CA CC Vision 2030 on the road

Uncategorized August 12, 2023 Leave a comment

As summer comes to a close, I’ve had a very busy week traveling to several of our community colleges.

On Tuesday, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for student housing at Lake Tahoe Community College. It was inspirational to see so many people come out to support this fantastic project.

Thank you to Pam Haynes for joining from the Board of Governors, LTCC President Jeff DeFranco, the LTCC Board of Trustees, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, Chris Ferguson & the CA Department of Finance team, and everyone who was present and who has made this possible.

On Wednesday, I headed down to Chula Vista for an event at Southwestern College. This event focused on the Vision 2030 goal of Equity in Access. Southwestern College showcased two projects – Dual Enrollment and AB 91 – new legislation currently in appropriations that would waive out-of-state tuition for those crossing the border from Mexico to take classes at Southwestern or other San Diego colleges.

Here is a a 2:31-min coverage of the event by KPBS.

President Mark Sanchez, BOG Member Mary Salas, Sonya Christian, Assembly Member David Alvarez
BOG member Paul Medina, Student Trustee from Miramar College Namod Pallek, Student Trustee from Mt. San Jacinto College Joseph Awad, Former Student Body President from Southwestern College Leonardo Vanegas

On Thursday, I headed to East Los Angeles College for another Vision 2030 event, focused on dual enrollment. Thank you to Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez and President Alberto Roman for hosting this event. Members of the Board of Governors came out in full strength — Vice President Hildy Aguinaldo, Pam Haynes, Adrienne Brown, Joseph Williams, and Paul Medina.

Assembly member Mike Fong was also there and recognized the importance of community colleges.

Before I started my crazy week of travel, I caught Greta Gerwig’s Barbie at the cinema. It was a fun and thought provoking at the same time – a feature of many Gerwig movies. Like some of her past work, Gerwig explores the complexities of female identity and societal expectations. Both Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Ryan Gosling (Ken) are wonderful in the movie. Gerwig’s Ken for the most part is as an accessory to Barbie, existing for the sole purpose of winning her warm gaze, adds comedic elements to the story while also providing opportunities for emotional depth. Check out this 1:30-min “I am just Ken” fun and talented video.

Good morning California.
It is August 12, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Río Hondo College Partners with MIT to Inspire
New Wave of Inventors During Summer Program

Students from Río Hondo College and local high schools created innovative solutions to modern problems, such as using drones for campus security to report suspicious activity or adapting smart textiles to chairs to fix poor posture in office workers, during the College’s inaugural Bridge to Invention Río program.

The program, which ran from July 17 to 28, was created in partnership with Lemelson-MIT (LMIT) to guide students through the disciplines of business and engineering to create and present a product, web app or service. The program was made available at no cost to all college students and local high school juniors and seniors.

» Read more about the program!

College of the Desert Awarded M-STAR Grant Funding by NASA

College of the Desert is one of only nine colleges/universities – and the only CA Community College – to be awarded M-Start Grant Funding by NASA.

Ahmed Elshafie, Michael Gariety, Amira Elsenousy and David Jackson all collaborated on the project entitled: A Penetrolyzer for Extracting Oxygen and Hydrogen from Mars Regolith.

» Read more about the award

» Learn more at NASA

Berkeley City College NOVA Scholars Summer Program Gallery Walk

In July, the Berkeley City College NOVA & RISE team hosted a Gallery Walk in celebration of scholars in our fourth cohort of NOVA, which stands for Networking, Opportunities, Vision, & Action. NOVA is a dual enrollment pathway program designed to support Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) rising 9th graders with their transition into high school. During the event, nearly 40 scholars displayed their culminating projects and shared their stories and dreams in the company of their families and our larger BCC community.

» Read more about the program!

Foster Youth Bicycle Giveaway Brings
Opportunity, Support to Pasadena City College Students

Supervisor Kathryn Barger and One Bicycle Foundation partnered together to gift bicycles to foster youth students at Pasadena City College. The gift of 24 bikes will help them get to class, work, errands, and activities.

» Read more about the gift!

In Case You Missed It

Laist: Can Community Colleges Meet the Urgency of the Climate Crisis?

On August 7th, Laist published a piece by Bonnie Ho and Jackie Orchard about the California Center for Climate Changed Education at West Los Angeles College.

