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City
Corner Newsletter
June-August
2010 |
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U.S.
Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis and City
Controller
Wendy Greuel honored the Class of 2010! |
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by President
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Los
Angeles -- Los Angeles City College (LACC) held its 79th
commencement exercises at the Greek Theatre on June 8th at
10am. To a packed crowd of nearly 4000 family and
friends, Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, and City Controller,
Wendy Greuel, provided a keynote and even conferred degrees
upon the graduates.
Secretary Hilda Solis was
confirmed as the first Latina Secretary of Labor on February
24, 2009. Prior to confirmation, as Secretary of Labor,
Secretary Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in
California. Wendy Greuel was sworn in as City Controller
of Los Angeles on July 1, 2009, the second woman to be elected
to a citywide office in the City's history. Prior to her
election, Wendy represented the Second City Council District
in the Northeast San Fernando Valley for seven years.
Our graduates join thousands of students who
have completed their studies at LACC since it first opened its
doors in 1929. Since then, LACC has been offering
educational programs in more than 80 different areas,
including career training, liberal art studies, and English as
a second language. Fifty-percent of the graduates of
LACC were the first in their family to graduate from college.
On graduation day 1,600 degrees and certificates were awarded
making it the most for the institution since
1985.
For 80 years, LACC has mirrored the local
community, which is richly diverse in income, cultures and
neighborhood character. We hope our graduates will join
our Alumni Association and help LACC continue its mission to
be a source of learning and enrichment for the people of Los
Angeles.
On behalf of the faculty and
staff of Los Angeles City College congratulations to the Class
of 2010!! |
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Reaffirmation
of Accreditation
Where
We Were, Where We Are, Where We Are Going & Lessons
Learned |
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by
Drs.
Edward Pai and Kimberly Perry |
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In July
2009 we learned that subsequent to the submission of the
Accreditation Self Study and a site visit from an evaluation
team, LACC was placed on accreditation probation. There
were three recommendations that had to be addressed in order
for the sanction to be lifted:
- more
systematically use the results of program review;
- strengthen
the research function in order to provide continuous and
meaningful analysis of data; and
- develop
a robust and comprehensive professional development program
to enhance institutional effectiveness.
The
language of the recommendations mirror that of the planning
and program review rubrics created by the ACCJC which provides
guidance to colleges so that they may achieve "sustainable
continuous quality improvement."
On June 9 - 11,
2010, the ACCJC took action to remove us from probation and
reaffirm accreditation. In reviewing our follow-up report
submitted in March 2010 and the evaluation report from the May
site visit team, the Commission concluded
that:
- the redesign of the
program review processes has resulted in better
documentation of data-driven program improvements, increased
planning proficiency, and alignment of program review goals
and action plans with strategic planning;
- the outcomes of the
strategies undertaken to strengthen the research function
has increased capacity and utilization of research, as well
as dramatically improved transparency and accountability of
shared governance and decision-making;
- the college has
created and offered numerous staff development opportunities
to increase institutional effectiveness in planning, program
review, and student learning.
In
summary, LACC developed extensive responses to the three
recommendations and has fully met the expectations
therein.
The
primary lesson that we learned this past year is that it is
possible to do the work being demanded by accountability needs
with the caveat that the solutions must be comprehensive. The
development of these solutions was made possible with enabling
leadership, active management, strategic
advantage partnerships and committed staff and
faculty.
Enabling leadership began with President
Jamillah Moore creating an Accreditation Steering Task Force
more commonly known as the A-Team (yes, think Mr. T.).
This dedicated core team set tasks and timelines in
development of the March 15, 2010 Follow-Up Report; were
willing to make tough decisions; and documented and
communicated the process to the campus community.
The
creation and enhancement of planning and program review
processes required active and disciplined management to gain
additional organizational capacity. The volume of
documenting evidence-driven decision processes demanded the
strategic and well-designed use of information
technologies. It was during this past year that the use
of SharePoint emerged as a key communication tool for the
campus.
Partnerships
in the college and district were developed to create not only
economies and efficiencies, but also a clear strategic
advantage. Leveraging the resources of the District
Office and working with other colleges (LA Southwest
proved it was possible to move from probation to no
sanction) provided City with a strategic
advantage.
