Dear SDCCE Community,
Spring Break will take place next week from March 25th through March 30th! Classes will not be in session for students. Additionally, the San Diego Community College District office and all college campuses will be closed on March 29th in observance of César Chávez Day.
Ahead of Spring Break, I hope you can join me this Saturday, March 23rd, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 2024 surviveHEADSTRONG Walk and Health Fair, a fundraiser hosted by the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation. The walk will be held at Mission Bay’s DeAnza Cove (2740 DeAnza Road, 92109). Students, employees, and families from the College of Continuing Education’s Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) program will proudly walk and roll together under the name, “Team ABI”. Proceeds will go to the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation and to the College of Continuing Education’s ABI Trust Fund which supports students enrolled in ABI classes with scholarships, online learning support, field trips, one-to-one assistance, and roller backpacks for students with mobility and balance issues.
My family and I are honored to participate in the walk with our inspiring students. I hope you can take part too. The surviveHEADSTRONG Walk is open to the public, please invite your students, colleagues, friends, and family. Hear more from our inspiring ABI students here.
Donate/Register to Walk with Team ABI
Enrollment Updates
SDCCE’s overall enrollment for spring stands at 28,951 (8% greater than this time last year, and a 3% increase from last week). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 15,469, an increase of 7% compared to this time last spring (14,450) and a 2% increase compared to the previous week (15,235). FTEF scheduled for the spring semester is 3% higher than last spring (190.54 to 185.20).
Congratulations SDCCE! The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (The RP Group) has named SDCCE one of two colleges as a 2024 honorable mention project for the Noncredit to Credit Alignment (NCAL) Lab—A Framework to Equity for noncredit Students. The NCAL Lab fosters a culture shift that recognizes noncredit students as valuable contributors to the educational system and eliminates any institutional barriers that impede their progression to credit-bearing colleges. This work creates a pathway to economic mobility for thousands of our regions most vulnerable students. Learn more about the award here.
Special thank you to Dr. Minou Spradley, Kelly Henwood, Dr. Jacqueline Hester, Marc Grabiel, Dr. Masahiro Omae, Amertah Perman, and Rachel Rose for your extensive efforts in leading this critical initiative for San Diego College of Continuing Education, the San Diego Community College District, our California Community Colleges system and beyond! Thank you to our wonderful SDCCE alumna Flora and Alexis for sharing their stories. We are excited to accept this prestigious award on April 10th!
I am pleased to announce San Diego College of Continuing Education has secured a $1-million state grant to work with its regional adult education partners in expanding pathways for English language learners to embark on in-demand healthcare careers. The English Language Learner Healthcare Pathway Grant of $1,049,601 is being funded through the Care Economy Workforce Development Package, a $130-million appropriation which health care providers say is desperately needed to help rebuild California’s health care workforce in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some $30 million in funding was available in 2023-24 to develop healthcare-focused vocational pathways for English language learners.
We will work with San Diego Unified School District in expanding a successful, joint Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. Under the CNA program, students learn the skills and knowledge to become registered CNAs while embarking on a career route that can lead to becoming a licensed vocational nurse or registered nurse. Additionally, with this funding, will offer new courses in the fall of 2025 to train future ophthalmic technicians and optical technicians.
KPBS Education Reporter M.G. Perez stopped by our Mid-City Campus to learn about San Diego College of Continuing Education's new pilot program in partnership with the United Taxi Workers of San Diego (UTWSD), which provides free cab rides via $100 transportation vouchers from SDCCE CARES for students struggling with basic needs. This is the first partnership of its kind! Tune in to hear from me, our Student Trustee Adriana Dos Santos, and former San Diego Community College District Board Member and current UTWSD Board Member Peter Zschiesche. Students can apply now for a voucher at: sdcce.edu/services/sdcce-cares.
The partnership is featured on KPBS, ABC 10 News, San Diego Magazine, and Times of San Diego.
All are welcome to join our Mid-City ASB student leaders for a Saint Patrick's Day Celebration today, March 18th at 7:30 p.m.
Women's History Month events will continue on March 21st with a San Diego Women Who Make a Difference in the Community Panel online. Watch the premiere performance of Yolanda Franklin’s Play, “To Stand as One Black Woman” and enjoy a panel discussion with Joann Fields, founder of the API Initiative; Yolanda Marie Franklin, director of Common Ground Theater; Sheryl Mallory Johnson, founder of the 1619 National Celebration of Black Women Inc.; Dr. Sue Gonda, feminist activist through the San Diego Women's Museum of California; and Annie Rios, founder/executive director of Uprise Theatre.
