Sample Image

Category: Press Release

Solano College Recieves Upgrade in Credit Rating, Refinances Bonds to Save Taxpayers $21 Million

Fairfield, CA – On November 1, 2019, Solano Community College District received an upgrade in its credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service. On November 13, 2019 the District refinanced bonds to save taxpayers almost $21 million….

Full Article

Eight Solano Community College Programs Named to Career Education 2018 “Strong Workforce Stars” Programs List

Eight Solano Community College (SCC) programs were recently named as California Community Colleges 2018 Strong Workforce Stars career education programs.

The 2018 Strong Workforce Stars were named within the 114-college system as career education programs whose students show significant gains in factors important in building a skilled workforce and advancing personal social mobility. Student program outcomes include a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage and placement in a job closely matched with their field of study.

Programs were ranked as Gold Star, Silver Star and Bronze Star programs, with a total of 1,384 community colleges receiving a designation. All 114 colleges have at least one program receiving recognition.

Solano’s Fire Technology and Registered Nursing programs were among the 294 Silver Stars awarded, while the college’s Accounting, Applied Biotechnology, Automotive Technician, Cosmetology, Human Services and Water and Wastewater Technology programs earned one of the 975 Bronze Stars.

Strong Workforce Stars can be viewed in the Workforce Recognition eShowcase on the California Community Colleges’ Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy website. All recognized programs are listed, along with the name of their college and the criteria for which they received recognition.

Additionally, the California Community Colleges has also re-launched the popular Salary Surfer website with updated data and new resources. Students and families can “surf” the site to explore estimated salary information for a wide range of occupations, based on recent California Community Colleges graduates’ salaries. New to the site are more than 100 career highlight videos that serve as a valuable exploration tool for students and families to visualize a future in various careers, including career education fields. Together, these two online resources allow students to explore diverse careers to help students and their families make informed decisions about their college education and career choices, as well as check to see which of their local community college programs has been recognized for student outcomes.

“Exemplary outcomes are a reason for celebration,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “We want every student to find success in the world of work when they come through the doors of our colleges. These resources support the goals we have articulated in our Vision for Success, which seeks to improve student outcomes and advance social and economic mobility.”

The California Community Colleges is the state’s primary system for delivering career education, helping to lift low-wage workers into living-wage jobs and fueling regions with skilled workers needed by employers. Career education programs are at the center of a statewide effort to produce 1,000,000 middle-skilled workers by 2026, with work in the area being bolstered by the state’s Strong Workforce Program, an annual recurring investment of $200 million to increase the number of students enrolled in career education programs in demand by regional labor markets.

About California Community Colleges

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 72 districts and 114 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Solano Community College

The College has served the community in Solano County since 1945 when it was founded as Vallejo Junior College. In the early 1970s, the College moved to its present Fairfield site, and is presently serving over 8,000 students throughout the academic year.

In addition to the campus in Fairfield, the College has one Center in Vacaville, and one in Vallejo. To further serve the community, SCC offers courses at Travis Air Force Base, and operates a School of Aeronautics at the Nut Tree Airport.

Currently, Solano Community College offers Associate Degrees and Certificates in various disciplines, to include transfer courses to California State Universities (CSU) and Universities of California (UC), and provides training in several trades. Solano will also begin offering a bachelor’s degree in Biomanufacturing in 2017. For more information, please visit us at www.solano.edu.

Solano Community College Workforce Program Receives Statewide Recognition

(Fairfield, CA) – Solano Community College has earned the California Community Colleges’ Strong Workforce Stars recognition at the Bronze Stars and Silver Stars level for its success in improving student employment and wage outcomes through its Strong Workforce career education program.

Strong Workforce Stars is an annual recognition for career education programs, or career technical education, within the California Community College system. Program graduates show significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility – a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage, and a job closely matched with the field of study.

“We are honored to receive these Stars awards,” said Solano Community College President Celia Esposito-Noy.” Our faculty and staff work closely with regional employers to ensure our students are job ready. It is a district-wide collaborative effort with a focus on student success.”