“Through its new climate center, West is developing more climate change curriculum for community colleges in California to adapt to their own campuses. Eventually, the plan is for West to educate students of all disciplines on climate change, not just what people might expect of those studying environmental science.”

» Read the article!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

The Community College League of California shared an update from the 2023 Student Trustees Workshop:

This year 60+ student trustees travelled from @CalCommColleges to Riverside

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Fresno Unified School District‘s Tressa Overstreet shared this post:

“Dual Enrollment is rolling in ⁦@fresnounified⁩ our students CAN!”

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Allan Hancock College shared this photo from their All Staff Day event to kick off the fall semester:

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Madera Community College shared these photos:

“We had a wonderful turnout this afternoon at our President’s Cabinet BBQ! Thanks to our incredible Facilities team, our students, staff, and faculty all got to enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers as we close out the summer!“

And From the Home of the Renegades

Early College Convening

The Bakersfield College Early College team hosted our 4th annual Early College Convening on August 2nd, 2023 and it was a momentous day in setting forth our collective vision for the 2023-2024 school year. 

» Read more about the Early College convening!

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

CA Community Colleges – Serious work with a light touch

Uncategorized August 5, 2023 1 Comment

Last Saturday, I saw Oppenheimer … an excellent movie… I believe one of Christopher Nolan’s very best. I have a low tolerance for long movies. This one is 3 hours… and I was immersed in each and every moment.

Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer.

Christopher Nolan is a highly acclaimed filmmaker known for his unique storytelling style, intricate narratives, and visually stunning films. The phrase “non-linear storytelling” is ofter used by film critics to describe his work. Nolan’s films often delve into complex philosophical themes and human psychology. Existential questions, the nature of reality, time, and identity are recurring motifs in his work.

He was born on July 30, 1970, in London, England. Nolan’s work has left a significant impact on the film industry, and his films have achieved both critical and commercial success.

Watch the trailer… very powerful. The movie, even more so. Definitely a must see.

Btw, did you recognize the high profile star cast? Were you able to pick out Robert Downey Jr?

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On Sunday, I caught Bakersfield College’s performance of The Addams Family Musical. It was spectacular. Brian Sivesind, this was truly a remarkable feat. Thank you!

I loved these photos that Brian shared on Facebook:

The orchestra was fantastic. Thank you Scott Dirkse! We have a remarkable lineup of talent in our Performing Arts program at Bakersfield College

And check out this photo from Yovani Jimenez of some of the KCCD trustees and supporters attending the show:

Dr. Bill and Sharon Baker, Senator Emeritus Jean Fuller and Russell Fuller, Trustee Christina Scrivner and her two daughters, Trustee Yovani Jimenez. Not in the photo, but in attendance was President of the Board, Trustee Romeo Agbalog.

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This week I spent time in Sacramento, with an apprenticeship meeting co-hosted by the Labor Agency and the Chancellor’s Office. Together we are hoping to convert our California Community College apprenticeship experiences into Apprenticeship Pathways. And thank you Secretary Stewart Knox for your partnership. Stay tuned for more to come.

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Talking about apprenticeships, check out this blog post from March 2023. It is only a 6-minute read. https://workforceandeconomicmobility.com/2023/03/10/earn-and-learn-expanding-work-based-learning-opportunities/

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On Wednesday, we had a well-attended – 1200 attendees! – webinar to roll out Vision 2030. I was joined by some amazing presenters:

Cassandra Flandre-Nguyen, President SSCCC. Our student was absolutely fantastic. After her presentation, and when I came back on, the only word that I kept repeating was “wow.”

Andra Hoffman, President, CCCT

Julianna Barnes, President, CEO Board and Chair, League Board

Manuel Payan, CSEA

Manuel Velez, Vice President, ASCCC

Lizette Navarette, Executive Vice Chancellor

Good morning California.
It is August 5, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Calbright College Granted Accreditation Through
Distance Education Accrediting Commission

On Friday, July 28, Calbright College was granted initial accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), more than a year ahead of the April 1, 2025 deadline outlined in the College’s founding legislation. 

» Learn more about Calbright’s accreditation!

RCCD Celebrates Closing Celebration for Inaugural Cohort 1 of Californians for All, College Corps Program

The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) marked a momentous occasion as it celebrated the closing celebration for the inaugural Cohort 1 of the Californians For All, College Corps Program. The program was initiated with an inspiring introduction from Director Darci Manzo Piron, who highlighted the significance of College Corps as a pioneering state-sponsored service and career development program.

