Tag Archives: Hartnell College

The state of CA CCs is strong

Hello from Marina Del Rey!

Woke up early this morning at the Marina after a hectic and tiring week of travel.
A leisurely walk to the bagel place and back. A great way to start the weekend.

Now on to the week of travel ….

On Friday, I gave the State of the System address at the Community College League of California’s annual convention in Indian Wells. Afterward, I was joined by Board of Governors Vice President Hildegarde Aguinaldo, and Board Members Pamela Haynes, Tom Epstein, and Paul Medina.

It was a wonderful day of seeing great colleagues from across the state.

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On the second day in Indian Wells we had consultation council and the CEO meeting. Ran into the Kern team.

Great selfie by Daisy Gonzales with Dr. Young and the Pipelines2Possibilities fellows. The program started as a vision to bring California Community Colleges graduates back to teach at our colleges.

Good morning California.
It is November 18, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Board of Governors Recognizes 2023 Energy and Sustainability Award Recipients

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors has recognized a select group of innovative college leaders and programs with the 2023 Energy and Sustainability Awards for their ceaseless efforts in combatting the impacts of climate change in line with goals spelled out in the recently adopted Vision 2030 strategic plan.

Recipients include:

  • Riverside Community College District
  • Mt. San Antonio Community College District
  • MiraCosta Community College District
  • Solano Community College District
  • Dr. Tonya Huff, Riverside Community College District
  • Hussain Agah, Riverside Community College District
  • Dr. Rueben Smith, Los Angeles Community College District

» Read more!


San Jose City College, Bill Wilson Center Partner
on Guaranteed Income for Unhoused Students

San José’s Bill Wilson Center announced a new guaranteed income program for San José City College Students to help address the statewide issue of youth homelessness. A recent California Community College system survey showed that nearly half of SJCC students have experienced housing, food, or transportation insecurity in the past year.

» Read more!


Mt. San Jacinto College Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

Mt. San Jacinto College invited the public to its inaugural National Apprenticeship Week and Apprenticeship Connection Summit. Nearly 130 local leaders in education, business, government, and community organizations attended the summit.

» Read more!


Moreno Valley College, Riverside Community College District Sponsor Inaugural State of the Black I.E. Symposium

Last month, the Riverside Community College District and Moreno Valley College were honored to support and sponsor the inaugural State of the Black I.E. Symposium, a significant event dedicated to advancing equity, justice, and empowerment within the Inland Empire’s Black community.

» Read more! 



In Case You Missed It

Innovating at Scale: Guided Pathways Adoption and
Early Student Momentum Among the AACC Pathways Colleges

In 2015, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) announced
the AACC Pathways Project, a national initiative designed to support a cohort of
community colleges to implement and scale whole-college guided pathways reforms.

Seven years since the project began, these colleges have made impressive progress
adopting guided pathways practices at scale. Colleges that have adopted the model
more comprehensively are seeing promising trends in leading indicators of success for
their students.

» Read the Report!

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EdSource: Community college students can take classes
in their native language under a new law

Hoping to entice more non-English speakers to enroll in community college, California is making it easier for those students to take courses in their native language. Assembly Bill 1096, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and is set to take effect Jan. 1. The law will allow community colleges to offer courses in languages other than English without requiring students to enroll in ESL. 

» Read more!


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Shasta College:

Shasta College is having a blast at STEM Career Day with our regional 9th grade students! Science, Technology, Engineering, Math is in many career pathways including GIS, Natural Resources, Logging, Heavy Equipment Operations, Welding, Machining, Health Sciences, and more!

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Hartnell College shared this update about a former student:

» Read more

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Check out this video of highlights from San Diego City College‘s Day of the Dead Event:

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And I loved this story from Santa Rosa Junior College:

The #SRJC Archives holds an impressive collection of 784 letters alumni serving in the war wrote to President Floyd Bailey during World War II. And the story about them is quite fantastic.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, our flight training school moved to Ely, Nevada, and SRJC was contracted to start special training programs, preparing service men and women for the army, navy, and nursing.

