce new intersegmental regional initiatives we will be launching in the near future.

Thank you for reviewing this special edition showcasing some of our CVHEC member institutions efforts combatting the historical shortage of health professionals in the Central Valley. Have a great summer 2024!

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (April 2024): The math mission!

A mission of math continues in the Central Valley

 

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues!

Welcome to our April newsletter as we are a month or so to closing out another academic year in the Central Valley. We are particularly pleased to shine a spotlight on our community college board members for National Community College Month. Our Central Valley community college leaders are dedicated to serving our students with great pride.

You will note that this issue focuses on mathematics education activity in the Central Valley.  Our CVHEC partners — College Bridge and the Charles A. Dana Center from the University of Texas at Austin — have been working with our regional partner community colleges and high schools to build pathways and eliminate barriers for our students looking to navigate the challenge of completing their gateway courses in college math.

You will get a glimpse of the work that the Central Valley Math Task Force members will be undertaking at their April 19 convening.  Also, an update by Dr. Nicole Korgie highlights the progress College Bridge has made with implementing the Math Bridge project to enroll high school students in college level dual enrollment classes.

But our big news on the math mission front is the awarding of two grants to CVHEC from the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Programs by the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative that will expand our Math Bridge and Master’s Upskilling projects into the north valley. Congrats CVHEC-members: University of California, Merced (WE Will’s lead agency); Merced College; Modesto Junior College; San Joaquin Delta College; and California State University, Stanislaus for your leadership.

And in our News section, we welcome new presidents to two of our CVHEC member institutions:

  • Britt Rios-Ellis was named by the California State University Board of Trustees as the new president at CSU Stanislaus effective July 1.
  • Dr. Rafe E. Trickey will begin his tenure as superintendent/president of Taft College May 3 after his appointment by the West Kern Community College District.

We look forward to having President-select Rios-Ellis and President-select Trickey join us on the CVHEC Board of Directors.

Thank you all, I hope you enjoy this April issue.

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (March 2024): The winds of a prospering education scene

The winds of a prospering education scene

Greetings CVHEC friends and colleagues!

Welcome to spring 2024 and our March e-newsletter.

This issue carries some interesting articles beginning with a very unique situation in the South Valley where our regional lead, Tom Burke, provides a perspective from his role as chancellor-emeritus of the Kern Community College District regarding the unprecedented winds of change in five major Kern County education institutions in the past year alone.

In previous issues, we have noted the appointments of Kern Community College District’s new chancellor, Dr. Steven Bloomberg, and Bakersfield College’s new president, Jerry Filger. Now we welcome them as both began their respective terms this month as well as their terms on the CVHEC Board of Directors. They are part of that transitioning educational leadership in Kern County that Chancellor-emeritus Burke presents in this month’s “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog.

Also, you will see our participation in the recent Digital Dual Enrollment Week campaign by the Dual Enrollment Coalition of California. We highlighted our Master’s Upskilling programs and recent graduates; one of the alumna of that program now teaching dual enrollment at Sanger West, Mrs. Jade Martinez and her students; our dual enrollment video with student success stories; and the work of our Math Bridge Program with partner College Bridge as they conduct student recruitment this spring.

We  also congratulate and welcome two new members of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors who make their homes in the Central Valley and are associated with two of our CVHEC member colleges: congratulations Cirian Villavicencio of San Joaquin Delta College in the North Valley, and Kern Community College District trustee Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

The latter represents the first South Valley representation on the highest governing body in California’s community college system that advocates for nearly 2 million students at 116 colleges across the state, including our 15 CVHEC community college members. We thank them for the service they will be performing for this community.

And last but not least, we bid “farewell” to a cherished team member, Ms. Pricila Villanueva, our administrative coordinator since 2018 who moves into a fulltime position with Equitable Bank Standards, Beneficial State Foundation where she will continue her work as a champion for equity. Pricila, we wish your and your family all the success in the world!

As you can see, there is so much more in this issue as our e-newsletter continues to grow and provide a communications platform for the great higher education work underway in the Central Valley.  Please enjoy!

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (February 2024): Ongoing mission for students

CVHEC members’ ongoing mission for

students’ successful academic journey

 

Greetings and welcome to 2024 from the CVHEC Team,

Welcome to our February CVHEC e-newsletter as we share how our Central Valley colleges and universities are ensuring that the academic journey of our students is successful and rewarding for their individual experience and growth.

I hope you enjoyed the days of note this month: President’s Day and Valentine’s Day. But we especially observe African American History month and the many contributions of African American educators past and present. Thank you for all you do for our communities.

As you read on, please note how the Central Valley Math Task Force continues its valiant work addressing issues around high school and college math pathways such as AB1705 implementation with another successful convening in January. We now look to the follow-up session April 19 as faculty from both systems undertake an unprecedented partnership that will provide leadership for this important endeavor and deliver a meaningful experience in the classroom for our students.  We call it “the Central Valley Way.”