» Read more about the program!

Santa Barbara Summer Bridge Programs Offer Jumpstart to College

This summer two of Santa Barbara City College’s innovative programs welcomed local students to experience college-level coursework and gain confidence and motivation to seek higher education in their lives.

» Read more about SBCC Summer Bridge!

College of Marin hosts 10,000 Degrees summits

10,000 Degrees, a San Rafael-based organization dedicated to empowering students to enter and graduate college in Marin and seven other Bay Area counties, held its annual ‘College Opportunities Summit’ on August 1, and the ‘High School Readiness Summit’ on August 3 at College of Marin, Kentfield Campus.

» Learn more!

In Case You Missed It

Community College League: Sierra College Student Trustee
to Attend Yale University

The Community College League of California did a feature on SierraCollege’s 22-23 student trustee Maya Moseley to chat about her experience as a student trustee and her acceptance into Yale.

Sierra College student Maya Moseley had no idea that her community college journey would end with a Yale acceptance. But let’s rewind— how did she end up there?

» Read the feature!

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EdSource: What to know about bachelor’s degrees at California Community Colleges | Quick Guide

EdSource’s Michael Burke wrote this quick guide to bachelor’s degrees at California Community Colleges.

The relatively low price tag of a community college baccalaureate degree is also attractive to many students. (Specific details about the costs can be found later in this guide.) When the Legislative Analyst’s Office conducted an analysis of existing community college baccalaureate programs, “the most common benefit” they heard from students was the low cost of the programs. “Many had considered enrolling in private programs offering the same degree, but were hesitant to do so because of the cost,” the LAO wrote.

» Read the article!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Rowena Tomaneng posted this from the AACC Board Retreat in Washington, DC:

Day 2 #AACC Board Retreat, DC– great dialogue w/#NasserPaydar, Asst. Secretary for Postsecondary Education @usedgov, on Impact of SCOTUS decision on Affirmative Action on #CommunityColleges! Honored to rep @CalCommColleges at the national level w/#SunnyCooke #MichaelGuitterez

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From Dr. Julius Sokenu at Moorkpark College:

“We are incredibly grateful for Assemblywoman @jacquiirwin for a $500,000 donation to the construction of The @Moorpark College Amphitheater. Thank you for supporting our shared vision to bring greater opportunities for culture and the arts to our community.”

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From Evergreen College:

Did you catch us on @liveinthebaytv this week??
Thank you @kron4news for the feature and for spotlighting our amazing school and staff, Professor Dr. Peter Miskin!

Check it out at https://www.kron4.com/live-in-the-bay/sponsored-enroll-in-evergreen-valley-college/.

And From the Home of the Renegades

Exciting things await at BC this fall; celebrating 110 years of excellence

Bakersfield College is buzzing with excitement for the start of a new academic year. This year, however, is extra special as we celebrate a momentous milestone — BC’s 110th anniversary of serving the community since our founding in 1913.

» Read more about this week at Bakersfield College!

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

California Community Colleges – acting with urgency and leading with courage

Uncategorized July 29, 2023 Comments: 2

This week began with my first Board of Governors meeting, on Monday morning. We officially kicked off Vision 2030, our roadmap for California Community Colleges.

Sonya Christian at Board of Governors Meeting

Vision 2030 builds upon the foundations and work from the Vision for Success (2017) and the Governor’s Roadmap (2021), taking into account current issues and future considerations.

This plan focuses on improving equitable success for our nearly 2 million California Community College students, while introducing equitable access to find future learners and bring college to them.

Over the next few months, there will be many opportunities for statewide engagements as we focus on refining the plan before a final version is presented to the Board of Governors next January.

My week continued on Tuesday as I headed to Washington, DC, in time for Wednesday’s National Summit on Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. In his keynote speech, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reminded us all:

“Every generation is called upon to renew the promise of America. This is our moment. To be innovative. To act with urgency. And to lead with courage.”

It was also nice to see former California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Oakley, who spoke on a panel about rebuilding affordable higher education pipelines.

Panel about rebuilding affordable higher education pipelines
Eloy Oakley

After an exciting time being away, it was good to be back home for a bit of rest and relaxation. And of course – some quality time with Neo.

Good morning California.
It is July 29, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Fullerton College Drone Program and FAA Host Public Drone Event

Fullerton College Drone Students

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Fullerton College drone program teamed up to give a bird’s-eye view of the growing industry during a free three-day event, Droning On: California Edition.

