Dear SDCCE Community,

Last week we celebrated the statewide, Black Student Success Week. The week featured inspiring workshops, guest speakers, community events, and powerful conversations centered around uplifting Black excellence and fostering student success. Another standout highlight from last week was the Scholarships & Awards Ceremony, where we proudly honored 115 students with a $110k in scholarship funds—thanks to the generosity of our donors. I truly enjoyed celebrating with you all, our students, and their loved ones. I want to thank our Student Services Technician Neill Kovrig, Dean Madrid Novak, Dr. Carter, Dr. Tami Foy, and all the volunteers for putting together an exceptional event. I look forward to the next commemorative milestone - commencement! Photos from the event are available on the SDCCE Flickr .

Enrollment Updates

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for spring stands at 30,186 (2% less than this time last year, and a 0.2% increase from last week), with a fill rate of 73%, which is greater than last spring (69%). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 15,696, a decrease of 5% compared to this time last spring (16,440) and a 0.3% increase from last week (15,651). FTEF scheduled for the spring semester is 3% greater than last spring (191.17 to 196.16). View the enrollment report .

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

At San Diego College of Continuing Education, we are committed to maintaining a campus environment that fosters inclusivity, equity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background or immigration status. The SIB Task Force was created to develop actionable steps to enhance support for our students in the current social climate. As a Task Force we are working on the following:

• Maintaining an FAQs section on the Know Your Rights Webpage to provide comprehensive information on immigration.
• Engaging in cross-departmental collaboration, enhancing overall efficiency for our efforts and events.
• Ensuring mental health support both virtually and in-person for those who may need it.
• Working to identify essential legal services for students.

I look forward to exploring additional strategies for progress during our next meeting on Monday, May 5.

SDCCE proudly recognizes Arab American Heritage Month and National Stress Awareness Month by offering a series of activities that create safe and supportive spaces amidst the current social climate. To encourage relaxation and enjoyment, we encourage students to come out to our last Anxiety Workshop and Trivia Game activities, where students can take a break and have some fun during their busy day.

Our next Coffee and Chat will be, May 1, 2025 at the West City Campus, 3 to 4 p.m., Room 206. These coffee and chats will be platforms to continue conversations on Budget, Enrollment, and Staffing. Please join any of the sessions!

Join us for the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the historic Educational Cultural Complex Theatre renovation on Thursday, May 8 from 10:00–11:30 a.m.

Celebrate the start of this exciting project with special guests, inspiring remarks, and a look at the future of this vital community space.

RSVP at SDCCEGroundBreaking.eventbrite.com .

Summer enrollment is just around the corner! Let’s help our students get ready by reminding them of these important dates:

• Summer schedule available : April 14
• Summer enrollment begins : May 12
• Summer classes start : June 9

Encourage students to plan ahead and secure their spot for an exciting summer semester!

Last Saturday, West City Campus was filled with creativity and energy as The Big Make: Threads of Change welcomed a full house. The event featured inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops where participants crafted bold statement pieces, and a showcase of businesses and designs by former and current SDCCE students.

The day highlighted the incredible talent and entrepreneurial spirit within the SDCCE community, demonstrating the transformative power of education, creativity, and resilience. Attendees also learned exciting updates about the program’s future expansion, promising even greater opportunities ahead.

Special thanks to Dean Myesha Jackson, the faculty, and Program Chair Shirley Pierson for their key roles in a successful event. It was an honor to deliver the welcoming remarks.

The Big Make: Threads of Change was a true celebration of innovation, empowerment, and community.

Today the Executive President's Cabinet and Chancellor Smith visited Professor Linda’s ESL and Citizenship class to learn more and see the Hyflex process in action. It was great to see our Zoomers and Roomer students fully optimize hyflex. I was thoroughly impressed with Professor Bautista and her Project Assistant Maria who supported. Thank you to our Faculty Distance Education Coordinator, Dr. Ingrid Greenberg, Director of College Technology Services, Alonzo Pishyar, and Faculty Instructional Designer, Anagit Traganza who also joined.

Save the Date: SDCCE Commencement Ceremony will be held - June 6, 2025 at 5 p.m., Spreckels Organ Pavilion at Balboa Park

This year's Commencement, celebrating 111 years of service to San Diego by the San Diego College of Continuing Education, will honor students completing their high school diplomas & equivalencies, vocational certificates, and advanced ESL program certificates alongside graduates supported by our partners at the San Diego Unified School District Adult High School Diploma Program!

Students should sign up to participate by May 9. Visit the commencement webpage for more details .

Remember tutoring is available for students, see the details below for enrollment support in available courses. Additionally, we’ve added morning hours on Wednesdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at ECC to better accommodate student schedules.

