Message from the President

Dear SDCCE Community,

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible contributions of women across our SDCCE community. From our students making strides in their education and careers, to our faculty, classified professionals, and administrators leading with vision and dedication, women continue to inspire progress, equity, and inclusion on our campuses. Their achievements not only shape the future of our learners but also strengthen the collaborative, supportive culture that makes SDCCE such a special place to work and learn.

This month, let’s reflect on the impact of these voices, acknowledge the barriers that have been overcome, and continue fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive, contribute, and be celebrated.

Enrollment Updates

Spring Update

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for spring stands at 25,963 (8% less than this time last year, and a 1% increase from last week), with a fill rate of 70%, which is less than last spring (76%). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 13,754, a decrease of 7% compared to this time last spring (14,733) and a 1% increase from last week (13,575). FTEF scheduled for the spring semester is 9% greater than last spring (194.61 to 211.39). View the enrollment report.

SDCCE proudly took home 1st Place for Most Outstanding Float at the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated! This top honor celebrates the creativity, spirit, and powerful presence our team brought to a parade that uplifts Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy and unites the community in celebration and purpose. Congratulations SDCCE!

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month!

Join SDCCE's Team ABI 2026 with DSPS! We're proud to participate in the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation SurviveHEADSTRONG Walk & Health Fair, supporting brain injury awareness and recovery. For the third year in a row, I am proud to sponsor students for this event—let’s walk and roll together for a great cause!

The event will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at De Anza Cove at Mission Bay Park.

Employees can donate & register with Team ABI at their direct link: sdbif.org/teamabi

InnovAItion Day (AI Day) is quickly approaching at SDCCE’s North City Campus on Friday, March 20, bringing an exciting opportunity to explore and engage with the evolving world of AI. Led by SDCCD’s Institutional Innovation and Effectiveness (II&E) division, this second annual event centers on the theme, “Curiosity in Action — Exploring AI with purpose, skepticism, and shared imagination.” Employees will engage in a full day of professional learning through panels featuring students and industry leaders at the forefront of AI integration, targeted breakout sessions exploring the “why” behind specific tools and strategies, and lightning talks showcasing practical lessons and discoveries in AI implementation.

Event Details

• Location: North City Campus (lunch provided)
• Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with full- and half-day in-person options available and select sessions streamed via Zoom.
• Registration: Visit https://bit.ly/SDCCDAIDay2026 and select “Register Now” for in-person attendance or the “Virtual” tab for online participation.

Last week, the LGBTQIA+ Student Success Program and Be Well CCE hosted Strengthening Healthy Relationships at West City Campus! Students joined meaningful discussions on boundaries, consent, respect, and learned how to recognize and prevent unhealthy relationship patterns and sexual violence. A big thank you to everyone who participated.

Our Clothing and Textiles students proudly participated in the Textile Recovery Summit, showcasing their creativity, innovation, and commitment to sustainability. The winning project, the “Carry All Project,” stood out for its thoughtful design and impact. The project originated from a desire to provide youth in foster care with a dignified and durable way to carry their belongings — offering an alternative to trash bags, which are too often used during placement transitions.

The college’s participation highlights its commitment to hands-on, career-focused education that connects classroom instruction with real-world environmental challenges. Special thanks to Program Chair Shirley Pierson, Dean Myesha Jackson, VPI Omae, and our community partner Goodwill San Diego for their leadership and support in making this opportunity possible for students.

Join us at Mid-City for “Gather”, a guided space for ESL instructors to connect, share, and unwind with coloring, facilitated by Sarah Boswell and Be Well CCE.

• When: Wednesday, March 18 | 12:30–1:30 PM
• Where: Mid-City, Room 217

Additional dates are available if you can’t attend. The next sessions will run from 12:30-1:30 PM on the following dates:

• Thursday, April 16
• Thursday, May 21

Come relax, connect, and recharge with us!