Join on Zoom, Meeting ID: 839 4309 2506 & Passcode: 237034
This Women's History Month, we are featuring Professor Helena Wei. The Emeritus program at San Diego College of Continuing Education offers seniors an opportunity for artistic exploration, including a popular piano course taught by Wei. A true passion for performing came later in life for Wei, an inspiration to anyone who has heard her play Chopin, Mozart, or Piazzolla. Even to the untrained ear, Wei is mesmerizing. Learn more about Professor Wei in SDCCD'S News Center or in the upcoming issue of the WE Magazine!
Meet Ivonne Aguila, former English as a Second Language (ESL) student at San Diego College of Continuing Education, who is one of our many graduates who have become ESL teachers with us! Ivonne is also a volunteer aboard the USS Midway Museum, who helps our Citizenship students learn English and pass the United States Citizenship Exam to become American Citizens. All are welcome here!
For the first time in the district's history OUR Black students from San Diego College of Continuing Education who are transitioning to college are invited to join the SDCCD Black Students Rite of Passage Ceremony on May 15, 2024, at 5:00 PM, taking place at the San Diego Mesa College Quad. Please share this opportunity with Black/African American students that are applying for graduation and/or transferring to a college or university.
Students can RSVP for the SDCCD Black Students Rite of Passage Ceremony here.
Visit the professional development web page.
The 2024 CASAS National Summer Institute will be taking place at the Hyatt Regency Orange County, California, from June 17th through June 20th. If you are a Classified Professional interested in attending, please communicate your interest in attending with your supervisor and complete the interest form by Friday, April 5th. For Administrators and Faculty interested in attending, please visit the SDCCE Administrative Services Travel Procedures Page for information.
On April 3rd, the SDCCD Title IX Office will host a free in-person training at the District Office on Identifying and Responding to Stalking. The training will be facilitated by the Stalking, Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center. The training is open to all District students and employees. Register here: Identifying and Responding to Stalking
Congratulations once again to our amazing Mid-City Campus superstar Dr. Esther Anthony-Thomas on her nomination for the California Community Colleges’ prestigious Classified Employee of the Year Awards!! Dr. Anthony-Thomas had her nomination brought forward on March 14th during the San Diego Community College District’s Board of Trustees meeting.
The ESL Go Green Committee, SDCCE employees, and students joined I Love a Clean San Diego’s Community Cleanup on March 14th for the Sunset Sweep at South Park's Juniper Canyon. Thank you Diana Larsen, Diana Vera-Alba, and Elissa Claar for leading these wonderful efforts to make our communities beautiful!
Campus Community Emergency Response Teams (CCERT) training has been scheduled for August 5th, 6th, and 7th, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at SDCCE. Space is limited to 30. Please look for an email coming soon.
The landing page for our Joint Commencement with San Diego Unified School District Adult High School Diploma Program is now available – bookmark https://sdcce.edu/commencement-2024. Commencement will be held on Tuesday, June 11th at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Students can petition to walk here.
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
The San Diego Community College District has secured federal funding totaling nearly $2.5 million to finance critical improvements at the San Diego Miramar College public safety training center, new centers supporting student-parents at the San Diego City, Mesa and Continuing Education campuses, and renovation of the restrooms at San Diego College of Continuing Education’s historic Educational Cultural Complex. Funding was secured through the offices of congressmembers Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas.
I enjoyed spending time with my colleagues across the California Community Colleges at the Community College League of California 2024 CEO Symposium. The presenters focused on the 50% law, DEIA and HR practices, I look forward to what's come and how these best practices will be implemented at SDCCE and across our district.
I presented at the SDCCD Board Meeting last week about the Educational Cultural Complex theatre renovations. Our contractor, HGA, has beautifully encompassed the art, history, and culture of our beloved ECC. Stay tuned for more information!
I had the honor of being a guest on the ¿Qué Pasa, HSIs? Podcast with Scholar Activist, Author and Speaker, Dr. Gina Garcia. Dr. Garcia’s research centers on issues of equity and justice in higher education with an emphasis on understanding how Hispanic Serving Institutions embrace and enact an organizational identity for serving minoritized populations.
The Research Corner
This week we invite you to check the study Preparatory Pathways and STEM Calculus Completion: Implications of the AB 1705 Standards. This report, produced by the Chancellor's Office alongside The RP Group's Multiple Measures Assessment Project, examines the likelihood of students being successful in Calculus classes based on their high school math preparation and/or math placement at the college level. The report may be found on the following link. 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.
Best,
