This month we share a brief issue and greeting as we find ourselves in the first summer since 2020 where the pandemic is not ruling our lives.
I hope you all enjoyed fabulous live commencement exercises on your campuses. We know students, family, professors and staff have been looking forward coming together again to celebrate the accomplishments of our students in the Central Valley.
I’m sure many of you agree that one take-away from the pandemic experience – with life seemingly coming to a halt the past two years amid shutdowns and event cancellations – is the renewed appreciation we find in everyday routines like pulling into the campus parking lot, crossing the beautiful landscapes of our 30 campuses across the valley, walking into classrooms and seeing those eager faces, reconvening with colleagues in the office and most significantly, sitting in an arena, stadium or any venue to bask in the joy of our students walking across the stage to receive their diploma ... a celebration with their friends and families of the hard work and success by all in academia.
This summer we will continue to work on our regional initiatives like dual enrollment, creating a Central Valley transfer model and working on developing math pathways between our K12 partners and our CVHEC member institutions.
Until we usher in the fall 2022 semester together, I hope you will find some time to rest, recharge, enjoy time with your loved ones and maybe even do a little travel once again. We look forward to regrouping in August and kicking-off another impactful year.
The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors is made up of the presidents and chancellors of our 30-member institutions in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties.
Taft President Daniels Announces Retirement
Congratulations to Dr. Debra Daniels who will retire as president of Taft College this month, she announced at the West Kern Community College District Board of Trustees meeting July 13. Brock McMurray, the executive vice president for Administrative Services will serve as interim superintendent/president while WKCCD conducts a search.
“We are grateful for President Daniels' exemplary career in higher education and for her service to West Kern students as well as her service on our CVHEC Board of Directors,” said Dr. Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. “We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”
This issue’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” Blog features John Spevak, former Merced College vice president who is now a regional coordinator for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. He also is a correspondent for the Westside Express newspaper where this column on dual enrollment first appeared.
High School Students On Westside Can Start Taking College Courses
For a high school student living on the Westside of the Central Valley, college can be as near as the next classroom — right in their high school — in a course taught by a college professor.
Or it can be on their computer at home in an online course offered to them by their local community college. Or it can be a short drive from their home to their local community college campus.
These opportunities are available now to students in high schools in Los Banos, Dos Palos and Firebaugh in a program called dual enrollment, offered by both Merced and West Hills Colleges.
In many cases these college courses also fulfill high school requirements providing dual credit. And dual enrollment is available to ALL high school students, not just a select few, and not just seniors. And no placement test is involved ...
Dr. Herrera to Head Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative
Dr. Krista Herrera was named executive director of the newly formed Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, a partnership between Kern County Superintendent Of Schools, institutes of higher education including the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and business partners to significantly expand Kern County’s workforce development efforts.
Dr. Herrera, who was also appointed administrator of Instructional Services by KSOS Superintendent Mary C. Barlow, will provide leadership for the implementation of over $18 million in state funds awarded to Kern.
The grant is aimed at improving student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the Kern County workforce.
The Kern Collaborative will support numerous efforts that will streamline pathways in three occupational areas, including healthcare, education and engineering/computing. The initiative will focus on first-generation college
Dr. Krista Herrera
students, those from low- income families and students of color to improve preparation for college and career access and success.
College or career? California invests $500 million in program that tackles both (July 7, 2022) -- Career technical education in California has been bolstered by federal workforce grants and previous state efforts, such as the California Career Pathways Trust and Career Technical Education Incentive Grant. Dual enrollment has received state funding — the latest budget sets aside $200 million. What makes the Golden State Pathways Program unique is that it is knitting all of these goals together in a single, integrated program of study for each student. See EdSource story.
Dr. Andrews Is UMass Global Chancellor (June 30, 2022) -- Dr. David Andrews was appointed to serve as University of Massachusetts Global Chancellor succeeding Chancellor Emeritus Gary Brahm. See press release.
California students need more high-quality advanced math options (May 17, 2022) -- The recent debate over California’s proposed math framework is missing the forest for the trees. In its myopic focus on which advanced math courses best prepare high school students for their futures, it glosses over a glaring fact: More than half of California seniors take no advanced math course at all. In fact, California requires students to take only two years of math, through Algebra 1. See full story.
REMINDER: 2022 CVHEC
Mini-Grant AppsAvailable
Applications for the next Central Valley Higher Education Consortium 2022 Mini-Grant cycle are now being accepted and will continue until funds are allocated.