The event kicked off on July 21 at Fullerton College with a Public Service Day that included a series of panels, lectures, and demonstrations with featured companies from various public service organizations, including Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric, and many more.

» Read more about this event & Fullerton College’s drone program!

Antelope Valley College Fire Academy Grads Respond to First Assignment

Wildland Fire Academy students and class of 2023 graduates assisted firefighters from the Inyo National Forest in containing a fire 10 miles east of June Lake near Pumice Mine Road on Saturday, July 15. Fire crews braved high temperatures and dry winds to contain the fire to one acre.

Antelope Valley College Fire Academy Students

» Read more!

» Learn about Antelope Valley College’s Wildland Fire Academy

Mt. San Jacinto College Culinary Arts Instructor Serves Up
Food and Fun with a Focus on Regenerative Practices

Lea Di Bernardo

There’s more to Leah Di Bernardo’s culinary arts class at Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) than lectures, reading and recipes. Di Bernardo serves up lessons about what farm-to-table means for people and the planet. 

She is a key member of an MSJC advisory group that is currently in development on a Regenerative Agriculture program at the college.

» Read more!

East LA College Psychology Department Awarded $8.1M in Grants

he East Los Angeles College (ELAC) Psychology department and Addiction Studies program were recently awarded $8.1 million in grants. This is the largest ever received by the department and also one of the largest grants awarded in ELAC history. 

» Read more about the grants!

East LA College

In Case You Missed It

Community College League: California Community Colleges Support Rep. Schiff’s Bill to Help End Food Insecurity at Community Colleges

Andrea Hoffman and Adam Schiff

Last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif., 30th District) proposed legislation that would help community college students with food insecurity. The Community College League of California’s leadership supports this bill and its recognition of students’ basic needs.  

» Read more!

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Community College Daily: A renewed appreciation for the humanities

San Diego Miramar College’s PATH Program was featured in a piece in Community College Daily.

“A collaborative program between SDCCD and UC San Diego School of Arts and Humanities, funded by the Mellon Foundation starting in 2016, PATH has resulted in a 78% transfer rate of arts and humanities majors. This rate doubles the regular transfer rate for SDCCD arts and humanities majors which was at 39% prior to PATH. In fact, the program has expanded opportunities for underrepresented minority students who are 63% of the students participating in this program.”

» Read the article!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Check out Nick Strobel’s piece on teaching and learning:

“I have been teaching at Bakersfield College for 27 years and before that I taught the intro astronomy courses at University of Washington for five years, so I’ve been doing the teaching gig for 32 years now. I’ve been reflecting a bit on those 32 years on how the academic environment has changed and how I’ve changed with it or maybe the environment hasn’t changed all that much but I’ve gotten better at recognizing what’s already there and adjusted accordingly.  Whatever the case may be, I can see three major shifts in my teaching.”

» Read his blog post!

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From Tawny Dotson

“Fantastic weekend in Sacramento supporting some of @CalCommColleges’ newest CEOs!“

Attendees at CEO

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Kylie Campbell shared this:

“Thank you @CSEA_Now and @billrawlings for inviting Vice Chancellor @JohnStanskas and I to present on #Vision2030 and #DualEnrollment at your CSEA Community College Symposium! @CalCommColleges@sonyachristian#OurTimeIsNow“

John Stanskas
Kylie Campbell

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Foothill College recently welcomed a group of students and professors from the The University of Tokyo / UTokyo School of Education. They were in the Bay Area visiting area colleges.

Visiting students from University of Tokyo

And From the Home of the Renegades

On-Campus Employment Meet & Greet

Bakersfield College employment office

The Office of Student Employment and Financial Aid hosted the Student Employment Festival this week which gave students the opportunity to speak to several BC departments about available positions and federal work-study. Attendees were also able to get assistance with jobspeaker, BC’s online Job Board that features employment postings from local companies.

» Read more about this week at BC!

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.

Sonya Christian and Neo

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

California Community Colleges, Harmonies that Work Well Together!

Uncategorized July 22, 2023 1 Comment

This week, a friend of mine brought up Crosby, Stills & Nash, the supergroup made up of singer-songwriters David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash (and occasionally joined by Neil Young).

The group formed in 1968 after Crosby, Stills and Nash had an informal performance and realized their voices and harmonies worked well together.

