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SYNERGYLOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 | FALL 2015

The Los Angeles Community College District is making history again. The very first transportation institute in the entire country based at a community college will be housed at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College with support from Los Angeles Valley College and Career Community Development, Inc., a non-profit organization.

LATTC will receive $750,000 while CCD, with LAVC serving as its training/education partner, will get $331,000. The money is part of $9.5 million in grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and distributed through the Federal Transit Administration’s Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program. Nationwide, 19 projects in 13 states were selected to receive funding to help train a new generation of skilled workers and support long-term careers in the public transportation industry.

While LATTC will use its grant money to fund its Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology Training, CCD/LAVC will create and operate Moving Employees into Transit Related Opportunities (METRO), a program that will recruit and train low-income individuals, including women, veterans, minorities and many others from communities throughout Los Angeles.

“The Los Angeles Community College District’s top priority is to help our students go from colleges to their future, and this grant will help more students move to careers in transportation technology, “ said LACCD Board of Trustees president Scott Svonkin. “We thank the Obama administration, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the FTA and all of our partners, staff and faculty who supported this training. An effective transportation system moves people to their destination, and so it will be with this partnership. It will help us move students from high school into community college and then into high-demand, high-paying careers.”

Attending a Trade-Tech news conference to announce a federal transportation grant were (from left to right) Trade-Tech President Lawrence Frank, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Southern California Leadership Council President Kish Rajan, LACCD Board President Scott Svonkin.

The announcement of the grant was made by Foxx at a news conference at LATT. It was his third trip to the college.

“We want to welcome back Transportation Secretary Foxx to our campus and thank him for his leadership in bringing this support to our campus,” said Larry Frank, president of Trade-Tech. “This institute will help us train and place students in high-demand transportation sectors in this region. This college has been provided the kind of career-technical education that bolsters the workforce and gives industries right here in Los Angeles the ability to compete in a global economy.”

“Los Angeles Valley College is excited to partner with Community Career Development, Inc., for training the next generation of transit professionals,” said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, president of LAVC. “METRO program will give individuals throughout Los Angeles opportunities to move into supervi-sory positions in the thriving transportation sector. We are delighted that this new program will allow LAVC to continue its nine-year training partnership with Metro to help meet the growing demand in transit-related careers.”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Chancellor’s President’s Forum, p. 2 Pierce College Reintroduces Shepard Stadium, p. 3 World Deaf Championships, p. 4

TRADE-TECH CAMPUS TO BE SITE OF HISTORIC TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE BY DAVID YSAIS

Continued on page 3

Synergy | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Fall 20152

Dear LACCD Colleagues,Thanks for a great year, as I reflect on my first 12 months as Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District. LACCD has a proud history of serving the greater Los Angeles

region and, as our graduates and current students can attest, LACCD’s faculty and staff are diligent in ensuring that students receive an outstanding educational experience and in making student success their top priority. It is this ‘can-do’ attitude and level of excellence that has helped propel tens of thousands of LACCD graduates in pursuit of their goals and dreams.

There’s more that we can and will do. I am confident that we can expand our reach and improve the District’s performance, placing us amongst the nation’s best urban community college districts.

LACCD had a productive 2014/15 year, as marked by:• Obtaining a clean bill of health for accreditation for

all nine LACCD colleges, as we prepare for the March, 2016 all-district accreditation visit.

• Advocating and communicating successfully on the District’s state and federal legislative priorities that resulted in increased revenue to our base allocation from funded growth. The District is also a major sponsor of concurrent enrollment legislation (AB 288) that is currently on the Governor’s desk.

• Being granted the opportunity to offer the District’s first baccalaureate degree through West LA College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene, and

• Securing a $15M California Career Pathways Trust Grant from the California Department of Education.

These are just a handful of highlights that our collective efforts have produced. The District also exceeded its 2014/15 projected target growth rate of 4.75%, providing access to students who desire a higher education, while investing in our financial stability for the future.

Looking ahead to 2015/16, we welcome the over 150 full-time, tenure track faculty who have joined our teaching ranks in a host of disciplines and wish them the very best as they begin their tenure with LACCD.

The dates for the spring, 2016 accreditation visit are set: March 7 – 10. During that week, we expect over 100 community college colleagues from the state and other western regions to visit all nine colleges and the District office. Community colleges are held to high standards of student success and institutional performance, and being accredited is an integral part of assuring quality and public trust. The visits are intended to ensure that each college is adequately meeting educational standards.

At LACCD, we are fully committed to meeting these high standards and view the accreditation process as both an opportunity to affirm what is going well and a chance to improve. Our accreditation serves as a reflection of LACCD’s continued tradition of providing quality instruction and support services that allow students to pursue and achieve their educational goals. Being accredited also means that our students can receive federal financial aid and veterans’ benefits, and have the assurance that their course work will be accepted elsewhere when they transfer or enter the workforce.

As we prepare for the 2016 districtwide accreditation, let’s embrace the accreditation process and professional self-regulation as an opportunity to refine and improve our institutional processes, and ultimately the educational outcomes of our students. There is no more important goal than the success of our students.

The Board of Trustees and I thank and recognize each of you for your continued dedication to providing students with an excellent education in a friendly, caring and high-expectations environment. The success of our students is a direct testament to the dedication of the staff, faculty and administration of our colleges and the District office.

Your uncommon commitment to our students is inspiring, and I am deeply appreciative of your continued guidance and support. It continues to be an honor and joy to serve as Chancellor of LACCD.

Un abrazo (A warm embrace),

Francisco C. Rodriguez Ph.D. Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

CHANCELLOR’S FORUM: LOOKING BACK WITH APPRECIATION, LOOKING AHEAD WITH ANTICIPATION

Synergy | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Fall 2015 3

The Pierce College football team beat College of the Desert Roadrunners 30-10 in its season opener to celebrate the reopening of Pierce’s Shepard Stadium on its Woodland Hills campus.

“Shepard Stadium is probably the finest community college playing facility in the state of California,” said Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano.

The stadium was named for the college’s second president, John B. Shepard, under whose tenure (1955-1965) Pierce’s core buildings were constructed.

Unlike most community college sports facilities, Shepard Stadium is a raised amphitheater-style bowl that has hosted a U.S. president and a professional football game. Ronald Reagan gave a speech there on his last campaign day, Nov. 5, 1984, before the presidential election against Walter Mondale that Reagan won by a landslide. The crowd, around 20,000 according to the Los Angeles Times, overflowed the playing field to hear him. The Los Angeles Express, led by future NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young,

hosted the Arizona Outlaws in a United States Football League game played in front of an estimated 8,200 onlookers at the Pierce stadium in 1985. The Express lost 21-10, played one more game on the road in Orlando and then, its funds exhausted, it’s debt in the millions, folded. A year later, the USFL itself disbanded.

