Cañada College Welcome Week

Cañada College was ready and excited to welcome students (both in-person and virtually) during the first week of classes, affectionately called Welcome Week. Cañada’s Outreach team held a welcome station with Student Ambassadors ready to greet fellow Cañadians and help them to find their way to classes. In addition, the Associated Students of Cañada College (ASCC) planned a series of Welcome Week activities such as free school supplies and goodies from Chuck’s Donuts, Mademoiselle Colette and Jamba Juice as well as a Lunar New Year celebration.

In addition to Welcome Week festivities, Cañada’s Welcome Center and Counseling Departments have been humming! Cañada College Counselors have assisted more than 570 students this January with almost 40 percent of the students served in-person. Compared to this time last year over a similar time period, 378 students were served with only about 20 percent in-person. The Welcome Center and Counseling Departments have extended drop-in hours in general counseling through January 30, which is the last day to add courses. Extended hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As part of the drop-in process, Counselors are prioritizing ESL students and Spanish-speaking Counselors are available on site.

Cañada Hosts Fourth Annual High School & Community Partners Forum

After being held virtually the past two years, Cañada College’s fourth annual High School & Community Partners Forum was held both in-person at Cañada College as well as via Zoom on December 7. The event provides a great opportunity for community partners to connect with Cañada College staff/faculty/administration and share feedback on how the College can best connect with our community.

 

The event kicked off with breakfast for more than 50 in-person attendees. The in-person and virtual program began with a warm welcome from College President Kim Lopez and Vice Presidents Manuel Alejandro Pérez, Ludmila Prisecar and Chialin Hsieh. During the welcome, attendees received updates on SMCCCD’s Free College initiative, Cañada’s Educational Master Plan, and fully online programs offered as well as in-person and hybrid schedules for the upcoming semester. Middle College Executive Director Stephen Redmond shared an overview of the Living the Promise partnership with Sequoia Union High School District as well as outreach plans for Spring 2023. David Vera, Financial Aid Director, provided updates on the financial aid application and counselor tool kit for the community partners to use.

 

The Cañada Outreach team shared that Priority Engagement Program (PEP) sessions will resume in the Spring and encouraged counselors to have their students participate. Lezlee Ware and Elizabeth Terzakis, Cañada College Professors and Program Coordinators for Cañada’s Umoja program, shared exciting information about the recently launched program. Their presentation transitioned into a student panel of former students based on the College’s Interest Areas.

After program updates, attendees chose from one of two 20-minute sessions to attend. Sessions included: steps to get into college, tips for students who are interested in transferring to a university, exploration into career certificate programs offered through Cañada’s Strong Workforce program and updates on support programs for undocumented students through Cañada’s DREAM Center. In addition, campus tours were offered.

The program closed with lunch, networking and closing remarks given by Mayra Arellano, Cañada’s Director of High School Transitions & Dual Enrollment and College Recruiter Olivia Cortez-Figueroa. Feedback from the attendees was very positive and some great ideas were discovered throughout the day.

Cañada College Awarded $1 Million to Build the First Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Extended Reality (VR/AR) Developer Program in the State

Cañada College has been awarded $1 million (two $500,000 grants) to create and manage the State’s first and only XR game developer pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program through the State of California Division of Apprenticeship Standards Extended Reality (XR) Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Program. The XR Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Programs were designed to create access for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) student populations and underrepresented groups to mid- and high-paying tech roles as three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) game and interactive simulations developers. 

The California State Chancellor’s Office created the California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Grant Programs to help meet the State’s need for an educated and skilled workforce as well as to promote economic recovery and equity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The programs will support the creation of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in non-traditional, emerging and innovative sectors, and increase the accessibility to sustainable, high-wage jobs for individuals from historically marginalized and underserved backgrounds. 

In partnership with Foothill College, the funding provides Cañada College an opportunity to create programs such as the not-for-credit Unity Developer program. Unity is a video game engine used to make exciting Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), 2D and 3D video games by thousands of game studios worldwide. Designed for Unity beginners, this course starts with the basics all the way through knowing the basics of creating AR and VR games. The course is virtual so students throughout the state can enroll, although priority registration will be given to students in the Bay Area region. After completing the apprenticeship program, students would be eligible for employment opportunities as technical artists, game developers and VR/AR programmers for companies that utilize the Unity Engine.

