Cypress Ranks Among Safest College Towns in Newly Published List

Cypress, CA has made the list of “The 50 Safest College Towns in America of 2021” by home security product resource company SafeWise. Cypress ranked 42^nd in its first appearance on the list.

SafeWise based its rankings on college towns that report the lowest violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents. To qualify, towns must have populations of 15,000 or more and be home to accredited colleges with four-year degrees.

The town chosen as safest is Milton, MA, home of Curry College. The town listed as most dangerous is Alexandria, LA, the site of Louisiana State University-Alexandria.

SafeWise found the following changes from 2020 to 2021:

• The safest college towns stayed consistent, however, Cypress, CA (home of Cypress College) is a newcomer this year.
• Northfield, MN, home to St. Olaf College, moved up 24 spots from last year’s list. Northfield decreased its violent crime rate by over half (1.4 to 0.6) and lowered its property crime rate from 9.7 to 7.3.
• The 50 safest college towns dropped slightly from a property crime rate of 8.6 incidents per 1,000 people in 2020 down to 8.2 in 2021.
• The violent crime rate among the 50 safest college towns slightly increased in violent crime. In 2019 and 2020, the rate was 0.9 incidents per 1,000 people. In 2021, it rose to one incident in 2021.

Read the full report here: safewise.com/blog/safest-college-towns-america/

Cypress College Named One of the Best Community Colleges in California by Intelligent.com

Intelligent.com, a resource for online/on-campus program rankings and higher education planning, has included Cypress College to its list of the Best Community Colleges in California in 2022. The research identifies 50 top programs in the nation based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation.

Cypress College was awarded Best Geology Program on the final list. The Intelligent.com ranking system judged each program on a scale from 0 to 100 across five categories. The scoring system compared each institution according to program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost, and student engagement. Researchers compared 215 programs from 216 universities and colleges across the United States. 

Cypress College offers flexible distance learning that appeals to busy adults or hybrid models that include on-campus and online formats. Analysts at Intelligent.com assessed programs in the Best Community Colleges in California that help students enhance and develop advanced skills for a variety of in-demand positions.

Studies show that obtaining a degree increases income substantially, with degree-holders earning 84% more than those with only high school diplomas or those without a completed GED. The percentage difference in earnings continues to grow with higher learning degrees such as masters, doctoral, or professional degrees, with the unemployment rate decreasing to as much as 1.1% for those with a doctorate. Click here to access the complete Intelligent.com California Community College ranking list.

President Schilling’s Board Report for November 9, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on November 9, 2021

At this board meeting, you will be hearing about the important DEIA work being accomplished at all of our campuses in support of our students, and specifically those who have been traditionally underrepresented. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism work takes intentionality, but can often seem frustratingly slow. Working with urgency takes focus and the support of the entire campus, and so I want to acknowledge the many employees across Cypress College who have been working toward a more equitable campus for years, not just when the spotlight is on us. And that is why the past few weeks have been so gratifying as we see some landmark acknowledgements of the work our college has been working toward.

Campaign for College Opportunity has named Cypress College a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education for our exemplary work in awarding Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to Latinx students on our campus. CCO looks at the percentage point gap (PPG) to identify campuses that are excelling in awarding ADTs to Latinx students, relative to their campus-wide ADT conferral rates. According to their award letter to the college, “The PPG tells us when campuses are acting with intentionality to ensure Latinx students who have a transfer goal earn an ADT. Across all California Community Colleges, your campus ensured that a high proportion of degree or transfer-seeking Latinx students received an ADT in the 2019-2020 academic year. This is a tremendous achievement and the real work of equity.” Cypress College and our sister college, Fullerton College, will be recognized at the Champions of Higher Education Celebration, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 10–11:30 a.m. via Zoom.  Assemblymember Marc Berman will provide remarks. We will also be joined by student leaders and other California Community College and CSU honorees. Attendees can join the celebration by registering using the following link: https://bit.ly/HigherEdChampions21. We hope you will join us!

In other exciting news, on November 2, Cypress College was announced as one of the top 150 community colleges that have been invited to apply for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Based on performance in student outcomes – including graduation rates, equity, and improvement over time – this invitation is an important marker of institutional performance. The Aspen Institute selected just 150 colleges from among approximately 1,000 community colleges evaluated nationwide. Since 2010, the $1 million Aspen Prize, awarded every two years, has brought a new level of public attention to community colleges, defined comprehensive measures of excellence in outcomes for community college students, and uncovered and disseminated practices that help exceptional colleges ensure great outcomes for their students. Each cycle, a committee of national experts selects 10 finalist institutions and, ultimately, the winner of this prestigious award. We are honored to be in the top 150 and eager to submit a strong application in December in order to be considered for this prestigious award. Congratulations to our college faculty, staff, and managers for their dedication to the important work of ensuring our students succeed! Read our press release.

Cypress College is committed to the importance of disability support as an integral part of our DEIA work and as Disability and Inclusion Month came to conclusion in October, our Disability Support Services (DSS) hosted activities and events to spark and engage in conversations of equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Cypress College appreciates the impact the disability community has made, and continues to make, on our society and we embrace disability as a natural part of our DEI work. Thank you to DSS Director Celeste Phelps and her team for the work they do creating campus awareness and support for our DSS students.

On Friday, November 5, the RP Group report on ESL Innovations was released, and Cypress will be featured again. This report coincided with a webinar at which ESL faculty, Alison Robertson and Kathy Wada, shared about the many ESL Innovations at Cypress College. Our ESL program has been a leader in the state for the creation of our ESL Certificate, for our participation in the UC Davis pilot of the engagement software, Ascend, and for the demonstrated outcomes of our ESL students. Congratulations to our dedicated faculty: Jenelle Herman, Jill Bauer, Samantha Simmons, as well as Alison Robertson and Kathy Wada. For those who wish to attend, you may access the webinar at 12-1 p.m. here.

Our Dual Enrollment counselors, Caitlyn Carralejo and Jovana Ramos, were recently featured in a TalentEd publication focused on the success of dual enrollment approaches in our local high schools. Caitlyn has seven years of experience in higher education and is also the Dual Enrollment Project Coordinator at Orange Coast College. Jovana has six years of experience in higher education and is currently a Ph.D. graduate student. The two counselors implemented a TalentED-inspired lesson into Jovana’s COUN 140C: Educational Planning, during a summer dual enrollment course for 39 high school students from the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD). They introduced students to priority career sectors and explored in-demand careers within our local community. Thank you, Caitlyn and Jovana, for the work you do in support of our students.

On November 5, our college Institutional Research & Planning team, led by new Director Bryan Ventura, held a Strategic Planning Retreat for over 100 participants from across the college. This retreat was to develop our Cypress College goals for the next three years and has been developed in tandem with our work developing a DEI Framework. The goals that came from the retreat will be shared through our shared governance process and adopted in spring 2022. This new DEI Equity Framework will be announced and shared with our college during a campus Town hall on December 3 from 12-1 p.m.

The college is also getting ready to send our 2021 Campus Climate survey to employees during the second week of November. This survey will help inform the college about the needs of and support required by our employees. We hope all employees will participate!

In Athletics news, our Lady Chargers are leading the way this semester. The Chargers Women’s Volleyball team leads the Orange Empire Conference with a 10-2 record. Cypress has an overall record of 18-3, which ranks them #5 in the state of California. Cypress College Women’s Soccer is also a premier program across California, ranking #7 in the state. The Chargers boast a dominant 11-1-2 record to go along with their conference record of 6-1-2. Go Chargers!

On November 9, Cypress College will be hosting our annual Connect2Cypress and Majors2Career event for the third straight year. In 2018, Connect2Cypress was developed in response to our Guided Pathways work, and we moved our spring Senior Day to the fall semester to help introduce students early to Cypress College as they consider attending college. This approach has been extremely successful and we thank Dr. Paul de Dios, Dr. Troy Davis, Gisela Verduzco, and all our academic deans for their efforts in planning this important event, which will be held virtually again this year. We also appreciate Career Center coordinator Angela Sardan and her team for aligning our Majors2Career event with the activities on November 9.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 26, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 26, 2021

Thank you to all who joined us for the Grand Opening of our new Veterans Resource Center (VRC) and Science, Engineering, and Math (SEM) buildings on October 19. This was a wonderful event, celebrating the completion of two new buildings that will serve Cypress College students for years to come. I want to thank Marc Posner and our Communications Team, Kai Stearns and Chelsea Salisbury, Kristi Valdez, as well as all our speakers, staff, and student ambassadors for making this a meaningful celebration.

Cypress College will be hosting three Vaccination Mandate Town Halls to help detail the November 1 implementation for students and employees. These will be held on October 22 @ 10 – 11 a.m. for employees only, October 26 @ 1-2 p.m. for students and employees, and October 28 @ 4-5 p.m. for students only.

The final Vaccination Clinic for our internal and external community will be held October 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in NOCE/Cypress Room 117/118. First and second doses of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson will be provided, as well as booster shots on request.

DSS Counselor Dawn Decker, DSS Director Celeste Phelps, and DSS Student Services Coordinator Summer Justice presented at the California Association on Post-Secondary Education and Disability (CAPED) Conference in Lake Tahoe October 4-8. Their topic was demonstrating how they use the Clockwork technology to enhance the student experience through customizable modules, designed to meet our DSS students’ specific needs. Congratulations to our presenters and thank you for your support of our students.

The Pediatric Cypress College Registered Nursing Students spent October 9 administering flu vaccines to 156 school-aged children in the Savanna School District. This clinic was part of the “Teach Flu a Lesson” program sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and supported by Cypress College. This is the ninth year of our partnership for this event.  Thank you to Michael Faraci and our nursing faculty for organizing and supporting this event.

On October 27, from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., the LIFE Community, our support program for formerly incarcerated students, will host Danny Murrillo, a true leader in the field of FISI student empowerment. Murrillo was formerly incarcerated himself, and he co-founded the Underground Scholars Initiative at UC Berkeley, was a recipient of the John Gardner Fellowship for Public Service, as well as appearing in GQ Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR), Option B Stories, The Appeal Podcast, The New Yorker Magazine, Univision, and 60 Minutes with Oprah.

Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva visited the Cypress College campus on October 14 to present certificates of achievement to our three HACU Fellows:  AnnMarie Ruelas, Gisela Verduzco, and Yanet Garcia-Padilla. Read our news coverage here.

The SDMS (Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography) Foundation Sonography Student and Advanced Degree Scholarship Programs awarded a $2,500 scholarship to Megan Park, a DMS student at Cypress College. Scholarships are awarded to deserving sonography students and sonographers who have been accepted or are currently enrolled in a diagnostic medical sonography or cardiovascular technology educational program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Megan was one of only two recipients awarded this scholarship on a national level. She is a senior (second year) sonography student who will graduate in May 2022. Congratulations, Megan!

Do not miss the fabulous Cypress College Theater Department production of The Laramie Project. This important and beautifully acted play, detailing the death of Matthew Shepard, is directed by faculty member Jennifer McMillin-Brick, and will be presented October 15, 16, 22, and 23 at 7 p.m., and October 17 and 24 at 4 p.m. in our Campus Theater. Vaccination proof is required to attend in person. For those interested in seeing this production via live streaming, we will be presenting this on October 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. For tickets or streaming access please visit CypressCollegeTheatre.com.

In 2020, Cypress was one of 13 community colleges nationwide to be named as a NASA minority-serving institution. This month, 17 Cypress College students successfully completed the first NASA on-campus experience. Out of the seven community colleges who participated, Cypress College had the largest number of students to complete the online course and career assimilation program. Throughout the competition, three of our students won employee of the month and two others were part of the winning team. These students will be acknowledged October 29. During the second half of the event, some of the NCAS participants will be featured as panelists and have an opportunity to share about their personal experiences.

The Legacy and Puente Programs sponsored a John Henryism Workshop for Mental Health on Monday, October 18, 2021.  John Henryism (JH) is a strategy for coping with prolonged exposure to stresses such as social discrimination and other stresses that lead to expending high levels of effort, which results in accumulating physiological and psychological costs.

Now that in person events are starting to occur again, Dr. Schilling, Howard Kummerman, and Rachel Ghatikar had the opportunity to attend the Cypress State of the City/Cypress Chamber Social Mixer on October 6, along with Trustees Stephen Blount and Barbara Dunsheath. They also attended the Cypress/Anaheim Boys and Girls Club Masquerade Event on October 23 at the California Grand Hotel in Anaheim and, on November 20, they will also be supporting the Estrella Awards sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Aligned with the college’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, this summer our student service team created three new Student Resource Guides – the Latin@ Resource Guide, the APIDA Resource Guide, and the Black Student Resource Guide. Thank you to Gisela Verduzco, Pryscilla Truong, Virgil Adams, and Paul de Dios for taking the lead in developing these wonderful resource guides for students and to Marc Posner and his team for helping to format, organize, and share with students. The official rollout of these new guides will be November 1.

Dr. Schilling will be presenting the AFHAT Transportation brief that she authored as a member of the Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce at the Trustees webinar on November 4 @ 12-1:30 p.m. and again during the CEO webinar on November 9 @ 12-1 p.m. To access this brief, please click here.

On November 8, our Veterans Center will be hosting our annual Green Zone Training for all interested employees, in the effort to provide more support for our Veterans and military-affiliated families.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

New Buildings Unveiled at Grand Opening Event

Cypress College today held a grand opening for the two newest buildings on campus: the Veteran’s Resource Center (VRC) and Science, Engineering, and Math building (SEM). Government representatives, donors, alumni, faculty, and staff were in attendance for speeches, tours, and ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the first two projects funded by Measure J, a $574 million bond written to fund the renovation and building of facilities at Cypress College, Fullerton College, and North Orange Continuing Education.

In front of the VRC, with flags of the armed forces and the American flag in the background, Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, PhD., opened the event by introducing the Color Guard presentation by the RSS Anaheim Marines. She acknowledged the attendance of notable community and government members including: Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva; Scott Do of Senator Josh Newman’s office representing California’s 29^th senate district; Manuel Chavez of Supervisor Katrina Foley’s office; City of Cypress Mayor Jon Peat; and from the North Orange County Community College Board of Trustees president Barbara Dunsheath, Vice President Jacqueline Rodarte, and members Jeffrey Brown, Stephen Blount, and Ryan Bent.

After hearing from Dunsheath and Cypress College Foundation Executive Director Howard Kummerman, two former students – one each from the SEM and VRC programs – spoke about their experience at Cypress and what the new buildings mean to them.

Automotive Technology, Physics, and Math major Junnior Rodriguez, who graduated with honors in 2017, and is now an automotive project engineer in Bowling Green, Kentucky, spoke first. Dr. Schilling introduced him and said he was nicknamed the “SEM Savior” by former president Bob Simpson after giving a pivotal speech to the Board of Trustees in support of the new SEM building before its construction. Today he thanked everyone who made the SEM building a reality.

“You’re the promoters of progress, the advocates for change,” Rodriguez said to the crowd of about 250 people. He remarked that when SEM students now study, they’ll have a beautiful place to do it, and discussed some of the building’s features. “We all made this happen.”

Representing the VRC program, Stevan Vargas spoke next. Vargas is a Marine Corps veteran, who started at Cypress in 2015, ultimately graduating with a degree in math and science and going on to Cal State Long Beach, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2020. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his two tours in Afghanistan, he remarked that Veteran Coordinator Juan Garcia, PhD., helped him deal with struggles he felt at school, as did the Veteran’s Club, where Vargas was elected president.

“The high point of my time at Cypress was definitely working on this new Veteran’s Resource Center project that we’re standing in front of right now,” Vargas said. “At times, it was a bit overwhelming for me but my heart told me to keep pushing, if not for me, for the future dreams of our veterans.”

The VRC will support veterans through their transition from active military duty to civilian life. It was designed to meet the needs of veterans, such as a secluded back patio, private counseling rooms, curved front exterior to reflect a return to being civilians, and the Memorial Bridge area to showcase the flags of the armed services.  It contains new computers and technology equipment as well.  

Some new features of the SEM building include lab rooms designed to be accessible, conducive to collaboration, and containing updated equipment; additional math rooms, allowing for new courses;  a new aquarium room and greenhouse for biology; and an immersive digital classroom with a 40-foot tipped dome screen for astronomy classes and other presentations.

Get more information about Measure J, the SEM building, or the SLL/VRC building.

Cypress College’s New HACU Fellows Honored

Cypress College’s three HACU fellows — Yanet Garcia Padilla, AnnMarie Ruelas, and Gisela Verduzco — were honored by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva during an on-campus ceremony on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. Quirk-Silva, who represents Cypress College as part of California’s 65th Assembly District, presented the three campus leaders with certificates of recognition in celebration of their achievement. 

Padilla, Ruelas, and Verduzco were accepted last month by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as fellows into a program designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education. Just 25 fellows were accepted into the program across the nation. 

Quirk-Silva, an educator prior to serving as an elected official, told each of the HACU fellows she was proud of their work and the opportunities they created for others to achieve their dreams. The setting matched this theme as well. Quirk-Silva made the presentations in front of the campus’ prominent carved sculpture, created by J. Sergio O’Cadiz Moctezuma in 1967 as a sign of hope and possibility for Latino students. The sculpture was preserved in 2016 as Cypress College prepared for its 50th anniversary celebration and highlighted as part of an exhibition of O’Cadiz Moctezuma’s work. The Cypress College sculpture is one of the artist’s few surviving public works. 

“These three Cypress College leaders … are all talented individuals who aspire to leadership positions and continue to bring innovative and inspiring programs to the students of Cypress College,” Quirk-Silva said on her social media account.

Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, PhD., acknowledged this accomplishment for the three new fellows, the most selected from any single organization in the United States.  

“We know the HACU Leadership Academy will further improve their opportunities for professional advancement and for the benefit of the students they serve,” Schilling said in a press release earlier this year.

“Cypress College is incredibly proud to have three fellows selected, more than any other institution in the nation. We believe this speaks to the commitment to support our employees and students as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.” 

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 12, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 12, 2021

Cypress College will be holding the second of its two fall vaccination clinics on October 18 to assist students and employees in meeting the November 1 mandate. The second clinic will be held at the Cypress NOCE location from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., providing first and second doses of Pfizer, as well as Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines on request. Any student or employee who receives their second vaccination dose (or first of Johnson & Johnson) by October 18 will meet the November 1 deadline.

Future Built, the Orange County Strong Workforce campaign, featured two of Cypress’ programs in their most recent newsletter: our Aviation and Automotive Technology programs. Click here to read these stories and how Cypress is making a difference in the lives of our students.

Over 40 Cypress College students attended the Huntington Beach Airshow on October 1-3. In preparation for this annual event, Cypress’ Aviation instructor, Ed Valdez, realized a lifelong dream of flying with the Blue Angels, during a practice run on September 29 at the Joint Forces Airbase in Los Alamitos. Ed has inspired so many of our students to reach for their dreams, so it was gratifying to see him realize one of his. Thanks to Kathleen Reiland, Marc Posner, Cypress council member Anne Hertz, and Supervisor Katrina Foley for attending.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and on Wednesday, October 6, the Health Center hosted the inaugural Community Partner Spotlight, inviting the Long Beach Trauma Recovery Center and the Women’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) to present about interventions and support in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Additionally, on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, from 12-1 p.m., the college continues our Wellness Wednesdays. This month the topic will be “Negotiating Boundaries with Family and Friends.” This workshop will present tips and tools to negotiating agreements and setting boundaries to create healthy habits in relationships, whether romantic or plutonic. More details to come for this workshop.

Stephanie Teer and Stephanie Flores were selected to present at the California Coalition of Early and Middle Colleges (CCEMC) 8th Annual Dual Enrollment Summit on September 23-24, along with Amanda Bean of AUHSD. Their presentation, titled Dual Enrollment Success Strategies in a Virtual World, featured the best practices to support students in the transition to virtual learning. The collaboration between both institutions introduced new strategies to capitalize on the opportunity to develop an innovative learning environment through the establishment of an online public high school embedded with various dual enrollment pathways. Congratulations to our Dual Enrollment team!

Cypress College Court Reporting was well represented at the National Court Reporter’s Association Annual Convention held in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood this past summer.  Two students, Julia Kalina and Shayna Lutsky, were selected to receive convention sponsorship by the Los Angeles County Court Reporter’s Association.  In total, Cypress College had more than 15 students in attendance, one of the largest groups of students nationally. In addition, the Los Angeles County Court Reporter’s Association is also sponsoring six Cypress students to attend the virtual California Court Reporter’s Association convention to be held October 15– 17.  Our Cypress College Court Reporting students Alissa Legaspi, Alison Kelly, David Wong, Danielle Jones, Monica Ortega, and Nicole Marsalek look forward to attending.

In other news, our EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs & Guardian Scholars programs served more than 850 students during the spring 2021 semester and over 1,000 unduplicated students throughout the year. The program continues to support, engage, and connect with students by providing counseling, textbook assistance, priority registration, workshops, and events; services are now offered both virtually and in-person. The spring 2021 EOPS graduating class was the largest to date, with just over 200 students graduating and transferring.

Cypress College was named a subrecipient to CSUF’s Project RAISER grant. As a subrecipient, Cypress College will be awarded $15,000 per year for five years for a total of $75,000 (October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2026). This grant will focus on providing research opportunities for our students. Congratulations to Yanet Padilla for her application for this grant and dedication to the STEM(2) program.

In other STEM news, a group of 20 students attended the Base 11 Next Frontier Expo and Virtual Conference held October 6-7. Base 11 is a local organization committed to opening industry and career opportunities to underrepresented students in the STEM fields. This opportunity was offered free to our students through a partnership collaboration with Cypress and Base 11.

With continued support from Pathways of Hope, our student services team and campus volunteers effectively maintained operations of the Food Pantry drive-thru service by distributing over 9,300 bags of dry goods, produce, toiletries, diapers, and hygiene products this past academic year. We will continue this drive-up distribution during the fall semester with the expectation of moving operations again to our new food pantry in the spring. Donations are still needed for hygiene goods such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, diapers, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and other non-food products.

As previously announced, the annual Look Who’s Dancing fundraiser by Pathways of Hope was postponed until 2022, but our Dance students, under the leadership of Maha Afra, recorded a promotional video to promote our commitment in the fight to end hunger and homelessness. Pathways of Hope Development Manager, Mychael Blinde, visited the campus the last week of September to video the choreographed PSA. We thank our students and Professor Afra for their dedication to this important cause. We will share the video when it is released later this month!

Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW) is taking place October 18-22. The Cypress College Grads to Be Program provides counseling, legal aid assistance, financial aid and scholarship assistance, mental health referrals, and workshops and events. Free legal services are also offered to our undocumented students in coordination with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). Grads to Be served over 50 students this past year.

The Grads to Be Programs across NOCCCD are also partnering to present a vibrant list of virtual workshops and offerings in celebration of USAW. Now in its fifth year at the state level, USAW encourages California Community Colleges to engage in advocacy and support efforts in solidarity with undocumented students throughout the state. See the full schedule of programming.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together

Aviation & Travel Careers Chair Flies with Blue Angels

Ed Valdez, Cypress College’s Aviation & Travel Careers Department Chair, today reached one of aviation’s heights by flying with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Valdez flew in one of the new F/A-18 Super Hornets out of the Los Alamitos Army Airfield/Joint Forces Training Base, breaking the sound barrier, reaching a g-force of 7.5, and fulfilling a lifelong dream.

“Ever since I first saw them, I wanted to fly with them,” Valdez said of the Naval aviation group. “It has been my dream.”

The Blue Angels are celebrating their 75th Anniversary tour, and included Valdez as a VIP guest in the flight event leading up to this weekend’s Pacific Air Show in Huntington Beach October 1-3. When asked what being considered a VIP with the Blue Angels meant for him and Cypress College, Valdez was reflective, and a little emotional.

“To the students at Cypress College, I’d say ‘You can do it.’ I’ve made it, there were a lot of roadblocks, but I made it, and students can, too.”

Valdez was briefed before the hour-long flight on how to prepare for high speeds – the day’s flight clocked an indicated MACH of 1.21 – and strong gravitational force. Blue Angel crew members taught him anti-gravity exercises and the Hook Maneuver, to increase blood flow to his upper body and head in the face of forces stronger than seven times his body weight. The possibility of passing out was real but Valdez proved he could be a good student as well as a good teacher.

“No passing out for this guy!” he said upon landing. After deplaning, he said he enjoyed the in-air maneuvers and felt “humbled and blessed to have this opportunity.”

In attendance for the event were Orange County Second District Supervisor Katrina Foley, who presented Valdez with a Certificate of Recognition, and Cypress City Council Member Anne Hertz. Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling and Interim Vice President of Instruction and Career & Technical Education Dean Kathleen Reiland also joined to celebrate their colleague’s achievement.

“Thanks goes to Cypress College – I’m doing this for all the kids,” Valdez said. “It’s a great feeling to have them set their lives up and see their success. I tell them to always be putting one foot in front of the other. The destination’s important but you have to enjoy the path.”

Valdez has taught at Cypress since 2004. He has flown for Champion Air, Skywest Airlines, and occasionally for private Gulfstream G3 aircraft on a contract basis. He recently retired from being a pilot with United Airlines, where he flew Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft.

President Schilling’s Board Report for September 28, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on September 28, 2021

The semester is in full swing and it is hard to believe we are already entering the sixth week of instruction. The college is busy working with students and employees to upload their vaccination records, and provide timely information to our campus community. Cypress College will be holding two vaccination clinics to assist students and employees meet the November 1 mandate – on September 27 and October 18. Both clinics will be held at the Cypress NOCE location from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., providing first and second doses of Pfizer, as well as Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines on request. Any student or employee who receives their second vaccination dose (or first of Johnson & Johnson) by October 18 will meet the November 1 deadline.

We are pleased to announce that the Cypress College Automotive Technology students received 20 percent of the California New Car Dealers Association Scholarship awards given to colleges in the state. Three students received substantial awards:

• John Villegas: $5,000 — 2nd year General Program
• Molly Poer: $5,000 — 1st year T-TEN
• Vincent Lagasca: $10,000 — 2nd year T-TEN

In addition, another 25 students received multiple scholarships from the Orange County Auto Dealers Association. Congratulations to our outstanding students and to our automotive faculty who prepare them for excellence! We are proud of our industry partnerships and grateful for the support of our local auto dealers.

Dave Dahl Speaks! On September 22, Dave Dahl, the founder of the successful bread company, Dave’s Killer Bread, shared his amazing story from incarceration to CEO and entrepreneur with our LIFE students and campus community. Our students were inspired by hearing from a man who refused to allow his early mistakes define his life and who offered hope, encouragement, and practical tips to our students.

College Factual, the largest higher education analytics company in the U.S., has ranked several of Cypress’ associate degree programs in the top 25 in the nation. The rankings come from multiple factors including: accreditation, student employment success, student and employer demand, educational outcomes, affordability, and student satisfaction. The top programs acknowledged at Cypress College are: Business Administration (#3 in the nation); Hospitality and Culinary Arts (#5 in the nation); Health Services (#11 in the nation); Radiological Technician (#21 in the nation); Diagnostic Medical Sonography (#22 in the nation). Our Marketing program (#50) and Nursing Program (#68) both ranked in the top 15% of the national rankings. Read more about how Cypress College ranked.

Our M&O team has continued working to improve our campus facilities through the pandemic. They recently completed re-roofing the Business & the Gym II buildings. The final coating has a reflectivity rating that meets or exceeds all Title-24 R-Value and sustainability requirements. With proper maintenance, these new roof systems will last 30 years each. Thank you to managers Phil Fleming, Carlos Guerrero, and A.D. Fowler, and to our excellent M&O team for all they do!

There are lots of good things happening in our Cypress College Athletics Department, starting with the fact that our Cypress College Women’s Soccer Team is ranked #2 in the nation! The Lady Chargers soccer team opened their season with five straight wins and are currently 5-0 for the season. Go Chargers!

In other athletics news, Cypress Chargers Assistant Baseball Coach, former Athletic Director, and Cypress Hall of Famer Bill Pinkham, added another prestigious award to his resume as he was announced as the 2021 ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) Assistant Coach of the Year.

Cypress Athletics is also excited to announce the hiring of two full-time Athletic Trainers, Nicolette Marinello and Rachael Kirkpatrick. The appointments come following a comprehensive national search after the retirement of longtime Athletic Trainer, Scott Tucker. Welcome, Nicolette and Rachael! And thank you, Wes McCurtis and Colin Preston, for leading our athletics forward.

We are proud to share the first images (of Jupiter and Saturn) taken with a telescope in the new Cypress College Planetarium by Professor Michael Frey and SEM tutor Alex Miyoshi. As the faculty and staff learn about the new equipment and technology, the Astronomy Department plans to offer students lab opportunities where they will be able to use the equipment to produce images. Join us for Star Watch evenings this semester on campus in our new VRC outdoor complex.

Cypress College will be the beneficiary of a two-year grant with the Babson Financial Literacy Project (BFLP), a not-for-profit initiative designed to help young adults acquire the financial knowledge and skills necessary for long-term independence and prosperity. Their focus is to fill the financial literacy gap for underserved populations by providing them with access to personal finance education. Our Title V Grant identifies the need for financial literacy as a part of Guided Pathways, and we will be beginning a pilot this semester with all students in the Charger Experience to evaluate which BFLP workshops resonate with our students.

The Career Planning Center is offering several workshops each month throughout the fall semester to assist our students. Please review their schedule. Thank you to Angela Sardan and the Career Planning Center team for their support of our students.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together

T-TEN Students Earn Statewide Grants

Two Automotive Technology T-TEN students received awards from the California New Car Dealers Association Scholarship Foundation this month. This year’s annual “Car Careers” Scholarship program selected 20 total grant recipients and one overall statewide winner, a Cypress College student, to receive an additional $5,000.

Molly Poer, a Year 1 T-TEN student, received $5,000 from the organization. Vincent Lagasca, a Year 2 T-TEN student, who was awarded the Peter K Welch Honorary Scholarship, was granted $10,000.

“There’s something fulfilling about tightening the final bolt on a project – a sense of accomplishment that I haven’t found anywhere else,” Poer said in a press release. “Being an unconventional student, who has already completed previous degrees, worked in a different field, and yet still wants to grow my skill set to transition to a vastly different career, I know that I don’t fit the mold of a traditional technician… I want to be able to give people, men and women alike, the peace of mind that their vehicle is in the hands of someone who cares.”

The CNCDA scholarship program provided more than $100,000 to students in automotive technology programs. The organization awarded grants to applicants based on academic performance, career interests, and industry experience, according to a press release.

The Foundation Board selected the top four candidates from five regions across the state, who were each awarded $5,000 to cover education and training expenses. From these 20 grant recipients, Vincent Lagasca was selected as the overall statewide winner, receiving an additional $5,000 for the Peter K. Welch Honorary Scholarship.

“We were very impressed with the students who applied for this scholarship program and are proud to be able to support them as they pursue promising careers in the auto tech industry,” Brian Maas, CNCDA President and CNCDA Scholarship Foundation vice president, said.

The CAR CAREERS Scholarship will be offered again in 2022 and information on program specifics and the application process can be found here.

Court Reporting Students Sponsored at Convention

Two Court Reporting students from Cypress College, Julia Kalina and Shayna Lutsky, were selected to receive convention sponsorship by the Los Angeles County Court Reporter’s Association. They and others represented the program at the National Court Reporter’s Association Annual Convention in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from July 28 through August 1, 2021.

Cypress College had more than 15 students in total attend, one of the largest group of students nationally. Seminars and activities included vendor booth visits, hands-on opportunities for students to experience CART and captioning reporting, freelance reporting, how to handle difficult situations in the courtroom and deposition proceedings, and more. The exchange among the working court reporters, deposition reporters, captionists, CART, and the students appeared motivational for everyone in attendance, including two Cypress College faculty members.

“We were pleased to recommend two of our students, Julia Kalina and Shayna Lutsky, to the convention sponsorship opportunity offered by LACCRA,” Court Reporting program director Carolee Freer said. “Both students are currently working at the speeds of 180 to 200 words per minute.”

The Los Angeles County Court Reporter’s Association is also sponsoring six Cypress students to attend the virtual California Court Reporter’s Association convention to be held on October 15 through the 17.  Our Cypress College Court Reporting students, Alissa Legaspi, Alison Kelly, David Wong, Danielle Jones, Monica Ortega, and Nicole Marsalek, are looking forward to this experience as well.

President Schilling’s Board Report for September 14, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on September 14, 2021

Although we are well underway with the fall semester, I want to thank our student services team and academic leaders for hosting our 2021 Virtual New Student Welcome Night and helping our students get off to a positive start. On August 20, over 650 students and their families tuned in to our Livestream for the Main Session and participated in the breakout sessions with Student Services and Academic Programs. Our support teams continue to be there to reassure and answer all of our students’ questions about the upcoming semester. Thank you to Gisela Verduzco, Pryscilla Truong, Paul de Dios, and all our Academic and Student Services deans, staff, and faculty for participating in this important event!

We are proud to announce that Yanet Garcia Padilla, AnnMarie Ruelas, and Gisela Verduzco have been accepted as fellows into the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Fellowship Program — a program designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education. Three of the 25 higher education leaders selected are from Cypress College — more than any other institution in the United States. The one-year fellowship is open to “talented individuals who aspire to leadership positions at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs,” according to HACU (please see accompanying HACU news release). Congratulations to each of these dynamic leaders!

Cypress College will be hosting a Bystander Intervention Training on September 30, 2021 3–4:30 p.m. This training will be held for all Cypress College students, faculty, and staff. The Bystander Intervention Training will address specific strategies that can used to intervene on behalf of others who are targets of harassment, disrespect, and other racist attacks, either in person or online. Individuals who undergo the one-hour interactive training will learn the five D’s – distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct – and how to prioritize their own safety while intervening. The training, organized by Paul de Dios and Pryscilla Truong, is in response to this spring’s spike in anti-Asian hate incidents post-COVID. Attendees will also learn about the AAPI experience in the Southern California region and will empower individuals to make a meaningful difference as allies to AAPI friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the Cypress College Health Center is committed to educating and raising awareness, as well as advocating for mental health services and resources to help break the stigma surrounding mental health. This year, the college took another step forward by establishing an Active Minds chapter on our campus. Active Minds is a national nonprofit organization leading the way for mental health awareness, through education and suicide prevention for young adults. They are active on over 800 college campuses and are now in high schools and even the workplace.

To further our goals to support the wellness of our students, the Health Center will be piloting new Mental Telehealth services for students, which allows for unlimited mental health counseling for our LGBTQ, veterans, athletics, EOPS, Legacy, Puente, and DSS students this fall. Our goal is to expand this service across the campus in spring. Please see the following events from the Health Center this month:

• “S Word” Film Screening on Wednesday, September 1 @ 4-6 p.m.
• World Suicide Prevention Day: Mental Health First-Aid and Self-Care Techniques with Dr. Erica Gergely on Friday, September 10
• “Wake Up” Film Screening on Tuesday, September 14 @ 3-5 p.m.
• Wellness Wednesday – Sorting Out Chaos: Accessing Our Mental Health Resources on Wednesday, September 22 @ 12-1 p.m.
• A Collaborative Workshop with Active Minds, Integrative Wellness Club, and the Cypress Wellness Collaborative on Wednesday, September 29 @ 4-6 p.m.

Our student laptop program is underway with the first 2000 free laptops going to students in our Legacy, Puente, Veterans, Athletics, EOPS, the Charger Experience, and STEM(2) Programs. Another 1000 laptops will be arriving soon for Phase Two of this important technology program. In the meantime, any student may request a free Chromebook from our L/LRC.

Tyler University faculty member George Rodriguez reached out to Cypress Ceramics chair, Molly Schulps, to participate in a Cup Exchange Project between Cypress and Tyler students. Each student will be paired with another student and then will ship their cups to each other and have a meet up on Zoom. We can’t wait to see what they will create! Please check out Craft in America, Storytellers featuring George Rodriguez, for more on this project.

In other news, one of our Cypress College students, Saul Nieto, was featured in a profile by EdSource on community college students who are making the most of federal aid support during the pandemic. Saul received two emergency grants from our campus during the spring semester totaling $1050. He shares his story in this linked article.

Upcoming Events

Save the date!  The Grand Opening of the new Veterans Resource Center and SEM building has been set for October 19, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Look for invitations with more information coming soon. Also, on the calendar is our November 10 Veterans Day fundraising event beginning at 5 p.m. and hosted by the Cypress College Foundation. Details to come!

Our Disabilities Student Support (DSS) team will host a virtual “Drop-In with DSS!” one day each month during the fall semester. Please pop in and out during the hour or stay for the entire session to hear what your colleagues are asking! September 8, October 12, November 10, December 2, all from 12-1 p.m.

Save the Date! The 36th Annual Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic will be held on October 25 at the Los Coyotes Country Club. Come for a day of golf or join us for the dinner/banquet as we raise funds to support scholarships for Cypress College students.

Here are the upcoming events featured during our Hispanic Heritage Month. We hope you will be able to join us for all or some of these wonderful convenings celebrating the contributions of our Latinx community in our lives and institutions.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

DMS Instructor Goes Back to the Field and Refreshes her Industry Knowledge

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Director Lynn Mitts completed an externship in Radiologic Technology this summer, made possible through an OC Regional Strong Workforce project. Mitts went to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Downey for her externship, which began in July. 

“It has been some years since I have been in the hospital setting as a radiographer so it was wonderful and exciting to be with the healthcare team,” Mitts said. “I have already updated my classroom lectures with the new items of information.”

Mitts spent time in the radiology department, learning about the latest digital equipment and software programs. She also observed various radiographic exams and how they differ from Mitts’ time as a radiographer.

Mitts worked with Devin Grissom, director of Diagnostic Imaging at Kaiser Downey.

“I feel this externship provided me with a sense of renewal in my teaching. I was excited to see what changes have occurred since I have been in a radiology department. I was energized every day I walked into the hospital to see what new things I would discover.”

After finishing the clinical portion, Mitts wrote a report, which included a review of the department’s quality assurance program, policies, and procedures. She interviewed the radiology department administrator, clinical instructor, radiologist, and students. Mitts asked questions about student-training expectations, future employees, and the future in imaging.

Cypress College DMS students Krista De La Luz (left) and Samantha Smith (top) served their internship at Kaiser Downey at the same time as Mitts’ externship.

“I have gained invaluable experience in learning the capabilities of digital radiography equipment that is constantly changing. The conversations and interviews I had with different people in different positions were eye-opening.”

In addition, 13 more Cypress faculty have completed an externship this summer through OC Regional Strong Workforce funding. Mitts says she would highly recommend all CTE instructors participate in an externship given the chance.

“I feel it is important to rediscover the joy of our primary profession and bring that back to our students.”

President Schilling’s Board Report for August 24, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on August 24, 2021

Thank you to all who participated in our Opening and FLEX Day activities this past week. Many people contributed to an inspiring morning from Marc Posner and communications team members Marcie Kagawa, Anthony Diaz, and President’s Office staff Kristi Valdez and Louella Nelson. Highlighted in our pre-show were authors Stephanie Teer and retiree Donna Friess who have written a young adult book series and meditation and wellness, respectively. Anthony Ray Hinton, our keynote speaker, inspired us with an emotional presentation about his time on death row, and FITE Club student Dewayne McCoy shared his own challenges coming back to school after experiencing incarceration. We were also honored to present our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award to all 22 members of our Black Lives Matter Taskforce — the first time a group was honored — for the important work they have contributed in support of transforming our college.

As part of the Flex Day events, a Campus COVID Update panel discussion was held on August 19, 2021 from 11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Topics covered included:

• Our Safe Return to Campus Guide
• Facilities Update
• Student Services Update
• Health Updates

We appreciate the involvement of panel participants Paul de Dios, Alex Porter, Debbie Marriott-Simes, Marc Posner, and Marla McBride.

Our Communications Team has been busy providing updates to our students. Some of the recent efforts are below:

7/29 — Welcome Back to Campus

8/2 — (STEM)² Applications Now Available!

8/3 — Mortuary Science Application Workshop August 18

8/4 — Fall Classes Still Available

8/5 — We’re Here to Lend a Helping Hand

8/5 — Reminder: Get Vaxxed at Cypress College

8/6 — You’re Invited to New Student Welcome Night

Our athletics teams, led by Interim Dean Colin Preston and Athletic Director Wesley McCurtis, have been leading the way all year on COVID testing and vaccinations. CCCAA has mandated that 85% of student athletes must be vaccinated before weekly testing can be diminished. A recent survey sent to all our athletes showed the following results:

Total Survey Responses: 231

• Vaccinated: 138 – 60%
• Vaccinated + Planning to be Vaccinated: 168 – 73%
• Vaccinated + Planning to be Vaccinated + Waiting for FDA Approval: 201 – 87%

We plan to be above 87% by October 15 for all sports teams.

Our M&O Team has been busy getting the college ready for students, returning faculty, and employees on campus. Thank you to Phil Fleming, Carlos Guerrero, and our outstanding team for this impressive list of work they have accomplished:

• Over 2,000 visual aide decals have been installed throughout the campus in corridors/classrooms, entrances, and exits in these areas helping to direct students, staff, and visitors to their destination.
• Hand-sanitizing stations and sanitizing wipes have been placed in all classrooms targeted for occupancy (a few more are still going out).
• PPE has been distributed to every division on campus, and we will be re-stocking supply to meet the reoccurring demand throughout the entire fall semester. This PPE consists of face masks, some face shields, and latex gloves.
• Every building on campus has been deep-cleaned and all restrooms have been deep-cleaned over the summer months.
• We have placed over 200 individual plexiglass barriers at numerous locations throughout the campus, and our student services area is fully equipped with plexiglass protection.
• Every HVAC filter on campus has been changed out to the MERV-13 standard filters.
• HEPA air filters in each classroom for fall.

Cypress In the News

We are happy to share the latest press articles featuring Cypress College below:

The CEO Leadership Alliance-OC recently launched a career pathways program in partnership with OC school districts and community colleges.  North Orange County Community College District was acknowledged for our partnership in the CLA-OC Talent Bridge program with OC computer software firm Alteryx. Students in this program are earning a certification in data analytics, while gaining insight to the company’s career pathways. Upon conclusion they will be provided an invitation-only opportunity to network with top-level Alteryx leadership and affiliated Alteryx companies. Click here for CLAOC article.

The Event News-Enterprise carried additional news coverage in the last two weeks. This article covers both the OCADA awards provided to Cypress College and Michael Klyde’s CAT Teacher of the Year award.

