Opening Remarks

Dr. Carole Goldsmith, President, Fresno City College

OAB Auditorium

(Please note schedule change)

Fostering Student Success, Validation Theory and Working with Low-Income, First-Generation Students in Community Colleges

Dr. Laura Rendón, Professor Emerita, University of Texas-San Antonio

OAB Auditorium

Laura will address issues to fostering student success, including validation theory and working with low-income, first-generation students in community colleges. She will also address the importance of working with asset-based frameworks and high-impact practices that include deep learning experiences.

Laura I Rendón is Professor Emerita--University of Texas-San Antonio. Her presentations focus on topics such as student success, Latinx STEM students, deep learning experiences and self-care and healing. Rendón’s passion is ensuring that the nation’s educational system fosters student success, especially for low-income and first-generation students. Rendón developed “validation theory,” that has been employed to frame research studies and programmatic activities. Rendón is the author of the book, Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking Pedagogy): Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation. She is a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute and a member of the Board of Directors of the John N Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education.

Equity and Students of Color Faculty and Administrative Training

Dr. Sim Barhoum, Associate Professor, San Diego Mesa College

OAB 173

What are the best ways students of color and underserved students succeed? We will look at an innovative nationwide study of the most effective community college educators and the practices they use. These educators have statistically better outcomes with students of color. Presented will be a holistic model that analyzes and breaks down their techniques into four easy to understand domains, which will help administrators and instructors understand what practices work in and out of the classroom so that all students, including the most underserved students, succeed.

Student Equity 101

Dr. Darlene Murray, Student Equity Coordinator, Reedley College; Ms. Eve Castellanos, CalWORKs Coordinator, Reedley College, Madera and Oakhurst Community College Centers

OAB 172

The term equity has become a buzzword but what does it really mean? What does it look like in practice? This workshop will focus on the basic principles of equity and allow participants to engage in meaningful conversations by starting with what equity means and looks like in their own context. Understanding that equity is a process, not just an outcome, the true heart of equity work begins with critical self-reflection. This workshop will allow participants to begin the groundwork to become equity change agents and champions for student success. 

Equity, Inclusion, and Solution: Making Colleges Ready for Black and Brown Students

Ms. Marjorie Blen, Ms. Nikki Hatfield, Students, Students Making a Change

OAB 180

This session will focus on personal experiences of community college students who face multiple institutional barriers and who often do not experience equity or equality. We’ll tell the story of finding a student advocacy group on campus that opens students’ eyes to what we thought were personal flaws, but were actually systematic barriers holding students back. Community colleges claim that black and brown students are not ready for college, when in fact the colleges are not ready for black and brown students.

Increase Your Students’ Sense of Belonging with NameCoach

Mr. Kevin Scritchfield, Activity Coordinator/Instructional Designer, Fresno City College

LI 118

These days, faculty have access to so many digital tools aimed toward promoting equity and eliminating achievement gaps. NameCoach, which integrates seamlessly with Canvas, nurtures inclusion in the classroom and other campus settings. It provides students with a simple way to record a pronunciation of their name and convey their gender that is easily shared with their instructor, counselors, and student peers. Discover how something as simple as pronouncing one’s name positively affects a student’s self-image as well as his or her success rates. You will get to know not just their names, but also your students themselves more quickly next semester! We will also discuss some of the other equity-based tools set up to foster belonging and address equity gaps.

Equity and Guided Pathways:  The Role of Regional Coordinators

Ms. Chelsea Esquibias, Dr. Laura Lara-Brady, and Ms. Michelle Stricker, Central Valley Regional Coordinators, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

OAB 171

How are Regional Coordinators supporting the implementation of Guided Pathways at each region? This session will briefly describe the role of the Regional Coordinators, present some of the supports available for colleges in implementing Guided Pathways, and will explore some of the effective practices impacting student achievement and equity across the region. Participants will leave with more information about their Regional Coordinator point of contact, available supports (including workshops, learning clusters, tools, and individual support), and will explore how different colleges are impacting the achievement gap across the region.

Promoting Inclusivity and Success for Formerly Incarcerated Students on College Campuses

Dr. Cassandra D. Little, Adjunct Professor/Employment and Policy Advocate, Root and Rebound

OAB 176

Students are more likely to be successful in environments where they feel welcome, valued and respected; where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is actively promoted and pronounced throughout the campuses environment. This workshop will present the student success framework and aims to center equity and identity consciousness as important levers in building a culture of student success. Participants will have an opportunity to explore how to help all students, but particularly formerly incarcerated students, navigate and thrive in institutions of higher education from a holistic lens that considers the whole student’s multiple identities. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own inclusive practices and be encouraged to share best practices.