With this, students will have access to an emerging tech field that many four-year programs do not train graduates for. These roles do not require a four-year degree removing the barrier for more marginalized and underrepresented students and community members to obtain access to careers that historically have been difficult to attain in a reduced time frame within the Tech industry. “Through this partnership, our goal is to create an epicenter for training a new generation of innovative minds that will power the Silicon Valley well into the future,” stated Kim Lopez, Interim College President. “This grant will provide Cañada College with funds to connect our students with innovative tools and provide access to achieve the training and experience needed for an in-demand career in Tech.” 

Foothill College is excited to be in partnership with Cañada College and serve as their Local Education Agency (LEA) for the State's first Augmented Reality Apprenticeship Program,” said Chris Allen, Dean of Apprenticeship Programs, Foothill College. “Our faculty are excited to collaborate and partner with an industry employer like Unity and support this new and innovative apprenticeship pathway aligns with one of our college's core values, innovation." 

According to Burning Glass, as of 2020, there has been a 1,400 percent job growth for AR/VR engineers and a 146 percent job growth for game developers with a large majority of these employers headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Cañada College XR programs will work with all Bay Area Community College Consortium Game Design programs to develop a talent pipeline of students who will be eligible for the pre-apprenticeship program, apprenticeship program, and full-time employment upon program completion. Apprentices start earning $23/hour the first six months, increase to $25/hour in the second six months, and $28/hour in the last six months. Journeymen-level developers will earn at minimum $75,000 annually and can potentially earn more than $100,000 depending upon skill level. 

The Pre-Apprenticeship program, which costs $99, begins on June 13 and registration is open. Students who successfully complete this course are eligible to apply for an 18-month Registered Apprenticeship in XR beginning in September 2022. The Registered Apprenticeship offers apprentices the opportunity to “earn and learn,” working as full-time employees with participating employers and receiving pay increases every six months. For information about the program visit: https://www.canadacollege.edu/menloparksite/programs/UnityDeveloper.php

“California has always been a leader in technology, but it’s also responsible for pushing the status quo when it comes to who defines what that technology is and what it can be,” said Joy Horvath, Senior Instructional Designer at Unity. “The California State Chancellor’s Office created the California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) stands to change that narrative by bringing vital technical training to the most accessible centers of learning in the state: the community college system. By leveling the playing field, the CAI will help redefine who will lead the fourth industrial revolution.” 

About Cañada College: For more than 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 serve as a transfer gateway to four-year colleges and universities. Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, Cañada College offers day, evening, weekend, in-person and online courses in more than 40 quality instructional programs, including science, business, multimedia, medical assisting, the arts and technical training. Cañada College provides extensive “wrap-around” student support services in counseling, orientation, certificate and degree planning, transfer assistance and tutoring. Begin your Cañada College experience by visiting canadacollege.edu. 

Kim Lopez Named as Next Cañada College President

 

San Mateo, CA – San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Michael Claire has announced that he is recommending Kim Lopez as the next president of Cañada College. The District’s Board of Trustees will take formal action on Lopez’s appointment at their May 11, 2022 meeting. Ms. Lopez has served as interim president of Cañada College since August 1, 2021.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Kim Lopez for several years and in several capacities,” said Claire. “I know her to be a leader of integrity and compassion with values that align to put students first and create a college environment that is equitable, diverse, inclusive and anti-racist. I am confident that she will lead Cañada College into a new era of success and commitment to the community.”

Though serving in a new role at Cañada College, Ms. Lopez is not new to the campus. She originally joined the college as dean of enrollment services and counseling and later became vice president of student services before moving to College of San Mateo (CSM) in 2017. At CSM, Ms. Lopez served as vice president of student services and later as acting and interim president following the appointment of then-president Michael Claire as interim and permanent chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District. Prior to joining the SMCCCD, Ms. Lopez previously served three years as the Assistant Dean of Students at the University of California, San Diego and for two years as the Upward Bound (TRIO) director at the College of Micronesia on the island of Kosrae. She also worked at the College of the Siskiyous for 13 years as a counselor and student services director.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve Cañada College and our broader community in my new role as president of this great institution,” said Ms. Lopez. “As a second generation Mexican-American, I know the challenges many of our students face as they work to gain access to a higher education so they can gain economic and social mobility. I am excited to work with our community to support the students and families who need us and to make Cañada College an indispensable partner of businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies and all groups who support students and higher education.”