And in late breaking news, the Cypress College Aviation Program was featured on Wednesday, August 18 on ABC Channel 7 news. We are trying to obtain a video of this great story, which we will share with you soon. Thank you to Edilberto Valdez for continuing to lead the way in our outstanding Aviation Program.

Upcoming Events

Save the date! The Grand Opening of the new Veterans Resource Center and SEM building has been set for October 19, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Look for invitations with more information coming soon.

At our last board meeting, we shared that Dr. Schilling would be participating in the Pathways of Hope Look Who’s Dancing competition. Unfortunately, due to concerns about the safety of holding this event in the fall, the fundraiser has been postponed until 2022.  Dr. Schilling looks forward to participating in the competition next year.

We are happy to share our Student Athlete Highlights:

• 3.1 spring 2021 average GPA
• 119 student athletes cumulative 3.0+
• 42 different majors
• 3.0 average cumulative student athlete GPA
• 203 student athletes
• 39 athletes with a 4.0 during spring 2021
• 143 athletes with a 3.0+ during spring 2021
• 11 teams with GPA 3.0+ in-season

Thank you to Sports Communication Specialist Brett Franchino for putting together this information. Go, Chargers!

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

President Schilling’s Board Report for August 10, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on August 10, 2021

Enrollment continues to be a challenge, despite the excellent efforts on the part of our Communications team, our Cypress Cares Campaign, our researchers, and our academic deans. The enrollment percentages continue to fluctuate and the challenges students are facing due to the COVID virus is impacting our enrollment. Interestingly, our online classes are filling faster than our on-campus classes, so we will continue to monitor this trend and adjust our schedule where we can.

Please join us for our Opening Day virtual convocation on Friday, August 20. It is hard to believe this will be our third virtual Opening Day, but we appreciate the efforts of Marc Posner and his team to pre-record, produce, and continue to make this event engaging. This year we will begin at 8:30 a.m. for a pre-show featuring interviews with three faculty members who have published books, and a brief update on our new construction projects. At 9 a.m., our program begins with greetings from our constituent leaders and Dr. Dunsheath, introduction of our new employees, the celebration of our three Faculty of the Year awardees, and the winner of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. This year we are honored to have Anthony Ray Hinton as our keynote speaker. Mr. Hinton is featured in the movie Just Mercy, and has written his own book, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row about his experience spending 27 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. We look forward to a fabulous morning and hope our Board members will be able to join us.

Our campus welcomed back our employees and managers during the week of August 2-5 and their presence and energy is already transforming our campus into a more vibrant place. Our Welcome Back Week provided an opportunity for employees to mingle, reconnect, and reengage.  We are grateful for everything our employees have accomplished this past year and look forward to welcoming our students back to campus very soon. Great to have our team together again!

We are also reminding everyone of our upcoming Vaccination Days on August 10 and August 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each date. These events will be open to our entire District and local communities.  Please spread the word so we can encourage more people to receive their vaccinations and keep our campus and local community safe. Get the scheduling link here; we encourage you to share.

Cypress College will be hosting a Bystander Training for all employees on September 30 from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Bystander intervention training will equip allies with specific strategies to intervene on behalf of others who are targets of harassment, disrespect, and other racist attacks, either in person or online. Individuals who undergo the one-hour interactive training will learn the five D’s – distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct; and how to prioritize their own safety while intervening. The training will also provide opportunities to practice with this toolkit of options to safely intervene and make a difference. This training has been customized to speak to the AAPI experience in the southern California region, especially as it relates to this spring’s spike in anti-Asian hate incidents post-COVID. Thank you to Dr. Paul de Dios, Gisela Verduzco, and Pryscilla Truong for organizing this training for our campus community.

On July 30, Cypress College, Magnolia High School, and AUHSD partnered to present our annual White Cap Ceremony. In 2019, Cypress College received a grant offering a CyberSecurity pathway from high school to a bachelor’s degree. The CS3 Program provides a pathway from Magnolia High School to Cypress College, and then completion at UCI. Thirty students were accepted into the program in 2020 and 45 students are getting ready to begin in 2021. Thank you to Dr. Henry Hua, Stephanie Teer, and Sandra Rocha for leading this program partnership with Magnolia High School and UCI.

As announced at our last board meeting, alumna Amanda Fama made Cypress history as the first softball alum to represent the Chargers at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Amanda took the field in Tokyo, representing the Italian Softball National team. Amanda spent three seasons with the Chargers from 2008-2010 before transferring to Concordia University, Irvine. In addition, Charger baseball alum Alon Leichman (’13), was selected to Team Israel for this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Leichman pitched for the Chargers in the 2011-2013 seasons before moving on to become a scholar athlete at UC San Diego. Go Amanda and Alon and Go Chargers!

The Cypress College deans held their summer retreat in our new Student Activities Center (SAC) conference room on August 5.  Dr. Frank Harris joined us for the morning to discuss how we continue to lead the way in support of our students and employees of color, as well as a discussion on how to engage all employees on the important issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our new Director of Institutional Research and Planning, Bryan Ventura, jumped right in as he joined senior researchers Eileen Haddad and Kristina Oganesian to present new Tableau reports on enrollment management. Thank you to our deans and presenters for participating in an engaging morning.

Dr. Schilling will be participating in the 2021 Look Who’s Dancing competition and fundraiser with Pathways of Hope. You may all recall that Dr. Greg Schulz and Fullerton College’s Director of Communication, Lisa McPheron, gamely stepped up to raise funds for our community partner, and now it is Cypress’ turn. The event will be held at Fullerton College on October 21. Please support us as we raise money for a worthy cause and come see Dr. Schilling stumble…uh, dance her way to support the work Pathways of Hope accomplished to fight hunger at our colleges and in our community.

Our campus communications team has been sending weekly briefs to our students and employees about enrollment, our safe campus reopening, public health information, and resources we are providing. To review this student outreach, the links below provide a sample of what has been sent to our students. Thank you to Marc Posner, Marcie Kagawa, and Cari Jorgensen for their excellent communication across our campus.

Student Communication

7/12 – What to Expect When Your Returning to Campus

7/12 – Safe Reopening of Campus

7/13 – ESC Open for Business

7/13 – Pre-Semester Laptop Survey

7/13 – Time for Registration (July 19-23)

7/14 – Fall Registration Fair

7/15 – Reminder: Learning Resource Center Open This Summer

7/20 – We’re Here to Support You

7/22 – Pre-Semester Aid Survey

7/27 – On-Campus Vaccination Clinic

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Free Vaccination Clinic with MemorialCare

Cypress College will be hosting two free COVID-19 vaccine clinics, in partnership with MemorialCare. The clinics are open to the public.

The first clinic is held on August 10 and the second on August 31. Both take place in the NOCE Building (adjacent to Lot #4), from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Book an appointment here. Walk-ups will be accommodated based on available supply of the Pfizer vaccine.

A campus map and directions are available here.

Vaccinations help stop the spread of COVID-19:

• Over 90% of new positive cases are in those not fully vaccinated
• Over 95% hospitalized with COVID-19 had not been fully vaccinated
• COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the virus, including serious outcomes like severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

Source: OC Health Care Agency (July 16, 2021).

President Schilling’s Board Report for July 27, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on July 27, 2021

In a few short weeks the college will be welcoming back over 30% of our courses on campus, as well as offering all of our services both on campus and online. It will be fantastic to see students on campus in larger numbers for the first time in over 17 months. In order to encourage and facilitate students and employees to be vaccinated, the college will be hosting two on-site Vaccination Days on August 10 and August 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each date. These events will be open to our entire District community, as well as the local community.  Please spread the word so we can encourage more people to receive their vaccinations and keep our campus and local community safe.

On July 31, 2021, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva will honor individuals who have contributed to the community. Our own Dr. Juan Garcia has been selected as Veteran of the Year. Dr. Garcia has been a leader to our 754 military-affiliated students at Cypress College, instrumental in the design of and support of our new Veterans Resource Center, and served our country in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004-2008, with three deployments in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Juan will be honored on July 31 at 10 a.m. at Ehlers Event Center in Buena Park. This is a well-deserved honor and we offer our heartfelt congratulations to Juan and his family.

Also receiving recognition by Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva’s office is student Catherine Cueva, who just completed her associate degree in political science and will be continuing at UCLA in the fall. Catherine received the California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation (CLLCF) Award which comes with a $5000 scholarship. Ms. Cueva, you might recall, currently represents Cypress College on the Student Leadership Council at the Hope Center, and also serves as a workforce commissioner in the city of Stanton. We are #CYProud of Catherine and wish her our congratulations!

Henry Hua, Dean of Business and CIS, has been selected by SynED for their CyberHero series, which “highlights cyber heroes who quietly go above and beyond in helping to prepare our national cyberforce.” The press release about Henry and the CyberHero series can be found here. We appreciate Henry’s guidance and leadership in helping us create successful opportunities for our students. Congratulations, Dean Hua!

Charger Baseball alum, Tylor Megill, recently made his Major League debut in a start for the New York Mets. Megill received a standing ovation after pitching 4 1/3 innings with 4 strikeouts.  While at Cypress, he helped lead the baseball program to a CCCAA Final-Four appearance in 2016 before transferring to the University of Arizona. Megill is the 26th Charger to appear in the Major Leagues.

The Charger Experience Program added the Charger Nights component to expand the number of students served in the spring. Charger Nights allowed students to complete the matriculation process (ed plan, assessment process, orientation) and ensure that students were ready for registration in July. The total number of students served through Charger Fridays and Charger Nights was 843. These students represented over 30 high schools, in addition to our 10 AUSHD partner high schools.  Charger Friday and Charger Night make-ups were held the week of June 14, through 8 sessions that accommodated 200 students each to onboard and learn how to select classes and prepare for registration.

Priority Registration Events began the week of July 12. All CEP students attended sessions to assist them with the registration process and these workshops will continue throughout July for all students. Counselors will be on hand to assist with the registration process, clear any prerequisite errors that were encountered during registration, and ensure our Promise students enroll in 12 units, including English, Math, and a COUN course.

The Student Ambassador team continued the Cypress Cares Campaign this spring and reached 2,518 students.  The purpose of this campaign was to help students stay connected to the college and we will continue this for the fall semester. Students were directed to campus resources such as the campus food distribution, tutoring, and laptop rentals. Student Ambassadors also called students this spring to inform them of the Legacy Program to promote enrollment for spring 2021. The call campaign has also continued throughout the summer, focusing on students who have dropped classes in spring 2020 and have not returned, in order to ensure they are reenrolling in the fall semesters.  Ambassadors will connect students to resources and make referrals to our Student Success counselors.

This summer, in an effort to help guide students who struggled during the pandemic, Student Success Counselors are meeting with students who would have been placed on Academic Probation and financial aid disqualification to provide a high-touch, holistic approach to better serve our students. Counselors help create Ed Plans and provide students with support services that ensure their success moving forward.  Our Financial Aid counselor has been working with students who have been disqualified from Financial Aid to complete their satisfactory academic progress appeals in an easy and student-centered way. We thank your dedicated student service counselors, Dr. Troy Davis, and Dr. de Dios for their innovative approach to serving students.

Congratulations to our five graduating ambassadors! These Student Ambassadors, who began as Promise students and then became ambassadors in their second year, have all stayed with us through the COVID pandemic and have made a difference by leading the Virtual Welcome Center, continuing to provide outreach support online, and maintaining a connection with our students through the Cypress Cares campaign. Each are transferring to a four-year institution. They are: Sean Del Castillo – CSUF; Vivian Tieu – CSULB; Haylee Barsumian – CSULB; Isabella Ferinac – CSULB; Jude Suleiman – CSUF. We are very proud of them and thank them for their commitment to Cypress College!

On July 8, our Toyota T-TEN instructors, Michael Klyde and Paul Kelly, with support from Dean Kathleen Reiland, hosted our 2020 and 2021 T-TEN Commencement for an in-person, on-campus event by the pond. Graduates from both years were able to receive their certificates and service plaques as their families and our Toyota Dealers looked on. Our Foundation supported the event by hosting a food truck for all attendees and a celebration cake to support our graduates. Congratulations to our T-TEN program for being the top ASE awarding college in the nation for the second year in a row!

Also on July 8, our Legacy Program hosted its first Summer Bridge Culmination Ceremony. This year, for the first time, incoming Legacy students participated in a two-week summer bridge program to help prepare them for the semester. The culmination ceremony included their instructors, greetings from Dr. Schilling and Dr. Davis, a keynote form Dr. Douglas, and families and friends. Twenty-seven new Legacy Scholars participated in the summer activities. Thank you, Regina Rhymes, Annette Letcher, Virgil Adams, and LaRon Armstead for putting together this great summer introduction to Cypress College.

In honor of those employees returning to campus, the President’s Office, Caring Campus coaches, and Guided Pathways are sponsoring a Welcome Back Week August 2-5. On Monday there will be a hosted breakfast from 9–10 a.m.; Tuesday will feature a taco cart from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; Wednesday employees can enjoy ice cream sundaes from 1–2 p.m., and on Thursday we will have the Classified Carnival, featuring team competition. We are grateful for everything our employees have accomplished this past year and look forward to welcoming them back to campus.

Enrolled students participating in our affinity programs such as Legacy, Puente, EOPS, Athletics, Promise, DSS, Veterans, and students with demonstrated need, will be eligible for a Free Laptop and Grab & Go Meals for the 2021-22 academic year.  We are reaching out to all students who may be eligible for this program in order to support their education this year. Thank you to our student services, and VPs de Dios and Porter for leading this effort.

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Schedule for Fall 2021 Available

Cypress College’s Schedule of Classes for the fall 2021 semester is now available. Registration begins in July and classes begin the week of August 23.

The searchable class schedule is the definitive source for up-to-date, accurate listings. For convenience, the schedule also is available as a PDF.

Approximately 20% of the college’s courses will be available in person and on-campus as the college community returns from the COVID-19 pandemic. All services will be available in person and remote formats to best meet students’ needs.

Cypress College’s counseling faculty are available to assist students with educational planning for the coming semester.

President Schilling’s Board Report for June 22, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on June 22, 2021

June is National Pride Month, and in commemoration of our LGBTQ students and employees, the college has been flying a Pride Flag all month on our website, and on our Valley View marquee. The DEI Committee will also be hosting a Pride Week in fall featuring activities and an LGBTQ student of distinction will be featured each day during Pride Week.

There will be a Pathways to Private Schools Summer 2021 Virtual College Fair hosted by our Transfer Center on Thursday, July 8 from 4–7 p.m. Students will be able to meet virtually with over 20+ colleges and universities.

The City of Cypress will be hosting their annual Salute to America Celebration at Cypress College for the second year on Friday, July 2. This patriotic celebration will feature food trucks and live music from Electric Vinyl, all leading up to a spectacular fireworks display. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. and end around 9:30 p.m. Please join us for this celebration!

Cypress College managers came together for an outdoor teambuilding day on Tuesday, June 15. The purpose of this retreat was to begin building community as we start to come back to campus. Many managers were seeing one another for the first time in over a year, and some for the first time ever. It was a great morning of fun, shared purpose, and friendly competition. My thanks to Kristi Valdez for helping organize the day! Our activities and lunch were funded by Schools First and we thank Kristin Crellin for her generous grant on behalf of our employees.

The First Look Tour of our new campus buildings are currently underway. We have four tours scheduled to meet your schedules on June 21, 24, and 25. If you haven’t yet registered, we hope you will be able to join us to see these beautiful new additions to the Cypress College campus. Only Trustees, Foundation board members, and our Citizen Oversight Committee members are eligible for these tours, but we will be conducting more tours for members of the public beginning in September.

Retiring Dean of Health Sciences, Rebecca Gomez, has been recognized as the recipient of this year’s Educator Award by the California Health Information Association (CHIA).  The Educator Award honors an individual who demonstrates excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for Health Information Technology (HIT) careers in a field that depends on a continual influx of well-trained new talent. The award winner must demonstrate excellence in all aspects of education and teaching by setting high standards of excellence and high expectations for students, while impacting the student as a role model through the instructor role. Rebecca will be receiving her award the week of June 14-16 at CHIACON21. Please join us in thanking Rebecca for her service to Cypress College the past 15 years and in congratulating her on this well-deserved award.

Athletics Update: The Chargers returned to competition this season on March 24 when women’s basketball hosted Golden West College for the first Cypress athletic event in over a year. With no competition in the fall of 2020, the CCCAA voted to participate in a Spring I and Spring II season. For Cypress Athletics, the Spring I season consisted of seven sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s water polo, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. Spring II wrapped up in early June, with an OEC Tournament championship for women’s softball, a second place OEC finish for men’s baseball, and a third place finish for men’s golf. Cypress was one of fewer than 15 CCCAA schools to successfully compete in all sport offerings during the COVID modified season. Zero confirmed positive COVID cases in 5 months of daily testing proved the commitment of our student athletes, coaches, and staff to make this season happen. This season was far from normal for each sport, but our coaches and staff were overjoyed to have an opportunity that allowed our student athletes to compete and return to competition to bring a glimpse of normalcy to their physical and mental health. Below is a list of notable accomplishments in the 2021 spring season. Congratulations to all our coaches and to Athletic Director Wesley McCurtis and Interim Dean Colin McPherson for a successful season!

Also, in athletic news, we say thank you and farewell to long-time athletic director Bill Pinkham, three-time OEC swim coach of the year Larry Beidler, and Athletic Training Association Hall of Fame inductee Scott Tucker, who each completed their final season with the Chargers as they head into retirement. Below is a list of student accomplishments:

NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Softball’s Emily Rush and Alyssa Huerta selected to All-OEC First Team. Paige Shafer and Eliza Sandoval selected to All-OEC Second Team
• Baseball’s Coby Morales, Andrew Sojka, and Brenden Harris selected to All-OEC First Team. Julian Aguilar, Brett Garcia, and Ricky Lane make All-OEC Second Team
• Swimmer Ethan Umpornpuckdi placed first in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles at the OEC Championships, while Zachary Sofai placed first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles
• Men’s Golfer Luke Bartram finishes second in the OEC with an overall average score of 73.4. Selected to All-OEC First Team
• Baseball alumnus Tommy Nance makes MLB debut

Our newly formed Native American Faculty and Staff Alliance (NAFSA) held a contest for the best art concepts for a new logo for their group this past May. A $100 cash prize was awarded to the first-place winner, and two $50 prizes were awarded to the honorable mentions. All current and former Cypress College, Fullerton College, and NOCE students were able to submit original works.

Cypress College has received a full IEPI Grant, focused on improving our enrollment dashboards in Tableau and institutionalizing the Guided Pathways best practices identified by our Title V completion teams. The college will be working on a more detailed plan this summer with Academic Senate and college leadership, and we will expect our first campus visit in late fall.

The Community College League of California is pleased to announce the release of A College for All Californians: A History of the California Community Colleges, the first comprehensive written book on the history of the largest and most diverse public system of higher education in the United States. Serving over 2 million students annually—approximately one-quarter of the nation’s community college undergraduates—California’s 116 community colleges play an indispensable role in career and transfer education in North America and have maintained an outsized influence on the evolution of post-secondary education nationally. We invite you to pre-order this book, co-authored by League President and CEO Dr. Larry Galizio. Proceeds of book sales will go toward a League scholarship for California Community College students.

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Details for the 2^nd Cypress College/City of Cypress Salute to America Celebrations is below:

Thank you to our Office of Campus Communications for creating our Pride Month logo, currently on our Valley View marquee and our website:

President Schilling’s Board Report for June 8, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on June 8, 2021

The college has been working on a plan for a safe return to campus since March, and our three workgroups—including our Instructional Operations, Faculty Senate, and Student Services workgroups—have been meeting and conferring with our C19 Taskforce all semester. Currently, we are creating safe instructional, outdoor, and engagement learning spaces; finalizing the safety protocols developed this spring; creating training videos for students and employees; and putting in place the equipment needed to keep our employees and students safe.  By August we plan to have clear protocols in place to help guide students and employees as we begin to reestablish our in-person community this fall term.

May was Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and in addition to our AAPI student and employee recognitions, the college also provided a list of resources to highlight the experiences of the AAPI community in the United States. Here are the resources shared and we encourage our board to also take time to better understand the contributions our AAPI community has provided to our college and country:

AAPI Information and Resources

Federal Asian Pacific American Council AAPI Resources
AAPI Heritage Stories
Anti-Asian Violence Resources
Anti-Asian Violence Resources for Educators
After Atlanta: Teaching About Asian American Identity and History
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
The Invisible Artistry of Asian Actors
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

Cypress College is proud to share the impactful work of one of our recent alumni, Alex Alpharaoh. Mr. Alpharoah was honored several years ago for his one-man play, “Wet: A DACAmented Journey,” the harrowing tale of how he came to reside in the U.S. Mr. Alpharaoh has continued to share his story virtually and was highlighted for his work in the  Los Angeles Times. He has just recorded his one-man show with the Los Angeles Center Theater Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, which will stream on their digital stage in June. Congratulations, Alex, and thank you to retired theater professor, Mark Majarian, for sharing this news with us!

Cypress College recently announced our collaboration with Cal State Fullerton on a new 2+2+1 Accounting Degree, which provides guaranteed admission from Cypress College to CSUF in Accounting all the way through a master’s degree. This important pathway for our Business students was shared at our recent Commit2Cypress event and is highlighted here in the CSUF student newspaper. Congratulations to our Accounting instructors Ann Sheridan-Solis and Samreen Manjra, and to Dean Henry Hua for this landmark collaboration!

According to a recent report by Georgetown University, Cypress College ranks among state and national leaders for post-degree wages among California colleges offering associate degrees. Cypress College ranks 5th in median monthly earnings at $6,036, compared to the average earnings of associate-degree awardees in all California community colleges at $2,423. View the full report.

The Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce has released a new white paper that examines the transportation challenges confronting community college students. Addressing Affordable Transportation Needs. Dr. Schilling authored this paper in collaboration with the taskforce, which highlights the challenges our students face due to the high cost of, or access to, reliable transportation. This new report provides tangible transportation solutions for college leaders to implement on their campuses and advocate for their students, with a spotlight on the work Cypress, Fullerton, and our OC region is doing in partnership with OCTA to address student transportation at our colleges.

Cypress College is proud to be sending a total of 88 students, faculty, and staff to the 2021 National Conference on Race and Equity (NCORE), the first week of June.  Fifty-two faculty, staff, and managers are attending along with 36 students — an all-time high. This amazing conference features national leaders speaking on issues of race, equity, sexual orientation, and diversity, and is one of the foremost conferences in the country addressing the inequities facing our students. Each participant will be required to participate in a professional development plan that will help us to continue to develop our Cypress College Equity Framework and infuse this important work with student and employee feedback. Thank you to Director of Equity and Success, Gisela Verduzco, SEA co-chair Alison Robertson, and Professional Development co-chairs, Ruth Gutierrez and Michael Brydges for their work recruiting and organizing participation in this years’ NCORE conference.

The annual Cypress College Students’ Show, Adaptive Vision II, includes works from students across all departments in the Fine Arts Division – Art, MAD, Theater, Dance, Music, and Journalism – presented in a 3D environment that visitors can “walk” around, viewing the works and clicking on them for more information. Visit this exhibition and see our student work.

We invite our Trustees to join us for a tour of our new Veterans Resource Center, Student Activities Center, and Science Engineering and Math buildings on June 21 or June 25. You have been sent a link to register for the tour of your choice, which can also be accessed here. You must be a member of our Board or of our Citizens Oversight Committee to access this invitation. General public tours will be available beginning in September. We look forward to seeing you and showcasing our two newest buildings!

Dr. Schilling will be joining the statewide CEO Executive Board, representing the Orange County colleges as part of Region 10; she begins her three-year term on June 18.

Finally, it is with great sadness that we share the untimely passing of Mark Eaton, our 2004 Outstanding Alumnus, a 2014 Cypress College Foundation Man of the Year, and a member of the Chargers Athletics Hall of Fame. Mark was a tireless supporter Cypress College and he will be missed. Read more about Mark’s incredible journey.

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

MAD Student Is a Festival Finalist

A Media Arts Design student at Cypress College is a finalist in the 2021 MODE: Motion Design Educational Summit festival and conference, being held June 10-13, 2021. Jocelyn Hernandez and 11 other Cypress College MAD students submitted work and earned free admittance to the annual conference.

This student competition is part of an international conference held since 2015. This year’s theme is “(re)connect,” to examine ways we can come together after a year of pandemic distance as well as highlight diversity and inclusion. The conference, workshop, and film competition focus on motion design, which is the commercial application of animation.

 

 

“I am tremendously pleased by the achievement of our students, because to create a finished and cohesive work at a community college level is a great accomplishment,” MAD professor Kati Angelov said. “Students from OTIS, SCAD, and Pasadena Art Center are entering these competitions, just to mention a few. To be a finalist from a community college is indeed a great accomplishment.”

Hernandez has a graphic design degree from CSULB, yet when she entered the job market, she found that her prospective jobs required more than her degree offered; they called for motion design skills. CSULB didn’t offer classes in motion design, so she enrolled in a class in the Cypress College MAD department. She has taken several classes with Angelov, and is working on earning her Motion Design Certificate.

“I am extremely proud of Jocelyn, who came to Cypress College specifically to learn motion design, as very few educational institutions offer this area of studies,” Angelov said. “[Jocelyn’s] success highlights the role we play in providing current and relevant education to our students. This success is a wonderful example why Cypress College is great in offering cutting edge, technology, and art driven courses and programs.”

The conference, which will be held virtually this year, will allow attendees an opportunity to learn about the motion design industry, to connect with professionals and other students, and to attend workshops to expand their knowledge of the field.

Cypress College Instructor Voted California Automotive Teacher of the Year

Cypress College Automotive Technology Instructor and Toyota T-TEN Program Coordinator Michael Klyde was selected by his peers in the California Automotive Teachers (CAT) Association as Automotive Teacher of the Year, 2021. The CAT board plans to honor Klyde for this achievement with a virtual ceremony and plaque presentation this fall.

CAT President Wendy Lucko informed Klyde of the news in a phone call, and said he was selected for this honor because of his continuous hard work and dedication as a professor in one of the top performing T-TEN programs. In addition to teaching during this 20-21 school year, Klyde has authored two advance automotive textbooks and received peer recognition, working with a small team to develop a Safe Labs plan to get automotive students back into labs as soon as possible.

Klyde presented the Safe Labs material to T-TEN instructors in May 2020 at Toyota headquarters and to attendees of the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) National Instructor Conference last August. He also created generic versions of the materials and presented them at the ASE Education Foundation conference in July 2020 and at the CAT Conference in October 2020. He has also shared these resources with others on the Cypress College campus so colleagues can adapt them for use in their respective areas.

President Schilling’s Board Report for May 25, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on May 25, 2021

As we end the year, we want to thank each of you for attending our Cypress College Virtual Commencement. This year our students have earned 2,016 associate degrees in our 98 degree programs. In addition, 1,249 students have earned occupational certificates from one of our 145 career-certificate programs. This would be a remarkable feat in any year, but especially during this past year, when 98% of our courses have been in a remote format. We congratulate our resilient students, as well as our faculty and staff for their continual support.

Other commencement activities held the week of May 17-21 included our Nursing Pinning Ceremony on May 17, our DSS Graduation on May 20, and our Drive-Up EOPS event to honor our graduates on May 20. This year’s EOPS cohort featured an historic 209 graduates – the most in EOPS history. We are so proud of all our graduates!

This year 13 faculty members will be receiving tenure. Cypress College acknowledges this important milestone in their academic career. Congratulations to Jill Bauer, ESL; Michael Coronado, Journalism; Damon de la Cruz, Mortuary Science; Juan Garcia, Counseling (Veterans); Amanda Gargano, Culinary Arts; Anthony Hall, Physics; Ernesto Heredia, Counseling; Jeannie Jo, Management & Marketing; Jennifer Page, Communications; Thu Pham, Nursing; Jacquelyn Rangel, Counselor; Scott Roby, Mathematics; and Patricia Spitler, Health Information Technology. Many in this illustrious group of colleagues have already been honored individually for their excellence and we are grateful they are joining the ranks of tenured professors at our college.

Cypress College was ranked the #1 program by NursingProcess.org in their 6 Best Ultrasound Technician Schools in California for 2021. We are proud of our dedicated faculty and students for achieving this honor.  In addition, our Radiological Technician Program underwent its accreditation site visit May 13-14 and although the report will not be final for a few months, the exit report was stellar. Thank you to faculty members Lynn Mitts, Michael Frianeza, and Barry Siegel, as well as counselor Kelly Carter for their outstanding work in support of our students.

A team comprised of five students from the Dual Enrollment, Automotive Technology Program at Cypress College participated in the Orange County Auto Dealers Association’s “Automotive Technology Competition.”  Five students placed in the top 10 of the competition. Students were awarded scholarships totaling over $3000, and Snap-On Tools sets for their achievements. Christina Do, a Cypress High School student, took first place – the first woman in 28 years of competition to finish first! Congratulations to all these students on their success.

Michael Klyde was named as 2021 Instructor of the Year by the California Auto Teacher Association. Professor Klyde is our Automotive Technology and T-TEN Coordinator, and many of you know that our Toyota T-TEN program has been a national leader for years — and will be yet again this year. Our auto instructors are also active with the Orange County Auto Dealers as well as the California Auto Teacher Conference each year. We are proud of Professor Klyde’s acknowledgement by CAT and for the outstanding work he and our team do at Cypress College.

April was the California Community Colleges inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Awareness Month and Cypress College celebrated by offering activities to highlight our students throughout the month, concluding with Black Student Success Week April 26-30. May is now AAPI Awareness Month and the college has been highlighting a student daily for the past two weeks, as well as announcing our Alumna of the Year, Nancy Matsui, who is our first AAPI alumnus to be honored.

The Puente Program celebrated 25 years at Cypress College on April 30. It was a joyful celebration, reuniting past and present Puentistas, including Trustee Rosales. Dr. Mosqueda-Ponce, who has led this program since 1996, was surprised with a special award presented by Dr. Troy Davis and Lela Beck. Participants also enjoyed a guest performance by East L.A.-based band Las Cafeterias. Happy Birthday, Puente!

Dr. Nina Lanza, Team Lead for Space and Planetary Exploration at Los Alamos National Laboratory, joined our STEM(2) Scholars on May 7 to share her presentation How to Get to Mars and Back Without a Map about her journey as one of the lead geologists on the current Mars expedition. Over 107 scholars and faculty members joined her virtually for this exciting and empowering presentation. Thank you, Yanet Padilla and team for continuing to bring important speakers to inspire our students.

The Professional Development committee hosted our campus-wide End of the Year Fiesta on May 5, 2021.  It was wonderful to be together – even virtually – and to celebrate retirees and service pin recipients for their service and commitment to the college. Congratulations to Court Reporting faculty member, Carolee Freer, who earned her 40-year service pin. And thank you to our PD committee and Ruth Gutierrez and Michael Brydges, for planning such a great event.

The virtual Cypress College Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held on May 18, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.  This virtual celebration provided the opportunity for donors and recipients to meet and celebrate their accomplishments.  This year, $250,000 in scholarships were awarded to over 300 students, with the average total per student of almost $700 per award. Alumnus of the Year, Nancy Matsui, provided an encouraging message to our scholarship awardees. Thank you, Trustee Dunsheath and Irma Ramos, who donate a memorial scholarship each year, for attending!

Our ESL faculty keep leading the way on the creation of important ESL certificates in the state. Cypress participated in a case study conducted by the RP Group on our initial ESL Course Transferability Certificate. They will now be featured in another case study for their Guided Pathways ESL Milestone Certificate. Thank you to ESL faculty Kathryn Wada, Alison Robertson, Jenelle Herman, Samantha Simmons, and Jill Bauer for their exemplary leadership in ESL education.

The Cypress College Classified Appreciation Day will be held on Friday, June 4 at 12 noon. Each year our managers contribute to a raffle and this year will be no different. In addition, the President’s Office will be providing a Grub Hub e-certificate to all classified employees, whether or not they are able to attend the luncheon. We are eager to celebrate our classified professionals and look forward to being together in person soon.

Over 100 employees are participating in the Camino de Santiago Virtual Challenge this spring. Participants have until August 20 to log their miles and complete the 480-mile trip. We already have our first five participants to cross the finish line. They are: Sarah DeMartino, James Tapia, Joel Gober, Monica Doman, and Holly Segoviano. Each will receive their medal and Compostela (certificate of completion) on Opening Day. Kudos to our colleagues!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Class of 2021 Celebrated in 54th Commencement

Cypress College celebrated the Class of 2021 in its live, remote 54th Commencement on Friday night.

As one of Cypress College’s largest graduating classes, the 1,542 students overcame the pandemic along with the rigors of their normal coursework.

Graduates provided photographs and quotes shown on screen along with the recitation of their names. These individual slides can be found in the Commencement Central section of the college’s website. The live studio-based broadcast featured: Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.; North Orange County Community College District Chancellor Cheryl A. Marshall, Ed.D.; NOCCCD Board of Trustees Vice President Jacqueline Rodarte; Cypress College Academic Senate President Dr. Craig Goralski; Cypress College Vice President of Student Services Dr. Paul de Dios; and Nicolette Garcia, who is both the Associated Students president and the 2021 Outstanding Graduate.

The ceremony — which was broadcast live at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 21, 2021, on the college’s Vimeo and Facebook platforms — also included video features of the 2021 Outstanding Graduate and the 2021 Presidential Scholars of Distinction.

Class of 2021

In all, the college awarded 2,016 associate degrees and eight bachelor’s degrees during the 54th Commencement. Some 62% of associate-degree graduates did so with transferable degrees, meaning they will be attending 4-year universities as juniors starting in the fall. There were 255 graduates on the President’s Honor Roll (3.75-4.0 GPA), 859 on the Dean’s Honor Roll (3.0-3.74 GPA). In addition, 1,249 students earned certificates this academic year from one of the college’s 145 certificate programs.

In its third year, the Presidential Scholars of Distinction is a scholarship highlighting the accomplishment and persistence in overcoming adversity of students in each of the college’s nine pathways. Faculty in each of these pathways nominate and vote on the recommendations with the students being affirmed by Dr. Schilling. The 2021 Presidential Scholars of Distinction are:

• Jacklyn Marie Williamson, BUS/CIS;
• Alexandra Camacho, CTE;
• Paul Scott, Fine Arts;
• Abigail Villegas, Health Sciences;
• Jonathan Gad, Kinesiology;
• Hiroki Funahashi, Language Arts;
• Lia Thompson, SEM;
• Wilfredo Carrasco, Social Sciences; and
• Ayah Said, representing Counseling and Student Development and the “We Journey Together” pathway

Garcia, the Outstanding Graduate, was selected from among those who were graduating on the President’s Honor Roll based on their nomination submission and work of the review committee. In addition to her role as the Associated Students’ president, Garcia is a member of the DSS, EOPS, and Charger Experience programs, and help found or re-start student organizations such as the Anthropology and ASL clubs. She will attend Pepperdine University in the fall.

Meet the full class of 2021, see additional viewing options, and more at Commencement Central.

Campus Statement Regarding Video in the News

Update Regarding Video Interaction in the Media, 5/7/21:

Cypress College remains committed to protecting the individual rights of all those in a class video circulating in the media and acknowledges the importance of an objective review process that will help us understand the full context of this situation. We hope to bring closure to this matter in the weeks to come.

Throughout this process, we have done the right thing for the right reasons. In this case, the right thing has been honoring the request of the faculty member in the video to protect her identity for her own safety. The decision to remove her from the classroom was done to protect her safety, maintain her confidentiality, and mitigate attacks from those who sought to threaten her as well as the students in her class.

During the past week, Cypress College has worked closely with our partners in the Cypress Police Department. Out of an abundance of caution, the college elected to pause its limited on-campus operations on Monday, May 3, 2021, as a result of a threat directed at the campus community. Some on-campus activities resumed the following day and the normal pandemic-level operations were fully restored by Wednesday. Our campus IT department continues to monitor attempts to compromise our technology security, and several emails, social media comments, and other correspondence have been referred for examination throughout the week.

Cypress College has supported and will continue to support the academic freedoms we know are essential in an institution of higher learning. Equally important is our mission to serve our students in a safe learning environment. Our faculty remain committed to a culture that fosters a free exchange of ideas in the classroom while supporting the educational needs of our students. We are proud to provide an inclusive and welcoming educational environment — especially for those students whose only access to higher education is through the community colleges.

___________

Original post, dated 4/30/21:

Cypress College takes great pride in fostering a learning environment for students where ideas and opinions are exchanged as a vital piece of the educational journey. Our community fully embraces this culture; students often defend one another’s rights to express themselves freely, even when opinions differ. Any efforts to suppress free and respectful expression on our campus will not be tolerated.

The adjunct professor will be taking a leave of absence for the duration of her assignment at Cypress College. This was her first course at Cypress and she had previously indicated her intention to not return in the fall.

We are reviewing the full recording of the exchange between the adjunct professor and the student and will address it fully in the coming days.

President Schilling’s Board Report for April 27, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on April 27, 2021

We would like to share student survey results, which were sent to spring 2021 Cypress College students to assess their course preferences for fall 2021 and inform return to campus plans. Data collection is ongoing but, as of 4/20, a total of 2,234 students completed the survey and their responses are summarized below.

1. What type of classes would you prefer for Fall 2021?
   
   
2. What is your preferred instruction method for online classes?
   
   
3. Do you plan to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before Fall 2021?
   

We are proud to announce the Cypress College 2021 Presidential Scholars of Distinction. They are:  Jacklyn Williamson, Business/CIS; Alexandra Camacho, CTE; Ayah Said, Counseling and Student Development; Paul Scott, Fine Arts; Abigail Villegas, Health Science; Jonathan Gad, Kinesiology; Hiroki Funahashi, Language Arts; Lia Thompson, SEM; Wilfred Carrasco, Social Sciences. Each of these scholars were nominated and voted on by the faculty in each division, and represent their respective Academic Pathway. During the commencement, each scholar leads the graduates from their respective divisions during the Commencement Processional. This year, given that we are conducting our commencement virtually, each scholar will be highlighted during the ceremony. Congratulations to these wonderful scholars!

We are also thrilled to announce that Nicolette Garcia, Associated Students President, was named as the Outstanding Graduate of the Year. Nicolette, an Anthropology major who is transferring this year, has been involved in the campus wide DEI and Sustainability efforts, led our Drive-up Food distribution, and has created awareness for DSS innovations at the campus, among so many other initiatives. We look forward to honoring Nicolette at our commencement this year. Congratulations, Nicolette.

The Cypress College Theater Arts Department presented the spring musical EDGES, directed by Professor Jim Hormel, April 16-18. EDGES is a contemporary song-cycle about young adults at the metaphorical edge of their lives. The songs cover such universal issues as love, commitment, identity and meaning. Our students did a terrific job of blending a virtual performance into an ensemble performance. The production was edited by student, Sophia Barajas, who also edited the award-winning 96,000 number last year.

Cypress College held our Strategic Planning Retreat on April 23. Over 100 campus employees attended a virtual convening in order to align our DEI Framework with the District’s Educational and Facilities Master Plan’s Strategic Directions, while prioritizing our own guiding principles, goals, and objectives for the next three years. Thank you to Dr. Eileen Haddad, our interim IRP Director, and Kristina Oganesian, Senior Research Analyst, for leading us through the day. Also special thanks to Gisela Verduzco, Alison Robertson, Ruth Gutierrez, and Michael Brydges for leading the development of our DEI Framework.

Our Foundation undertook an equity audit of the 2019-2020 scholarship recipients in order to help guide our scholarship process this year. Below are the results, which align well with our student population. We are also happy to announce that we more than doubled the number of scholarship applicants this year. Thank you, Howard Kummerman and Rachel Ghatikar for your data-driven processes!

Scholarship Recipients by Ethnicity

Ethnicity	Scholarship Recipients
	n	%
Am. Indian or Alaska Native	1	0.4%
Asian or PI	59	23.4%
Black	16	6.3%
Latinx	120	47.6%
White	48	19.0%
Not Reported	8	3.2%
Overall	252	100.0%

Scholarship Dollars Received by Ethnicity

Ethnicity	Scholarship Dollars Received
	n	%
Am. Indian or Alaska Native	$300.00	0.1%
Asian or PI	$52,650.00	25.0%
Black	$16,100.00	7.7%
Latinx	$95,880.10	45.6%
White	$41,098.02	19.5%
Not Reported	$4,300.00	2.0%
Overall	$210,328.12	100.0%

Upcoming Events

Commit2Cypress event will be held on April 29 from 4:30-7 p.m.  This will be our fourth annual Commit2Cypress event, and each year our numbers grow larger as we welcome our new and incoming Pledge and Promise students. This year Dr. Marshall, Dr. Schilling, and CSUF President Fram Virjee will be signing a ceremonial commitment for our new 2+2+1 accounting pathway with CSUF. This accounting degree will include two years at Cypress, guaranteed admission to CSUF for a baccalaureate degree with an option for a one-year master’s degree from CSUF. Thank you, Dr. Henry Hua, Dr. Catherine Greiner, and our accounting faculty members Ann Sheridan-Solis and Samreen Manjra, for your work on this important collaboration.

The 25^th Anniversary Celebration of the Puente Program will be held on April 30 from 6-8 p.m.  We hope you will join us!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Cypress College Pursues Racial Justice, Anti-Racist Campus

Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D. released the following statement regarding the verdict today in the murder of George Floyd:

The guilty verdicts have just been read in the trial for the murder of George Floyd. For many of our students and employees, this trial was nothing less than a measure of whether or not the racism embedded deep within our laws and values would prevail. We can breathe a sigh of relief that, this time, justice for all has been served. No matter what the verdict was today, at Cypress College we remain committed to our pursuit of racial justice, becoming an anti-racist institution, and being unapologetic in our assurance that our campus community will care for and be there for our students and employees.

As Ibram Kendi stated, “there is no neutrality in the racism struggle…One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in between safe space of ‘not racist.’ The claim of ‘not racist’ neutrality is a mask for racism.” We are grateful for the work so many have done and continue to do at our campus to ensure this justice prevails today and every day.

President Schilling’s Board Report for April 13, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on April 13, 2021

The Cypress Chargers are Back in Action!  The Chargers kicked off their first competition in over a year on March 24, when women’s basketball hosted the Golden West Rustlers. Cypress College opted into competing in Spring I and Spring II competition earlier this year. Cypress men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball will participate in an abbreviated season over the four weeks as part of the Spring I competition. Spring II sports, including baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s swim, women’s beach volleyball, and women’s tennis will begin competition April 12.  Due to COVID restrictions, no spectators are able to attend Cypress Athletics events this year.

