Tag Archives: Norco College

February 8, 2025 – A good day to be a community college champion

Good morning California.
It is February 8, 2025.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Susan Dodd Memorial Scholarship at Gavilan College Receives $50,000 Gift

The Gavilan College Foundation announces a $50,000 gift from the Hauer-Dodd Revocable Family Trust to support the Susan Dodd Memorial Scholarship Fund. This generous contribution will help ensure the long-term sustainability of two annual $2,000 scholarships for Gavilan College students pursuing degrees in Kinesiology or participating in athletics.

» Read more!


Norco College Kinesiology Students Gain Hands-On Experience
Through New Internship Program

Six kinesiology students at Norco College are getting real-world experience this fall thanks to a new partnership between the Kinesiology Department and Wonderland Pediatric Therapy. The internship, launched during the Fall 2024 semester, offers students a unique opportunity for hands-on learning in a clinical environment.

» Read more!


Compton College Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for Student Housing Facility

On January 17, 2025, the Compton Community College District (CCCD) celebrated a significant
milestone with a well-attended groundbreaking ceremony for an all-new, 86,000-square-foot student
housing facility. While there are several California community colleges with on-campus student housing in mostly rural areas within the state, Compton College will be the first community college with student housing in
Los Angeles County.

» Read more!


Calbright College Launches New Programs,
Announces 1,000th Certificate of Completion

Calbright College, an online community college in California dedicated to boosting economic mobility and access to skills-based training for underserved communities, announced it will offer four additional programs to current and prospective learners this year. Building on the success of its start-up phase, the expansion will allow the college to continue its tremendous growth in enrollment and certificate completions–a more than 400% increase within two years–and follows the milestone of its 1,000th awarded certificate at the end of 2024. The added programs, offered through a competency-based education model, support Calbright’s mission to provide access to higher education for California’s working-age adults with the flexibility, support, and resources necessary to reach their career goals.

» Read more!



In Case You Missed It

California Community Colleges Team up with the Port Of Los Angeles For Workforce Development

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Port of Los Angeles have signed an agreement to collaborate on initiatives to better prepare community college students for careers in the evolving goods movement industry. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) brings together the resources of the college system, which is the largest provider of workforce training in the nation, with America’s busiest container port.

The MOU focuses on critical issues facing the maritime industry, including zero-emission operations, decarbonization, environmental stewardship and changing technologies, and incorporates opportunities for communities across Southern California to receive training to obtain the skills necessary to fill the career needs in these areas.

» Read more!

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Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Fresno City College:

Labor & Liberation is the theme of this year’s Black History Month celebration. Hosted by the African American Faculty and Staff Association. The month-long celebration began with an Opening Ceremony in the Old Administration Building Auditorium.

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From Coastline Community College:

Coastline’s Lunar New Year celebration at the Westminster Le-Jao Campus was a huge success! Trustees Mary Hornbuckle & Phu Nguyen joined the festivities, featuring delicious treats, lively music, and a thrilling Lion Dance. Trustee Nguyen even wowed the crowd with his drumming skills.

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From Lassen College:

We kicked off the Spring 2025 semester by celebrating the college’s 100th anniversary during Tuesday’s convocation!

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And From the Home of the Renegades

BC Professor Receives Educator of the Year from
Kern County Music Educators Association

Bakersfield College Performing Arts is proud to celebrate Dr. John Gerhold, who was recently honored with the Kern County Music Educators Association’s (KCMEA) College Music Educator of the Year award. Dr. Gerhold received the award during the 2025 Grand Night for Music on January 28 at Mechanics Bank Arena. A stalwart of music education in California for over 30 years, Dr. Gerhold has had a career in education that has been both successful and widely impactful.

Originally from Fullerton, Dr. Gerhold has been teaching music theory and ear training at BC since 1994 and served as department chair for more than 20 years. Many of Kern County’s music educators, including several BC faculty members, have benefited from Dr. Gerhold’s deep musical knowledge and unparalleled educational excellence, shaping the landscape of music education in Kern County and beyond.

» 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

Celebrating Student Successes: Grants and Awards in California

Earlier this week, we all turned our eyes and thoughts toward Florida as Hurricane Milton battered the state, leaving millions without power – but sparing Tampa a direct hit. The storm reached as high as a Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall as a Category 3.

Check out the remarkable rescue of a man found clinging to an ice chest 30 miles off the Florida coast. The Coast Guard estimated that he survived a night with winds of 75-90 mph and waves up to 25 feet.

A miracle…..

This week of travels took me to Riverside for the Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) awards gala and then to Sacramento for the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) annual meeting in Sacramento. 