Also illustrating this professional collaboration amongst faculty members is our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” guest blog by Owynn Lancaster of College Bridge. Student recruitment is underway and Owynn updates our joint Math Bridge Program and how the work of colleague Dr. Nicole Korgie and her team impacts targeted high school students in the region helping them embark on a journey to successfully complete college level math through dual enrollment courses.  We are encouraged by the success rates of those students and their performance once they get to our local community college.

We are also delighted to share that Fresno State has joined California State University, Bakersfield,  Stanislaus State and the University of California, Merced in working with our regional community colleges in the Central Valley Transfer Project which is unique in California.  This innovative approach is the only one in the state that includes a University of California campus collaborating with California State University and community college partners — all members of the consortium — in establishing transfer pathways for Central Valley students to get them into and through college in a timely manner.

And last but far from least, congratulations to Dr. Kristen Clark, our CVHEC Board of Directors chair, who recently announced her retirement as chancellor of the West Hills Community College District effective June 30 which means she will be stepping down from our board as well. Please see my statement about Chancellor Clark, who is truly a champion of higher education for all.

Please enjoy this edition and look for some of the new initiatives fueling up on our launchpad in the months to come, such as Online Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Costs that assists our students with the high cost of getting educated in today’s environment.

As always, thanks for joining us.

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Valley’s math ed experts unite to address AB 1705 challenge for student success

Math Task Force Convening Jan. 26:

‘Central Valley Way To AB1705 Success’

 

With the agenda released this week, over 60 Central Valley math education experts will convene in Fresno Jan. 26 to plan math pathways for student success as they brainstorm within five strands of implementation around Assembly Bill 1705 that goes into effect this summer.

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s “Central Valley Way To AB1705 Success” Convening from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Fresno Convention Center, will bring together community college math educators, administrators and institutional researchers.

Presented by the CVHEC Math Task Force and facilitated by the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the convening is free with advance registration and includes lunch.

Discussion for the historic convening — with administrators and IR experts joining in the conversation — will center around five strands that the region’s community college math academicians can undertake for student success when the new law goes into effect July 1:  Validating Prerequisites; Designing Precalculus for 2025; Math Support Outside and Inside the Classroom; Building an AB 1705 Campus Team; and Guided Self-Placement.

Five Math Task Force members serving as strand leads are: Jeremy Brandl, Fresno City College math professor; Nathan Cahoon and Shelley Getty, both Taft College math professors; Marie Bruley, Merced College dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); and Jay Thomas, West Hills College Lemoore math professor.

After the event opens with a welcome and brief introductions, the strand subcommittees open the discussion by presenting reports regarding preliminary strand deliberations over the past few months that started at three meetings the Math Task Force held in the fall.

Participants will then break into tabletop talks for feedback and to brainstorm new ideas, a timeline and next steps followed by report outs of those subcommittee sessions.

Following lunch, the participants will break into their respective college teams to discuss “Preliminary College Plans” in two parts: “Validating Prerequisites Between Now and July 1, 2024;” and “Developing New/Revised Curriculum to Take Effect July 1, 2025.”

“College Team Report Outs” will follow before the final session “Where Do We Go From Here?” looks towards the future and the role of Math Task Force sub-committees, college teams and CVHEC.

Dr. Benjamín Durán of CVHEC with Dana Center reps Joan Zoellner and Tammi Perez-Rice at the Oct. 13 Math Task Force convening in Fresno.

 Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, said, “We are proud that our Central Valley community colleges are leaning in on the expertise of their own math experts to figure out the best way to support our students within the guidelines of the legislation.”

AB 1705 — passed in 2022 for implementation July 1, 2024  —  expands the provisions established in AB 705 (2017) by explicitly requiring community colleges not only to place students directly into transfer-level English and math courses but also to ensure that students actually enroll in those courses.

The legislation also establishes that for students who need or desire extra academic support, community colleges shall provide access to such support. The new law clarifies that a community college can require students to enroll in additional concurrent support if it is determined that the support will increase the student’s likelihood of passing transfer-level English or math.

Community colleges have been tasked with ensuring they comply with both AB705 and AB1705 designed to strengthen support for student success and increase degree completion.

CVHEC helped start the conversation by bringing together its Math Task Force — made up of representatives from CVHEC community colleges — and other math educators to discuss ideas and options regarding implementation within the Central Valley community college mathematics community last fall.

Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator

In three virtual sessions and one in-person convening in 2023,  the Math Task Force created a collaborative “Central Valley Approach” to each,  said Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math and English Task Forces.

“Now, for the January session, administrators and researchers are joining the Math Task Force to develop data-driven and college-endorsed solutions that help meet the challenge head on and in unity for the best interests of students.”