Ms. Lopez currently serves on the JobTrain Board of Directors, Chamber San Mateo County Education Committee and as an Executive Team member for Redwood City Together. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in educational counseling from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Ms. Lopez will start her permanent role as president on July 1. Her selection is subject to approval of a written contract, the terms of which will be available for public review prior to the Board’s meeting on May 11, 2022.

Cañada College Women’s Tennis Team: Northern California Regional Champions!

 

Our Women’s Tennis Team are Northern California Regional Champions. One more win away from the State Championship!

NorCal Regional Dual Team Championship Match

Cañada (3) at Chabot (1)

The Co-Coast Conference Champions set up a third, tie breaking match after both dominated in the earlier rounds of the NorCal Regional bracket. Chabot earned the higher seed by beating the Colts in their most recent meeting, tying in the regular season at 11-1.

In this third meeting of the '22 season, the Co-Champs had more than just a tie-break; there were bragging rights in the Coast Conference, a NorCal Regional Team Title, and a spot in the season-finale State Championship in Bakersfield.

The match started quickly, loudly, and with waves of energy as the doubles matches got underway. Early on, all three Cañada teams took the lead at 2-1. After an hour of battle, the Colts flipped the doubles result from the previous two meetings, going into the singles matches up, 2-1.

The Colts knew they needed to take advantage of this lead, and grab their wins, quickly. 

The Cañada 3, Josie Thompson, made short work of her opponent, beating her 6-0, 6-0, followed by a Chabot win at line 4 with the same score. Up 3-2, the Colts' stampede began to struggle at certain lines, with Chabot picking up the next win at singles 1.

With three remaining matches, clinch player, Michaela Llewelyn brought the energy back to the Cañada bench, securing a 7-5, 6-4 victory in her third meeting against Chabot's Julie Santiago.

After hearing the resounding, "Let's go!" from Llewelyn at Court 2, Cañada's 5 (Cori Mehring) and 6 (Claudia Westrum) stepped up in a race to the finish.

As she did in the Regional Semifinal, Cori Mehring clinched her match with a 6-3, 7-5 win, earning her team a NorCal Championship, and sending the Colts the State Championship match, scheduled for this Saturday (4/23/22) at Bakersfield Racquet Club.

Doubles:

1.     Zoe Olmos/Julia Santiago (Cha) def. Zuzia Dziewieçka/Josie Thompson (Cañ), 8-4

2.     Michaela Llewelyn/Lauren Denenberg (Cañ) def. Sandy Morizawa/Alma Hwang (Cha), 8-6

3.     Susan Kettering/Claudia Westrum (Cañ) def. Mi Qi/Ronnette Tolentino (Cha), 9-7

Singles:

1.      Z. Olmos (Ch) def. Z. Dziewieçka (Ca), 6-0, 6-1

2.     M. Llewelyn (Ca) def. J. Santiago (Ch), 7-5, 6-4

3.     J. Thompson (Ca) def. S. Cornelio (Ch), 6-0, 6-0

4.     S. Morozawa (Ch) def. L. Denenberg (Ca), 6-0, 6-0

5.     C. Mehring (Ca) def. G. Madison (Ch), 6-3, 7-5

6.     C. Westrum (Ca) v. Mi Qi (Ch) --- Match stopped

Cañada def. Chabot, 5-3; Wins Northern California Championship, and is set to play in State Championship against (TBD).

 

Cañada College’s Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Wins Internationally Recognized Award for College Project

Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa(PTK) Journal of Student Leadership features the work of community college students collaborating with their college administrators to implement projects that support the mission of their colleges and generate positive changes on their campuses. The Hallmark Awards Program recognizes superior achievement in Phi Theta Kappa’s programs while encouraging excellence, reflecting fairness, recognizing quality, and enhancing individual and chapter development. The Hallmark Award is an award that is extremely honored for those helping their communities.