Ashish Vaidya, Exec Dir of GIA, Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent, and me

Good morning California.
It is October 12, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Sierra College Foundation Receives $100,000 Grant
from the Bosch Community Fund

Sierra College Foundation (SCF) received a $100,000 grant from the Bosch Community Fund to its Career Technical Education (CTE) Support Fund. The grant will support associated costs with certification fees, microcontroller kits, development material, software, protective gear, tools, entry and travel fees for STEM competitions, project supplies for STEM Clubs and more. 

» Read more!


Grossmont College Art Student’s Cosplay Catches Marvel’s Eye at Comic-Con 

When Diego Montalvan started a project in his Grossmont College sculpture class, he had no idea it would lead to him dawning it as full cosplay during San Diego Comic-Con and that it would lead to a feature and recognition from Marvel Entertainment.  Out of the many attendees vying for photos of Montalvan was Marvel Entertainment. The comics company asked to take photos and videos to share on their official social media accounts and website.

» Read more!


Woodland Community College Awarded $3 Million Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Grant to Launch Escalera STEM Initiative

Woodland Community College (WCC) is excited to announce that it has been awarded a prestigious Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. With more than 50% of the student body identifying as Hispanic/Latinx, this grant holds special significance and reaffirms the college’s commitment to supporting the academic success of Hispanic/Latinx students. The $3 million, five-year grant will fund the Escalera Initiative, a campus-wide strategy designed to support Hispanic/Latinx students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

» Read more!



In Case You Missed It

Next stop on transfer students’ journey: UC Berkeley’s new, high-end dorm

Bakersfield College transfer student & TRIO/Bridge mentor Elizabeth Diaz is one of the students featured in an EdSource article about Anchor House, a brand-new residence hall specifically for transfer students on the university’s campus.

» Read more!

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Undocumented Student Action Week: October 14-18

This year’s USAW theme focuses on leveraging our collective power to create meaningful change. Join us for a week of events & webinars.

» Learn more!


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Los Medanos College:

Kat shows off her new glitter tattoo for world mental health day. Booths are setup near the student union building. A fun cool breezy day with food and kites and a little time to relax.

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From City College of San Francisco:

So thrilled to be back with my amazing Student Completion team after our fall Gear Up for Student Completion 2.0 retreat! We dove deep into team building, innovation, and equity, sparking our creativity and strategic thinking Can’t wait to see the incredible impact we’ll make aligning our efforts with our institution’s goals and working towards closing equity gaps!

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From Madera Community College:

Our new 2024-2025 College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) student cohort had an opportunity to go on a campus tour here at Madera Community College!

Throughout the tour, they familiarized themselves with the different campus resources, such as the Welcome Center, Food Pantry, second-year special programs, and the Learning Center, where they received information about the various in-person and online tutoring options available to them.

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And check out this video from Norco College:

Summer is a former foster youth student who is an alumni of Norco College. Hear her story about growing up in the foster care system, being involved in Phoenix Scholars, and what students need to succeed.


And From the Home of the Renegades

Renegade Nexus Offers Students Free Haircuts and Styling

Bakersfield College’s Renegade Nexus is dedicated to supporting the basic needs of students who are experiencing challenges while pursuing higher education. Through this unique program, students have access to additional resources, such as nutrition, transportation, health services, clothing, and much more.

The Renegade Nexus recently hosted “Styled for Success” an event that offered BC students professional haircuts and styling at no cost to them. Located in the Renegade Campus Store, BC’s Bookstore was transformed into a pop-up salon featuring salon chairs, mirrors, and local professional stylists. In partnership with ClipDart, a mobile hair care company, this exciting initiative presented students with the unique opportunity to receive haircare services on campus, accommodating the needs of each student and relieving any stressors of cost, transportation, and accessibility.

» 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

First six months of Vision 2030

Check out this photo collage (less than 5-min) video of the first 6 months of Vision 2030:

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This week started with a Monday holiday honoring Cesar Chavez. After that, it was another busy week of travel!

On Tuesday, I joined fellow members of the Governor’s Council for Career Education to visit Sierra College’s workforce programs. Before the Council meeting the First Partner swung by to do a tour of the mechatronics program.

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On Wednesday, we had a System Webinar, “Our Time is Now! Advancing California’s Economy Through Community Colleges.” This month, I was joined by Assemblymember Dawn Addis, who is the author of our sponsored bill, AB 1885, College Access for Students with Disabilities Act.

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On Thursday, I spent much of the day visiting San Bernardino Community College District.  Chancellor Diana Rodriguez is a rock star.  All the trustees came out in full force.

