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Weekly News Brief | April 12, 2024
From the Office of Chancellor Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.
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I am excited for the State of the District and Equity Symposium scheduled for next Thursday, April 18, starting with refreshments at 8:00 am. We have received over 150 RSVPs. I look forward to engaging with people from across our community at the receptions before and after the presentation, another opportunity to get together and network and share across the District.
At the Equity Symposium, which will begin at 9:45 am, I am eager for us to share with each other all the work that we are doing. We have more to do, absolutely, but this is an opportunity to celebrate all that is being done. Along with celebrating our current work, the event should stand as another jumping off point for further progress in the DEIA realm.
Just yesterday, we had the invite for a districtwide Black Graduation Celebration go out from the Umoja programs at all three colleges. Two weeks ago, we saw the invite for the districtwide Lavender Graduation to honor and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of our LGBTQIA+ identifying students. College-based end-of-year celebrations are also being held for EOPS and Puente programs. These are only a snapshot of a huge outpouring of academic support and student engagement aimed at closing equity gaps and broadening success.
April is also recognized nationally as Community College Month. Our mission as community colleges is deeply connected to the work of equity. We are the system that gives every student a chance to unlock their potential. We are the ideal first choice for many and the critical second chance for others. Our task in meeting every student where they are, regardless of life circumstances, is difficult, important, and inspiring. This is what gives us the energy to overcome obstacles.
Again, I hope to see many of you on Thursday. And thank you to all for continuing the great work that is community college excellence.
With gratitude,
Dr. Whitney Yamamura
Chancellor
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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! |
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2024 State of the District + Equity Symposium
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Please join us on Thursday, April 18, and hear from our college presidents and chancellor about the state of Coast Colleges (8:30 to 9:30 am). Equity symposium to follow. Held in the CCCD Board Room at 1370 Adams Avenue, Costa Mesa.
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College News
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COASTLINE COLLEGE |
California Community Colleges honored one of Coastline College's outstanding scholars, Jessica Lopez, with a "Board of Governors Student Leadership Award." The award honors community college student leaders who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to student leadership and Vision 2030. Jessica Lopez was one of four recipients in the state and was presented with a check for $1,250 and a commemorative certificate at this year's Student Senate for California Community Colleges Spring General Assembly. President Vince Rodriguez, Vice President Kate Mueller, and Vice President Christine Nguyen of Coastline College were in attendance.
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GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE |
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Golden West College will host daily webinar viewings from 12-1 p.m. in the GWC Ally Center (second floor, Student Union) for Black Student Success Week scheduled for April 22-26. This year's theme is "Building a Better Future Together: the Urgency is Now." This year's Black Student Success Week will focus on innovative approaches to ensure Black and African American students succeed in community colleges.
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| ORANGE COAST COLLEGE |
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Five students from Orange Coast College have been selected as semifinalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. OCC students who were named as semifinalists are John "Jack" D'Aiello, a mathematics major; Jose Juan "JJ" Paez, an architecture major; Maia Pham, an engineering major; Thu Phung, a mechanical engineering major; and Yongzi See, an economics and computer science major. The OCC students are five out of 92 California nominees and 459 national students selected as semifinalists for the 2024 Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. In 2023, two OCC students were chosen as semifinalists, and one OCC student won the national Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship in 2022.
The Orange Coast College Fashion Department is thrilled to announce its second annual Green Coast Day fashion show and marketplace with this year's theme of Retro Surf and Skate Revival on Wednesday, April 17, from noon until 4 p.m. in the Main Quad. This sustainability-focused event will include a fashion show at 2:30 p.m. in the Main Quad and a joint marketplace outside the College Center from noon to 4 p.m. in celebration and collaboration with Green Coast Day. This one-of-a-kind event promises to captivate audiences with its unique fusion of surf, stake, and sustainable fashion, offering a truly unforgettable experience.
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Schedule
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Chancellor, Week of April 15
Dr. Yamamura is in the District, Monday through Friday.
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publicaffairs@cccd.edu
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