The 2018 Strong Workforce Stars were given to career education programs throughout the state in 12 industry sectors, based on earnings gained, living wage attainment, and employment in field of study. Those named Strong Workforce Stars met one or more of the following thresholds:
· An increase in earnings by 50 percent or more, based on a match to the state wage file, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2015-16.
· Attainment of the regional living wage by 70 percent or more, based on a match to the state wage file, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2015-16.
· 90 percent or more are employed in a job similar to their field of study, according to the Career Technical Education Outcomes Survey, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2014-15.
The Gold Stars designation is awarded to programs meeting all three of the criteria, while Silver Stars meet two and Bronze Stars programs meet one or more.
This year, six of Solano’s programs received a Bronze Stars award and two programs have received the Silver Stars designation.

Bronze Stars:
Automotive Technology where students have seen an 81 percent increase in earnings
Accounting students’ earnings have increased 80 percent
Cosmetology and Barbering earnings have increased 50 percent
Water and Wastewater Technology has seen 85 percent of students attain the regional living wage.
Biotechnology and Biomedical Technology students have seen a 363 percent increase in earnings
Human Services students’ earnings have increased 60 percent

Silver Stars
Fire Technology students have seen an 80 percent increase in earnings and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study.
Registered Nursing students have increased by 66 percent and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study.

“Strong Workforce Stars career education programs are proven to help Californians increase their earning power,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, executive vice chancellor for Workforce & Digital Futures. “With the introduction of levels this year, we are able to highlight those programs that are seeing significant results, as well as those that are on the rise toward even greater success.”

For more information about the SCC’s Strong Workforce Program, visit www.solano.edu/academic_senate/1617/Strong%20Workforce%20program.pdf. For information on how to apply and register for classes, visit www.solano.edu

About Solano Community College

The College has served the community in Solano County since 1945 when it was founded as Vallejo Junior College. In the early 1970s, the College moved to its present Fairfield site, and is presently serving over 8,000 students throughout the academic year.

In addition to the campus in Fairfield, the College has one Center in Vacaville, and one in Vallejo. To further serve the community, SCC offers courses at Travis Air Force Base, and operates a School of Aeronautics at the Nut Tree Airport.

Currently, Solano Community College offers Associate Degrees and Certificates in various disciplines, to include transfer courses to California State Universities (CSU) and Universities of California (UC), and provides training in several trades. Solano will also begin offering a bachelor’s degree in Biomanufacturing in 2017. For more information, please visit us at www.solano.edu.

Solano College Welcomes Reporter and Author Cheryl Wills to Campus

Award-winning television personality and author Cheryl Wills will speak at Solano College on Monday, March 19, 2018.

Wills, the primetime anchor for NY1 Live at Ten and host of public affairs talk show In Focus with Cheryl Wills on Spectrum News NY1 in New York City, is the author of three books about her great-great-great-grandfather Sandy Wills who fought in The Civil War: Die Free: A Heroic Family Tale, an illustrated children’s book, The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills and a young adult book, Emancipated: My Family’s Fight for Freedom.

Wills was the first journalist invited to speak before the General Assembly of The United Nations in March 2011 about the impact of slavery on her family during the UN’s International Remembrance of Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and is the Founder and Commander of the New York Chapter of the Sons & Daughters of the United States Colored Troops, a national organization based in Washington, D.C.

At Solano, Wills will speak about finding her roots and how knowing where she came from has contributed to her success, lead a discussion on underrepresented populations, discuss the benefits of community colleges and the importance of faculty and staff in a student’s journey to achieving their goals. After her presentation, there will be a question and answer session.

Who: Author and Spectrum News NY1 anchor Cheryl Wills
What: A presentation on finding her roots and how it contributed to her success
When: Monday, March 19, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Where: Solano College Theatre, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield, 94534
Tickets: This event is free and open to the public. Nearby parking is available in lots 2, 4 and 6. Parking permits can be purchased for $1 in any lot.

Wills has interviewed some of the most powerful people in the world including The First Woman President of Africa: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Will’s groundbreaking report earned her a prestigious medal from the United Nations Correspondents Association. She also scored an exclusive interview with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Will’s personal favorite was going one-on-one with the late great writer and activist Maya Angelou.