For assistance, contact: bewellsdcce@sdccd.edu

In support of the DEIAA Committee’s mission to advance inclusive learning and meaningful dialogue, the Spring 2026 Diversity Book Club will meet on the following dates:

• March 18 – Zoom
• May 21 – ECC

Participants who attend all three sessions and complete the reading will earn 10 hours of flex credit. Professor Ross will also present in person on March 18 at the Chavez Campus, and book club participants are encouraged to attend. Registration is available through the Spring 2026 DEIAA Book Club form.

Please join us in welcoming Loretta Ross to SDCCE on Wednesday, March 18, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Cesar Chavez Campus, Multipurpose Room. Sponsored by the SDCCE Professional Development Department in collaboration with the San Diego Community College District Professional Development Office, this special event offers employees an opportunity to engage with a nationally recognized human rights advocate, speaker, and author of Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel.

Reserve your spot by registering through the event RSVP link.

Our campus community recently participated in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training, a comprehensive active shooter and safety preparedness session designed to equip participants with practical response strategies during critical incidents.

Led by trained SDCCD Police Officers, the training combined an informative presentation with hands-on drills and real-life scenarios to build awareness, confidence, and readiness. Thank you to everyone who took part in strengthening our shared commitment to campus safety.

Join us for a CPR & AED Awareness Course designed to provide a foundational understanding of what cardiac arrest is and what it isn’t along with insight into other life-threatening medical emergencies. This hands-only CPR training includes practice on mannequins and an introduction to using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The session is led by Nate Balch from the San Diego Project Heart Beat Training Center.

• March 9, 2026
• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• Cesar Chavez Campus – Multipurpose Room

Gain the knowledge and confidence to respond in an emergency and help create a safer community.

Register Here

Additional training opportunities are available on the safety training page.

Thank you to everyone who attended the ICE Protocol Q&A Session at the Mid-City Campus hosted by the President's Office and supported by Administrative Services and Communications & Creative Services as part of our continued commitment to campus safety. The session provided clarity, addressed employee questions, and fostered open dialogue following the discussion held at Spring Institution Day.

We appreciate everyone who submitted questions in advance and participated in the conversation. Special thanks to General Counsel Ljubiša Kostić for joining us to help address legal and procedural questions and support our campus community. For those who were unable to join, a recording is available.

I was delighted to host the Executive Governance Council (EGC) for a comprehensive tour of the ECC Theatre. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the progress of the project and provide our constituent leaders with a firsthand look at the space as it continues to take shape.

We were especially pleased to have PCL Construction on site to guide the tour. Their team offered valuable insights into the construction process, key design features, and the vision behind the theatre’s development. Hearing directly from the builders gave our guests a deeper appreciation for the scale, craftsmanship, and thoughtful planning that have gone into bringing this project to life.

The visit sparked meaningful conversations and excitement about the theatre’s future impact, and it was a privilege to share this milestone moment with the EGC.

SDCCE team members participated in the Accessibility Capability Maturity Model (ACMM) Site Visit Hosted by San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) & the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Accessibility Center.

The day began at Mesa College followed by group interviews at our Cesar E. Chavez Campus diving deeper into accessibility practices and tools as we prepare to understand our current accessibility capacity and plan intentionally for the April 2026 ADA Title II compliance deadline. Thank you to all who participated in this important convening.

Hoop Hysteria

Join the SDCCE Foundation for a full day of non-stop basketball to support our students' basic needs. Teams will compete in this exciting fundraiser that brings our community together for a great cause!

The event will take place on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson YMCA.

Volunteer at the event: We’ll need friendly faces to help with check‑in, guest support, activity stations, and more. Just a few hours of your time makes a huge difference.

Make a donation: Every contribution matters — truly. Even $5 helps expand the Basic Needs support that our students rely on. Click on the link to donate: Donate

Show up and cheer: Bring your energy to the stands! Invite family, bring friends — let’s pack the gym and show our students and community what SDCCE spirit looks like.

Your involvement, in any form, helps ensure that every SDCCE student has the support they need to stay on their educational journey.

For more information on how to support, visit the Hoop Hysteria website.