Each of the articles published in Change Makers demonstrates exceptional planning, leadership, and service activities carefully designed to improve the college community and campus environment. To be considered for publication in Change Makers, a chapter must submit a Hallmark Award entry for the chapter’s College Project. These College Projects begin with carefully planned meetings between the students and the college administration. Here, students explore the college’s mission and offer voluntary service to complete projects that the administration deem both crucial and necessary to support the college and its overall mission. 

As we all know, working through the pandemic has been a challenge for everyone. When the pandemic began in 2020, many people were lost and did not know what to do with schooling. As students began to transition to virtual schooling, it was difficult to feel connected and prepare the steps of preparing for transfer to a four-year university. With this, student leaders from Beta Zeta Nu, Cañada College’s Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, decided to create a series of workshops focused on transferring students as part of their 2020 College Project. Their first step was to meet with the College President to see if they agreed that students would benefit from this project. With the full support of the College President, the PTK team began their project.

Student Bella Zhang shared and explained her team's hard work on their project. The PTK team supported the Transfer Center by creating online workshops, made with alumni, about topics specific to the transfer experience. Workshop topics included scholarship opportunities such as the Jack Kent Cook Scholarship, how to write personal insight questions on the general transfer application, obtaining letters of recommendation and more. A popular workshop included three alumni who had transferred to UC Berkeley and shared their experience with students, including student life, the transfer process, transportation, housing and academics at UC Berkeley. Students who attended the workshops shared that they felt more confident in the transfer process. Students feeling supported was the main goal of this project for the PTK team, and students were appreciative of their efforts to assist while they navigated through the pandemic. 

Part of the project was a reflection of the PTK team as leaders and how the team felt about their contribution to the College; everyone involved was very satisfied with their experience because they helped their community feel safer during hard times. The reflection included how the team created the project idea, along with the plan, execution and impact it would have on their community as well as how much they learned along the way. The PTK team’s hard work resulted in having their 2020 College Project published in the PTK International Journal called Change Makers. You can read the article here. In addition, the team’s project was placed in the Top 15 out of 1,200 Chapters, internationally. 

The PTK team is currently engaged in another College Project. This year's project is in collaboration with Cañada Financial Aid Office, where they are designing student-to-student outreach to increase the rate of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications at Cañada College. The goal is for more students to complete the application and take advantage of the financial assistance available to community college students.

 

Women’s Tennis Team: 2022 Coast Conference Champions

 

The Colts are 2022 Coast Conference Champions!

 

The Cañada College Women’s Tennis Team looked to finish their season with their match against the Vikings of West Valley College with a Conference Title to their name.

In the final Dual Team match of the regular season, the Colts started on the attack early, looking to upend the Vikings in the Doubles. The Colts #1 Doubles Team of Zuzia Dziewieçka and Josie Thompson brought the energy quickly with their win over WVC's Seraphina Vossen and Abby Prokter. The trend was quickly followed by Susan Kettering's and Claudia Westrum's win at #3 Doubles.

Going into the Singles Matches, the Colts felt confident with a 2-1 lead over the Vikings, and Cañada's respective #1 (Zuzia Dziewieçka) and #6 (Cori Mehring) secured a 4-2 lead, bringing the Colts within 1 line of a Conference Title.

At Line 5, Lauren Denenberg came in clutch and secured a 6-0, 7-5 victory over WVC's Natasha Sackx, bringing the Coast Conference Championship back to the Campus on the Hill.

The Colts now look to the Coast Conference Individual Championship Tournament and Regional Playoffs.

Results: 

West Valley College (8-3) at Cañada College (10-1)

Doubles

1. Zuzia Dziewieçka/Josie Thompson (Cañ) def. Seraphina Vossen/Abby Prokter (WVC), 8-3
2. Z. Aynaci/Sonya Hu (WVC) def. Lauren Denenberg/Michaela Llewelyn (Cañ), 8-5
3. Susan Kettering/Claudia Westrum (Cañ) def. Natasha Sackx/Brynn McKenzie (WVC), 8-2

Singles

1. Z. Dziewieçka (C) def. S. Vossen (W), 6-2, 6-1
2. A. Prokter (W) def. M. Llewelyn (C), 6-3, 6-3
3. J. Thompson (C) def. Z. Aynaci (W), 7-6(5), 6-2
4. S. Hu (W) def. S. Kettering (C), 6-1, 6-0
5. L. Denenberg (C) def. N. Sackx (W), 6-0, 7-5
6. C. Mehring (C) def. B. McKenzie (W), 6-1, 6-2

Cañada def. West Valley, 6-3

*Cañada College Women's Tennis Team clinches Coast Conference Championship and ITA Regional Playoff Berth

In addition, the San Mateo Daily Journal wrote a story about the team and you can read the story here.

