CVHEC Summit - Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley

The Presidents and Chancellors of the Central Valley’s 29 colleges, universities, and community college districts invite you to their first live Legislative and Policy Summit since the pandemic-shutdown two years ago and invite you to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Consortium.

This year's summit with the theme, “Post Pandemic World: Recovering with Equity and Inclusion in the Central Valley,” will focus on the good work the members of the consortium have been doing on their campus in spite of the limitations imposed on us all by the pandemic.

As the theme indicates, the conditions brought on by the shutdown of campuses due to the COVID19 virus highlighted some inequalities on our campuses that demanded attention. In the post pandemic world, our college and university campuses will be much more attentive and responsive to creating environments that take into account, equity, inclusion, diversity and social justice. If you will be joining us, we know you will find value in the panels on the program.

We also invite you to join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of CVHEC in 2022. A special bonus for the day is the attendance of Dr. John Welty, President-Emeritus of California State University, Fresno and the founder of the Consortium. He will be joined by a couple of other founding members to discuss the origins and the issues that led to the establishment of CVHEC.

We look forward to seeing those of you who are able to join us at the summit (do come in for our Cinco de Mayo Reception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday).

Registration for our free event is open through May 2.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Registration and Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Welcome on behalf of CVHEC Board of Directors

• Kristin Clark, Chancellor, West Hills Community College District

Introductions and Review of Agenda

• Benjamin Duran, Executive Director, CVHEC

9:15 a.m. – 9:35 a.m.

CVHEC Equity, Race, and Social Justice Task Force Update

• Francine Oputa, Former Director of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, Fresno State
• Onar Primitivo, Director of Office of Social Justice Initiatives & Identity Programs, UC Merced
• Raymond Ramirez, Director, Student Equity and Success, Educational Services and Institutional Effectiveness, Fresno City College

Facilitated By Virginia Madrid-Salazar, Dependency Attorney, Fitzgerald, Alvarez & Ciummo

9:35 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.

Student Voices: The Student Experience with Dual Enrollment, Broadband Access, and the Transfer Process

• Nataly Frias, Student, Fresno State
• Alicia Bias, Student, Washington Union High School & Fresno City College
• Isaac Bates, Student, Corcoran High School & College of Sequoia
• Stephen Kodur, Class of 2021, Reedley College
• Veronica Mendez Garcia, Student, Fresno Pacific University
• Brianna Zatarain, Student, CSU Bakersfield

Facilitated By Chris Vitelli, Superintendent/President, Merced College

10:25 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.

Creating the Central Valley Transfer Model

• James Zimmerman, Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education, UC Merced
• Craig Hayward, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Bakersfield College
• Kris Grappendorf, Lecturer of Kinesiology, CSU Bakersfield

Facilitated By Claudia Habib, President, Porterville College

11:10 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.

Federal Legislative Update

• Jim Costa, 16th Congressional District Representative, U.S. House of Representatives

11:25 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

Broadband for All

• Jim Costa, 16th Congressional District Representative, U.S. House of Representatives
• Stan Santos, Legislative Chair, Communications Workers of America - Coastal Valley Council
• Lisa Lawrenson, Acting Superintendent/President, San Joaquin Delta College

Facilitated By Frank Gornick, Project Manager, #SanJoaquinValleyNetwork

12:10 p.m.

Lunch

12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Equitable Dual Enrollment - Leveling the Playing Field

CCC Apply, MA Upskilling & Dual Enrollment Pathways with Purpose

• Brandon Hildreth, Academic Dean, Los Angeles Valley College
• Victoria Martinez, Dual Enrollment Program Coordinator, Fresno City College
• John Spevak, Regional Coordinator, CVHEC
• Martín Macías, Superintendent, Golden Plains Unified School District
• Bethany Azevedo-Matos, Dean, West Hills-Firebaugh Center
• Richard Aguilar III, Director of Dual Enrollment, West Hills College Coalinga

Facilitator – Benjamin Duran, Executive Director, CVHEC

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Celebrating 20 years of CVHEC in the Valley

• Benjamin Duran, President Emeritus, Merced Community College
• John Welty, President Emeritus, Fresno State
• Frank Gornick, Chancellor Emeritus, West Hills Community College District

2:00 p.m.

Adjourn