It’s Better to Lead Than Lag: The Power of Leading Indicators to Drive Student Success

Dr. Brad C. Phillips, President/CEO, Institute for Evidenced-Based Change (IEBC)

Cafeteria

This keynote introduces the concept of leading and lagging indicators and their use in education. Identifying leading indicators helps California community college educators better understand how their efforts support the Vision for Success, student equity, and other lagging (outcomes) metrics for which colleges are held accountable. Leading indicators can support success because they help identify what is in a college’s control. Participants will engage in activities that help them identify and develop appropriate indicators for their work. This keynote is based on the speaker’s co-authored book: Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges, published by Harvard Education Press.

Dr. Brad C. Phillips, President/CEO of the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC), leads the organization’s focus on improving educational practice and outcomes in schools, colleges, and universities, He has pioneered the collaborative collection, sharing, and effective use of meaningful data across educational segments and its connection to educator use and institutional changes that dramatically improve student success. He is a frequent keynote speaker, author of numerous articles, and recipient of recognitions and honors. He is a co-author of the book Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges. Dr. Phillips is the founder of the California Partnership for Achieving Student Success (Cal-PASS) and IEBC.

A Proactive Approach to Facilitating Student Success

Dr. Arrie Smith, Counselor, Fresno City College

OAB 217

More than one-third of all entering freshmen will not continue after their second semester. Academic interventions often assume that students will self-identify their needs and seek help. There is an alternative intervention strategy based on the theory that students will respond to direct contact in which problems in their academic life are recognized and assistance offered. Is it possible to be intrusive without intruding, to be warm, friendly and inviting while still providing the “tough love” and information that students need to hear? It’s a delicate balance, but when done right, it can enhance the counseling relationship while encouraging student responsibility and participation. We will discuss several techniques to provide services without intruding or being overbearing.

Telling Your Story with Data

Dr. Brad C. Phillips, President/CEO, Institute for Evidenced-Based Change (IEBC)

OAB 271

Telling Your Story with Data is a fun, interactive experience. The workshop addresses how to identify the key stories to be gleaned from data and how to tell those stories effectively to a variety of audiences. Drawing upon IEBC’s data use model — Integrating Analytics, Human Judgment & Decision-Making, and Organizational Habits — participants will learn valuable skills for turning any data into information that is useful, useable, and actionable. Workshop attendees will practice identifying the story they want to tell and presenting it in ways, grounded in data that ensure their message is understood.

Leveraging Campus Resources to Support Students Who Have Experienced Foster Care

Ms. Veronica Salmeron-Sosa, NextUp Coordinator and Ms. Natalie Chavez, Foster and Kinship Care Coordinator, Fresno City College

OAB 273

For some students, entering college can feel like the biggest accomplishment of their young adult life, yet youth who have experienced foster care, it can seem like the most overwhelming challenge of their life. With only 4% of foster youth attending college and only 2% that meet their educational goals, the need for on-campus resources is vital. We here at Fresno City College have the opportunity to provide critical supports and resources that can make the difference between success and barely surviving. Join us to learn how to maximize the wealth of resources available through a wide network of community partners.

Maximum Capacity: Increasing Our Capacity to Recognize Student Capacity

Ms. Carrie Marks, Professor of English, Sacramento City College

OAB 284

As we implement compliance with AB 705, our transfer-level courses are populating with students who had previously been labeled as unprepared for college-level work. How can we be sure we don't unintentionally harm our students by communicating doubts about their abilities? How can we disrupt our thinking about student capacity so we do not replicate the disproportionate impact caused by our previous structure? This session will focus on making a shift from a deficit-mindset culture to an equity-minded culture.

OER You Ready to Take the Leap?

Ms. Sally Potter, ESL/Linguistics Instructor, Fresno City College

LI 118

Research shows that lowering textbooks costs contributes to student retention and success. Open Educational Resources and “free-sources” to replace your course textbooks are abundant and available for most disciplines. However, there are so many sources and so many different repositories that finding great materials for your classes can be a bit overwhelming. In this session, I will share how I created my low-cost EMLS 180 and English 1A, as well as my zero-cost Linguistics 11. I will show you a number of different repositories and assist you while you search, locate, and begin repackaging OERs, library sources, and free internet content for your students.

Intentional Outreach

Ms. Wendy Nelson, African American Initiative Coordinator, Fresno State Outreach and Special Programs Office

OAB 216

Session attendees will learn about the CSU Chancellors Office African American Initiative (AAI) and the strategic outreach efforts that have been implemented to reach the African American student, parent, and community. Attendees will come away with a new way of thinking outside the box when it comes to engaging the African American student population.