Go Colts!

Cañada College Student Leader Receives Youth of the Year Honor

 

Cañada College Student Leader, Xitlali Curincita, was recently selected as the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula's 2022 Youth of the Year. Xitlali will go on to represent the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula at the national competition. Youth of the Year is the Boys & Girls Club of America’s signature effort to foster a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy. 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula's 2022 Youth of the Year is an award presented to those who have made an outstanding impact in their community. The selection process for this award is extremely competitive. Candidates must present a series of four speeches to multiple panelists on the interview team. Xitlali was one of 12 students who competed for the award after being nominated by her coaches from Future Grads, a college preparatory program held in the Boys & Girls Club. 

Xitlali is in her senior year of high school. In addition, she serves as President of the Associated Students of Cañada College and is a part of the Middle College High School program. Outside of Cañada College, she has volunteered as a tutor in her local library with Project READ as well as other organizations such as the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center. She attributes her time spent in the community to helping her discover that her purpose is to support her community. She is extremely community focused, which has helped her to stand out as a nominee. 

The Youth of the Year event, described by Xitlali, was fancy and glamorous. There were hairdressers, make-up artists and event planners to prepare the candidates for the event. Many well-known people attended including Andre Iguodala (professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors), John Donahoe (CEO and President of Nike) and Eric Yuan (CEO of Zoom). The final four nominees presented their speeches to the panelists, each sharing their own community building stories. After this, each nominee had one-on-one interviews where they were asked questions about their experience in helping others at the Boys & Girls Club. 

With this award, Xitlali will receive a $1,000 scholarship and special recognition for the work she has done for her community over the past four years. Xitlali describes her recognition as a win for her entire community and she is determined to show others that anyone can achieve this honor. She attributes much of her work ethic to her grandparents who constantly reminded her of her roots and why it’s important to work hard. Her grandparents were highlighted throughout her speech, and she talked about how they have reminded her of her culture. She takes so much pride in her indigenous roots, as her name translates to “Star Goddess.” She says that she wants to inspire others as her grandparents inspired her, along with her little brother who constantly gives her reassurance. She is also extremely grateful for the Cañada College community for their extra support through this competition. 

After Cañada College, Xitlali plans to attend a four-year university and, so far, she has been accepted to University of San Francisco, Loyola Marymount University and California State University, East Bay. She plans to major in Political Science where she aspires to become a politician and help the entire nation but especially underrepresented communities. 

Xitlali remarked that the best part of the Youth of the Year experience was meeting new people, networking with them and learning from them. She also would like to put these skills back into helping her community. Xitlali’s community will be cheering her on as she advances through the Youth of the Year National competition.

STEM Speaker Series Connects Students with Alumni & Professionals

Every year, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Center at Cañada College hosts the STEM Speaker Series, a series of talks from professionals and alumni in the STEM fields. This year, the Speaker Series took place over the course of two months, featuring a total of seven speakers. These speakers generously volunteered their time to help advise and guide students on their academic journeys. 

Having successfully established an online format in the 2020-2021 school year while the College transitioned into a virtual campus, students joined via online video streaming to listen and learn from a variety of speakers. Although the talks were generally focused on transferring to university and starting a career in STEM, each speaker brought a distinct voice and story to the series. They ranged from the recently graduated to long-standing professionals, and covered a variety of subjects ranging from data analysis to education. 

One of the greatest benefits of the Speaker Series is the opportunity that students have to ask questions and connect with professionals working in their fields of interest. Rance Bobo, STEM Transfer Liaison and the STEM Speaker Series host, sees this as one of the critical functions of the talks. “For me, it’s always the way students word their questions and how specific the questions are.” Rance sees this engagement as proof of the success of the Series. “This is an indication that the students are paying attention, have been inspired or hold an interest in the matter.” 

