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District Seeking Educational Housing Corporation Board Members 

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) is seeking members of the public to serve as directors on the Educational Housing Corporation Board. The Board seeks to advance education by supporting SMCCCD in its efforts to attract and retain qualified educational employees by managing and operating affordable housing for such employees. 

Applications are now being accepted from any eligible person, 18 years or older, interested in filling a vacancy. Individuals with professional expertise in residential property management/operations, legal and/or financial experience in housing-related issues, or closely related experiences are encouraged to apply. The application form is available at the SMCCCD Educational Housing Corporation Board website and must be submitted by midnight, October 6, 2023. 

Applications will be reviewed at the next public Educational Housing Corporation Board meeting on October 19 at 3:00 pm. Following the review, the Educational Housing Corporation Board of Directors will submit recommendations to the SMCCCD Trustees for final appointments during their regular public Board of Trustees meeting on October 25 at 6:00 pm. 

Educational Housing Corporation Board Directors serve staggered four-year terms and may serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms. At least two, but not more than four, vacant positions are currently open.  

Cañada Vista at Cañada College
College Vista at CSM
College Ridge at Skyline College

About the SMCCCD Employee Housing Program: In response to regional housing costs that are among the highest in the country, SMCCCD has undertaken initiatives to assist faculty and staff with high housing expenses. The District owns and operates 134 housing units at College of San Mateo, Cañada College, and Skyline College campuses, available to faculty and staff (who meet the definition of first-time homebuyers). Employees can live in these units for up to seven years and pay rent well below market rate.  Residents of the employee housing program are strongly encouraged to save the money from their reduced rent to apply toward a down payment to buy housing in the area.   

About San Mateo County Community College District: The SMCCCD is a three-college district located between San Francisco and San Jose in the Silicon Valley. The District’s three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, serve more than 28,000 students each year and offer the first two years of instruction in a wide variety of degree and transfer programs, as well as vocational-technical programs. For more information: https://smccd.edu/ 

Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza Named Next President of College of San Mateo

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

Begins new role on July 1, 2021

San Mateo, CA – San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Michael Claire announced that he will recommend  Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza to the District’s Board of Trustees as the next president of College of San Mateo. The Board of Trustees will take formal action on Dr. Taylor-Mendoza’s appointment at their meeting on April 28.

“Dr. Taylor-Mendoza is positioned to lead College of San Mateo through its centennial year and beyond,” said Claire. “Her passion for educational equity, and her skill as an innovator and collaborator, make her the ideal person to lead College of San Mateo into its second century.”

Dr. Taylor-Mendoza will be the third woman president and the first person of color to lead the 99-year-old College of San Mateo. Her selection comes after a national search that began in November 2020.

Dr. Taylor-Mendoza brings over 20 years of educational experience in both instruction and student services. A longtime leader in the San Mateo County Community College District, she has been vice president of instruction at Skyline College in San Bruno since 2017. Prior to this, she served as founding dean of Academic Support and Learning Technologies (2014-2017) and the founding director of the Learning Center (2011-2014) at College of San Mateo.

“I am honored to work alongside CSM’s talented students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators to continue the college’s rich history of educational excellence,” said Dr. Taylor-Mendoza. “CSM has been the vehicle for upward economic mobility for generations of San Mateo County residents. I pay tribute to the great work of my predecessors by continuing to build on this important mission, ensuring equitable access and outcomes for all students.”

Prior to joining SMCCCD, Dr. Taylor-Mendoza served as a tenured counseling faculty member and part-time psychology instructor at San Bernardino Valley College. She began her career as a part-time counselor at Pasadena City College.

A first-generation California Community College student, Dr. Taylor-Mendoza earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts from El Camino College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from CSU Los Angeles, a master’s degree in counseling from CSU Northridge, and a doctor of philosophy in education from Claremont Graduate University.

In 2021, Dr. Taylor-Mendoza was named a winner of the Carter Doran Leadership Award, given to recognize leadership among statewide community college vice presidents of instruction. She is an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow for Community College Excellence (2019 – 2020). Dr. Taylor-Mendoza serves locally on the Board of Directors of HIP Housing, and she is actively engaged with the NOVA Workforce Board.