Course: ABED 445
CRN: 85664 (ECC)
ECC- Room 76
Mon & Wed 12 to 6PM
The following Fridays 8AM to 1PM:
May 2nd, 16th, & 30th

Course: ABED 445
CRN: 85665 (Mid City)
MCC - Room 317
Tue & Thur 12:30 to 5:30PM
The following Fridays 8AM to 1PM:
May 9th & 23rd

Administrative Services is now offering drop-in online open office hours. During these sessions, our team will be available to answer your questions on topics such as budgeting, human resources, travel procedures, and the resource request process.

Join us for an upcoming virtual workshop on May 6 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about the resources available through the Former Foster Youth Program at SDCCD. The workshop will feature an overview of the program and a student panel sharing their experiences.

Check out the upcoming Be Well CCE support group opportunities to boost your well-being this semester!

Life in Living Color (LGBTQIA+)

Come join our bilingual support group twice a month to meet others, discuss relevant topics, and learn about resources for LGBTQIA+ students.

This group meets *BI-WEEKLY* on Mondays in person at the Cesar Chavez campus in room 205 or via Zoom.

Dates: 5/5/25, 5/19/25, 6/2/25, 6/16/25
Meeting ID: 867 6916 7653
https://sdccd-edu.zoom.us/j/86769167653

Real Relations Support Group

BeWell CCE wants to support you and your goals as you navigate the various interpersonal relationships in life. Some of the topics are included but not limited to: Communication, Boundaries, Self-Esteem, Core Beliefs/Values, Healthy/Unhealthy Relationship Traits, Positive Parenting/Discipline techniques and more.

The last Monday of the month is students only at 12:30PM.

Dates: 5/19/25, 6/23/25
Meeting ID: 847 4447 3305
https://sdccd-edu.zoom.us/j/84744473305

Weekly Student Support Group

“This Thing Called Life” is hosted on Wednesdays for students only at 12:30PM.

Meeting ID: 884 0608 7923
https://sdccd-edu.zoom.us/j/88406087923

Weekly Employee Support Group

“Think it Through Thursdays” is hosted on Thursdays for employees only at 12:30PM.

Flex Credit Available
Meeting ID: 879 8336 9490
https://sdccd-edu.zoom.us/j/87983369490

The Counseling Department is offering a workshop to help students understand the importance of having an Educational (Ed) Plan!

Date : May 1
Time : 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Location : Virtual/ Zoom

About this workshop:

Explore the wide range of programs available at SDCCE.

Please share this opportunity with students to help them achieve their educational goals.

As part of SDCCD’s ongoing commitment to advancing equity in hiring, workforce diversity is evaluated annually through our EEO Plan data analyses. Building on last fall’s findings and community feedback, a new workgroup is being formed to develop recommendations for updating our hiring procedures.

To ensure broader access to this information, an additional presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, at the District Office and via Zoom. The session will be recorded and made available online.

What to Expect:

• Overview of workforce demographics and areas for improvement
• Analysis of application, screening, and hiring processes
• Discussion on historical barriers and aligning hiring practices with our mission and values

Date & Time : Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location : District Office, Rooms 235-255
Join Virtually : https://sdccd-edu.zoom.us/j/82755840254

We hope you can join us!

Faculty Spotlight

Administrative Services would like to remind everyone that all Restricted Fund purchase requisitions must be submitted by Monday, May 5.

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.

For SDCCE swag and merch visit the online store and start shopping today!

President's Updates

On April 29, I’ll be in Sacramento to advocate for AB 1433 before the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, championing the support our noncredit students need to succeed. I’m proud to stand alongside others committed to creating meaningful, lasting change for our student community. I’m especially honored that one of our Veteran students, Kevin Sullivan, will be joining me to testify, alongside Dr. Carter.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve co-authored a new brief with Dr. Frank Harris III titled “ Ensuring College Access and Success for Black Students in Higher Education. ” This report highlights key data and offers actionable recommendations to advance Black student success. It was featured in the statewide Black Student Success Week webinar, The Rise of Black Serving Institutions. I encourage you to read it, share it, and join the conversation!

The Research Corner

This week, we invite you to explore the report Increasing Equity in College Student Experience : Findings from a National Collaborative. This report from The Student Experience Project (SEP) argues that by working to create an inclusive welcoming community that supports and accepts students, and that listens to student's feedback, leads to an increase in student's success. These measures disproportionately assist otherwise disadvantaged students, and therefore increases equity. You can read the full article at the following link: Increasing Equity in College Student Experience . Please take a minute to review this resource and email jsalcedo001@sdccd.edu if you have any questions.

Walk with the President / President's Office Hours

This semester, I'm excited to offer a new opportunity to Walk with the President! If you’d rather take a stroll around the Educational Cultural Complex instead of a Zoom meeting, join me for a refreshing walk as we continue to prioritize wellness this spring. Don’t forget to wear comfortable walking shoes !!

Individual walks or zoom meetings will be 20 minutes and are available on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to schedule an appointment with me, please email sdccepresident@sdccd.edu for detailed information.

Best,