CVHEC OP-ED
- 1. CENTRAL VALLEY HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM University of California Center 550 E. Shaw Ave., Suite 100, Fresno, CA 93710-7702 559.292.0576 Op-Ed CVHEC 15th Anniversary 2015 marks the 15th year anniversary of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) and its joint effort to provide effective leadership that promotes programs, policies, and performance designed to increase higher education attainment in the Central Valley. In 2000, former Fresno State president Dr. John D. Welty, with funding from the James Irvine Foundation, assembled the consortium to unite the higher education institutions around college access and success. Today membership has grown from 18 to 27 institutions of public, private, and independent colleges and universities. Our board is made up of this region’s higher education leaders, with President Joseph Sheley, President CSU, Stanislaus, as the Chair. Fresno State continues to manage the operations under their Foundation under the leadership of President Joseph Castro. In the past, Central Valley continued to lag behind the state in college going, at 13% of our population holding a B.A. degree, while state wide we are at 20%. Facts show that college graduates earn more, learn more, and have more choices in life. Thus, we have a great need for a uniformed effort to move the college completion dial forward. CVHEC is making progress. The Central Valley colleges and universities that belong to the consortium continue to work diligently and are making significant headway to provide a high quality education that promotes wider access to obtaining certificates and degrees. Collectively our CVHEC institutions graduate over 180,000 students annually. We have articulation agreements that ease transfer from community college to our area universities, in line with Senate Bill 1440. Many of our institutions have received recent accolades such as: West Hills College Lemoore was listed USA Today’s “Top Community College in Northern California”, Fresno State was selected for a national Excellence and Innovation Award, College of Sequoias students rated it 97% satisfied or very satisfied, and Clovis Community College joined the CVHEC as its newest campus after its recent accreditation. Some exciting work is ahead this year for the CVHEC. Going into our fifth boot camp this December, we plan to offer a 4-day, 3-night experience to teach students college and career readiness skills they need to be successful. Supported by the Fresno Regional Foundation, we will work with the neediest high schools in our south valley to recruit students who will be the first in their family to attend college. Over 220 students have attended our College and Career Boot Camp in the past, receiving leadership training to go onto become trained College/Career Opportunity Ambassadors. CVHEC has signed on with the Lumina Foundation to kick off Goal 2025 Campaign, a national effort that is committed to significantly increasing the proportion of Americans with high- • UC Merced • CSU Bakersfield • CSU Fresno • CSU Stanislaus • Fresno Pacific University • University of the Pacific • Alliant International University • DeVry University • National University • College of the Sequoias • Merced College • Taft College • San Joaquin Delta College • Kern Community College District • Bakersfield College • Cerro Coso College • Porterville College • State Center Community College District • Fresno City College • Reedley College • West Hills Community College District • West Hills College Coalinga • West Hills College Lemoore • Yosemite Community College District • Columbia College • Modesto Junior College www.CollegeNext.org
- 2. OP-ED Page 2 quality degrees, certificates, and other credentials by 2025. We know that one of the most important ways to reach this timely goal is to make sure that students are graduating within a reasonable time. Working with Complete College America, we have signed on to implement game changers, one of which is 15 to Finish that would limit the time it takes students to obtain a degree and increase the number of students graduating in 4-years, versus 6. Moving forward the CVHEC will continue a heightened focus on improving completion rates of Central Valley students, decreasing remediation among first time freshman and transfers, and career pathways. Our working committees will include experts from our member institutions in the areas of research, outreach, student support services, marketing, and advocacy to include working with the Neo Foundation on a student advocacy initiative that will raise graduation rates among former foster care youth. To show support for CVHEC 15th Anniversary, Find us and like us on Facebook! The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) is one of the largest of its type in California. All members are college and university CEOs and are committed to pursuing regional initiatives that focus on better servicing students from access to completion. For more information go to www.collegenext.org Cheri Cruz, Acting Executive Director Central Valley Higher Education Consortium 550 E. Shaw Ave., Suite 100, Fresno, CA 93710 Home Office: 559.292.0576