Set on a hill, Pierce’s open-air coliseum realistically accommodates 5,500 fans, its tiered seating affording elevated views of not only the field, but an expanse of the San Fernando Valley to the east. The renovated stadium features new aluminum bleachers, with wheelchair lifts on both the home and visitors’ sides, plus a new restroom on the visitors’ side. The field has a playing surface of artificial turf that resembles blades of grass and is lined for both football and soccer use.

The popular running track has an all-weather rubberized surface. The athletes’ field house has been upgraded with new signage, lighting, and drought-tolerant native plants. Eventually, a “Victory Walk of Fame” along the rim on the home side will showcase images of the history of Pierce athletics along with notable sports alumni, and current athletes and teams.

PIERCE COLLEGE REINTRODUCES SHEPARD STADIUM FOR FOOTBALL BY DOREEN CLAY

The grants come at a crucial time in the transportation industry. The federal departments of Transportation, Education and Labor recently released a study named Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways Across the Transportation Industry that details projected increases in future demand for skilled transportation workers. The report predicts that transportation employers will need to hire and train a total of 4.6 million new workers – 1.2 times the current transportation workforce – due to expected growth, retirements and turnover in the transportation industry over a ten-year period that

began in 2012. It is projected that 417,000 of these positions will be created as a direct result of increased demand on our transportation systems, and the highest percentage of those jobs will be in transit and ground passenger transportation.

“We are committed,” said Secretary Foxx, “to making careers in transit a pathway to education, financial security and other ladders of opportunity, especially for those in disadvantaged communities.”

TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE AT LATTC (CONTINUED)

Synergy | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Fall 20154

LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

770 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90017

(213) 891-2000

www.laccd.edu

2015-2016 BOARD OF TRUSTEESScott J. Svonkin, PresidentMike Eng, Vice PresidentMike FongAndra HoffmanSydney K. KamlagerErnest H. MorenoNancy PearlmanGerson A. Liahut-Sanchez, Interim Student Trustee

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIONDr. Francisco C. Rodriguez, ChancellorDr. Adriana D. Barrera, Deputy ChancellorDr. Felicito Cajayon, Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce DevelopmentBobbi Kimble, Interim Vice Chancellor for Educational Programs and Institutional EffectivenessDr. Albert J. Román, Vice Chancellor for Human ResourcesJeanette Gordon, Chief Financial Officer/TreasurerKevin D. Jeter, Interim General CounselJames D. O’Reilly, Chief Facilities Executive

The Los Angeles Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admissions or access to, or treatment of or employment in, its programs or activities. Disability-related aids or services, including printed information in alternate formats, to enable persons with disabilities to participate in public meeting and programs are available by contacting the ADA Compliance Administrator at (213) 891-2213 or via the internet at: www.laccd.edu/ADA/

Los Angeles Southwest College’s athletic trainer, Willda Jarrett, has helped some of this country’s elite athletes during a career of nearly 30 years, but the high point may have taken place this past summer at the World Deaf Championships in Taoyuan, Taiwan where she worked on the staff of the gold-medal winning United States women’s basketball team.

“I twice worked the Olympics but the World Deaf Champi-onships was better than that because I was able to commu-nicate with these athletes using sign language,” Jarrett says. “I learned so much about deaf culture and who they are. It was an amazing experience.”

The 52-year-old Jarrett, who served as an athletic trainer during the Summer Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1996 in Atlanta, is about to start her ninth year with the Cougars football team as well as the college’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. She is proficient in the assess-ment and evaluation of orthopedic injuries along with her success designing prevention and rehabilitation programs.

For about a month this past summer, Jarrett was totally immersed in the deaf culture as Team USA trained in Northern California and then went on to Taoyuan where the squad defeated Greece in the semifinals and Lithuania in the finals.

Jarrett, who is not deaf but has a sister who is, says that while body parts and injuries are the same for all athletes, her experience working with deaf competitors was special because there are so few certified trainers who can communicate with them through sign language.

During her time with the team, Jarrett learned that many deaf players have not received proper care because of the language barrier. One athlete complained about having anterior compartment syndrome, commonly mistaken for shin splints, but it took Jarrett to explain to her through sign language the necessary surgical procedure that she required. Previous medical experts had lacked the necessary communication skills to transmit that information.

Jarrett did not learn sign language until she was in her mid-30s when she took a few classes in American sign language, and joined the sign language ministry at her former church. But it took an additional 20 years before she began putting that skill to work, joining the sign language team at her current church only recently.

This led to a chance meeting last spring with Vic’Toria Crockett, an assistant coach on the United States Deaf women’s basketball team, who mentioned that the squad was looking for an athletic trainer who could interact with the players through sign language. Jarrett jumped at the opportunity because helping deaf athletes had been a goal of hers for many years.

“I never wanted to travel internationally and I don’t like long plane rides or time changes,” Jarrett says, “but I would definitely go out of the country to travel with this team because the athletes just don’t get proper care because of language barrier. That’s what drives me to help them.”

As the official athletic trainer for the USA Deaf women’s basketball team, she will be working with the squad at the Summer Deaflympics next July in Turkey.

WORLD DEAF CHAMPIONSHIPS A CAREER HIGHLIGHT FOR LASC TRAINER BY BENJAMIN DEMERS

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SYNERGYLOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | SUMMER 2015

The morning of June 4th was overcast with intermittent drops of rain falling on the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Union Station in front of the Metro Headquarters Build-ing. But for the 115 people gathered there, it was a radiant day, full of promise for a bright future. With smiles and applause, they were reacting to the formal awarding of a $15 million grant to the Los Angeles Community College District by the California Department of Education. The grant was provided by the California Career Pathways Trust, a portion of the $244 million awarded to 40 programs across the state that blend academic and career technical education, connect employers with schools, and train students for jobs in high-demand fields such as information technology, advanced manufacturing, health care and software development.

“This grant will transform the lives of thousands of students,” LACCD Board of Trustees President Scott Svonkin told the crowd. “Wherever their dreams take them, they can now go.”

“If we do a good job,” said LACCD Trustee Mike Eng, who chaired the Board committees having oversight over the District’s application process, “this is just the beginning of a great ride for our students.”