(Please note schedule change)

Education, Civil Rights and the Role of Community Colleges in the 21st Century

Dr. Pedro Noguera, Distinguished Professor of Education, UCLA

OAB Auditorium

Education is frequently described as the more important civil rights issue of the 21st century. The phrase is particularly common among politicians who use it typically when they are calling for policy changes and reform. However, the most important civil rights issues related to education – poverty, inequality and racial segregation in schools, remain largely unresolved. In this presentation, I will analyze the role of community colleges in addressing and responding to some of these challenges. I will also describe steps college administrators can take to ensure their colleges are responsive to the diverse array of needs of the students they serve.

Pedro Noguera is a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. A sociologist, Noguera’s research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional, and global contexts. He is the author, co-author, and editor of thirteen books. His most recent books are The Crisis of Connection with Niobe Way, Carol Gilligan and Aisha Ali (NYU Press) and Race, Equity and Education: The Pursuit of Equality in Education 60 Years After Brown (Springer Press), and he has published over 250 research articles, book chapters, research reports, and editorials. He serves on the boards of numerous national and local organizations.

Closing Remarks

Dr. Raymond Ramirez, Student Equity Coordinator and Ms. Kerry Ybarra, Guided Pathways Faculty Coordinator, Fresno City College

OAB Auditorium

Opening Remarks

Dr. Carole Goldsmith, President, Fresno City College

OAB Auditorium

Why Equity Matters

Dr. Tyrone Howard, Professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA

OAB Auditorium

The focus of this session will be addressing the importance of equity, access, and excellence in today’s schools. Using data on today’s student demographics, the session will address strategies, approaches, and resources that school personnel can implement to aid learners, but will place a particular focus on the most vulnerable students. The session will address complex challenges that students encounter in their efforts to be successful and how they can be supported socially, emotionally, and academically by practitioners, school staff, and school leaders.

Tyrone C. Howard is a professor in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. Dr. Howard is also the director of the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. Professor Howard’s research examines culture, race, teaching, and learning. Professor Howard has published over 75 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports. His most recent book, Expanding College Access for Urban Youth (Teachers College Press, 2016) documents ways schools and colleges can create higher education opportunities for youth of color. Dr. Howard is also the Director and Founder of the Black Male Institute at UCLA. A native and former classroom teacher of Compton, California, Dr. Howard was awarded the 2015 UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award.

A Culture Competence Frame Work: In Bridging the Gap between Privileged & Adversity

Ms. Garbralle Conroe, Adjunct Professor, California State University, Fresno

OAB 173

Identify limitations (i.e., lack of cultural awareness, operating from a one size fits all perspective; limited knowledge of culturally inclusive resources when working with students) to providing high-quality services to students from diverse backgrounds; •Articulate an understanding of how one’s biases and belief system may influence the provision of rehabilitation or educational services, and lead to cultural imposition; • Build knowledge of ways to strengthen cultural competency education in the classroom and throughout one’s career; •Demonstrate application of cultural counseling competencies in student-counselor interactions; and •Reflect on blind spots and ways to engage in lifelong learning in the area of applying multicultural counseling competencies.

Leadership for Engaged Inclusivity

Dr. Carlos Nevarez, Professor/Executive Editor, California State University, Sacramento

OAB 180

The presentation provides a forum to engage in conversation on the reasons why and how campuses should strive toward a college environment where inclusivity flourishes. It identifies campus practices that both facilitate and hinder inclusion efforts. Finally, it examines critical questions about the leadership role students, staff, faculty, and campus leaders can play in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Participants are introduced to a leadership model designed to aid individuals in becoming agents of change. It serves as a comprehensive resource in articulating the foundational, conceptual, and interpersonal leadership strategies warranted to advance an inclusive campus environment aimed at increasing student success.

Defining Service Excellence – Classified Service from the Heart*

Ms. Mary Kay Englen, Senior Program Coordinator, Office of Professional Development, De Anza College

OAB 114

Service Excellence is demonstrated in services for all that are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering – with our student or client or each other, always and everywhere, at the heart of the service provided. The focus is on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and positive attitude. Join us for fun and informative activities where classified professionals define what service excellence means to them.

*This session will be repeated at 12:45pm

LGBTQ Cultural Competence Training

Mr. Jerry Thurston, Communication Arts Instructor & Mr. Alana Reed, DSPS Budget Technician, Fresno City College

OAB 176

This training offers information on the LGBTQ campus community with the immediate goal of increasing participants’ cultural competency. The greater goal is to make Fresno City College a safe, welcoming environment for students and staff who are LGBTQ. Participants will learn basics on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as learning strategies for increasing competency and addressing homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia.

Faculty Collaboration in Onboarding and Equity

Dr. Jessica Ayo Alabi, Faculty Lead, ASCCC Guided Pathways Task Force

OAB 188

Long gone are the days when community colleges can speak of the student services side or instructional side of the house. The time has come for integrated strategic planning, not just in the office of institutional effectiveness, but also in every aspect of our college processes including departmental planning and onboarding. Disproportionately impacted students fall through the cracks throughout the onboarding process, and then they fall through the cracks in the classroom. This means our institutions fail them even though we are focused on student success. Historically, there has been no cross-functional, cross-campus dialogue between division faculty and counselors. This workshop proposes an institutional change of that culture in an effort to unify support of the most vulnerable students on campus.

