March 23, 2023 - Vision in Action No. 110
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES BOARD OF GOVERNORS DECLARES APRIL AS CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES MONTH
The Board of Governors, encouraged by recent stabilization of enrollment following declines exacerbated by the pandemic, has declared April as California Community Colleges month and called on colleges and their partners to ramp up student engagement activities that are showing to have a positive impact responding to student needs.
The Board of Governors resolution encourages districts to partner with city and county officials to hold public events on their local campuses during the month of April to celebrate California Community Colleges Month. Community Colleges Month, which encompasses Black Student Success Week and joint advocacy efforts, is meant to amplify our student-centered approach, reinforce why community colleges matter and why public support for our colleges is more important than ever.
With your hard work, we see more students are taking these messages to heart. Enrollment for the fall 2022 semester, the most recent term for which data is available, is up 2.4% across the California Community Colleges compared to the fall of 2021. Seventy-one of our colleges saw growth in enrollment. Of those 71, 45 colleges saw growth of 5% or greater and, of that group, 18 experienced growth of 10% or more. These accomplishments need to be celebrated!
Statewide activities planned as part of California Community Colleges Month in April 2023 include:
- The California Community Colleges Board of Governors legislative advocacy day on April 13th. Board members, Chancellor’s Office staff, and members of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges will meet with state Legislators to lift up student voices and clearly communicate system priorities. We invite you to an event at the Chancellor’s Office to celebrate the student journey and student success following the morning legislative visits. Details will be forthcoming.
- Black Student Success Week, April 24-28, 2023. This year's theme is “Vision to Action: Building Systems and Structures for Black Student Success." The week will focus on successful approaches to ensure Black and African American students succeed. Please save the date if you have not already; registration will open the first week of April.
- The I Can Go to College campaign will increase paid statewide advertising and outreach activities as part of this holistic effort. As part of this the campaign, we will launch our first advertising campaign at airports throughout California to reach influencers and students. We have also secured 300 TV spots at no charge for MLB Spring Training TV broadcasts. Special outreach publications will reach K-12 counselors and district superintendents in April.
- A communications toolkit for Community Colleges Month will be deployed March 27 and will include graphics, a special logo, a sample news release, social media posts and more. Several assets, including a sample Board of Trustees resolution is already available.
FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION PETITIONS WEBINAR SET FOR APRIL 19
In collaboration with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the California State University Chancellor's Office, and the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges will present the webinar Family-Based Immigration Petitions on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
One of the most common ways for people to get a green card is through a family member. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can help certain family members immigrate to the United States. This is a two-step process. First, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files a family visa petition. Second, the foreign national relative files an application to become a permanent resident. Each step involves different legal and factual issues. This webinar will provide an overview of the process and eligibility requirements for the first step required for a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to petition an immigrant family member.
Register for the Family-Based Immigration Petitions webinar.
System Guidance/News/Events
California Community Colleges Board of Governors Honors Four Faculty Members for their Professionalism and Commitment to Students
A director of the pre-law program at East Los Angeles College, an ethnic studies professor at Folsom Lake College, a part-time English instructor at College of the Canyons and a part-time sociology instructor at Sierra College have earned the California Community Colleges’ Gerald C. Hayward Award for Excellence in Education. This year’s recipients were honored at the March 20 Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento.
Learn more about this year’s Hayward Award winners.
Register Now for the 5th Annual LGBTQ+ Summit: ‘Fiercer Together - Uplifting Queer & Trans Students On Our Campuses’
The 5th Annual CCC LGBTQ+ Summit will be held virtually April 19-20, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Join and collaborate with members of the California Community Colleges at all levels. The summit is a space for students, faculty, classified professionals and administrators where we will focus on this year’s theme: “Fiercer Together - Uplifting Queer & Trans Students on Our Campuses” and on improving not only individual community college campuses but encouraging changes at the structural level as well.
General Registration
For registrations occurring after March 1, 2023 the following prices apply.
- Professional - $100
- Student - $25
Online Instruction/Webinars
Fiscal & Policy Webinars
Join the Chancellor’s Office for monthly Fiscal & Policy Webinars. We host comprehensive and informative webinars on issues related to college finance, state budgets, fiscal policy, innovative and promising practices and federal issues. The February Fiscal and Policy Webinar will be on Thursday, March 30 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and on each of the following dates:
- April 27
- June 29
- August 31
- September 28
- November 9
- December 7
Register for the Fiscal & Policy webinars today.
