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Category: CA Community Colleges

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Awards $2 Million Grant to Promise Scholars Program at San Mateo County Community Colleges

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

Grant Provides Full Scholarship for 500 Local College Students

San Mateo, California – The San Mateo County Community College District announced today that the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has funded a $2 million grant to the Promise Scholars Program at the San Mateo County Community College District. The grant pays for two years of tuition, books and fees for 500 local college students to attend Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo in San Mateo, or Skyline College in San Bruno. The grant is being allocated from County Measure K funds.

“We are investing in college and career training for 500 students in our county,” said San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David J. Canepa. “This funding sends people to college, trains them for jobs, and helps accelerate the recovery of our economy.”

The Promise Scholars Program combines financial support with intensive counseling in a program that has been proven to increase college graduation rates. The program is available for first-time, full-time students at Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo in San Mateo, and Skyline College in San Bruno. Students receive full tuition and fees, as well as credit for $750 in books per year. The students also meet monthly with counselors who keep the students on track and arrange for other support if necessary. Participants in the Promise Scholars Program are more than twice as likely to graduate in two years than students not in the program.

This unique program recently received a grant of $2 million from County of San Mateo Measure K Funds to expand the program to 2,500 students districtwide. The program currently previously had capacity for only 2,000 students at the three colleges.

“The County has given a big vote of confidence in our community colleges and especially in our local students,” said SMCCCD Chancellor Michael Claire. “We know this program works, and we know this funding will help educate critical workforce for San Mateo County.”  

 The application for the fall 2021 Promise Scholars Program is open on WebSMART, and prospective students can find information about eligibility and applying to the program on the Promise Scholars Program webpage. Students must first apply to the college.

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Apply Now for the Promise Scholars Program!

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

San Mateo, California – The San Mateo County Community College District announced today that applications are now open for the Promise Scholars Program for the 2021-2022 academic year at Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo in San Mateo and Skyline College in San Bruno. The Promise Scholars Program offers up to three years of scholarship and comprehensive support services for first-time, full-time students. The Program aims to address barriers that students face in both accessing and succeeding in higher education by easing the financial burden of attending college through fee waivers, textbook credit and monthly transportation incentives. The application for the fall 2021 Promise Scholars Program is open on WebSMART, and prospective students can find information about eligibility and applying to the program on the Promise Scholars Program webpage. Students must first apply to the college. This unique program recently received a grant of $2 million from County of San Mateo Measure K Funds to expand the program to 2,500 students districtwide.

The Promise Scholars Program is a full replication of the evidence-based and highly successful City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) model. The model includes specific requirements for student-to-counselor ratios (150 to 1) providing more focused and dedicated academic counseling for students and benchmarks the student must meet in terms of academic planning and career exploration. The model was chosen due its ability to double graduation rates within three years for participating students according to longitudinal data.

“Apply now, fill out your FAFSA or Dream Act application and get your scholarship,” said Aaron McVean, Vice Chancellor, Educational Services and Planning.

The program is proving to increase graduation rates at all three colleges. The Fall 2018 Promise Scholars Program cohort have earned degrees above the historical comparison 2-year rate at each campus, doubling the comparison rate at CSM and quadrupling the rate at Skyline College. When considering Promise Scholars Program students who also earned certificates or transferred without degree, the overall 2-year completion rates are 15% at Cañada College, 20% at CSM, and 30% at Skyline College.

The Promise Scholars Program is funded through the generosity of many community and corporate donors, support from the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees and the County of San Mateo Measure K Funds.

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Message from the Chancellor on California Reopening Plans

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

April 6, 2021

Dear SMCCCD Students, Colleagues, and Community Members,

Earlier today, Governor Newsom announced a conditional plan to open all segments of California and eliminate the color tiers by June 15, including the education sector.  We do not yet know the full details of his plan and we are working to understand the requirements so that we can make informed decisions.  The District’s Emergency Operations Center has been planning the recovery of operations for many weeks but our timeline had a longer recovery period than that announced by the Governor. We are working quickly to gather information and adjust plans as necessary.  As soon as we have information for you, we will share it. 

I remember when we first evacuated our campuses in March 2020.  There were many unknowns at the time and we made the best decisions possible based on the limited information available.  I asked for your patience then and I cannot tell you how much I appreciated your support.  I ask for your patience again so that we can take the time to gather and prepare accurate information and plans to share with you about next steps.

I wish you all my best,

Mike

Michael Claire
Chancellor
San Mateo County Community College District

Cañada College and Skyline College Vice Presidents Earn Top State Award

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

The Carter Doran Leadership Award is given annually to honor leaders in community college instruction

California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers (CCCCIO) has bestowed its top award on two vice presidents from the San Mateo County Community College District. Dr. Tammy Robinson, Vice President of Instruction at Cañada College in Redwood City, and Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Vice President of Instruction at Skyline College in San Bruno, were honored with the statewide Carter Dolan Chief Instructional Officer Leadership Award at CCCCIO’s virtual conference last week.  The award recognizes an active instructional administrator who exemplifies leadership by showing qualities that Carter Doran embodied in his role as teacher/dean at Mt. San Antonio and Vice President of Instruction at Santa Ana and College of the Canyons.