In attendance were the value-added partners for this program, including those from workforce investment boards, regional employers, unified school districts, economic development agencies and labor unions. Among the business leaders on hand were Phil Washington, CEO of Metro, Frank Spaeth, CEO of NIC Technology Partners and Tracy Rafter, CEO of BizFed

“Thank you LACCD for reaching out to the business community,” said Gary Toebben, president and CEO of the

Taking part in the ceremony were (from left to right) Jasmin Ortega of the California

Department of Education, LACCD Vice Chancellor Dr. Felicito Cajayon, LACCD Board

Trustee Mike Fong, Valley College student Pedro Gonzalez, LACCD Board President Scott Svonkin, LACCD Board Trustee Mike Eng, LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez, Metro

CEO Phillip Washington and NIC Technology Regional Manager Cheryl Lasko.

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “And thank you business community for reaching back.”

Representing the students at the press conference was Pedro Gonzalez from Los Angeles Valley College.

Implementing the program will be the Los Angeles Regional Career Pathways Project, one of the largest collaborative models in California. It unites community colleges, high schools, unified school districts, labor

Continued on the next page

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Board President’s Forum, p. 2 Three New Faces on the LACCD Board of Trustees, p. 3 LASC Instructor directs award-winning film now on HBO, p. 4

LACCD CELEBRATES $15 MILLION GRANT FROM CALIFORNIA CAREER PATHWAYS TRUST BY STEVE SPRINGER

Synergy | Volume 2, Issue 4 | Summer 20152

As we head into summer, I want to thank all of you in the far-flung Los Angeles Community College District family for making this academic year a tremendous success. The 2014/2015 year was amazing and it looks like 2015/2016 will be just as good or even better.

Thanks to an improving economy that has reduced The Great Recession to a bitter memory, we find ourselves on the receiving end of increased funding that will result in more classes, more faculty and more students.

Our Board of Trustees has worked very hard to make the most effective use of this additional funding, maintained a balanced budget and created one of the strongest reserves so that we are prepared for any future crisis. As a result, we have earned the best bond rating possible, enhancing our ability to fulfill our commitment to the community.

On the academic side, we have received several impor-tant honors this past year. Three of our colleges – East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Harbor College and Los Angeles Pierce College – were awarded national Achieving the Dream leader college status. And the West Los Angeles College dental hygiene program was selected for participation in the California Community College bachelor’s degree program, one of only 15 schools picked statewide.

All through the year, our bond program continued to transform our colleges thanks to the generosity of the voters of our county. We opened several new buildings on our nine campuses and remodeled many others in an ongoing effort to provide an environment conducive to academic achievement for our students and service to our community.

Proof of the high regard in which we as a district are held across the country is the fact that both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden chose to visit our colleges last year, President Obama speaking at Trade Tech in July and Vice President Biden visiting WLAC in January.

I want to wish a fond farewell to departing board members Steve Veres and Mona Field, both of whom decided not to seek reelection. I salute them for their hard work helping our students and the community we serve.

Finally, I wish to thank all of my board colleagues for affording me the privilege of serving as board president. Being a board member the past four years was a dream come true for a kid from the east side. I never imagined that I could go from being a high school dropout to president of the largest community college district in the nation. I wanted to serve on this board because commu-nity college turned my life around and allowed me to get to the place I am at today, and so, every day, I try to give back and help students like me who need a second chance, and want a better life and a more promising future.

While my term as board president is ending, my service will continue thanks to the voters who have entrusted me with the awesome responsibility of helping my six colleagues lead this dynamic district for four more years.

LACCD has resources beyond any other single commu-nity college district in the nation. We have the “Power of Nine” of the best colleges working together to serve the most diverse student body anywhere in America.

We will continue to use those resources for the betterment of our students next year and in all the years that follow.

— Scott J. Svonkin, President of the LACCD Board of Trustees

BOARD PRESIDENT’S FORUM

unions, workforce investment boards, and industry-specific employers.

The program focuses on high-demand industry sectors that are projected to grow and offer job opportunities well into the future. The numbers that could be generated are staggering. The project includes over $1,700,000 of in-kind/matched resources and will expand the $15 million Career Pathways Trust grant to serve over 6,000 participants. LACCD’s nine colleges and 20 local high schools will work with other project stakeholders to update articulation agreements, develop multiple career pathways, and align

systemic initiatives that will prepare high school and college students for good-paying jobs and careers. The Regional Pathways consortium will work with over 95 employers who will offer over 1,800 internships.

Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, LACCD’s chancellor, told the audience there was no room for gloom despite the weather.

“I have 15 million reasons to be happy,” he said. “Today is a day of investment. You, our value-added partners, are the wind in our sails. Now, let’s get to work. Our students deserve it.”

CALIFORNIA CAREER PATHWAYS GRANT (CONTINUED)

Synergy | Volume 2, Issue 4 | Summer 2015 3

When the LACCD Board of Trustees convenes for its first meeting in July, the highlight will be the swearing in of three new board members for four-year terms along with Scott Svonkin, the current board president who won a second term in Seat No. 5 in the March election.

Having three new members — Michael Fong, Andra Hoffman and Sydney Kamlager in Seat No. 3 – will be a big change for a board that totals seven in all.

Fong has already been on the job since March , having been appointed to complete the term of Miguel Santiago, who left in December after winning a seat in the State Assembly. Fong will begin his own full term in July. The other two new trustees replace Steve Veres (Seat No. 3) and Mona Field (Seat No. 1), neither of whom ran for reelection.

Here is a look at the new trio:

MICHAEL FONG – Seat No. 7 “As Trustee, my priorities will include increasing student success, improving access to educational opportunities, expanding workforce education and high-growth sector training programs, and creating jobs.” Fong said. “I look

forward to working with trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community members to move LACCD forward and provide opportunities for students to reach their goals and realize their aspirations.”

A lifelong Angeleno, Trustee Fong works with the Los Angeles Economic & Workforce Development Department on youth employment, financial empowerment, and education programs. He also audits and monitors various YouthSource Center agencies that help young people pursue educational goals and join job training programs.

He previously served as East Area Director for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, acting as the primary liaison between the mayor’s office and the dynamic and diverse communities in Northeast and East Los Angeles. Trustee Fong was also policy analyst for Workforce Development in the mayor’s administration and the senior liaison to the Asian Pacific Islander community in Los Angeles.

