Your Monthly Update for April 2024

Dear Pirate Crew,

After about a year and a half of discussions and input from students, faculty, classified professionals, and managers, Ventura College has drafted new vision and values statements. When beginning the journey of re-examining the VC Mission and now our vision and values, I asked college stakeholders to determine if these statements reflect the current work and college focus, and if not, what needs to be changed? 



After careful consideration, the taskforce has developed the statements below. I want to thank the taskforce members who lead this effort and gathered input to make the necessary changes to represent the proud work we carry out at VC - Phil Briggs, Jesus Vega, Dan Clark, April Montes, Adrienne Arguijo, David Carlander, Deanna Hall, Erin Askar, Jimmy Walker, Matthes Moore, and Rocio Hernandez. The draft statement below was discussed during the VC Captain’s Chat on April 17 and will move through our participatory governances’ processes.   

 

At Ventura College we believe that students come first, and everything else follows. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), we are committed to serving our community through: 

 

Collaboration: Build trusting relationships that enhance the quality of services provided to our students and community. 

Equity Mindedness: Support students and employees from diverse and intersectional backgrounds in achieving their educational and career goals. 

Cultural Responsiveness: Embrace the intersecting ethnic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, age, language, religious, physical/intellectual ability, and socioeconomic identities represented in our community. 

Social Justice: Stand for social justice and anti-racism in our institution’s policies, curriculum, and practices. 

Community: Foster and enrich a deeper sense of connection across Ventura County and within Ventura College’s students, faculty, staff, and administrators.


As the remainder of the semester passes quickly, I hope that the statements above are a reminder of what is important…our students!

Also, I hope you were able to enjoy the Diversity in Culture Festival. Student Marissa Rodriguez (pictured below) who hosted the Project R Panel Discussion. Please help me give a big shout out to Gigi Fiumerodo, Peter Sezzi, Oscar Rivera, Adrianna Cunningham, Fernando Salinas (big shout out for all his work on the poetry slam!), Steve Turner, Janeene Nagaoka, Jeanne Tanner, and Salvador Salgado in marketing, Lisa Elsousou for organizing ASL interpreting, Mariana Banda-Gherardi, Jessica Perez (ASVC support for Poetry Slam prizes), James Vega, Stacy Sloan Graham, Jenchi Wu, Sharla Fell and David Jones from the Art Department for helping with the Student Art Contest, Fundi Legohn, and the FM&O Crew for the setup of the Festival Village!

Student Marissa Rodriquez with Kim Hoffmans

Dr. Claudia Lourido-Habib

Lastly, my replacement was announced at the VCCCD Board of Trustee meeting on Tuesday. The next president of Ventura College will be Dr. Claudia Lourido-Habib (pictured above). She has a long history of service to community colleges, most recently as the president of Porterville College. Her experiences as a tenured faculty member in architecture and drafting, a dean overseeing areas including CTE, Performing Arts, Communication, Journalism, and a vice president will serve her well in her new role at Ventura College. On a personal note, I have worked closely with Claudia on accreditation teams and consider her a wonderful colleague and friend. Please help me to welcome her and wish her the best of luck at Ventura College.


Stay healthy, happy, and kind,

Kim

Koffee with Kim In-Person

  • Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. in Guthrie Hall

Celebration of Successes

  • End of Year Celebration & Retiree Recognition – Thursday, May 9 at 11:30 a.m.
  • Commencement - Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m.
 

This month's highlights include: Classified: Kelley Bruns, Senior Administrative Assistant, Business and Administrative Services, Student: Nichole Vigliotti, Faculty: Laura Hamilton, Student Health Center Coordinator, Administrator: Gema Sanchez, Interim Dean of Student Services

Read their stories here!