Chancellor’s Office System Webinars
The next Chancellor’s Office System Webinar is on Wednesday, April 5 from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Register for the 2023 Chancellor’s Office System Webinar series here. All webinar recordings are later posted in the Vision Resource Center.
For questions related to the Chancellor’s Office System Webinars, email Krista Rindell at KRindell@CCCCO.edu.
Student Supports
Findyourally.com allows students, faculty, staff, dual enrolled and non-credit course students enrolled at one of our 116 community colleges to connect easily with a FREE immigration legal services provider. All you have to do to find and schedule your appointment easily is enter your zip code or college name. You can also receive financial support to renew your DACA!
Services include:
- Legal Consultations to Screen for Immigration Relief
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Renewals
- Family-based petitions
Naturalization/Citizenship applications
Schedule an immigration consultation today.
Items of Interest
Nominations Open for 2023 Classified Employee of the Year Awards
It’s time for the 2023 Classified Employee of the Year Awards. And we need your nominations! The awards recognize and honor classified staff throughout the community college system who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to the Vision for Success, the mission of the California Community College System and their local district. Do you know someone that fits that description? If so, send us your nominations by March 30, 2023.
Each recipient will receive a $750 cash award and a plaque. Please visit our Board of Governors Recognition and Awards webpage for full details.
2023-24 Leading from the Middle Academies –Call for Applications Now Open!
The RP Group’s Leading from the Middle (LFM) program, in partnership with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, invites you to apply for a 2023-24 LFM Academy!
LFM provides college teams with a unique opportunity to have a dedicated space for cultivating leadership skills and knowledge, gaining new mindsets, and learning from one another, all while getting dedicated support from an LFM coach throughout the Academy.
During the 15-month Academy, participants will have the opportunity to:
- Engage in experiential learning to explore effective leadership strategies.
- Formulate and articulate a collective and individual equity-minded leadership identity.
- Develop and implement a project that advances systemic equity-focused, student-centered reform efforts and aligns with their colleges’ strategic priorities and the Vision for Success.
- Apply leadership skills and strategies to their day-to-day work and LFM project.
- Examine data, research, and other forms of evidence to make informed decisions to advance their LFM project.
- Create sustainable professional relationships where peers share ideas and strategies around equity and transformative change.
- Work with a designated coach who will support and provide guidance throughout the LFM Academy.
Selected college teams will participate in the following online and in-person activities:
- Virtual onboarding activities (fall 2023)
- Three 2.5-day in-person convenings (fall 2023, spring 2024, and fall 2024, in Pomona, CA)
- Scheduled monthly phone calls with an assigned LFM coach (fall 2023 - fall 2024)
- Two in-person campus visits where teams get to be face-to-face with their assigned LFM coach (dates TBD)
- Virtual sustainability planning activities (fall 2024)
Learn more and apply for the Learning from the Middle Academy. Applications are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, April 3, 2023.
Any questions? Please reach out to Ireri Valenzuela, Director, Leading from the Middle.
2023 NURSING EDUCATION INVESTMENT GRANTS PROGRAM APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) is pleased to announce the availability of the 2023 Nursing Education Investment Grants Program application. We are sharing this opportunity to help spread the word among faculty and staff in nursing education.
This grants program is designed to benefit nursing education within the California Community Colleges. Funding is provided to support projects that facilitate, coordinate with, or complement efforts to educate and train nurses through California community colleges and that address at least one funding priority described in the Application Guidelines. Types of projects considered for funding include but are not limited to planning, implementation, capacity-building, systems change, policy and advocacy, communication strategies, partnership development and/or outreach and education.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a public governmental entity or have valid tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Organizations or projects with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor are also eligible for funding.
On February 15, FoundationCCC hosted a Prospective Applicants Webinar. To view the webinar recording or learn more about the Nursing Education Investment Grants Program, please visit our website.
Applications may be submitted here.
If you have any questions about the Nursing Education Investment Grants Program, please contact Jodi Samuels, Senior Director of Strategic Support for Colleges and Scholars, Foundation for California Community Colleges, at jsamuels@foundationccc.org.