He is chair of the PBS Southern California Asian Pacific Islander Community Council, vice chair of the White Memorial Medical Center Community Leadership Council, Director of Community Relations for the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Greater Los Angeles chapter, and serves as a board member and immediate past president of the Los Angeles City Employees Asian American Association.

ANDRA HOFFMAN – Seat No. 1 “I am honored to have been elected to the LACCD Board of Trustees and I’m looking forward to serving the students of the district,” Ms. Hoffman said. “I ran because I want to remove barriers and make sure

that all students regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic status have an opportunity to benefit from an affordable, high quality public institution of higher education.

“My first priority will be to work with my colleagues on the board to make sure that we are on track with regard to accreditation.”

“I’ve been an advocate for gender equality, LGBTQ rights, economic justice and workers’ rights, applying an intersec-tional racial justice lens throughout the process, and I am committed to continuing that work as a trustee.”

For the past 18 years, Ms. Hoffman has been at Glendale Community College directing AmeriCorps programs for Early Childhood, Welfare-to-Work, and Teacher Training. Currently, she serves as a professor of California and American Government and runs the Job Placement Center.

Every year she brings students, faculty and staff to Sacramento to lobby the legislature and teach the students how to advocate for lower fees, more financial aid, and supportive services.

Ms. Hoffman has nearly 20 years of experience as a community college educator and advocate.

SYDNEY KAMLAGER – Seat No. 3 “I am very excited about the joining the Board of Trustees,” said Ms. Kamlager. “I ran for this seat because I believe in community colleges (I have attended quite a few). They are the backbone of the higher education system and are

one of the few remaining gateways into a better existence for most. Students attend community college because they want an affordable education and/or because they want to learn a skill that will translate into a career.

“I support those goals and I will be focusing on ways in which LACCD can make a meaningful impact on the lives of students, families, and others who rely on this commu-nity college system. I recognize that this won’t happen in a vacuum. It will take the district’s stakeholders (faculty, staff, administrators, business, labor, community organizations, and others) working collectively toward student success. “

Ms. Kamlager is currently District Director for State Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-30). Ms. Kamlager is respon-sible for the daily and strategic operations of Sen. Mitch-ell’s district office, including legislative and constituent initiatives, communications and programming.

Ms. Kamlager comes to her current position with close to 20 years of experience in the nonprofit, entertainment and policy sectors.

She has taught at California State University, Los Angeles, and has spoken before local, national and international audiences on education and ECE issues, economic development, the arts, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and other issues that impact the daily success of working families.

THREE NEW FACES ON THE LACCD BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY STEVE SPRINGER

Synergy | Volume 2, Issue 4 | Summer 20154

LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

770 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90017

(213) 891-2000

www.laccd.edu

2014-2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEESScott J. Svonkin, PresidentSteve Veres, Vice PresidentMike EngMike FongMona FieldErnest H. MorenoNancy Pearlman

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIONDr. Francisco C. Rodriguez, ChancellorDr. Adriana D. Barrera, Deputy ChancellorDr. Felicito Cajayon, Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce DevelopmentBobbi Kimble, Interim Vice Chancellor for Educational Programs and Institutional EffectivenessDr. Albert J. Román, Vice Chancellor for Human ResourcesJeanette Gordon, Chief Financial Officer/TreasurerCamille A. Goulet, General CounselJames D. O’Reilly, Chief Facilities Executive

The Los Angeles Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admissions or access to, or treatment of or employment in, its programs or activities. Requests for alternate formats can be made by contacting the ADA Compliance Administrator, Mardy Kuntzelman at Phone: (213) 891-2213, Fax: (213) 891-2295, TTY: (213) 891-2408, e-mail: kuntzeme@email.laccd.edu. This information can also be accessed via the internet at: www.laccd.edu/ADA.

Rachel Goldberg, a second-year theater instructor at Los Angeles Southwest College, has directed an award-winning short film that addresses media discrepancies between instances when a child of color and a white child are reported missing.

Entitled “Muted,” Goldberg’s work won the HBO Short Film Competition last June at the American Black Film Festival in New York City and started airing on HBO and HBO Go in February.

The film looks at the difficulty a mother has getting help from law enforcement and the media in finding her daughter after she goes missing. Established actors such as Chandra Wilson of “Grey’s Anatomy,” who performs as the mother, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, formerly of “The Cosby Show,” star in “Muted.”

“Wilson’s character quickly realizes that not all missing children are created equal and so it is a very sad film,” Goldberg says. “However, we hope the film will help spur change and raise awareness for this important issue.”

The film may be sad, but it also carries a wealth of truth in describing the current media landscape. Despite boys and girls of color making up 65 percent of missing children, an overwhelming amount of press coverage goes instead to missing Caucasian kids, especially pretty, blond girls who have been raised in an upper-middle class or wealthy family. This phenomenon is called “Missing White Woman Syndrome.”

Los Angeles-based actor Brandi Ford wrote “Muted” after she became dismayed at seeing the lack of national media attention directed toward Mitrice Richardson, an African-American woman who vanished a few hours after leaving Lost Hills/Malibu sheriff’s station in summer, 2009. Richardson’s body was finally found in August, 2010 in Malibu Canyon.

“We are not saying that white children shouldn’t be getting press coverage, because they should, but so should everybody, regardless of race,” Goldberg says.

She brings a wealth of experience to LASC as a director and writer on numerous theater and short film produc-tions. She has also taught bachelor and master of fine arts programs and at Ivy League schools and at conservatories throughout the country.

“I have taught a number of incredibly talented actors, directors and writers, but the sheer volume of talent at LASC is astounding,” Goldberg says.

She makes every effort to expose that talent to the theater and film industries through her numerous contacts.

“I try to find as many opportunities for my students as I can, often bringing my industry contacts to campus to meet the talent we have here and to hold workshops for our students,” Goldberg says. “I also strive to introduce our students to the thriving theater and film community in Los Angeles by obtaining free or discount tickets to plays in the Los Angeles area, and helping them to secure acting opportunities and crew positions on local films.”

Pay close attention to the credits at the end of the film where LASC faculty member Dr. Jon Bremen and LASC students are thanked for their help in collecting and composing the film’s music

LASC INSTRUCTOR DIRECTS AWARD-WINNING FILM NOW ON HBO BY BENJAMIN DEMERS

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SYNERGYLOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 | SPRING 2015

In a continuing effort by the Obama administration to focus on the key role community colleges play in higher education, Vice President Joe Biden visited West Los Angeles College in January.

“The best kept secret in America is the community college system,” Biden told a group of students, trustees and adminis-trators at WLAC. “Any country that out-educates us will out-compete us.”