Kelley Bruns - Classified

Gema Sanchez - Admin

Laura Hamilton - Faculty

Nichole Vigliotti - Student

Supporting STEM in Our Community

Two Ventura College professors were judges at the Ventura FIRST Robotics Regional Competition. Thank you Nell Papavasiliou (Engineering, right) and Ryan Petitfils (Math, left)! Almost 50 high school teams attended, including groups from China and the Netherlands and local high schools including Ventura, Fillmore, Pacifica, and Oxnard. Our judges spoke to more than half of the teams and shared information about our Math/Programming/Engineering programs. What a great way to support STEM!

Ventura College hosted its 8th annual Diversity in Culture festival this month. This two-day festival featured virtual and in-person events. Zoom presentations on April 10 included keynote speaker, Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of "Braiding Sweetgrass", the VC One Book - One Campus selection for this academic year. On Thursday, April 11, the in-person festival included presentations, wellness workshops, performances, student clubs, community organizations, food, and a cultural marketplace. The Student Poetry Slam was hosted by award-winning spoken word artist, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. The event was open to the campus and community and provided educational and enrichment opportunities.

Diversity in Culture 2024 Schedule of Events
Ventura College students on tour at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks

Ventura College Students on FREE CLU Tour!!

Thanks to the University Transfer Center and First Year Experience for organizing tours of universities this semester. Last month, students toured Cal Lutheran and this month they toured UCSB.

Parking Tips During the M Building Construction

During the M building construction, we expect to experience a shortage in staff parking. The map shows planned parking for the foreseeable future for M&O personnel. Parking spaces south of our warehouse are shared with other campus users. If M&O personnel fill them first, others may need to find alternate parking locations.

Student Art Show at New Media Gallery

Visit our annual student art exhibit which will be on display until May 2. The art is in various media including: painting, drawing, ceramics, design, illustration, and photography.

Law Enforcement Academy Graduation Success

The Basic Law Enforcement Academy held their graduation ceremony last month. Thirty-six students graduated, representing seven law enforcement agencies from Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County. The class motto was “Courage knows no bounds”. The Academy is a partnership between the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and Ventura College. It is a Peace Officers Standards and Training certified academy. We are grateful for this partnership that allows students to earn certificates and degrees that lead to high-wage, in-demand careers.

Teacher Resource & Education Center (T-RECS) Grand Opening

The Child Development Program hosted the Grand Opening of their Teacher Resource & Education Center (T-RECS) this month. This new space is an amazing resource for our Elementary Education and Child Development students. There are FREE resources including puzzles, puppets, books, art projects and more for students to utilize to prepare for their classes.

Collaboration With High School English and Math Partners

The English and math departments are meeting with high school teaching partners in response to changes in entry-level college courses due to AB 705 and 1705. Events will touch on topics such as curriculum changes, the role of AI in teaching, and dual enrollment developments.

Paramedic Simulation Event at VC

VC Paramedic Program hosted a two-day Simulation Event on campus this week. During this instructional activity, Paramedic and EMT students are paired with EMS professionals to simulate emergency scenarios. Ambulances provided by local agencies were used as a training tool for the students to work with manikin and simulated patients.

Insights on Remote vs. In-Person Learning

Before the pandemic, around 20 percent of classes at VC were online, and they filled up quickly with high demand. Throughout the pandemic, the shift to online learning was significant, with 75-95 percent of sections being held online.

As colleges aim for a new normal, they're considering a balance between online, in-person, and hybrid classes. Online classes remain popular, filling up fast with high demand. In-person classes are also sought after, particularly in disciplines where hands-on learning is essential.

Student preferences play a crucial role in determining course offerings. VC has actively sought student input through surveys and additional methods to gauge demand. This includes direct interactions with students through counselors and student researchers on campus. By engaging with students face-to-face, VC can gather more insights into our needs. This data is used to adjust course offerings.

Students who respond to in-person surveys tend to prefer in-person and hybrid classes compared to those who respond online. VC prioritizes smaller in-person and hybrid classes to accommodate students. Special consideration is given to classes with enrolled veterans, athletes, or international students to prevent them from losing eligibility or benefits. VC continues to assess student needs, by emphasizing direct engagement with students and community members.