April is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion month. In celebration, Cypress is participating in the statewide social media campaign on the importance of DEI on our campuses. The college will also be honoring April 19-23 as Black Student Success week, by featuring the stories and accomplishments of our Black students each day during this week.

Cypress College welcomes Interim Dean of Kinesiology & Athletics, Colin Preston. After five years as Athletic Director at El Camino College, Colin has accepted the Interim Dean of Kinesiology & Athletics role at Cypress College. Originally from Modesto, CA, Colin grew up playing soccer and was an avid sports competitor. As our new Interim Dean of Kinesiology & Athletics, Colin is ready to make an impact on our student-athletes academically and support all 14 of our athletic programs at Cypress.

Cypress College student Catherine Cueva, one of 23 students nationwide selected as the inaugural cohort of #RealCollege’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, has now been appointed as one of the Stanton Commissioners on Public Safety. Catherine is a Political Science major at Cypress and wants to become a Supreme Court Justice one day. Congratulations, Catherine!

The CalWORKs association publishes a collective book of CalWORKs students and their stories across the regions titled “CalWORKs Student Voices.” Cypress College CalWORKs program had the second most submissions from all regions in the state! The book will be published with our student stories by the end of April.

On March 19-21, Cypress College Theater Arts Department presented the spring virtual play, Water by the Spoonful, directed by Professor Jenni McMillin-Brick.

Cypress Soroptimist held their Live Your Dream Awards program on March 24, 2021.

Awardees from the EOPS/CARE programs this year included Charity Racaniello, Samantha Arroyo, Amber Portillo, and Emily Kosmol. Over $5,000 in scholarships were provided to our students. We thank the Soroptimists of Cypress for their continued generosity!

On April 5, the Queer-Straight Alliance and Theater Arts Department, with the support of our Student Equity and Achievement Committee, hosted actress and activist Alex Billings. Alex has starred in multiple Broadway plays, as well as appearing on Transparent, and other TV series. She shared her experience, challenges, and success as a trans woman with students and employees. The event helped create more visibility and understanding of our trans students and employees. Thank you to our LGBTQ coordinator, Jenelle Herman, and theater professor, Donny Jackson for hosting the Q&A.

The Career Planning Center is hosting More Than A Pathway: Connecting Social Justice to Careers Conference on April 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  Our own Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Lee Douglas, will be the keynote speaker.  Attendees will gain information on career options with a social justice focus, opportunities for networking, and community resources, information, and tools for providing services to diverse and underserved populations.

A new article from EdSurge, “AI Is Changing the Workforce. At This District, It’s Changing the Curriculum Too” features AUHSD, Superintendent Matsuda, Cypress College, and our Career Preparedness Systems Framework. The article can be found here.

Dr. Marshall, Dr. Schilling, and Superintendent Matsuda will be presenting to the CEO Leadership Alliance of OC on April 15 on Artificial Intelligence and the plans for the Cypress College CAIRE center (Center for Artificial Intelligence Resources and Entrepreneurship), a new resource space for students, faculty, community, and industry partners.

The Cypress College Health Center and Fullerton College Health Center will be co-hosting a Virtual Spring Health Fair on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 and Thursday, April 29, 2021. Each day will have two programs, a morning program (10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.) and an afternoon program (2–4:30 p.m.) with specific themes. We have invited community health and wellness organizations to present information about their services.

The Sustainability Committee will celebrate Earth Day week with a screening of the film, Kiss the Ground, on April 22 at 6 p.m., followed by a discussion. On Monday, April 19, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., we will be hosting a panel discussion on sustainability featuring Aditi Mayer, fashion designer; Diandra Marizet, Co-founder of Intersectional Environmentalist Platform; Isaias Hernandez, Creator of Queer Brown Vegan; Kamea Chayne, Creator of Green Dreamer Podcast; and Lauren Ritchie, Founder of It’s Eco Gal. Please join us!

Please join us for our 5^th annual Yom HaShoah Day of Remembrance, Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. The event is free and you can register here. We will never forget!

Here is the overview of the recent national student basic needs survey by the Hope Center. Cypress College is a member of the #RealCollegeCalifornia alliance. This survey reveals that the needs of our students, and those across the country, continue to be serious, and that the pandemic only accelerated the challenges that already existed before — and will exist afterwards. We must continue to seek solutions to help provide the essential services and support to our most vulnerable students. Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

President Schilling’s Board Report for March 23, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on March 23, 2021

Cypress College hosted a COVID Town Hall on Wednesday, March 3, to provide updates on testing, vaccinations, and safe return to campus scenarios, as well as provide answers to questions and concerns. Marla Mc Bride, our Director of Health Services, and Dr. Chinsio-Kwong from OCHCA were present to answer questions submitted in advance and live during the convening.  For those who were unable to attend the event, the town hall is now available for viewing on the Cypress College website.

Congratulations to Dr. Jose Antonio (Tony) Sanchez-Duran, Cypress College’s Orange County Teacher of the Year for 2021. Tony is a full-time biology instructor and was named and nominated by our students, and then approved by the Associated Students. Dr. Sanchez-Duran is a committed and caring instructor, and we are proud to have him represent us in this year’s 2021 Orange County Department of Education Teacher of the Year Awards in October. Congratulations, Dr. Sanchez-Duran!

We hope you were able to join us for A Conversation About Racial Equity with Dr. Frank Harris on Monday, March 22, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.  The townhall featured a presentation by Dr. Harris on the importance of this work, a student panel discussion on their own experiences at Cypress College, and attendees had the opportunity to share thoughts in small breakout discussions. We thank all who attended!

The Cypress Speech and Debate Team is proud to announce this semester’s campus-wide speech competition – Honoring Student Voices: My Diversity Story. The first speech will be on March 23 from 5 – 6 p.m.  All Cypress College students are welcome to participate and compete for a $50 prize.  We hope to see you there, and if you are interested in being a judge, please let us know!

Ester Plavdjian has been invited to be a panelist for a conference hosted by the Society of College and University Planning on April 16 with Moore Ruble Yudell (MRY), the architects and planners from the EFMP committee. She will be representing the student voice alongside architects Carissa Oyedele, Mario Violich, and Dr. Cherry Li-Bugg. The session is titled “Innovative Tools for Engaging Contemporary Challenges in Equity and Inclusion.” Congratulations, Ester!

We are pleased to share our tribute to the Women of Cypress in a moving video created by our Communications Department. Women’s History Month is a time when we remember all of the women who have made an impact in the world, in our lives, and of course, at Cypress College. We salute all the women in our District, each of whom make an impact every day.

The Cypress College Foundation 46th Annual Americana Awards – The Reunion Year was a huge success.  Net proceeds totaled more than $120,000.  The event was held live in studio with a special watch party for former Americana Honorees, and pre-recorded stories featuring Cypress College students.  Funds were also raised to directly support students through the Fund-A-Need direct donations, and the new Americana Honoree Scholarship which will provide $1,000 awards to students exemplifying the ideals of service to the community.  A replay of the livestream, list of sponsors, Americana program, and all of the videos are available to view here.

The Cypress College Foundation submitted and successfully received $25,000 in COVID relief funds from the State of California Small Business COVID Relief Grant – designed for small businesses including non-profits. This funding will be used to support scholarships and support for students. Congratulations to Howard Kummerman for actively seeking this additional aid.

Cypress College is now reading the DEI Committee’s spring book selection, Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. To preview our discussion, please take a moment to view this 6-minute interview with the author. This fascinating book details the history of social hierarchy and racism in the United States, and will be discussed on March 23 and April 27 from 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and repeated on March 24 and April 28 at 4:30-5:30 p.m. Please join us!

Upcoming Events:

Please Save the Date for the Cypress College Scholarship Awards Ceremony which will be held virtually on Tuesday, May 18, at 5:30 p.m. The Cypress College Foundation awards nearly $400,000 in scholarships each year, and students are currently applying for this year’s awards.  Thank you to the many faculty and staff who are volunteering to serve on this year’s scholarship committee.

The LIFE Program has two exciting upcoming events. The first event is a presentation by Cathy Trinh a Vietnam-born mother, cancer survivor, and advocate for mental health awareness, holistic healing, and addiction recovery expert. She will be sharing her story and inspiration with us on Thursday, March 25: 1 – 2 p.m.  On Friday, April 9 from 1-3 p.m. we will host  Liberating Scholars Educational Training: Brittany Morton & the Breaking Bars Community Network. This training will assist faculty and staff provide equity-minded and culturally competent services to our formerly incarcerated student population on our college campus.

Please join us for the Cypress College Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance event, to be held virtually on Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. This year we will hear powerful stories from several Holocaust survivors, as well as Irene Perbal, whose family risked their lives to hide Jews in Amsterdam.  Her story depicts the power of the human spirit, the unimaginable courage of human beings, and our amazing ability to bring light from darkness – a trait we all have within us. Registration is free but donations are accepted at www.YomHaShoah.org.  We hope to see you there!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Former Cypress President to Lead University

Former Cypress College president Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail has been named president of St. Augustine’s University in east Raleigh, NC. She takes the role held by her husband, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, who passed away in October 2020 after contracting COVID-19.

The St. Augustine’s University Board of Trustees announced Johnson McPhail’s appointment as the HBCU institution’s 13th president in late February. The presidential search committee who selected her was made up of trustees, alumni, faculty, deans, local government officials and members of the surrounding business community.

“We are excited and fortunate to have an innovative, proven … leader of Dr. Christine McPhail’s stature to lead St. Augustine’s University to the next level of excellence as we reimagine a new model of the HBCU of the future,” James E. Perry, chairman of the St. Augustine’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

Johnson McPhail was Cypress College’s first Black and first female president when she was hired in 1995. She stepped down in June 1998, the same month she married her late husband.

Since her departure from Cypress ,Johson McPhail has served as a professor of practice at the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University, and the founding professor and director of Morgan State University’s community college leadership doctoral program. She has also worked as a leadership coach for Achieving the Dream from 2004 to 2018.

“I am committed to the success of this University and each of its students,” she said in a statement. “I also feel a responsibility to carry on my late husband’s work to establish the University as a 21st Century, learning-centered institution while at the same time leaning on several decades of experience in higher education leadership and strong partnerships with the [St. Augustine’s University] community to move us forward.”

President Schilling’s Board Report for March 9, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on March 9, 2021

Cypress Athletics: The Chargers took the first step in a return to practice and competition with the first day of rapid COVID testing on February 22. Every student athlete planning to compete for the Chargers this spring began their season with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test, which was administered under the supervision of our Cypress College Health Center and Athletic Training Staff.  Cypress Athletics’ top priority is the health and safety of all student athletes, coaches, and staff, so each athlete will be required to test daily prior to each scheduled practice or competition for the duration of the 2020-21 athletics season. The Chargers began practicing during the last week of February and hope to return to competition sometime in March.

The 46th annual Americana Awards was held virtually on February 27. Thank you to those who were able to attend in support of this event. The Fund-a-Need portion was very successful and, for the first time ever, we sold out our special Yamaha raffle — this time for two electric bicycles. Our Celebration packages were hand-delivered to all attendees and included a fabulous dinner of salmon and beef, and a German chocolate cake that will require working off some extra calories this week. Thank you to our Foundation staff, led by Howard Kummerman, Rachel Ghatikar, and Lesley-Anne Loon, as well as Marc Posner for his technical support and student Adrian Romero who sang during the event. We are grateful for the continuing generosity of our community.

Congratulations to Victoria Ygnacio, semi-finalist for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship from Cypress College. Victoria is a pre-engineering major in her second year at Cypress College and intends to transfer in the fall. She is a student leader in the (STEM)2 program and participated in a summer research program at Cal Tech. Victoria has applied to multiple UCs for transfer. We are proud of Victoria and wish her much success when the finalists are announced later this spring.

The Cypress College COVID Townhall was held on Wednesday, March 3 from 1 – 2:30 pm.  Topics covered by campus professionals included: C19 updates/fact and fiction, de-mystifying the vaccination process, the Othena vaccination app, reporting protocols, and the safe return to work scenarios being discussed.  Thank you to Marla McBride, Dr. Bredehoft from OCHCA, Tami Oh, Alex Porter and all our presenters for a lively conversation about our campus needs and operations.

Cypress College was proud to send 30 students and employees to the A2MEND Conference on March 4-5. Thank you to Dr. Marshall and NOCCCD for sponsoring this important summit.

Our stellar Black History Month concluded with another excellent week of programming.  Thank you to Regina Rhymes, Virgil Adams, Annette Letcher and all our BHM organizers for an impactful month of events! On Friday, February 26, over 300 participants had the pleasure to join us for A Conversation with Dr. Angela Davis: Freedom is a Constant Struggle. Moderators Ruth Gutierrez, Michael Brydges, and Annette Letcher did a great job moderating the discussion with Dr. Davis, which is linked here in case you missed it.  The Hairtage Speaker Series was featured in Voice of OC this week, another accolade for this amazing exhibit. Hairtage was organized by Janet Owens-Driggs and curated by Nzuji De Magalhaes in conjunction with the Cypress College Black History Month Committee.

Other Black History Month events included:

• A showing of the movie Rosewood about the 1932 Rosewood Massacre, and student panel discussion afterward
• Debates hosted by Legacy Scholars: Does Capitalism benefit the Black Community? Are Reparations Required in Achieving Racial Justice?
• Day of Expression – Let’s Express Social Justice, Dance, Music & Spoken Word hosted by Maha Afra

The Cypress College Transfer Center announced a robust lineup of virtual university group tours for Cypress College students on select Fridays. Tours will consist of an admissions presentation and live virtual campus tour led by currently enrolled university students. Upcoming virtual campus tours include UC San Diego, UC Riverside, CSU Long Beach, San Diego State, and CSU Dominguez Hills.

This fall the Charger Experience Program had a 100% acceptance rate at UCI, with 56 out of 56 of our Pledge/Promise students being admitted in fall 2020. 35% of students who applied to UCI were accepted and 53% of those began with us as Pledge/Promise students. These results are demonstrating that the high touch experience provided by our Charger Experience, as well as the commitment to provide a first-year experience where all Promise students take their math and English in the first year, is leading to successful transfer and success. Congratulations to Gisela Verduzco and her Charger Experience team, for making a difference!

The Career Planning Center is hosting a Virtual Career and Social Justice Conference More than a Pathway: Connecting Social Justice to Careers on April 13 and 14.  The goal for this conference/event is to:

• Present information about career options with a social justice focus within each of the eight Cypress College Divisions
• Create opportunities for networking with, as well as learning from, professionals who are engaged in advocacy work
• Share community resources, information, and tools for providing services to diverse and underserved populations

Our classified professionals have just completed the Caring Campus coaching sessions. Caring Campus’ CEO, Brad Philips, recently sent the following acknowledgement: As President/CEO of the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) I’d like to commend Cypress College on the successful completion of the Caring Campus coaching sessions and steps taken toward implementation. We know that students go where they feel welcome and stay where they feel cared for. Your professional staff have worked hard to identify and implement behaviors intentionally and campus-wide that ensure students feel connected to their college and, in turn, successfully persist and complete their educational goals.  Our Caring Campus teams are currently creating is an interactive sticker/avatar pack within the mobile app, CypressConnect. This will allow students to collect virtual stickers when they visit certain areas on campus, reach a milestone, or attend events. Thank you to Christy Montenegro and Summer Justice who are leading the two Caring Campus teams and to all our classified coaches for the work they are doing to support our students!

Congratulations to our Psychiatric Technology Program for receiving 100% passing scores for their state board exams during the last quarter of 2020. The program was also reaffirmed for accreditation from the California State Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians for four more years. We are #CYProud of our faculty, staff, and students!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Supporting our Asian-American Community

Events targeting Asian-Americans in Orange County and throughout our state and country have, regrettably, become more common and more deliberate. When we see this kind of bigotry directed at our students and those within our community, we cannot be silent. Our campus community is proud of our almost 30% Asian/Pacific Islander student population, all of whom enrich and enhance our entire campus experience. These recent targeted attacks, which have been physical, verbal, and symbolic, denigrate the students and employees we all care about at Cypress College.

Hate crimes against Asian-Americans have seen an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March and September 2020, there have been more than 2,500 reports nationally of anti-Asian hate incidents related to the pandemic. Sadly, the true number is likely much higher. Many of our Asian-American students and colleagues have been the targets of micro and macro aggressions that seek to diminish their important contributions to our community. An example of this kind of harassment was reported in the Los Angeles Times, where a family in South Orange County has been repeatedly intimidated due to their ethnicity; the uplifting part of this story is that their neighbors have united to stand up against this hatred, and so must we stand together to condemn discrimination wherever we see it.

According to a recent report by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, violent acts of hate (in LA County) in 2020 grew to their highest rate since 2008. The most notable increases are violent crimes against people of Middle Eastern descent (142%); Jewish descent (89%); Asian descent (32%); and transgender persons (64%). These numbers are shocking, in no small part because these violent actions are directed against friends, neighbors, and those identified as immigrants.

I am proud that Cypress College continues to speak out against all forms of bigotry. As educators, we can counter ignorance through the power of education; our students come to Cypress College seeking a better life and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are valued, supported, and empowered by the knowledge and love each of you provide every day.

Let us embrace the power we have as educators by refusing to give in to hate wherever it seeks to take hold.

You make a difference in the lives of so many, and we must continue to take this journey together.

Remembering the Ladies, a Celebration of Women’s History Month

Back on March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams pled to her husband, John Adams, in a letter to “remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

Women’s History Month in particular is a time when we remember all of the women who have made an impact, however big or small, in the world, in our lives, and of course at Cypress College.

Numerous women have been remembered for their accomplishments since the writing of Adams’ letter. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott helped organize the first women’s rights convention. The following year, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to get a medical degree and become a doctor. Women’s rights were fought for by Sojourner Truth and Susan B. Anthony, among others. In 1932, the world saw the first woman (Amelia Earhart) to fly across the Atlantic nonstop.

Women were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement (Rosa Parks, 1955), and in the 1960s, the country saw birth control pills, Equal Pay Act, Title VII, and Title IX.

Tennis star Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes” only a few years before Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to many firsts in government, including the most recent first: a female vice president.

As individuals, we remember our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and aunts.

As an institution, we would be remiss to leave out the women who have made an impact here on campus. Christine Johnson was our first female president; two others have followed her: Margie Lewis (our ninth president), and JoAnna Schilling (our twelfth and current president). Professor Pat Ganer was our first female Academic Senate president. Geology Professor Dorothy Stout made groundbreaking strides in her field. Coach Margaret Mohr, Gail Taylor (Americana), our women deans (Rebecca Gomez, Katy Realista, Treisa Cassens, Kathleen Reiland, Lisa Gaetje), and so many others past and present have all made an impact on our campus community.

That impact includes you, too, Cypress College students, and everything you’ve done to be part of this legacy. Please join us in remembering the ladies and celebrating Women’s History Month, and share the name and/or a story of one in our comments below.

President Schilling’s Board Report for February 23, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on February 23, 2021

As part of Black History Month, HAIRTAGE: Tangled, Twisted, & Black Speaker Series continues featuring top speakers. The LA Weekly highlighted this exhibition as their Culture Pick of the Week. Cedric Adams shared his drawings on February 17. Adams is a child of the Watts Renaissance who is best known for his meticulous drawings; Cedric looks to life around him for the subjects of his artworks, which currently feature portraits of African American men and women that are, he explains, “a visual reaffirmation of how we see ourselves.” The Hairtage Speaker Series is organized in conjunction with the Cypress College Black History Month Committee.

Cypress College has kicked of the Camino de Santiago Challenge. Our team will take the journey together to complete the 480-mile Camino de Santiago trail virtually! All those who complete the full virtual journey to Santiago will receive a medal of completion. Schools First will be providing some incentive raffles between now and fall 2021 Opening Day to acknowledge and encourage the team’s progress. To add yet another reason to join, our Foundation is hosting an optional Camino de Santiago Crowdfunding site to raise funds for your journey. All funds raised will go directly to emergency aid for our students.

The college is providing an Auto-awards Pilot for five CTE certificate programs. Students were notified they were eligible to receive their specific certificate(s) in Baking, Culinary Arts, Food and Beverage, Hotel and Special Events. After one week 56 of 83 students had responded and 100% of the 56 accepted their certificate. Thank you to Kathleen Reiland, Stephanie Rosati, Marc Posner, David Booze, and our CTE counselors Jane Jepson and Jeannie Mitsch for getting this pilot program off the ground. We hope this is the first step in being able to more easily award our students with their earned degrees and certificates.

From November 8, 2020 through April 18, 2021 the California Botanic Garden in Claremont is exhibiting the works of some local ceramicist’s in their exhibition, Clayfornia. One of these artists is our adjunct professor, Mary Beierle. The Botanic Garden’s winter magazine cover features one of her works on display. We are proud of the talent we have at Cypress College and applaud Professor Beirele’s accomplishments. To view the California Botanic Garden’s Clayfornia exhibit click here.

Dr. Schilling and Kathleen Reiland were honored to attend the Orange County Business Council Annual Installation Dinner on February 4. Dr. Schilling attended as the guest of Union Bank and Regional Manager Robbin Narike Preciado. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger was the keynote speaker and spoke eloquently about the importance of teamwork, compassionate leadership, and ensuring all are elevated when the team accomplishes their work together.

On February 5, the CCCCO sponsored a webinar called Voices of Freedom: Stories of Hope from Formerly Incarcerated Rising Scholars. This powerful panel discussion on the pipeline to prison inherent in too many communities and educational systems, featured Cypress College’s FITE Club founder, Nohelani Casperson, who transferred last spring and is now attending UC Berkeley. Nohelani had powerful observations about how her educational journey was impacted by Cypress College, FITE Club advisor, Anne Marie Beck, and the importance of providing a path forward through education for our formerly incarcerated students. We are #CYProud of Nohelani and our FITE Club students!

Our Student Services Team welcomed Dr. Frank Harris to Cypress College on February 11 for the spring Student Services kick off meeting. The theme, Enhancing the Student Experience, was the focus of the morning, and Dr. Harris complemented this retreat with a powerful presentation on the digital equity divide. Thank you to Dr. Harris for presenting, and to Dr. de Dios for putting together a great morning of professional development for this team.

Dr. Schilling was invited to share her State of the College address to the Cypress City Council on February 8. She discussed our new buildings on campus, provided an Americana invitation to all council members, and discussed tentative plans for a limited re-opening of the campus this fall. We are grateful for our positive relationship with the city leaders in Cypress.

The Health Center now has a Canvas Shell and will be providing information, updates, and resources via Canvas, as well as using Canvas to conduct workshops. Please refer your students to our Canvas Shell for resources and event information. Feel free to forward the attached flyer at the end of this report.

Wellness Wednesdays continue this spring semester. Each Wellness Wednesday will be held virtually from 12-1p.m.

• February 24, 2021- Creating Good Habits and BetterYou App
• March 24, 2021- Eating Healthy for a Healthy Brain
• April 21, 2021- Healthy Relationships & Setting Healthy Boundaries
• May 12, 2021- Stress Reduction Techniques

Upcoming Events

Dr. Schilling will be attending the CEO Symposium on February 25-26; she will be facilitating one of the breakout sections on February 25 focused on the work recommended by the statewide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce.

DEI Book discussions – Please join us for a discussion of Book Two of The Distance Between Us, by Reyna Grande on February 23 @ 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and February 24 @ 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Next up are discussions of Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson on March 23 @ 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and March 24 @ 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., and on April 27 @ 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and April 28 @ 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.

Cypress College is planning a COVID Townhall on Wednesday, March 3 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to hear from the OC Department of Health regarding vaccinations, testing, and will hear from campus professionals on reporting and safety protocol on campus, and open a discussion on plans for reopening in fall.

Our next Cypress College Equity Retreat– will be held on March 5 to begin development of our campus DEI Framework in support of our next Strategic Plan. Tony Santa Ana will be our guest facilitator and 100 campus colleagues will be attending to help lead the discussion on this important planning focus.

We hope you will all be able to join us for the 46^th annual Americana Awards on February 27 at 6 p.m. This year all honorees from the previous 45 years will be acknowledged. All in virtual attendance will receive a Celebration package including dinner, dessert and wine delivered to their home. We hope to see you there as we raise funding for student scholarships!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

Cypress College Partners with NextFlex to Launch FlexFactor Program

Cypress College has partnered with NextFlex this spring to launch the FlexFactor program with both our native college students and our dual enrollment students from both the Anaheim Union High School District and the Garden Grove Unified School District.

Through the launch of this educational partnership, students will have the opportunity to explore STEM and manufacturing pathways through project-based learning emphasizing technology and entrepreneurship. Students will identify a real-world problem, conceptualize a product solution, build a business model, and finally pitch their concept to panel of industry partners not limited to private companies, academic institutions, and nonprofits.

What is NextFlex
NextFlex is a nationally recognized network of nationwide institutes including private companies, academic institutions, nonprofits, local and federal government partners that have come together to narrow the manufacturing workforce gap, promote sustainable ecosystems, and facilitate innovation through many channels including K-14 educational programs.

What is FlexFactor
FlexFactor is an outreach program through NextFlex in partnership with Cypress College designed to promote STEM and manufacturing pathways to K-14 students. We are excited to announce that our first cycle of FlexFactor launches in spring 2021! The program uses a project-based learning approach to engage students with advanced technologies, entrepreneurship, and education/career pathways.

For additional information, please reach out to our Dual Enrollment program at DualEnrollment@CypressCollege.edu.

President Schilling’s Board Report for February 9, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on February 9, 2021

February is Black History Month and this year our BHM Committee at Cypress College collaborated with our Fullerton College colleagues for a series of exciting events planned for our campus communities. The kick-off, including the opening ceremony, was held on February 1 and featured our District CEOs to help launch the festivities. The theme for Cypress College’s Black History Month this year is “Social Economics and Liberation of the African American Community.” In addition to our kick-off event, there will be events featuring Dr. Frank Harris and Dr. Angela Davis, as well as many other opportunities for our students and employees to celebrate the vast contributions made by our African American community. For a full calendar of events, please visit our events calendar.

The Cypress College ESL department was commended by the RP Group as one of the top colleges in the state for its outstanding ESL program.  The college is among the top in the state for three of the four ESL student typologies that RP Group and the AB 705 Advisory committee are examining including:

• US high school graduates (#2)
• International Students on the ESL pathway (among the top 6%)
• Degree-seeking Adult Ed ELL students (among the top 10%)

Thank you to our excellent ESL faculty. We are very proud of our students and our program!

Cypress College has been chosen to participate in the Co-Pilot Ascend pilot, a joint project conducted by Wheelhouse (UC Davis) and PERTS (Stanford) and funded by the Gates Foundation.  Twenty instructors in our Language Arts division will be piloting this new evidence-based software and process to enhance student engagement and equity in the classroom. Benefits include faculty receiving insights into how students experience their teaching, while improving student engagement and narrowing equity gaps in student experience. Cypress College is one of only four community colleges statewide have been invited to participate in this project, and this is the first pilot to include community colleges overall.

Extended by popular demand, the Cypress College Art Gallery will be continuing its popular Pic ‘n’ Mix virtual exhibition for the spring semester. Named for the gone-but-not-forgotten Woolworth’s candy counter, Pic ‘n’ Mix brings together collections amassed by members of the Cypress College community. From panda bears to bricks, from feathers to computer game screenshots and sundials, the Pic ‘n’ Mix collections tell tales of distant places and intimate dreams, passionate loyalties and political lies, and sometimes of great sweetness.  Thank you to Janet Owens-Driggs for curating these collections and to everyone who has generously shared their collections.

The Cypress College Art Gallery also presents HAIRTAGE: Tangled, Twisted & Black from January 21 to March 25, 2021. Curated by artist Nzuji De Magalhaes, the HAIRTAGE exhibition and speaker series gathers together artists who approach Black hair as a locus of tension and affirmation.

Cypress in the News: A recent article in Precinct Reporter Group featured one of our current Funeral Services BDP students, Margo Malone. The article covers how frontline morticians are dealing with the challenges presented by the pandemic.  Please click here to read the article.  According to Margo, “Not only have I had opportunity to use information and resources since I graduated so long ago, but I have been able to hone my skills through the B.S. program and the classes I have taken thus far. I would not be where I am in my career had it not been for the Cypress College Mortuary Science program.”  Margo is another amazing alumnus, and well on her way to completing her B.S in Funeral Services!

The Cypress College community will be participating in the Camino de Santiago Virtual Challenge. As many of you know, our Buen Cypress greeting was modeled on the Camino de Santiago, a 480-mile trail which runs from France to Spain. For the next 6.5 months, Cypress College will be taking the challenge to complete this journey virtually. To add yet another reason to join, our Foundation will be setting up Crowdsourcing pages to helping raise funds based on participant completions. All funds raised will go directly to emergency aid for our students. Please join us in taking the challenge! Buen Cypress and Buen Camino!

Open Study Space: Cypress College will again provide a safe study space on campus for students who need a quiet place to work, access their remote class, or study. We will be moving this space into the Cypress College Art Gallery this semester, with a planned opening on February 16. During warm weather, there will be tables outdoors around the gallery, as well as physically distanced and protected tables indoors. Students will still need to make an appointment on our mobile app, complete the wellness check form, wear a mask at all times, and check-in using our new temperature kiosk. Laptops, ear buds, and PPE are provided on request.

Our Athletics Department has launched an upcoming campaign called “Chargers for Change.” The goal is to shine light on the voices of our Cypress Athletics community while spreading awareness of the department’s commitment to anti-racism. This campaign will allow the entire Chargers community to speak, listen, learn, and reflect about the social injustices that impact their daily lives and those around them. Campus colleagues have been asked to share their thoughts in the form of a video, voice recording, or a simple quote that speaks to the importance of anti-racism. Statements from the Charger Athletics Community will be shared on all social media platforms and on our website. Thank you to Athletic Director, Wesley McCurtis, and Sports Information Director, Brett Franchino for putting this excellent campaign together. Go Chargers!

The Hope Center announced their Inaugural #Real College Student Leadership Advisory Council (SLAC) and Cypress College is proud that one of our students, Catherine Cueva, has been chosen in this important role. The 2021 SLAC cohort is comprised of 23 #RealCollege students from coast to coast, including 19 from public institutions, eight from community colleges, and four who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Three-quarters of the students identify as female, and 87% are people of color. Catherine, who is the president of our Students for Basic Needs Club, is the only student chosen from a California community college for this honor. To read the full press release, please click here. Congratulations, Catherine!

We hope you will all be able to join us for our 46^th annual Americana: Reunion Year. The event will be live-streamed virtually but will still include our fabulous silent and live auctions, and a Celebration Package delivered to your home including a full meal, wine, dessert and a few surprises. This year our special Opportunity Drawing will include two Yamaha electric-enhanced bicycles valued over $7,000 for the pair. The District will be sponsoring two tables of ten so we hope you will be in attendance as we raise funds for scholarships to support our students and celebrate all past honorees from years 1 through 45! The pre-event begins at 5:30 with the main program starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2021.  See you there!

Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together!

President Schilling’s Board Report for January 26, 2021

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on January 26, 2021

As we begin the spring 2021 semester, the college continues to have enrollment challenges. Currently the college is trending down about 6%; a current statewide enrollment report shows Cypress trending above other colleges in our area, but we remain concerned about losing any of our students. Before the end of the fall semester, our Institutional Research Program, led by Dr. Eileen Haddad, sent out a survey to all students, asking the question What can we do to better support you? A total of 864 students responded to the survey, and 363 students provided an open-ended response. Here’s a brief snapshot of responses:

Most students plan to re-enroll at Cypress College in spring 2021

• 95% said that they plan to re-enroll at Cypress College in spring 2021 (n = 822)

Most students had an “excellent” or “good” experience with remote instruction this fall—but many students did not

• 53% had an “excellent” or “good” experience (20% excellent; 33% good)
• 28% had an “average” experience
• 19% had a “bad” or “terrible” experience (12% bad; 7% terrible)

Biggest Challenges Reported by Students

• Having a quiet place to do their school work (45%; n = 386)
• Financial difficulties (34%; n = 294)
• Reliable internet (30%; n = 260)
• Accessing academic support services (30%; n = 258)
• Other (18%; n = 153) (e.g., mental health, instructor-related, engagement)

We are continuing our Cypress Cares Campaign with our student ambassadors, who have been, and will continue calling all students throughout the semester to help keep them on track, offer encouragement, and provide resources.

The Guided Pathways Workgroup offered Adjunct Learning Day on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 9 – 3:30. This event provided an opportunity for attendees to learn about current initiatives being implemented under Guided Pathways, connect with other adjunct faculty, learn more about the leadership of the college, find ways to have the adjunct voice included, and enhance their knowledge of how to connect students with support services at Cypress College. Thank you to our Guided Pathways team for offering this impactful day on behalf of our adjunct faculty.

Dr. Frank Harris was a guest speaker at the dean’s retreat on January 8, and provided a two-hour workshop on the importance of having difficult discussions about race across our campus. Dr. Harris will also be attending the Student Services Kickoff on February 11 to discuss bridging the digital divide exposed in our current remote environment. Thank you to VPs Dr. Douglas and Dr. De Dios for planning these events and leading your respective teams!

Thank you to those who were able to join us for our virtual Opening Day on Friday, January 22. Marc Posner and his team created an interview-type pre-show, focusing on conversations with new VP, Lee Douglas, a chat with Juan Garcia and Howard Kummerman about our Veterans fundraising campaign, and a conversation with Janet Owens Driggs on the recent gallery show Pic n Mix. Opening Day featured a presentation from our Guided Pathways Completion Teams and Caring Campus leaders on how Cypress College is moving forward and grounding our Guided Pathways in Equity. It was great to have our campus community together again, even in this virtual space.

As a result of the College’s participation in the Community College Equity Leadership Alliance this fall, several of our teams have been busy putting together projects to share with the campus. On FLEX Day, one team led two FLEX workshops on Understanding and Confronting Anti-Black Racism, detailing the work being done currently at Cypress, and the work that still needs to be done to create a socially just and anti-racist environment. Another team created an Implicit Bias tool which was presented in all division meetings on Opening Day. Thank you to all our teams for sharing their work to benefit their colleagues across the campus.

Also, on FLEX Day, the keynote speaker for both Cypress and Fullerton Colleges was Joe Feldman, author of Grading for Equity, and his colleague Dr. Shantha Smith, who shared compelling reasons for re-looking at how students are graded, with suggestions for how faculty might implement grading practices that improve student achievement and make their classrooms more equitable. And speaking of making classrooms more equitable, Cypress just completed a three-day Curriculum Equity audit with 15 full time faculty members. This review included looking at courses and syllabi through an equity lens. Thank you to curriculum chair, Silvie Grote, and VP Lee Douglas for bringing colleagues from LBCC to lead this important workshop.

Cypress College’s Toyota T-TEN program was again recognized for having the highest number of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications per student nationwide for the second year in a row! As a result of this recognition, the college was awarded a Techstream Award and $8,000 for the program in honor of this achievement. Congratulations to faculty Michael Klyde and Paul Kelly, for their commitment to, and outstanding leadership of, the Cypress College Toyota T-TEN Program.

Cypress In The News:  Cypress was mentioned again in Superintendent Mike Matsuda’s article in Working Nation, highlighting the importance of preparing high school and college students for life after college and how Cypress College is working closely with AUHSD to create these essential pathway opportunities. Read this article featuring Cypress College student Andres Licea who came to Cypress from Savanna High School with a full year of college credit completed and is now an active Pledge mentor to other students. Andres has an inspiring story of how he is building a brighter future for himself and others through education.

Drs. Dunsheath, Contreras, and De Dios participated in a panel discussion at the CCLC new Trustee workshop on January 20, focusing on post-pandemic possibilities, challenges, and innovative practices that have emerged from the abrupt move to distance education stemming from COVID-19. The presentation, Navigating the New Normal: Innovative Practices and Challenges as Colleges Move to Distance Education reflected innovations and strategies at NOCCCD to provide effective student services while ensuring equity for our students.

The Wheelhouse Institute, part of the UC Davis research office, recently issued a report on the ten-year progress of Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) across the state. If you wish to read the full report, it is linked here. The next page provides an overview of the Cypress ADT progress for the past five years.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Associate Degree for Transfer (ADTs) Data Trends

Cypress College currently offers 36 Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) programs. In 2019-20, the College awarded 918 ADTs across 29 of these programs. Below is an historical overview of ADTs awarded overall, by ethnicity, and transfer rate in the past five years.

Spring 2021 Opening Day Provides Updates, Looks to Future

Cypress College employees kicked off the spring 2021 semester with the traditional Opening Day meeting on Friday, January 22, 2021 — held virtually for the second consecutive semester rather than in the Theater.

The event provided an update on what’s happened during the previous several months and a look forward at what’s anticipated in the coming months. This includes our efforts to build a more-equitable campus, the completion of the Veteran’s Resource Center and progress on the new SEM Building, and how we are addressing the pandemic. In addition, employees shared their reasons for involvement in Guided Pathways, including the new Caring Campus initiative, and the college’s common book was highlighted by author Reyna Grande reading from “The Distance Between Us.”

Links to individual segments of Opening Day are below.

• Full video, including pre-show
• Opening Day Meeting
  • Open
  • Welcome and Introductions from Dr. Schilling
  • Dr. Marshall’s Comments
  • Dr. Dunsheath’s Comments
  • New and Newly Promoted Employees
  • A Migrant’s Story
  • Student Story by Luis Rivera
  • President’s Message
  • Guided Pathways and Caring Campus
  • Chrysalis Student Performance (WARNING: Language Advisory)
  • Employee Voices: How We Managed Through the Pandemic
• Opening Day Pre-Show
  • Open
  • Pick ‘N’ Mix Interview with Janet Owen-Driggs
  • Students Ride OCTA Free Interview with Paul de Dios
  • Introduction of New VP of Instruction with Lee Douglas (full interview)
  • Veterans Resource Center with Howard Kummerman and Juan Garcia
  • Quarantunes Performance by Andreas Preponis

Culinary Instructor Nominated for Teacher of the Year

Hotel, Restaurant, and Culinary Arts instructor Chef Amanda Gargano has been nominated as a 2021 Orange County Teacher of the Year. The award is bestowed by the Orange County Department of Education and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, and would have been granted to Gargano at a gala, however, the pandemic has put the in-person celebration on hold until at least fall 2021.

Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D. and Associated Students representatives broke the news to Gargano with a certificate, flowers, and balloons. A presentation last December, sponsored by the OCDoE honored Gargano, and nominees. The acknowledgement ceremony was attended by David Okawa, Marc Posner, Schilling, and Career and Technical Education Dean Kathleen Reiland.

“In course evaluations, it is striking to see such consistently high marks and comments about Chef Amanda’s instruction from all students,” Reiland says. “Students rave about how wonderfully informative and supportive she is throughout their studies.”

Reiland said Gargano seeks creative learning opportunities and industry connections for the HRC Department, and that she is thrilled to have her at Cypress. Gargano is humble but her inspirational instruction has certainly reached the students who nominated her.

“My teaching philosophy has always been to pique my students’ curiosity, lead by example, and empower them to be the best version of themselves,” Gargano says. “All students are capable of success!”

Nominees came from 28 school districts, three regional occupation programs, and 10 community colleges in the county. Two other North Orange County Community College faculty received nominations — Dr. Amber Rose González of Fullerton College and Erin Sherard of North Orange Counting Education (NOCE).

Each of the 58 nominees will receive a SchoolsFirst tote bag containing a personalized blanket, an all-access pass to OCDE Professional Learning Opportunities, an invitation to the Teachers of the Year gala, and other gifts — including a cash award of $500 from SchoolsFirst. Additionally, the Orange County Teachers of the Year Award Foundation provided each nominee with a gift of $3,000.

New Course: Civic Engagement in Public Health

Our current health crisis, along with changing political tides, has caused many to reevaluate the support networks in place for health and human services. At Cypress College, a new class could inform and prepare students for work in reinforcing structures that help communities navigate public health concerns.

KIN 289—Civic Engagement in Public Health (CRN 24245) educates students in several areas of supportive services. The class aims to instruct on assessing health education, create health and education programs based the needs of different populations, and design and facilitate health education trainings.

“Students completing this course will gain appreciation of community as a unit of identity,” instructor Silvie Grote says. “From a social justice perspective and with focus on health equity research for action, students will learn to lead initiatives to promote community health and community wellbeing.”

The class is offered as a required course for the Community Health Worker Certificate as well as for students who are passionate about health of their communities and want to gain skills to bring about change. Students will have the opportunity to put their instruction into practice, as the course includes 60 hours of internship in the area of public health engagement.

To enroll, visit the Cypress College spring 2021 class schedule here.

Take a Virtual Tour of Art Professor’s Studio

To see more of Paul Paiement’s work, visit his website.

T-TEN Program Ranks First in Tests Passed per Student for Two Years in a Row

Cypress College’s T-TEN program has been recognized for the highest Automotive Service Excellence tests passed per student, for the second year in a row. The Automotive Technology Department program also was recognized for having 22 graduates in 2020, a year hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The news was announced during the Toyota Technician Training and Education Network (T-TEN) annual conference the week of January 4. At the conference, Michael Klyde was recognized for serving on the T-TEN Safe Labs Project, the Distance Learning Team (which provided training to T-TEN instructors on Distance Education), and the T-TEN Instructor Community Board. He also presented two of the sessions during the event.

The Cypress T-TEN program earned an additional Techstream diagnostic scan tool to reward its ASE pass rate. There are eight ASE tests in the Master Automotive Series and the Cypress T-TEN class of 2020 had an average of 6.2 per student.

This is the second Techstream, valued at over $8,000, that the Cypress T-TEN program has earned in the past three months. It was awarded by Toyota for the Automotive Technology recruiting efforts this past November, during which Klyde interviewed 13 potential T-TEN students online. Since September, he has interviewed more than 35 potential T-TEN students.

“T-TEN and the entire Automotive Technology Department have stepped up in the face of COVID-19 to make the adjustments necessary to maintain a viable program for the past year,” Career and Technical Education Dean Kathleen Reiland says. “Our students are lucky to have such vested faculty, staff, and counselors to support our students’ success.”

“It is also good to hear that T-TEN recognized you for your work in providing pandemic related resources to Cypress College and other colleges to ensure safe lab usage and quality distance learning,” Reiland says.

Happy Holidays from Cypress College!

It brings us joy to share this year’s Cypress College video holiday card, which was initially designed by then-student art student Ken Huynh, who is now enrolled at Cal State Fullerton. We have added some highlight moments from this unique year — including a transformation from in-person to remote instruction.