For her work as a journalist, Wills has received awards from The New York Press Club, Newswomen’s Club of NY Front Page Awards and The Associated Press. In 2017, she was awarded The Association of Social Studies Teachers/UFT’s The Rosa Parks Award for Social Justice for “illuminating the struggle for Black equality from The Civil War to present” and the Dr. Martin Luther King Award from three prominent Jewish organizations at The Israeli Consulate for bridging the gap between African Americans and Jews. Additional accolades include: The YMCA National Black Achievers in Industry Award and The Carl T. Rowan Leadership in Media Award. She has twice been honored by McDonald’s, first in 2010 as a broadcasting legend and more recently, in 2015, she received the first ever Harold Dow Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to broadcast media.

In addition to her work in the media, Wills has been featured in Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), Law & Order on NBC, Limitless on CBS, The Strain on FX, Freedomland (2006) with Samuel L. Jackson, The Brave One (2007) with Jodie Foster, among other stage and film productions.

About Solano Community College

The College has served the community in Solano County since 1945 when it was founded as Vallejo Junior College. In the early 1970s, the College moved to its present Fairfield site, and is presently serving over 8,000 students throughout the academic year.

In addition to the campus in Fairfield, the College has one Center in Vacaville, and one in Vallejo. To further serve the community, SCC offers courses at Travis Air Force Base, and operates a School of Aeronautics at the Nut Tree Airport.

Currently, Solano Community College offers Associate Degrees and Certificates in various disciplines, to include transfer courses to California State Universities (CSU) and Universities of California (UC), and provides training in several trades. Solano will also begin offering a bachelor’s degree in Biomanufacturing in 2017. For more information, please visit us at www.solano.edu.

Solano Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017

SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE ANNOUNCES THE

SOLANO HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017

Fairfield, CA: Solano Community College (SCC) will hold the 21st Annual Solano Community College Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, October 28, 2017 6pm, at Solano College in Fairfield, California.

Solano Community College is proud to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2017:

1)      John Canova:  Football and Basketball Game Announcer 1987-present

2)      Kate Shipp:  Women’s Basketball 2004 &2005

3)      Welana Toki :  Women’s Basketball 2004 &2005

4)      Reggie Vezia II:  Men’s Basketball 2003 & 2004

5)      Ryan Lipkin:  Baseball 2007

6)      Victor Ferrante:  Baseball 2004 & 2006

7)      Shirley Lewis:  SCC Booster 1997-present

8)      Jennae Lambdin:  Softball Head Coach 1995 – 2000

Tickets are $50. For more information, please contact Claire Gover at Claire.gover@solano.edu

Solano Community College Opens Theater Season with Peter and the Starcatcher on Newly Renovated Stage

(Fairfield, CA) – Solano Community College opens its recently renovated main stage theatre with the five time Tony Award-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher November 3-19. Based on the best-selling novels of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher tells the coming-of-age tale of how a miserable orphan comes to be known as “the boy who wouldn’t grow up.”

“We are all very excited to open our newly renovated main stage theatre with this amazingly funny and heartwarming show,” said Director Christine Mani. “This story goes back in time to before Peter was Peter, before Hook was Hook and before Wendy even existed – though we do meet a wonderful young girl named Molly.”

In Peter and the Starcatcher, a young orphan and his friends are shipped from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by corrupt King Zarboff. Befriended by the mysterious Molly, Peter and his new friend are on a quest to keep a magical secret safe and save the world from evil. Marauding pirates and jungle tyrants run amok in this music-filled, action-packed journey through Neverland.

Called “the most exhilarating storytelling on Broadway in decades,” by The New York Times, Peter and the Starcatcher is suitable for all ages and takes audiences into a world where anything can happen. Written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Baker, Peter and the Starcatcher explores the depths of greed and despair and the bonds of friendship, duty and love.

Who: Solano College Theatre Arts
What: Peter and the Starcatcher
Where: Solano College Theatre 4000 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534
When: November 3-4, 9, 11 and 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. and November 5, 11-12 and 19 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: Student $12, General $24, Senior/Military/Faculty $18 To purchase, call 707-864-7100 or visit http://blogs.solano.edu/theater/index.php/tickets/

“This hilarious play on the much-loved tale, takes you into a world were anything can happen,” said Mani. “Come out and celebrate this magical opening season with us.”