Making it Easier to Award Degrees

The Admissions & Records office, in collaboration with the counseling department, recently awarded 1,793 degrees or certificates to 940 unique students for Fall 2023 applicants. The recently released Auto-Grad process has been instrumental in helping the teams identify and award additional degrees for our students! This process was run for Fall 2023 and was able to award 779 degrees or certificates to 743 unique students! To better support students and staff the Admissions & Records offices, VC participated in a professional development retreat with Moorpark and Oxnard Colleges this month.

Graduation Season is Here!

We're a month away from our 2024 Commencement ceremony which will be Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. We're excited to celebrate another group of amazing students. This week students picked up grad lawn signs and learned more about graduation in our three-day Grad Fair. Students purchased graduation regalia and some qualified for vouchers for caps, gowns and tassels thanks to the Basic Needs Center. To volunteer at commencement, email Tamishiah_allen1@vcccd.edu or click the button below.

Volunteer for Graduation

Classified Professional Spring Retreat 

Ventura College Classified Professional Development Committee held a Spring Retreat on April 4. The day began with a robust breakfast then the campus executive team members participated in an open forum question and answer session. Keynote speaker Merlyna Valentine shared her riveting story of survival, courage, and hope. The theme was, “Change Chose Me… Now What?” Lunch from Hummus Republic followed, and then participants played Four Corners, a game designed to get people moving around the room to discover commonalities with colleagues. The afternoon ended with mini sessions on IT, Behavioral Intervention Care Team (BICT), and “Fill Your Own Cup.”

On April 8, Ventura College hosted an employee appreciation event with breakfast burritos, fruit, and coffee. Employees mingled with colleagues and potted their own office succulent. 

Career Education Open House

Career Education hosted an open house at Ventura College this week with tours, tabling, lab demos, free food, opportunities to meet the faculty, and more. Thanks to everyone who showed up to spread the word about our great CE programs at VC.

Successfully Diversifying the Faculty Workforce

Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud of RSS Consulting has been contracted by Ventura College to provide a virtual workshop on successfully diversifying the faculty workforce. The workshop has been developed for middle managers and faculty coordinators. It is divided into three, two-hour sessions that will address the role of the administrator on the committee, the value of hiring a diverse faculty and its impact on student success, ways to expand outreach efforts when posting positions typically deemed difficult to attract diverse applicant pools, questions for assessing candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully teach students of color, and understanding and mitigating implicit bias in the hiring process.

VC Faculty Making an Impact

Thanks to the 28 faculty and Instruction Technologist Designers who participated in a 2-year Humanizing STEM grant project. VC had the third highest number of people who completed the project! Thank you for your time, hard work, and commitment to culturally responsive and equitable teaching. The Humanizing Online STEM Academy is a research-based professional development program for faculty developed with a grant from the California Education Learning Lab. Faculty who complete the course can incorporate these elements along with culturally responsive "warm demander" pedagogy in their online courses to create a welcoming and equitable environment for all students.


Thank you to the following participants!

