Moreno Valley College returned to some normalcy as students and staff returned to campus for the 2021 fall semester. 
 
The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees voted to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students, College personnel and vendors who access District property. Due to the mandate, College officials worked quickly to accommodate students by offering courses online and as a hybrid. 
 
At Moreno Valley, typically 20 percent of class offerings are offered online. This fall, 67 percent are being offered online, leaving 33 percent of courses to meet on campus. Although it is just 33 percent, it does offer a glimmer of hope to students.

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Moreno Valley College student Jared Abarca has been selected as a language assistant by the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program. Beginning in October, Abarca will be a teaching assistant at a high school in Cantabria, Spain, a town on the north coast of the country.
 
The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) is an educational outreach initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Education through the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain. NALCAP offers recipients grants to American and Canadian college students and graduates, majoring in any subject, who are native speakers of English and have a basic knowledge of Spanish.

Abarca, under the supervision and guidance of a World/Foreign Language teacher, will be teaching English. Abarca, a communications major, receives a monthly stipend to cover living expenses and medical insurance from either the national government of Spain or the regional governments of Spain, depending on the assignment. His assignment is for 12 to 16 hours of instruction per week and lasts until May 31. 

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Moreno Valley College welcomed three new faculty members this fall: Robert Delgadillo, Applied Digital Media; Rebecca Ferrelli, DSS counselor; and Kyla Rankin, Ph.D., Psychology.

Delgadillo began teaching university level art and graphic design courses in 2006, serving as a full-time faculty member at The Art Institute of California's San Bernardino and San Diego campuses. He has been actively working as a freelance commercial graphic artist for over 16 years. His illustrations and designs have been published in major advertising campaigns, reproduced for licensed goods, exhibited in fine art galleries, and acknowledged in the press internationally.

Ferrelli began working in education while studying abroad in South Africa where she taught first grade at a primary school. After returning to the United States, Ferrelli completed her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Human Services at Oregon State University. She said, her passion for supporting underrepresented populations continued and she transitioned from the K-12 system to working within the California Community College system in 2015. She went on to earn a master's degree in College Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University and now specializes in program development and supporting students with disabilities.

For 17 months Rankin served as an adjunct faculty member at MVC. Rankin earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Fresno State University and then enrolled at UC Riverside, earning a master's degree in Social/Personality Psychology and then a doctoral degree in Social/Personality Psychology, Health and Well-Being Specialization. Rankin received several academic excellence awards and has been published extensively in professional journals.

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Majd Askar, an 11-year employee of Riverside Community College District, has been selected as vice president of Business Services at Moreno Valley College. Askar, who had been serving as interim vice president for the last few months, was officially installed at the Board meeting on August 17.

Askar, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, San Bernardino, began her career at Riverside Unified School District in 2003. In 2010, she transitioned to RCCD, working alongside Aaron Brown, vice chancellor of Business Services. For five years, she served as purchasing manager and in 2015 earned the title of director of Business Services.

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The United States Department of Education notified Moreno Valley College that its Talent Search Program has been refunded for another five years. MVC’s award amounts to $1.386 million over the next five years.
 
The Talent Search Program, a pre-collegiate program, is one of four TRIO programs at the College. TRIO programs serve as outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them prepare for and graduate from college. The other TRIO programs are ACES Student Support Services Program (collegiate), Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Program (pre-collegiate), and Upward Bound Program (pre-collegiate).

Each year, the Talent Search Program serves 500 students from Valley View and Vista del Lago high schools, as well as pupils from Badger Springs, Landmark, Mountain View and Palm middle schools. Nearly 70 percent of individuals in the Talent Search Program are first-generation students. Each of these schools are located less than six miles from the College campus.

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First Year Experience Summer Bridge program enrolled 253 MVC Promise students. The students enrolled in credit bearing courses via one of the squads offered — Guidance Squad (GUI-45), English Squad (GUI-45 and ENG-1A), or Guidance Squad (GUI-45) plus a general education course. Each of the squads has community building activities and was provided offered daily one-on-one support via Zoom.  

“The students had a very intentional introduction to the academic and student support services offered by our college to ease their transition into college,” Edward F. Alvarez, director, First Year Experience, said. 

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Robin Steinback, Ph.D., president of Moreno Valley College, announced that Ben Clark Training Center and student initiatives will be the beneficiary of Giving Week funds. Giving Week, November 2-6, has become the College’s signature fundraising event, replacing the President’s Dinner.
 
Last year, the College raised nearly $20,000 for scholarships during its inaugural Giving Week. This year, the College, in conjunction with the Riverside Community College District Foundation office, is looking to raise $30,000. Monies from this year’s event will provide support to purchase a paramedic simulation system, increase the student scholarship/emergency fund, and assist with a basic needs initiative for students facing food and housing insecurity. 
 
“The mannequin-based simulation allows for virtual feedback. Presenting life-like scenarios for students will allow the program to continue to develop first responders who are desperately needed in the Inland Empire,” Christopher Sweeten, vice president of Student Services and chair of Giving Week, said. “Also, paying for college and meeting basic needs remain obstacles for many individuals who seek a degree or certificate in this region. With funds raised from Giving Week we hope to be able to provide students with not only a means to pay for college but also provide financial support needed to meet their daily needs.
 
“A successful Giving Week will allow the institution to continue to advance knowledge and transform lives.”
 
The Foundation is soliciting sponsors, contact the Foundation office at (951) 222-8626 or donate online.

Angel Orta-Perez, assistant director of Upward Bound Math and Science and Upward Bound programs, was awarded an Anita Borg Women of Color in Technology Scholarship to attend the 2021 Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration (vGHC21), September 27 through October 1. 
 
