September 24, 2020 - Vision in Action No. 1
Newly Designed, Student-Focused California College Promise Grant Application Launches Today
The California Community Colleges provides tuition and fee waivers to nearly one million students through the California College Promise Grant. But far too many students still think they are not eligible for financial aid or don’t know how to start the process and don’t apply as a result. The Chancellor’s Office and its Student Centered Design Lab has redesigned the California College Promise Grant application to help remove student barriers to access financial aid. The simplified tuition and fee waiver application takes about half the time to complete.
According to Danielle R., a student at El Camino College who tested the new form, “If there were more documents like that—simple, straight to the point—I feel like a lot of people would submit their documents on time instead of waiting until the last minute, or not even doing it at all.”
The simplified California College Promise Grant application has been reduced from four pages to two pages, and includes more student-friendly language and a clearer pathway guiding students to completion. Additionally, colleges may add customized information including a college or district logo, submission instructions and contact information for the financial aid office. Once customized, the simplified application can be used immediately for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The new PDF application is available now in English and Spanish and the online version within CCCApply is being updated this fall. Marketing resources for colleges are also available on the I Can Afford College website to help increase student awareness of financial aid. Contact Gina Browne for more information.
System Guidance/News
Board of Governors
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors met this week and added three new members. Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend signed legislation adding Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis as an ex officio member of the board. Read Board President Tom Epstein’s statement here. Gov. Newsom last month also appointed Joseph Williams and Iulia Tarasova to the board. Read President Epstein’s statement on their appointments.
Chancellor's Office
The virtual Pathways to Equity conference gets underway on Tuesday, September 29 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday, September 30 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The conference will bring together a diverse community of college practitioners and students to discuss the implementation of the Guided Pathways framework with an equity lens. Registration is full but the opening sessions, keynote addresses and closing sessions will be streamed live. All break-out sessions will be recorded and posted to the Vision Resource Center after the event.;
The Chancellor’s Office is committed to keeping everyone informed during this uncertain time. We encourage administrators, faculty, staff and students to regularly check the Chancellor’s Office COVID-19 resource page and the Chancellor’s Office Communications to Colleges section for ongoing executive orders, guidance memos and announcements. Current and prospective students can also get connected with their local college to find out specific resources and support services available as well as enroll in their local community college.
Online Instruction/Webinars
We invite you to join us for the biweekly webinars as the Chancellor’s Office provides tools and resources to make progress on the Vision for Success. Our webinars will continue to feature campus leaders and best practices from colleges and districts. The next webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. and will serve as the kick-off to Undocumented Student Action Week.
Deputy Chancellor Dr. Daisy Gonzales is among the speakers in an upcoming discussion on diversity in community college faculty and leadership. The discussion, sponsored by EdSource and Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research, will explore what California’s community colleges are doing to increase the diversity of their faculty and leadership, why it matters and what more needs to be done. The discussion is Tuesday, September 29 at 1:00 p.m. Register at this link.
Mark your calendars for the next Chancellor’s Office and POST forum, Evidence-Based Policing: Fundamentals and Concepts. In this forum, a panel of experts will define this promising methodology and explain how it can better equip policymakers, from elected and police chiefs to front-line supervisors and rank-and-file officers, to make strategic and tactical decisions about a range of issues, from police agency management to culture, from training to the deployment of police resources, and from crime prevention to community interactions. The forum is Tuesday, September 29 from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
PASSCODE: post Or iPhone one-tap : US: +16699006833,,95411287773# or +13462487799,,95411287773# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923 Webinar ID: 954 1128 7773 International numbers available: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/u/adXIZ16Esf
SAVE THE DATE: The LaunchBoard webinar series will begin on October 16. The LaunchBoard, a statewide data system supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and hosted by Cal-PASS Plus, provides data on progress, success, employment and earnings outcomes for California community college students. LaunchBoard webinar series dates:
- October 16, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. | Community College Pipeline (CCP)
- October 22, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | Student Success Metrics (SSM)
- October 27, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Guided Pathways (GP)
- November 9, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Strong Workforce Program and 17% (Rd 5) - (SWP)
Note: Specific webinar information, including registration links, to come.
On Saturday, September 26, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., the African American Male Education Network Development (A2MEND) organization, will be moderating a nationwide discussion titled "Reform or Dismantle? Beyond Diagnosing Racism!" Panelists include Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, and Dr. Joy DeGruy. Participants will be engaged in a discussion on how institutions can move from implicit bias to explicit action with direction from nationwide scholars & activists! Let's show support and encourage our faculty, staff, managers/supervisors and students to participate in this discussion. Register at this link.
Student Supports
The fourth annual Undocumented Student Action Week is October 19-23. Undocumented Student Action week is a systemwide campaign to advocate and provide support resources for our undocumented student population. During the week, California’s community colleges are encouraged to engage in advocacy and support efforts in solidarity with undocumented students throughout the state. Find a marketing toolkit, advocacy and resource materials at this site. Don't forget to register for the kick-off event on Wednesday, October 14th, where you will hear from Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and other state leaders..
Items of Interest
Racism has cost the United States $16 trillion, according to a new study released this week by Citigroup, the latest in a body of research that attempts to quantify the economic impact of systemic racism.