“Dr. Robinson and Dr. Taylor-Mendoza have exemplified courageous leadership and embody the spirit of the Carter Doran Leadership award,” said CCCCIO President Dr. Jennifer Vega La Serna. “They have led with heart, demonstrated creativity, shown sustained commitment to addressing instructional challenges, and together have made a profound impact on their colleges and the entire California Community College System.”

Also honored with the award was Dr. Stacy Thompson, Vice President of Academic Services at Chabot College in Hayward. The three vice presidents worked together in 2020 to lead an examination of equity gaps and structural racism in the California community college system.

 “Dr. Robinson and Dr. Taylor-Mendoza are truly exceptional leaders, with vision and strength that have not only facilitated transformation at Cañada College and Skyline College but have also sparked action across the state community college system,” said San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Michael Claire. “I am so proud of them and their  colleagues statewide for their swift action on behalf of our students.”

Dr. Robinson was cited for rallying her statewide chief instructional officer colleagues to action after the murder of George Floyd earlier this year. She helped to organize state instructional leaders’ Call to Action town halls, and she has been a strong voice for institutional change. She has spoken at a number of statewide events on campus climate, equity and workforce development.

Dr. Tammy Robinson, Vice President of Instruction, Cañada College

Dr. Robinson, along with Dr. Thompson, created, planned, facilitated and presented at the inaugural African American Leadership Institute. She is past president of the Western Regional Council on Black American Affairs and currently serves as the organization’s Vice President of Development.


Dr. Taylor-Mendoza serves as the chief instructional officers’ representative to the State Chancellor’s Office Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) implementation workgroup. She is also the chair of the newly created CCCCIO DEI Steering Committee, bringing together seven chief instructional officers to serve as strategy leads.

Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Vice President of Instruction, Skyline College

Dr. Taylor-Mendoza is also a co-author of the book “Minding the Obligation Gap in Community Colleges: Theory and Practice in Achieving Educational Equity.” The book has been shared nationally and locally and has become a resource for colleges in addressing the equity gaps that have become even more evident during the current pandemic.

SMCCCD International Education Program Honored with Prestigious National Award from U.S. Department of Commerce

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the San Mateo County Community College District’s International Education program – San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley – has been awarded the U.S. government’s highest honor for export success.  Secretary Ross conferred on the program The President’s “E” Award, which was first established by President Kennedy in 1961, for contributions to American export growth.  The SMCCCD program is the only educational institution among the 28 companies and businesses nationwide honored with this year’s prestigious award.

“It is an honor to receive The President’s “E” Award and be recognized for the tremendous work our team has done to grow and support our international educational program,” said SMCCCD Chancellor Michael Claire.  “We believe that engaging international students to come and study at our colleges enriches the culture, education and diversity of our campuses and our community. This award is further validation of that belief.”

From 2015 to 2019, the SMCCCD’s International Education Program served more than 6,500 students from 135 countries.  In recent months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the international program has pivoted its offerings to increase access for international students from the convenience of their home country.  Through enhanced online classes, programs and support services, international students are able to enroll at the colleges of the SMCCCD – Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College – through the District’s Global Online Learning (GOL) initiative. 

“We are thrilled that our Global Online Learning program has been recognized for its reach from Silicon Valley to parts across the globe, while emphasizing local connections and support for students,” said Dr. Jing Luan, Provost for International Education and leader of the District’s San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley.  “As we diversify our delivery methods and bring our classrooms to students’ homes across the world, we expect greater opportunities for learning and success for all students.”

For more information on the international education program, visit smccd.edu/international.

Online Teaching Resources from the State Chancellor’s Office

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

The CCC Chancellor’s Office has made available a number of resources to help make the adjustment to online/distance learning. Here are some recent additions:

Teaching online physical science labs: Physical Geography
Wednesday, April 29 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Online lab sciences leverage technology tools to meet traditional lab learning outcomes. In Allison Lenkeit Meezan’s physical geography class, the labs utilize a variety of online tools to give students hands-on experience observing and manipulating real-world data. Find more information here. Additionally, CVC-OEI has uploaded a recording of the featured session from last year’s Online Teaching Conference.

Online Course Development  Delivery: Science Labs, features four science teachers who share their approach to online lab instruction. It’s available at this link.

You can find all upcoming events on the CVC-OEI Events page. For online instruction support requests, please contact CVC-OEI.

Equity-Minded Online Teaching: Using Canvas as a Model
Thursday, April 30, 2020, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Professor Jennifer Ortiz will illustrate how to use Canvas with an equity mindset. She will provide examples of techniques and strategies which can be easily applied in any course. For example, she will show participants the video message she uses to welcome students into her class. This session will also have a focus on the implementation of AB705. Register at this link.

This is the second part of a  six-part webinar series presented by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Center for Urban Education. The series provides strategies for faculty and administrators to exercise agency on behalf of the most vulnerable students. Webinars will be recorded and posted on the Vision Resource Center.

College practitioners can find COVID-19 resources, information, and community within the Vision Resource Center. Create an account or log in. Under the “Connect” menu, visit “All Communities” and look for the “CCC | COVID-19 Resources, Tools and Discussion” section. Click “Join Community” to access the content within.