Along with hundreds of thousands of civilians who wanted to support the war efforts, the first President of the college, Floyd Bailey, conducted a “private morale booster” for servicemen. In July 1943, he asked his staff to prepare a mailing list with students, alumni, and instructors who were serving in the various military branches.

As he wrote in the first history of the college, “Nearly 50,000 copies of the student newspaper, the Oak Leaf, went out to servicemen who were eager for new of home and, in addition, some 4,000 birthday cards and more than 10,000 copies of mimeographed letters were sent to some 850 students of the mailing list.” In the first newsletter, President Bailey talked about life at the college and in Sonoma County and asked the alumni to write back. Thousands of cards and letters from all over the world, where our alumni were stationed or fighting, arrived at SRJC before the war ended.

These images are published with the support of the SRJC Archives. Some photos of alumni serving in the war are available online in our Digital Archives Collection. The original letters can be consulted in the Archives, located in Doyle Library, second floor, Santa Rosa campus. https://libraries.santarosa.edu/archives


And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Celebrates Grand Opening of
Regenerative Agriculture Education Center with Ribbon Cutting

Bakersfield College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony November 14, 2023 to celebrate the grand opening of the Regenerative Agriculture Education Center at the Bakersfield College Delano Campus (1450 Timmons Ave., Delano, CA). This space aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices through community education, opportunities for student research, internships, workforce development, and demonstration of emerging technologies.

» Read more!

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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 CCs on the move

What a busy week! Across the country and back.

On Saturday, headed out to Morgantown home of West Virginia University where my best friend from high school teaches in the Life Sciences department.

On Sunday headed with the team to Washington DC to elevate the visibility of the work being done at California Community colleges. The team included – Deputy Chancellor Daisy Gonzales and Vice Chancellor of Government Relations David O’Brien; from the Board of Governors, President Amy Costa & Pamela Haynes; from the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Executive Director of Workforce Development Tim Aldinger.

Then headed to San Diego for the DEI Conference and then back home Friday night.

Here are some photos:

Morgantown visiting my friend who cooked great Kerala dishes and event packed some food for the road…. yuuum.

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Washington DC visit

Department of Education:

Department of Energy:

Department of Labor:

Senator Alex Padilla:

A must-do photo of the Washington monument every time I visit DC:

Check out Little Amal who visited DC. Little Amal represents a fictional nine-year-old Syrian girl, representing displaced children today. The giant puppet was created by the South Africa-based Handspring Puppet Company.

“The Walk” tells Amal’s life story, her search for her mother and her flight to safety.

Check out this video from Georgetown University about it:

Goodbye for now DC

David O’Brien, Pam Haynes, Amy Costa
Daisy Gonzales, Sonya Christian, David O’Brien, Pam Haynes at Dulles. Heading out to San Diego

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After a few jam-packed days in DC, we headed to San Diego for the DEIA in Action Institute.

At the conclusion of my talk, I invited the leadership at the Chancellor’s Office to come up on stage with me – John Hetts, Daisy Gonzales, Pamela Haynes, Marc LeForestier, Lizette Navarette and Aisha Lowe. Check out the photo.

John Hetts, Daisy Gonzales, Sonya Christian, Pam Haynes, Marc LeForestier, Lizette Navarette, Aisha Lowe

What a wonderful week!

Good morning California.
It is September 23, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

CCC Presidents Selected for Aspen Presidents Fellowship

Tawny Dotson, Michael Gutierrez, Jim Limbaugh,
Claudia Lourido-Habib, and Julius Sokenu

The College Excellence Program announced the cohort of college presidents for the 2023-2024 Aspen Presidents Fellowship. Several of our California Community College Presidents were selected:

  • Tawny Dotson, Yuba College
  • Michael Gutierrez, Hartnell College
  • Jim Limbaugh, West Los Angeles College
  • Claudia Lourido-Habib, Porterville College
  • Julius Sokenu, Moorpark College

Congratulations to all!