As 2020 comes to a close, Cypress College will pause instruction and services starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 23, 2020. We will be back to serve you — refreshed and re-charged — on Monday, January 4, 2021.

“As we dream of a brighter future, I wish you and your families the best for a peaceful and restful holiday season,” said Cypress College President Dr. Schilling, Ph.D., in sharing the holiday card with the campus and broader community.

View our full year in review “Rewind 2020” video.

From all of us here at Cypress College, we wish you a most joyful holiday season. We hope you enjoy the holiday greetings in our campus card and the well-deserved rest during the upcoming winter recess.

President Schilling’s Board Report for December 15, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on December 15, 2020

This year, instead of an in-person gathering for the holidays, Cypress College is presenting the Festival of Holidays, which commemorates the many ways cultures across the globe celebrate this time of the year.

For 14 work days, from December 1–18, faculty and staff have been receiving a different holiday greeting. When recipients click on the envelope to open the message, they discover a new holiday tradition and have the chance to enter a daily holiday raffle.  Follow us as we visit holidays around the globe.

On Wednesday, December 9, the EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs and Guardian Scholars team hosted a drive-thru distribution of holiday cheer and gifts for approximately 50 of our students and their children. Every year the Cypress College community steps up to provide the generous donations and donated gifts from staff, faculty, and administrators that make this event and the “wish lists” of these children possible. Thank you to all who contributed this year. You have made these children and their parents feel loved and appreciated this holiday season!

The Cypress College Debate Event against Irvine Valley College was held on November 18.  The topic was “Resolved: When casting actors, preference should be given to actors within the identities of the characters being portrayed.”  Thank you to Co-Director Bill Neesen and the students from Irvine Valley College for a great debate.  Thirty-two (32) students participated and IVC won the debate by only 1 vote. Another event was held on November 19, with the theme of “My Diversity Story.”  Congratulations to Fatima Gonzalez Gomez for winning the $50 prize!  Thank you to judges Eldon Young, Billy Pashaie, and Jolena Grande for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate as judges for these events.

The 4th Annual Transfer/Pre-Graduation Fair was held on November 20.  More than 350 students participated in the virtual event and interacted with recruiters from over 65 four-year colleges and universities. Additionally, students received important information about graduation deadlines, academic regalia, and were able to strategize with Cypress College student support offices about how to receive similar support services at four-year institutions. And a special thank you to Howard Kummerman and the Cypress College Foundation for contributing scholarships to Transfer/Pre-Graduation Fair student participants.

The week of November 16-20 was 2020 International Education Week.  Normally, the ISP & International Club would coordinate and hold an event to promote the importance and benefits of international education.  Instead, Vivian Kim and Director Yongmi Han designed a special edition of International Focus, ISP Newsletter, highlighting our international students and their academic accomplishments for the past two years.

The Theater Arts Department’s fall production of Chrysalis streamed for free on November 19-20.  Chrysalis was a poetic and emotional response to the struggles of 2020, written and performed by our students and directed by Professor Jennifer McMillin-Brick.  Thank you to the Theater Arts Department for a wonderful production and for providing an original and beautiful opportunity for our students to express themselves.

The Health Center continues its Let’s Talk flyer series serving students during this time of isolation. Let’s Talk provides a space for students to connect with others, while providing them with tools and skills to manage stress and anxiety. In addition, the Cypress College Nursing Department held a joint workshop with the ARISE team on November 25.  The workshop covered how to create Healthy Habits Over the Holidays. These are just a few ways our faculty and staff are serving students during this pandemic.

Students in the Mortuary Science Program held the Mortuary Science Department Annual Memorial Service on December 3. Over the years this event, memorializing those from the county morgue who died without a proper burial, is organized by our students and faculty and has been held in various locations on our beautiful campus, including the Duck Pond, the Campanile, and the Theater Lobby. The event was held virtually this year. Thank you to faculty member Lori Collins for assisting our students plan this event.

The virtual #RealCollegeCA Basic Needs Summit was held on December 4, co-chaired by Cypress College and Imperial Valley College.  The theme of this year’s summit was Fostering Resiliency During a Pandemic. The summit, which welcomed over 500 participants, included workshops and panel presentations covering topics such as food security, housing, remote learning technology, fundraising efforts, and community partnerships. Soledad O’Brien served as the keynote speaker and agreed to waive her $2000 honorarium to provide four $500 scholarships offered as a drawing for all students who attended. A Cypress student, Gabriel Lauro, was one of the lucky winners! Thank you Trustees Dunsheath and Rodarte for attending; special thanks to Marc Posner and his entire team, as well as Kristi Valdez, who spent countless hours helping plan the event and offered amazing technical support throughout the day. Click here to view the keynote with Soledad O’Brien.

The Legacy Program held their Annual Kwanza Celebration on December 8. Dr. Douglas served as the keynote speaker.  Our students worked in teams to present the seven principles of Kwanzaa and created amazing video expressing these principles. Thank you to Regina Rhymes and our faculty leaders and mentors for their support of our Legacy scholars and for organizing this meaningful event.

It was an honor to celebrate Cypress’ Culinary Arts professor, Amanda Gargano, on December 7 with a presentation sponsored by the OC Department of Education. Amanda was named Orange County Teacher of the Year, and the acknowledgement ceremony was attended by Dean Kathleen Reiland, David Okawa, Marc Posner, and JoAnna Schilling. Normally we would have the opportunity to celebrate Amanda’s honor at the Disneyland Hotel, but we were happy to be able to let her know how proud we are of this accomplishment and hope to celebrate together next year! See photos at the end of this report!

On December 3, the Cypress College Psychology Department, led by faculty members Dr. Brandy Young and Dr. Randy Martinez, hosted the Fall 2020 Psi Beta Induction Ceremony. This induction is for the Honors Psychology students who have maintained a 3.2 GPA or higher in their major. Dr. Schilling and Dr. Gaetje had the pleasure of attending and supporting these young scholars.

Cypress In The News:  Cypress was featured twice this week – in NPR’s piece by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez highlighting enrollment across our region and student challenges during the pandemic. Counselor Anne Marie Beck and dance student Briana Sanchez were featured in this story sharing the difficult decisions students are facing to stay in school or support their families. Here is the link to this important story. Cypress was also mentioned in Superintendent Mike Matsuda’s article in Working Nation, highlighting dual enrollment student Anthony Gomez who attended Cypress College and interned at Hulu. Read this great article on creating equitable work and learning environments during the pandemic and the relationship between AUHSD, Cypress College, and our industry partners.

Upcoming Events

The Guided Pathways Workgroup is happy to announce an Adjunct Learning Day on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This event is designed to familiarize attendees with current initiatives being implemented under Guided Pathways. It will also provide an opportunity to connect with other adjunct faculty, learn more about the leadership of the college, find ways to have the adjunct voice included, and enhance their knowledge of how to connect students with support services at Cypress College.

Dr. Frank Harris will be a guest speaker at two events this spring. He will be attending our Dean’s Retreat on January 11 and again at the Student Services Kickoff in February. Thank you to VPs Dr. Douglas and Dr. de Dios for planning these events and leading your respective teams!

 

Buen Cypress and Happy Holidays! We Take This Journey Together!

 

 

Dental Hygiene Clinic Upgrades

The Cypress College Dental Hygiene Clinic recently underwent a major renovation, to support the needs of the program and improve student success. The $50,000 investment in the award-winning Dental Hygiene program facilitated several significant upgrades.

The renovation includes new dental cabinetry, sterilization center, new ADA-compliant reception desk, front office, chairside power and data, portable aerosol collection units, dental grade air purifiers, chairside partitions, and privacy screens. In addition, the dental hygiene classroom has new computer workstations, power/data, and laptop computers.

“It looks like a professional dental lab, it looks beautiful,” Peter Maharaj, Ph.D., Manager, Technology Services and Academic Computing. He led the electrical and technological upgrade efforts. “Furniture, power, data and all the technology that’s associated with it to support the program have been very central.”

Funding came primarily from the Strong Workforce program. Cypress College provided additional financial support for equipment and supplies recommenced by the Dental Hygiene Board of California for compliance and COVID-19 regulations.

Dental hygiene procedures such as teeth cleaning and polishing can expose patients, students, faculty and staff to aerosols, so COVID-19 precautions needed to be taken. Six JADE Air Purifiers and 16 chairside Aerosol Collection Units were installed to address this need.

2020 Annual Safety and Security Report Released in Compliance with the Clery Act

Cypress College’s 2020 Annual Safety and Security Report is now available. The report meets the federal requirements intended to provide students and the public with access to information critical to their safety.

The Campus Safety Department prepares this report annually to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. The report is prepared in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies near our main campus and the North Orange County Community College District Office.

The report can be viewed in the Campus Safety section of the college website, which is linked in the footer of every page. The report is available directly here. If desired, paper copies of the report will be available through the Campus Safety Office.

If you see something, say something

Cypress College takes matters related to personal and campus safety seriously. Suspicious activity should be reported to Campus Safety and/or Cypress Police immediately. Providing such information may prevent someone else from becoming a victim. Campus Safety can be reached 24-7 at (714) 484-7387. All members of the campus community are encouraged to program the number into their mobile devices.

As part of our commitment to safety, Cypress College plans and implement drills each semester. When appropriate, Cypress College issues Timely Warnings in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act. For more information, visit the main Campus Safety page.

The Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. All public and private post secondary educational institutions participating in federal student aid programs are required to comply with it.

The law, originally enacted by Congress in 1990 as the Campus Security Act, was initiated by Howard and Connie Clery after their daughter Jeanne was tragically murdered at Lehigh University in 1986. Amendments to the Act in 1998 renamed it in memory of Jeanne Clery.

President Schilling’s Board Report for November 24, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on November 24, 2020

The LIFE Program’s resource fairs and Lift Up3 events were held on November 9 and 16. LIFE is a grant funded program that supports our formerly incarcerated students and this was the first resource fair for formerly-incarcerated and system-impacted student populations. We were honored to host such amazing community resources as Project Rebound, Project Kinship, and Homeboy Industries. Attendees heard the voices of students who have experienced incarceration – and are now pursuing higher education.  They left feeling inspired by these individuals.

DSS counselor, Dawn Decker, was awarded CAPED’s highest honor – the 2020 President’s Award. Dawn has been a member of CAPED for many years and has been an active member, serving on several committees. She is well respected in the LD and CAPED communities for all of her hard work. Brava, Dawn! Also, at the CAPED convention, Maha Afra, was recognized as CAPED’s Teacher of the Year.  She was invited to the DSS team meeting on Thursday, November 12 to be recognized. The CAPED President, Dr. Chad Bowman, was also there to virtually present the award to her.  Congratulations, Maha!

Kane Smego, spoken word poet, hip hop artist, and cultural diplomat returned to Cypress on Friday, November 13, 2020 to hold the second in a series of workshops for students. Drawing on the concept of intersectionality pioneered by Kimberly Crenshaw and harnessing the power of poetry, this dynamic workshop series helped students tell their own stories by creating an original piece of spoken word poetry.  Kane’s workshop series will culminate with an open mic session in two weeks.

Cypress College just wrapped up a fantastic Hispanic Heritage Month celebrating our Puente Program’s 25 Years of Success. Thank you to all faculty and staff that attended and those who sent students to our events. A big thanks to our wonderful Hispanic Heritage Month planning committee members and Puente leaders Therese Mosqueda-Ponce and Ashton Politanoff.  These events were not only culturally inspiring but also brought much needed human connection. Students commented that they looked forward to these activities and they appreciated learning about the Hispanic culture.

The Cypress Health Center, in partnership with the Orange County Health Care Agency, provided over 300 flu shots with 3 separate Drive Thru Flu Clinics. The HC staff supervised students from psych tech and nursing programs to provide clinical hours to these students. Since going live with “TeleHealth” in March, the HC has provided over 600 medical visits and 200 counseling sessions.  The HC has supported the formation of Cypress Wellness Collaborative to support health and wellness across the campus including drop in sessions for students called “Let’s Talk”, Wellness Wednesdays, and supported Mental Health events such as “Movies for Mental Health” on a virtual platform for students and staff.  Movies 4 Mental Health (online) workshop last week had 77 participants.  Participants stated they felt the event created awareness of mental health issues and helped them confront and address stigma related to mental illness. Attendees that were not already receiving mental health support also reported an increased likelihood to reach out for help.

The Veterans Resource Center construction is almost complete.  Take this opportunity to leave a permanent tribute and support Cypress College students with the opportunity to name a space, room or building at the new Veterans Resource Center.  Or honor veterans and your family, a loved one, or business through an engraved paver along the path at the new VRC complex.  For inquiries email foundation@cypresscollege.edu.

The Cypress Farmer’s Market has a new mural/banner, designed by our student Michelle Bac.

Brooke Straus, the City’s communication analyst reached out to the college earlier this year seeking a partnership. Four students submitted design ideas and received $25 vouchers for the Market, with one receiving a $100 voucher for the design that was selected by the City of Cypress. The Market could not provide an actual wall, so the final product is a portable printed banner and it looks great. Customers will be able to take selfies and photos of themselves in front of this mural. We’ve included a photo of Michelle’s winning design at the end of this report. Congratulations Michelle!

Dr. Barbara Dunsheath spoke at the Soroptimist Club of Cypress on November 18, sharing her lecture on a Women’s Right to Vote and the impact that women’s clubs had on the Suffragist Movement. It was a wonderful, thoughtful, and inspiring lecture on the women who fought for the right to vote and the importance of ensuring all citizens can make their voices heard through the act of voting. In the words of Trustee Dunsheath, “We are stronger when we are organized and work together!”

Congratulations to students Joyce Lin, Ryan Chieng, and Traci Nguyen, for presenting their research papers at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) conference last month. All three students developed their research under the tutelage of advisors, Randy Martinez and Brandy Young, and are members of Psi Beta Phi, an honors society for psychology scholars. We are #CYProud!

Upcoming Events

The Career Center’s first ever drive thru event will be a socially-distanced Headshot Happy Hour! This will be held on Wednesday, November 18. This event will be set up at the roundabout in front of the theater.  Students will be able to pull up to the curb, get out to take a headshot, get back in their car and drive away. One to three professional headshots will be emailed to them for use on their LinkedIn or Portfolium profiles, or for other career readiness and attainment needs.

Due to the recent fires in Irvine, the Debate against Irvine Valley College was rescheduled to Wednesday, November 18.  The debate topic is “Resolved: When casting actors, preference should be given to actors within the identities of the characters being portrayed.” There will also be a Speech/Performance Event on Thursday, November 19.  The theme this month is “My Diversity Story.”

The Legacy Program is sponsoring a series of engaging study sessions for our students. One will be Game Night on November 19 that uses a Jeopardy format. The second study session will be a Jam Session that will include the Pomodoro Study Technique coupled with Karaoke / dancing.  The goal of these study sessions is to create a fun environment for our students to review important subjects before the final.

Mental Wellbeing, Stress and Mindfulness Workshop will be held on Friday, November 20, 2020.  Sam Gould and Angela deDios will look at stress, its effects on health, and how mindfulness can be applied to our life, allowing us to live and experience the fullness that life affords us.

Please join us on December 8 at 5 p.m. for the Cypress College Annual Kwanza Celebration. This year the event will be virtual, but it promises to be as inspiring as ever. Our students work in teams to present the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). Please join us for this important celebration.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

VRC Presents Virtual Wall of Heroes on 101st Annual Veterans Day Observance

November 11, 2020 marked the 101st annual observance of Veterans Day, which originated as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday in 1938.

In celebration of this year’s Veterans Day, our Veterans Resource Center collected submissions for its virtual Wall of Heroes to honor and recognize those who have served.

See the virtual Wall of Heroes here.

President Schilling’s Board Report for November 10, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on November 10, 2020

The ARISE Hub (Academics, Relationships, Independence, Self-Advocacy, Emotional Health), which originated at NOCE, is now open virtually at Cypress College. The facility which could not open on schedule due to the pandemic, was designed to be a comforting, stimulus-sensitive space for students with autism and other mental health conditions, but has now evolved to serve as a virtual space sponsoring workshops and other resources for our DSS students and in alignment with our Wellness Collaborative. We look forward to safely opening this new space when we are back on campus, but appreciate the services currently offered to our campus community.

Cypress College is now certified as an HBCU transfer institution. On October 21, 2020, 59 Cypress College counselors, faculty, and staff participated in a Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) training and certification event. This session was conducted by Helen Young (El Camino College Counselor) who serves as the Project Director for the California Community Colleges Transfer Guarantee Agreement to HBCUs. Tools, resources, and activities to broaden knowledge and support of pathways for students into the nations 100+ HBCUs, 39 of which have a CCC transfer agreement was covered in this high energy and informative discussion.

The Financial Aid Office participated in our first Virtual Cash 4 College event for Western High School on October 21, 2020. Over 200 students and families received direct assistance for completing a 2021/2022 FAFSA or Dream Act application. Cypress College remains committed to supporting our local High Schools in their college preparedness efforts and will be continuing outreach to our local districts.

The 35th Annual Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic is happening! Schedule your tee time between November 16 and December 18, including weekends. Participants may complete their registration online to receive the Golf Classic Tournament Instructions. Your donation supports the work of the Cypress College Foundation supporting student scholarships, book loans, emergency assistance, faculty grants, endowment development, and more. Thank you for participating!

Cypress in the News: The Cypress College Open Space was featured in the state Chancellor’s Office Twitter feed and in the OC Breeze, as was the press release on our new ARISE Hub.

The Cypress CARE Program has launched its annual “Adopt-A-Family” program to assist our single-parent CARE families during the holiday season. Last year our Charger family adopted over 55 families and generously provided gifts for the holidays. If you are interested in sponsoring a CARE family, please click on the previous link. In addition, The Guardian Scholars Program will continue their second year of the “Adopt-an-Angel” Program to assist our current and former foster youth. Please let us know if you are interested in sponsoring a Guardian Scholar. Thank you for making the holidays so special for our students, especially during these unprecedented times! Please respond by Tuesday November 17, 2020.

The Cypress Legacy Program sponsored two workshops examining racial and social justice issues and their impact on self-esteem and self-efficacy, followed by practical tips for self-care and mindfulness. The topics were Exploring Race and the Imposter Syndrome (Wednesday, October 28 @ 11:30 a.m.) and Black Coping in an Era of Madness (Monday, November 2 @ 11:30 a.m.).  In addition, the Legacy program conducted a special “Let’s Talk” feedback forum post-election to assist students cope with the election results. Thank you to Regina Rhymes, LaRon Armstead, and our Legacy faculty and mentors for their support of our students.

Our Associated Students will also be hosting a post-election Town Hall on November 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Congratulations to STEM Scholar Alumna, Alejandra Garcia who was recently featured in the CSU Office of the Chancellor magazine. Alejandra shares her story and the power of self-determination, positive guidance, and mentorship, emphasizing how the STEM Program at Cypress College helped her educational journey. Her story is one of courage and resilience, but also of the important role our faculty, peer mentors, administrators, and counselors play in her success. Thank you, STEM(2) Director, Yanet Garcia, for sharing and supporting Alejandra’s journey.

Upcoming Events

The Cypress College Equity Retreat, rescheduled from spring due to the pandemic, will be held in two sessions, November 6 and on November 13. The purpose of the retreat, facilitated by Veronica Keifer-Lewis, will be to have deep conversations about the meaning of equity on our campus, and to begin the process for a common definition and DEI framework that will then provide the foundation for our Strategic Plan, which will be revised in spring 2021. 100 leaders across the campus will be participating. Thank you to Ruth Gutierrez, Michael Brydges, Gisela Verduzco, and Alison Robertson for their leadership developing the agenda for this important campus retreat

Please join us on November 19 or 20 at 6 p.m. for a virtual production of Chrysalis, a student-driven play about 2020 and all it is doing to each of us. This very personal play was written and performed by our theater students, directed by faculty member Jennifer McMillin-Brick. It will be streaming free at www.CypressCollegeTheatre.com

Kane Smego, spoken word poet, hip hop artist, and cultural diplomat will be leading three workshops for students on November 6, 13 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drawing on the concept of intersectionality pioneered by Kimberly Crenshaw and harnessing the power of poetry, this dynamic workshop series helps students tell their own stories.

The Transfer Center and Admissions & Records are teaming up again on November 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to host this year’s TPG Fair in a virtual format. Students can meet representatives from 65+ universities, learn important graduation information, attend specific breakout sessions with the colleges of their choice, and hear from our student services team at Cypress College.

Join us for a drive-in screening of “The Story of Plastic,” sponsored by the Cypress College Sustainability Committee. The movie takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it.

This event is free and open to the public. The movie begins at 7 p.m. in Lot 1; pre-show raffle begins at 6:30 p.m.

Information on attending our upcoming book club discussions is on the following page.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Campus Common Book Discussions Are Happening!

Join your fellow campus community members in reading “The Distance Between Us,” a memoir by Los Angeles-based author, Reyna Grande, the selected common book for the academic year.

The college’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will be holding multiple discussions over the fall and spring semesters on the following schedule:

• Discussion #1 Book One: Prologue – Chapter 7 – November 3*, 4**
• Discussion #2 Book One: Chapters 8-14 – November 17*, 18**
• Discussion #3 Book One: Chapters 15-20 – December 1*, 2**
• Discussion #4 Book Two: Prologue – Chapter 9 – February 2*, 3**
• Discussion #5 Book Two: Chapter 10-18 – February 23*, 25**
• Discussion #6 Book Two Chapter 19 – Epilogue –  March 9*, 10**

*11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
**4:30–5:45 p.m.

To access the Canvas course and join the virtual discussion via Zoom, please go to: cypresscollege.instructure.com/enroll/KYLDXP

 

ARISE Hub Provides Cypress College with Online Support to Students Struggling with Isolation

In a time when college students might feel particularly isolated from the world due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cypress College and sister campus North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE) are offering students a bit of reprieve in the form of social and mental health support.

The ARISE (Academics, Relationships, Independence, Self-Advocacy, Emotional Health) Hub, which has locations at Cypress College and other NOCE locations, had served as a space for students, faculty, and staff to come and unwind from the stress of college life. Originally, the facility was designed to be a comforting, stimulus-sensitive space for students with autism and other mental health conditions, but evolved when the hubs realized that all students and faculty could benefit from their services.

Cypress College’s ARISE Hub physical space was slated to open this year, but was sidelined due to the pandemic. As on-campus activities were moved to online, facilitators and counselors for the ARISE Hub knew students would need socio-emotional and mental health support more than ever — so they brainstormed ways to pivot and move their efforts to assist students virtually.

NOCE ARISE faculty coordinator Casey Sousa said the facilities and their virtual counterparts were designed with the needs of the college student. The hope is that by providing students and faculty with mental and socio-emotional support, their academics will also improve.

“(The ARISE Hubs) are helpful for everyone: the biggest expansion has been recognizing this holistic approach and having a place for students to go when things are really overwhelming,” said Sousa. “So we are an academic institution but all of these areas impact that.”

Facilitators have made sure that students are still having the most “real college” experience they can possibly have, in spite of the lack of on-campus activities. To date, the ARISE Hub has hosted virtual talent shows, movie nights, and social hours to keep students connected and socializing.

Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D. said the college is committed to supporting the health of students, faculty, and staff.

“Now, perhaps more than any point in recent memory, it is important to focus on our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others in our community,” Dr. Schilling said. “We have launched ARISE to serve as a virtual Wellness Center for all students at Cypress College. This space is also a symbol of successful partnerships as it was created in partnership with our sister campus, NOCE. Together, we are able to provide social hours for students to connect, study hours and workshops to help guide students with college-related issues, social support and community building, and emotional and mental health wellness support.”

Beyond social activities, counselors hope to teach students coping strategies so they can take those skills with them as they move beyond community college to either a four-year university or into the workforce.

“We teach our students self-advocacy so that they can take care of themselves even when we’re not around,” said Cypress College ARISE Counselor Sneha Kohli Mathur.

Workshops held by the program include coping strategies, mindfulness exercises, guided meditation, and how to deal with “Zoom-fatigue.”

For more information about the ARISE Hub at Cypress College, please email Sneha Mathur smathur@cypresscollege.edu, ARISE@noce.edu, or call (714) 484-7465.

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College provides a pathway for each of our students, offering 56 university-transfer majors, 174 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 98 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Eligible first-time students qualify for free tuition through Cypress College’s Charger Experience promise program. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 116-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cypress College’s instruction and services are offered primarily in a remote format. Students can access support services online at cypresscollege.edu/coronavirus.

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Virtual Apps, Cloud Storage Available for Students

Cypress College Academic Computing has built a virtual platform for students to access several high-powered software applications and file storage capacity. By visiting my.cypresscollege.edu, all enrolled students have 24/7 access to My Office Online, featuring the Microsoft suite of programs and file storage through One Drive, along with the new Virtual Labs called the Charger Cloud. The Charger Cloud offers access to a broader range of programs, depending on the courses in which students are enrolled, such as the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Autodesk AutoCAD, and IBM SPSS.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted access to the campus physical computer labs, so we went to the cloud and offered virtual services,” Dr. Peter Maharaj, manager of Technology Services & Academic Computing, said.

Students’ coursework can benefit from this in multiple ways. If a student completes a written assignment using MS Word, they can save the file via their One Drive, and then access via Charger Cloud to store even more information. If the student completes an assignment that requires the IBM SPSS application, they can save the project automatically to their One Drive as well, and have the convenience of accessing it anywhere, anytime.

“The processing power occurs in the cloud, so students don’t need access to a powerful computer,” Dr. Maharaj said. “The use of Chromebooks offers a more accessible resource to these services with a lower entry. Cypress College offers Chromebooks to our students through the great work by the staff in the Library and LRC in support of our students’ learning needs; this allows students to utilize programs to complete assignments for their classes during the time the campus is closed.”

We control the Charger Cloud using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to scale resources based on demands and ensure access to our enrolled students, Dr. Maharaj says. The controls in place allow the college to scale resources and support Cypress College student and faculty technology needs for both teaching and learning.

“Learning does not occur between fixed time; rather, we can have our virtual labs and resources to accommodate our student body to learn whenever and wherever they choose,” Dr. Maharaj said. “As a college, we have to be proactive, agile, and be ready to lead our students and support our colleagues through these challenging times. Cypress College has led the way with support from faculty and staff, including drive-up Wi-Fi, VoIP, touchless services, hardware distribution, technology training, and new cloud services to ensure operational sustainability.”

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 27, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 27, 2020

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has chosen “The Distance Between Us” by Reyna Grande, as our fall book selection. Ms. Grande was also a guest speaker on October 21, as part of our Hispanic Heritage Month activities. We will be announcing the dates and times of our virtual book discussions beginning the week of November 1, 2020. Please join us!

Last spring Cypress was one of 18 colleges awarded a grant from the Institute for Evidence Based Change (IEBC) to participate in the Caring Campus initiative. Twenty classified employees were chosen to represent their respective areas, and to develop campus protocols for serving students in alignment with our campus Guided Pathways. Last week the chairs of this project, Summer Justice, Christy Montenegro, and subcommittee leads, Gloria Ortega, Ayman Gadalla, Belinda Allan, and Angela Haugh presented their behavioral-based commitments to the managers, including 1) Developing a Resource Guide for the campus; 2) Implementing a Warm Welcome Referral Program supporting students; and 3) Ensuring someone from each department is answering phones, checking emails, and responding to students each day. The managers and Executive Team then created their own commitment to support our classified professionals in this work.

The college has completed two of the twelve Equity Alliance convenings through our membership in the California Community College Equity Leadership Alliance at USC’s Center for Race and Equity. Two groups of five attended Fostering and Sustaining Inclusive Classrooms for Students of Color on September 10, and Understanding and Addressing Implicit Bias on October 12. Both groups will be developing projects with our Professional Development team to share what they learned with the campus community. The next workshop will be Understanding and Confronting Anti-Black Racism on November 12. We are currently accepting applications for attendance at all upcoming convenings.

Cypress is also getting ready to implement the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, a student survey also made available to us through our Equity Leadership Alliance membership. The survey will be sent to students between November 14 and December 14, and is intended to capture student campus climate on race, equity, engagement, and available resources at Cypress College.

Thank you to Peter Maharaj and his IT Team who have developed an innovative wellness check form in our mobile app to measure student readiness to be on campus. All students attending F2F classes on campus must check in 12 hours before their class by going to the CypressConnect app and answering key wellness questions. Based on the responses, the student either receives a green check mark or a red stop sign, indicating whether or not they are cleared to be on campus. Their information is confidential and if a student is not cleared, they will be followed up with for further support and instruction by a designated employee.

In collaboration with our Connect2Cypress event, our third annual Majors2Careers 2020 Virtual Event will be held on Tuesday, October 27 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students will be able to join in virtually for workshops featuring: Career Exploration, Connecting Your Interests to Cypress College Programs, Employer Career Panel, and more! Thank you to Angela Sardan, our Career Center Coordinator, and her dedicated team.

In support of Undocumented Students Action Week, October 19 to October 23, our Grads to Be Program, in collaboration with the District, Fullerton College, and NOCE hosted multiple workshops, resources, and learning opportunities for our undocumented student population and districtwide community across all three campuses. View the event schedule here.

This year, as we celebrate Veterans Day remotely, we would like to celebrate our Veterans with our Virtual Wall of Heroes campaign. This campaign invitation is open to Cypress College students, board members, alumni, faculty/staff, family members or any veteran you may know and want to celebrate their service. Requested information includes name, branch, service dates, rank, military occupation, deployments, and a brief comment on your service; favorite memories, shout outs, or dedications (500-word maximum). We will be sharing all submissions online through a webpage that will be accessible by URL link on November 10, 2020. If you would like to be included, please CLICK HERE to complete the online registration form.

The construction on our new Veterans Resource Center is moving forward on schedule and we anticipate that this new facility will be fully completed by January 2021. Furniture and fixture deliveries will begin in November and the Veterans Memorial Bridge and Tribute Garden are close to completion. Water is back in our pond, and new drought resistant landscaping has been planted. Our Foundation staff will be sharing important naming opportunities soon and a fundraising campaign is planned for acknowledging the veterans in your lives. We look forward to scheduling some sneak preview tours within the next few months. Stay tuned!

Cypress College is pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the Orange County Transit Authority to provide bus passes to all enrolled students who have paid their Associated Students fee, beginning in the spring semester. The grant provides us with a full year of funding to support this initiative. We appreciate Fullerton College leading the way on this important initiative and beginning in January, students will receive a free bus pass for all OCTA routes 24/7, including weekends throughout the year. Although students will not be coming to the campus in spring, the benefit to students extends throughout the county. Thank you to Student Trustee Ester Plavdjian and Associated Students President, Nicolette Garcia for their leadership, as well as Student Activities Director David Okawa, Jay Shonkwiler, and Dean Rick Rams.

The Cypress College Equity Retreat, rescheduled from spring due to the pandemic, will be held in two sessions, November 6 and on November 13. The purpose of the retreat, facilitated by Veronica Keifer-Lewis, will be to have deep conversations about the meaning of equity on our campus, and to begin the process for a common definition and DEI framework that will then provide the foundation for our Strategic Plan, which will be revised in spring 2021. 100 leaders across the campus will be participating. Thank you to Ruth Gutierrez, Michael Brydges, Gisela Verduzco, and Alison Robertson for their leadership developing the agenda for this important campus retreat.

On the next page is an overview of the work our Dual Enrollment Team is doing with AUHSD in our Cybersecurity Program. This work was made possible by a 1.5 million dollar grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supports complete K12 and college pathways in Cybersecurity. Our Dual Enrollment Team, led by Dean Henry Hua, will be presenting the following information at the upcoming 2020 ATE (Advanced Technology in Education) Conference for NSF Grantees.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Grads to Be Program Adds Free Legal Consults for Campus Community

Cypress College has been selected by the CCCCO, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the California Department of Social Services as a pilot school to provide free legal services to our undocumented students and neighboring communities. We have contracted with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), to provide free legal services to students. This new service will further enhance our Grads to Be Program for undocumented students by providing additional resources and support.

If you are a student needing immigration legal services, CHIRLA, can help. They serve students, faculty and staff to ensure their rights and protections. The CHIRLA immigration attorneys and Department of Justice representatives provide culturally competent, reliable expertise with sensitivity to the trauma our immigrant community regularly sustains.

To book a free confidential virtual appointment, visit legal.chirla.org/ and select Cypress College.

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 13, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 13, 2020

We are now beginning our eighth week of instruction, the midpoint of the semester. I want to thank our faculty, counselors, managers, and staff for the many ways they continue serving our students. The work of the campus continues, but it is important to acknowledge that there exists a palpable fatigue due to the many stresses that our employees and students are facing as we continue learning remotely. To that end, the college has launched the Wellness Collaborative, in partnership with our Health Center, faculty experts, and Professional Development Team, who will be providing free mindful meditation, yoga, group therapy sessions, as well as health and wellness workshops to help our students and employees find ways to de-stress. We appreciate the leadership of adjunct faculty member Sam Gould, our Health Center staff, led by Marla McBride, and our Professional Development coordinators, Michael Brydges and Ruth Gutierrez. View our classes here.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has just released our three selections for a common book reading series this fall semester. The three books are: “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson, “How to Be An Anti-Racist” by Ibram X. Kendi, and “The Distance Between Us” by Reyna Grande, who will also be visiting our campus as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our larger goal is to strengthen our community and continue to work towards dismantling the systemic barriers that impede racial equality on our campus. The campus will be voting on the top selection and we would like your input! Please vote here by October 15. We will announce our campus common book and discussion series soon after voting closes.

I had the opportunity to appear on AUHSD’s “Future Talks” series on Wednesday, October 7. Superintendent Mike Matsuda has begun this important discussion with county leaders to inform AUHSD’s 30,000 students and their families about the future of work for young people post COVID-19. Guests come from a broad spectrum from work, careers, and higher education, who are grounded in kindness and compassion dedicated to making a world a better place. The podcast will be shared soon with AUHSD friends and family.

The college hosted our second Presidential Advisory Group meeting on September 22, featuring 30 industry and community leaders. Presentations included updates on internships, our technical programs, Charger Experience, dual enrollment, and opportunities to support the college financially and through employment opportunities for our students. To see our presentation, please click on the following link.  Videos need to be viewed in presentation mode.

Our Queer Straight Alliance, under the oversight of ESL faculty member, Jenelle Herman, hosted a student and employee panel on October 8, commemorating National Coming Out Day. The panel focused on de-colonizing the fears inherent in coming out, and hearing from our current and past students who shared their powerful and empowering stories. We appreciate the faculty, staff and students who attended and provided their support.

The college welcomed Dr. Lee Douglas, our new Vice President of Instruction, to the campus on October 5. We are all looking forward to his leadership and the support he will provide for our faculty and academic divisions. Welcome Dr. Douglas!

The statewide Affordability, Hunger and Housing Taskforce has begun meeting again and I am honored to again represent Region 10 on this taskforce. I will also be serving as the co-chair for the #RealCollegeCA conference, which will be held virtually on December 4. Soledad O’Brien will be the keynote speaker and talk about her work providing support for young women of color who are struggling with food and housing. The third annual conference will focus on the many initiatives being implemented and pursued across the state to assist our food and housing insecure students, especially in this challenging environment. We hope you will be able to join us virtually at this year’s convening.

CARES Funding update: As of last Wednesday, 7,008 students have been awarded emergency grants from the CARES Act set up last spring to address student need due to COVID 19, providing a grand total of $3,501,075. This includes specifically reaching out to Legacy and Puente program leaders, who were given the opportunity to notify their students prior to the grants being released to the entire student body. In the spring 2020 semester, 3,794 students were awarded $500 emergency grants totaling $1,895,075. In the fall 2020 semester, 3,203 students were awarded emergency grants totaling $1,606,000. Additional funding has been spent on the purchase of technology to support students, including laptops, wi-fi hot spots, lab kits, and other instructional support. The college will be looking at additional emergency grants for students through our shared governance process and how we might allocate additional grants for the spring semester.

Upcoming events

Cypress College’s annual High School Superintendent and Principals convening will occur on October 29 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. This year’s convening will include representatives from AUHSD, Fullerton Union, ABC Unified, Garden Grove Unified, and Los Alamitos Unified Districts.

The college Sustainability Committee will be hosting a campus Drive-In Movie event on November 13 at 7 p.m., premiering The Story of Plastic. This impactful movie, about the presence of plastic in our oceans, polar ice, and the air we breathe will change your mind about the many ways we use, and rely on, plastic in our consumer culture. Please join us for a socially responsible evening together on campus.

The Pic ‘N Mix Collection continues virtually, from September 17 to December 3. This unique exhibit features collections amassed by members of the Cypress College community. At a time when we cannot meet in person, Pic ‘n’ Mix invites you to unwrap its ‘candies,’ savor old friends, and make new connections. Visit the Exhibition, as well as other events offered this semester in the Cypress College Art Gallery.

Our annual Connect2Cypress event on October 27, will welcome up to 1000 high school seniors to our campus for a virtual introduction to the campus, introduction to Guided Pathways, the opportunity to interact with career center staff in the Majors2Careers event, and information about the Charger Experience Program.

Please join us on Thursday, October 15 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am for “Cafecito with Sylvia Mendez” as Hispanic Heritage Month continues. Ms. Mendez was a child when her parents were involved in Mendez vs. Westminster, a 1947 landmark case effectively ending racial educational segregation in California. Her firsthand story is harrowing and enlightening and she tells it with a quiet grace and power. Also coming up is a Q&A with author Reyna Grande, author of “The Distance Between Us”, which is also one of our book selections this fall. That event will be offered on October 21 at 5 – 6 p.m.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Cypress College Reports First Student-Related COVID-19 Case of 2020-21 Academic Year

A Cypress College student who is currently enrolled in a class that meets intermittently on campus tested positive for COVID-19. The student notified Cypress College of a positive test result on Thursday, October 8, and was last on campus the morning of October 1.

Tracing information provided by the student states that appropriate protective equipment, including a face mask, plastic shield, and gloves were worn at all times when the student was on campus. In addition, the student did not have either direct or prolonged contact with anyone else on campus. The student reported no needs of support from the college and is self-isolating in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

According to the CDC, “A potential exposure means having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more without Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic.”

While the CDC guidelines for potential transmission exposure to others was not met in this instance, Cypress College has notified all students in the course, along with the instructor and staff member who was assisting that day, so that they are informed about the positive COVID-19 result. To be cautious, Cypress College has encouraged each student enrolled in the class to self-quarantine at home and to practice physical distancing. In addition, Cypress College has made available its Health Center professionals to answer questions or to provide additional guidance and support to these students.

In advance of the semester, Cypress College launched its “We Above Me” Health and Safety Protocol campaign which connected the college’s motto with the need for safety precautions both on and off campus.

All participants in on-campus coursework and study sessions must complete a health and wellness screening in the college’s mobile app prior to participating. Students are not permitted to participate in on-campus activities if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or if they believe they may have been exposed to someone with the virus. In addition, masks and social distancing are required at all times while on the Cypress College campus.

• Cypress College COVID-19 Website
• COVID-19 Symptoms
• How to Protect Yourself and Others
• What to do if you think that you may have COVID-19

President Schilling’s Board Report for September 22, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on September 22, 2020

Cypress College is now in the third week of the “drive-through” food distribution in partnership with NOCE and Pathways of Hope. This drive-up event occurs each Wednesday at 9 a.m.-12 p.m. throughout the fall semester. Through the first three weeks, we have served over 500 students.  Many of you have asked how you can support our efforts so here are ways you can help:

• Donations: The Cypress College Food Pantry welcomes donations of all non-perishable, pre-packaged food items. Additionally, we welcome donations of sealed and prepackaged hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, men’s/women’s razors, shaving cream, soap, shampoo/conditioner) as well as household essentials such as toilet paper, diapers, wipes, baby formula and related products that are sealed and fresh.
• Where to Donate: For fall 2020 while we are remote, donations can be dropped off at our Campus Safety Office (1st Floor, Business Building). Campus Safety will work with our staff to deliver donations to our Food Pantry staging area for packaging and distribution. We recommend that you contact Campus Safety prior to arrival to ensure a staff member is available to meet you in their office. Financial contributions can be made through our Foundation by selecting where you wish your donation to go.
• Volunteering: During the pandemic, we are limiting volunteers to the Food Pantry at the moment to comply to social distancing and COVID safety guidelines on campus. Our staging area and distribution area are currently staffed sufficiently thanks to the support of NOCE and Cypress College staff and student leaders. However, if a need arises to increase the need for additional volunteers, we will put out a separate call for participation. Thank you for your understanding and support!

VRC Update: The Cypress College VRC is conducting Zoom mixers every other week for students to connect with one another during this remote learning era. The staff is also keeping connected with our veterans through “Operation Re-supply” where students are picking up much needed school supplies and information to on/off-campus resources. Students receive biweekly email updates with pertinent information about VA education benefits, tutoring services, mental health resources, food and housing information, and mentoring services.

Financial Aid Update: The College Financial Aid offices dispersed Pell Grants to 3,745 students for a total of $4,051,028.92 in the first week of classes. We are now contacting all CARES eligible students for an additional 2,797 $500 emergency grants. We are making special efforts to reach out to affinity groups to ensure all in need have access to request this emergency funding. Additional funding will be handled through an online application that was successfully implemented spring 2020.

Cypress Cares College Campaign 2.0: Our Charger Experience Ambassadors are calling every enrolled student during the fall semester to provide support, understand their challenges, and provide needed resources. In this remote environment, we are finding that students appreciate the human touch and our student ambassadors are stepping up to support their peers.

Cypress College will be implementing Wellness Workshops for students and employees to help handle their stress and anxiety this semester. We will be implementing weekly workshops on yoga, mindful meditation and a group “Let’s Talk” series for students who need to connect during this stressful time. In addition, there will be wellness resources posted in all Canvas shells, on our website, and in the Health Center, including a menu of weekly activities each week. For employees, we will be launching a series of Friday workshops on stress management and then encouraging participation in quick “touch point” workshops on mediation, stress management and other techniques specifically directed towards employees.  More to be shared very soon. Please join us if you can!

The College will be hosting our second Presidential Advisory Group meeting on September 22, featuring 30 industry and community leaders to share the work the college is doing to support our community, and gain important insight on what our industry professionals need from us. The presentations will include an update on internships, our technical programs, Charger Experience, dual enrollment, and opportunities to support the college financially and through employment opportunities for our students.