On February 26, Bradley Dorschel, Andrei Lucas, Armin Rashvand, and Aaron Iffland toured Solar Turbines’ facility on Ruffin Road, hosted by Mike Nielson. The visit was conducted in support of planning efforts for the new AAIR Center and focused on strengthening industry partnerships. The tour was led by Solar Turbines employees who are recent graduates of SDCCD. The experience provided valuable insight into operational workflows, workforce skill requirements, and equipment considerations that will help inform program and facility development.

SDCCE Theatre Director Silvia Nogales, with 25+ years of teaching experience, joined SDCCD in July 2025. Drawing on her work in a major theatre project at Southwestern Community College District, she is guiding the ECC Theatre renovation. Passionate about student growth, she looks forward to welcoming productions back and honoring the theatre’s legacy while shaping its future as a vibrant cultural hub.

ECC Theatre Renovation

The ECC Theatre Renovation continues to make progress!

Visit the project webpage to learn more and stay up to date with the progress via livestream.

Thank you to our Theatre Director, Silvia Nogales, for playing a pivotal role in the theatre renovation and for keeping us informed on its progress. You can now follow the theatre on Facebook and Instagram @Educational Cultural Complex Theatre & Community Room.

Bond Projects Update

The current Measure HH Bond projects for our college continue to make progress. We have also developed a current projects page with updates on each project and the SDCCD Measure HH webpage has further updates.

Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging (SIB) Task Force Updates

The Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging (SIB) Task Force meets monthly to further our conversations on continuing to implement proactive strategies for tracking students who are facing immigration challenges, as well as the importance of reporting any sightings of ICE on campus to the Chancellor or District General Counsel. Reports of ICE near campus (off campus) should first be directed to the COS, who, in collaboration with the Deans, will take appropriate and informed next steps to address the situation.

We have a dedicated webpage with Know Your Rights Information, District protocols, resources, and more curated by our Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force.

Please take a moment to review the safety cards for navigating ICE incidents on campus. These resources are designed to guide employees on the steps for reporting.

Additionally, new posters and stickers were passed out at Institution Day along with the emergency whistles. If you would like these resources, please contact us. We still have posters and whistles available for those who did not receive one.

• Visit the Administrative Services Intranet to access campus safety resources and stay informed with the latest updates.
• The Emeritus Program Newsletters are available to view, highlighting faculty updates, highlighting student achievements, program updates, and resources that support our Emeritus students. Many thanks to co-Professors Char Schade and Tara Gilboy, the co-editors, as well as our Emeritus faculty for their outstanding work.
• A reminder that all requests of the Communications Department must be approved by a dean or vice president and requires submission of a request form. You can find the Project Request Form link on the Faculty and Staff Resources Page of our website. Allow ten working days for a request to be completed. If a request needs immediate attention, please complete the form and contact the Public Information Officer.
• For SDCCE professional development opportunities, visit the professional development web page for upcoming workshops.

President's Updates

• This week, I’m excited to attend the A2MEND Pre-Conference and look forward to seeing our A2MEND students participate in the full conference, gain meaningful insights, and connect with peers and mentors who foster growth and opportunity.
• Today, I am leading the Executive President's Cabinet Spring Retreat, bringing our leadership team together to reflect on this year's progress, celebrate achievements, and align on strategic goals for each division. This retreat provides an important space for collaboration, discussion, and planning to ensure we continue advancing our mission and supporting student success across the college.
• I am honored that I was selected as the 2026 Trailblazer Awardee given by the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus San Diego & Imperial Counties and will be honored this upcoming Women's History Month.

The Research Corner

This week, we invite you to check out the Productivity Dashboard for our institution that looks at enrollments, FTES, and FTEF in the last 5 years and has been updated to include data up to 2024/25. This dashboard allows user to break down the data by Term, Academic Year, and course modality and campus. The Productivity Dashboard may be found on the following link: Productivity Dashboard. Please take a minute to review this resource and email jsalcedo001@sdccd.edu if you have any questions.