President Thayer’s Board Report for July 23, 2024
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
Presented by Cypress College President Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
on July 23, 2024
NICE Conference Presents Cybersecurity Award to Izadi
Cypress College Professor Ben Izadi was awarded a special acknowledgment at the NICE Conference in Dallas last month. Izadi was recognized for his work, including promoting the cybersecurity field and the Cypress College CyberPatriot program to college students, K-12 dual enrollment students, and nontraditional students.
Dean Rick Hodge said, “the significance of his recognition over 5 years includes: enrollment increases at 240%, certificate & degree completions at 497%, and industry certifications at 49%.” The Cypress College Superintendent Cup and CyberPatriot events have resulted in 7,974 participants during that time period.
Reiland, de Dios Named to Wheelhouse’s Advancing Leaders Institute Wheelhouse has named its second cohort of California Community College leaders as participants in the Advancing Leaders Institute. Both of Cypress College’s vice presidents — Dr. Kathleen Reiland, Instruction, and Dr. Paul de Dios, Student Services — were selected and are participating this year.
This cohort of equity-minded leaders serve colleges and districts that enroll almost a half million students annually. The cohort consists of 25 Vice Presidents and Vice Chancellors who are considering ascension to a California Community Colleges CEO position. Drs. Reiland and de Dios attended the initial session during the week of July 15 at UCLA.
Ayyappan Completes Stanford Law Scholars Institute
Associated Students President for 2023-2024 Arjun Ayyappan recently completed the Stanford Law Scholars Institute (SLSI), which provides support and leadership training to college students who want to explore the study and practice of law. Ayyappan was one of only 20 scholars selected from a variety of universities for the program, and will be transferring to Stanford as an undergraduate in fall.
Ayyappan, the first community college student selected for the institute, spent the last week of June on the Stanford Law School (SLS) campus for a fully-subsidized, one-week residential and learning experience with prominent SLS faculty. He and his fellow students attended activities, workshops, networking events, and more to help them prepare for academic life at a law school.
The program led students through a busy schedule of classes, group discussions, workshops, and a field trip to a San Francisco courtroom and San Francisco City Hall, among other activities. In addition, the cohort will get help with the law school application process, including a free LSAT preparation course and ongoing coaching until they gain entry into law school. The SLSI program will provide online training, speakers’ series, and office hours throughout the course of the next year.
24 Students Graduate from T-TEN Program; All Employed Already
Last week’s Toyota T-TEN graduation featured 24 Cypress Colleges students completing this cohort. All 24 are employed at a Toyota or Lexus dealership. Those attending the event included the students’ families, work mentors, and managers.
Cypress College’s T-TEN program is regularly recognized as among the best in the nation. In addition to their curriculum, students usually begin their paid internship at a Toyota or Lexus dealerships during their first year in the program. The program offers industry-standard ASE certifications and hands-on lab time. Based on this coursework, Cypress College T-TEN students quickly advance to Master Technician certification level and achieve excellent take-home pay for their work.
Niche Ranks Cypress College in Top 20
New Niche rankings place Cypress College in the top 20 California Community Colleges, and list it as one of the Best Community Colleges and Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions in America. The data-based K-12 and higher education ranking site has consistently placed the school at the top of many lists, including multiple years in the No. 1 California Community College spot.
This year, Cypress earned high marks for Student Life, Value, and Location. These are calculated using public data sources, parsed by Niche staff through digital algorithms and statistical analysis, and student reviews.
The majority of student reviews gave Cypress 5- or 4-out-of-5 stars and gave instructors credit for the effort they put into teaching. Overall, the school reached 19 on the list of California Community Colleges.
First-Year Charger Experience Students Registering for Fall
The campus has been full of activity this week as hundreds of students from the Charger Experience program attended on-campus registration workshops and gained access to in-person help. The first-year students represent the incoming cohort of the Charger Experience Program, which offers students two tuition-free years of education.
This year’s entering class is a robust one. More than 1,100 students attended the campus Commit2Cypress event in May, in which they signed their promise agreements. Students are now selecting their specific coursework for fall.
In addition to CEP program staff, students are able to meet with counselors, the Admissions and Records team, Financial Aid staff members, and other who support their enrollment.
T-TEN Tour
Last week, Cypress College Toyota/Lexus T-TEN Tech students toured the Newport Lexus service facility to see what it’s like working as a Toyota/Lexus technician. Shop Foreman Chris Porrett showed our students around, catered lunch, and shared some laughs.