It was great to see BOG member Joseph Williams on his home turf!

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Back at home, I was able to enjoy Neo and the start of the rose season.

Good morning California.
It is April 6, 2024.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges.
Our Time is Now!

Norco College Receives RP Group Outstanding Project Award
for Faculty Impact on Black Student Success

Norco College announces its recognition as the recipient of the 2024 RP Group Outstanding Project of the Year Award for its groundbreaking initiative, “Faculty Impact on Black Student Success.” The project, led by Dr. Greg Aycock, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, and Caitlin Busso, Institutional Research Specialist, has been lauded for its significant contributions to student success and institutional effectiveness.

» Read more!


Santa Monica College Law Pathway Program
Receives Diversity Champion Award

The Santa Monica College (SMC) Law Pathway program has been honored with the Diversity Champion Award, established in 2016 by the California LAW Pathways Advisory Council to recognize outstanding organizations for their efforts in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the law field. The award was announced at the Annual Pathways to Law Summit held Feb. 23 – 24 at UC Davis School of Law. Past awardees include UC Berkeley School of Law, UCLA School of Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Rio Hondo College, and Saddleback College, among many others.

» Read more!


Fresno City College Celebrates
Social Justice Center Grand Opening

Last month, Fresno City College celebrated the grand opening of the Social Justice Center. The new center is designed to engage the campus and greater community in cultivating and promoting social justice and equity on campus, locally, nationally, and globally.

» Read more!


Laney College Eagle’s Nest Addresses 
Clothing Insecurity with Popup Event

On March 20, 2024, in the Laney College Student Center, the Laney College Eagle’s Nest, which is the College’s Basic Needs Center, hosted a “pop-up” style event focusing on giving away clothing to students in need. All items were free, gently worn items, including shoes, for women, men, and children. In addition to these much-needed resources for students, students were also offered hygiene kits and other basic needs resources.

» Read more about the Eagle’s Nest!



In Case You Missed It

Challenges for Higher Education: An Emerging Skills Shortage
and Inequity in the Workforce

George Boggs and I co-wrote this piece in Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

American higher education is called upon to serve a variety of purposes: advancement of knowledge, expansion of cultural appreciation, extending understanding of societal benefits and obligations, and preparing a diversity of students with the skills they need for a successful and rewarding life. These missions are important to the well-being of our people and the strength of our country. Recently, it has become apparent that higher education must give increased attention to skill development and educational attainment.

» Read more!

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Black Student Success Week

The 2024 Black Student Success Week is scheduled for April 22-26, 2024. This year’s theme is Building a Better Future Together: the Urgency is Now. The 2024 Black Student Success Week will focus on innovative approaches to ensure Black and African American students succeed in community colleges. Administrators, faculty, staff & students from across the California Community Colleges are invited to join for a series of daily webinars.

» Learn more and register today!


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

From Citrus College:

ICYMI: On 3/29, students in the Citrus College Cosmetology & Esthetician programs provided Whitcomb High School students with hairstyles, makeup & manicures for their prom! This was a free community service event & about 25 Citrus College students participated. Way to go, Owls!

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From Gavilan College:

GAV COLLABORATES WITH UC MASTER GARDENERS OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY ON CESAR CHAVEZ DAY! Thank you to Gav’s Dean of Counseling, Student Success and Equity, Diego Espinoza (pictured standing, second from left) for coordinating a Cesar Chavez Day of Service with the South County Teaching and Demo Garden in San Martin. Despite the cold and drizzle, students, and even President Avila, came out to honor the legacy of labor rights leader, Cesar Chavez, by volunteering, and led by Master Gardeners.

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And check out this video from San Diego College of Continuing Education, highlighting the 2024 surviveHEADSTRONG Walk and Health Fair:


Blast from the Past

Here are my video remarks from the Jean Fuller Women in Leadership Panel on March 4, 2021:


And From the Home of the Renegades

BC And Wonderful Industrial Park Support Local Workforce

Bakersfield College was honored to gather with leaders from the Wonderful Industrial Park (WIP) to learn more about the exciting growth opportunities taking place in the WIP! Leaders from organizations such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, the City of Shafter, and others came together to provide updates on their operations. It was a valuable opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the dynamic ecosystem that drives economic development in the region.

» Read more!

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

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

Juneteenth 2023 – CA CCs promote empathy and unity

Last Saturday, I walked out of the gym after my Saturday morning class and spotted this bird.

I texted a friend who is a bird watcher and she immediately came back with gray hawk. She then checked in with a raptor expert and came back with hybrid falcon.