» Read more about the 2023-2024 Presidents Fellows


Las Positas College Hosts Black College Day

Las Positas College hosted its first annual Black Family Day. “It really ties into our educational master plan, which is to be the destination campus for Black students and other students of color here in the Tri-Valley,” said LPC President Dr. Dyrell Foster.

» Check out the news coverage!


Cerritos College Hosts Event For The College Tour Episode

Cerritos College is featured in a 30-minute episode of The College Tour, an Amazon Prime streaming series. This week, Cerritos College hosted an exclusive screening of the episode at their Performing Arts Center.

» Learn more about Cerritos College on The College Tour!

Check out the video below:


San Joaquin Delta College Launches Free Public Fitness Court

Delta College celebrated the opening of a new outdoor exercise facility known as a Fitness Court, part of an initiative by National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to plan, build, and fund healthy communities across the country.

» Learn more about the fitness court!



In Case You Missed It

NANDI: Reimagining Success

The Nandi Symposium will center the voices of Black women while also creating space for all professionals and students in the California Community College System to be in community with one another. The Nandi Symposium is being brought to you in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

When: Thursday, October 5; 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Where: Westin Los Angeles Airport

For more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nandi-symposium-tickets-700528769407?aff=oddtdtcreator


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From MiraCosta College President Sunita Cooke:

@MiraCosta⁩ representing ⁦@NCAAWA⁩ Annual Gentlemen’s Gourmet scholarship fundraiser. TY to our talented chefs, volunteers, and donors! Shout out to Trustee Raye Clendening, ⁦⁦ @RepMikeLevin⁩ ⁦ @jim_desmond⁩ ⁦ @joegreen760⁩ ⁦ @satiaaustin

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From CA Assembly Member & Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon:

Yes! This is exactly why we formed the paid Community College Internship for the Assembly. This is such an important program. Community college students are incredibly diverse, and have so much to offer. Uplifting them benefits everybody.

The Assembly’s community college interns are placed in Member offices (both Republican and Democrat) to learn how the legislature functions. One of these interns, Frank Arenas, works in my office. He’s an aspiring attorney, and has been a wonderful addition to the team.

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From Lassen College:

Thank you to our amazing students and staff for representing LCC this morning at The Out of the Darkness Community Walk. This walk is a journey of remembrance, hope, and support. It unites our communities and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about.

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From Kern CCD Trustee Yovani Jimenez:

Grateful for an inspiring State of the College event at @PCollegePirates, celebrating their achievements and future vision with Dr. @PortervillePrez and the PC team. I am excited for what’s to come!


And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Learning Resource Center in Delano

Bakersfield College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning for the newly finished multipurpose building at BC’s Delano campus. The ceremony marked a significant milestone for the college in its commitment to providing enhanced and expanded educational opportunities to students in North Kern.

» Read more!

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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

Community College Champions everywhere

The last two weeks, Bessie came to visit when my daughter was in Ukraine volunteering with a surgical team.  Pretty remarkable young woman. 

Needless to say Neo was ecstatic to have Bess in Bakersfield.

Bessie enjoys laying in the sun

On Wednesday, we celebrated #NationalSelfieDay as I started my day in the office with Mary Ann Biag:

My week in Sacramento was filled with running into Community College Champions.

Here is a tweet from Toni Atkins, President pro Tempore of the California State Senate a #CommunityCollegeChampions.

The Foundation for California Community College’s 25th Anniversary celebrated its 25th anniversary. Assembly member Mike Fong stopped by – a #CommunityCollegeChampion

Good morning California.
It is June 24, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

 Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF)

Student BOG member Paul Medina is currently in a International Affairs fellowship made up of 30 community college students nationwide, the majority of which are California Community College students.