Dr. Taylor-Mendoza will start her new position on July 1, 2021. Her selection is subject to approval of a written contract, the terms of which will be available for public review prior to the April 28 board meeting.

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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

San Mateo County Community College District Distributes more than $8 Million Directly to Students from Federal Pandemic Relief Funding

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

District Receives total of $13.3 million in Federal Pandemic Relief Funding to support students and respond to COVID-19

March 4, 2021 – The San Mateo County Community College District has received $13.3 million in federal relief funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II). Of that funding, approximately two-thirds will go directly to students as cash payments to offset hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining third of the funds will be used to offset costs incurred by the District and its three colleges for COVID-related expenses such as technology, health and safety equipment, and training.

“Our community college students were already struggling to make ends meet, and COVID has made it tougher than ever,” said SMCCCD Chancellor Michael Claire. “The majority of the federal funds we’ve received are going directly to support students, and this will make a difference in students being able to stay in school.”

The most recent federal funding, combined with $5.6 million received as part of the CARES Act from spring 2020, brings total federal pandemic relief funding for the San Mateo County Community College District to almost $19 million. Of that total funding, two-thirds ($16.8 million) is directly supporting students at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College.

Federal guidelines allow for HEERF funding to be used for direct student aid and institutional expenses related to COVID-19 to ensure learning continues for students during the pandemic. The federal programs require at least half of the funding to go as direct aid to students to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and child care.  The District allocated more of the funds it received to directly support students than the federal programs required.

In spring and fall 2020, almost 5,000 students from Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College received CARES funds payments ranging from $500 to $1,100. In spring 2021 and fall 2021, students will receive direct payments ranging from $750 to $1,650. 

The District’s colleges have remained mostly online since March 2020. Classes will continue online through December 2021, though more programs may be converted to in-person classes if circumstances allow in the fall semester.

San Mateo County Community College District Will Remain Mostly Online for Summer and Fall 2021

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

Healthcare and Emergency Services Training Are Priority for In-Person Classes

February 26, 2021 – The three colleges of the San Mateo County Community College District – Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College – will continue to hold courses in online and distance education modalities, as well as provide most student services remotely, through the end of the Fall 2021 semester. Most employees will also continue to work remotely through Fall 2021. The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees formally ratified the decision in their meeting on Feb. 24.

“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff,” said SMCCCD Chancellor Michael Claire. “Even though we all want to get back to our beautiful college campuses, we will do so in a thoughtful and deliberate way. We are optimistic that as vaccines become more widely distributed in the summer and fall we will be able to restore more in-person classes and services to students next year.”

In-person instruction will continue for certain essential infrastructure sectors–healthcare, emergency services, and transportation fields, as well as critical STEM labs in key transfer areas, and to meet licensing requirements for career education programs–in order to train first responders and healthcare workers to address urgent community needs and to provide direct pathways to employment. Due to criteria set by the State that include requirements for social distancing, classroom/lab sanitization procedures, and other health precautions, the number of people at SMCCCD campuses will be kept at a minimum.

The District is receiving $13.3 million in federal Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEERF II) stimulus funding. Of that, almost two-thirds will be distributed directly to students to assist with financial challenges and the remainder will be used to offset costs incurred by the colleges for COVID-related expenses such as technology, health & safety equipment, and training. 

The District has launched a number of programs to help students cope with the ongoing crisis. Drive-Up WiFi service is available to help students attend online classes and complete their schoolwork. In a partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, the District offers free food distribution on Wednesdays at Skyline College, and Fridays at College of San Mateo. To date, the District has distributed more than 2 million pounds of food worth $3.8 million to 50,000 families. The three Colleges are also loaning Chromebooks, WiFi hotspots and other supplies to students. Healthcare and personal counseling services are available via telemedicine free of charge to students.