Cypress College has been accepted to present at the Pathways to Equity Conference, sponsored by the CCC Foundation, and presented virtually September 29-30. Our presentation is called: Centering Guided Pathways in Equity at Cypress College and will be an overview of our efforts the past three years to ground our Guided Pathways implementation in ensuring equity for our students. The focus of our presentation will be the connection between data and equity, and the opportunity to use the data to tell stories of inequities. This centering of Guided Pathways presents an opportunity to shift the very culture and thinking of a college, from college policies to classroom practices to implicit biases, that will change the college experience for all students, but most dramatically for students of color. Presenters include Eileen Haddad, Lisa Gaetje, Steven Estrada, Ruth Gutierrez, Deidre Porter, and JoAnna Schilling.

In his most recent report to AUHSD, Superintendent Mike Matsuda acknowledged the partnership between AUHSD, Cypress College and NOCCCD. Here is his report and links to the specific work we are doing with our feeder high schools: Prior to the pandemic, I had the honor of representing the District (along with JoAnna Schilling, President of Cypress College) at IBM’s international education conference in New York highlighting STEM workforce pathways.  AUHSD was the only California school district invited to this prestigious event. Dr. Schilling and I were asked to share with national and international participants how we are transforming education through our Anaheim Educational Pledge, our award winning AIME (Anaheim Innovative Mentoring Experience) program, and our dual credit courses with Cypress and Fullerton Colleges, which all lead to preparing students for good jobs and careers. Besides the award winning partnership with Cypress College and the  Cyber Security Pathway at Magnolia High School, the District is developing Artificial Intelligence at Kennedy High School, Biotechnology at Anaheim High School, and Orange County’s first business and entrepreneurship incubator (iLab) at Western High School. Thank you, Superintendent Matsuda for the shout out, and to our Dual Enrollment Team, led by Henry Hua and Stephanie Teer in developing this important pathway approach in our dual enrollment programs.

Speaking of our partnership with AUHSD, the following graphic details the growth of our Promise Program (called the Charger Experience), disaggregating this by Pledge students in AUHSD, and all other students from other Districts, including Fullerton, Garden Grove and Los Alamitos. The success of this program has led to a dramatic increase in students completing math and English their first year (a requirement for Promise students) and over 30% of Charger Experience students maintain over a 3.0 GPA, placing them on the Deans or President’s Honor Lists.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

New On-Campus Charger Study Space Now Open

Cypress College is providing a new, safe study space on campus for students to use throughout the fall semester.

The study space will be available Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.  Make a mandatory appointment in two-hour blocks using the college’s Cypress Connect app. If you haven’t downloaded the app already, please download it here.

To complete your reservation time, please go to our COVID-19 module within the mobile app. Next, complete the required Wellness Check Form, also located in the COVID-19 module in the app, each time before coming onto campus. Wear a mask while on campus and maintain a distance of at least 6 ft. with others.
Additional guidelines are available below:

I made an appointment. How do I access the study space?
You may enter the study space using the designated access area from Lot 1 through Gateway Plaza only.

Will charging outlets be available?
Limited charging outlets will be available in the study space. It is strongly recommended that you charge all of your devices prior to coming on campus.

Will I be able to use the restroom while on campus?
Yes, there will be designated restrooms and hand-washing stations for use. You must wipe down or spray each area touched after each use.

Can I eat while studying?
No, food is not allowed in the study space. There will be designated areas for eating. Please ask a staff member about these designated areas.

Is it OK for me to attend a Zoom class while at the study space?
Certainly! To be considerate of others using the study space, you are required to use head/earphones if you are taking a live Zoom class that requires sound and interaction.

Can I go anywhere else on campus?
No. Students must stay in the study area only. When exiting campus, leave the study space area and return straight to your transportation. Exceptions will be made for students with an on-campus class before or after using the study space; however, these students are also limited to accessing only those areas at the entry point identified by their instructors.

What health and safety precautions are being taken to provide this study space?
You must wear a mask while on campus, and may only remove it when seated at your designated study space and at least 6 feet away from anyone else. Hand sanitizer will also be available to students at every table.

The study spaces must be wiped down and disinfected with provided materials by students and staff after each use, and the campus’ Maintenance and Operations team will do a nightly deep cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing.

President Schilling’s Board Report for September 8, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on September 8, 2020

As we end the first two weeks of the semester, we are seeing an enrollment dip from last year but are showing consistent fill rates over 90% across the curriculum. We are, however, offering 90 fewer sections than last fall, mainly in the arts, athletics, CTE, and health sciences due to the inability to fully offer remote and online course offerings in those areas; we are not seeing significant student drops due to online instruction. The college has distributed over 800 laptops, Chromebooks, and WiFi hot spots and our faculty, counselors and students services staff continue to work tirelessly serving our students in this remote environment.

Cypress College is now offering an on-campus “drive-through” food distribution each Wednesday at 9 a.m.-12 p.m. throughout the fall semester. The first distribution was on Wednesday, September 2. Students received one large reusable Buen Cypress grocery bag of select non-perishable and fresh food items delivered to the campus on the day before our distribution. Additional personal hygiene items may be requested, if in stock. To help our efforts in managing inventory, a weekly reservation will be required to access this service every visit. After registration, students will receive a confirmation number and details including the location of the distribution.  We will be asking for volunteers from the campus and community once our operational team gets through the first distribution. On the first Wednesday, our team of Cypress and NOCE staff served a total of 220 students, including 134 Cypress Students and 86 NOCE students. A huge thank you to Dave Okawa, Jay Shonkwiler and our NOCE partners for their leadership coordinating the details of this service.

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off with a special program, led by Dr. Therese Mosqueda-Ponce, on September 17 at 12 noon including a virtual lecture by Obed Silva on the significance of Hispanic Heritage month in context of our current national reckoning on race. This will be followed by a virtual Dance concert on September 24 from 6-7 p.m. led by Maha Afra and the Cypress College dancers. More activities are planned in October with a lecture on the importance of Dia de los Muertos on October 1 from 12-1 p.m. Please join us!

The Grads to Be Program is starting its third year and is aimed at assisting and supporting undocumented students at Cypress College. The program provides counseling and advising, legal aid assistance, financial aid and scholarship assistance, mental health referrals, and workshops and events. We are proud that Cypress College has been selected by the CCCCO, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the California Department of Social Services as a pilot school to provide free legal services with CHIRLA to undocumented students and neighboring communities.

Congratulations to the Dr. Juan Garcia, our Veteran’s Coordinator for successfully defending his dissertation, titled Eye balls! Click! Ears! Open!: A Qualitative Study to Begin Understanding the Experiences of Veteran Resource Center Administrators Within California Community Colleges

Congratulations are also in order for faculty member, Jenelle Herman, who was honored as the recipient of Cypress College’s 2019-20 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Jenelle has served as a full-time member of the English as a Second Language Department faculty since fall 2016. She is also an advisor for the LGTBQ student club, the LGBTQ Faculty coordinator and one of our champions for ensuring gender neutral bathrooms and preferred names on campus. Jenelle has been a mentor for the Legacy Program, serves on the college DEI Committee, and spearheaded the planning of Coming Out Day at Cypress College. Congratulations, Jenelle!

Please join us for our 2020 Foundation Scholarship Awards. Held virtually on September 10 at 6 p.m., we will be celebrating our outstanding scholarship winners, hearing form our Alumna of the Year, Catherine Sorenson, and providing over $200,000 in scholarship funding to our worthy students. Please let us know if you can attend this short virtual ceremony and we will provide the Zoom link.

Our Associated Students will be hosting Student Townhalls throughout the semester to help students stay connected, build community, and communicate their needs to AS leadership and the administration. Thank you to our Associated Students leaders, President, Nicolette Garcia, Student Trustee Ester Plavdjian, and the AS Executive Board for hosting these important townhalls, held every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m.

Cypress College will serve as a Voting Center during this year’s November election period. We will facilitate both in person voting as well as drop-off balloting. The county will be responsible for running the center and providing oversight. We appreciate our M&O staff, led by Director, Phil Fleming, for working with the county to provide this important service to the community.

The college is also partnering with the City of Cypress to host Parking Lot Cinema, a Drive-In Movie Night, on the Cypress campus in Lots 4 and 5 each month. The next Parking Lot Cinema event will be a showing of The Karate Kid on September 25. Registration is required and the college opens to cars at 7 p.m. with the movie beginning at 8 p.m.

The college will be opening our first outdoor study space to support students who cannot find a quiet space to study at home. The first open-air tented space is already installed on our Gateway Plaza and will open to students the week of September 14. The space will accommodate up to 70 students at a time and students will need to register for 1, 2, and 3-hour appointments via our mobile app. All students will be required to follow our campus and District protocols including completing a wellness check form, be temperature-checked, wear a mask while on campus, and maintain a distance of more than 6 feet at all times. The tent features room for 70 students with socially distanced tables, electrical outlets, lighting and WiFi access. Open 7:30 a.m.to 10 p.m. M-Th, and 7:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Fridays.

To help keep students engaged with all the services and resources available on campus, the Communications Team has complied a guide to assist new and returning students. The following links will take you to our new website and services, all located at Fall Semester Central on our website.

Fall Preparation Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Academic Services
Student Services
Health & Safety
What to Expect/Important Dates & Deadlines
Online Student Tips

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Register to Vote, Help Cypress College Win Ballot Bowl

The California Secretary of State, along with each California higher education system and the Lieutenant Governor, has created the California Students Vote Project (CSVP). The goal of the CSVP is to help improve student civic engagement, the Secretary of State’s Office wrote in an email sent to California colleges and universities.

As part of this goal, California colleges and universities have been asked to participate in the second Ballot Bowl, a competition encouraging students to vote. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the last Ballot Bowl with over 3,000 registrations, according to an email sent by the Secretary of State’s Office.

Can Cypress College win this year? To do so, we need your help! Register to vote here.

President Schilling’s Board Report for August 25, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on August 25, 2020

Navigating this new world: As we start the fall semester online, we are learning much about our student needs, the support they need to navigate this virtual environment, and building community and connection when we are not able to be on campus together. Challenges like reaching a counselor, financial aid rep, service, or talking to a live person to answer questions, have posed new challenges. To address these barriers, we have opened Express Counseling centers, our Student ambassadors are available at our Zoom Welcome Center to respond in real time to student inquiries, are sending daily social media blasts to inform students of our services and how to access them, and our faculty are reaching out to help guide and direct.  Our enrollment has improved since our last Board meeting and we are now close to the enrollment from last fall. The key will be retaining our students during the first critical weeks of the semester and we appreciate the work our managers, staff, and, especially, faculty are doing to reassure students we are with them. This summer has been anything but quiet and I am grateful for the faculty, staff, and managers who have delayed or shortened their own vacation time to address the important issues facing our college.

Student Support: To address technology challenges, all students may request a laptop and WIFI hot spot to assist them in their studies. Our L/LRC team is distributing this equipment to students during designated hours and so far the demand has been high. We appreciate our L/LRC team, led by Treisa Cassens, and our IT team, led by Peter Maharaj, for their work obtaining and distributing these resources to students. In addition to our Drive Up WIFI access in Lot 1, we are also exploring having safe outdoor study spaces on campus to support students who cannot find a quiet space to study at home. The first space is planned on our Gateway Plaza with social distanced tables, plexiglass shield, appointment only service, and WIFI access. We are still working out the logistics of how to allow students on campus and ensure their safety and the security of our employees. We hope to have this in place by mid-September.

Don’t forget your mask! Although the number of students on campus this fall will be limited, when they are here, we are providing direction on our expectations. Students must complete a wellness check form on our mobile app before accessing our campus. To view the recent PSA video on safety protocol for students, please check out this video.

The college’s HSI Title V Grant focuses on the creation of Completion Teams for each academic pathway (meta major) which are led by faculty peer and data coaches. In addition, each Completion Team includes a counselor, success coach, transfer coach, career coach, financial aid rep, and dean. The purpose of these completion teams is to form support communities and utilize data to inform the support and actions needed within each community. At the core of our Guided Pathways approach is ensuring equity for our students. To ensure equity is grounded in our teams, our peer and data coaches took part in an important kick-off training during the week of August 10-14, led by Title V Project Director, Deidre Porter, Director of IRP Eileen Haddad and Research Analyst Kristina Oganesian, Guided Pathway co-chairs Ruth Gutierrez and Lisa Gaetje, and Peer Coach lead, Steven Estrada. We are off to a strong start in reaching the outcomes of our grant and ensuring all students have the support and resources needed to succeed at Cypress College.

Graduation Packets: Associated Students coordinated the Cypress College Grad Pack Drive Up on August 17-18, 2020.  Students, many with their families in the car, were welcomed by Dave Okawa, Jay Shonkwiler, Ester Plavdjian, Nicolette Garcia, Garret Sepulveda, a.m.erica Olmedo, Joshua Boynton, Harley Tran, and Marielena McDermott.  Recent graduates received a commemorative 2020 Buen Cypress Medallion, Academic Pathway Sash (Business, Career Technical Education, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Language Arts, Science/Engineering/Mathematics, Social Science, and/or We Journey Together), picture frame, and diploma cover. This week’s event drew almost 900 students. We have scheduled another Grad Pack Drive-Up in late September.

Black Lives Matter Oversight Task Force: The BLM Taskforce Recommendations Report has been released and is located on our website. Although this report is still in the early stages of discussion, our Board is welcome to request a copy for your own review. You can find the recommendations included in our affirmation and commitment to racial equity page, which is prominently displayed on our Cypress College home page and college marquee at the campus entrance along Valley View Street.

Equity Institute Training: The Cypress College Executive Team, Senate Executive Team, academic deans and all of our peer and data coaches who are leading our Guided Pathways Completion Teams – a total of 40 faculty, staff and managers —  are participating in an 8-week course through USC’s Center of Race and Equity to provide leadership skills for us to engage in the necessary, and uncomfortable, discussions required to address racial equity at Cypress College.  The course began August 5 and runs every week through September 23 and will result in eight focused projects that will be implemented at the college. I am grateful for the seriousness in which all attendees have embraced the opportunity to become race-conscious leaders, and for Lisa Gaetje and Ruth Gutierrez, our Guided Pathway co-chairs who saw the need for this training and created this space for us to learn together. Our work with the Equity Alliance will expand the number of participants in this work to an additional 60 participants in the coming year.

Our COVID 19 Response Team continued to meet throughout the summer and we thank our Senate for their work in developing recommendations for Cypress College and the District for faculty-student interaction. Cypress faculty, who have been engaged in teaching courses on campus this summer, have put in countless hours developing protocols for student interaction on campus, and their work helped inform the F2F protocols which will be included in our NOCCCD Return to Work guidelines.

Cypress College has a new website! This has been over a year in the making and after countless hours by our Communications and IT Teams, (with special thanks to our web designer, Cari Jorgensen), our official unveiling occurred on August 18. The navigation of our site is much easier for our students, employees, and community members, and although we will continue to modify the content throughout the fall semester, we are proud of our new look and the clear focus on our academic pathways.

Our Opening Day convocation was held virtually this year on August 21 from 9 –11 a.m. Thank you to Marc Posner and his Communications staff who put in countless hours creating the content for Opening Day, and to all our guests and presenters who participated in making this a unique and inspiring morning together. If you missed it, you will be able to view the event on our website. The Opening Day event featured an engaging pre-show with faculty interviews, campus updates, and some entertainment. The program focused on celebrating our students, faculty awardees, and a panel of our Black faculty who discuss their personal and professional experiences with racism. Thank to those who were able to join us!

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Degree and Certificate Attainment for 2019-2020

Here are some key trends:

• We had another record-breaking year, awarding more degrees and certificates than any previous year
• African-American and Latinx students saw a greater increase in the number of awards earned since 2017-18 (76% and 54%) than White students (22%)
• The largest increase in awards was observed among Asian students who more than doubled the number of awards earned since 2017-18 and saw a 136% increase

Degrees and Certificates Awarded 2019-20

Impacts of AB 705 Implementation

With the implementation of AB 705 in Fall 2019, the completion rate of transfer-level English within one year increased from 46.5% in Fall 2015 to 71.2% in Fall 2019, and the completion rate of transfer-level math within one year increased from 23.2% in Fall 2015 to 43.3% in Fall 2019 (see Figures 1 and 2).

• In English, the completion of transfer-level was 1.6 times higher among African American students, increasing from 36.5% to 59.3%, and 1.7 times higher among Latinx students, increasing from 38.2% to 64.8%, whereas for White students, completion rates were 1.5 times higher, increasing from 50.8% to 78.6%.
• In Math, the completion of transfer-level was 3.1 times higher among African American students, increasing from 8.6% to 26.8%, whereas White student completion rates were 2.4 times higher, increasing from 22.8% to 55.2%.

Professor Jenelle Herman Earns Annual Diversity Award

Faculty member Jenelle Herman is the recipient of Cypress College’s 2019-2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Herman has served as a full-time member of the English as a Second Language Department faculty since Fall 2016. She also is an advisor for the LGTBQ student club, has been a mentor for the Legacy Program, serves on the college DEI Committee, and spearheaded the planning of Coming Out Day at Cypress College.

“This year one name rose to the top for her work in ensuring that all voices are heard at our college, for her fierce advocacy on behalf of our LGBTQ community, and despite her own personal fight with cancer this past semester, she has never stopped fighting for our LGBTQ students to be treated with dignity and respect,” President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D., said during the award presentation. “Jenelle has worked tirelessly to advocate for preferred names on our rosters and in Canvas, for the need for gender neutral restrooms and is currently serving as the campus LGBTQ faculty coordinator, among so much more.”

The annual award is presented based on nominations made to the college’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Nominations are evaluated for individuals or groups that: Demonstrates outstanding effort in support of advancing the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and in our communities.

Cypress College Affirms that Black Lives Matter and Our Commitment to Racial Equity

As we begin our summer, the tragic events unfolding across our nation demand a response, so please allow me to affirm our commitment to our work in support of equity on the Cypress College campus. Recent events remind us, yet again, there is no escaping just how far we have to go to eradicate the awful stain of racism within our communities and institutions. 400 years after the first enslaved people were forcibly taken from their homes, 160 years after their descendants were “freed,” 60 years after the civil rights movement, we still live in a country where too many of our citizens cannot go about their daily lives without the fear that a trip to the store, a jog down the street, or a drive into a new neighborhood could result in violence or death. Each death, each act of bigoted violence, each moment someone is silenced or told they don’t belong, diminishes each of us. It is a pain that cannot be ignored.

As members of an institution of higher learning, we must continue our resolve to take racism seriously on the Cypress College campus and stand up to the institutional norms that cripple each of us, no matter who we are. The responsibility of living within a democracy is both a gift and a chore.

These are uncertain times but I am reminded that each generation has faced their own defining point; I hope this will be ours. I hope we will finally say “enough,” and stand together for change. Willing or not, change is upon us and we must choose a world where justice is offered to all. [Read Dr. Schilling’s full statement here.]

Cypress College is a member of the Equity Alliance. See the Black Lives Matter Task Force Recommendations.

President Schilling’s Board Report for July 28, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on July 28, 2020

In the last month, our campus community continues to address the challenges brought on by the surge in COVID-19 cases, the continued commitment to addressing anti-racism on our campus and in our communities, and challenges posed by budget and declining enrollment. Despite our enrollment being up by 1% for summer, our fall enrollment is down almost 5%, an alarming trend. Although this is in line with other colleges across the state, the feedback we received from students indicated they would be returning in the fall. We are actively reaching out to all students who have missed a registration appointment to determine how we can assist and support. This summer has been anything but quiet and I am grateful for the faculty, staff, and managers who have delayed or shortened their own vacation time to address the important issues facing our college.

Community College Equity Leadership Alliance: Cypress College will be participating in USC’s Race and Equity Center’s Equity Leadership Alliance with other community colleges across the state. This alliance will provide the college with access to a 12-month curriculum led by racial-equity experts; an online resource library of rubrics, readings, and case studies; guidance on designing action plans; and climate surveys for students, faculty, and staff members. The first eConvening will be from 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, September 10. The topic will be Fostering and Sustaining Inclusive Classrooms for Students of Color. Attention will be paid to equitable teaching practices in virtual and traditional on-campus learning environments. A decision will be made on which participants will take part at this eConvening by the Equity Alliance Task Force at our meeting July 28.

Black Faculty and Staff Association Task Force:  A group of Cypress College BFSA members have been meeting the past 5 weeks to identify and make recommendations on six areas for change as we grapple with becoming an anti-racist campus. These six subcommittees are: 1) Documents, Compliance and Policies; 2) Campus, District Committees; 3) Institutional Hiring Committees; 4) Curriculum; 5) Special Programs; 6) Student Needs. My thanks to the leaders of these committees, Annette Letcher, Fola Odebunmi, Daniel Lind, Virgil Adams, Renee Ssensalo, and Deidre Porter.

Black Minds Matter: The Cypress College Executive Team is taking part in the Black Minds Matter webinar series provided by CSUSD. This weekly series is offered each Thursday beginning July 16 and continues through August 13.

Our COVID-19 Response Team continues to meet throughout the summer to address planning for the fall semester. The Response Team is identifying the equipment, PPE, and other safety requirements for an eventual re-opening of the campus, when it is deemed safe. The C-19 Response Team is working in tandem with our Emergency Operations Committee to plan for C-19-related and other emergencies requiring a clear and informed response. As we have seen a spike in employee cases of C-19, we continue to modify our plan for remote work, and have developed protocols for those limited courses that still require some F2F instruction on campus.

Athletics moves to spring semester: The CCCAA Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved implementation of its Contingency Plan on Thursday, July 17, providing a return to intercollegiate athletics for the 2020-21 academic year that shifts all sports to the spring season. The return to athletics in January will only occur if it is safe to do so, a decision that will be guided primarily by state and local health guidelines. The Contingency Plan can be viewed here.

Food Distribution: Our food bank, which is closed during the campus closure, will be re-opening in August in collaboration with NOCE and Pathways of HOPE. The college will be implementing a weekly drive-up food distribution for all students on the Cypress campus each Tuesday, as well as virtual appointments to assist with student housing needs. Volunteers will be needed each week to assist.

Caring Campus Kick Off: We are happy to announce the classified employees who have agreed to be Caring Campus Coaches this year. They are: Summer Justice, Diana Domingo, Evelyn Lindley, Cari Jorgensen, Tayler Thomas, Mohammad Chaudry, Jodie Thomas, Sarah Barriga, Angela Haugh, Ayman Gadalla, Anne Marie Valadez, Ashley Berry, Temperance Dowdle, Belinda Allen, Cindy Lopez, Julie Vorathavorn, Vivian Kim, Gloria Ortega, and Cindy Cao. The upcoming coaching sessions are scheduled for: Session 1, July 28; Session 2, August 18; Session 3, September 15; Session 4, October 6. Thank you to Lisa Gaetje and Ruth Gutierrez for organizing our classified employees as part of IEBC’s Caring Campus Initiative.

Cypress College in the News: Our STEM(2) program was recently named as one of NASA’s 11 top community colleges in the nation for their work as a minority-serving institution. This honor comes with funding to help recruit and retain more underrepresented students in the STEM fields, while providing opportunities for research internships with NASA. Congratulations Yanet Garcia and the STEM(2) team!

For the third year in a row, Cypress College was voted as the Long Beach Press-Telegrams’ Best Community College, by its readers. This designation was given by readers and students at surrounding community colleges (including Cerritos, Long Beach, Golden West, El Camino, and Compton colleges) for our student-friendly outreach, support for students and community, and for being the college students most want to attend. Congratulations for the continued excellence of our faculty, staff, and administrators.

Congratulations is also in order for the Cypress College IT team for the recent recognition by Modo Labs at the 2020 Appademy Awards for Best Student Driven Mobile Application. Cypress beat out other institutions across the country, including runners-up Penn State and UC Berkeley, for this honor.  We are very proud of the work performed by students James, Chia, Tareq, and Urjaa on the projects they worked on and for the support of our IT team to move us forward in the digital application ecosystem.

A reminder to our board that our Opening Day convocation will be held virtually this year on August 20 from 9–11 a.m. On August 19, the FLEX Day focus will be on Distance Learning, in collaboration with Fullerton College. The Opening Day event will feature a virtual guest speaker discussing the laws that support racism against our communities of color, followed by a panel of our Black faculty who will discuss their personal and professional experiences with racism. We hope you will join us for this virtual event.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

International Students Will Remain in U.S. After Federal Government Relents on ICE Plan

Last week we shared with the campus community that the Trump Administration, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was moving to expel international students from the United States unless their campus offered in-person instruction in the fall. Today, we have good news: at a court hearing seeking to block implementation of the plan, the White House reversed course fully — meaning our international students will be able to remain enrolled in the fall semester.

To those employees and students who expressed concern and advocated on behalf of our international students: thank you.

Cypress College is home to 160 students (30 new and 130 continuing on from last academic year) as part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, known as SEVP. Both Cypress College and the California Community Colleges made immediate pledges to support our students. The State of California — on behalf of students enrolled in the California Community Colleges, the California State University system, and the University of California system — was among the groups seeking legal intervention.

Here is some information from the Associated Press (full AP story):

Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and “return to the status quo.”

Today’s decision is a full and complete reversal, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which posted a partial transcript of the court procedures.

International students who have any questions can reach out to Yongmi Han, our International Students Program manager, at international@cypresscollege.edu.

Cypress College Supports Our International Students

We know that this week’s surprise announcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to the status of international students across the nation is both jarring and stressful for many of us in the campus community.

Cypress College wants all of our international students to know that we stand with you and we are already designing a strategy to facilitate your continued education here in the fall and through completion. You have all already been contacted by Yongmi Han, our International Students Program manager. She and the ISP staff are available to you at this time via email at international@cypresscollege.edu, and our college administration is here for you.

Rest assured that her communication to our Cypress College international students is just the first of many steps. Cypress College, along with California’s other colleges and universities, will be working tirelessly to keep our students here in this country, and moving forward with your academic journey at Cypress College.

JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
President
Cypress College

Cypress College ESL Among the First in SoCal to Offer Transfer-level Composition ESL Course with UC/CSU Approval

The Cypress College ESL Department is proud to offer a NEW course: ESL 110 C College Composition for Non-Native Speakers (5 units). Starting Fall 2020, students have another option for freshman composition. ESL 110 C is among the first course of its kind in all of Southern California, and Cypress is one of only seven California community colleges to have an ESL course specifically designed for English language learners to complete their UC/CSU composition requirements.

ESL 110 C College Composition for Non-Native Speakers focuses on language. It meets the Written Communication requirements for both UC/CSU transfer as well as Cypress College AA/AS degrees.

ESL 110 C Fast Facts:

• Approved for transfer to the UCs (IGETC 1A)
• Approved for transfer to the CSUs (CSU A2)
• Approved for Cypress College AA/AS degrees (A1)
• 5 units
• Remote and fully online options available for Fall 2020

ESL 110 C is ideal for students wanting ongoing grammar and vocabulary instruction in their composition course. For more information, contact a Cypress College counselor or send an email to ESL@cypresscollege.edu.

 

Engineering Technology New Equipment Makes Program “One of the Best”

Engineering Technology recently acquired new equipment and software licenses to assist students. The additions have raised the quality of the program above and beyond others, according to Professor of Engineering & Engineering Technology Massoud Saleh.

“Our Mechatronics lab is one of the best and most complete labs anywhere,” as a result of the recent purchases, Saleh says.

The following is a list of the new additions:

• Ten computer stations added to room 102, converting the lab to a computer lab
• Eight units of Elvis III
• Quanser sensor and mechatronics panels, for hands-on training of the students
• A Parker Hydraulic/Pneumatic trainer cart (our system is the newer version that is more compact than the one in the video but has same functionalities)
  
• License to LabVIEW. This is software that also can be used as a virtual replacement of some equipment for remote teaching. More information about LabVIEW can be found here:
  

“We were able to purchase a sample of almost every type of sensor out there for hands-on training of the students,” Saleh says. “These sensors can be connected to Labview for a realistic analysis of any system in form of a digital twin.”

President Schilling’s Board Report for June 23, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on June 23, 2020

In the past few weeks, our campus community has been deeply affected by the social unrest across our communities and the globe, and the demands for change in the equitable treatment of African Americans have been heartfelt, personal, and courageous. I have appreciated the leadership of our faculty, staff, and managers who have shared their experiences with racism in their personal and professional lives, and who have been honest about the changes needed at Cypress College. All communications sent to our students and campus community can be found on our website in the President’s Blog page, but we will not be content to issue words without action in support of anti-racism at the college. Below are some the initial steps we’ve taken in the last few weeks.

Community College Equity Leadership Alliance: Cypress College has joined 59 other community colleges, including Fullerton College, as part of USC’s Race and Equity Center. This alliance will provide the college with access to a 12-month curriculum led by racial-equity experts; an online resource library of rubrics, readings, and case studies; guidance on designing action plans; and climate surveys for students, faculty, and staff members. The Kick Off convening on Monday, June 15, introduced 20 of our campus leaders to the steps we will need to support, understand, and participate in, to enact the anti-racism changes our college will be developing in the coming year.

Student Town Hall: Cypress College Associated Students held a student forum on Wednesday, June 10, via Zoom as a start to the student-led dialogue to come together in support of racial equity and identify strategies to promote a better environment for our students. Sociology Chair and Legacy Coordinator Regina Rhymes and Legacy Counselor LaRon Armstead served as moderators, along with our AS President Nicolette Garcia and other AS officers. There were approximately 60 participants at the event with conversation that ranged from a sharing of valuable insight on recent events around the country, to steps the campus can take to start addressing the discrimination and disadvantages inherent in our society and education system.

Racial Equity Task Force: On Thursday, June 18, all black employees at Cypress College were invited to an e-convening on racial equity at Cypress College. They were encouraged to discuss the challenges they face at the college and in the District, and make recommendations to campus administration for lasting change. We plan to host similar e-convenings with other demographic groups on campus with the goal of bringing recommendations to the campus at large in the fall.

Our Covid 19 Response Team continues to meet throughout the summer to address planning for the fall semester. The Response Team is identifying the equipment, PPE, and other safety requirements for an eventual re-opening of the campus, when it is deemed safe. The C19 Response Team is working in tandem with our Emergency Operations Committee to plan for C-19 related and other emergencies requiring a clear and informed response. We are grateful for those, including Senate President, Craig Goralski, who are willing to continue work this summer towards a successful and eventual safe re-opening in spring.

CARES funding: Our Presidents Advisory Council met recently to discuss the allocation of the second 50% of CARES stimulus funding focusing on the following categories: 1) Support for remote instruction; 2) Technology to support students and employees in a remote environment; 3) Facility modification in response to C-19 safety; 4) PPE and cleaning supplies for C-19 support; 5) Student Basic Needs.  We will continue to have ongoing discussions in the fall about how to ensure these funds support instructional, safety, and basic needs of our employees and students.

Charger Experience Commencement Photos: Graduating students who purchased a Chargers regalia package were provided the opportunity to come to campus for a professional Cypress College photo taken in their regalia. Students scheduled appointments on Tuesday, June 9, or Wednesday, June 10, and received a complimentary 5×7 commencement photo. Approximately 150 graduating students participated over the two-day period.

Caring Campus Kick Off: This spring, Cypress College was accepted into the Caring Campus program sponsored by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change. Caring Campus’ purpose is to create a college environment that increases students’ sense of connectedness and belonging and, in turn, lead to the completion of each student’s education goals. 20 classified employees will serve as Caring Campus coaches this next year and all managers who have classified staff reporting to them will be attending the Caring Campus Kick-off to be held via Zoom on June 25th.

Cypress College in the News: The following news releases were shared in the OC Breeze recently. To read more click on the highlighted links: Cypress College Earns 2 National Rankings, Ranked #3 Best Community College and #8 in Success Rate: Cypress was named the #3 best community college in the nation by College Consensus, and #8 in student success among 4-year public colleges by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a recognition of the great work our faculty and staff are doing to help students complete their goals. The Chronicle list ranks colleges that mainly serve students who are seeking an associate degree or preparing to transfer to a four-year institution by the percentages of first-time, full-time students who completed within 150 percent of the normal time, or transferred to another higher-education institution.

Cypress College Partners with National Guard in 22-Week Jobs ChalleNGe CTE Academy Cypress College was awarded the 2020 National CyberWatch: Innovations in Cyber Security Education award for its work with the California Jobs ChalleNGe last semester. This is the second consecutive year in a row that the Cypress College Cybersecurity Program is being honored. The program is led by Ben Izadi and Russ Alizadeh and the Dual Enrollment team, led by Dr. Henry Hua, Stephanie Teer, and Stephanie Flores, was also involved in the effort, along with the Auto Technology program faculty. The Jobs ChalleNGe program is a collaboration with the National Guard and Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

In Appreciation of Your Service, Thank You, 2019-2020 Retirees

Cypress College thanks the following employees for their commitment to students and offer them our best wishes in retirement.

John Alexander

John began teaching in the Automotive Technology Department at Cypress College in 1981, and has contributed to the excellent reputation of this program. His taught the Brakes and Suspension course for over 37 years. He has been Master Certified from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) for almost 4 decades. He was instrumental in the development of the Toyota Technician Training and Education Network (Toyota T-TEN) at Cypress College and was the T-TEN Coordinator for over 25 years. He has been the Automotive Technology Department Coordinator several times.

Deann Burch

Deann worked for five years in Admissions and Records, then was hired to work in the Career Planning Center. “Chalk this up as the absolute best career-move I could have made,” she said. “I cannot begin to adequately share the joy I had when connecting with and contributing to the field of career development.”

Carmen Dominguez

Carmen was a music professor at Saddleback College for 16 years and also served as department chair and Academic Senate president. She was dean at College of the Canyons for eight years.

Phillip  Dykstra

In February 2004, Philip came to Cypress as a classified professional serving as the college’s research analyst. In 2012, he was promoted to the Director of Institutional Research and Planning. “When I look back on my time here at Cypress, I feel a sense of joy and accomplishment in all the things that the Research Office has undertaken with the goal of helping our students be successful,” Philip said. “And for that, I am eternally grateful to all of my colleagues for allowing me to be a part of our students’ educational journey along with them.”

Victor Jimenez

Victor has been with Cypress since 1990. He has served the college in Maintenance & Operations.

Jessica Puma

Jessica began teaching Spanish full-time at Cypress in fall 1998.  She was instrumental in developing the Spanish Heritage Speakers curriculum and program, increasing the number of class offerings. She was quite skillful in developing these students’ literacy and appreciation of many aspects Hispanic culture.  Jessica served as the college’s first instructional designer, a role that later became the Distance Education Coordinator.  In 2005 she received the Cypress College Faculty Development Award, later known as the Charger award.

Stuart Rosenberg

Stuart joined the English Department as a full-time instructor in Fall 1997. He contributed to the integrity of the English program in numerous ways, such as developing creative writing curriculum, along with advising the Creative Guild and producing a literary magazine. He also successfully led three Study Abroad programs. Stuart garnered respect from across campus, a reason why he recently received the award of Outstanding Faculty Member from the Academic Senate.

Frederico Vasquez

Federico was hired to work for Maintenance & Operations in 1998, and worked there until his retirement.

 

Cypress College Years of Service

We recognize the following employees for their years of dedicated service to the college.

5 Years
Eva Palomares; Sara Escarrega; Celeste Phelps; Jenny Lee; Jodie Thomas; Julie Vorathavorn; Luis Diaz; Yvonne Olive; Treisa Cassens; Victor Leonardo; Juan Arreguin; Armando Dorado; Karen Joy; Christopher West; Roy Holmes; Tyesha Volcy; Kirk Pickler; Allen Arslanian; and Zola Aponte.

10 Years
Salvador Casillas; Louis Krebs; Miguel Miranda Romero; and Timothy Noriega.

15 Years
Philip Dykstra; Teresa Sestito; Gonzalo Arenas; Steven Marshall; Karla Fajardo; and AeYoung Kim.

20 Years
Paul Hamblin; Melisa Chteoui; Renay Laguana-Ferinac; Veronica Del Campo; Deborah Michelle; Marylou Garibaldi; and Ruben Martinez.

25 Years
Monica Doman.

30 Years
Ambika Talwar.

35 Years
Anna Marie Peto.

Cypress College Earns 2 National Rankings, Ranked #3 Best Community College and #8 in Success Rate

The faculty and staff at Cypress College are doing their part to help students complete their goals, and it has not gone unnoticed. Cypress was named the #3 best community college in the nation by College Consensus, and #8 in student success among 4-year public colleges by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Our shared sense of purpose at Cypress College creates an environment committed to serving students and helping them reach their goals,” said Cypress College president Dr. JoAnna Schilling. “These two recognitions of Cypress College as one of the best educational institutions in the United States, validates the hard work of our faculty, staff, and administrators by making sure we live our core values and are focused every day on providing quality instruction and support services to our students.”

College Consensus ranked the Top 50 Community Colleges focusing strictly on regionally accredited, reputable institutions. Programs were ranked by three evenly weighted points: cost using current data from the U.S. Department of Education; reputation using Niche data; and success using Payscale data. With those factors, College Consensus ranks colleges according to their “success in providing a return on investment.” Cypress College was chosen as the nation’s third best combination of market reputation, educational quality, and rewarding income.

The Chronicle of Higher Education noted that low graduation rates at two-year public colleges inadequately reflect “the value of these colleges to students.” The Chronicle List ranks colleges that mainly serve students who are seeking an associate degree or preparing to transfer to a four-year institution by the percentages of first-time, full-time students who completed within 150 percent of the normal time, transferred to another higher-education institution, or were still enrolled at the original college.

Among “4-year public colleges that primarily offer associate degrees,” Cypress earned the 8^th highest percentage – 72.1% – of its students completed, transferred, or are still enrolled.

For more information about Cypress College, visit cypresscollege.edu.

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 174 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 98 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, all of Cypress Colleges and services are offered remotely. Students can access support services online at cypresscollege.edu/coronavirus.

—30—

Our Commitment to Social Justice Change at Cypress College

Dear Colleagues:

Much has occurred this past week as our country and communities continue joining together to demand justice for our black brothers and sisters. I have appreciated the heartfelt conversations I’ve had with many of you about what we can do at Cypress College, as well as the many reminders that we can no longer keep talking, without backing up that talk with meaningful change.

Some of you have asked about my own vision for equitable institutional change. I hope that vision has been clear from the efforts to center our core values around equity and our focus on improving success for our students of color; but like many of you, I cannot witness the events of the past few weeks without doing some soul searching, and asking if that vision is fully informed or aims high enough.

At Cypress College our shared vision is to ensure our campus is a safe zone for our students and employees of color, and that we are a campus that can have meaningful conversations on equity, race, gender, and sexual orientation. Our students want to know they will be seen and heard, and we must all be part of the solution to make sure we not only create a space for meaningful dialogue, but are a campus that allows for engagement to flourish. Our vision is to ensure we have the best people working here at Cypress and continue to hire dynamic and diverse employees who demonstrate compassion for, and commitment to, ensuring equity and student success. Our vision is to support our faculty to prioritize educational change in our classrooms and to be unrelenting in our dedication to transform Cypress College into a place where social justice is authentic. Our vision is to create a culture of respect for differing opinions, without stifling the important conversations that must occur for us to create a healthy and dynamic college environment. Ultimately, the culture we want at Cypress College is shaped by all of us.

So my commitment to you is to use my position and privilege to continue to support our collective vision, while not allowing this moment to be something we talk about for a few weeks and then move on. That will not happen. In the coming weeks and months we will prioritize these important conversations. Some short term and long term plans are:

Our Associated Students will be hosting a student town hall this Wednesday at 1 p.m. Please share this Zoom link with students and encourage them to attend:
https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/96966778934?pwd=NjU0dzlQd01WeTU2MWs5bXRXS2tUZz09

Our hope is for our students to continue to host these workshops throughout the year (summer, fall and spring). We are committed to providing students a safe space to educate others, and advocate for action with the goal of improving the student experience on our campus.

With the help of our campus leaders, we will also be designing a series of employee town halls and discussions that will also continue into the fall. An update will be shared soon on this first convening.
We will be rescheduling the Equity Retreat we had to cancel this spring, in a Zoom format this Fall to allow for more employees to participate.

Cypress College will be joining the California Community College Equity Leadership Alliance from USC’s Center for Urban Equity. Our Completion Team peer and data coaches have already been accepted to participate in this important training, but as part of this Alliance we will have access to guest speakers, additional training, and climate survey tools.

This is just the beginning of the work that must be done. Education has always been the path to social justice change, and community colleges are the system of higher learning that educates more black and brown students than any other. We have a powerful responsibility and role to play in creating real systemic change in this country. Join me as we step into this moment together.

“The greatest glory in living, lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” – Nelson Mandela

JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
President,

Cypress College

Dance Department Presents Annual ‘People in Motion’ Virtually

Every year since the 1980s, the Cypress College Dance Department has put on its People in Motion dance concert. With the campus closure due to COVID-19, there was a possibility of not holding the concert. However, in an effort to continue the tradition, People in Motion was performed virtually.

Students and faculty came together via the internet to present what they’ve worked so hard on throughout this semester. Check it out on YouTube.

President Schilling’s Board Report for June 3, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on June 3, 2020

The last two weeks have been challenging, as our campus and communities have been rocked by the turmoil in our nation. We took swift action to respond to our students and employees that Cypress College is a place where racial equity is celebrated and supported. As this report is being prepared, the campus leaders are preparing to have a Student Town Hall and an Employee Town Hall, to allow all our constituents a safe place to have difficult, but important conversations. Our hearts are broken for our African American brothers and sisters and we must, and will, do better.

Summer enrollment demand continues to be strong. As we approach the beginning of our first session on June 8, we are up 2% in enrollment, up by almost 8% in our fill rate and up 2% in FTES. We are offering 20 fewer sections this summer due to the challenges with our lab sections, and although there is additional demand for classes, we have decided to add sections this fall when we are certain that these sections will serve more of our Cypress students, rather than add courses to our summer term.

Capt. Ed Valdez, Cypress College’s aviation instructor, participated in a well-publicized Memorial Day tribute, and one you all may have seen. He was among the aviators aboard the “Flabob Express,” a World War II-era DC-3 that flew in the lead group. In all, about 14 vintage aircraft flew as the “D-Day Express” across Southern California on Monday, May 25, crossing landmarks in San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. Captain Valdez flew a Douglas DC-3 aircraft.

Cypress College in the News: National Public Radio (KPCC), and journalist Adolfo Lopez-Guzman, featured student, Kylie Christensen in his LA Diary project. Kylie, our Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Fine Arts Academic Pathway, spoke about her pride in receiving this recognition, of her feelings about participating in our virtual commencement, her love of dance, and her vivid tale of overcoming adversity in her life. To hear more, and read the article click this link. We are #CYProud of Kylie.