The speakers that students got to learn from in this Series were eclectic and fascinating, and each brought valuable knowledge to Cañada students. There was Dr. Ameer Thompson, who serves as the Dean of Science and Technology at Cañada College and previously served as the Interim Dean of Natural, Social, and Applied Sciences at Contra Costa College. His impressive career is underpinned by years of persistence in education from which our students got to pull from. Another speaker was Yardley Ordonez-Hernandez, a Cañada alum who currently works as an Automation Engineer, and whose story reflects the journey of so many of our Latino students. In Yardley, students got to see what a potential future trajectory for a successful career could look like for themselves, an invaluable exercise in visualizing their own futures. 

The STEM Speaker Series will return in the Spring 2022 semester. If students are undecided on a STEM career choice, they are encouraged to attend the STEM Speaker Series events and listen to former Cañada alumni who are now professionals. View past recorded Speaker Series here. The presenter’s insight and real-world experiences can and will bring much-needed enlightenment to all Cañadians! 

Preparing for the Spring Semester & Return to Campus

 

Dear Cañada Students,

Welcome to the Spring semester and thank you for choosing Cañada College to achieve your goals! We understand that this upcoming year may be filled with challenges and new experiences as we continue to navigate during uncertain times as we return to face-to-face classes and in-person services. Please know that our surroundings may look and feel different but our mission to serve you, our students, remains the same.

As we approach the start of the Spring semester on Tuesday, January 18, we’d like to provide you with some quick tips and resources to help you prepare for a successful semester. We look forward to supporting you – from here you can go anywhere!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RETURN TO CAMPUS

SAN MATEO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS Alignment
SMCCCD is in alignment with health and safety requirements identified by San Mateo County Health and the District is not adopting new or different standards. Current County Health standards include:

• Face Coverings (Masks): Masks are required to be worn at all times while in public spaces indoors, unless actively eating or drinking. This applies to all individuals regardless of their vaccination status. 
• Social Distancing Not Required: Social distancing requirements were eliminated and no requirements are recommended or in place by county health officials and are no longer recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
• Isolation/Quarantine/Exposure: The CDC and County Public Health recently adjusted required isolation/quarantining relating to contracting or being exposed to COVID-19. New District protocols will be shared in an update later this week. 

IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION AND SERVICES
As a reminder, students will only be able to register for in-person courses or access in-person services if they have been approved through the vaccination attestation or have received a medical/religious exemption. Students who have not gone through the vaccination attestation approval process can still enroll in virtual courses and receive virtual student support.

For more information, please visit: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/students.php

FACE COVERINGS (MASKS) 
SMCCCD continues to make face coverings (masks) available to all students. Face coverings are required when indoors (unless actively eating or drinking). KN95 masks are available to students for free in campus Bookstores and surgical masks are located at various locations throughout all buildings.

FREE COVID-19 VACCINATION POP-UP CLINICS FOR SPRING 2022
The CDC continues to advise every eligible person to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. SMCCCD has extended the Vaccination Pop Up Clinics through May 2022. Clinics will continue to provide first time vaccination and boosters. For dates and locations, visit: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/vaccine-info.php

FREE COVID-19 TESTING AVAILABLE AT CSM
COVID testing services continue to be available at College of San Mateo (CSM) for any student who wishes to get tested, subject to appointment availability. You can access the following website to schedule an appointment: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/testing.php

SMCCCD is working to expand testing across the District; additional information will be provided as soon as testing resources become available and sites are fully established.

DAILY HEALTH SELF-SCREENING REQUIRED
Students must self-screen daily regardless of vaccination status. Do NOT enter campus grounds if experiencing any of the following COVID related symptoms:

COVID Self-Screen Check

• Fever or feeling feverish (chills, sweating) 
• Cough that’s new or worsening (continuous, more than usual) 
• Shortness of breath (out of breath or unable to breathe deeply) 
• Congestion or runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes/conditions) 
• Sore throat (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes/conditions) 
• New headache that is unusual or long-lasting (not related to migraines or recurring headaches) 
• Unusual fatigue 
• Unexplained muscle or body aches 
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea 
• New loss of taste or smell

Students should report to their instructor or appropriate college staff if they are experiencing any of the symptoms listed.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Before you return to campus, read through the most Frequently Asked Questions related to health and safety procedures, student services, and much more. 