Biden said those two lines are favorites of his wife, Jill, who teaches at a community college.

The vice president spent two hours touring the WLAC Dental Hygiene department, part of the college’s Allied Health Program, and taking part in a roundtable discussion. Also in attendance for the vice president’s appearance were employers interested in hiring college students. Biden stressed how critically important partnerships between community colleges and businesses are in providing students with career opportu-nities while bolstering the economy.

Biden also praised a proposal by President Obama to make community college tuition-free.

“Twelve years of free education is not enough,” said the vice president.

“Vice President Biden and President Obama understand that community college should be free so students can achieve their dreams of a better life and a brighter future,” said Scott Svonkin, president of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. “The vice president was clear that community colleges are the road to careers that will enable our students to take care of their families today and tomorrow.”

In welcoming the vice president to his campus, Dr. Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, WLAC president, said, “The challenges to students seeking social mobility, access to meaningful

Vice President Biden, accompanied by (right) Congresswoman Karen Bass, tours the WLAC Dental Hygiene facility.

work and a fulfilling civic life are the story of America today. At West Los Angeles College – like all community colleges – my excellent faculty and staff dedicate their lives to our students. We need the support from industry partners to even better integrate our programs and the job training aspect of our mission so we can prepare students for jobs that are emerging tomorrow and for a lifetime of careers that have yet to be invented in this gloriously changing world of knowledge, growth and of the improve-ment of matters of social justice.”

Senior dental hygiene student Jessica Short, who was part of the roundtable assembled for Biden, said he seemed, “Super humble. The heart that he has for the people is inspiring. “

Fellow student Courtney Cylear, a junior, said it was “Surreal. He came to listen and really understand where we are coming from in the community college world.”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Chancellor’s Forum, p. 2 WLAC Dental Hygiene Program Selected for California Community Colleges Bachelor Program, p. 3

Ripples Sculpture Donated to L.A. City College, p. 4

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN PRAISES COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM DURING WLAC VISIT BY STEVE SPRINGER

Synergy | Volume 2, Issue 3 | Spring 20152

Dear LACCD Colleagues:

What an unprecedented opportunity for our nation’s community colleges and for LACCD.

Community colleges are receiving well-deserved national attention these days. Specifically, attention is being paid to the significant

roles community colleges play in transferring students to universities, building the middle class through workforce training, and elevating adult literacy in this country. We are also seen as a vital, national strategy to lift people out of poverty. In order to fulfill this promise, we must bolster the educational outcomes of the students in our institutions.

This dialogue surrounding institutional performance and student success in the two-year system is resounding and exciting, with virtually every community college in the country focused on ways to improve success rates of all students, with special emphasis being paid to historically underperforming students, who now make up a growing proportion of student enrollments. At LACCD, we recognize that, in order to “move the needle” on student success, a coherent plan needs to be constructed and monitored, and that it requires a districtwide institu-tional effort. In my view, without another major shift in diversity, equity, and inclusion in community colleges and higher education, our profession runs the risk of further bifurcation and passive perpetuation of racial inequality. We are, in fact, replicating sameness and embedding disadvantage without change.

In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama gave community colleges a visible, national platform by declaring through his America’s College Promise proposal that all Americans, who meet specific performance criteria, should be afforded the opportu-nity for a community college education – free of charge!

For California, which possesses the lowest community college fees in the country at $46/credit hour, tuition-free education is a part of our legacy. President Obama’s bold proposal adds to his administration’s legacy of expanding federal support for students. Our district is on record formally supporting the President’s proposal and, just last month, unanimously passed a resolution to underscore this support.

California Governor Jerry Brown, through his January proposed budget for 2015/16, proposes an 8 percent increase to the state’s community colleges, bringing our

total allocation to close to pre-recession levels and, as importantly, proposes no student fee increases. Our slow, but methodical, funding restoration in California allows us to invest in our infrastructure – our students and our people. At LACCD, we have added much-need-ed classes, bolstered student support services, and hired people for key leadership positions. As one example, LACCD stands to hire a record number of full-time, tenure-track faculty for 2015/16, our single biggest investment for student success in decades, perhaps ever.

We are proud of this capital investment in people.

Soon our students will discover that our community col-leges in Los Angeles and across the country represent the greatest educational value per dollar and that our faculty, support staff, administrators, programs and services are among the very best in higher education.

Like so many other community colleges in California and throughout the nation, LACCD is riddled with challenges and opportunities, but I firmly believe that our opportuni-ties for impact greatly outweigh the burden posed by our challenges. In coming to Los Angeles as Chancellor, I feel like I am coming back home to San Francisco, where I was born and raised. The noise, the smells, the sounds, the whole urban vibe speaks to me. Growing up in the City, I developed and now possess certain urban sensibilities and they have served me well in my transition since last June.

My principal charge as Chancellor is to raise the educa-tional attainment of our students, while ensuring that our colleges, spread throughout this very large district, have the resources and support to be successful. As Chancellor, I am also responsible for setting the tone of excellence and expectations for the organization. I thank you all for your guidance and patience during this first year.

Enjoy the contained stories of this edition of Synergy – from an historic opportunity to offer a bachelor’s degree at West LA College to Vice-President Joe Biden’s remarks on the tuition-free proposal – stories that help to illustrate the promise and purpose of our district’s mission to serve and educate.

Thank you for your continued confidence and trust,

Chancellor

Francisco C. Rodriguez Ph.D. Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

CHANCELLOR’S FORUM

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SYNERGYLOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 | WINTER 2015

Three Los Angeles Community College District schools – East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Harbor College, and Los Angeles Pierce College – are among the 16 community colleges selected from across the country to be designated the 2014 Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges.

“This is a very proud day at LACCD,” said Board of Trustees President Scott Svonkin. “Achieving the dream is not just something we talk about. It is something we do every single day in every single classroom.”

“Student success is our district’s highest priority,” said Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, LACCD chancellor, “and this national recognition of our colleges reaffirms the transformational work that our colleges are engaged in to improve student outcomes.”

This national honor is bestowed on community colleges that commit to improving student success and closing

achievement gaps. These colleges have shown how data can inform policy and practice to help community college students achieve their goals, resulting in improved skills and better opportunities for employment.

The LACCD colleges are the only California schools awarded this ATD status. While it was achieved through the hard work of their students, credit should also go to the faculty of these schools, who embraced the program, designed the curriculum, set the goals and empowered their students in their quest for success.

