Report to Board: February 2026

Successful Start to Spring Semester

The 2026 spring semester enrollment is on track to meet its enrollment goals again in classes across FCC’s three campuses. As of this date, more than 27,000 students are enrolled in in-person and online classes. That number is expected to increase when the second 9-week classes begin on March 16.

West Fresno Center

The West Fresno Center welcomed over 1,000 students to the campus for the spring semester, which is a 20% increase in enrollment. On January 28, automotive technology instructor Marty Kamimoto and his fellow colleagues provided a tour of the Advanced Transportation Center for Toyota Government Affairs senior staff. The tour included information regarding the hydrogen training program.

FCC Celebrates Another Milestone

On Thursday, January 15, Fresno City College proudly celebrated its 115th anniversary as the first community college in California. The historic Old Administration Building Courtyards came alive as students, faculty, and staff gathered in the East Courtyard to form a magnificent human “115” for an aerial photo. The festivities continued in the West Courtyard with birthday cake and punch, offering a wonderful moment for our FCC family to honor the rich history and enduring traditions that have shaped our college since its founding. Additional anniversary celebrations are planned for the near future.

Black Serving Institution Designation

FCC has been officially designated a Black Serving Institution (BSI). Special thanks to counselor/Transfer Coordinator Jessica Shadrick, Senior Director of Institutional Research Alex Adams, and others who were involved in the application to achieve this designation. This extraordinary honor is held by only 30 colleges and universities statewide. The new designation will align with the college’s other designations as a Hispanic Serving Institution and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) campus. The BSI designation recognizes FCC’s leadership, accountability, and unwavering commitment to advancing Black and African American student success through equity-centered, anti-racist, and culturally responsive practices.

Extreme Registration

The Welcome Center, Outreach Department, and Counseling Department assisted over 600 new and returning students during the Extreme Registration event on January 7, in the library. Students were able to access special services to complete their registration process. Services offered included:

• Planning spring schedule and registering for classes
• Express counseling to enroll in Spring 2026 classes
• Financial assistance and information regarding free tuition

Ram Pantry Anniversary

As SCCCD’s first food pantry, the FCC Ram Pantry celebrated 10 years of providing students free food and groceries on a routine basis. A special presentation was made during the Spring Convocation on January 8
acknowledging the faculty, staff and administrators who championed this basic need for students. Since its inception in 2016, the pantry has grown from serving 7,000 students to serving over 122,000 in 2025. Our Ram Pantry also received Certificates of Recognition from several state, local and congressional legislators.

Campus Transfer Days

Starting this semester, the college initiated Transfer Wednesdays, so that faculty and staff can proudly wear their alma mater gear. To further support this effort, university transfer representatives are available every Wednesday in front of the Student Services Building, offering guidance, resources, and next-step planning for all students.

Grammy Nominated Group to Perform

FCC music instructor, Dr. Kevin Cooper and his Grammy nominated ensemble, Agave, will perform on Saturday, February 14 at 4:00 pm in the OAB Auditorium. The group is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and specializes in string chamber music of the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. Dr. Cooper is a founding member of the group and leads the guitar program at FCC.

Trailblazers Award

On Friday, February 27, FCC Associate Dean of Athletics, Dr. Derrick Johnson, will be recognized as a 2026 Trailblazer at the Trailblazer Awards Ceremony from the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley. The event celebrates the significant contributions and dedication of the awardees who continue to inspire others to blaze their own trails toward success.

Spring Speakers Forum

The first Speakers Forum for the spring semester was held on January 27 with iconic actor Danny Trejo. The popular actor spoke to an overflow auditorium and zoom crowd where he shared his prolific career as well as his history of incarceration, addiction, and sobriety. He is most widely known for playing the first Chicano action star—Isador “Machete” Cortez in the Spy Kids franchise as well as in Grindhouse and two Machete movies—2010’s Machete and 2013’s Machete Kills. His films have grossed nearly $4 billion and he has the distinction of being the most-killed actor on film.

Women in Engineering Day

The annual Women in Engineering Day is slated for February 27 and will be held in the New Science Building. Several Fresno Unified School District high schools are invited to attend the event. FCC engineering faculty will provide the students with hands on projects. The new Maker Space, sponsored with the generous support from Chevron, will be available for students during the workshops.

Black History Month

Opening ceremonies for the 2026 Black History Month were held on Monday,
February 2 in the OAB Auditorium. This year’s theme is “Roots, Rhythm and Resilience: 100 Years of Black History”. A wide variety of events will be held throughout the month that includes a movie screening, several cultural lectures, a barbershop talk and a Gospel Fest. Dates and times for all the events are on the Black History Month web page.

Social Justice Center

The FCC Social Justice Center is hosting a variety of events this month, including: Coffee, Community & Counsel on October 10 from Noon – 1:30 p.m. in the Social Justice Center (OAB 139). Two film screenings are also scheduled, which include The Earth’s Greatest Enemy on October 16 in Forum Hall 103 at 5:30 p.m. and Preschool to Prison on October 22 in the Social Sciences Building, classroom 104 at 5:50 p.m. For a full listing check out their Calendar of Events.

MLK Panel

On January 17, the African American Faculty & Staff Association (AAFSA) hosted a special community leadership panel in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior Program Specialist for TRIO Upward Bound Markeshia Iverson was the moderator. The panelists included:

• Eric Payne: Executive Director, The Central Valley Urban Institute
• Taylor Kimber: Central CA Coordinator, External Affairs Office of
  Governor Gavin Newsom
• B.T. Lewis: Pastor, Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church
• Dr. Alena Hairston: FCC English Instructor
• Daniel Moore: FCC Vice President of Administrative Services

2026 Spring Convocation

FCC convocation began in song with the City Singers performing under the leadership of choral instructor Jennifer Heder. The executive cabinet provided updates and there was a workshop regarding Regular Substantive Interaction for student success.

HBCU Caravan Visit

On Tuesday, February 3, FCC hosted the Spring 2026 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caravan in the FCC Cafeteria. This exciting, free event brought over 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to
campus, offering students unparalleled access to on-the-spot admissions decisions, scholarship opportunities, waived application fees and direct conversations with HBCU recruiters.

Faculty Focus

FCC Applied Technology instructor, Aurora Pecarovich shined as a co-instructor for the Precision Measuring Instruments (PMI) course at the NC3 Train-the-Trainer event in Tucson. Teaching alongside veteran instructor Frank Quinn, Aurora introduced innovative instructional methods that truly elevated the classroom experience. Her expertise didn’t just impress her co-teacher; representatives from
Snap-on and Starrett also praised her strong command of the subject and her clear, effective teaching style.

Grocer Project

On January 22, the Grocery Operations for Carbon Emission Reductions (GROCER) project team along with California Energy Commission and CARB’s Zero-Emission Drayage Truck and Infrastructure Pilot Project program working locally with OK Produce and Momentum (a Sacramento subcontractor implementing the grant) met at the West Fresno Center to advance their initiative of deploying 50 battery-electric Class 8 trucks and fast-charging infrastructure in the Fresno area. During this event, the team discussed collaborate options for workforce development experts and the faculty at the FCC Advanced Transportation Center to identify training needs and establish pathways for zero-emission automotive technology careers.