by Magdalena Kwiatkowski
Opening of a New CE Building at the Miramar College Campus
On March 17, CE students, instructors, counselors, and staff at Miramar said good-bye to the old bungalows and moved to a newly renovated building on the south-east end of the Miramar College campus. The remodeling of the old Miramar College Administration building A-100 into a state-of-the-art instructional facility for CE was possible thanks to a $6.7M project funded by Proposition N. The remodeled 16,000 square feet building is now housing seven ESL classrooms, a computer lab, and a placement office for the ESL/Citizenship program, as well as a large indoor learning space enhanced by an outdoor play area for the Parent Education program. Counseling and selected student services are also available to students on the site.
Along with CE Mesa, this is one of two CE sites located on a SDCCD college campus and has a long tradition of transitioning students to college. The ESL/Citizenship program offers seven levels of instruction, including a transition to college class, as well as career preparation and specialty classes, in the morning and in the evening. The Parent Education program offers child development classes for parents and children.
Among the guests attending the A-100 Opening Ceremony on April 27 was CE President Carlos O. Turner Cortez, Ph.D., who commemorated the occasion with a warm welcoming speech, Vice President of Administration Jaqueline Sabanos, ESL Dean Barbara Pongsrikulm, Ph.D., Parent Education Dean Carol Wilkinson, Ph.D., Dean of Student Equity Esther Matthew, and North City Campus Acting Dean Lynda Reeves. There were also guests from Miramar College, including Vice President of Student Services Gerald Ramsey and the staff of the Miramar College Welcome Center.
Students who spoke at the ceremony expressed their appreciation for the many great features of their new school: newest technology, bright, spacious classrooms with large windows, and accommodations for students with disabilities. Students were also thrilled to meet and talk to President Turner Cortez, while the chocolate and vanilla cakes offered additional incentives for everyone to mix and mingle. Followed by a tour of the building, the ceremony was a joyous occasion for both colleges to come together and celebrate the past, the present, and the future of SDCE.
