Dear SDCCE Community,

I am deeply saddened about the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of the U.S. Senate and the longest-serving senator from California. Feinstein was a pioneer and a role model for so many Americans, especially aspiring women in policy. Feinstein broke gender barriers and fought for weapon control and civil liberties to build a better America. Her legacy will be remembered across the nation and in the work we do here at San Diego College of Continuing Education.

Looking ahead, Vision 2030: A Call-to-Action Adult Education Summit is happening this Thursday, October 5, and Friday, October 6, at our college! While the conference is at capacity, with more than 300 guests, I am proud to announce there will be a livestream link available on our summit web page during the entire duration of the summit for folks who would like to join virtually.

More than 40 state officials, community college leaders, and workforce partners including California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency Stewart Knox, Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary Ben Chida from the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, and our local legislative leaders/representatives Assembly Members Chris Ward and David Alvarez, as well as Council President pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe will be speaking on noncredit education and adult learners. Visit the summit web page to learn more and stay tuned for this monumental event!

Enrollment Updates

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for fall stands at 25,161 (11% greater than this time last year, and an 3% increase from last week), with a fill rate of 72%, which is lower than last fall’s (77%). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 14,569, an increase of 14% compared to this time last fall (12,753) and a 2% increase from last week (14,316). FTEF scheduled for the fall semester is 9% higher than last fall (187.42 to 171.35). View the enrollment report here.

Campus Updates

The partnership between San Diego College of Continuing Education and the USS Midway Museum has been confirmed. The USS Midway Museum will be used as a certified instructional site for SDCCE welding students. A pilot welding course will start on October 4. Stay tuned for more information!

Dean Jan Jarrell, Citizenship Coordinator, Ruth Wilson, and four faculty members participated in the annual volunteer celebration at the USS Midway Museum. It was a beautiful evening, which included our Citizenship students doing the Pledge of Allegiance.

You are invited to join us at the Mid-City Campus and learn about the community organization, The Survivors of Tortue International and the Mental Health Initiative Project. Our students can benefit from the support services provided. Please see the flyer attached for more information.

This event is for STAFF AND STUDENTS!
When: October 5th, 2023 @ 12:30PM
Where: CE Mid-City Campus
Campus Room: 205

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at SDCCE! During SDCCE's Noche de Familia Under the Bridge, there will be a viewing of the Chicano Park Documentary. Students, classified professionals, and faculty are invited to bring their families for the viewing of the documentary on the heart of Barrio Logan, Chicano Park. Families can learn about where their students are receiving their education. Café and pan dulce will be available.

Noche de Familia
Date: October 10th
Time: 4-6pm
Location: Cesar Chavez-Multicultural Room 101/103

Students and employees are welcome to submit photos, drawings, paintings, sculptures, poetry and other writings, short film or video, music, and constructed art pieces to be showcased and exhibited on October 11th at the Educational Cultural Center from 11 am to 2 pm.

Complete the form to submit your art.

Please contact mrubalcaba@sdccd.edu for any questions or cybarra@sdccd.edu

Latinx/Chicanx Celebration & Resource Fair
Date: 10/11/23
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: ECC

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Beatriz Cruz was a farmworker who began picking grapes, tomatoes and whatever other crops were in season at an early age. School wasn’t even an afterthought or a priority. By her late 20s, the Oaxaca native couldn’t speak more than a few words of English. It was when she was looking at a photo of her young daughter holding a 25-pound tray of grapes in a San Joaquin Valley vineyard that Cruz realized she had enough.

Thanks to the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s Cesar Chavez campus and supportive faculty and professional staff, Cruz earned her GED, learned English and microcomputer basics, and ultimately transferred to San Diego State University (where she was twice named to the Dean’s List) for her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Child Development. Read More of Beatriz' story in SDCCE's News Room. Now Beatriz is an employee at the San Diego College of Continuing Education!

All are welcome to attend the Community Health & Resource Fair on Wednesday, October 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson YMCA. Free shuttle rides are available to and from the Educational Cultural Complex.

The mobile health fair takes place the 1st Wednesday of every month. This month's theme is Breast Cancer Awareness.

SDCCE's PRIE team participated in a Facilitation Methods training last week, a three-day training in facilitation methods from the Institute of Cultural Affairs-Technology of Participation. This training will benefit some of the major initiatives PRIE manages that involve heavy facilitation work, such as Annual Integrated Planning, Data Coaching, Faculty and Equity Institutes, and the Culture of Dignity PD series.

Passport to Success Onboarding of Faculty and Classified Professionals has begun! I alongside VP Sabanos, VP Carter, VP Minou, and PIO Brenna Leon Sandeford, will speak at the fall Passport to Success workshop, on October 13 at the Educational Cultural Complex from noon to 3 p.m. Please join us for a lunch and meet the next set of rising leaders for our institution. Contact Roma Weaver to RSVP: rweaver@sdccd.edu

The remodel of our Professional Development Center (room 46) at the Educational Cultural Complex is now complete. The space includes a remodeled kitchen, new workstations, and new flooring.

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 five 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

I am honored to have been selected as a finalist for San Diego Magazine's Celebrating Women, in the category of Education - Pioneer! Everyday at the San Diego College of Continuing Education we are transforming lives, and to see our work reflected back with this recognition is truly an honor. Community voting opening today Monday, October 2 and will end at 11:59pm on Monday, October 9. On behalf of the SDCCE, thank you in advance for all of your support to receive this distinguished award.

The Research Corner

This week, we invite you to check out a resource developed by our partners from the Community College League of California, the CEO Tenure & Retention Dashboard. This data product provides an overview of tenure rates across the California Community Colleges’ history while also analyzing key changes in demographic trends. Through dynamic charts and tables, users can identify trends and outliers to gain additional insight into the data. Take a minute to review this resource and email jrivas@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.