Equity Syllabus Review

Dr. Mary Ann Valentino, Psychology Faculty, Fresno City College

OAB 171

The syllabus review is an opportunity for structured inquiry and reflection, providing a safe space to examine aspects of our teaching as reflected in the syllabi. We will explore ways to use an equity-minded framework for creating a welcoming syllabus that conveys course goals, class rules, expectations for and evaluations of student learning, and forms of assistance and support. Please bring a copy of one of your syllabi for this hands-on activity.

Lunch

Cafeteria

Southeast Asian American men in Community Colleges: Multicultural Considerations for Advising and Counseling

Mr. Soua Xiong, Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno

OAB 273

Data from a recent qualitative study with community college counselors will be presented on how they provide advising and counseling for Southeast Asian American male students. Findings from this study highlight the different approaches that community college counselors perceive to be important in their interactions with Southeast Asian American males. These findings have important implications for community college institutions and practitioners who work with Southeast Asian American students, particularly male students, in delivering culturally relevant and response services.

Student Voices for Success

Dr. Donna Cooper, Dean, Library & Learning Support Services, Fresno City College

OAB 271

Student success has a high value for community colleges. Changes such as AB 705, Guided Pathways, College Promise, and the Chancellor’s Vision for Success are encouraging colleges to rethink how they onboard and move students through the institution. Many are asking how we (the college), can be more student ready rather than focusing on how students can be more institution ready. This session is a student panel where students share their perspective on what helps students complete their educational journey and what FCC has done to help students finish.

Defining Service Excellence – Classified Service from the Heart*

Ms. Mary Kay Englen, Senior Program Coordinator, Office of Professional Development, De Anza College

OAB 114

Service excellence is demonstrated in services for all that are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable, and empowering – with our students or with each other, always and everywhere, at the heart of the service provided. The focus is on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism, and positive attitude. Join us for fun and informative activities where classified professionals define what service excellence means to them.

*This session is a repeat of the 10:35am session

Trends in Digital Equity Education Research

Dr. Emy L. Phillips, Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno

OAB 217

The issue of equity in education is a complex one — vastly varying student needs, differences in resource availability between districts and cultural, socioeconomic, and other factors all contribute to the existence of persistent inequities. While these inequities will likely continue to impact students for some time, pathways to breaking down inequities are becoming clearer. This session will explore the research and emerging best practices on educational equity through digital learning.

Convergence! Integrating Guided Pathways with Governance Structures and in Data-Informed Decision Making

Mr. Jeffrey Hernandez, Academic Senate President, East Los Angeles College, ASCCC Guided Pathways Task Force

OAB 216

In recent years, community colleges have faced tremendous stress on their governance structures as state initiatives have driven us towards new institutional planning and decision-making. Rather than think of Guided Pathways as just another initiative, this workshop shows how the Guided Pathways mind-set of redesign can lead to both a strengthening and integration of governance structures. An essential step towards this convergence will involve revisiting guiding principles for more informed use of data to guide decision-making with the student end in mind.

African American Equity Initiatives

Ms. Wendy McCulley, Executive Director, School Leadership, African American Academic Acceleration, and Mr. Darrin Person, Manager, Mentoring-Prevention and Intervention, Fresno Unified School District

OAB 284

The session will provide an overview of The Office of African American Academic Acceleration and Mentoring Department’s equity initiatives in Fresno Unified.

Community College Projected Self-Actualization: The Role of Emotional Support in Higher Education

Dr. Victor Rios, Associate Dean of Social Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara

OAB Auditorium

Dr. Rios discusses his findings from over a decade of research working with at-promise students. Specifically, he introduces the audience to the concepts of Educator Projected Self-Actualization and Emotion-Guided Pathways demonstrating the power of educators to transform students’ lives. Practical strategies are recommended.

Dr. Victor Rios is Associate Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received a B.A. in Human Development with an Emphasis on Adolescent Development from CSU East Bay in 2000. In 2005, he received his Ph.D. in Comparative Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Rios is the author of five books including, Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys (2011); Project GRIT: Generating Resilience to Inspire Transformation (2016); and Human Targets: Schools, Police, and the Criminalization of Latino Youth (2017). Based on over a decade of research, Rios created Project GRIT (Generating Resilience to Inspire Transformation) a human development program for at-promise students.

Closing Remarks and Summit Evaluations

Ms. Susi Nitzel, Professional Development Coordinator, Fresno City College

OAB Auditorium