District Emergency Food Distribution Has Served 50,000 Families

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

As we near the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic in our region, the San Mateo County Community College District Emergency Food Distribution program has provided free groceries to a total of 50,000 families. The CSM food distribution site has operated on Fridays for 38 weeks, and the Wednesday program at Skyline College has operated for 22 weeks.

Over that time, the District has distributed a combined 2 million pounds of food worth $3.8 million to the public. The program is a partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which provides food boxes to District sites each week. The distributions rely on a network of District and College staff who volunteer their time, as well as volunteers from local companies and other organizations.

To see the Emergency Food Distribution in action, watch this YouTube video.

For more information see www.shfb.org

Looking Back at 2020

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

In this extraordinary year, The San Mateo County Community College District has innovated and pivoted to continue serving our students. Faculty and staff set up their home offices, reached out to students, and adapted courses to online format. Students, once again, showed their resolve and resilience in moving to online education.

Our students were already facing significant challenges in terms of housing, transportation, access to food, financial security, and equity in the classroom. The pandemic has only intensified those challenges. In response, the District adapted some student basic needs supports and launched several new ones:

San Mateo County Community College District Emergency Food Distribution
The District partnered with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to launch a Friday food distribution program at CSM. The program quickly reached its maximum capacity of serving 1,000 families per week. To date the program has distributed 1.2 million pounds of food, worth more than $2 million, to more than 27,000 families.

In September, Skyline College added a food distribution program on Wednesdays. To date the program has distributed 300,000 pounds of food, worth $537,000, to 7,500 families.

Emergency Food Card Program
Before the pandemic struck, the District had begun to distribute monthly vouchers for free groceries to students identified as having food insecurity challenges. With campuses closed, the vouchers are now distributed digitally. About 1,600 students have received more than $1 million in grocery vouchers to date. The District has funded another $1 million for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Housing
The District allocated and distributed $100,000 in emergency funding to students for housing during the pandemic and set up a case management system to assist students with housing needs. The District SparkPoint Centers have also built a partnership with United Way Bay Area to provide rental assistance to students. About 30 students received housing vouchers this fall worth $1,750 each.

Chromebook and Hotspot Distribution
Without access to campus computers and wifi, many students were left without the technology they needed to continue their studies. The District acquired hundreds of Chromebooks and wifi hotspots to loan to students. This fall, about 400 Chromebooks are on loan to students, as well as 422 hotspots, and 128 calculators.

Drive-Up WiFi
Students can now make reservations online for a parking space in designated wifi parking lots. Students work from their cars, and campus restroom facilities are available.

Telemedicine
Using secure HIPAA-compliant Zoom technology, the College Health Centers now offer free telemedicine appointments to students. The telemedicine clinics offer medical advice, tuberculosis screenings, lab orders, some prescription refills, evaluation and treatment of illnesses and injuries, and referrals to other providers.

Flu Shot Clinics
The Health Centers have partnered with San Mateo County Health to offer free flu shots to employees and students. Each campus hosted a drive-through flu shot clinic in November or December.

Face-to-Face Instruction
With the community in need of healthcare workers, first responders, and job training/retraining programs, the District began piloting face-to-face instructional programs in the summer. While instructors have been able to convert most courses to a fully online format, not all instruction can take place remotely. Thanks to big support efforts from Facilities, ITS, and Public Safety, classes that must meet face-to-face are now doing so.

As of this fall, more than 700 students are participating in some form of on-campus instruction as part of their curriculum. A sampling of these courses includes:

Cañada College:
Medical Assisting
Radiology Technology

College of San Mateo:
Dentistry
EMT
Fire Academy
Nursing

Skyline College:
Automotive Technology
Cosmetology
Surgery Technology
Respiratory Care
STEM labs

District Set to Approve ADA Transition and Self Evaluation

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

The District’s draft ADA Transition Plan and ADA Self-Evaluation have gone to the SMCCCD Board of Trustees for approval in its Feb. 24 meeting. The draft plans were published last fall for review and comment by our District community and the public, and that input has been included in the final draft. The plans cover all three campuses and the District Office. See smccd.edu/ada2020 for details.

District ADA Plan Website