Classified Appreciation Day: The campus held our Classified Zoom Appreciation Celebration on Wednesday, June 4. We had a great time together and shared some fun, provided raffles, and provided all our classified employees with a GrubHub e-certificate in place of the luncheon we normally serve. Thank you to our Professional Development Team, led by Michael Brydges and Ruth Gutierrez , to Christina Mix and Marc Posner for the Zoom content, and special thanks to Classified President, Dawnmarie Neate for her inspiring words of encouragement.

Now that the semester has ended, we are finishing up our degree and certificate evaluation and we are happy to report that with 600 transcripts still being evaluated, the college continues to exceed last year’s award total. Here is a quick overview of our progress:

• We are awarding more degrees and certificates than any previous year (with currently over 4,100 awards to date, compared to 3,600 last year)
• Every demographic group was awarded more degrees and certificates than any previous year
• The largest increase in awards was observed among Asian students, with Hispanic students a close second

We will be providing a full tally to the Board in July when we have our final numbers.

Our Media Arts and Design Program students featured their annual film festival virtually this year. Fifty films from a variety of genres, including live-action narrative, stop-motion animation, and motion graphic title sequence are screening now on YouTube. Get out your popcorn, relax at home and enjoy these short films. Kudos to faculty members Kati Angelov and Ian Holmes for their leadership.

It is our pleasure to announce the newly appointed Peer and Data Coaches for the college’s Title V Grant. Led by project manager Deidre Porter, and partnering with our Guided Pathways Steering Committee, led by co-chairs Lisa Gaetje and Ruth Gutierrez, each of these outstanding individuals will serve on one of the Completion Teams created for each academic pathway. Peer coaches will lead the completion teams and create strategies for helping guide students on their path. Data coaches are responsible for pulling the data needed in each pathway to help drive strategies for student success. BUSINESS & CIS Completion Team: Peer Coach – Ali Moady; Data Coach – Peter Molnar. CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION Completion Team: Peer Coach – Lisa Clark; Data Coach – Stephanie Rosati. FINE ARTS Completion Team: Peer Coach – Janet Owen Driggs; Data Coach – Michael Brydges. HEALTH SCIENCE Completion Team: Peer Coach – Thu Pham; Data Coach – Jolena Grande. KINESIOLOGY/ATHLETICS Completion Team: Peer Coach – Anthony Hutting; Data Coach – Sergio Cutrona. LANGUAGE ARTS Completion Team: Peer Coach – Stephanie Tran; Data Coach – Kathy Wada. SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS Completion Team: Peer Coach – Sarah Jones; Data Coach – David Nusbaum. SOCIAL SCIENCES Completion Team: Peer Coach (Lead) – Steven Estrada; Data Coach – Angela deDios.

On the following page is a sample of some of the amazing work from our Theatre Arts Prosthetic Makeup Class. You may be looking at the work of some future academy award winners. Kudos to instructor Paul Hadobas and his students!

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

An Affirmation of our Cypress College Values

Dear Chargers:

As we begin our summer, I want to again thank each of you for the exceptional service you have provided to our students this past semester. I have missed you. I have missed the ways we celebrate together, and I miss the random opportunities to stop and learn of one another’s lives. I miss the many ways we collectively remind ourselves why we do the often-hard work of educating others. This desire to connect has been especially acute the past few weeks as we celebrated our students’ accomplishments remotely, serving as a reminder of all we have lost this semester. Although it is possible to deliver education remotely, like a package onto someone’s desk, the things that make us a community, make learning an engaged and meaningful learning experience, and helps our students flourish, are the ways we connect and engage with one another.

As I began this letter to you, I had intended to update you on our budget situation and progress in providing safeguards for slowly bringing employees back to campus. But the tragic events unfolding across our nation demand a response, so please allow me to affirm our commitment to our work in support of equity on the Cypress College campus. Recent events remind us, yet again, there is no escaping just how far we have to go to eradicate the awful stain of racism within our communities and institutions. 400 years after the first slaves came to our shores,160 years after their descendants were “freed”, 60 years after the civil rights movement, we still live in a country where too many of our citizens cannot go about their daily lives without the fear that a trip to the store, a jog down the street, or a drive into a new neighborhood could result in violence or death. Each death, each act of bigoted violence, each moment someone is silenced or told they don’t belong, diminishes each of us. It is a pain that cannot be ignored.

As members of an institution of higher learning, we must continue our resolve to take racism seriously on the Cypress College campus and stand up to the institutional norms that cripple each of us, no matter who we are. The miseducation that we knowingly, or unknowingly, perpetuate, resides in the stereotypes we carelessly accept, the symbols we have learned to absorb, and assumptions we believe as truth because we don’t take the time to live with, and understand, one another.

The responsibility of living within a democracy is both a gift and a chore. As we watch any sense of unity in this country tested daily by our hyper-politicized views, I am especially concerned by any rhetoric in our own community that seeks to pit us against one another. It is hard to work together in times of safety and security; to do so in times of crisis takes character and commitment. At the heart of all education must be a sense of moral and social justice, a respect for the feelings and opinions that are different than our own, a willingness to listen and learn, for we all play a role in keeping our community healthy; without one other, we cannot be what, and who, we need to be.

I know that the broader national situation includes concerns about the impacts of COVID-19 and the repercussions it has for the economy and our own state budget. Collectively these are tremendous stressors in our lives. You want to know what this will mean for you at Cypress College, so I want to reassure you that no permanent employees will be losing their jobs or asked to take furloughs. As Dr. Marshall said, we do have healthy reserves and these will be put to good use in time of crisis. And it is my commitment that even as we have difficult decisions ahead, you as employees will know your welfare and safety come first.

I am grateful for the leadership that exists here at Cypress College and NOCCCD, and our ability to respond to these concerns. Our shared governance committees and academic senate have agreed to be available over the summer and we will be working together to ensure any decisions about critical matters — such as the college’s budget and our work to prepare for the safe re-opening of the college — is communicated openly and collaboratively.

As we work through these challenges, we also want our traditionally disadvantaged students to know they will find support here, and we will collectively embrace an equity-mindedness that reflects our shared humanity. We will not sit back while others are hurt or persecuted; we will ensure that all our students, but especially those who feel disenfranchised in our culture at large, will know they have a home here on our campus. This has always been important at Cypress College but right now nothing is more important. Cypress College must be that place that instills the capacity for empathy, resilience, and collaboration.

Please remind students that Telemental Health Counseling is available by calling (714) 484-7361 and they can find more information by clicking on the following link: cypresscollege.edu/services/health-center/. Likewise, all employees can find support through our confidential Employee Assistance Program at www.guidanceresources.com. More information can be found on the “Employee” tab of myGateway.

These are uncertain times but I am reminded that each generation has faced their own defining point; I hope this will be ours. I hope we will finally say “enough,” and stand together for change. Willing or not, change is upon us and we must choose a world where justice is offered to all. To quote the Greek poet, Aeschylus, “In our sleep, pain, which cannot be forgotten, falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the grace of the gods.”

Let’s not waste this pain or this moment, but vow we will be that place that others come to learn and find wisdom. I want you to know that you each matter, that every role at our college is essential, and that we will come through this together.

Wishing you peace, love and safety,

JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
President,

Cypress College

A Message to Students in Light of Recent Events

Dear Students,

As we begin our summer, the tragic events unfolding across our nation demand a response, so please allow me to affirm our commitment to our work in support of equity on the Cypress College campus. Recent events remind us, yet again, there is no escaping just how far we have to go to eradicate the awful stain of racism within our communities and institutions. 400 years after the first slaves were forcibly taken from their homes, 160 years after their descendants were “freed,” 60 years after the civil rights movement, we still live in a country where too many of our citizens cannot go about their daily lives without the fear that a trip to the store, a jog down the street, or a drive into a new neighborhood could result in violence or death. Each death, each act of bigoted violence, each moment someone is silenced or told they don’t belong, diminishes each of us. It is a pain that cannot be ignored.

As members of an institution of higher learning, we must continue our resolve to take racism seriously on the Cypress College campus and stand up to the institutional norms that cripple each of us, no matter who we are. The responsibility of living within a democracy is both a gift and a chore. As we watch any sense of unity in this country tested daily by our hyper-politicized views, I am especially concerned by any rhetoric in our own community that seeks to pit us against one another.

I am grateful for the leadership that exists here at Cypress College and NOCCCD, and our ability to respond to these concerns. As we work through these challenges, we also want our students to know they will find support here, and we will collectively embrace an equity-mindedness that reflects our shared humanity. We will not sit back while others are hurt or persecuted; we will ensure that all our students, but especially those who feel disenfranchised in our culture at large, will know they have a home here on our campus. This has always been important at Cypress College but right now nothing is more important. Cypress College must be that place that instills the capacity for empathy, resilience, and collaboration.

Please remember that Telemental Health Counseling is available by calling (714) 484-7361 and you can find more information by clicking on the following link: cypresscollege.edu/services/health-center/.

These are uncertain times but I am reminded that each generation has faced their own defining point; I hope this will be ours. I hope we will finally say “enough,” and stand together for change. Willing or not, change is upon us and we must choose a world where justice is offered to all. To quote the Greek poet Aeschylus, “In our sleep, pain, which cannot be forgotten, falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the grace of the gods.”

I vow to use the pain of this moment to work even harder to ensure that Cypress College will be that place that others come to learn and find wisdom. I want you to know that you each matter and that we will come through this together.

Wishing you peace, love and safety,
JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
President
Cypress College

Cypress College Commencement Efforts Lauded in News Coverage

Media coverage of Cypress College’s amazing 53rd Commencement ceremony on May 22, 2020 continues to come in. Today, Kylie Christensen, one of nine Presidential Scholars of Distinction, was profiled by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez of KPCC-FM and LAist.

Christensen, who represents the Fine Arts pathway, was the subject of both an audio and a written profile.

 

The commencement was also covered by David N. Young at the Event-NewsEnterprise. The feature highlighted 2020 Outstanding Graduate Elise Cunanan and the Presidential Scholars of Distinction: Brandon Nguyen, Business/CIS; John Lasater, CTE; Christensen, Fine Arts; Christina Williams, Health Science; Frankie Islas, Kinesiology; Nate Garcia, Language Arts; Anh Nguyen, L/LRC; Connor Kilzer, SEM; and Sarah Queneau, Social Sciences. Young also highlighted the Academic Senate’s faculty awards — which were presented to all full-time faculty, all adjunct faculty, and Distance Education Coordinator Kathleen McAlister. The awards recognize the tremendous effort necessary to transition the college from in-person instruction to remote nearly overnight in mid-March.

On Wednesday, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office spotlighted Cypress College, specifically the work of the Charger Experience team with a photograph and caption at the top of their daily report: “Members of Cypress College’s Charger Experience team pause for a photo while distributing regalia to the college’s Promise students. The drive-up distribution supported participation in Cypress College’s virtual commencement on May 22. The Charger Experience Program supports the college’s Pledge/Promise students and their transition into college, connecting them to services and people on campus to help ensure a successful higher education experience.”

Finally, on the Sunday prior to commencement, the Times Orange County printed an article about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on OC graduations (the article also appeared online earlier that week). The coverage included a color photograph of Cunanan. Ada Tseng of the Times wrote: “The processional will include a 2019-20 highlight video, a roll call of graduates, as well as a video of their 2020 Outstanding Graduate Elise Cunanan and their 2020 Presidential Scholars of Distinction. President JoAnna Schilling, Chancellor Cheryl Marshall, Academic Senate President Craig Goralski, Associated Students President Presten Jimenez and Student Trustee Ester Plavdjian will give remarks.”

A complete recap, including the full video along with individual segments, is available online.

Aviation Department Coordinator Flies In Memorial Day Tribute

Capt. Ed Valdez, Cypress College’s aviation instructor, participated in a well-publicized Memorial Day tribute. He was among the aviators aboard the “Flabob Express,” a World War II-era DC-3 that flew in the lead group.

In all, about 14 vintage aircraft flew as the “D-Day Express” across Southern California on Monday, May 25, crossing above landmarks in San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles counties.

Valdez is the department coordinator for Cypress College’s Aviation & Travel Careers Department , as well as an instructor with the Commercial Pilot Program.

In addition to teaching at Cypress, Valdez flies for United Airlines on the Boeing 757 and 767; he occasionally flies private Gulfstream G3 aircraft on a contract basis as well.

Recently, he was invited to fly the Flabob Express (a Douglas DC-3) as a volunteer pilot, and is currently in training for the aircraft.

President Schilling’s Board Report for May 26, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on May 26, 2020

The last two weeks have been all about celebrating our graduates. Although this is a year like no other, the campus community is stepping up to commemorate the accomplishments of our graduates, our special programs, all while embracing all our students’ accomplishments. This report is dedicated to the Class of 2020, our retiring employees, and the celebrations that have been going on across the college.

Our Puente Program, which provides a first-year experience for our LatinX students, hosted a Zoom Graduation for Class #24 on Tuesday, May 12 at 12 noon.  The graduation celebrated our students with photos and poetry commemorating their growth and experiences with Puente at Cypress College. In addition, the Puentistas participated in a drive-by graduation in Parking Lot 8, on May 16, receiving a certificate of completion and an embossed portfolio commemorating their successful year. Thank you, Professors Therese Mosqueda-Ponce and Ashton Politanoff, for leading and supporting our Puente students this year.

Our Legacy Program, dedicated to celebrating the African-American experience, sponsored an end-of-the-year Wellness Webinar on Wednesday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. The speakers, Professor Virgil Adams and Professor Fola Odebunmi, offered tips to students on self-care during a Pandemic.  Together, these two Professors offer 50 plus years of scientific, spiritual, and practical experience in the area of self-care, mindfulness, and spiritual well-being. In addition, the Legacy Scholars completed their year with a Legacy Culmination Celebration on Friday, May 15 at 6 p.m. Our largest Legacy class ever shared what they have learned, expressed their gratitude to their professors, and received awards and scholarships from their faculty and mentors. Thank you to Professors Regina Rhymes and LaRon Armstead for their leadership of this important program this year.

Charger Experience students were honored Monday, May 18 for successfully completing the 2019-2020 Academic Year.  Students participated in a Drive-By, many with their families in the car, to receive their recognitions. They were welcomed by the Charger Experience Team (Gisela Verduzco, Brittany Hamer, Maria Haro, Adriana Caridad, Cynthia Cervantes, Amelia Mosely, Kassandra Abreu, Pryscilla Truong, and Luu Tran), who presented them with their commemorative packets. The first graduating class from the Charger Experience/Pledge Program received a Cypress College Diploma Frame, a Charger Experience sash and Honors Patch. First and second year students who earned a 3.0 GPA or higher received their Honors Certificate and NOCCCD Promise Scholar patch. This Fall 2019 semester, over 700 students earned a 3.0 GPA or higher.  Among those in the car line up that extended to Valley View at times, included Cypress College Student Trustee Ester Plavdjian and the Cypress College Graduate of the Year, Elise Cunanan.

Pledge/Promise Success: Last Friday, May 15, was our last spring Charger Friday of the year, and our team was able to continue serving the students in our areas with the same high touch, high quality experience, welcoming over 2000 high school students to virtual Charger Fridays this semester. In addition, UCI accepted 95 of the 223 Cypress College applicants for transfer and 28 of those students were from the first 2018 Pledge cohort. Congratulations to these students and to our Charger Experience Program for their outstanding work!

Psychology Psi Beta: For the past two semesters, under the guidance of psychology professors, Dr. Brandy Young and Dr. Randy Martinez, Psi Beta students have been working on analyzing and presenting research. Several of these honors students presented the results of their research at the virtual Spring 2020 UCI Honors Conference. Cypress also had two research posters accepted for presentation at the 100th annual Western Psychological Association conference in San Francisco, CA. In order to become a member of Psi Beta, students must have completed 12 college units, maintained a minimum GPA of 3.25, and have completed a college-level psychology course with a grade of B or higher.  Our acknowledgement of these graduating scholars will be on Friday, May 22, at 12 noon.

Commencement: The college will be hosting an Employee Watch Party for our first ever virtual commencement as a campus community. Please join us Friday, May 22, 2020 beginning at 4:30 p.m. for the pre-show interviews with Faculty Senate President, Craig Goralski, Dr. Paul de Dios, Dr. Schilling, our 2019 Alumnus of the Year, Foundation Executive Director, Howard Kummerman, Alumnus of the Year, Curtis Sheets, and 2017 graduate Crystal Neer. Commencement begins at 5 pm and this year we will be honoring 1695 graduates who will be receiving 2125 degrees, and celebrating with the 528 graduates who will be participating in the ceremony and will cross our virtual stage. Be there to cheer them on! Employee Watch Party Zoom Link

Cypress College in the News: The countdown to our virtual commencement began with an article in the Ocean Breeze on May 19. In case you missed it, here is the article and overview of our fabulous Class of 2020.

Student Needs Survey: The college sent out a student needs survey to students this week and in the first 24 hours, 900 students had already responded. We will be sharing their responses in detail, but here is a snapshot of what they are telling us: 86% of our current students said with certainty that they plan to re-enroll at Cypress College in Fall 2020; an additional 9% were not sure yet if they would be re-enrolling, and 5% said they do not plan to re-enroll. 48% of students feel “very prepared” or “prepared” for remote instruction in the fall (16% very prepared, 32% prepared) 33% or neutral or not sure of their preparedness, 19% do not feel prepared. More than half of our students reported not having a quiet place to do their school work (55%). This was followed closely by concerns about access to academic support services (50%). Concerns about financial difficulties (28%) and reliable internet (20%) were also expressed. Students expressed interest in staying engaged and are interested in discussion boards (44%), video group chats (32%), and virtual meetings and town halls (25%). We plan to use this data to assess workshops over the summer, support to provide in fall and ways to keep students engaged and connected next semester. Thanks to Eileen Haddad and our IRP team for putting together this important survey!

Faculty Retirees: Each May and June we come to the end of our academic year and must say goodbye to valued and honored employees. This year two long-time faculty members, Stuart Rosenberg, English, and Jessica Puma, Spanish, will be leaving us. Together they represent over 44 years teaching at Cypress College and they will be missed. Their impact has been felt by countless students and their contributions to their respective departments and the campus community has been deeply appreciated. We wish them well in their next adventure, and thank them for their service to Cypress College.

Classified Appreciation Day: The campus traditionally honors our classified professionals with a Classified Luncheon. This year will be different, but we have plans to host a Classified Zoom Appreciation Celebration on Wednesday June 4. Our managers will be contributing e-prizes for raffle and we look forward to honoring our classified retirees, Victor Jiminez, and Frederico Vasquez, both from M&O.

On the following page is a snapshot of our successful transferring 2020 scholar-athletes. Thank you to Athletic Director, Wes McCurtis, for putting together this great info graphic on behalf of our students.

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Psychology Research Methods Poster Session Now Online

Students in Dr. Randy Martinez and Dr. Angela deDios’ Psychology 202 classes participated in a psychology reseach poster project this semester. Traditionally held on campus, this semester’s presentations are available online.

You’re invited to view the presentations, leave questions and comments for the student researchers, or simply observe.

Click here to view our students’ research posters.

Cypress College’s 53rd Commencement Scheduled for Friday, May 22, Via Virtual Broadcast

The celebration will go on! Cypress College will celebrate the Class of 2020 by hosting its 53^rd Commencement at 5 p.m. on May 22, 2020, as a streamed virtual event. Graduates will participate with viewing parties from their stay-at-home locations. The Class of 2020 is also invited to participate in Cypress College’s next in-person commencement.

Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D., said hosting the celebration without delay felt like the best way to honor the Class of 2020’s achievements.

“We decided it was essential to hold a virtual commencement on our original graduation date to best honor our students’ accomplishments,” Dr. Schilling said. “We know nothing can substitute for the opportunity to walk across our stage, to share in that moment with family, friends, and beloved faculty, but every attempt has been made to create an event that is celebratory, meaningful, and acknowledges the accomplishments of our scholars.”

Each student will be recognized in the ceremony, which is part traditional but also tailored for delivery in a digital environment. The commencement will be streamed from the college’s Commencement Central website at cypresscollege.edu/commencement-central. In addition to the traditional roll call of the Class of 2020, the commencement will feature an address by Dr. Schilling, and messages from North Orange County Community College District Chancellor Dr. Cheryl Marshall, NOCCCD Board of Trustees President Ryan Bent, Cypress College Academic Senate President Dr. Craig Goralski, Cypress College Student Trustee Ester Plavdjian, and Cypress College Associated Students President Presten Jimenez.

Video features will honor Cypress College’s 2020 Outstanding Graduate Elise Cunanan and the nine Presidential Scholars of Distinction, who represent each of Cypress College’s academic pathways.

As part of the virtual ceremony, each graduate was provided the opportunity to be recognized with an official customized slide with their photo and a personal message, which can be downloaded and shared on social media.

Class of 2020:

This year, 1,695 students are graduating from at least one of Cypress College’s 98 degree programs. Combined, these students are earning 2,227 associate degrees — meaning some are earning multiple degrees. In addition, 1,528 students have earned occupational certificates from one of the college’s 174 career-certificate programs.

In addition:

• 58% of the graduates have chosen a transferable degree, meaning they will be attending four-year colleges and universities in the fall;
• 225 degree-earning students earned a cumulative GPA of 3.75 to 4.0, qualifying for the President’s Honor Roll;
• 811 degree-earning students earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.74, qualifying for the Dean’s Honor Roll; and
• Three students are graduating with bachelor’s degrees from Cypress College’s Baccalaureate Degree Program in Funeral Services.

Outstanding Graduate:

Elise Cunanan is Cypress College’s 2020 Outstanding Graduate. Cunanan completed two associate degrees in fall 2019, one in sociology and the second in liberal studies: social and behavioral sciences. She began attending California State University, Fullerton, this spring. Her career goals are to become a school counselor and to work for a non-profit organization.

At Cypress College, Cunanan was a member of the Associated Students, worked as a member of the Student Ambassador team, and established the Student Advocates for Education Club to provide community service to K-12 and higher education students. She also worked to raise awareness about student homelessness.

“I selected Cypress College because my parents both are alumni of community colleges, my mom even attended Cypress College herself,” Cunanan said. “I actually did not apply to any universities as a high school senior, because I felt that choosing a university to attend was a big decision that I was not ready to make at the time. Another great benefit about Cypress College is that tuition is affordable and the staff here is extraordinarily helpful.”

Presidential Scholars of Distinction:

Cypress College’s 2020 Presidential Scholars of Distinction represent a scholar from each of the college’s eight academic pathways, as well as academic support areas representing either the Counseling Division or the Library/Learning Resource Center.

The 2020 scholars are: Brandon Nguyen, BUS/CIS; John Lasater, CTE; Kylie Christensen, Fine Arts; Christina Williams, Health Science; Frankie Islas, Kinesiology; Nathaniel Garcia, Language Arts; Anh Nguyen, L/LRC; Connor Kilzer, SEM; Sarah Queneau, Social Sciences. Each scholar will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Cypress College Foundation.

This tradition, begun in 2019, honors a student who best represents their academic pathway. The graduates are nominated and voted for by their respective division faculty and were chosen using the following criteria: a) must be graduating in 2020; b) be in good academic standing; c) exhibit persistence in overcoming adversity; and d) represent the values of the academic division.

Faculty Awards:

Each year, the Cypress College Academic Senate selects recipients of three awards: the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award; the Outstanding Adjunct-Faculty Award; and the Charger Award, which recognizes professional dedication beyond the classroom.

For the first time in college history, the Academic Senate voted to present the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award to all full-time faculty members, and the Outstanding Adjunct-Faculty Award to all adjunct faculty members.

“This unique selection is made to illustrate that we have collectively risen to the occasion in transitioning our classes to a remote environment under the most stressful of circumstances,” said Dr. Goralski. “This collective recognition highlights that every faculty member’s contribution was essential to completing the semester successfully and helping to ensure that students all are able to graduate on time.”

The Charger Award was presented to Kathleen McAlister. While her role as the distance education coordinator is likely transparent to students, she has been instrumental in facilitating the transition for Cypress College faculty to a remote teaching environment.

“It has traditionally been the Academic Senate’s practice to avoid honoring an active member of the body,” Dr. Goralski said. “However, Kathleen’s hard work, especially during our COVID-19 response, made her an undeniable recipient of this award.

“We are grateful for the dynamic and innovative work our faculty do,” he continued. “Our appreciation for the contribution that each of our faculty make to our students cannot be fully expressed.”

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 174 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 98 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, all of Cypress Colleges and services are offered remotely. Students can access support services online at cypresscollege.edu/coronavirus.

—30—

President Schilling’s Board Report for May 12, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on May 12, 2020

Now that we turn our attention to summer and fall in a remote format, we face new planning decisions. We will be analyzing the effect remote learning has had on student success and whether or not there was a disproportionate impact on certain student groups. In addition, we are sending out a survey to students in the next week assessing how we can better support them be successful in remote instruction and will use this information to develop and conduct student success workshops for online learning this summer. For faculty and staff, our Distance Education Team is putting together distance education training and our academic areas are identifying needed instructional support for online and remote instruction this fall. We continue to try to address our students’ financial, food, and technology needs, while removing barriers in our processes that require unnecessary obstacles to their success.

CARES Stimulus Funding: The college has worked on an ambitious plan to provide support for students using the first 50% of the CARES federal stimulus package allocated to support students. The federal dollars will go to support 7,148 grants of $500 for spring, summer and fall. In addition, we will be providing 250 additional $500 grants to Dream Act students, and 61 private grants using Foundation funding, for a total of 7,459 grants of $500 in support of our students. Thanks go to Dean of Student Services, Rick Rams, Financial Aid Director, Korey Lindley, and VPs Paul de Dios and Alex Porter for their creative solutions and hard work in allocating these dollars. Disbursements have already begun to be sent to students.

Cypress College in the News: Cypress College participated in an NPR interview with Adolfo Lopez-Guzman, about the factors colleges should consider in determining whether or not to re-open the college in fall for on campus or remote instruction. Other districts profiled along with Cypress, were Santa Monica and LACCCD  Read the full article here.

Outstanding Graduate of the Year: We are pleased to announce that Elise Cunanan was named the Cypress College 2020 Outstanding Graduate of the Year. Elise is graduating as a Sociology major and has transferred to Cal State Fullerton to continue her education. Elise served as a Student Ambassador, has been involved in Associated Students, as well as maintaining a 3.87 GPA overall with a 4.0 GPA in her major. We all know and love Elsie as one of those students who volunteers for everything, is kind to her fellow students and who believes in the power of giving back. Elise will be featured in our commencement program and we are happy to honor her this year. Congratulations, Elise!

Congratulations to our newly tenured faculty! Each of these faculty has made a huge impact on the Cypress campus and within their divisions. We are proud to welcome them to our tenure ranks and look forward to the great work they do, and will continue to achieve, on behalf of our students: Kati Angelov, Media Arts and Design; Jolina Cadilli, Math; Justin Campbell, English; Alma Castro, Math; Bret Clarke, CIS; Angela De Dios, Psychology; Dawn Decker, DSS Counseling; Steven Estrada, Ethnic Studies; Jenelle Herman, ESL; Anthony Hutting, Baseball/Kinesiology; Shinah Ji, Nursing; Bret Kaufman, English; Mymy Lam, Counseling; Jennie Larez, HIT; Annette Letcher, English; Samreen Manjra, Accounting; Ryan Ortega, Nursing; Janet Owens Driggs, Fine Arts; Leslie Palmer, Library Science; Massoud Saleh, Engineering; Gary Shin, Biology; Diana Tira, Dental Hygiene; James Tapia, Human Services, and Stephanie Tran, English. Congratulations to these outstanding faculty!

Go Chargers!  Our long-time Athletic Trainer, Scott Tucker, will be inducted into the California Community College Athletic Trainers Association (CCCATA) Hall of Fame in 2021. Scott has served the college for 35 years and this is a well-deserved honor! In other great athletics news, Men’s Basketball student athlete, Demetri Mariolis, was selected as the Orange Empire Conference Male Character Champion Award recipient. This award is given to the student athlete who displays the following values: sportsmanship, respect, caring, fairness, civility, honesty, integrity and responsibility shown through a specific action, ideally directed toward an opponent during competition. He is the third Charger to win the award since its inception in 2012. Congratulations Demetri!

Superintendents CyberSecurity Cup: The second annual Cyber Patriot competition, was held on April 23 and featured 275 students from 16 different schools and 8 districts competing to take home “The Superintendent’s Cup.”  All eight superintendents, and Cypress College administrators were there to salute and support these hard-working scholars. Our winning school was Savanna Elementary School District. Congratulations to Superintendent Dr. Sue Johnson and her students!

Yom HaShoah: Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for Yom HaShoah on April 29. Holocaust Survivors’ Dr. Jacob Eisenbach, Sarah Schweitz, Piri Katz, and Joe Alexander along with l05 year old liberator Lt. Col. Sam Sachs, shared stories of inconceivable horror combined with incredible hope.  We are grateful to Cliff Lester for his expert interviews of each survivor, as well as David Halahmy and Howard Kummerman for organizing the evening. A rebroadcast of the event is on our Foundation website. We Will Never Forget!

Commit2Cypress: Our annual Promise and Pledge event was held virtually on April 30. We welcomed almost 700 interested seniors from our local high school districts who joined us on You tube and Facebook Live to learn more about the college. Kudos to Gisela Verduzco and Paul De Dios who put on a fantastic event, and to our faculty who joined us in program break-out sessions. We appreciate Dr. Marshall and AUHSD Superintendent Mike Matsuda, for sharing a few words of encouragement to our incoming freshman.

Commencement: We continue to make progress on our commencement planning. Thank you to presenters Craig Goralski, Presten Jiminez, Ester Plavdjian, Dr. Marshall, and Board President Bent, who have all videotaped their commencement messages. We currently have almost 500 students who have entered our portal and will be uploading their photos and profiles for our virtual graduation ceremony. We will be asking all trustees to make a brief video of yourselves to add to our recessional. Please join us on May 22 at 5 p.m. We will be sending an invitation and link very soon.

Silver Linings

As reported at last board meeting, we were happy to announce that Cypress College was ranked #3 nationally in the Best Community Colleges 2020 by College Consensus, a unique college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews. We are proud that Cypress continues to rank at the top of all colleges in the country, due to the quality support and instruction we provide to our students. Go Chargers!

Cypress College Theater Arts students gained national attention this month in a contest called “Stay Home and Sing,” sponsored by InspireAmarillo.com. Their entry, a Zoom video edited by student Sophia Barajas, featured an adaptation of the song, “96,000” from the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In the Heights.” Check it out on our website and prepare to be amazed! They are shining stars!

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

MAD Film Fest Premieres Online

The Media Arts Design Film Showcase debuts today, to display the work of MAD students and , this year, to offer alumni contributions. In keeping with government guidelines to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, this year’s festival will take place online.

According to Professor Ian Holmes, digital cinema coordinator, the virtual event features 50 works from live-action narrative films, to stop-motion animations, to motion graphics title sequences. You can see all entries here.

Originally, the MAD department planned to hold an alumni film showcase in April, separate from the the annual student event. The campus closure related to COVID-19 caused organizers to rethink the two events and combine them into one.

Mort Sci Student Answers Call to Volunteer Assistance with Coronavirus Victims

The spread of COVID-19 continues to grow nationwide, and the need for medical responders rises with it. The duty of first responders, such as doctors and nurses, is well known, but there is also a call for last responders: workers who tend to those who have passed.

The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) alerted its members that volunteers in heavily affected areas would be valuable in addressing the pandemic. Several have responded, including a student in Cypress College’s Mortuary Science program named Soraya Pitram.

“I was already packed and ready to go — I had my scrubs — and then they told me that they had sufficient staff,” Pitram said. She planned to work in New York City for two weeks at a medical center teaching hospital.

Pitram, who is in her second year of the program and works in the industry at two Orange County funeral homes, had secured the proper identification and was fully prepared. Volunteers in closer proximity, however, were selected to fill in for the NFDA’s requested two-week volunteer rounds.

“What I’ll be doing now, since I have my ID, is that I have access to all volunteer opportunities,” Pitram said. “When people’s two weeks are over, I’ll have a chance to go.”

Pitram says this is unlike other NFDA calls for last responder volunteers, such as during Hurricane Katrina, where the experience is to do recovery after a catastrophe has occurred. She says in this case, the need for last responders will ebb and flow as the Coronavirus infection curve flattens and possibly resurges.

“Honestly, with how things are going in California, I might get sent to Sacramento or LA or somewhere more populated,” Pitram said. “Who knows how long this is going to last.”

President Schilling’s Board Report for April 28, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on April 28, 2020

Much continues to change and evolve since our campus closed to students and the public over six weeks ago. We continue to modify plans, begin looking towards summer and fall instruction, discuss the many details involved in distance education training and support, and try to find ways to engage. Our students continue to show amazing resilience; but, also experience hardship and extreme challenges that make it hard to focus on their studies. We continue to try to address their financial, food, and technology needs, while removing barriers in our processes that require unnecessary obstacles to moving forward. The following report attempts to recap progress, challenges, and plans we are making as we continue with this new reality we face together.

Cypress Cares Campaign: Our student ambassadors have been reaching out to all of our students to find out how they are, what they need, and what we can do to assist. To date they have emailed 10,415 students, and made 3,595 phone calls to our most at risk students. In addition, calls have been made to 1,360 students who were on probation (below 2.0). Thank you to Gisela Verduzco and Kassandra Abreu for their leadership, but a special thanks to our students who have worked tirelessly on behalf of their peers.

Town Hall: In the ongoing effort to update our campus on the many changes occurring daily and weekly, we have continued to conduct town halls. The most recent convening was Wednesday, April 15 for employees and community members. We welcomed almost 180 participants to share updates, words of encouragement and kudos to all our campus employees for the excellent work they are doing. We also introduced our Cypress@Home campaign, which is depicted on the last page of this report. We hope you will also share how you are weathering this health crisis while @Home.

Pathways of Hope Hub: The Cypress College Food Bank is currently closed; however, Pathways of Hope continues to offer food and other assistance to Cypress College students at its Hub of Hope in Fullerton at 611 S Ford Ave. Cypress College students are invited to stop by to receive a bag of groceries once a week from 1-2:30 p.m. daily. We continue to be grateful for this important partnership.

Presidential Scholars of Distinction: We are thrilled to announce the 2020 Presidential Scholars of Distinction. This tradition, begun in 2019, honors a scholar from each of our eight academic pathways, plus either counseling or L/LRC, who were nominated and voted upon by the division faculty. Each student was chosen using the following criteria: a) Must be graduating in 2020; b) In good academic standing; c) Exhibited persistence in achieving and overcoming adversity; and d) Represented the values of the academic division. Our scholars are: Brandon Nguyen, BUS/CIS; John Lasater, CTE; Kylie Christensen, Fine Arts; Christina Williams, Health Sciences; Frankie Islas, Kinesiology; Nathaniel Garcia, Language Arts; Anh Nguyen, L/LRC; Connor Klizer, SEM; Sarah Queneau, Social Science. Each scholar will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from our Foundation. Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Virtual Events: We are pleased to announce that many of our end of the year celebrations will continue in a virtual format. The following are those that we have confirmed, and hope you will be able join us!

Superintendents Cybersecurity Cup: The second annual Cyber Patriot competition, held on April 23 from 6 – 7 p.m. between our middle and high school students, will feature 275 students from 16 different schools and 8 districts competing to take home “The Superintendent’s Cup.” Students have been earning points since last fall and these points will be tabulated to determine the winning team. All eight superintendents, and Cypress College administrators will be there to salute and support these hard-working scholars. Our student mentors have coached and worked with these students all year, under the leadership of Dean Henry Hua and our dual enrollment team of Stephanie Teer and Stephanie Flores. Last year our winning district was Centralia. Who will win the Cup this year?

YomHaShoah: We are pleased to announce our 2020 Cypress College virtual Yom HaShoah Holocaust Memorial event will be held on April 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  Please join Holocaust Survivors’ Dr. Jacob Eisenbach and Sarah Schweitz, along with liberator Lt. Col. Sam Sachs, who flew his glider into Normandy Beach and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  This will be a historical event that should most definitely be witnessed.  One benefit of being online is that it can be viewed anywhere.  Please join us and feel free to share this information with others.

Commit2Cypress: Our annual Promise and Pledge event, to welcome incoming freshmen to “commit” to Cypress College, will be held on Thursday, April 30, from 6 to 7:30 pm.  Interested seniors from our local high school districts will be invited to join us virtually to be welcomed, encouraged, and informed about our college. In addition to the messages and ceremonial hand-off between AUHSD, Cypress College, CSUF, and UCI, students, and their parents, will be able to choose from over eight different breakout sessions, including parent-only sessions in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Commencement: By now you have heard that Cypress College will be conducting our commencement virtually on May 22, beginning at 5 p.m. Although a few students were disappointed not to have a live commencement, we have assured everyone that they will be invited to our next live commencement, and commemorate them as the Class of 2020, whenever that may be. Our students are excited and eager to participate, and we believe we have an exciting and impactful commencement planned. In addition, each student will receive a 2020 medallion, a Cypress photo frame, commemorative sash by academic pathway, and special app for a grad photo. Students will also be able to purchase, at a substantial discount, their regalia and a free photo session when we are able to come on campus.

Online and Remote classes: The percentage of courses that have now moved fully online is at 97%. Due to the ingenuity of our faculty, and collaborative work of our deans, we have been able to move almost all classes to a remote format. Some classes have remaining hours left to complete, which we hope we can complete during the summer on campus, practicing social distancing.

Silver Linings

3D Masks: Instructors Devon Tsuno and Ed Giardina, along with other artists from Cypress College Art Department and CSU Dominguez Hills PRAXIS art engagement program + DHAC student art club are voluntarily working together (remotely) to construct, assemble and distribute 3D face shields to communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. These communities include healthcare and essential workers – such as hospitals and clinics, senior communities, grocery and delivery workers, public-transportation riders, and other under-funded non-profits. Their efforts have been funded by donations made by people across the globe via social media. Bravo Ed, Devon and our caring students!

Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Student Finalists in National Video Contest

Cypress College students have gained national attention in a contest called “Stay Home and Sing,” with a video featuring their adaptation of a song from the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In The Heights.” The students performed the song “96,000,” selected from their spring production of the musical, which was cut short due to the Coronavirus-related campus closure.

If the students earn enough votes, they could win thousands of dollars for a charity of their choice and a chance to perform their musical number for a public audience. The team entered in the “Open” category, and became one of three finalists in that group on April 27.

Voting ends April 29. Click here to support the Cypress College entry, under the header “Open”: https://inspireamarillo.com/#/home.

The contest was created by a group from the Texas panhandle called Inspire Amarillo. According to the contest page, their goal is “to ‘connect’ with our family, friends and colleagues” through videos of teams performing their favorite songs.

The Theater Department’s adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In The Heights” was directed by Angela Cruz, a Professor of Theater at Cypress College. It premiered Friday, March 6, and ended its run Sunday, March 8; the campus closed before the second weekend of the performance, because of government-mandated shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The sets still stand in the Cypress College theater awaiting the scheduled shows that never took place.

Inspire Amarillo describes itself as “a way for all of Amarillo, the Panhandle and the Nation to virtually speak, perform or sing words of hope.” The contest is sponsored by Fairly Group.

The grand prize is performing at the Amarillo Sod Poodles 2020 Opening Day Game. In addition, five entries with the most votes each get to pick a charity to receive $5,000.

President Schilling’s Board Report for April 14, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on April 14, 2020

Much has occurred in the past four weeks since our campus closed to students and the public. The most inspiring stories are of our students’ resilience, our faculty who have completely changed their mode of instruction in a short time, of the tenacity of our managers and support teams to serve our students and our employees, and the innovation demonstrated by all employees across the campus. I have been sharing daily, and now weekly, briefings to help our students and employees stay engaged, and the following report provides a recap of the many initiatives we have implemented the last few weeks.

Campus Communication

In addition to Dr. Marshall’s updates, Cypress College has sent six daily briefings, and two weekly briefings to employees; in addition, six student notifications have been shared, as well as social media postings, and two town hall meetings in which over 200 students and staff participated. Our managers conduct frequent update meetings with their staff and faculty, and our Communication, L/LRC, and Distance Education teams have answered countless emails, trying to ensure students have the resources and information needed to succeed. In addition, our constituent leaders have sent communications to their members, specifically Craig Goralski who has been tremendous in his communication with our faculty, in collaboration with our Response Team in addressing needs and challenges. During this stressful time, we need to do whatever possible to engage and share information with our employees and students.

Technology

A big challenge in moving to a remote learning, work, and meeting environment has been ensuring that students and employees have the appropriate technology. Almost 92% of all students stated they had a laptop. To date, we have provided almost 50 laptops to students and the same number to employees. Students have self-identified their needs through our student survey or faculty referrals and employees have let their managers know of their needs. The recent District employee survey is also identifying additional needs so we are working on making sure that all employees have the technology to do their job remotely. In addition, 12% of students stated they did not have reliable WiFi, so the college is instituting a Drive-up WiFi in Lot 1. Our IT department, led by Peter Maharaj, worked to install additional hotspots so students could come on campus and access this needed WiFi.

Financial Need

Our Cypress College Foundation has committed $10,000 to a student emergency relief fund and to date has disbursed almost $15,000 in aid to 31 students. We continue to raise funds through donations, and our Student Equity and Achievement committee has also committed $14,500 to assist even more students. The need is still great and the stories are heartbreaking. If you wish to donate, we welcome all donations at our Foundation website: cypresscollege.edu/foundation.

Commencement

The college has decided not to cancel or postpone our annual graduation ceremony and, instead, will conduct a virtual commencement, while also offering students the opportunity to participate in our next live commencement. The virtual ceremony will take place on May 22 and all are welcome. Students will be announced individually and invited to submit a photo and profile statement along with their award during the ceremony. We will be sharing more information soon, as we finalize details, but please Save the Date!