1. Kammy Algiers BIOL

2. Kristin Clark CHEM

3. Doug Franklin PHYS, AST

4. Jennifer Garner BIOL

5. Angela Madsen BIOL

6. Devona Yates BIOL

7. Malia Rose-Seisa CHEM

8. Nicholas Schooler BIOL

9. Alex Kolesnik MATH

10. Jessica Proctor ANTH

11. Ty Gardner BIOL

12. Duan Zhibang CHEM

13. Jack Bennett MATH

14. Anna Carlson BIOL

15. Natalie Pilikian BIOL

16. Michelle Beard MATH

17. Stephanie Gardner BIOL

18. Nell Papavasiliou ENGINEERING

19. Anna Tivvy MATH

20. Antonio Calisto PHYS/AST

21. Howard Han CHEM

22. Saliha Sha MATH

23. Christina Papazacharioudakis MATH

24. Manny Flores BIOL

25. Sikun "Kevin" Lan MATH

26. Ali Olson-Pacheco Faculty Support

27. Matthew Moore Faculty Support

28. Sharon Oxford Faculty Support/ IDS

Free VC Choir Performance at San Buenaventura Mission

Brent Wilson will lead the Ventura College Concert Choir and Singers in a performance of Camille Saint-Saéns' moving Requiem and Vivaldi's Magnificat. Featuring guest artists: Anastasia Milliaras, soprano; Christina Pezzarossi, mezzo-soprano; Benjamin Brecher, tenor; and Luvi Avendano, baritone. This community concert is free and seating is first-come, first-served basis.

Friday, April 26 | 7 p.m.

Ventura College Pirate Days are in Full Swing!

More Pirate Days will be held on the following Thursdays: April 25, May 2, and May 9 to bring graduating seniors from feeder high schools to VC to learn about campus resources and experience student life. In Spring 2023 over 750 seniors participated.

Ventura College Basic Needs
Every Day is Earth Day 
Celebration

Our ASVC and Basic Needs Center have several events scheduled next week in celebration of Earth Day. Everyone is welcome!

  • Monday April 22 | Ventura College | Applied Science Center 150 | 1 p.m.

FILM: The Plastic Problem (54 min)

  • Tuesday April 23 | Ventura College | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Plant giveaway and gardening tips! The VC Basic Needs Center will provide eco-friendly reusable bags and there will be fresh produce from Community Action

  • Tuesday April 23 | Ventura College | Applied Science Center | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Stop by the ASC walkway for valuable resources, engage with students and community members, and advocate for the preservation of our planet!

  • Tuesday April 23 | Ventura College | MCE 226 | 10 a.m.

Speaker Julie Tumamait-Stenslie discusses "Indigenous Ecology And The Chumash"

  • Tuesday April 23 | Ventura College | Applied Science Center 150 | 2:15 p.m.

Speaker Kim Selkoe discusses "Sustainable Seafood"

  • Tuesday April 23 | Ventura College East Campus | 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Plant giveaway and gardening tips! The VC Basic Needs Center will provide eco-friendly reusable bags and there will be fresh produce from Community Action

  •  Wednesday April 24 | Ventura College | Applied Science Center | 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m

Ventura Land Trust join VC faculty, and student organizations to nurture our very own Mediterranean Native Garden on campus

  •  Wednesday April 24 | Ventura College | Applied Science Center 150 | 1 p.m.

FILM: Plastic Wars (54 min)

  •  Thursday April 25 | Ventura College | SCI 150 | 1 p.m.

FILM: Drowning in Plastic (53 min)

Professional Development

Ventura College is happy to bring Professional Development opportunities to staff, faculty, and administration to help develop new skills and stay up to date on current trends that are always evolving within our campus community. Upcoming event information can be found in the Classified Professional Development Corner, SharePoint, and the Master Calendar.

On-Going Events:

  • State Vision Resource Center: The Vision Resource Center is a portal for professional development and colleague connection throughout all of California’s Community Colleges.
  • USC Race and Equity Center: The Alliance unites community colleges across the state of California for high-quality professional learning experiences on an array of racial equity topics.
Professional Development Website

Showcasing the people, initiatives, and breakthroughs at Ventura College that are helping to lay the foundation for a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus.

  • As part of the Student Equity Plan in collaboration with Hanover Research VC conducted fifteen in-depth interviews with faculty and staff members from eight academic and support units across Ventura College.
  • As part of the Student Equity Plan in collaboration with Hanover Research VC will conduct in-depth student focus groups later this semester.
Student Equity Plan
College Planning Committee
Student Equity Webpage

Acknowledge the great work of your peers! A "Pirate Treasure" is a way to recognize colleagues and say thank you for outstanding support to our college community.

Acknowledge your Peers
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