VIRTUAL PARKING PERMITS
Effective now, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College are introducing a virtual parking permit system for purchasing virtual parking permits on all San Mateo Community College District campuses. What is a virtual parking permit? Essentially, your vehicle’s license plate will act as your virtual parking permit. Individuals will register their vehicle plate information into an online virtual parking permit system when purchasing their permit. The permit software then generates a virtual permit linked to that vehicle's license plate number. Visit the Parking website and the FAQs page for more information, including how to purchase a permit.

STUDENT SERVICES & RESOURCES

ONLINE LIST OF STUDENT SERVICES
We’re here to help and support you. Check out these resources available online at Cañada College.

CAMPUS HOURS WEBSITE
As Cañada begins its return to in-person student services, please refer to the Campus Hours website that provides an updated listing of campus-wide hours.

CAMPUS SHUTTLE
The Cañada College shuttle will run direct service Monday-Thursday to/from Cañada and East Palo Alto beginning January 18, 2022 through May 27, 2022. Visit canadacollege.edu/shuttle for the latest schedule updates.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

USE TELEMEDICINE RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN PHYSICAL & MENTAL WELLNESS
Schedule online health and personal counseling appointments at the Personal Counseling website.

If you are dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction, or bullying, you can access free on demand mental health professionals 24/7 through our partnership with TimelyCare. To learn more, visit https://timely.md/schools/index.html?school=SMCCD&=.

CLASS RESOURCES

VISIT THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS WEBSITE
Our Virtual Campus website provides you with online education resources and information on how to access student services online. It’s a one-stop resource for many student needs.

SIGN IN AND USE YOUR @MY.SMCCD EMAIL
All college electronic communications will come to your my.smccd.edu email address. Log into your WebSMART student account to find your email address and password. If you wish, you may forward your my.smccd.edu emails to a personal email account. For more information about email forwarding, see the Email Forwarding tutorial.

USE WAITLISTS
You will only have 24 hours from the time you have been notified via email (your my.smccd.edu account) to register. Please review your email daily if you are on a waitlist. If you do not register for the class within 24 hours, you will be dropped off the waitlist. You may also receive waitlist notifications via text message if you sign up to receive other non-emergency information via text message.

SIGN UP FOR TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATION
To receive important college communications via text message on your device, log in to WebSMART. Click on "Student Services", then on "Update Your Goal/Major and other Student Information".

CLOSED CLASSES
If a class you want is filled to capacity, you should contact the instructor. If the instructor has space in the class, they may provide you with an authorization code to add the class.

SUBMIT AUTHORIZATION CODES IMMEDIATELY
If you receive an authorization code from an instructor to add a class, be sure to register immediately via WebSMART. You will need both the authorization code and the CRN# for the class in order to enroll. Some instructors may honor your authorization code for a short period of time only. If you have not officially registered for the class, you may be denied entry.

IF YOU MISS THE FIRST CLASS, CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
If you were unable to get to your first class meeting please contact your instructor immediately to avoid the possibility of being dropped for non-attendance.

TECHNOLOGY & TEXTBOOKS

BORROW TECHNOLOGY  

Current students who need access to internet and technology equipment or software required to complete coursework, are eligible to borrow available equipment such as Chromebooks, hotspots, and graphing calculators. They can simply come to the Library to request technology. For more information, visit the Technology Loan website.

  

ORDER TEXTBOOKS ONLINE
Search and purchase textbooks by Course Reference Number (CRN) to get them shipped to you from the Cañada Bookstore.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Do you need general assistance? Need help adding or dropping classes, or would you just like to speak with a student ambassador for some advice? Login through https://canadacollege.edu/outreach/onlinehours.php To schedule a Zoom appointment on a specific day/time, please call 650-306-3444 or email canadaoutreach@smccd.edu. In addition, the Welcome Center is also here to help you at (650) 306-3452 or canadawelcomecenter@smccd.edu  

We look forward to welcoming you back in-person and virtually!