Cast:
Elizabeth Bowen – Grempkin
Kaylie Butler – Lord Leonard Aster
Bri Costello – Molly Aster
Aeric Chancellor – Mrs. Bumbrake
James Dean – Ted
Allen Denberg – Pirate/Mermaid/Molllusk
Norah Jones – Prentiss
Nancy Lopez – Sanchez/Mack
Makali Mates – Captain Robert Falcon Scott
Sean McName – Hawking Clam/Alf
Ben Mendiola – Keyboards
Joel Miller – Percussion
Kevin Rebultan – Smee
Khalea Ridad – Pirate/Mermaid/Mollusk
Robbie Robbins – The Black Stache
Matthew Sennett – Peter
McKenna Sennett – Pirate/Teacher
Katie Watkins – Bill Slank/Fighting Prawn.

About Solano Community College

The College has served the community in Solano County since 1945 when it was founded as Vallejo Junior College. In the early 1970s, the College moved to its present Fairfield site, and is presently serving over 8,000 students throughout the academic year.

In addition to the campus in Fairfield, the College has one Center in Vacaville, and one in Vallejo. To further serve the community, SCC offers courses at Travis Air Force Base, and operates a School of Aeronautics at the Nut Tree Airport.

Currently, Solano Community College offers Associate Degrees and Certificates in various disciplines, to include transfer courses to California State Universities (CSU) and Universities of California (UC), and provides training in several trades. Solano will also begin offering a bachelor’s degree in Biomanufacturing in 2017. For more information, please visit us at www.solano.edu.

California Community Colleges Encourage Students to Apply for the DACA Renewal Scholarship by Oct. 5

California Community Colleges Encourage Students to Apply for the DACA Renewal Scholarship by Oct. 5

Scholarship Opportunities from the Mission Asset Fund of $495 Available for Dreamers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Community Colleges today applauded the Mission Asset Fund (MAF) for offering scholarship funds to cover the costs for students needing to renew their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrives (DACA) status before the upcoming Oct. 5 deadline.

The San Francisco-based nonprofit, which has a long history of supporting Dreamers, dedicated scholarship funds specifically to help California community college, California State University and University of California students pay for the $495 renewal fee.

DACA students interested in applying for the scholarship opportunity should visit http://lc4daca.org to learn more and complete the online application. Scholarship applicants will need to complete a short questionnaire and will need to provide their documentation of DACA status with expiration date on or before March 5, 2018 to qualify for the financial aid.

“We applaud the Mission Asset Fund for the dedication of these funds to our state’s DACA students. It provides the needed financial assistance to file their renewal applications ahead of the October 5 deadline, which is fast approaching,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Oakley, who encouraged DACA students to renew their status. “The California Community Colleges will continue to support DACA students despite the Trump administration’s decision to rescind this vital program.”

Oakley also praised state legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown for agreeing to provide a $30 million to support California’s undocumented immigrants.  The proposal provides additional funding for immigration legal services under the One California program, and the California Community College Chancellor’s Office will receive $7 million. This funding will be made available to local colleges so that they can provide emergency financial aid resources to students affected by President Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA

Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they do not miss out on the opportunity to obtain a scholarship for the $495 renewal fee. Scholarship applications will be processed the same day they are submitted and once a student has qualified, checks made out to the Department of Homeland Security will immediately be made available in the San Francisco area and by overnight mail in other parts of the state.

Funding for the DACA renewal scholarship opportunity for California public college students is provided through the Weingart Foundation. Other philanthropic supporters include: the Irvine Foundation, Tipping Point Community, The Chavez Family Foundation and San Francisco Foundation.

The Trump Administration’s DACA decision does not impact a student’s ability to attend California community colleges, to qualify for an exemption from non-resident tuition fees under AB 540, or to apply for financial aid under the provisions of the California Dream Act. AB 540 and the California Dream Act are state programs that are entirely separate and distinct from DACA. To learn more about the finical aid opportunities available through the California Dream Act visit: icanaffordcollege.com.

PRESS RELEASE – September 13, 2017

Contact: Paul Feist

Phone: (916) 327-5353

E-mail: pfeist@cccco.edu

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 114 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/.

Resources for DACA students

Resources for Undocumented Students and their Families


Know Your Rights Red Cards – https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards
What to say and do if approached by ICE.

Immigrant Legal Resource Center – https://www.ilrc.org/
Great resources and up-to-date information and news.

