Monday, October 31, 2016

New Cañada College head aims to share same opportunities which benefited her


 New Cañada College head aims to share same opportunities which benefited her


July 30, 2016, 05:00 AM By Austin Walsh Daily

The appointment of Jamillah Moore as the new Cañada College president is a testament to the power of her long-standing belief in the power of accessible public education, she said.
The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees selected Moore to serve as head of the Redwood City school last month, in the wake of an intensive search which included nearly 50 education officials from across the nation.
Jamillah Moore

As Moore looks toward the first class bell ringing in August under her tenure, she said she greatly anticipates beginning the next chapter of her long career in public education.
“This is an environment where I can continue to do good work,” she said. “We have students with high potential and low resources, and I want to continue to provide them with opportunities.”
Moore said the nearly 25 years she has dedicated to working in higher education is due to the benefits she was offered as a formerly disadvantaged student who used the community college system and academic support initiatives to launch her on the path toward success.
“If it hadn’t been for those types of programs, I would not have been here,” she said. “I didn’t grow up with a lot, but now I see my work as a public servant as my opportunity to give back.”
A former Southern California resident who took her first college class and teaching job at a community college, Moore said she sees the school system as a common first step toward achievement for many who come from a similar background as her.
“I feel like I’m being part of the solution and providing them the chance to feed their families and change their lives,” she said, of the students at her school.
Moore came to the district last year as an interim vice chancellor of Educational Services and Planning, prior to being selected in June by the district board as president over 47 other qualified candidates, according to a district press release.
Board President Dave Mandelkern said in a prepared statement he believed Moore will serve the Cañada College community well over the coming years.
“From a strong field of candidates, the board has selected an experienced, talented and dedicated community college educator to lead Cañada College,” he said. “We believe ... Moore will continue Cañada’s strong tradition of providing leading-edge educational opportunities and support services that help ensure student success.”
Before joining the local district, Moore worked as a senior official for the state community college system, as well as serving as interim president of Compton Community College, president of Los Angeles Community College and chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District.
Before moving to administration, she worked as a teacher at Sierra Community College near Roseville, and also was an adjunct professor at Sacramento State University, the school where she also earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Working for the local community college district marks Moore’s return to Northern California, which aligned with her need to offer care to her aging mother, she said.
She said district officials were extremely compassionate and understanding of providing her the professional flexibility to be with her mother Velma in the final days leading up to her losing a battle with cancer.
Moore said she appreciated officials allowing her to be with her family in a time of need.
“It’s been an extraordinary opportunity to work for a district that really walks the talk about family first,” she said.
Family is an extremely important component of Moore’s life, she said, as much of her time away from the office is dedicated to raising her teen nephew Thomas, who she adopted as her son.
Between the taxing professional obligations associated with running a community college, and preserving time to be a mother, Moore said she is left few other opportunities to pursue her own interests.
“My hobbies are eating, sleeping and trying to raise a middle schooler,” she said.
But her professional and personal interests may intersect, as Moore said an initial focus of her work as an administrator will be helping students cope with the heightened tension associated with relations between people of color and law enforcement.
Moore said she and her son have had an ongoing series of similar discussions dedicated to keeping him safe when interacting with police, and she plans to open up that dialogue on the Cañada campus as well, because the issue resonates with many of the school’s students.
The discussions will begin next month, said Moore, and she expects the conversations to be substantial and valuable.
“We are going to be having a courageous conversation around race and law enforcement,” she said.

Moore said she looks forward to beginning all the hard work associated with ensuring students are offered the education needed to excel in academics, but also the lessons to keep them on the path to success beyond the walls of the classroom.
“I do feel very fortunate,” she said. “This is a great college and a wonderful opportunity. I’m excited.”
austin@smdailyjournal.com

Friday, October 28, 2016

Cañada College Awarded Foundation for California Community Colleges Grant




Cañada College Awarded Foundation for California Community Colleges Grant


Cañada College has been awarded a grant through the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Only 25 grants were awarded across the state. As part of an effort to support the California Community Colleges Civic Impact Project aims to increase voter registration and voter participation on community college campuses across California, educate students on the democratic process, and provide work based learning opportunities for students.  The overarching goal of the project is to increase civic participation by engaging community college students in issues that affect the community, state, and nation as a means to promote lifelong civics-related skills, career paths, and volunteerism.

To accomplish those overarching goals at Cañada College, the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development plans to employ the following activities:


  • Host a Constitution and Election Day
  • Support Undocumented students by staffing the DREAMers Center
  • Invite students to dinner to watch and discuss the final Presidential Debate
  • Play Rock the Vote ads in the cafeteria
  • Staff a Voter Registration table utilizing the 5 tablets garnered from the grant for two weeks prior to the November election
  • Host a Rock the Vote art display and contest
  • Provide incentives for students on Election Day


The full award is for $10,000 from October 26, 2016 through June 30, 2017.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What's Happening at Cañada: Week of October 24, 2016


Week of October 24, 2016

 
October 25

Cañada Women’s Soccer vs Ohlone College

Cañada College
4 p.m.

