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Category: Education

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.

Construction Notice for Friday 02/23/18 – Sunday 02/25/18

All,
You may have seen steam rising from the ground next to building 300. Be assured that this is not the precursor to an imminent geyser eruption nor will the College soon be offering hot spring baths as a way to attract more students. The steam is the result of a significant leak in the underground heating pipe near Bldg. 300. In order to repair the leak, it will be necessary for facilities to shut down the campus heating system beginning around noon on Friday, February 23rd through Saturday, February 24th. Heat will be restored on Sunday in preparation for Monday.

If you will be on the Fairfield campus on Friday or Saturday, you may want to consider bringing a sweater or jacket.

Broken Hot Water Main at Solano Community College

Broken Hot Water Main at Solano Community College

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/.

SCC Aeronautics Program Partners with Delta Airlines

Solano Community College has been selected as one of 38 Aircraft Maintenance Technician schools in the country that will partner with Delta Airlines! This partnership will benefit Solano’s students by gaining Delta as a resource for continuous improvement of the AMT program, and will broaden access to the benefits of AMT careers available within the global aviation industry.

SCC Biomanufacturing Baccalaureate Approved

You can now earn your four-year degree at Solano Community College!

Courses begin Fall, 2017 (Enrollment begins Spring, 2017)

Biomanufacturing means growing living cells (bacterial, yeast, and animal cells) in large tanks called bioreactors and inducing them to produce a protein that serves as a medicine.Biomanufacturing at SCC, picture of bioreactor. That protein then must be separated from other cellular components and purified by using techniques that exploit its properties to isolate it away from other cellular proteins. Then technicians use analytical techniques to prove the purity of the isolated protein. In the future Biomanufacturing will be expanded to include the industrial production of biofuels, biomaterials, stem cells, and other products currently manufactured using chemical rather than biological techniques. Solano Community College is exploring the addition of these elements to its program.

This table represents the sequence of course offerings for the first cohort that will begin the degree program in Fall 2017. Currently each course is actively being taken through the Solano College Academic Senate’s curriculum approval process. Equipment has been purchased for the laboratory courses and faculty are designing the laboratory learning modules.

Biomanufacturing classes at SCC, picture of class list

California School Prepares its Students for Success

A Rural High School with a 21st Century Outlook

A California school prepares its students for success.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/a-rural-high-school-with-a-21st-century-outlook/383963/

From The Atlantic.

Pearson-Bloom Retires as Head Coach of Women’s Softball

Terri Pearson-Bloom, the award winning head coach of the Falcon Softball Team, will be retiring from the program after 15 years of coaching. Pearson-Bloom received widespread recognition last season for achieving 400 wins as head coach. Under her leadership, the Falcons have achieved 11 consecutive Bay Valley Conference Championships, and have qualified for post-season play 12 times. The Falcon softball team consistently ranked in the top 20 in the state of California, reaching #1.

Pearson-Bloom’s emphasis on academic excellence led the Solano Softball team to a top 25 national ranking in overall team GPA with numerous players earning the most prestigious academic award in college softball, NFCA Academic All-Americans honors. Combining academic success with championship play produced numerous Solano Softball graduates who transferred successfully with softball scholarships to 4-year colleges. Former Falcons played at Division I, II, and NAIA colleges throughout the US including, but not limited to: Arizona State, CSU Fullerton, CSU Sacramento, CSU East Bay, Sonoma State, Jacksonville State, Lynn University, Oregon Tech, Lee University, Oklahoma Baptist, and Eastern New Mexico University.

Pearson-Bloom began her coaching career at St. Mary’s College in Moraga where she served as an assistant from 1995-96. She moved on to the University of Tennessee to become assistant coach for the Lady Vols for 2.5 seasons (1997-99).

Prior to Solano, Pearson-Bloom served as the head coach for one year with the Virginia Roadsters of the Women’s Professional Softball League where her team finished second place in the regular season and she received the honor of All-Star Game coach.

Pearson-Bloom performed as a standout player at California State University Northridge and led the team to four regional appearances and three Women’s College World Series appearances while batting leadoff and playing in the outfield. During her final season at Northridge, the team advanced to the national title game only to lose to eventual champion, the University of Arizona.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from California State University Northridge and a master’s degree in physical education from Western Illinois University. While at the University of Tennessee, she began work on another master’s degree in sports psychology. Last fall she earned her second master’s degree in communication studies from Lasell University.

Erik Visser, Athletics Director commented, “Coach Terri Pearson-Bloom is leaving a great legacy as the Head Coach for the Solano Falcons through her unconditional commitment to the success of the student athlete on and off the field and the tremendous team accomplishments under her leadership which includes 400 Wins, 11 consecutive Bay Valley Championships and qualifying for post season play 12 times.” Pearson-Bloom will continue her role as a faculty member in the Kinesiology program and Coordinator of the Academic Success Center.

SCC Student Film Festival on December 16th

The Solano Community College (SCC) Student Film Festival will take place at the SCC Fairfield campus in Room 121, TV studio on December 16th at 8 am. Students who were enrolled in the CINA 015 and CINA 016 courses will be featuring their short film projects during the festival. This semester the students work will include short individual montages plus three short features created by teams of students working together in groups. Students participating in the teams, experience “behind the camera” challenges as they search locations, work with actors, follow their script, light, shoot, and edit their production.
Instructor Ian McIver states that, “Students have worked hard and their finished product deserves to been seen by the public for the student to measure the appreciation of their completed work before entering the film industry.”

Admission for the SCC Student Film Festival at Theatre Deville is free and open to the public. For more information on this event, contact Ian McIver at Ian.McIver@solano.edu.

SCC To Host Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Meeting

FAIRFIELD, CA: Solano Community College (SCC) will host the Fall 2015 Curriculum Regional Meeting (North) of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges scheduled for this Friday, November 13, 2015.

For this event, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is partnering with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to hold Curriculum Regional meetings. The morning sessions will consist of updates on the latest news from the Chancellor’s Office and the Academic Senate on statewide curriculum issues, including the Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH), Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID), Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), and the UC Transfer Pathways. The afternoon sessions will consist of breakout sessions covering a variety of topics ranging from curriculum basics, distance education and curriculum in light of the Workforce Task Force recommendations to a special training session on the Curriculum Inventory especially designed for curriculum specialists. Teams of curriculum chairs, senate presidents, articulation officers, curriculum specialists, and administrators from colleges across Northern California will be present.
Meetings will be held in the back-half of the cafeteria (Building 1400), the Faculty Lounge, and the Honeychurch Board Room. Signs will be posted on campus to help our visitors locate the meeting. The programs will take place from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

For more information, contact Prof. Michael Wyly, SCC Academic Senate President at Michael.Wyly@Solano.edu or 707-864-4695.