Free and Low-Cost Immigration Information and Services
International Institute of the Bay Area (Napa, and other bay area locations) – http://www.iibayarea.org/
Catholic Charities of Yolo and Solano County – http://www.ccsolano.org/
Catholic Charities of CA (Sacramento) – http://catholiccharitiesca.org/
Legal Service of Northern CA – https://lsnc.net/

Immigration Legal Services
Immigration Lawyers in Solano County – https://www.justia.com/lawyers/california/solano-county

Upcoming Events
Free DACA Information Session from IIBA -http://www.iibayarea.org/
Wed, September 13, 6pm – 7pm
Where Puertas Abiertas, 952 Napa St. Napa CA 94558
Created by mfeldon@iibayarea.org

Solano College Faculty Member Participates in Inaugural Meeting of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine

Fairfield, CA 08/02/17 – Alison Aubert , a Solano College faculty/staff  member from  Dixon, CA was among 32 collegiate athletic trainers from across the country appointed to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s (NATA) newly formed Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine (ICSM), which held its inaugural meeting in Houston, Texas, on June 26, 2017. The first council of its kind, the ICSM aims to address student athlete health issues at the national level through a unique organizational structure that includes athletic trainers from NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; and the community colleges.

“We are extremely pleased to have Alison  join this esteemed group of sports medicine professionals,” said NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. “We look forward to the council’s work with the NCAA and other national organizations to ensure that student athletes receive the best possible health care through new policies and resources.”

The ICSM meeting was held in conjunction with the 68th National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, featuring hundreds of educational sessions and the largest exhibition of athletic training products and services in the world.

Solano Women’s Soccer Players Honored for Moving on to the Next Level

FAIRFIELD — Tuesday’s ceremony to honor a handful of Solano Community College women’s soccer student athletes was a good representation of the possibilities one has with being a student athlete at the school.

Juliet Ramirez and Annalissa Pena each signed a letter of intent to play at the next level with the University of Jamestown and Dominican University, respectively, while three others in attendance were honored for continuing their academic careers as well.

Anna Castro, Heather Walsh and Lauryn Williams were each part of the ceremony and celebration being recognized – as was Aly Bowers, who wasn’t in attendance because of work – by their coach, Jeff Cardinal, in front of family, friends and a few Solano staff members. Castro is headed to the University of California at Berkeley, while Walsh is going to Chico State and Williams to UC Santa Barbara. Bowers is bound for Sacramento State.

Each of them also had an idea of what they plan on studying at their next place of higher learning.

Castro is looking into political science, while Walsh wants to become a special needs teacher with a degree in liberal studies. Williams plans to get a degree in Spanish, but eventually work on a Masters in occupational therapy, while Bowers will be into early childhood development.

Ramirez is traveling the furthest, out to North Dakota to study kinesiology, with teammate Pena going into nursing.

Not only did each of the Falcons do plenty of work on the field, but they did it in the classroom as well with a combined GPA of 3.33 for the SCC women’s soccer team.

“It’s a lot of dedication and commitment,” Ramirez said of balancing both academics and athletics. “It’s pretty hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”

Ramirez attributed the success to being around teammates with the same goals in academics, citing working together often. Pena added that having some of the same pre-requisite classes helped with working together.

“It’s been a great experience,” Pena said. “I definitely enjoyed being at Solano. It means a lot that my teammates are transferring on. We worked so hard in the classroom as well as on the field and it’s nice to see we’re all finally going our separate routes and branching off.”

As for the play on the field, both Ramirez and Pena were midfielders and/or forwards and were seen in person by their respective coaches.

For Ramirez, she was asked to attend the Sophomore Showcase in Southern California, where junior college sophomores get a chance to compete in front of scouts. It was there the coaches at Jamestown saw her and later sent an email telling her they were interested.

“They liked how I would take on players all the time,” Ramirez said. “I had good skill and the ability to play at the next level.”

For Pena, she said Cardinal helped get her in contact with the coaches at Dominican and they invited her to participate in a practice in April.

“They thought I was a pretty dynamic player and liked what I was doing on the ball,” Pena said. “They also liked that I was able to just jump right in.”

If there was any moral to the story of being teammates, it’s that doing anything together is better than doing it alone.

“We talk a lot amongst ourselves on how to balance our classes,” Pena said. “Since a lot of us have the same classes, we’re look to each other for information and help to better ourselves in the classroom.”

By Marcus Lomtong from Daily Republic