The three LACCD institutions were specifically singled out because:•East Los Angeles College increased developmental-

education English success rates for all first-time-in-college students from 21.8% in 2007 to 34.1% in 2010. The developmental-education English success rates for African American students increased by 20 percentage points and for Pell recipients by nine percentage points.Said ELAC President Marvin Martinez: “It is indeed an honor for East Los Angeles College to be selected as a Leader College by ATD. This type of recognition certainly makes ELAC a national leader in its ability to serve students of color in our region. Our faculty and staff also deserve this honor for their hard work in developing programs that help students of color succeed in the classroom on a pathway to college and career success.”

•Los Angeles Harbor College increased fall-to-spring persistence rates for all students in the ATD cohort from 64.6% in 2009-10 to 69.6% in 2012-13. The fall-to-spring persistence rates for Hispanic students increased by eight percentage points.

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The participants at an LACCD Achieving the Dream press conference were (left to right) Dr. Otto Lee, Harbor College president; Scott Svonkin, LACCD Broad of Trustees president; Emily McNabb, Harbor College student; Kit Lee, ELAC student; Erick Valadez, Pierce College student; Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, LACCD chancellor; Marvin Martinez, ELAC president; and Dr. Kathleen F. Burke, Pierce president.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Board President’s Forum, p. 2 East L.A. College Engineering Students Place 2nd in International Competition, p. 3

Bachelor’s Degree Proposed for WLAC Dental Hygiene Program, p. 4

THREE LACCD COLLEGES AWARDED NATIONAL ACHIEVING THE DREAM LEADER COLLEGE STATUSBY STEVE SPRINGER

Synergy | Volume 1, Issue 2 | Winter 20142

To all those connected to the Los Angeles Community College District,As we approach the holiday season, I am happy to share some great news. My fellow trustees and I are proud to announce that Standard & Poor’s ratings services have upgraded LACCD’s rating from “AA” to “AA+.”

This means lower borrowing costs, saving taxpayer’s money. We are pleased by S&P’s confidence and the higher rating, which results from strong management of District finances by both our board and our District leadership. This rating is also an affirmation of our relentless commitment to best practices, whether it be in the classroom, in our financial management or on the construction sites.

We are also pleased to share that the accounting firm of KMPG LLP has released its annual independent audit with no major findings and states that the District’s financial statements fairly reflect our financial position and the District is following generally accepted accounting principles.

It’s often said that, if you manage well in the hard times, the good times will be even better, and we are proud that

the prudent and sometimes tough decisions we’ve made as trustees are now bearing fruit, as reflected in our strong financial ratings and audits.

I also wish to use this opportunity to thank fellow trustee Miguel Santiago, a two-time president of our board, for his service and wish him a fond farewell as he departs the board and begins his new role as a State Assemblymember. Trustee Santiago first joined the Board as an appointee to fill a vacant seat in 2008 and subsequently went on to be elected to two additional terms. He effectively led us through The Great Recession, his influence evident in so many areas. Along with the board, he worked for the passage of Measure J, a $3.5 billion bond measure to help fund the District’s building program. I am honored to have served with Trustee Santiago and am inspired by the example he set.

With a recovering economy, the generous support of our voters who supported our facilities bonds and the passage of Prop 30, our goal has been to restore classes and focus on student success as the board’s highest priority. On behalf of the board, my thanks to all the hard-working faculty, staff, and administrators of the District. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and an exciting new year ahead.

— Scott J. Svonkin, President of the LACCD Board of Trustees

BOARD PRESIDENT’S FORUM

Said Harbor College President Dr. Otto Lee: “Los Angeles Harbor College is extremely proud of our successful partnership with Achieving the Dream, resulting in more students attempting and completing more units, staying enrolled from one semester to the next, and completing English and math at a higher rate through innovative interventions such as our First Year Experience program. Building on that success, we’ve expanded that program to include all new incoming students through the creation of the Harbor Advantage. As an Achieving the Dream Leader College, we look forward to sharing our successful and sustainable interventions with community colleges throughout the state and nationally.”

•Los Angeles Pierce College increased the ratio of all credit hours successfully completed from 66.3% in 2009-10 to 69.5% in 2012-13.Said Los Angeles Pierce College President Dr. Kathleen Burke: “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our faculty, staff, and administrators to achieve our collective goals of engaging the comple-tion agenda, demonstrating accountability, cultivating

partnerships, and ensuring student success. Our teams have worked hard and we have integrated our plans to focus on the college vision of seeing more CAPS (Com-pletion, Accountability, Partnerships, Student Success) at commencement. To be recognized as a Leader College validates our student-centered approach and affirms our commitment to providing quality educational programs. Most importantly, this recognition highlights the hard work of our students. It is their commitment to learning and progressing that allows Los Angeles Pierce College to be a Leader College.”

This year’s honored community colleges come from 10 different states.

“These 16 institutions have demonstrated that better student outcomes are possible when institutions focus on policies and practices that help students learn at high levels and overcome challenges life throws at them,” said Carol Lincoln, Achieving the Dream Senior Vice President. “These colleges are working hard to move the needle for whole cohorts of students, and deserve recognition for their relentless efforts and promising achievements.”

ACHIEVING THE DREAM (CONTINUED)

SYNERGY VOLUME FALLLOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 | FALL 2014

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Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Los Angeles Trade Tech College Thursday, speaking about the importance of job training in front of a crowd of approximately 2,000.

“This is a school that does good work helping the unem-ployed retrain for new careers,” President Obama said. “Today, I’m here to focus on the one thing we should be doing which is training more Americans to fill the jobs we are creating. Right now, there are more job openings in America than at any time since 2007.”

A strong advocate for community colleges since entering the White House, Obama pointed out that Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, teaches at a community college.

Obama also told the story of a woman working as a waitress who enrolled in a community college and, today, is an accountant.

“I’m always impressed by people who have the courage to go back to school, especially later in life,” Obama said.

Two days earlier, he signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. “It can help,” he said, “communities update and invest in job training programs like these (at Trade Tech).”

“Our strength in the Los Angeles Community College District,” said LACCD Board of Trustees president Scott Svonkin, “is our ability to connect business and industry, no matter the sector. Both can bring employers to the table to help develop course curriculum, tell us the skills that are needed in the future, and support internships and work-based learning. All these elements are in alignment with President Obama’s opportunity agenda.”

Late last year, Trade Tech was the recipient of a $19.2 million grant from the Dept. of Labor that focuses on healthcare and involves all nine LACCD colleges in collaboration with major hospitals and other healthcare providers.