Here is one of my favorites – Teach your children.

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Last weekend, I watched the new “Mission Impossible” movie. Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts, and this latest film features one billed as the most death-defying stunt of his career – driving a motorcycle off of a cliff.

They tackled the amazing feat on day one of filming. Cruise talked to Entertainment Tonight about the stunt, explaining that starting with that helps the filmmakers decide if they’ll be able to continue filming the rest of the movie, or if they have to do a major rewrite if they can’t accomplish the stunt or the actor is injured (or worse!) in the attempt. Whoa!

Check it out in the trailer (the stunt starts around 1:17):

The Impossible Mission Force (IMP) team – Luther Stickell and Franz Krieger – that works with Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt is just fantastic. California Community Colleges are California’s IMF agents – taking care of our students, our communities, and our plant.

Breakfast at Wimbledon

On Sunday, I tuned in for Breakfast at Wimbledon – a tradition that began in 1979 when NBC needed to find a way to get American audiences to turn on the tvs for tennis at 9 am. Wimbledon tradition dictates that play begins precisely at 2 pm, which translates to 6 am for viewers on the West Coast.

In that first broadcast, NBC wanted to begin a few minutes later so they could run an introductory segment (and ads) before the players walked out. Officials at the All England Club refused, but NBC’s executive producer of sports spoke to one of the commentators (who also managed one of the men’s finalists that year).

The commentator spoke to the finalist, Roscoe Tanner, who proceeded to spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom before leaving the locker room – giving NBC time to begin its production and still allow viewers to see the players walk out onto the grass live.

The experiment in broadcasting live tennis to viewers across the pond was a success!

This year’s finals had no shortage of drama and excitement. Going into the final, Novak Djokovic was a heavy favorite, with a 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon and a 27-match winning streak at majors. He had won an all-time record 45 matches in a row on Centre Court, going back to his last loss, to Andy Murray in the final on July 7th, 2013.

This year, he faced 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, playing in his first Wimbledon final. Alcaraz was down after the first set, but clawed his way back during an epic 85-minute second set. Alcaraz ultimately defeated Djokovic in a match that lasted four hours and 42 minutes – the third-longest final in Wimbledon history.

Breakfast at Wimbledon was my mom’s favorite. Mom, as always, this one is for you.

Paul Christian and Pam Christian
Paul and Pam Christian

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I’ve also had a very busy week traveling and promoting the work of the California Community Colleges and Vision 2030.

I started my week in Los Angeles at the Wheelhouse CEO Institute, which is led by Francisco Rodriguez – Chancellor of LACCD and Chancellor in Residence at Wheelhouse. I was able to spend some time speaking with and getting to know the 14 CEOs participating in this year’s cohort.

On Thursday, I attended the July Consultation Council, where we were able to to do a deep dive into Vision 2030.

Good morning California.
It is July 22, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Sierra College Student Journalists Recognized for Reporting on Equity

Everybody is Entitled to Equity is a set of four stories produced by a team of journalist fellows in Spring, 2023. The team includes five student journalists, featured in the above image from left to right: Sierra Mickelson, Alexa Topacio, Luis-Antonio Carreon, Ryder Bouck, and Ethan Yamaguchi. They were all awarded through the California Humanities “Emerging Journalist” Fellowship with the Journalism program at Sierra College.

» Read more about their reporting!

Irvine Valley College Girls Who Code Team Wins 1st Place

The IVC Girls Who Code Challenge Team competed in the Spring 2023 College Loops Challenge against several other chapters of Girls Who Code around the nation last month. The team of four won first place overall.

» Read more about the win!

Los Angeles Trade Tech College Culinary Students Earn Medals at SkillsUSA

Last month, 4 students and 3 instructors from LATTC’s Culinary Arts pathway traveled to Atlanta for the National Leadership & Skills Conference. The annual conference marks the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and was attended by more than 6,500 competitors across 110 competitions.

LATTC Student Samantha Gaydowski took gold in the Baking & Pastry Arts, while Pardhyuman Jha won bronze in Restaurant Service.

» Read more about the competition!

In Case You Missed It

AAC&U Liberal Education: We Can’t Afford Not To –
All colleges and universities should have a prison education program

I wanted to share this article that was printed in AAC&U’S Liberal Education magazine, writing about the importance of prison education programs and how they have an amazing effect on recidivism rates. It was a lot of fun working on this piece with Dr. Manny Mourtzanos, former Vice Chancellor at the Kern Community College District.