And
lastly and most importantly, the volume of work required the
commitment of faculty and staff to stay the course. The
work of Shared Governance Planning, Educational Planning,
Program Review
subcommittee, Student
Learning Outcome and Assessment, and Staff and Organizational
Development were key to the creation, revision and enhancement
of planning and program review processes and staff development
activities and the subsequent impact on student learning and
institutional effectiveness. Department Chairs tested
and implemented these processes so that program review more
strongly and clearly integrated with the 2008-13 Strategic
Master Plan.
Fast
forward to March 2012, the date that our Accreditation Mid
Term Report is due when 100% of all course, certificate,
degree, program and institutional student learning outcomes
must be assessed, the results of these assessments must be
used to improve student learning and success, and we have to
prove it to the ACCJC. In other words "sustainable
continuous quality improvement."
The end
result is that City has been somewhat immunized by the
inoculation of sanction. That is, we got a little sick from
the cure, but we are all better now (completely - the best
possible outcome) and even stronger so that the next time this
comes around, we WILL be ready.
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Los
Angeles City College Welcomes 2nd
Cohort of Egyptian Students to California |
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by
President
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The
State Department and the Community College Initiative,
in 2009 selected Los Angeles City College (LACC) as one
of several community college campuses to host an
international cohort of students from Egypt. Last
year twenty students completed the program and starting
this fall LACC will welcome ten new students into the
program.
The Egyptian Student
Program will provide underserved, non-elite Egyptian
students (who already have some work
experience) with a quality educational experience,
professional development, employment skills, and a
deeper understanding of American society during
participation in a one-year academic program.
Students will complete 12 units of instruction and a
60-hour internship program during the course of the
year. The goal is for them to take this experience
back to Egypt and better their
lives.
1. LACC will provide
supplemental ESL support for students as needed
(this will be done through
noncredit).
2. LACC will deliver
activities that comply with the program's
American
Culture, Democracy, and Civic Responsibility
(ACDC)
requirement for each student by:
- Providing two
experiential learning opportunity (one
per semester)
- Ensuring
students participate in at least two campus related
activities not related to area of study
- Ensuring that
students are exposed to American culture through
interaction with diverse groups
- Ensuring that
students participate in a City Hall tour and
meeting
- Ensuring that
students attend at least one information session with
a government agency or regulatory authority that
has governance over a particular field of
study
Students will integrate
into existing class sections of the following areas
of study: Electronics Technology, Nutrition, PC
Technician, Project Management, Marketing, and
Sales. This program is funded through a grant
which provides project manager salary, student
registration fees, tuition, books and materials, and
daily living expenses.
The program
needs your assistance and Ms. Karla Vanessa
Marti, Project Coordinator, needs faculty and staff
to assist with the program. Specifically, we need
individuals who are willing to host the students, serve
as mentors and assist in field trips. Most
importantly, the students need help in transitioning
into the college and the community. We invite LACC
faculty, staff and students out to welcome and meet the
students at the campus orientation on Saturday, August
7, 2010 in the Faculty and Staff
Center.
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College
Picnic Huge Success |
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This
year, LACC hosted its annual college picnic on campus in
the new North Quad. And while future picnics will
benefit from the planned greenspace for that part of
campus, the lack of grass did not deter one of the
largest turnouts in recent years. Lines were long and
food ran out as all segments of the campus, staff,
administration, and faculty were well represented. Many
were heard to say that they had a great time and that
they were very happy that the picnic was on campus this
year because that made it easier to attend.
Jimmy Acosta, once again, ran the show as
Master of Ceremonies and was presented with a thank you
gift from the Picnic Planning Committee for his many
years of service to the college and to the picnic
planning effort. A great time was had by all and an
excellent tone was set for attendance at future events.
Thank you to the committee for all of
their hard work. |
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Students Services
addresses reductions in categorical funding and its
impact on students |
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by
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The
2009-2010 academic year at LACC was a challenging year
for both Student Services and students alike. Students
had to deal with the workload reductions (reduction in
class offerings) and reductions in categorical program
support (as reflected in the chart
below).
Given the reductions LACC
experienced in the categorical funding ( for
EOP&S/CARE, DSP&S, Matriculation, and Child
Development Center) for fiscal years 08-09, 09-10,
and possibly more for 10-11, we will be hard pressed to
meet the overall needs of the fall 2010 incoming
freshman and continuing students based on the current
economic climate. We will truly be doing more with
less!