The vGHC21 event is hosted by AnitaB.Org and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and is considered the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. Women from around the world learn, network and celebrate achievements. 
 
Founded in 1994 by Anita Borg, Ph.D., and Telle Whitney, Ph.D., the event honors former Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, the first woman to receive a doctorate degree in mathematics. Her expertise allowed her to join the US Naval Reserve during World War II and work on the Mark I computer.  

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Robin Steinback, Ph.D., president of Moreno Valley College, and Christopher Sweeten, vice president of Student Services, delivered the keynote at the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce Wake-Up Moreno Valley event on July 28. President Steinback and Vice President Sweeten shared with the community plans to return to on-campus instruction, an update on construction projects, and how the institution is advancing knowledge and transforming lives, even during the worldwide pandemic.
 
Despite COVID-19 shuttering the campus, the College continued to expand and provide top-notch educational services. For instance, the Ben Clark Training Center received educational center status. With educational center status, BCTC stands to increase apportionment funding; be eligible for additional state capital outlay resources; and reduce the need for leased operational space. It is projected that the additional apportionment could mean as much as $1.3 million, beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. Based on the current apportionment base and grants and other revenue opportunities, BCTC’s financial means to grow to as much as $7 million.
 
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In June, Riverside Community College District selected DLR Group to provide a comprehensive sustainability and climate action plan for the District. 
 
In 2011, the RCCD Board of Trustees adopted Board Policy 5775 - Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility which states, in part, “Riverside Community College District’s intent is to create a set of operating principles and guidelines in the execution of its responsibilities to facilities design and operation; campus management…thereby minimizing negative environmental impacts of activities under its control and oversight.”

A year later, California voters passed Proposition 39 (California Clean Energy Jobs Act). The Act provided funding for energy project implementation in the California Community College system. RCCD leveraged $4,484,854 from the state, plus an additional $228,943 from a local fund, for energy efficiencies projects at Moreno Valley College, Norco College and Riverside City College. Doing so has resulted in a reduction in energy consumption districtwide by 2,408,756 kW/h annually.​

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Ben Clark Training Center and city of Perris collaborated on a video, highlighting the educational programs at the School of Public Safety.  The video production work was done by the City of Perris and will air on the city of Perris’s public access channel and city of Perris social media channels. 
 
Officials in the city of Perris sought to do this collaborative project because they wanted to inform the residents in the city about the careers and opportunities offered by MVC and especially those in emergency and first responder careers headquartered at BCTC, said Phillip Rawlings, dean of Public Safety.  
 
View the video
 

While suicides have fallen by five percent (New York Times; April 2021) there has been an uptick in anxiety and depression due to COVID-19 and other financial restraints. A recent study found that one in 12 adults has had thoughts of suicide.
 
College leadership understands how early intervention can help a distressed student stay in school and accomplish his or her goals. Moreno Valley College’s Student Health and Psychological Services aids enrolled students through Zoom currently. The College also has a Behavioral Intervention Resource Team (BIRT) which provides support to facilitate, coordinate and deliver psychological evaluation and behavioral intervention. 
 
Students can access live, virtual medical, mental health and referral assistance through the College’s Student Wellness Portal. 
 
Staff who might need assistance are encouraged to reach out to the District’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP offers employees short-term counseling and support for a range of personal, family, financial and work/life problems. The crisis line — 1-800-273-5273 — is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 
 

El Grito 2021 is scheduled for September 15 at the city of Moreno Valley’s newly constructed amphitheater. The event, which is free, runs from 5 to 10 pm and will include activities such as a youth fun zone, ballet folklorico, Mariachi and band performances, food vendors, business and organization booths, and a VIP area.
 
El Grito 2021 is a celebration of the Mexican War of Independence from the French. Moreno Valley College, the city, the Moreno Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as well as the Consular de Mexico is partnering to bring the event to the community.
 
Previously the event was held at the College Park, adjacent to the College. The city’s amphitheater, which was dedicated in June, boasts state-of-the-art audio and video technology. The facility will host several events, such as the MoVal Rocks/MoVal movie series, Day of the Dead, Snow Day, a weekly farmers’ market, and other cultural performances as well as dramatic and comedic events. The amphitheater, which was funded by developer impact fees, is located behind the city’s Conference Center at the corner of Alessandro Boulevard and Veterans Way. 

California will hold its California Gubernatorial Recall Election on September 14, the first recall election of a governor since 2003. The 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election will run like any statewide election, eligible Californians will have the opportunity to cast a ballot and make their voice heard.
 
Moreno Valley College will serve as a voting and a ballot drop-off location. Ballots can be dropped off in the Student Academic Services Building, Room 121 from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday, beginning August 16 until September 10. On-site voting will take place on September 11 (8 am to 5 pm) and then again on Election Day (6:30 am to 9 pm). Registrar of Voters staff will be on site to assist voters.
 
Each California voter will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot. Legislation SB 29 requires that registered active voters receive a vote-by-mail ballot for elections held in 2021.

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The City of Moreno Valley is accepting applications from Moreno Valley artists to display their artwork through an Art Loan program. In an effort to enhance the aesthetics of City facilities, family-friendly works of art are being accepted for placement in the Moreno Valley Council Chamber, Library, and other facilities. Artists that reside or work in Moreno Valley are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submittal is September 13, 2021. Art pieces will be on display from September through December 2021. Applications are available at www.moval.org/artloan. For more information, contact Moreno Valley Parks and Community Services at 951.413.3701.
 

MVC's iMAKE Innovation Center distributed candies to Moreno Valley residents in the July 4 parade. The iTeam walked alongside the iMAKE Mobile Innovation Center, a mobile lab with 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl printers and virtual reality equipment.