American River, Berkeley City, Compton, East Los Angeles, El Camino, Foothill, Ohlone, Pasadena City, Riverside City and Santa Monica community colleges are all represented this year.

» Read more about the program!


Student Ambassador Showcase
Highlights Program’s Success

Earlier this month, FoundationCCC hosted the California Community College Student Ambassador Showcase to recognize the outstanding work or student ambassadors statewide.

The program trains Califronia community college students to become on-campus advocates, sharing information about program and resources available to support student success. FoundationCCC collaborated with participating colleges to train these students.

Since 2018, student ambassadors have reached over 1 million of their California community college peers!

» Read more about the program!


Hartnell College awarded $9.5M Grant

Hartnell College was awarded a grant of $9,500,000 from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s inaugural NEXTGEN program. The announcement was made during a presentation by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Wash., D.C.

The project, titled “Hartnell College Learning to Lead: Career Pathways Supporting US Leafy Green Production,” will be carried out in partnership with Imperial Valley College, Cal State University Monterey Bay, and the University of Arizona, Yuma.

» Read more about the grant & project!


San Diego College of Continuing Education Receives
$1.4 Million Grant to Support Former Foster Youth

Programs supporting former foster youth trying to stay on their feet as they transition to adulthood are receiving a significant boost thanks to a $1.4 million grant to the San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) and nonprofit Promises2Kids that was celebrated during a check presentation on Friday.

The $1.4 million was directed to SDCCE and Promises2Kids through California State Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), who was a featured speaker.

» Read more about the grant!


Laney College student awarded Governors Service Medallion

Laney College student Susan Bradley is the first student to be awarded the Governors Service Medallion from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) – the organization that provides the Emmy Award.

Susan Bradley is an active NATAS member and Governor. Because of her continual contribution as a photographer for NATAS Susan was nominated for the 2023 Governors Service Medallion after only three years of service.

» Read more about her award!



In Case You Missed It

LA Times: The most lucrative majors?
Some community college grads can outearn elite university peers

“Health field graduates also command high salaries — including those with community college degrees. Registered nursing graduates with two-year degrees from Sacramento City College earn $123,056 annually, more than those with bachelor’s degrees in nursing at UCLA and UC Irvine. Experts say that geography can play a role, with wages often higher in the Bay Area. Most community college registered nursing programs deliver median earnings of more than $90,000 annually, the data show.”

» Read the article!

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CalChamber Advocacy: Community College Baccalaureate Degree Programs Feed Regional Workforce and Increase Student Pathways for Economic Mobility

“The Baccalaureate Degree Programs at California Community Colleges have been a catalyst of economic and regional development since their inception in 2014. The focused baccalaureate programs at 21 of California’s community colleges offer career-specific bachelor’s degrees to help answer the persistent call from our state’s workforce for trained, skilled workers.”

» Read more!


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Lake Tahoe Community College President Jeff DeFranco shared this post:

Welcomed the Far North California Community Colleges to Lake Tahoe today as part of our “community of practice” collaboration. #comm_college
@ShastaCollege
@MendocinoEagles
@buttecollege
@redwoodstweets
@FeatherRiverCol
@Lassen_College
@COS_InfoNow
@LakeTahoeCC

Kylie Campbell spoke about Dual Enrollment at Academic Innovations’ Get Focused Stay Focused conference:

And check out this post from East Los Angeles College!


And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Faculty Member Receives 2023 Educator of the Year Award
from National Education Association

BC Educator, Dr. Christine Cruz Boone, has received the 2023 Educator of the Year award from the National Education Association (NEA). Dr. Cruz Boone received an abundance of support from the local community and members of the statewide Community College Association (CCA) Board.

» 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.

See you next Saturday!

With much hope and joy, 

Your Chancellor,

-sonya

#OurTimeisNow
#NuestroTiempoEsAhora