Student Services Support

Our students service teams, including all our One-Stop Services, Library, and Distance Education teams, have been outstanding throughout this crisis, not missing a beat in providing high touch services to students.  We are incredibly proud that all these areas have quickly mobilized to continue the services and resources for our students in their usual high touch way. Here is a recap on the progress:

• Counseling and One Stop: Our counselors were already serving students by March 20, a mere week after we shutdown campus services. Through Cranium Café, the college has set up virtual counters across all our student services, including Admissions and Records, the cashier services, and our Welcome Center. In counseling, students access a virtual environment and can “knock on the door” of any counselor who is available, while making appointments with those who are not. This includes our general and embedded counseling, Veterans, DSS, EOPS, and Career Counseling. Thank you to VPSS Paul de Dios and his amazing team.
• In Distance Education, our team has been nothing short of amazing. They have posted countless how to videos to support students and faculty in migrating to this new world, shared tips and guides, responded to countless requests for help, and have continued to provide a level of support that is deeply appreciated by all. They have just integrated Proctorio, the secure testing software, and Labster, a virtual software for our lab sciences. Thank you to the entire team, especially Kathleen McAlister, our DE coordinator, and Treisa Cassens, Dean of the L/LRC.
• And in our Library, our librarians, led by Monica Doman, have created easy-to-use resource guides, made free textbooks available to students, helped students with their research remotely, and responded to the many emails asking for assistance.
• And our Charger Experience Team welcomed 300 high school students virtually for their first Charger Friday on Friday, April 3. They spent 4 hours in a virtual setting reviewing a campus tour prepared by our student ambassadors, meeting with counselors, and getting excited about coming to Cypress in the fall. Recruitment continues and we are so proud of the great event, led by Gisela Verduzco and her amazing team, as they prepare to welcome our incoming seniors.

Silver Linings

Although there have been many challenges this past month, there are always rays of light across the college and we are proud of the good work that continues. Below are a few of these shining lights.

Our scholar athletes were heartbroken to have their season cut short -, our Chargers were having a phenomenal season across our teams. Here is where our teams would have finished up if the season had ended on March 13. Go Chargers!

• Men’s Golf- ranked #2 in the State
• Baseball ranked #2 in the State
• Softball – ranked #3 in the State
• Women’s Beach Volleyball – ranked #9 in the State

Cypress College was also chosen as one of 18 colleges to participate in the Caring Campus Initiative sponsored by Institute of Evidence Based Change. This professional development grant will provide our classified employees the opportunity to participate in four sessions aimed at supporting our classified professionals in their transition to a Guided Pathways model. We look forward to beginning this training when we can return to campus.

I am also pleased to share that our Cyber Security program was awarded the 2020 National CyberWatch Innovations in Cyber Security Education award for their work with Jobs ChalleNGe this past semester. This is the second year in a row that the Cypress Cyber Security program, led by Dean Henry Hua, and instructors Ben Izadi and Russ Alizadeh, has received this national award. Jobs ChalleNGe, a collaboration with the National Guard, was implemented by our Dual Enrollment team, and over 60 students were successfully awarded a certificate in either Cyber Security or Auto Technology. Congratulations to all! Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!

Cypress College Transitions to Remote Learning, Student Service Delivery Without Missing a Day

Cypress College is operating at nearly full capacity as a remote learning environment — with approximately 90% of all coursework transitioned from in-person instruction and essentially 100% of student services available to students online. The immediate transition of all services is unique among regional peer institutions, and perhaps across the state.

Delivery of uninterrupted student support services is especially impressive because Cypress College accomplished the transition from in-person to remote without missing a day of meeting students’ needs. When state orders accelerated the campus closure in mid-March, Cypress College paused classes on March 13, 16, and 17 to facilitate a transition to remote instruction.

The faculty, Distance Education, and Student Services teams kept right at work. For example, using Cranium Café, the student support staff began meeting virtually with students to provide needed support. Cypress College was in full swing with Counseling, Veterans Services, EOPS, Disabled Student Services, and Admissions & Records available. All services were fully implemented by Friday, March 20.

“Our student services staff have completely reinvented how they provide services,” said Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D. “This expanded capability meets students’ needs on demand and without requiring students to come into an office to receive the same high-touch assistance.”

At the same time services were transitioning, the Distance Education team worked to expand their framework and support — and connected with faculty across the entire curriculum to ensure that nearly all courses (including many with lab components) could transition to some virtual format.

Nearly all employees played some part in the transition. Leadership came from the college’s executive staff, the Academic Senate, Associated Students, and a group of in-house experts such as the Health Center, Maintenance and Operations, IT, and Campus Safety.

“I am so proud of the work accomplished by our employees to make this transition happen,” Dr. Schilling said. “Converting classes from in-person to remote is a tremendous undertaking and I am amazed and thankful for the lengths our faculty are going to in order to make this happen so that we can continue to meet our students’ needs. Our Distance Education team, especially, has done tireless work. This transition is an incredible achievement on its own. It is even-more amazing when you consider that half of our courses are in career-technical fields, such as automotive technology and health sciences. I commend the creativity, hard work, and dedication of our faculty and staff.”

In addition to providing services such as Counseling, Financial Aid, Admissions and Records, Disability Support Services, the Health Center, and the Library/Learning Resources Center, our student ambassadors and Student Services staff are also reaching out to all students through the Cypress Cares Campaign, which focuses on helping students complete their studies.

The college organized and implemented a laptop-loaner program for students and employees who need equipment at home, is raising emergency funds through the Foundation to provide assistance to students, hosted two virtual town hall meetings, and launched drive-up WiFi service for students who need temporary access to high-speed internet connections.

A number of events are also scheduled to continue in virtual format, including: commencement on its original date of May 22; Commit2Cypress; outreach to high school seniors; virtual tours; and the popular Charger Experience/Charger Fridays campus visits.

Cypress College has paused all in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic through May 23 in response to stay-at-home orders.

 

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

—30—

“Drive-Up WiFi” Program Launched by Cypress College to Facilitate Student Internet Access

In an effort to provide students with reliable, high-speed internet access — and in keeping with social-distancing directives issued by county, state, and national officials — Cypress College is launching “Drive-Up WiFi” available to all enrolled students.

Wireless access will be available to students in Lot #1 on a first-come, first-served basis. Access is for registered Cypress College students with valid login credentials. Access to Lot #1 will be available to students on weekdays, from 7:30 a.m. until the end of the last scheduled class on that particular day of the week (typically 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 5 p.m., Friday).

Students must remain in their cars while using the college’s network and adhere to all current public health directives, including social distancing. In congruence with social-distancing restrictions, the college will not accommodate pedestrians or cyclists; in addition, no restroom or other facilities will be made available. Students will park in every-other parking stall to enhance social-distancing protocols.

To use the WiFi, students will enter the college, and Lot 1, at the main entrance (Valley View Street and Cypress College West) and exit onto Orange Avenue. A valid Cypress College parking pass is required to access the college and Lot 1. Additional restrictions and requirements are designated on the college’s website.

Cypress College President, JoAnna Schilling, expressed her pride at the many ways the college community has stepped up to address student needs.

“The resilience our students have demonstrated during this health emergency has been inspirational, but the need for support is great,” Dr. Schilling said. “Hearing the challenges our students are facing is heartbreaking, but we are grateful to our staff for their personal and professional contributions to our students. We are also thankful for donations made to the Cypress College emergency-assistance campaign.”

Cypress College last held in-person instruction on March 12 before entering a three-day pause to convert instruction to remote methods in response to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. At roughly the same time, the college launched a survey of students to determine their technology needs for continuing their studies remotely. With more than 3,300 responses, Cypress College students indicated overwhelmingly they had access to necessary technology — 92.4% of respondents stated they had access to a computer, 88% noted they have reliable internet access, and an additional 30% indicated they did not have a private space at home to conduct their class work. Students who did not have these resources were invited to request assistance.

With data collected from the survey, the college has loaned approximately three dozen laptops and Chromebooks to students. The “Drive-Up WiFi” program comes in addition to helping connect students to free and low-cost internet opportunities in the commercial marketplace. The Cypress College Foundation has also launched an emergency-assistance campaign to help students: who have lost a job or experienced income loss; buy/borrow computers for home use; obtain access to reliable home internet; and purchase books for online classes. So far, the Foundation has provided 24 emergency grants, totaling $12,000. Donations can be made at cypresscollege.edu/about/foundation.

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

—30—

Professor Shares Creative Solution During Difficult Time

Dance Students Chosen to Perform at CSULB

The Cypress College Dance Department participated in an annual conference put on by the American College Dance Association March 4-7. The ACDA’s Baja Conference took place at California State University Long Beach, and was open to faculty, staff, students, and musicians.

The conference was capped off with a gala performance at CSULB’s Carpenter Center.  The adjudicators picked 11 pieces to be featured in the Gala Performance, one of which was Cypress College’s “This Is Who We Are,” a piece choreographed by the students. The Student Equity and Achievement Committee provided funding to attend.

“Thank you Student Equity and Achievement Committee for giving our students the opportunity to experience a conference, master classes, performances, and to share the stage with so many academic programs in dance,” Maha Afra, chair of the Cypress College Dance Department, said. “Our students and faculty represented all of you Chargers. The faculty taught classes and students performed.”

Cypress College presented another piece called “Sui-T-able,” choreographed by faculty member Francesca Lee, with costumes by Marci Alberto and Francesca Lee. “This Is Who We Are” featured costumes by Becky Ogden.

“The three adjudicators’ feedback was an endless stream of accolades for both pieces,” Afra said.

The conference portion of the event featured four days of classes, workshops, adjudication and informal concerts, feedback sessions, scholarly presentations, and faculty-only classes.

The students who attended were Astrid Ardon, Anthony Capulong, Kylie Christensen, Nickolas Currenton, Xavier Contreras, Briyanda Fresquez, Gabriella McQuoid, Michael Moseray, Brittany Post, Briana Sanchez, Isaiah Singleton, and Rochelle Villaroel.

CSULB student Production Assistants worked to design and produce Baja at the Beach, the sixth ACDA conference held on the CSULB campus, according to the university.

President Schilling’s Board Report for March 10, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on March 10, 2020

In collaboration with NOCE, Cypress College was proud to support a community voting center during the recent election on the NOCE/Cypress campus February 29-March 3. Our volunteers did a great job accommodating all attendees and there was a steady flow of voters all four days. Thank you to our M&O Team for all their efforts, as well as campus safety for opening up parking availability and making sure visitors knew where to go and how to navigate the campus.

Cypress College has been invited to apply to be one of 18 community colleges to participate in the Institute for Evidence Based Change (IEBC) “Caring Campus” initiative for classified staff. If selected as one of the colleges, Cypress will identify up to 30 classified professionals from across the campus to become coaches for their respective areas. The focus of the Caring Campus Initiative will be to empower and support our staff to identify specific behaviors that lead to student engagement and success. If chosen, the college, in partnership with IEBC, will conduct three half days and one full day training for staff beginning this spring through the summer.

Drs. Reiland and Schilling participated in the Intersegmental Pathways Taskforce meeting in Sacramento on February 24, as part of our continued interest in building a connection between the K12 and university systems. The taskforce is composed of CSU, UC, community college, policy, and career partners interested in creating a more robust pipeline for students journeying through the California secondary and postsecondary educational systems. Cypress continues to be the only community college that has implemented both Program Finder (an integration of career programs identified at the high school level and connected to all Orange County community colleges), and Program Mapper (an educational planning tool by degree). The CSU system is looking to begin piloting Program Mapper so, potentially all students could view their pathway from associate’s degree all the way through the baccalaureate degree when they attend Cypress College.

Topping Off Ceremony: Tuesday, February 25, Cypress College recognized the topping off of the new Science, Engineering, & Mathematics building, with the placement of the final steel beam of the new structure. College and project officials, construction personnel, and our SEM division faculty and staff were present for the milestone occasion, and had an opportunity to sign the final beam before its installation. Come by to see the progress we are making on this beautiful new facility.

Campus Safety Officers Anne-Marie Valadez, Richard Anaya, and Benjamin Chacon will be awarded the California College and University Police Chiefs Association (CCUPCA) CCUPCA award on April 10, 2020 in Lake Tahoe, for their incredible service to a student in need. In February a student collapsed during a routine gym class; our campus safety officers came to her aid and helped keep her stabilized until the paramedics arrived. Their quick action undoubtedly saved her life. We are so proud of these three fine individuals and it is gratifying to see them honored for their work.

Charger Sports Update:

• Members of the Men’s Basketball, Softball and Baseball teams supported Miller Elementary School (La Palma) Read Across America effort on February 28, 2020 by reading books and visiting classrooms to support early childhood literacy and reading.
• The Cypress College Baseball team supported Cypress Little League’s Challenger division by partnering in a morning of baseball on Saturday, February 29, 2020.
• Our Women’s Basketball team attempts to punch their ticket to the State Final 8 this Saturday, March 7 at Moorpark College after a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Rio Hondo last Friday, February 28, 2020. Go Chargers!

In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (creator of Hamilton) first musical, will be gracing the Cypress College Theater March 6-7 and March 13-14 at 7 p.m. and March 8 and 15 at 4 p.m. The musical, which ran on Broadway 2008-2011, chronicles three days in the lives of the residents of Washington Heights, NY.

Our annual High School Counseling Breakfast was held on Tuesday March 3 in our Campus Theater. Lead by Dr. Flor Huerta, our Interim Dean of Counseling, the college hosted over 100 counselors for middle and high school to hear presentations on dual enrollment, our new Program Finder software, and engage in the important programs that Cypress has to offer. Thank you to our Student services team for a great informational morning.

Cypress joined with our sister campuses, Fullerton College and NOCE, to attend and sponsor the A2Mend Conference on March 5-6 at the LAX Hyatt Regency. On the evening of March 4, our own Dr. Greg Schultz was honored with the Educational Leadership Award for his exemplary advocacy, mentorship, and support for African American males. We are so proud of Greg and fortunate to work with and support him! Congratulations, Greg!

In partnership with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, and the Student Equity and Achievement (SEA), our Disability Support Services (DSS) invited LeDerick Horne to present at Cypress College on March 5 at 2 p.m. in our Campus Theater. LeDerick was diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade, but defied those who tried to limit him to become a spoken word poet, inspirational speaker, and advocate for those with disabilities. What a great presentation!

Cypress College’s 24^th Kindercaminata took place on February 28. We welcomed over 800 kindergartners from our local schools to our Gateway Plaza from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for activities, introductions to age-appropriate academic fun, and other surprises to engage these young scholars in a college-going future.

Our 45^th Americana Award Ceremony was held on February 29 at the Disneyland Hotel. Thank you to Trustees Brown, Dunsheath, Bent, and Blount for joining us, as well as our Chancellor and staff. Our Executive Director, Howard Kummerman, and his team put on a fabulous event, raising more than $300,000 in scholarships for our students. We are grateful to all of our volunteers, staff, and our student ambassadors for their support. We hope you will also mark May 14 on your calendars for our annual Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony, when we get to give away all the funding raised last week at Americana. Thanks for your support!

Chief Rod Cox, long time police chief of Cypress, and friend to our campus, will be retiring. His retirement ceremony will be held on March 13 from 4-6 p.m. at the Cypress Community Center. We hope you will be able to join us.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

Commit2Cypress and Take Advantage of Free Tuition Through Pledge and Promise

Join us at Commit2Cypress on Thursday, April 30 at 4:30-8 p.m. to learn more about and sign your contract for the fall 2020 North Orange Promise or AUHSD Pledge granting free tuition to all qualifying first-time college students for their first two years!

Meet representatives from support programs and services on campus, interact with deans and professors from the college’s academic programs, and attend sessions on topics most relevant to new college students and parents.

RSVP here!

President Schilling’s Board Report for February 25, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on February 25, 2020

As we enter the fifth week of the spring semester we look back on a successful and inspirational Black History Month and look ahead to our 45^th Americana Awards. Our Black History events celebrated the amazing contributions Black Americans have made to the world of pop culture, fashion, and the arts, while the Americana Awards again celebrate the many contributions our Citizens and Man of the Year have made to our communities. We hope you had the opportunity to join us for the remaining “pop-ish” Black History events, and look forward to having you there on Saturday, February 29 as we raise funds for our students while honoring those who have given so much to our communities.

Campus News

Cypress College hosted two open forums on February 12 to allow students, faculty, and staff to provide input on our Educational and Facilities Master Plan (EFMP). In addition, the President’s Office hosted a comments box and EFMP map and projects list the week of February 18-21 to allow those unable to attend these forums to provide input. Our EFMP consultants will also be visiting our Associated Students, our Presidents Advisory Council (PAC), Academic Senate, Planning and Budget Committee (PBC), the Management Team, and various divisions on request. Our goal is to ensure a high level of participation and feedback for the important projects we will be supporting for the next decade.

Our Leading with Equity Symposium, which will be held at the UCLA Conference Center on March 26-27, opened registration on February 12, and we are already reached our maximum of 80 participants. This important summit will be facilitated by Dr. Veronica Kiefer-Lewis and we are hopeful it will be a dynamic time to build community among all constituents, engage in the challenging discussions that are needed to move our college forward, and to make progress on becoming an equity-minded campus. I want to acknowledge the efforts of our Professional Development coordinators, Michael Brydges, and Ruth Gutierrez, for their efforts in putting together this retreat.

Cypress College participated this year in the Every Student Succeeding event for the Cypress Schools. This event honors students from all grade levels who have persevered under challenging and difficult circumstances. Our awardee was Tyuana Boochee, a single mother who is a Legacy Scholar, and an honors student despite struggling with homelessness and personal challenges. Tyuana is an inspiration to us all and was presented with her award by Legacy counselor LaRon Armstead. This was the first year that a Cypress College student was acknowledged.

Our 45^th Americana Award Ceremony will be held on February 29 at the Disneyland Hotel. Our Executive Director, Howard Kummerman, and his team have been working hard to ensure we have more premiere silent and live auction items than ever before, and to guarantee a record-breaking number of sponsors. Our Man of the Year, Bill Taormina, is a staunch advocate for ending homelessness and our Cypress Citizen of the Year, George O’Hara, is a Cypress College Foundation member. Margie Lewis, former president of Cypress College, has graciously volunteered to serve as our Americana Chair this year, and she is exhibiting the same standard of excellence in her chair position, as she did as our president. We are grateful to all of our volunteers and staff for ensuring we raise scholarship funds to support our students at our annual Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony on May 14.

17 former Charger baseball players are on the opening day roster for NCAA Division I teams this spring, including UNLV, UCLA, Oregon State, Michigan, Long Beach State, Ball State, Dayton, UCR, CSUF, Morehead State, HBU, & UML. We are #CYProud of our transferring athletes and their ongoing success. Go Chargers!

Please join us at the upcoming Cypress College Art Gallery (CCAG) opening on Thursday, February 20. This new exhibition, Superscope, Clay 2020, curated by faculty member, Molly Schulps, offers a widescreen view of contemporary clay-based visual arts in California, We are also pleased to announce that this semester CCAG has partnered with LEAF/Able ARTS Work, and will be providing 20-free visual arts workshops in the Gallery to classes of local school children.  For more information, visit the exhibition website HERE.

Future Upcoming Events – Save the Date(s)!

Cypress College’s 24^th Kindercaminata will be taking place on February 28. We will be welcoming over 800 kindergartners from our local schools to our Gateway Plaza from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for activities, introductions to age-appropriate academic fun, and other surprises to engage these young scholars in a college-going future.

Rotary Spaghetti Dinner will be held on March 7 at the Cypress Community Center. All sales go to support our EOPS program and all tickets go back to our food pantry to provide free meals to students. If you are interested in purchasing a $5 ticket and support a student, please let Dr. Schilling know.

YomHaShoah – Please join us on April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Cypress College Campus Theater for the 4^th annual Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust. This year we will be hearing from eight survivors as well as Sam Sachs, one of the WWII camp liberators, who will share their stories. In addition, Cliff Lester will also be awarding the Ursula Lowenbach Foster Holocaust Memorial Scholarship, in honor of his mother’s memory. It promises to be a moving evening and we hope you will join us. Registration will be open soon and proceeds go to Holocaust Education.

Cyber Security Superintendents Cup – On April 21 we will host our second annual competition features our District middle school students as they compete for bragging rights and the Superintendent’s Cup. Last year Centralia School District was the big winner and this year our other districts are vying to take the cup back home to their district. Please join us to see the future of Cypress College students in our Cypress College Theater at 5 p.m.

The Cypress College Legacy Society will host its next reception on April 29. Currently the Legacy Society, which acknowledges donors who have pledged or given over $10,000 in support of our students, has over 50 members and growing. Members include Trustee Barbara Dunsheath, past presidents of Cypress, Margie Lewis, Mike Kasler, and Bob Simpson, Chancellor Cheryl Marshall, and many past and present staff, faculty and managers. We are grateful for their support of our students.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

President Schilling’s Board Report for February 11, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on February 11, 2020

We enter the third week of the semester and it is wonderful to have our students back on campus. The campus welcomes a new food vendor and the reviews from students have been positive. Enrollment is holding steady with a slight (very slight) bump in enrollment with an 87% fill rate across all divisions. Club Rush was in full swing the week of February 3-6 and our Associated Students welcomed all students back to campus with energy and exciting events. February also moves forward with Black History Month and a full schedule of events, which are detailed at the end of this report. We look forward to a dynamic spring semester.

Campus News

Please stop by and see our new wall graphics on the CCCPLX building. Our Communications team has introduced new window graphics, each that tell the story of our commitment to student success. On the first floor, we feature our four core values, with equity at the center. We want our students to know that our college is centered by the values we have embraced. On the second floor we feature our Every Student Has A Story wall. Seven students are featured, each representing the attributes of Be Confident, Creative, Courageous, Dedicated, Dynamic, Motivated and Passionate. On the third floor, we welcome students with our promise of Buen Cypress, We Take This Journey Together. Thank you Marc Posner, Marcie Kagawa, and Cari Jorgensen for designing this new addition to our campus!

Gisela Verduzco and Kelly Carter were chosen to present two sessions at the Degree Works Conference in Orlando, FL April 3-8. Their presentation is: Utilizing DegreeWorks to Address the Vision for Success in California Community Colleges. This session will focus on implementation of Guided Pathways and Program Mapper at Cypress College. The second session is titled: Re-Routing: From Maps to Plans in DegreeWorks, highlighting the importance in having counselors and faculty working together to implement a pathways plan for students.

Also chosen to present at the upcoming League of Innovation conference in March are Lisa Gaetje, Deidre Porter, and Kristina Oganesian. They were invited to share the work they are doing with predictive analytics using our Civitas software. Their presentation will highlight our new Accelerate campaign, which focuses on solutions to the challenges that affect the success rates of our part time students. They will also present on this topic in San Jose in June.

Our Sustainability Committee has launched a “Do You Know” social media campaign to help educate our employees and students about the surprising things that influence climate change. This link provides an example of the kind of notice going out each week to our students and employees.

Sixty-five high school students attended a Cypress College Auto Technology seminar in preparation for the upcoming Orange County Auto Dealers Association (OCADA) High School Auto Technician Competition. These students will compete on Saturday April 26 at 8:30 a.m., with winners receiving tools and scholarships to attend a college level automotive program in Orange County.

On January 23, 2020, from 6-8 p.m., more than 70 students attended the inaugural Hotel, Restaurant, and Culinary Arts Open House. Faculty welcomed students with program presentations, tours, and cooking demos, while support staff provided resources including financial aid, counseling, EOPS, DSS, and Pledge information. Thank you to our HRC faculty and staff for this excellent event.

We will be creating two new student engagement spaces on campus, located on the first floor of the Humanities building. These two new spaces will feature two new study areas, furniture for work and student interaction, and additional charging stations. Our Puente and Legacy programs will be housed there until we can build a new multi-cultural center on campus, but all students are welcome!

The eDLAs (Directed Learning Agreements), developed by our tutoring center staff and math faculty, continue to exceed expectations for students who successfully complete them. The math review opportunities are part of the new co lab math courses and were funded by our OER and Basic Skills funding. 5,251 students who participated in Tutoring from Fall 2016 to Fall 2018 were analyzed and matched with 5,251 students who did not participate in tutoring within the same semesters, during the same time period. Designed to be used on and off campus, eDLA completers had an overall success rate approximately 29 percentage points higher than those students who did not complete eDLAs and a 4.8% lift in persistence rates. The largest lifts in persistence were observed for students in the most at-risk student groups. For the math eDLAs only, there was a 60.4% difference in success rates between completers and non-completers. Thanks to our tutoring staff under Dean Treisa Cassens, and to our Math Department Chair, Cindy Shrout, and math faculty for creating these interactive eDLAs.

Congratulations to Theater Arts student, Aaron Espinosa, who has just been hired by the Center Theater Group (Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatres) as an Education Intern for spring 2020.

Community Events

Dr. Schilling and Howard Kummerman, and Trustees Blount and Dunsheath attended the Cypress State of the City luncheon on January 29. Dr. Schilling and Howard Kummerman will also be attending the Buena Park State of the City on February 12. Paul de Dios will be attending the Garden Grove State of the City luncheon also on February 12.

Dr. Schilling also enjoyed the “Look Who’s Dancing” event, a Pathways of Hope Fundraiser on February 6.  Fullerton Communications Director, Lisa McPheron, and Fullerton President, Greg Schulz were the stars of the show. What a wonderful evening of fun in support of our partner, PoH!

Upcoming Events

• EFMP Open Forums – February 12 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Equity Symposium- March 26-27
• Americana Awards – February 29 at the Disneyland Hotel
• Rotary Spaghetti Dinner – March 7 at the Cypress Community Center- all tickets sales go to support our EOPS program.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

 

 

The following is our calendar of events for Black History Month. Please join us!

 

President Schilling’s Board Report for January 28, 2020

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on January 28, 2020

Happy New Year!  The college is back in session and we are looking forward to the spring semester and seeing the many things happening at Cypress College. Spring enrollment is showing a slight decrease in head count from last year, but an increase in units taken and FTES. We are hopeful this is in response to some of the Guided Pathways initiatives we are beginning to implement.  We also look forward to providing a State of the College presentation to the board on February 11, which will focus on our progress on the four 2019-2020 focuses of the college: Housing and Hunger, Increasing Equity-Mindedness, Sustainability, and implementation of Guided Pathways.

Campus News

FLEX Day was held on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Tim Wise was the keynote speaker at 9 a.m. in the Campus Theatre and provided an insightful and powerful message. Opening Day was held on Friday, January 24, 2020 followed by lunch served by our Associated Students. During the program we shared campus updates, the past semester’s accomplishments, followed by a staff and student performance titled “This Is Who We Are.” Thank you to Trustee Blount for attending and representing the Board.

Chargers Athletics Spring Preview: After having 4 of 5 fall sports qualify for the playoffs, the spring season has already begun. Women’s Basketball is currently undefeated in conference play and the Lady Chargers are ranked No. 12 in the state with a 15-3 overall record. Cypress College Baseball enters their season opener on Friday ranked No. 2 in Southern CA. Softball is considered the favorite to win a sixth consecutive Orange Empire Conference Title. Men’s Golf is expected to make another run at a state title after winning in 2018 and finishing as runner-up in 2019. Go Chargers!

New website: Cypress will be unveiling our new website design at the end of February. A preview was provided to employees on Opening Day and our Communications team will be reaching out to all divisions and areas to ensure their information is updated. The new website will align with our Guided Pathways approach by providing a consistent look and navigation on all academic and student services pages. We look forward to our new site being fully available to all staff and students by March 1, 2020.

The college will be offering preferred name and pronoun options to students through our Canvas platform, and by personal request through the Registrar. Going forward into fall, students and employees will be able to input this information in our new Banner 9 system. This has become an important issue for our transgender and non-binary students who are often identified by legal names that no longer align with their preferred gender identification. More needs to be done on this issue across the District, including reviewing policy, but our Registrar will address this confidentially with those students who seek to be identified with a preferred name and pronoun this semester.

Cypress College is in the News…again!  Fox News KTLA visited our campus to feature the work we are doing on housing and hunger. Reporter Gina Silva interviewed Tyuana Boochee a Cypress student who shared her experience with homelessness. The feature is scheduled this week on Good Day LA. We will keep you updated when we have an air date. In the meantime, the Spectrum News Channel 1 hour-long feature on community colleges that aired last month (and featuring two segments on Cypress College) can be seen at: The first 20 minutes focus on Chancellor Oakley; Cypress segments begin around the 20 minute mark.

A recent report by the Center on Education and the Workforce revealed the strong return on investment (ROI) produced by community colleges. According to this report, which listed over 4,500 colleges in the US, Cypress College has an 875% return on investment and ranked 431 in 10-years and 1383 in 40-years across the US. As a comparison, CSU Fullerton’s ROI ranked 499 in 10-years and 1338 in 40-years. In addition, students who earn an associates degree at Cypress earn $838,000 more in their lifetime than they would without that associates degree.

STEM(2) Fall recap: 78 STEM scholars were selected to participate in undergraduate summer research experience this past summer – a record number of participants to date. From 2017 to 2019, participation increased by 90%. In addition, efforts are being made to connect our students with industry, resulting in internships with Vescio Manufacturing, PSI Intertek and V&M Precision. Seven students are now working for these three companies, and the numbers are growing. Thank you, Yanet Garcia and her team, for this excellent support of our students. Read our student profile at the end of this report to hear how these experiences transformed one student’s life.

Our first Presidential Advisory Group meeting was held on January 14 at the college. Sixteen CEOs and decision makers from local industries including the Los Angeles Angels, SubSync, Union Bank, Orange County Business Council, Mentor Global Consultants, CHOC, Exemplis, OC4 Venture Studio, and Schools First, among others, were there to learn more about Cypress College and discuss potential partnerships. It was an exciting morning engaging with our business leaders and we are eager to continue developing the important relationships that benefit our students.

Cypress College was honored with a 2019 Excellence in Energy and Sustainability award on January 14 at the California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento. The college and the North Orange County Community College District were recognized for Cypress College’s chilled water thermal energy storage tank, which reduces cost and increases energy efficiency. The District won for the Best Project — Large District Category.

The new Cypress College Sustainability Committee met in December and January and we are busy developing ideas for the spring semester. Upcoming will be a presentation by non-profit, Algalita, who will be presenting on developing curriculum that  incorporates sustainable practices in our courses. In addition, the college will be sponsoring a contest for all students and employees to build an art project using recyclable materials. The winner will be announced on Earth Day, April 22. Finally, we will be imitating a campus wide “Did you Know?” social media campaign to educate our community on the things we can all do to create a sustainable world. Stay tuned!

Upcoming Events

“Equity at Work” Symposium at UCLA Conference Center in Lake Arrowhead – March 26-27

Americana Awards at the Disneyland Hotel – February 29

Black History Month – Kick off event on February 5 and events throughout the month of February

Yom HaShoah – April 22, 2020

This month’s student profile focuses on one of our STEM(2) students who had the opportunity to travel to NYC this summer and participate in a summer research program at Columbia University. Meet STEM(2) Scholar, Gricelda Weed.

“My summer research experience at Columbia University was transformative! I had the opportunity to conduct neuroscience of aging research alongside world-renowned scientists. As a first-generation student, mother of five, and woman of color, the opportunity to spend two, fully-funded, months at an ivy league in New York City was an opportunity of a lifetime. My research investigated the association between socioeconomic status and white matter hyper intensities in older adults. I wanted to see if the socioeconomic status of an individual affected the neuropathology later in life. One of the most memorable activities was shadowing a brain cutting session performed by a neuropathologist. It was the first time that I encountered what the human brain and spine anatomy were like in real life. At the end of the program, I presented my research at the STAR U symposium and will be presenting in national conferences in 2020. Participating in this summer research program solidified my career path in neuroscience of aging, and it has provided mentorship in my journey towards becoming a physician-scientist that is truly valuable as a first-generation student. Currently, I am a STAR U ambassador and will continue conducting research with my mentor. It is because of programs like (STEM)² that underrepresented minorities feel seen, heard, and supported to pursue a career in STEM. I am the first STEM scholar to conduct research at Columbia University, and I’m sure I won’t be the last.”

Congratulations Gricelda. We are #CY Proud!

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

Cypress College Wins Overall Best Project at 2019 Excellence in Energy and Sustainability Awards

Cypress College was honored with a 2019 Excellence in Energy and Sustainability award on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (CCC BOG) meeting in Sacramento for its commitment to reducing the campus’ reliance on electricity. The college and the North Orange County Community College District received top recognition as the Best Project — Large District Category.

The award was presented for Cypress College’s chilled-water, thermal-energy storage tank, which reduces cost and increases energy efficiency. In addition to Cypress, the Board of Governors honored nearly a dozen California community colleges and college districts for environmentally sensitive projects developed to save taxpayers more than $2 million annually.

“We are thrilled to have our project recognized by the state Chancellor’s Office,” said JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D., president of Cypress College. “Sustainability is one of our top priorities. Bringing the energy storage tank online is the result of significant effort by current and former employees who share a vision of providing sound energy and fiscal stewardship.”

The award was received on behalf of the college by Phil Fleming, Cypress College’s Physical Plant and Facilities director, during the CCC BOG meeting. In addition to Fleming’s leadership, the project was initiated and developed under the direction of two now-retired Cypress College employees: Albert Miranda, Fleming’s predecessor, and Karen Cant, the former vice president of Administrative Services. Cypress College’s HVAC staff are also integral to the implementation and operation of the thermal-energy storage tank.

“With 115 colleges across the state, the California Community Colleges have a responsibility to meet the state’s climate change goals,” said Board of Governors President Tom Epstein. “The Board is pleased to recognize this year’s winners for setting the standard in taking action to protect our environment while saving taxpayer dollars.”

Cypress’ 890,000-gallon chilled water Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank is connected to a chilled-water system that loops the campus to reduce electricity demand. The $7.82 million project included more than $1.7 million of Proposition 39 funds.

“We at Cypress College are honored to receive this award and do our part to reduce our energy use on campus,” said Alexander Porter, Cypress College’s vice president of Administrative Services. “This innovative project saves us $162,000 in annual energy costs and reduces our consumption by 448,000 kilowatt-hours, which is the equivalent to powering a 2,000-square-foot home for more than 37 years. This is just the beginning. We continue to strive to reduce our overall energy usage, and seek sustainable and green energy sources to power our campus.”

Established in 2012 to recognize leadership in implementing goals set forth in Proposition 39 — the California Clean Energy Jobs Act — the Excellence in Energy and Sustainability Awards recognize schools striving to improve energy efficiency and expand clean energy generation on their campuses. Awards are given in the following categories: Excellence in Energy and Sustainability-Proposition 39 Projects, Excellence in Energy and Sustainability-Faculty/Student Initiatives, and Excellence in Energy and Sustainability-Sustainability Champion.

Visit the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office website at www.cccco.edu/About-Us/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/2020-Energy-Awards-PR for a complete list of winning projects.

About Cypress College:
Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

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Photos Attached.

Top: Phil Fleming, Cypress College’s Physical Plant and Facilities director (third from left) received the 2019 Excellence in Energy and Sustainability award on Tuesday, January 14, at the California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento on behalf of Cypress College and the North Orange County Community College District. Also pictured are California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley (far left) and Board of Governors President Tom Epstein (second from right). Below: The 2019 Board of Governors Energy and Sustainability Award — Overall Best Project, Large District Category.

 

View this news release as a PDF file

Go MAD This Semester

This spring, several courses offer a variety of ways to learn or improve computer illustration, modeling, and projection mapping, among other skills. These Media Arts Design classes can help expand and enhance your professional portfolio or provide enrichment if you are simply interested in digital design.

Learn art that you can apply with the following courses, which still have availability for the upcoming spring semester. Visit myGateway today to enroll.

MAD 104 C – Intro to 3D Graphics-Mac (3 units)
MAD 105 C – Intro to 3D Graphics-Win (3 units)

Find out about 3D computer graphics, with an emphasis on 2D paint and 3D modeling and animation software used in animation. You’ll create original 3D still and animation imagery for your portfolio. This course is a gateway into the variety of classes for the Art Computer Graphics program, where you can pursue more in-depth study on the topic(s) you were drawn to during this introductory class.

MAD 106 C – Social Media Vlog Production (3 units)

Examine the evolving role social media and video play in cultural and corporate 21st Century life. You will learn to create a Vlog (Video Blog), and shoot and edit video and audio content. You’ll create a plan to distribute and market your Vlog brand identity.

MAD 112 C – Electronic Illustration-Mac (3 units)
MAD 113 C – Electronic Illustration-Window (3 units)

Learn how to generate Mac and Windows Postscript (vector) images for desktop publishing/page layout software and as standalone images with high-resolution output. In these classes, professional artists can build basic Mac and Windows skills needed for employment and/or advancement.

MAD 120 C – 3D Modeling-Mac (3 units)
MAD 121 C – 3D Modeling-Windows (3 units)

These courses focus on the introduction of Mac and Windows creation techniques for making three-dimensional computer graphics content. Classes emphasize 3D modeling and animation tools, menu structures, and model-building applications.

MAD 201 C – 3D Typography for Media Design (3 units)

This intermediate typography course focuses on graphic communication usage. Learn how to develop concepts, layout, and presentations. Projects include lettering design, layout, and 3D typography. You’ll learn electronic design techniques in 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional forms.

MAD 207 C – Projection Map/Live Entertain (3 units)

Get an overview of the many uses of projection mapping with an emphasis on 2D and 3D design to make digital presentations. You will create projection mapping projects for public display.

Former HRC Instructor Meets Challenges on ‘Chopped’

Blackmarket Bakery owner Rachel Klemek can work under pressure. She runs three bakeries, has four kids, and counts herself as a former Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary Arts faculty member of Cypress College. And now, she can call herself a “Chopped” episode champion and season finale runner-up.

We asked her a few questions about her experience. She offered an inside glimpse of the popular cooking competition show, as well as some sound advice that works in and out of the kitchen.

How did you get involved in being on the show “Chopped?”
Back in October of 2018, I received an email from a casting company requesting that I apply to “Chopped.” At that time, I hadn’t seen more than a few snippets from “Chopped” over the years but thought I should just give it a try anyway. My family strongly discouraged me, given how challenging it looked. Being an optimist, I filled out their app online and submitted a few videos of myself baking. A Skype interview and a more in-depth phone interview followed. Even then, I didn’t think I would get cast. Then, a producer called to schedule my “bio-pack,” where a crew filmed in the bakery location. But the producer warned that nothing was decided. Then, three weeks before the first episode filmed, they emailed to say that I was cast in a dessert episode and needed to get to NYC! I memorized and tested as many “fast” recipes as possible, not knowing what kinds of desserts I would be making.

At the start of the “Sweets Showdown: Cake” episode, you said your philosophy on the show was to “Keep Calm and Cake On.” Is this your motto for everyday life, too?
I think I came up with that on the spot, at the producer’s prompt to have a tagline. But in essence, I aspire to follow that advice. Freaking out about stuff is not productive, but sometimes it still happens!

You called one of the judges on the show, Sylvia Weinstock, a legend. Did that make you more nervous?
The whole process of filming was completely nerve-wracking, but I don’t know if any particular judge made it any more so. Sylvia Weinstock was a trailblazer in exquisite sugar flowers and incredible tiered cakes, so I was familiar with her stature in the industry but decided that being overly intimidated would be a handicap so tried to act as normal and confident as possible.

Squid-ink toffee — what inspired you? It was very popular!
Toffee is basically sugar, butter, water and a bit of salt. Since the salt is necessary to balance the sweetness, the saltiness of the squid ink seemed like it would work well. My mistake was adding the squid ink before the toffee was completely cooked, since I relied on the color to tell doneness. Luckily, I was able to guess when the toffee reached temperature (before burned and turned bitter) by the bubbles. Plus seafood and butter made sense to me!

You said the other contestants’ Bundt cakes were simpler. Do you think your more complex take helped you?
I think substituting the tomato soup as part of the liquid in the cake was the key to my surviving that round. Adding ganache and caramel, which seemed like a good idea for a dessert, was perceived by the judges as going overboard…

What did you win for being the best chef of that episode?
For winning the Chopped Cake episode, I won the chance to go back and compete in the Sweets Finale. And the ability to claim that I am a Chopped Champion. That’s it!

For the finale, the pressure seemed stronger. And did the ingredients seem weirder?
The ingredients were pretty weird in all six of my rounds (in both shows), but in every round there were at least two items that were easier to address. With Martha Stewart judging and that $50,000 on the line, the pressure was more intense in the finale.

It appeared as if the closer the show drew to the end, the more camaraderie there was among contestants. Did you feel that way?
Not particularly. In between rounds, there was a minimum of conversation between contestants. We were all coping with a very stressful situation together, but since we were still in it, I think we all kept pretty focused and to ourselves.

What was the most intimidating/challenging thing in that episode? What was the best?
Making a dessert to flambé was really tough for me. A new experience! I considered using the cotton candy machine but hadn’t done so before and didn’t want to count on it without any prior experience. The high point was making desserts for Martha Stewart and hearing positive feedback. One of my favorite cookbooks as a young baker was Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts, so I am a huge fan!

You got good feedback on your flavor. And your flambé looked so pretty! Judge Alex Guarnaschelli said you are “such an unbelievable baker.” Is that how you were able to walk away saying you were “feeling like a winner for sure”?
Going into the whole “Chopped” experience, I had no expectation of getting through even one round. So winning one episode and being the runner up in another constitutes a big accomplishment in my view. Being a business owner, I spend lots of time on office stuff like marketing, hiring, accounting, scheduling, etc and not much in the kitchen anymore. So I was proud to have gotten as far as I did!

Is there anything you learned from the experience that you might bring back to your students?
My take-away from filming two “Chopped” episodes is:
1. Practice, prepare, and be as ready as possible (for life, for baking, for anything)
2. Trust your instincts
3. Do work you are proud of
4. Remember to have fun and not take yourself too seriously

Cypress College Career Technical Education Receives Two Awards

Automotive Technology instructor Russell Bacarella and student Gable Kemma-Berg received the Instructor Finalist Award and a Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Scholarship, respectively, last month at the 2019 SEMA Education Event in Las Vegas.

The three-day event, part of the annual SEMA show and organized by SEMA and the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT), saw approximately 2,000 students and instructors from across the United States and Canada.

Bacarella, a master Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technician who has been teaching since 1999, received his award at the Educator of the Year Awards banquet. With approximately 200 instructors in attendance, Bacarella and two instructors from across North America received the honor for fostering the professional development of promising new students. The award is open to anyone who teaches automotive-related instruction including auto tech, diesel and collision, and recognizes instructors who implement and emphasize aftermarket technology in their classrooms.

Additionally, Cypress student Kemma-Berg received a $3,000 SEMA Student Scholarship, created to introduce and encourage students studying automotive, diesel or collision to pursue careers in the automotive aftermarket industry.

As the largest automotive organization in the world, SEMA has roughly 21,000 corporate members. The annual SEMA Show hosts over 200,000 annually during the four-day event in Las Vegas.

President Schilling’s Board Report for December 10, 2019

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on December 10, 2019

Happy Holidays from Cypress College!