The fall inaugural sessions were facilitated by two Dana Center representatives who will return to Fresno for the Jan. 26 convening:  Joan Zoellner, M.A., who is the lead for the Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative; and Dr. Tammi Perez-Rice, Postsecondary Course Program specialist.

Dr. Erik Cooper, assistant vice chancellor of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Cooper, also participated in the first virtual session to discuss the recent history of math education reform in California and answer questions as well as present the CCCCO’s AB 1705 Implementation Guide and FAQ webpage.

“With the passage of AB 705 then later 1705 – all designed to strengthen support for student success – CVHEC has been moving full steam ahead in assuring that our member colleges and their feeder high schools have a good understanding of the seemingly turbulent waters of the legislation,” Durán said.

Strand breakdown: 

  • Validating prerequisites — quantitative and qualitative: creating a Central Valley collaborative approach which would help make a strong case with the state. Point person: NATHAN CAHOON, Taft College math professor.
  • Designing Precalculus for 2025: An effective single-course prerequisite for Calculus 1 (especially valuable if the state allows in 2025-26 only one prerequisite course for Calculus 1). Point person: JEREMY BRANDL, Fresno City College math professor.
  • Math support outside and inside the classroom:  What’s working best in the Central Valley, including math lab centers, tutoring, embedded tutoring, supplemental instruction, etc. Point person: SHELLEY GETTY, Taft College math professor.
  • Building an AB 1705 campus team: Who needs to be on the team? Math and English professors, IR/IT staff, counselors, administrators, etc. How does it best function? Point person: MARIE BRULEY, Merced College dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
  • Guided self-placement: Helping ensure with the best possible questionnaire that students are taking the right math class when they start college. Point person: JAY THOMAS, West Hills College Lemoore math professor.

(Links to recordings of the two previous sessions are available below).

 

REGISTER – “The CVHEC Way to Math Success — Implementing AB1705” (Jan. 26, 2024)

EVENT AGENDA For questions: centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.

For media inquiries: Tom Uribes 559.348.3278 (text msg) or cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu 

 

SEE:

  • Previous sessions recordings:

CVHEC “AB1705 in the Central Valley” Webinar with Dr. Erik Cooper Oct. 6, 2023

MTF meeting  Nov. 17 (10 a.m. session)

MTF meeting Nov. 17 (1 p.m. session)

 

  • Coverage of the fall sessions:

Math Task Force begins discussion of AB1705 implementation – Nov. 17 next (with Oct. 13 photo gallery).

CVHEC Math Task Force meets in-person Oct. 13 for AB 1705 follow-up  

NEWS RELEASE – CVHEC Math Task Force: Impactful legislation (AB 1705) Convenings Oct. 6 & 13

 

 

Dr. Erik Cooper of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office zoomed into the Oct. 6 CVHEC Math Task Force session to address AB1705 implementation.

 

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CVHEC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (January 2024): A promising New Year!

A promising 2024!

 

Greetings and welcome to 2024 from the CVHEC Team,

We are excited about what the new year holds for our member Central Valley colleges and universities and the thousands of students they serve in this part of California.

As we find ourselves halfway through the 2023-24 Academic Year, you will find in this first newsletter of the new year updates on the exciting initiatives and projects that we undertook during the fall semester and will continue into the spring of this year.

In the fall, our Board of Directors introduced the CVHEC Strategic Plan that will guide the consortium for the next three years.  One way to plan your future ventures is to take stock of where you have been. Please enjoy the blog by team member Stan Carrizosa who has masterfully laid out the collective efforts and accomplishments of the CVHEC team, its colleges and universities and its contributing partners this last year as a guide into 2024.

Also, to help carry out that plan, we will soon be rolling out our 2024 CVHEC Campaign which will serve as the umbrella under which our higher education and K12 partners will do their work.  We have found that the talent and insights of our Central Valley higher education professionals are reflected in the collaborative approach to developing and implementing innovative strategies to addressing student success challenges the Central Valley way.

These efforts will include work from CVHEC’s Math Task Force, English Task Force, Online Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Cost Task Force and the CVHEC Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force.  Keep an eye out for more details about our campaign!

We are also delighted you will read about the continued support for the consortium from the College Futures Foundation as well as new federal funding awarded College Bridge, one of our partners working with us to deliver the innovative Math Bridge intervention in partnership with regional community colleges and their feeder high school partners in the valley.  This includes new Math Bridge collaborations with our Central Valley Transfer Project as well.

Last but not least, our member institutions were engaged this month in their annual local efforts to bring community members to their campuses for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations and activities in observance of the contributions and sacrifices of this great American leader of civil rights and next month for Black History Month.

Thanks for joining us in kicking off a great 2024!!

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