What do you think?

Then on Sunday, I enjoyed watching the 76th Tony Awards. Kimberly Akimbo received top honors for Best Musical, while Leopoldstadt took Best Play.

I love musicals.

Check out the opening performance with host Ariana DeBose.

This week I also had my first Consultation Council meeting as California Community Colleges Chancellor. Great group of talented and dedicated folks. Our time is now!

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On Monday, we celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived on the island of Galveston, Texas, to take command of the federal troops who went there to enforce the emancipation of its slaves. He issued General Order No. 3, which enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas.

Now, Juneteenth is a federal holiday – first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Here is excerpt from an email I sent to our staff :

“This celebration allows us to foster a deeper understanding of our shared history and promote empathy and unity among our colleagues. Linked here is a short video featuring renowned Harvard historian, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., further explaining the significance and history of Juneteenth.”

And wishing all the dads out there a very happy Father’s Day tomorrow!

Good morning California.
It is June 17, 2023.
A good day to be a Community College Champion



From California Community Colleges

Woodland Community College, Feather River College
among Community College Innovation Challenge winners

The Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) is led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is a national competition where community college student teams, working with a faculty or administrator mentor, use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems; participate in an Innovation Boot Camp; and compete for cash awards.

This year, two California Community Colleges are among the winners. Woodland Community College took 2nd place, while Feather River College took 3rd.

» Read more about the CCIC

» Check out posts from MESA at Woodland Community College

» Learn more about Feather River College’s team


Norco College Rocketry Team
AR 51025 Competition Update and Video

In Fall 2022, Norco College Rocketry collaborated with the Flabob Airport Rocketry Program by taking weekly classes and worked diligently to educate themselves on rocketry fundamentals and techniques. On March 4th, the team successfully launched and retrieved their rocket “Vector” and performed a static fire in the Mojave Desert. After Vector, the team began preparations for our competition rocket for the FAR 51025 Competition. 

» Read more and see additional videos about the Rocketry team


Re-imagined Hiring Event
Hosted at Butte College Career Center

This spring, the Butte College Career Center partnered with SynEd to launch a new pilot to connect students completing certificate and degree programs in accounting and business with employers hiring for those skills. The career center modeled the event after SynEd’s Appointment with your Future.

» Read more about the Hiring Event


De Anza College Receives MESA Grant
for Underrepresented Students

De Anza has been awarded $1.55 million in state funding over the next five years for a new cohort program to support historically underrepresented students who want to transfer in STEM majors.

The new MESA (Math, Engineering and Science Achievement) program will build on strategies that proved highly effective with De Anza’s Math Performance Success program, which has used dedicated counselors, embedded peer tutors and additional support to improve student success rates in Math – particularly for Latinx and Black students.

» Read more about MESA at De Anza



In Case You Missed It

Diverse Issues in Higher Education: Education Department
Announces Grants for Initiatives to Support Native Students

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced more than $8 million in available grants to fund initiatives for Native students.

» Read more about his grant program

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LAist: America Needs Pilots, But Training Is Pricey.
Community Colleges Are Stepping In

A commercial pilot license is also a necessary step toward flying for an airline, and those pilots should have some leverage when they hit the market. According to analysts with consulting firm Oliver Wyman, while the gap between supply and demand of pilots has improved from projections in 2022, there may be a shortfall of up to 24,000 pilots by 2026.

Still, pilot training programs can get expensive, as students navigate an array of fees. That’s left affordable community college programs an opening.

» Read more


Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Dr. Zav Dadabhoy tweeted

Allan Hancock College‘s Beyond Incarceration Greater Education (BIGE) Club visited the Santa Maria Police Department to share their stories and discuss how the two groups can work together to Change the Odds in our community.

Calbright College spreading the word at the Juneteenth Education Fair at Camp Pendleton:

Mission College kicked off their Summer Concert Series:

And thank you to Assemblymember Mike Fong for sharing this photo of us after we met in Sacramento this week:


Blast From the Past

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13.5 Million Investment
to Equitably Grow Solar Energy Workforce

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced 12 projects, whose work will span more than 13 states, selected for negotiation to launch training partnerships that expand the solar energy workforce in underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as create career pathways with thousands of good-paying jobs.

Kern Community College District (Bakersfield, CA): In partnership with IBEW, this project will provide solar installation career-track training and electrical apprenticeship readiness training with opportunities for union membership for participants from disadvantaged communities in the Central Valley of California. ​(Award: $1,000,000)

» Read more about the grants

» 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