“The president’s appearance is a testament to community colleges as places where jobs can happen,” said Svonkin. “His appearance is also a tribute to our faculty and staff who work so hard to turn people lives around and make dreams come true.”

“I am living proof that you can do anything you want with hard work and determination. You can go from being a high school dropout to being president of the board of the largest community college system in the nation.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA STRESSES JOB TRAINING IN APPEARANCE AT TRADE TECH BY STEVE SPRINGER

Synergy | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Fall 20142

My Esteemed Colleagues of the Los Angeles Community College District,

We are tasked with building the District’s profile and reputation as the best urban commu-nity college district in which to study and work, and to focus on our No. 1 priority – student success. Not just to be the biggest, but indeed the best. To accomplish this goal, we

must have a well-prepared and innovative faculty, responsive curricula, excellent educational administrators, superbly trained and professional support staff, and state-of-the-art buildings and modern instructional equipment. We must also enhance our business partnerships and community engagement.

As Governor Brown and the State Legislature direct new money to support public higher education, the California Community Colleges are focused on expanding access and improving our completion rates, including better serving underprepared, low income and historically underserved populations. The horrible recession translated to a depletion of financial resources over the last five years and a loss of 20,000 Full-time Equivalent Students (FTES) at LACCD. Even so, and to your credit, we maintained our academic standards and financial standing. This ‘can-and-will do’ attitude and level of excellence that I am witnessing throughout my college visits in the District has propelled tens of thousands of LACCD graduates to achieve their goals and dreams.

With the State’s economy now rebounding, we are able to improve access by restoring classes, increasing enrollments towards our aggressive enrollment target of 4.75%, while maintaining our focus on student success. The State’s adopted budget provides additional funding for access, categorical programs, and much-needed monies for deferred maintenance and instructional support. As a result, the LACCD budget is more stable than it has been in recent years, helping us to meet the challenge of ensuring equal educational opportunities and promoting student success for all students.

As we prepare for the 2016 districtwide accreditation, let’s embrace the accreditation process and professional self-regulation as an opportunity to refine and improve our institutional processes, and ultimately the educa-tional outcomes of our students. Our students and their success–there is no more important goal.

Contained within this e-newsletter are samples of the many great stories occurring daily throughout our District and the transformative impact we are making in our communities. Thank you for your commitment to our students and to this District and please receive my very best wishes for a strong start to the fall semester.

Un abrazo (A warm embrace),

Francisco C. Rodriguez Ph.D. Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

CHANCELLOR’S FORUM: WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?

Pierce College, L.A. Valley College and L.A. Mission College, the three LACCD schools that span the San Fernando Valley, have banded together to take to the streets in a bold new way. They have launched a unique advertising campaign to attract students, fully wrapping their college names, logos, mega-sized student photos and cool graphics around two Metro buses in a colorful display.

“We wanted to come out in a big way and let students in our communities know that we’re open for business, with more classes available than in recent years, and to invite them back to enroll,” said Pierce College President Kathleen Burke.

The budget cuts that plagued community colleges for the last several years caused some students to be turned away because not enough classes were offered to meet the demand. But that has turned around in 2014.

With the California budget picture brightened, the colleges are now able to open up more classes. To spread this message, the two eye-catching Metro buses will traverse the entire Valley over the next year, starting in Thousand Oaks, cruising along Ventura Boulevard to Burbank, north

THREE VALLEY COLLEGES TAKE TO THE STREETS BY DOREEN CLAY

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SynergyLos AngeLes Community CoLLege DistriCt newsLetter VoLume 1, issue 4 | summer 2014

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Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, the new chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, comes to LACCD from the MiraCosta Community College District in Oceanside where he has served as superintendent/president for the past five years. Overall, Dr. Rodriguez has worked in public higher education in California for nearly 30 years. He began his career at the University of California, Davis and went on to Woodland Community College in the Yuba Community College District and Cosumnes River College in Sacramento’s Los Rios Community College District. The 51-year-old Rodriguez has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from UC Davis and a Ph.D. in education from Oregon State University.

Q: In introducing yourself to our district, can you tell us about your roots and your family?

A: I’m the son of parents who emigrated to the United States in the 1950s from Jalisco, Mexico. They came from a rural village where my grandparents and great-grandparents had a small plot of land on which they grew corn and beans. My father got as far as the fifth grade, my mother, the third grade. They did not have the benefit of a formal education in Mexico, so they came here knowing America would provide a different kind of reality and experience. They settled in San Francisco and, eventually, our family grew to include five kids, I being the only son.

My father spent 35 years working in a San Francisco factory making food and beverage containers on an assembly line, and my mother worked in an industrial laundromat for over 30 years.

Today, my folks, now both in their 80s, still live in the house they purchased in the Mission District in 1965. To this day, my siblings and I only speak Spanish to our parents.

I keep a picture of my grandmother Teodora, who I called Mama Lola, on my desk as a visual reminder to stay humble and to stay connected to my roots.

My wife, Irma, is a faculty coordinator at Sacramento City College for EOPS (Extended Opportunity Program Services), community college programs for the education of the underserved. She is a mental-health professional, a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in immigrant families. My son, Andres, just finished his master’s degree in ethnic studies at San Francisco St., and is now teaching at three different institutions. My daughter, Angelica, is a junior at UCLA studying communication and Chicano studies with a pre-law emphasis.

Q & A with Dr. FrANCiSCO rODriGUEZiNtErviEwED By StEvE SpriNGEr

Continued on the next page

Synergy | Volume 1, Issue 4 | Summer 20142

Q: How do you envision your new role?A: I never imagined myself being in this role, a homeboy

from the Mission District. Yet here I am.

In coming to Los Angeles, I feel like I’m coming back home. The noise, the smells, the sounds, the whole urban vibe, it speaks to me. I’m very comfortable in it. I know and possess urban sensibilities and they have served me well.

My principal goal as I assume my new role is to raise the educational attainment of the students while ensuring that our colleges, spread out throughout this large District, represent the communities they serve.

Some would look at this position in this city and this district and think, “Too large, too urban, too diverse, too poor, too many low scores on the student scorecard, too this, too that. I’ll take a pass on the job.” For me, those are all the reasons I said, yes. I’m drawn to working in a large, urban district that desires to raise its educational profile and desires to use its size to influence legislation that will help the working class and poor students get the support they need to be successful. I’m excited about partnering with various agencies in the city and county on workforce development, putting people to work. Many are running out of the urban centers like Detroit and Houston. I’m running in with eyes open and hands extended, saying to everyone I meet, “You have a new partner here.”