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Ohlone College!

 

October 26

University Visit: Grand Canyon University

The Grove
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Come meet representatives from Grand Canyon University.


Halloween Celebration with the Library

Upper Lawn
Noon-2 p.m.

The Cañada College Library will host mocktails, pumpkin carving, and button making. All are welcome to enjoy spooky refreshments, customized Halloween buttons and learn more about Library resources!


STEM Speaker Series - “A Man-Made Earthquake Surge in the Central US

Building 6, Room 101/102
5-6 p.m.

Learn about earthquakes caused by human activity.  Featured speaker is Justin Rubinstein, a Research Geophysicist at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park.

 
 
October 27

Halloween & Dia De Los Muertos

The Grove
9 a.m.-1 p.m. & 7-8 p.m.

Join Student Senate for the biggest party of the semester! Costume contests, music, games, food, and more! Be sure to bring your Cañada Fall 2016 Student Body Card to participate.


CSU & UC Applications

Building 9, Room 106
1 -2:30 p.m.

These workshops will guide you to complete CSU & UC Applications. This includes Transfer GPA calculation, how to report your coursework, and report ADT degrees on CSU applications (if applicable).

 
 
October 28

Cañada Men’s Soccer vs West Valley College

Cañada College Soccer Field
4 p.m.

Cheer on the Colts as they take on West Valley College!


Cañada Women’s Volleyball vs. Ohlone College

Cañada College Gym
6:30 p.m.

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Ohlone College!

College Visit – Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo Preview Day

Sign up at Learning Center, Building 9, Second Floor
Visit runs from: 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sign up in the Learning Center Front Desk to attend this off-campus College visit!

 

October 30

Redwood Symphony Concert – Family Halloween Concert

Cañada College Main Theater (Building 3)
3 p.m.

Mancini: Baby Elephant Walk
Elfman: Theme from Batman
Saint-Saëns: Finale from the “Organ” Symphony (excerpt)
Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
A Sousa march (to be announced) conducted by ten lucky* children

$25 adult ($30 at door) $15 children Tickets are available online until the evening before the concert (subject to availability), and otherwise at the door. There are no Senior, Student, or Free Child tickets for this event.


October 31

UC Applications

Building 16, Room 110
2-3 p.m.

These workshops will guide you to complete UC Admission application, including UC Admission policies, and how to report your coursework.


Personal Insight Questions

Building 9, Room 123
12 -1 p.m.

These workshops will guide you to start your personal insight questions and provide you with tips to make your answers more effective. *Will be presented by UC Berkeley.



November 1

Cañada Women’s Soccer vs Chabot College

Cañada College
4 p.m.

Cheer on the Colts as they take on Chabot College!


November 2

CSU Applications

Building 16, Room 110
12 – 1 p.m.

These workshops will guide you to complete CSU Admissions application, including Transfer GPA calculation, how to report your course work, and report ADT degree.

 

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Exploring New Pathways to College Completion

Exploring new pathways to college completion



Lande Ajose, The Opportunity Institute
Lande Ajose, The Opportunity Institute

While, society widely accepts the importance and value of higher education as a public good, fewer than 40 percent of our nation’s undergraduates complete a college degree within six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This reality places pressure on college campuses to improve time to completion for their students.
Addressing the lengthy six-year timeline begins with a broad focus on increasing college completion rates. According to a report by California Competes, California needs to produce 11.9 million degrees – inclusive of bachelor’s degrees, associate’s degrees, and one- and two-year certificates – by 2025 to remain economically competitive. Currently, however, the state is slated to produce only 9.5 million degrees, resulting in a degree gap of 2.4 million.

Harry LeGrande, UC Berkeley
Harry LeGrande, UC Berkeley

But higher education institutions can narrow or close the degree gap by accelerating student pathways to completion.
Taking six years to complete college also contributes to higher student debt. Additional time spent earning a degree versus earning an income, along with the rising costs of college itself, reinforce doubts among many potential students as to whether they should aspire to earn a college degree. According to the Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), 55 percent of 2014 California graduates had college loans, with an average of $21,382 per borrower. While this is lower than the national average, the high cost of living puts Californians at risk of exceeding the national average soon.
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) is studying the issue more closely. In analyzing various options to reduce debt, the LAO is evaluating the advantages of the consolidating existing financial aid programs into one entitlement grant program that takes into account the total cost of college attendance, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and transportation.

