Blue waves behind the words Coast Colleges in dark blue

Weekly News Brief | December 15, 2023
From the Office of Chancellor Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.
Chancellor Yamamura in front of the District Office
CCCD holiday card 2023

Persistent Innovation

Submitted by Tara Giblin, Ph.D., Orange Coast College Dean of Math and Sciences

The Giles T. Brown Student Project and Research Symposium

The Giles T. Brown Student Project and Research Symposium was conceived in 2015 by a small group of faculty and deans as a way to engage students in their discipline, but outside of the classroom. It was founded on the idea that close mentorship with faculty would increase student engagement and persistence. Students spend the academic year working with a mentor on a project of their choosing, and in late Spring the campus hosts an event to showcase this work. Over the following 8 years, the project has grown from about 25 presentations to 150 submissions this year. All of the work is done on a volunteer basis, faculty and staff comprise (and chair) the steering committee and the Foundation generously has funded awards for top students, with the Associated Students assisting to fund a luncheon for the participants and mentors. It's been completely a grass-roots effort on the part of faculty, which has become part of the fabric of the college now.

Please send examples of persistent innovation, by which I mean having a good idea and then putting in the hard work to make that vision a reality. The more examples submitted, the better I can highlight your successes in future letters and in the community!

 

College News


COASTLINE COLLEGE

Coastline College attended the 2023 Basic Needs Summit on Friday, December 8 at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. The theme for the event was "Rising to the Challenge- Heroes for Basic Needs." The RealCollege survey published in September 2023 stated that, "two out of every three CCC students grapple with at least one basic need insecurity." As the basic needs of students expand, Coastline aims to meet students with holistic support for housing, mental health, food, and emergency aid.

 

The words Coastline College above a shield with the letter C.
Coastline College Basic Needs team and allies

 

GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE

Golden West College welcomes Kaori Nakama as the new Director of Global and Cultural Programs. Nakama has more than eight years of experience in international education with three of those years at GWC's Center for Global and Cultural Programs. As an immigrant herself, Kaori is dedicated to serving students from diverse cultural and immigrant backgrounds. Additionally, she is a committed student, earning her master's degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Hawai'i Manoa and currently pursuing an master's degree in Counseling – Student Development in Higher Education at CSULB. When she is not studying, Nakama enjoys going on runs, exploring coffee shops, and spending time with her family.

 

A circle with the words Golden West College, Huntington Beach, on the outside with a central surfboard and the letters GWC.

 

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE

Orange Coast College's marketing and public relations department won 13 Medallion Awards at the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations District 6 annual conference and awards ceremony on November 8 in Palm Springs. Medallion Awards recognize outstanding communication achievement at community and technical colleges throughout the U.S. OCC is part of the NCMPR's District 6, including Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, and areas around Guam. OCC was recognized with three gold, eight silver, and two bronze awards for creative work produced during the 2022-2023 academic year. OCC's gold awards included the sailing schedule, the Dennis Kelly Aquarium 50th Anniversary event campaign, and the Friends of the Library outdoor signage display. The College also nabbed silver awards for the 75th Anniversary website, video, logo, and printed advertisement, the OCC academic planner, the OCC Instagram social media page, the Tiny Campus Tour video, and the OCC Library book return outdoor signage. OCC took home two bronze awards in the "Booklet" and "Logo Wear" categories. Juan Gutierrez, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, served as one of the presenters for the conference, leading a workshop on anniversary branding.

 

An Orange circle forming an O with two interior waves in dark blue forming two C shapes.
Orange Coast College Medallion awards

 

 

Schedule


Chancellor, Week of December 18
Dr. Yamamura will be off-site, Julie Clevenger will assist with needs from the Chancellor's Office on 12/18 - (714) 438-4732.

 


publicaffairs@cccd.edu

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