To me, it’s a privilege to have this job. I am beyond excited. What an opportunity to make a monumental difference.

But it’s going to take some time. I’m in no rush here. I want to do it well with and through others. Leadership is a team sport. I’m not going to be able to do this alone. I’m certainly not coming in with all the answers, a know-it-all guy with all this experience. Not at all. I won’t just sit on the ninth floor and wait for things to happen, but I understand the role of the chancellor is not to get into the details of what’s going on at the colleges. That’s the role of the college presidents. I get that. I hope to be a friendly contributor to the conversation. I’ve been around this business for some time and I would hope that my views would be welcomed, and I think they will.

I’m going to be working with the Board to get a clear set of goals, to get a clear sense of the vision of the District. What I don’t know, and what I’m going to need the help of everyone who is reading this in order to learn, is an understanding of the relationship between the centralized District educational services office and the respective colleges. How do we find a way to maximize both? How do we avoid having unnecessary duplication in some areas and gaps in service in other areas?

Q: Do you feel your own background will help you relate to the struggles of so many students in the District?

A: Absolutely. I was the first one in my family to go to a university and obtain a degree. When I see the students in our District, I see myself. They’re more handsome, healthier, in some cases younger, but I am them. The fact that I grew up in a working-class family, that I learned English as a second language, that I’m a first-generation college student, all those things that people might consider deficits, to me, they are assets in my role as chancellor of LACCD. I understand the importance of financial aid. I understand the importance of a schedule that accommodates working people. I got my masters and my Ph.D. while working full time and raising a family. I understand the importance of mentorship and guidance. I understand the importance of hiring good people who can give our students support.

Q: The completion rate for District students – whether their goal is a certificate, a degree or a transfer – is disappointingly low. What suggestions will you bring to the table for driving those rates up?

A: I have several ideas:1. Have better understanding of our students and their

educational pathway through the monitoring of data rather than making assumptions that are not necessarily true. Do we know what the pattern is in terms of taking courses? Do we offer enough courses in the right sequence? I love data. It’s not the only piece of the puzzle, but there is too much anecdote driving our policies in general in education.

2. Support the systems that are in place to assist students, things like EOPS, financial aid, job opportunities.

3. Provide more assistance to faculty and students in the classroom, particularly in the basic skills and develop-mental classes. That’s where the faculty conversation comes in. Are we using models like accelerated math and English programs? Are there different pedagogical styles and approaches that work better with certain populations? A large part of the solution is to examine deeply what is going on in the classroom.

4. Use focus groups. Talk to students, hear their voices. How has your experience been? What could we have done better? What worked? What didn’t work? Was the website clear? Was the automated registration system fluid? What got in the way?

Also, do a survey of those who dropped out or, as I like to say, stopped out. Ask what happened. Was it work? Was it family? Was it unresponsive curriculum? Was it the fact that you couldn’t get the classes you wanted?

Finally, we should talk to the students who have graduated, who have completed their studies, the shining stars. There

Q & A with Dr. FrANCiSCO rODriGUEZ (CONtiNUED)

Continued on the next page

Synergy | Volume 1, Issue 4 | Summer 2014 3

The Los Angeles Community College District is the fiscal lead agency for the Los Angeles Regional Adult Education Consortium (LARAEC), comprised of the District and four local unified school districts. The largest consortium in California, this group will collaborate under the

legislative authority of Assembly Bill 86 that requires community college districts and unified school districts to come together to develop an adult education plan ready for implementation in 2015.

The LACCD representatives in the regional consortium are Dr. Chito Cajayon, Vice Chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development,, Marvin Martinez, President of East Los Angeles College, Larry Frank, President of Los Angeles Trade-Tech College, Dan Walden, Vice President of Academic Affairs Los Angeles City College, and Dr. Adrienne Mullen, Associate Dean of Community Services/Non-Credit at ELAC.

The photo to the left was taken at a meeting of the LACCD Board of Trustees Ad Hoc Committee on Adult Education & Workforce Development. In attendance were trustees (left to right, front row) Ernest Moreno, Scott Svonkin and Mike Eng, and (back row, left to right) LACCD Interim Chancellor Adriana Barrera and Unified School District Representatives Veronica Montes, Joseph Stark, Donna Brashear, and Kathy Brendzal.

are thousands of wonderful examples. What made the difference? Was it a matter of being intrinsically motivated to complete your courses? Was it external support? A combination of both? Was it a belief in self?

The completion agenda is here to stay.

Q: Now that the economy is turning around, both here in California and on a national level, more money will be flowing back into the community college system. What would be the best use for this additional revenue?

A: If people think we should go back to the way it was in 2008, when we had all this money, and do those things we were doing back then, that’s the wrong way to think. The budget crisis over the last four to five years has positioned us to think differently, more creatively about not just who we are, but about who we aspire to be and how we are going to serve folks. I hope we take an opportunity to derive meaning from that crisis. Ultimately, a budget should be a reflection of your priorities.

People talk about recruiting in high schools and community service agencies. Yes, we need to do that, be vigilant about that. But why not also invest in the people who have already enrolled at LACCD and keep them enrolled and make them successful. Almost two-thirds of our students are part time. Instead of taking six units, how about nine? Instead of taking nine, how about going full time? Did you know, we should tell them, that, if you went full time, you would have more

opportunities for financial aid, scholarships, work study, EOPS, etc.?

When a student is nibbling at the edges, taking six units, it’s going to take them ten semesters to get their degree. That’s five years. If they first need to take developmental and basic skills courses, that’s another one or two years. Then, it’s going to take them seven years for a two-year degree. That’s simply too long. The students lose interest and get off the track. They stop or drop out. And the longer you are away from education, the less your opportunity for success.

Q: What are your first impressions of the District?A: One young man I talked to at Southwest College said it

was a nurturing place for him. “I felt at home here,” he said. “It was different than the gang life that I grew up in. I was safe here.”

What a powerful statement: “I was safe here.”

Those are things that we take for granted, those notions of safety, nurturing, support. But we must never forget that our students entrust not only their educational lives to us, but, in some cases, life itself.

The community college system is the most egalitarian system of higher education in the world. We accept the top 100% of every high school graduating class, all of them without exception and without apology. We are beacons of hope and opportunity. For some, the first chance to go to college, for some, the last chance.

Q & A with Dr. FrANCiSCO rODriGUEZ (CONtiNUED)

ADUlt ED ON thE AGENDA