Jamillah Moore, Cañada College
Jamillah Moore, Cañada College

That includes the Cal Grant Program, Middle Class Scholarship, campus-based financial aid awards, and the California Community College Board of Governors Fee Waiver. The intent is to establish options that – once fully phased in – can ensure every student will be able to cover college costs with an appropriate family contribution for middle and higher income families, earnings from a part-time job, and federal financial aid for eligible students. While this is an important first step, the jury is still out on how financial aid consolidation into a single entitlement grant will remedy cost increases while maintaining equity throughout the state.
As higher education leaders, we believe the state’s colleges need to focus on key areas that directly contribute to a student getting a degree. And luckily, potential solutions are plentiful:

Wm Gregory Sawyer, CSU Channel Islands
Wm Gregory Sawyer, CSU Channel Islands

  • Developing a system for improving and expanding outreach to adult learners;
  • Increasing access to college credit courses for high school students so they can earn their associate degree or credits toward a degree while completing high school;
  • Promoting full-time attendance, particularly at community colleges and California State University, as studies demonstrate full-time students are more likely to complete college;
  • Promoting multiple measures – e.g. considering a student’s prior work experience, GPAs or SAT exam scores or assessment algorithms – to assess college students’ math and English abilities and help reduce time-consuming, costly and sometimes ineffective remedial education;
  • Encouraging institutions to implement “cultural competence” in the curriculum that will support traditionally underrepresented students, support diversity, social justice and achieve equity on campus and help increase retention rates;
  • Helping to provide transportation and housing to students by leveraging partnerships and developing networks of support for low-income students, especially those who are experiencing homelessness, a population that makes up roughly 10 percent of CSUs students;
  • Implementing registration processes that allow students to enroll for an entire academic year at one time – analogous to high school course registration – which encourages students to develop yearlong academic plans rather than the standard college registration process of one semester or one quarter at a time.

Some of these strategies are low-hanging fruit; others require more time and resources to make happen. However one thing is sure: if implemented, more students – and particularly more underserved students – will find themselves with degrees in hand.

The promise of California’s Master Plan for Higher Education was that college would be a benefit guaranteed to all Californians who sought to pursue it. If the impending gap in degrees is not addressed as a priority, we will be conscribing at least 2.4 million Californians to a future in which they will not contribute as fully or as meaningfully to their communities or to the state’s varied regional economies.
•••
Lande Ajose is senior vice president for the postsecondary and transitions to work program area at the The Opportunity Institute. Harry LeGrande is vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California, Berkeley. Jamillah Moore is president of Cañada College. Wm. Gregory Sawyer is vice president for student affairs at California State University, Channel Islands.

The authors are all members of the California Student Aid Commission.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the authors. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.

source: https://edsource.org/2016/exploring-new-pathways-to-college-completion/570743

Exploring New Pathways to College Completion



Exploring New Pathways to College Completion



Cañada College Awarded $4.3 Million Federal STEM Grant to Support Hispanic Students





Cañada College Awarded $4.3 Million Federal STEM Grant
to Support Hispanic Students


REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. (October 18, 2016) – The HSI-STEM program at the Department of Education has awarded Cañada College a $4.3 million federal grant to support students pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). The project, “Generating Access to Navigate and Achieve in STEM (GANAS)” will improve student achievement in foundational Math courses (especially among underrepresented minority students), strengthen collaborative relationships with four-year universities and industry partners to provide underrepresented students research and professional development opportunities. It will also increase the number of underrepresented STEM students transferring to a four-year institution, as well as increase awareness of educational and career paths among community college STEM students.

The College’s proposal detailed a comprehensive approach to addressing four focus areas of need in the community college STEM education pipeline: low student achievement in Mathematics (especially among under-represented minorities), low academic achievement among first-time college students, STEM faculty professional development need and lack of awareness of educational and career options. 

“This grant will provide Cañada College with funds to implement innovative tools to support our students in achieving their STEM educational goals,” stated Dr. Jamillah Moore, college president. “The jobs of the future depend on a STEM-educated workforce and we look forward to helping to shape the next generation of STEM students.”

The grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Program. In addition, the US Department of Education has also recently awarded Cañada College with a $750,000 grant through the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) and a $3.2 million grant to support the Expanding Student Opportunity (¡ESO!) Adelante Project.


About Cañada College: For nearly 50 years, Cañada College has provided enriching and life-changing educational opportunities for the residents of San Mateo County. With the support and guidance from award-winning faculty and staff, residents can pursue certificates and degrees for career training or to serve as a transfer gateway to four-year colleges and universities. Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, Cañada College offers hundreds of day, evening, and weekend courses in more than 40 quality instructional programs, including sciences, business, multi-media, medical assisting, the arts, and technical training. The College also provides extensive basic skills training and innovative student support services in counseling, orientation, certificate and degree planning, transfer assistance, and tutoring. Begin your Cañada College experience by visiting canadacollege.edu and follow us Facebook.com/canadacollegeRWC.

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