» Read more!

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EdSource: Community College baccalaureate degrees
are key to expanding college access, panel says

Emma Gallegos wrote about a roundtable on community college baccalaureates that EdSource hosted on Thursday.

(Aisha) Lowe said the expansion of community college baccalaureate programs is crucial to meeting the governor’s goal of 70% of the state’s working adults attaining a bachelor’s degree by 2030. She points out that many universities are impacted now and certainly cannot increase capacity at the level that the state needs. Because community colleges are locally oriented, they’re well-situated to meet local needs in a way that the CSU or UC system cannot.

» Read more!

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KTLA: California Foster Youth Can Now Attend College for Free

Foster youth across California will now be able to attend college, free of charge, after new legislation, SB 307, was signed into the state budget.

The new Fostering Futures program will cover the entire cost for foster youth to attend a University of California, California State University or California community college.

» Read more!

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Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Yovani Jimenez shared this post, with Nicole Parra and Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg:

“Congratulations to the Latina Leaders of Kern County as they celebrate 25 years of excellence. I am truly inspired by the dedication and hard work of the founding mothers who worked tirelessly to turn a dream into a reality. Tonight, I also want to convey my congratulations to the honorees, whose success stories serve as a true inspiration. Their achievements demonstrate the limitless possibilities and potential within our community. Thank you all for your incredible contributions and for continuously inspiring.”

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From Palomar College:

“The VFW Post 1513 of Escondido provided lunch at the Palomar College Veterans Resource Center for Operation Home-Cooked. Thank you to Army Veteran Gina Burke for cooking for our Veteran Students. Thank you to San Diego North County Blue Star Mothers for also being there.”

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From San Joaquin Delta College:

“We were happy to host teachers from across San Joaquin County at Delta’s Manteca farm recently for Ag in the Classroom. Teachers learned all about agriculture and how to incorporate it in their classrooms this school year. Thank you @SJFarmBureau for making this possible!”

And from San Diego Community College District:

“Board President Maria Nieto Senour was presented with a cake at today’s board meeting in honor of her 80th birthday. Hope you have a wonderful birthday, Maria.”

And From the Home of the Renegades

Renegade Pantry Hosts Farmers Market for July

The Renegade Nexus Pantry hosted another Farmer’s Market this week, distributing healthy fruits and vegetables to students and community members. The Bakersfield weather was hot, but the Nexus staff and volunteers came prepared to help participants take home nutritious produce to their households, including beets, bok choy, watermelon, oranges, cauliflower, raspberries, carrots, and much more.

» Read more about this week at BC!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

Working with a fun and dedicated team.

Uncategorized July 15, 2023 Leave a comment

This week marked the one-year anniversary of the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope. To celebrate, NASA released a new image of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away. 

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Started last weekend with the new Indiana Jones movie. Absolutely enjoyed it … but then, I enjoy cinema, period. full stop.

If you are an Indiana Jones fan, I have organized the trailers of all five editions of the movie franchise for you here in one spot. Enjoy!

Indians Jones 1 – Raiders of the Lost Arc 1981

Indiana Jones 2 – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Indiana Jones 3 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Indiana Jones 4 – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Indiana Jones 5 – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

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Now if you think I am all play and no work, let me disabuse you of this thought.

Last Tuesday, I attended the 9th Grade to Baccalaureate Dual Enrollment Convening hosted by American River College. I was on a panel with Chancellor Brian King and Board of Governors member Pam Haynes. What fun! We talked about Vision 2030: A Roadmap for California Community Colleges.

I loved Pam’s reference to the frequently-discussed image of 3 boys looking over a fence at a baseball game.

“Why do we even have the fence? Let’s tear down the fence.
We need all of our kids on the field!”

Cheryl Aschenbach (President of Academic Senate of California Community Colleges, Carina Hoffpauir (Academic Senate President, American River college) then moderated a faculty panel with Sandra Guzman (Academic Senate President, Sacramento City College) and Alisa Shubb (Academic Senate President, American River College). They discussed best practices related to dual enrollment, and how to increase dual enrollment with equity.

Frank Kobayashi, Interim President of American River College, and Scott Pitts, Principal at Inderkum High School, highlighted their institutions’ dual enrollment partnership.

Glad we snapped this photo with some of the presidents and chancellors who were in attendance.

