SMCCCD moved its recent board meeting to East Palo Alto and emphasized community engagement and fiscal accountability.
San Mateo, CA – The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) Board of Trustees convened in East Palo Alto (EPA) on October 23, 2024, to foster deeper community engagement in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven, and EPA. The meeting featured presentations on pressing issues in EPA from the Mayor, community partnerships by Cañada College President Kim Lopez, enrollment surges across the District’s campuses, and vendor oversight and accountability.
SMCCCD Board President John Pimentel reflected afterward that “our meeting in EPA reflects our ongoing commitment to serve specific communities where our programs and services can change the trajectory of people’s lives. Free College and the partnerships, personal relationships, and operational improvements discussed today build on incredible 24% districtwide enrollment gains to support upward economic mobility for all San Mateo County.”
Antonio Lopez, Mayor of EPA, welcomed the SMCCCD Trustees with a vision for the city’s future: a new library and initiatives to address the City’s 30,000 residents’ educational needs. Mayor Lopez remarked: “EPA is a city of entrepreneurs and untapped potential. Collaborations with Cañada College and JobTrain are fundamental steps for this resilient community to achieve broad educational and workforce development goals.”
President Kim Lopez presented on Cañada College’s strengthened ties with community organizations in various South San Mateo County communities, particularly North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven, and EPA. “Our goal is to create pathways to success for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved,” President Lopez stated. “We’re seeing remarkable results, with attendance from these areas well-exceeding expectations.”
President Lopez also highlighted how the College’s shuttle and Lyft Ridership programs increased accessibility for 132 students from EPA, North Fair Oaks, and Belle Haven last school year. Looking forward, she announced plans to expand degree and certificate offerings at the College’s Menlo Park site and deepen its partnership with JobTrain. “The College will create a Center for Economic Mobility in EPA to “bring college to the people in South County,” she emphasized.
Building on the success of Cañada College’s community partnerships, Dr. Richard Storti, Executive Vice Chancellor for SMCCCD, presented an enrollment report to the board which highlighted a 24% increase in SMCCCD’s domestic student headcount from Fall 2022 to Fall 2024. This is threefold the nationwide two-year college average increase during the same period. This growth in new students reverses a decade-long decline and puts the District on an upward trajectory. The Executive Vice Chancellor cited the Free College initiative and strategic marketing campaigns as reasons for the welcomed surge. Specifically, that EPA residents drove a remarkable 32% increase in enrollment over two years, with significant gains among Latinx (24%) and first-generation students (32%).
SMCCCD Board members also heard a first-ever report from the District’s newly established Performance Audit Unit. The report, focused on vendor management, included recommendations that would create internal controls to improve vendor record management.
Board President Pimentel commented that the Auditor’s report “marks a significant step in SMCCCD’s commitment to improving fiscal and program accountability and transparency. The District is the first in Northern California to implement such a unit and hire an internal auditor. We look forward to working with the Chancellor to review these recommendations at the next regular meeting with the intention of approving an implementation plan.”
Media Contact: David McLain, Community & Government Relations, SMCCCD, (650) 730-8049 or mclaind@smccd.edu
About San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD): SMCCCD operates three colleges, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College, that provide community college educational services to the residents of San Mateo County. The District’s colleges serve over 30,000 students annually and offer the first two years of college-level instruction in various transfer and career-technical programs. The District is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees, with five voting members elected by voters from designated areas of the County and one nonvoting student member elected by students. For more information, see: smccd.edu