Overall state funding for categorical
programs in 2009-2010 was reduced by over 40 percent,
with cuts to most categorical programs ranging from 38
percent to 52 percent. In contrast, funding for
general apportionment was reduced by only 3.39
percent.
The intent of the majority of
community college categorical programs is to provide
additional assistance to colleges in meeting the needs
of diverse student populations, most pointedly, low
income and disabled students
Early
categorical programs (DSP&S, EOP&S, and CARE)
were designed to supplement the college's efforts to
sufficiently provide access and equity to specialized
student populations. In other words, efforts such
as DSP&S, EOP&S/CARE and later Matriculation and
CalWORKs, were developed to be central to each community
college's mission in meeting students' educational
needs
Now Community Colleges face
additional uncertainty about categorical funding levels
for 2010-2011 in light of the state's continuing fiscal
crisis. It would be a tragedy to reverse the historical
commitment that the community colleges have had in
successfully equalizing educational opportunities for
low income, disabled, disadvantaged, and basic skills
students. We in Student Services will move forward,
and continue to provide the best services possible to
students; within the budget we are given.
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10,000
Small Businesses
Program Comes to LACC! |
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by
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June
14, 2010, Goldman Sachs announced that Los Angeles
City College will host a 10,000 Small
Businesses pilot program, which will
begin August 20, 2010.
10,000
Small Businesses
is a five year initiative to unlock the economic growth
and job-creation potential of 10,000 small
businesses across the United States through
greater access to business education, financial capital,
and business support services. In recent decades, small
businesses have created two-thirds of the net new jobs
in this country. 10,000 Small
Businesses' objective is to help small
business owners in communities across the country grow
their companies and create jobs. The program will
be delivered in three components:
- Business
and Management Education: Small
business owners will receive practical business
education delivered through partnerships between LACC
and Babson College through an integrated approach;
integrating curriculum and business support
services with peer learning. The
program provides scholarships predominantly to
underserved small business owners and build
educational capacity.
- Business
Support Services:
Advice, technical assistance, and networking will be
offered to participating small business owners through
partnerships with national and local business
organizations, as well as the people of Goldman
Sachs.
- Access
to Capital:
Goldman Sachs provides lending and philanthropic
support to Community Development Financial
Institutions (CDFIs). This will increase the amount of
growth capital available to small businesses in
underserved communities and expand the capacity of the
CDFIs to deliver enhanced technical assistance to
small businesses. 10,000 Small
Businesses will provide technical
assistance to graduates of the program to help them
access other sources of capital.
The
program will be facilitated at the Van de Kamp
Innovation Center located at 2930 Fletcher Blvd in Los
Angeles.
For
more information on the 10,000 Small
Businesses program, please visit:
www.lacc10ksb.com or
call Ms. Madeline Drake at
323.953.4000, X2583. |
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What's
New in Workforce Education at LACC? |
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by
Dean Alex Davis |
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Pathways
out of Poverty Program
Purpose:
To integrate training and supportive services into
cohesive programs that will help target populations find
pathways out of poverty and into economic
self-sufficiency through employment in the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries.
LACC has
launched its planning and development phase to
create training programs that will help prepare
individuals for careers in energy efficiency and
renewable energy industries, which include: the
energy-efficient building and retrofit
industries; the energy efficiency assessment
industry serving residential, commercial, or industrial
sectors.
Please
contact Ms. Karla Vanessa Marti at
323.953.4000, Ext. 2575 for additional
information.
California
Clean Energy Program
Purpose:
To
create a well-trained workforce capable of filling the
jobs necessary to promote renewable energy development,
climate change strategies, vehicle fuel technology and
green buildings. The California Energy Commission,
the California Employment Development Department, the
Employment Training Panel, and the California Workforce
Investment Board, in collaboration with The Green Collar
Jobs Council, are leading a statewide partnership of
state agencies, educational institutions, local
workforce investment boards, community organizations and
employers to deliver 21st century training programs for
workers with all levels of experience.
For
additional information, please contact Dr. Jayesh
Bhakta, Physics/Engineering Department Chair, at
323.953.4000, Ext.
2923. |
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