Dear SDCCE Community,

For all who celebrate, SDCCE proudly recognizes Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is a time of celebration for millions of people worldwide, including many of our Asian American employees and students. The 15-day celebration prepares for Chinese new year and welcomes new beginnings. The holiday celebrates the beautiful culture, arts, and cuisine in honor of a healthy and prosperous year. During this time, you may see a lot of red decorations, as the color represents happiness. Family and friends come together in community. February 10th marks the year of the dragon. Lunar New Year is also rang in with a parade and traditional Chinese dragons, like the one we had during our 2023 Spring Institution Day!

All seven SDCCE campuses will remain in session and open today Monday, February 5th. As we prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and employees, we are closely monitoring the weather and will provide timely updates as the circumstances evolve. Our emergency response team is actively monitoring weather reports, collaborating with local authorities, and assessing the potential impact on our facilities. We will keep you informed about any changes to the situation and provide guidance on necessary actions. Please stay tuned for further communications through email, the college website, and our official social media channels. Additionally, we encourage you to follow local news updates for the latest information on the weather conditions and evacuation procedures.

Enrollment Updates

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for spring stands at 25,104 (13% greater than this time last year, and an 8% increase from last week). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 13,875, an increase of 7% compared to this time last spring (12,915) and an 8% increase to last week (12,893). FTEF scheduled for the spring semester is 3% higher than last spring (188.12 to 183.31).

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for fall stands at 29,099 (11% greater than this time last year). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 15,825, an increase of 14% compared to this time last fall (13,934). FTEF scheduled for the fall semester is 9% higher than last fall (188.84 to 172.92). View report here.

2024 marks our 110th year anniversary! San Diego College of Continuing Education has always been about progress. We were established in 1914 as a school for those who didn’t have many opportunities to pursue higher education. Today, we proudly serve the most diverse body of students to enter the workforce and to go to colleges and universities.

We are extremely proud to celebrate with you and to honor our historical roots and our commitment to innovation. We look forward to bringing in our 110th year together!

Please join me this month for campus events in celebration of Black History Month hosted by our various affinity groups; Black Student Success Program, Associated Student Body, Be Well CCE, and others. Invite your family and friends! All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

All are invited to celebrate Black History Month across the district.

Help SDCCE nominate for the 2024 Classified Employee of the Year Awards. Established in 2008, these awards recognize and honor classified staff throughout the community college system who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to Vision 2030, the mission of the California Community College System and their local district. All nominations should be completed by February 15, 2024.

The awardee will be acknowledged at the SDCCD Board meeting in March 2024.

Please join me for my semi-annual President's Coffee and Chats! I will be joining you all at each campus throughout the spring semester, beginning February 14th.

SDCCE’s partnership with United Taxi Workers of San Diego launched on January 31st. Under terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, SDCCE will issue $100 cab-ride vouchers to students who qualify for the college’s basic needs services. To kick-off the partnership, myself, VPs Carter, Spradley, and Sabanos as well as PIO Brenna Leon Sandeford, Dean Michele Madrid Novak and student trustee Adriana Dos Santos were onsite at Mid-City Campus on January 31st to welcome United Taxi Workers of San Diego and to conduct outreach with students.

This partnership is the first of its kind within the California Community College System.

All are welcome to register for the state CAEP webinar where the findings from the CAEP research team will be featured as part of the national briefing, including those of SDCCE based on the site visit we had back on September 25th. These findings are set to be shared with Federal Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) as well. This is timely because of potential federal changes coming to adult education. Thank you Kelly Henwood for your leadership on moving SDCCE forward.

Register here for the California Adult Education Program: National Briefing on High-Impact Practices, which will be held on February 26th from 10 to 11 a.m.

The San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation has board approved the hire of Dr. Tami Foy as its new CEO/Executive Director. Dr. Foy's hiring was announced during SDCCE’s Spring Institution Day on January 29th and was also announced in Times of San Diego.

We are excited to have Dr. Foy join our Foundation!

Support the Classified Senate this Valentines Day, Hug In a Mug – is now available for pre-ordering. Send your friends and colleagues a little bit of cheer with a Valentine’s-themed cup filled with treats and a pouch of rich, chocolatey cocoa! All proceeds benefit the Classified Senate Scholarship, supporting our students! Deadline for orders is Monday, February 12th at 12 p.m. Deliveries or pick-up will be on Wednesday, February 14th.

The next Community Health and Resource Fair is set for February 7 at the Jackie Robinson YMCA north of the Educational Cultural Complex. Blood pressure checks, cholesterol screening, and vaccinations are among the free services. Free transportation is available from the ECC parking lot.

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. Please 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.

President's Updates

With the spring semester underway, the Executive President's Cabinet team enjoyed visiting all 7 SDCCE campuses on the first day of classes to deliver welcome baskets and to greet students.

With the cost of living continuing to rise in one of America’s most expensive cities, the San Diego Community College District has boosted the minimum wage for all permanent employees to $30.58 per hour ― an amount that is nearly twice the state’s minimum wage.

SDCCE believes it is critical to be civically and socially engaged. BAPAC (Black American Policy Association of California) hosted the San Diego Mayor’s Forum at the Educational Cultural Complex.

Over the weekend, SDCCE leadership enjoyed attending the Women of Color Roar Media 6th Annual Black History Month Breakfast.

The Research Corner

This week we invite you to check the Adult Education Pipeline website. This webpage has several dashboards that show data related to adult education including workforce preparation, barriers to employment, CTE programs, as well as general data about the adult students in our state. These dashboards have overall state data and can be filtered down to SDCCE data. Take a minute to review this resource and email jsalcedo001@sdccd.edu if you have any questions.

President's Office Hours

President's Office Hours are back! Individual zoom meetings will be 20 minutes and are available on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to schedule a virtual appointment with me, please email sdccepresident@sdccd.edu for detailed information.