Campus Events

Our Legacy Program Kwanzaa event was held on December 5, featuring keynote speaker, Rashad Cromwell, who comes from four generations of HBCU scholars. Mr. Wallace is the founder and President of Harbor Institute, an educational firm based in Washington DC and focused on cultural competency, student success and Black/Latino male development. It was a great night for celebrating the traditions of Kwanzaa and we are grateful for those who serve as Legacy mentors. Special thanks to Regina Rhymes and LaRon Armstead for their leadership of the Legacy program.

Please join us on December 12 for our annual EOPS and Guardian Scholars Holiday celebration. All our EOPS and Care families will be gathered for our annual Adopt a Family event, as well as our Guardian Scholars Foster Youth program. We want to thank Ann Marie Ruelas, Ashley Berry, and the EOPS team, as well as the entire campus community who have stepped up yet again to contribute to ensuring our students have a festive and happy holiday.

The Cypress College Music Department highlighted our students in two excellent events including the Jazz Concert, held on Monday December 2, and our Vocal Concert on December 6. Both featured our students performing holiday classics and the timeless classics of Motown. Kudos to music faculty Gary Gopar, Ronal Segovia, and Terra Hurdle for their musical direction.

Our Associated Students will be holding a Finals Fuel event during finals week December 9-12. Students will receive free scantrons, blue books, coffee and snacks, and there will be therapy dogs available across the campus to help students de-stress. Thank you, David Okawa, Jay Shonkweiler, and our student leaders for supporting our students this week!

Our graphic art students participated again in our 2^nd annual Holiday Card Contest. Three winners were chosen – Phat (Ken) Huynh, Gabriela Jaramillo, and Benjamin Eusebi – receiving $250, $100, and $50 respectively. Ken’s winning design will be used as an electronic animated card, and will also be sent as a traditional card to our community and partners. Congratulations to our student winners!

Vanessa Natera, a Cypress College STEM student, was one of three students interviewed as a panel on Spectrum News for their “Inside the News” show on Wednesday December 4. The segment was part of an episode focused on the California community college experience and featured students from Compton, Long Beach, and Cypress Colleges.  The episode aired at 8 and 11 p.m. that evening and we will share a link when it becomes available.

Go Chargers! Four of our five fall sports teams made it to the CCCAA Playoffs this year, including women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s soccer, and women’s water polo. Women’s soccer went undefeated on their way to winning the 2019 Orange Empire Conference Championship. In addition, 14 of our athletes were All-Orange Empire Conference selections this Fall. Congratulations to these outstanding scholars and to our coaches, Nanci Welliver, Erick Hurtarte, Christina Rus, and Mark Canner, Athletic Director Wes McCurtis, and Dean Rick Rams, for an outstanding season.

The Accelerate Program, a Civitas-based pilot that is focused on encouraging working students taking 6 units to accelerate to 9 units, was implemented this week with its first nudge email message which was delivered to 1,120 students identified as either at risk of dropping out or might be interested in this program. Students were offered a specific course that was being saved for them. The program also includes online counseling support and other access to books and materials designed for a student who doesn’t have much time. Thank you to Kristina Oganesian, Lisa Gaetje, Deidre Porter, and Henry Hua for working with Marc Posner to initiate this campaign.

On November 16, the college held an LGBTQ feedback forum to hear from our students and better understand the challenges they face at the college. Topics included preferred names and pronouns, and gender-neutral bathrooms. The college will be implementing preferred names through Canvas on our rosters for spring, while the district works through the policies and procedures to implement this across the district.

A New Creative Writing Certificate in Creative Writing is being offered by Cypress College’s Language Arts Division. The 18-unit certificate is designed for students seeking a broad appreciation of literature and increased skills in communication. Six courses, including three new ones — Introduction to Poetry Writing, Introduction to Short Story Writing, and Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing — are being offered in spring 2020 and will fulfill the certificate requirements.

Our Cypress College Mortuary Science Program held their end of the semester Memorial Service on December 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This memorial is planned and organized by our students, faculty, and staff to memorialize all those who came into their care for instruction this past year. Thank you to faculty members Lori Collins, Jolena Grande, and Damon de la Cruz for their support of this event.

The college completed our biannual Climate Survey last week. Every two years all employees take part in a self-evaluation process. The purpose is to assess how employees feel about the campus, our services, their interaction with colleagues, and a variety of issues including equity, participatory governance, and planning processes  Survey results are widely shared and used to improve planning, communication, and decision-making at the college.

Community Events

Our vocal students performed this year at the annual Cypress Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, held on December 3 at City Hall. The Cypress vocal ensembles joined high school choirs and community members in this annual kick off to the holiday season.

Cypress College will be a sponsor of the Cypress Chamber Holiday Extravaganza on December 12 at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress. We have a table for eight people if any of our board members wish to join us at 6 p.m.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

President Schilling’s Board Report for November 26, 2019

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on November 26, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! The college is in end-of-the-semester mode and looking forward to seeing our students succeed. Spring enrollment has also begun and although it’s very early in the registration process, enrollments are slightly up from last year.

Campus News

Cypress College has been selected by the CCCCO, the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the California Department of Social Services as a pilot school to provide free legal services to our undocumented students and neighboring communities. We will be contracting with CHIRLA, to provide legal services to students, with the intent to begin during the spring 2020 semester. This new service will further enhance our Grads to Be Program for undocumented students by providing additional resources and support. Sixty-four campuses across the state were selected and we will serve the students of multiple community colleges in our area, including Fullerton College and NOCE.

The retrospective of Sergio O’Cadiz-Moctezuma’s work has ended its run and there has been a renewed interest in his work, thanks to this unique and special gallery show. The following link appeared in Voice of Orange County, one of many articles that were written about his work since the exhibition opened. I want to thank Janet Owens-Driggs, our CCAG curator, for her exceptional show and for educating our campus about the significance of the Library Mural on our campus, its importance in Orange County, and for highlighting Mr. Moctezuma’s work.

On November 7, the college hosted its 3rd Annual Transfer/Pre-Graduation Fair.  More than 400 students participated in this event, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with recruiters from four-year colleges and universities. Thank you to our excellent Transfer Center staff, led by Rebeca Laveaga, Peter Maharaj, and his IT team for integrating our mobile app with registration and providing an easy interface for students to get more information about the colleges via our app.

The Foundation held its Annual Golf Classic at Los Coyotes Country Club, raising $80,000 to fund student scholarships, book grants/loans, faculty grants, and more. This was an all-time record for this event and we are grateful to our community for their generosity. There were 168 participants, including a member of the LPA foursome who shot a hole-in-one and won a new vehicle. Special thanks to Fullerton College President, Greg Schultz, Gill Contreras, and Rod Garcia for joining us, as well as Vice Chancellor Fred Williams, and Cypress VPs, Paul de Dios and Alex Porter. This year, for the first time ever, one of the LPA foursome hit a hole in one on the 7^th green, winning a Jeep for his efforts. Thank you to Howard Kummerman and his team for a successful tournament!

Cypress College’s Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Program passed a reaccreditation visit by HVAC Excellence on October 3, ensuring its accreditation for six more years. HVAC Excellence, which sets educational program standards and verifies their fulfillment, toured the AC&R facilities and reviewed program curriculum. Congratulations to faculty members Richard Hock, Carlos Urquidi, Doug Sallade, and Dean Kathleen Reiland for setting the bar high for our students.

Our Cypress fall semester dance concert was held on November 22-24 and featured new choreography by Cypress College Dance Department faculty and students, as well as guest artists. The event was directed by Department Chair Maha Afra.

Our Professional Development team held the Cypress College Equity Walk on November 15 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m., and 20 people participated from Cypress, Fullerton, and Compton colleges to experience the campus from an equity lens. Modeled after the activity first introduced at the CUE workshop last year (and implemented last spring at Fullerton College) each participant was provided with a student profile and then explored the campus with specific objectives, before reporting back on their experience. Thank you to Ruth Gutierrez and Michael Brydges for organizing this event.

Also on November 15, Dr. Reiland and Dr. Schilling presented at the CCCO Intersegmental Pathways Symposium in Bakersfield. This convening welcomed over 400 participants, including K12, CSU, UC, and legislative representatives, to discuss the important pathway connections between all segments of education. Our presentation featured our work on Program Mapper and Program Finder.

The Business and Marketing Department held their fall semester Shark Tank competition on November 19. Seven teams participated including a team from AUHSD, competing for prizes and the option to have their innovation funded. Five professional judges from across OC industry helped provided input. David Patrick, a real Shark Tank contestant (and inventor of the shark wheel) was also a judge. The entrepreneurial innovations presented by our students were amazing!

November 18-22 was Homelessness Awareness Week. The campus participated in the OC United Way “myths and facts about homelessness” campaign via social media. Each day of the week we shared one myth about homelessness, as well as information about our own students. Thank you to Marc Posner and his team for implementing this educational awareness campaign.

Our Associated Students are hosting a “Friendsgiving” event on November 27. Last year’s event provided a free meal to over 300 students. Turkeys for this event were donated by Foundation Board member Ken Vecherelli and Golden State Water. Thank you to our students for this great event!

Please don’t forget to save December 5 for the Cypress College Holiday Reception. Held in our theater lobby from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., this event will feature a holiday dinner for employees, courtesy of Schools First, a Christmas decorating contest, a sing for your supper competition and for everyone who brings an item for our food pantry, your name will be entered in a raffle drawing. Please join us in our celebration of the holidays.

 As we continue momentum on our Title V Grant, the college will be conducting two information sessions for faculty interested in serving as peer mentor coaches or data coaches – both integral roles in our completion teams. These events will be held on Dec 5 at 3pm and December 13 at 1pm. In addition, a Civitas training was held on November 22 to support evidence based decision-making and through the Civitas dashboards. If you would like to know more about this grant, please feel free to join us.

We are sad to announce that long time Cypress College Foundation Board member, Walt Bowman, passed away unexpectedly on November 17. Walt has been a Foundation Board member since 1993, as well as an Americana Citizen of the Year, Cypress City Council member, and a Foundation Legacy member with his wife, Ethel. He has been a pillar of the Cypress community for decades and will be deeply missed.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

Cypress College Offers New Creative Writing Certificate

Cypress College’s Language Arts Division is offering a new certificate in creative writing. The certificate program is designed for students seeking a broad appreciation of literature and increased skills in communication. In particular, it provides students with the opportunity to pursue their interest in creative writing through intensive study and practice of the literary arts. Students will immerse themselves in a structured, focused, and multifaceted curriculum of the writer’s art by studying literature and honing their own writing skills to create original, polished works of poetry and prose. Students will read, write, and engage in dialogue about creative works in a supportive workshop environment. Students will also receive mentorship about opportunities for publication, performance, and recitation.

The certificate is awarded upon the completion of 18 units of coursework, including one core course and five electives. A list of classes for this certificate is provided below for your convenience.

For more information about the Creative Writing Certificate Program, please contact program coordinators Professor Bret Kaufman at bkaufman@cypresscollege.edu and Professor Stephanie Tran at stran@cypresscollege.edu.

Required Core (3 units)

• ENGL 105 C Introduction to Creative Writing (3 units)

Electives (15 units)

• ENGL 102 C Introduction to Literature (3 units)
• ENGL 126 C Introduction to Screenwriting (3 units)
• ENGL 127 C Introduction to Poetry Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 128 C Introduction to Short Story Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 130 C Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 225 C Literary Journal Publication (3 units)

For the Spring 2020 semester, we will be offering 6 courses that meet the requirements for the certificate:

• ENGL 105 C Introduction to Creative Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 102 C Introduction to Literature (3 units)
• ENGL 126 C Introduction to Screenwriting (3 units)
• ENGL 127 C Introduction to Poetry Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 128 C Introduction to Short Story Writing (3 units)
• ENGL 130 C Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing (3 units)

Of these courses, the following three are brand new and being offered for the first time:

ENGL 127 C Introduction to Poetry Writing (3 units)

Students will write original poetry, study forms, techniques, and literary elements of poetry, including classical poetic forms and free-verse tradition. Student work will be critiqued in a workshop setting.

CRN: 23955 12:30-1:55P MW Payne, John HUM-203

ENGL 128 C Introduction to Short Story Writing (3 units)

In this course, students will write original short stories while studying the evolution of the form and its narratological techniques and literary elements, including the form’s place in a variety of literary genres. Students will also critique each other’s work in a workshop setting.

CRN: 23954 Online 2/3/20-5/3/20 Tran, Stephanie

ENGL 130 C Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing (3 units)

In this course, students will write original works of creative nonfiction while studying the evolution of the form and its narratological techniques and literary elements, including the form’s place in a variety of literary genres. Students will critique each other’s work in a workshop setting.

CRN: 23953 Online 2/10/20-5/10/20 Kaufman, Bret

President Schilling’s Board Report for November 12, 2019

The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on November 12, 2019

The college continues to be busy and engaged in serving students and employees. Below is just a sample of the many events taking place across our community as we head into the last third of the semester.

Our Career Center and CTE program took part in an innovative project the end of October called Headshot Happy Hour. Almost 400 students were provided with a professional headshot and assistance setting up a Linked In account.  Thank you, Melissa Carpenter, Belinda Allan, Zola Aponte and the Career Center team for this great opportunity for career development.

Over 800 high school seniors arrived on campus on November 5 for our second annual Connect2Cypress event. Prospective students were welcomed with a 90 minute orientation to the campus, campus tours by meta major, attended a program fair in the Gateway Plaza, and were surprised by a flash mob dance created by dance instructor, Maha Afra and her dancers.  Lunch was served by Habit Burger food trucks, and prospective and current students had the opportunity to visit the Majors2Careers Showcase presented by the Career Planning Center to learn about the career development process, explore majors offered at Cypress College, and have their resume critiqued. Thank you to Rick Rams, Paul DeDios, Flor Huerta and all our deans, counselors, and student services team for this excellent introduction to the Cypress Charger spirit!

The Cypress College Smoke Free Art Contest is now open.  Students are invited to enter this campus contest answering the question “Why I Want a 100% Smoke Free Campus”. Submissions will be judged by the associated students and the winning entries will be displayed on campus and submitted to  an all-Orange County panel for inclusion in a regional marketing campaign.

Cypress College has seen positive enrollment results from our Districtwide Future Built marketing efforts. Below is a snapshot of the increase in CTE enrollment in the last two years, likely due to this campaign.

CTE ONLY	Fall 2017	Fall 2018*	Fall 2019**	Overall since Mtg began
Fall Enrollment	9554	9899	11144
% change		3.61%	12.58%	16.64%

Also in CTE news, CTE Counselor Jane Jepson was recently named 2019 Counselor of the Year by the Orange County Career Education Community College Network. The award, given each year to counselors who excel in a number of areas related to student and career success, was presented at the 2019 OC Counselor Symposium on Thursday, November 7. Congratulations, Jane!

Also in the news is Auto Technology faculty, Russ Bacarella, who was honored on Wednesday at the 2019 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) Show Educator Breakfast. Russ was one of 3 finalists selected out of a nationwide nominated pool of instructors for the SEMA Educator of the Year. We are all extremely proud of Russ for earning this honor.

The college’s DEI Committee will be leading discussions in person on November 12 at 12:30-2 p.m. and November 14 at 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and online for our fall common book “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism”. This is the first in a series of equity initiatives on campus, and the goal of this campus wide effort is to create opportunities to discuss, challenge, and engage one another about issues facing our students and one other. Next up is From Equity Talk to Equity Walk, which will be held November 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please join us, if you can!

Veterans Day Week (November 4-7) in honor of our veterans and military-connected students and families, featured multiple events including a Green Zone Training for staff, A Housing Assistance and Support Session, Veterans BBQ luncheon, and a special Veterans Day Ceremony on November 7. We salute and thank all those who have served us keep our freedoms safe.

The District free speech open forum will be held at Cypress College will be held on Monday, November 18 at 2-3:30 p.m. in CCCPLX-216.

Dr. Schilling attended Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva’s Town Hall on Homelessness on November 5. Orange County Assembly members attended to hear presentations on housing and homelessness and Dr. Schilling spoke in public comments regarding the challenges community college students are facing and the need to properly fund student housing.

On Friday, November 1, Dr. Schilling was able to attend the OC Teacher of the Year Awards at the Disneyland Hotel, along with Dr. Schultz, Provost Purtell, Trustees McClanahan and Rodarte, and Dr. Li-Bugg. We were there to support and honor Cypress College English instructor, Alyssa Garman, as well as Fullerton’s Aline Gregorio, and NOCE’s Md Riffat Ahmed. Congratulations to all!

Cypress College is planning to move forward to implement an OCTA bus pass, similar to our sister college, Fullerton College. We thank Fullerton for leading the way on this important transportation issue. After surveying our students, there was overwhelming support for moving forward to support a slight fee increase to serve our students. Next steps are to take this increase proposal to our students for a vote. Our hope is to implement in spring 2020, if the students agree on the very small fee hike. We appreciate the efforts of Student Trustee, Ester Plavdjian and AS President, Presten Jimenez for their advocacy on behalf of our students.

The week of November 12-15 will be busy for our Health Sciences Division. Up first is the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) accreditation visit for our Mortuary Science Program, which occurs November 12-15. Also that week is a cultural exchange with our Nursing Program and Japan’s Osaka-Jikei School of Health on November 13-15.  We appreciate the work of Dean Rebecca Gomez, Jolena Grande, Nursing Director Teri Wheeler, Carmen Dominguez, and the HS staff and faculty for their efforts getting ready for both visits.

Drs. Schilling and Reiland will be presenting at Bakersfield College on November 15 at the statewide Intersegmental Education Conference on our work implementing Program Mapper and Program Finder. Cypress is currently the only college utilizing both programs, thanks to the leadership of Dr. Reiland. We will be sharing our experience to date on our Guided Pathways efforts and these software tools specifically.

The college’s Title V Kick Off event occurred on November 1 with over 100 students, staff and faculty in attendance. We spent an engaging morning sharing all the work currently occurring on campus in support of Guided Pathways, and enhancing the student experience. We also detailed how the grant will help support and fund the next generation of Guided Pathways 2.0. If you are interested in viewing the grant overview and plans for Guided Pathways 2.0, you may access our presentations at the following link: http://news.cypresscollege.edu/Documents/GP-Cypress-Nov1-LT-mtg.pptx

Below is a visual graph detailing the current programs in place as part of Guided Pathways 1.0. There are live links (if viewing electronically) detailing these initiatives.

That’s the Board Report from Cypress College. Buen Cypress!

 

Hospitality & Culinary Students Tour Marriott

In late October, Hotel, Restaurant, and Culinary Arts students toured Marriott Anaheim to hear from professionals in their field and see where a degree or certificate from the HRC program could take them.

The field trip included students from the Hospitality Law class and the Hospitality Leadership class. Marriott gave an orientation and walked students and faculty, including professors Jeannette Jones and Lisa Clark, through the heart of the house to hear from managers and key associates.

“It was especially fun to hear from the Banquet Chef, Patrick Duralde, former Cypress alumni,” Clark says. “We have dozens of students working for Marriott with many more over the years. Marriott is a long-standing educational partner. They serve on our advisory board, offer field trips, guest speak, attend career fairs and, of course, hire and develop our students.”

Professor Jones also works on call with Marriott. Clark calls her connections “invaluable” in coordinating these opportunities.

Cypress College Welcomes Prospective Students to Second Connect2Cypress Outreach Event on Nov. 5

Cypress College welcomes prospective students to its second Connect2Cypress event — an introduction for students to the college by connecting them with resources needed to foster a successful journey at Cypress College. The event takes place on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

Connect2Cypress, featuring Majors2Careers, provides the opportunity for future Chargers to explore different academic majors and careers. The events features a resource fair, the opportunity to talk with deans, faculty, counselors, and current Cypress College students. Prospective students also learn about programs and services offered on campus, such as Charger Experience, Financial Aid, Associated Students, and how to enroll at Cypress College.

The Connect2Cypress event emphasizes Cypress College’s philosophical approach that all members of the educational community are on an interconnected journey. Connect2Cypress is intended to support the college’s Guided Pathways initiative, connecting students to success, completion, and employment.

“Connect2Cypress helps high school students start thinking about college. They are already developing a relationship with Cypress College as they learn about what we have to offer, and this event helps connect them with campus partners, while envision themselves on campus,” said Dr. Richard Rams, who serves as the dean of Student Support Services. “Through this event, prospective students begin identifying the services and programs that will support them in reaching their personal, academic, and career goals. Similarly, Majors2Careers helps underscore the relationship between education and careers for current students.”

Connect2Cypress featuring Majors2Careers is open to all current students. High School students participate by invitation only.

About Cypress College:

Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.

Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.

Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.

Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.

—30—

View this news release as a PDF

Instructor Exhibits in Louvre Museum

This month, Cypress College art instructor Paul Paiement exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris during a special event. Annual art fair Le Carrousel du Louvre took place October 18-20 and included artists selected by a committee, based on nominations. Paul’s European art dealer Adelinda Allegretti submitted his work for consideration.

“It’s a huge honor to exhibit my paintings in the largest and most prestigious art museum in the world,” Paul said. “Drilling a screw into the same walls that house Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ was an incredible experience.”

Paiement selected four paintings from his Nexus series to exhibit. He was able to complete these paintings during a sabbatical from teaching at Cypress, a period in which he says he was “more prolific than I’ve ever been.”

The resulting work was well received at the show; Paul says the pieces created a lot of dialogue among visitors, and his painting ‘Nexus — Ronan, Montana’ was selected and published in the exhibition catalog.

“It was all very real,” Paul said. “By real, I mean tangible. I’ve read, seen documentaries, and heard stories about the Louvre. It’s has a ‘larger than life’ mythology. It has the largest and most comprehensive art collection the world has ever seen. Assisting the museum staff in the installation of my artwork was very real.”

The work exhibited in Paris was painstakingly created. Paul says during the school year, one of his paintings can take anywhere from 3-14 months to complete; during his sabbatical, his goal has been to complete one painting a month — based on a 40-60 hour week. The sabbatical continues until spring 2020 but even when Paul returns he will find a way to continue on this creative streak.

“I don’t find time to create — I create time to create art,” he says. While teaching, he commits to working in his studio three to five days a week.

Paul’s Nexus series bridges natural backdrops and engineered structures. It incorporates the elements that inspire him.

“I draw inspiration from concepts and questions about our reality. Questions like who are we? Who am I? What is nature? Am I part of nature? I hope these concepts are communicated to the viewer in my paintings.”

To view more of Paul’s exhibited work, click on his Carrousel du Louvre link here. You can see additional paintings by visiting his personal website here.

Cypress College Foundation Raises $80,000 at its Annual Golf Classic

The Cypress College Foundation held its Annual Golf Classic at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park October 21, raising $80,000 to fund student scholarships and book grants/loans, faculty grants, and more. There were 168 participants, including a member of the LPA team who shot a hole-in-one and won a new vehicle.

The Foundation gives a warm thank you to all of its sponsors, participants, and volunteers and student ambassadors.

Title Sponsor
TEM – Total Environmental Management

Corporate Sponsors
A.O. Reed & Co. and Foundation Pile
Control Air and Helix Electric
Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries
MAAS Companies
SUNDT Construction Inc

Eagle Sponsors
Air Treatment Corporation
Morgan Stanley
Newport Diversified

Birdie Sponsor
Cypress Lawn Funeral and Cemetery

Foursomes included players from the following sponsors
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
ACCO Engineered Systems
Air Treatment Corporation
American Crematorium
Buena Park Police Department
The City of Cypress
CSI Fullmer
Cypress Police Department
Remax/Tiffany
Fullerton College
So Cal Gas
Golden State Water
Hazelrigg Claims Management
Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP
Patron Property Management
Piping Industry Progress and Education
Toyota Place
Union Bank
Westberg White Architecture

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 22, 2019

The following is a report to the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 22, 2019

Campus News

Cypress hosted its annual High School Principals and Superintendents Breakfast on October 15 from 7:30 am to 9:00 am.  Dynamic presentations were provided by our Dual Enrollment team, led by Henry Hua, Stephanie Teer, and Stephanie Flores; Program Finder, the new interactive K12 Crosswalk software led by Kathleen Reiland; and our Pledge/Promise and Connect2Cypress update, led by Paul DeDios, Gisela Verduzco, and Rick Rams. Thanks to our team for the many ways they are making a difference in our students’ lives.

We want to commend Library faculty, Monica Doman, who was approved to represent Cypress College on the statewide Academic Senate (ASCCC) Library and Learning Resources Advisory Committee. We are proud that her work on the Library Service Project (LSP) has provided an opportunity for her to serve on the state advisory board. This appointment gives Cypress College and NOCCCD a voice in policy decisions to assist libraries in the Guided Pathway initiative. Congratulations, Monica!

Cypress continues to have two fall teams still ranked in the Top 10 with Women’s Soccer at #4 and Men’s Soccer at #9.  Currently fall teams are 35-14-4 collectively. Go Chargers!

Cypress College continues to innovate with our Mobile App, Cypress Connect. Thanks to Peter Maharaj, and the IT team at Cypress College, we are now able to register students into orientations, our food pantry, and transfer events with a wave of their smart phone. Our IT department has developed a QR code that allows a student to use the app to automatically register. This then allows our staff to develop mailing lists, nudge notifications and other forms of communication with the student who has registered for this event. This is going to allow our teams to communicate more effectively with students in ways they are requesting, as well as save time for students and staff. Pathways of Hope is especially excited to be using this technology in our food pantry. Thank you, Peter and our IT team!

Our Nursing Program recently completed a three-day campus visit from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The outcome was a recommendation for reaffirmation of accreditation, with several recommendations for improvement. The final approval by ACEN will not be completed until March 2020, but we are confident our program will be reaffirmed.   Thanks go to Dean Rebecca Gomez, Nursing Director Terri Wheeler, Interim Nursing Director Denise Bernstein, Associate Nursing Directors, Suzy Smith and Sally McNay, and our outstanding nursing faculty for a successful self-study and the excellence they demonstrate every day in their classrooms.

Cypress College welcomed Senator Ling Ling Chang to our campus on October 16 to visit our Aviation Lab, see the progress of our VRC construction, and to discuss the educational needs of our students. A reporter from Cal Matters in Sacramento joined us and documented our amazing Aviation program. It was a positive and productive visit and we appreciate Senator Chang’s advocacy on behalf of Cypress College and NOCCCD.

On October 8, the college met with Jordanna Gessler, Director of Education at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, to discuss expanding our Holocaust Education efforts by collaborating with this wonderful Museum. Video testimonials of survivors will be shown in our gallery along with displays of memorabilia and artifacts loaned by LAMOTH. Appreciation goes to Cliff Lester, David Halahmy, Howard Kummerman, and Marc Posner for their work on this project.

On October 17, Cypress College participated in the Great Shakeout at 10:17 am. All students, faculty and staff on campus went through an in-class drill, in preparation for a real emergency. In spring, we will be going through a full evacuation drill, which we are beginning training for now. Thanks to VPSS, Paul de Dios, Campus Safety Director, Ralph Webb, and Director of Communications, Marc Posner for their assistance in this drill.

Our upcoming Foundation Golf Tournament, held on October 21, is sold out. This year we are holding the tournament at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park and they were able to accommodate additional foursomes, which has allowed us to augment support for our annual fundraiser. Thanks to Vice Chancellors, Irma Ramos and Fred Williams, as well as VPAS Alex Porter, and Executive Director Howard Kummerman for their efforts working to increase our sponsors this year.

In the effort to build campus community and get to know one another a little better, the President’s Office is hosting Thirsty Thursdays, which will occur in October, February, April, and July from 4 pm to 5 pm. The first event is coming up on Thursday, October 24 on the 3^rd Floor of the CCCPLX Building. All staff are invited to stop by for some hot cider, light hors d’ oeuvres and assorted snacks, supported by the President’s Office. Happy Thursdays!

Dr. Marshall, Trustee Bent, and Dr. Schilling met with representatives of NextFlex a non-profit company who is expanding their K12 partnerships with community colleges as part of our dual enrollment program. Thank you Trustee Bent for you excellent ambassadorship of our colleges!

Upcoming Events:

 

On November 1, we will be attending the OC Department of Education’s OC Teacher of the Year event at the Disneyland Hotel. This year, Cypress College will be honoring adjunct English professor, Alyssa Gorman, as our awardee. Congratulations, Alyssa!

The District will be conducting a Free Speech Forum on the Cypress campus on November 18 from 2 to 3 pm in our CCCPLX 216 lecture room.

We will be conducting our Title V Kickoff meeting on November 1 from 8:30 am to 12 noon in the Theater Lobby. At this meeting we will be discussing the funding opportunities, perimeters of the grant, and how to form the critical Completion Teams that are at the center of this grant.

Dr. Marshall, Fred Williams, Cypress VPAS Alex Porter, Dr. Schilling, and Dr. Rick Rams will be meeting with Buena Park city officials again in the effort to partner with the city on affordable housing options for Cypress students. Our next meeting is scheduled for November 4. Dr. Schilling also continues service on the statewide Affordable Housing and Hunger Taskforce. This year’s focus will be on finding affordable housing options for our students across the state, while expanding the CalFresh options at our campuses.

And that’s our board report. Buen Cypress. We Take This Journey Together!

President Schilling’s Board Report for October 8, 2019

The following is a report to the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.

on October 8, 2019

 

We are proud to announce that Cypress College is the recipient of an HSI Title V grant in the amount of $2.8M to “Enhance the Student Experience through Guided Pathways.” This Department of Education grant is awarded for five years and helps the college move towards a fully integrated pathways model by 2024. The grant award was very competitive:  Cypress was one of 43 campuses across the country – only 19% of all applicants were funded this year. Kudos to our Guided Pathways work group for a successful application. Now the work begins!

Cultural Exchange: Cypress College’s Dental Hygiene Program hosted 23 medical hygiene students from Nagano, Japan during the program’s annual cultural exchange on September 17. The Japanese students spent the day learning about how dental hygienists are licensed in California, the new technologies that are available, and what the college’s students in the program are taught. Upcoming, on November 13-15, the Cypress Nursing program will be hosting Osaka-Jikei School of Health Care. This cultural exchange will feature 30 students from Japan who will be on the Cypress campus for three days, interacting with our students, attending special lectures, and visiting various clinical sites to learn the needs of healthcare in the US.

On Friday, September 27, our STEM(2) Program held their kick off orientation at the Cottonwood Church. This program, which began with 40 students in 2012, welcomed over 1000 participants including almost 600 new students, as well as continuing students and peer mentors. It was exciting to see so many students engaged and eager to learn. Congratulations to Yanet Garcia, Rosa Mejia, and Richard Fee for their leadership of this high impact program.

Our Educational Master and Facilities Planning team conducted multiple feedback sessions on campus October 1-2. Over the two-day period over 250 students, staff, and faculty provided input what works, and how we can improve. A campus survey has also gone out to all employees, student, and community members. We are eager to hear all the good ideas for helping our campus improve the educational experience for all.

Americana Events: The campus will be holding its 2020 Americana Honoree luncheon on October 10 at the Cypress Bistro. Then, on November 14, we will be hosting the Americana Kick Off Dinner in the Theatre Lobby. The past few years the kick off has been held off campus so we are eager to welcome this event back to our campus. This dinner is to introduce our Americana honorees to their respective communities, while also honoring past awardees for their contributions to our local communities. We hope you have all marked your calendars for the annual Americana Awards on February 22, 2020!

Our Foundation will also be hosting the annual President’s Night at the Theatre on Friday, October 11. President’s Club donors, Legacy Society donors, and special Foundation donors are invited for a pre-theater dinner, a brief lecture by the director, and attend a presentation of the fall production of American Clock by Arthur Miller at 7:00 pm. In addition, American Clock runs from October 10-13 at 7 p.m., and 4 p.m. on October 13, so please join us for a vaudeville version of this classic play.

The 34th Annual Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic will be held on Monday, October 21, at the Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park. Proceeds support the work of the Cypress College Foundation. Come join us for a fun day and opportunity to participate in golf, dinner and chance to win prizes.

Cypress College has launched a common book reading series. Our first book will be White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk About Racism; by Robin Di Angelo and Michael Eric Dyson an exploration of the counterproductive reactions people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. Please join us on November 12 or 14 for a brown bag lunch discussion of this book. To participate via chat, please click this link to join the Canvas course, which will allow for a public chat discussion.

https://cypresscollege.instructure.com/enroll/KYLDXP

Our first annual Cypress College Angels night was a great success. Over 730 tickets were sold, 1200 students were sponsored to attend and 16% of all ticket sales will go to our food pantry. Another 5000.00 is anticipated through sales of our Cypress-logoed hat. Thanks to all employees, trustees, and their families who were able to come out to the ballpark.

Cypress will be hosting its annual High School Principals and Superintendents Breakfast on October 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. This event provides an opportunity for college staff to engage with our K12 partners on the initiatives we share, provide and hear updates on ways we can support our students, and continually strengthen the relationship we have with all our high school partners.

Spectrum News Channel 1 was back on campus on October 2 to capture the District’s Hostile Terrain installation. The reporter also came to campus during the opening to interview students and Jason DeLeon, the installation artist. To view the news story and video please go to this link: https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/news/2019/10/02/art-installation-honors-migrants-who-died-trying-to-come-to-us

The week of October 14 is Undocumented Student Action Week. The flyer on the following page details all the events happening that week, in support of our DACA students. We appreciate AnnMarie Ruelas, our EOPS Director and our student services team for promoting and organizing this important week of activities.

Upcoming Events

On October 10, the college will be hosting its second Coming Out Day on campus. Activities are planned from 11:30 to 1:30 by the Campanile / Gateway Plaza.

Save the Date! NOCCCD and Cypress College will be hosting a Regional Deans Conference on January 15, 2020. We expect over 100 participants from across the OC Region, and will update you on keynote speaker, workshops, and other activities planned as we get closer to the event. Thank you to VPI, Carmen Dominguez and the deans across the district for planning and organizing this conference.

The campus will be welcoming Senator Ling Ling Chang to Cypress to visit our Aviation Simulation Lab on October 16.

And that’s our board report. Buen Cypress. We Take This Journey Together!

Cypress College Career Technical Education Counselor Named Counselor of the Year

The Orange County Career Education Community College Network recently named Cypress College Career Technical Education Counselor Dr. Jane Jepson as a 2019 Counselor of the Year. The award, given each year to counselors who excel in a number of areas pertaining to student and career success, will be presented at the 2019 OC Counselor Symposium on Thursday, November 7.

“Dr. Jepsen is good-natured, positive, and hard-working, but most importantly she has demonstrated an empathetic understanding and sensitivity to her students,” said Cypress College Vice President of Student Services Dr. Paul de Dios. “She has earned the respect of administrators, faculty, and students. She is committed to student learning, assessment of learning outcomes, and helping students reach their goals. I can attest to the significant impact she made not only in the lives of her students, but for the community as well. She has truly made, and continues to make, a difference.”

Counselor of the Year recipients promote student enrollment, and college and career readiness; advocate for the integration of academic, personal, and career learning; are knowledgeable in current goals, changes, and processes of the community college system; collaborate with other counselors; engage in ongoing professional development efforts; and possess collaborative and leadership capabilities in their current role.

“It is a labor of love to work with a diverse population of students seeking better, more productive, and engaged lives in a progressive educational environment,” said Jepsen. “It is my pleasure to be recognized for what is the best job ever, which is providing information and inspiration to people wanting to enrich their lives with relevant knowledge and skills.”

Jepsen said she shares the honor with all Orange County Career Education counselors with whom she shares a commitment to championing career education at the community college level and the students who have touched her life over the years.

“Each student is dear to me, special because of the uniqueness of their aspirations and background and desire to be the best they can be,” she said. “And although I may not remember the details of each student’s story from month to month and year to year, I hope each one of them knows I am a vessel for their hopes and dreams, and a witness to their challenges and accomplishments.”

Jepsen received her master’s degree in counseling and recently completed her doctorate in social and environmental pedagogies at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Her research, subtitled “Finding Meaning, Locating Praxis and Connecting to Place,” focuses on alternative ways of knowing and being in a world of interconnected social and environmental inequities and injustices. In fall 2020, she will launch a Global Citizenship Studies program.

Jepsen currently serves on Cypress College’s curriculum committee, oversees the Perkins and Strong Workforce grants, and teaches “Educational Planning” for the Counseling Division and “Cultural Tourism” for the college’s Aviation and Travel Careers program. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and gardening and is a strong advocate for creating ecologically friendly habitats of native, bee and bird-attracting plants in home gardens.

Over 700 counselors are anticipated to attend the 2019 OC Counselor Symposium, which will be held at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel and focuses on supporting student wellness and success through academic, career, and social/emotional support and development.

AC&R Program Passes Accreditation

Cypress College’s Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Program passed a reaccreditation visit on Oct. 3, ensuring its accreditation for six more years.

Members of validation group HVAC Excellence, which sets educational program standards and verifies their fulfillment, met with Cypress faculty Doug Sallade, Carlos Urquidi, and Richard Hock to tour the Air Conditioning & Refrigeration facilities and review curriculum.

The Air Conditioning & Refrigeration program offers an associate degree and nine certificates, ranging from core knowledge to a four-semester long comprehensive certificate. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges job placement rate reports that 93% of recent program graduates were hired in their field. The US Department of Labor projects a 15% growth in employment by 2026 for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers.

The photo above shows the faculty and HVAC Excellence team. From left to right: Sallade, HVAC Excellence Accreditation Specialist James Crisp, Urquidi, Esco Group Director of Technical Education & Standards Eugene Silberstein, Hock, and HVAC Excellence Accreditation Specialist Steven Allen.

Smoke-Free Art Contest Open to Cypress College Students

The Smoke-Free Art Contest invites all students from Cypress College to submit an entry that represents “Why I want a 100% smoke-free campus.” Entries will be accepted in the form of drawing, painting, or digital arts.

Download the contest rules here.

Contest Timeline

• October 7 — Contest opens for submissions
  • Submit to Cypress College in the Student Activities Center (Gym II, 2nd Floor)
• December 13 — Deadline closes at 4 p.m.
  • Blank sheets provided (Gym II, 2nd Floor)
• January 27 — Winners Announced
  • 1st Place ($100 Target gift card and publication)
  • 2nd Place ($50 Amazon gift card)
  • 3rd Place ($25 Starbucks gift card)
  • All participants will receive a gift at submission!

Submission Locations

• Physical artwork to the Student Activities Center (Gym II, 2nd floor) by 4 p.m. on December 13, 2019 (physical submissions will be collected and returned by the end of the semester). Download the entry form here.
• Digital artwork to collegeartcontest.weebly.com/ by 11:59 p.m. on December 13, 2019.

Selection Process

• Judge panel will be representatives from Orange County Health Care Agency, Waymakers, Brown Marketing Strategies, Associated Students, Health Center, and Fine Arts.
• Artwork will be reviewed for the following characteristics:
  • Creativity and originality
  • Quality of artistic composition and overall design based on the theme

Guidelines for Contest Entries

Entries that do not meet the requirements outlined below may be deleted from the contest.

• All entries must be the designer’s original work.
• Artwork messaging is free of grammatical errors.
• The source files to winning design entries must be uploaded within 24 hours of being rewarded.
• All physical artwork entries should be on the 12w x 18h (safe zone* 11×17). Paper provided and available for pickup at the Student Activities Center (Gym II, 2nd floor).
• All digital artwork entries should be 17w x 22h (safe zone* 16×21).
• Must not contain material that violates or infringes upon another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement; entrants may be requested to provide a signed written proposal release from recognizable and identifiable persons in the artwork submitted.
• Must not contain brand names or trademarks.

Image Format Requirements

If the size and format requirements are not met, the quality and resolution of your images will be compromised and may not be able to be used. All entries must be submitted to the Student Activities Center along with an entry form or submitted electronically via collegeartcontest.weebly.com/.

Physical Artwork

• Submission must be on the provided 12w x 18h paper (safe zone* 11×17).

Digital Artwork

• File size should be 17w x 22h (safe zone* 16×21).
• File should be provided as .pdf or .jpeg, in addition to the native file (.ai or .indd).
• Please package the file with all layers, fonts (typography), and imagery.
• Provide typography name and file.
• Provide color code.
• Do not include watermarks.
• If photography is used, provide the original, high-resolution photo file.
• If you use imagery from an online source, check for specific copyright details and read the End User License Agreement for clipart rules.

Rights

By entering artwork in this competition, the entrant retains all rights. However, entrants grant the Selection Committee the right to edit, adapt, reproduce, and publish the artwork.

*Safe zone = A zone where the artwork will be safe from being altered during the cutting/placement process. While a bleed goes to the very edge of a design, the safe zone will be within the confines of the overall design. Please do not include any type or crucial elements past this safe zone.

2019 Annual Safety and Security Report Now Available

Cypress College’s 2019 Annual Safety and Security Report is now available. The report meets the requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act — which is intended to provide students and the public with access to information critical to their safety.

The Campus Safety Department prepares this report annually to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. The report is prepared in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies near our campus.

The report can be viewed at: http://news.cypresscollege.edu/Documents/CC-2019-Clery-Report.pdf. Students are notified of the report’s availability via the campus website, the myGateway portal, and the College’s social media properties. If desired, paper copies of the report will be available through the Campus Safety Office.

If you see something, say something

Cypress College takes matters related to personal and campus safety seriously. Suspicious activity should be reported to Campus Safety and/or Cypress Police immediately. Providing such information may prevent someone else from becoming a victim. Campus Safety can be reached 24-7 at (714) 484-7387. All members of the campus community are encouraged to program the number into their mobile devices.

As part of our commitment to safety, Cypress College plans and implement drills each semester. When appropriate, Cypress College issues Timely Warnings in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act. For more information, visit: http://www.cypresscollege.edu/administrative/campusSafety.

The Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. All public and private post secondary educational institutions participating in federal student aid programs are required to comply with it.

The law, originally enacted by Congress in 1990 as the Campus Security Act, was initiated by Howard and Connie Clery after their daughter Jeanne was tragically murdered at Lehigh University in 1986. Amendments to the Act in 1998 renamed it in memory of Jeanne Clery.

U.S. Department of Education Awards $2.8 Million Title V Grant to Cypress College

Cypress College is the recipient of a $2.8 million federal Title V grant intended to improve graduation and transfer rates. The U.S. Department of Education awards the grants to colleges and universities across the country as part of the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.

Title V grants are highly competitive — 43 recipients were selected for funding across the country from a pool of 223 formal applications in the 2019 cycle. The 5-year grant will bring $2,773,406 to Cypress College to help fully implement the Guided Pathways model — a transformational approach to operations designed to eliminate barriers students encounter in their educational journey.

Recently ranked as the top community college in California, Cypress College operates on a belief that we owe it to our students to continually be our best so they can be their best. Congruen