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Category: Teaching & Learning

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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Student/Employee Travel Advisory for Spring Break 2021

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

Spring Break 2021 is coming next week, and we want to remind all employees and students that the Bay Area is still under Orange shelter-in-place restrictions. These rules apply for domestic and international travel, and are consistent with guidance from the CDC, California Department of Public Health, and San Mateo County Health.

Students and employees who are returning from travel should follow the guidance below:

If you travel within 120 miles of the Bay Area (which includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma) for less than 24 hours, you do not need to quarantine, but you must answer the below three questions and forward your response to your supervisor or instructor prior to return to the physical campus.

If you travel more than 120 miles outside of the Bay Area for more than 24 hours, you may pose a risk to others. 

  1. Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
  2. Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
  3. If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.  Report to your supervisor or instructor for further directives following the District’s COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan.
  4. If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
  5. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

Prior to return, you must answer the below three questions and forward your response to your supervisor or instruction prior to return. While quarantining, you must remain indoors and only go outside for critical needs like medical care, including getting tested for COVID-19.

  1. Do you have a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, headache, new fatigue, nausea or vomiting, or congestion or runny nose? 
  2. Have you had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus? (Close contact means having been within 6 feet of that person for an extended time or being exposed to their cough or sneeze.).
  3. Have you been notified by a public health official that you have potentially been exposed to COVID-19?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please do not come to work and follow the guidance in the C-19 Health and Safety Plan.

Note: Individuals who are 2 weeks post their completed COVID-19 vaccination series (2 doses for Pfizer and Moderna OR single dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen) are exempt from these quarantine guidelines.

See CDC guideline for Spring Break travel
See CDC guidelines for Travel During COVID-19

Support for Our International Students from Myanmar

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

March 15, 2021

Dear SMCCCD Faculty and Staff: 

As you may be aware, the escalating political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar continues to create severe hardships, uncertainty and fear for the people who live there. You may also be aware that our District currently enrolls more than 50 students from Myanmar and has long had students from that country enrolled at our colleges as part of our International Student Program. Most of the current students had returned to Myanmar due to the pandemic and are continuing their education online. Due to the military coup and subsequent crackdown on civilians, students there may experience power outages, prolonged interruptions in internet service, access to financial institutions or other disruptions to daily life. 

If you have any students from Myanmar in your class or in your program, please recognize the extreme situation they find themselves in and extend to them all the patience and flexibility they need to continue their studies with us. They are facing great hardships, possibly even issues relating to their own personal safety. As a District committed to student success and social justice, we are encouraging compassion in supporting these students.

If you know of a student from Myanmar who is in need of guidance or support, please contact your college International Students Program (see contact info below). The ISP program staff have contacted our Myanmar students personally and have reached out to their instructors. ISP staff will maintain regular contact with these students to offer support and help to address issues, and can offer support and guidance to faculty and staff if issues arise.

Our District continues its commitment to global learning. Our students from Myanmar are an important  part of the college communities and District family. Please do whatever you can to help support these students as they face this challenge in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic. 

With gratitude, 

Mike Claire, Chancellor
Kim Lopez, Interim President, College of San Mateo
Jamillah Moore, President, Cañada College 
Melissa Moreno, President, Skyline College 
Aaron McVean, Vice Chancellor, Educational Services and Planning
Jing Luan, Provost, International Education

International Students Program Offices: 
Cañada College
College of San Mateo
Skyline College

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.

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

For Students: How to change your grading options this semester

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

We are more than halfway through the Fall 2020 semester and would like to remind you that you have the ability to change grading options on courses until the last day of the course. You can use WebSMART to do the following:

  • Withdraw from a course with an “EW-Excused Withdrawal”
  • Change the Grading Option from Letter Grade to Pass/No Pass or Vice Versa

To determine how these options will affect your educational goal, financial aid, and/or transfer status, please meet with a counselor BEFORE making any change.

Keep in mind that we are not giving “F” grades for Fall 2020, due to the extraordinary hardship students are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instread, anyone not passing a class will receive an “NP” grade, which does not have an impact on your GPA.

Please be aware that these options will be available up to the last day of instruction for the class, before the week of final exams. You can find the last date for your specific course on WebSchedule by clicking on the course and scrolling down to “critical dates for this course.”  You can also locate the specific dates for your course on WebSMART by going into the Student Services tab and under Registration. Your schedule will appear with the Important Dates.

You also have up to a year after the course ends to request a withdrawal: just fill out the online request form and send to your college Admissions & Records office.

Thank you,
Admissions and Records

Contact Us:
Cañada College Counseling Center
College of San Mateo Counseling Center
Skyline College Counseling Center

Or visit the Virtual Campus

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.

Free Drive-Up Wi-Fi Now Available for SMCCCD Students

Posted on by San Mateo County Community College District

The San Mateo County Community College District now offers free Wi-Fi access for students at all three campuses. The new “Drive-Up Wi-Fi” service allows students to park in a specially designated parking lot on the campus of their choice, where they can access Wi-Fi to attend online classes or do schoolwork.

The program was made possible by an all-District team of staff and administrators who have been working to design a system that provides convenient student Wi-Fi access while maintaining District health and safety requirements during the pandemic.

Reservations are required. Students can pick the campus most convenient to them, fill out the Eventbrite reservation form, print or download their Eventbrite ticket, and follow the instructions. Restrooms are available. Students have in/out privileges for the Drive-Up Wi-Fi lot between 6am – 8pm.

Drive-Up Wi-Fi Website/Reservations

Student Drive-Up Wi-Fi Hours
Cañada College:
Monday – Friday, 6 am – 8 pm

College of San Mateo:
Monday – Saturday (except Fridays), 6 am – 8 pm

Skyline College:
Monday – Friday (except Wednesdays), 6 am – 8 pm

Student Drive-Up Wi-Fi Rules

  • Review COVID-19 symptoms and stay home if you are sick 
  • Make a reservation on Eventbrite and bring your ticket to campus
  • Check in at the Public Safety Access Point
  • Drive to the Wi-Fi lot and park in any space with a GREEN cone
  • Only members of the same household in each vehicle
  • All vehicle occupants must remain in the vehicle except to use restrooms
  • Read and follow all rules on your Eventbrite ticket
  • Abide by the Student Code of Ethics

For more information, please see the District Drive-Up Wi-Fi website.