President Frank Kobayashi, President Albert Garcia, President Art Pimentel, Board Member Pam Haynes, Chancellor Brian King, Sonya Christian, President Tawny Dotson, President Santanu Bandyopadhyay

We had a good turnout from the Chancellor’s Office.

Later that day, I headed to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for an all-staff meeting. It was a great afternoon of fun and fellowship. This was my first time seeing all the staff together at an in-person gathering.

Thank you Daisy for snapping the selfie!

And as a surprise special guest, Pam Haynes also joined us for the all-staff meeting:

Pam was recently selected as one of the Spark Community Advisors for the 2023 OER Spark Grants Funding Cycle from the Michelson 20MM Foundation.

***

After a busy and rewarding week, I returned home and was able to enjoy my calla lilies – an annual treat in my backyard.

And of course, I love coming back home to this sweet boy after a week away in Sacramento:

Good morning California.
It is July 15, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion

From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

San Jose City College Holds Equitable Dual Enrollment Expansion Workshop

Kylie Campbell (KCCD), Naomi Castro (CLP), Dr. Rowena Tomaneng (SJCC), Dr. LaTanya Williams (CCCCO), Dr. Rene Alvarez (SJCC)

A team from the Chancellor’s Office and Career Ladders Project headed to San Jose City College this week to lead a workshop on equitable dual enrollment expansion.

Thank you to SJCC President Dr. Rowena Tomaneng and Interim SJECCD Chancellor Dr. Beatriz Chaidez for convening your college team and high school partners to engage in activities and meaningful discussions around implementing and scaling dual enrollment opportunities for your students.

Dr. Rowena Tomaneng (SJCC) & Dr. Beatriz Chaidez 

So fun to see their mascot “Jagy” in these photos …check out San Jose’s SPOT campaign, which promotes Guided Pathways to their current and future students. 

Bill Gates Visits Chaffey College

In April, Bill Gates visited Chaffey College to explore the state and region’s efforts to streamline college pathways benefitting California students. Last month, he published a blog post about how Chaffey is using pathways to foster student success with equity.

» Read more about the visit!

Congressman Cárdenas Presents $2 Million to LA Mission College

 U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas announced $2 million in Community Project Funding to Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) to increase and diversity STEM Workforce programs.

» Read more about the funding!

San Diego CCD Creates Pathways to College Credit

Miramar College Peer Mentor Breanna Hinojosa is one of the thousands of students who have benefitted from a decade-long partnership between the K-12 San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Community College District.

» Read more about the partnership!

In Case You Missed It

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Inside HigherEd: Leadership Academy Provides Access,
Equity in Career Development

Inside HigherEd published a piece about Ohlone College’s Junior Leadership Academy, an optional 15-week program allowing learners across the community college to engage in career exploration and receive paid internship experience.

» Read the Article!

» Learn more about Ohlone College’s Junior Leadership Academy!

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Las Positas College shared this update:

“LPC’s Classified Senate had a blast at their annual Retreat Cultivating Classified Connections! Together, they set their sights on Classified Senate Goals & Priorities for the 2023-2024 AY. #ClassifiedConnections #ProfessionalDevelopment #LPC“

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Lake Tahoe Community College Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco shared a post about the new Mobility Hub:

“We’re thrilled to cut the ribbon for the state-of-art Mobility Hub @LakeTahoeCC
Made possible through the “Power of Partnership” with @LibertyUtil_CA & @TahoeTrans (TTD), whose electric buses charge & propel our community toward a greener future!”

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Chabot College and State Senator Aisha Wahab hosted a free immigration clinic at the Chabot College Event Center:

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Rowena Tomaneng shared this photo from LEAP Advance:

“<3 my #APAHE Pamilya! #Educate#Advocate#Advance“

And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Students Participate in Internship Project with Kern County Sheriff’s Office

The Baccalaureate degree program in Industrial Automation collaborated with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office on a special robotics project. Recent Industrial Automation, Early College, Wonderful Education Shafter High School graduates had the opportunity to participate in this 2-day internship project utilizing their recently gained skills. 

Also this week, the City of Bakersfield awarded BC’s Launchpad a grant – the City of Bakersfield Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Technical Assistance and Grant Program, designed specifically for those who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

» Read more about this week at Bakersfield College!

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Remember – our greatest challenges enable us to do our greatest work.

That’s all for today.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora

Sonya Christian's Blog