Register Now for Districtwide Convocation

Join your Los Rios colleagues for Spring Convocation on Friday, January 12, 2024, starting at 8:15 am, at American River College in the Gymnasium. This will be the first Los Rios in-person districtwide convening in six years! Faculty, classified, and administrative leaders from all four Los Rios colleges and the district office have worked in partnership to develop an exciting program centered around our equity work, featuring a keynote from Sacramento State President Dr. Luke Wood and a panel discussion with Ethnic Studies faculty from our colleges.

This will be an in-person Convocation, with a live streaming option available for those classified staff and faculty whose job duties prevent them from being there. Visit the Convocation webpage for more information and the event schedule. Please register by Thursday, December 21, at 5:00 pm to ensure that we have accurate head counts for seating and catering.

Toy Drive

Let’s make this season magical! ARC will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in our Child Development Center and United Way. The ARC Child Development center is currently serving children from ages one to five and the toys can be dropped off with Kirsten DuBray in the Philanthropy Office (in the Admin Building near IT help desk) or Kaitlyn Collignon (in the Admin Building). Please drop your donations off by Noon on Monday, December 11. 

Contact Kaitlyn Collignon with any questions.

Final Exam Schedule

As we near the end of the Fall 2023 semester, please note that final exams are scheduled to begin Friday, December 8 through Thursday, December 14. To access the detailed exam schedule, see the schedule now.

Registration Station

Know a student who needs help enrolling in classes for the Spring 2024 semester? Encourage them to come to the Learning Resource Center to get assistance from the Homebase Success Teams with finalizing their registration. The teams will be available on Wednesday, December 6 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm, and on Monday, December 11 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

LGBTQ+ Course Offerings at Los Rios for the Spring 2024 Semester

This powerful course introduces students to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) studies. It explores how LGBTQ+ individuals and communities are impacted by various social, cultural, historical, and political factors. Find more information on our Class Schedule.

American River College:

• Intro to LGBTQ+ Studies (SJS 310) with Prof. Smith Silverman (#11685)
• Intro to LGBTQ+ Literature (ENGLT 365) with Prof. Logan (#19052)

Cosumnes River College:

• Intro to LGBTQ+ Studies (SJS 310) with Prof. Gage (#14084)

Sacramento City College

• Intro to LGBTQ+ Studies (SJS 310) with Prof. Kiel (#18526)

Okta Coming in January

You should have already received an email from DO IT regarding the rollout of the Okta project, Los Rios’ new identity and access management system. Every employee will need to use this system to access most applications available through Single Sign-On (SSO), including Microsoft Office, the Online Grading System (OGS), and Google Suite.

Registration for employees begins on Monday, December 11, and will be available through January 3, 2024. Starting January 4, 2024, all students and employees will be required to authenticate through Okta in order to access most Los Rios systems.

Two information sessions have been scheduled to demonstrate user experience, walk you through the setup process, and answer any questions you may have:

• Wednesday, December 6, 2:00 to 3:00 pm, online via Zoom
• Thursday, December 14, 10 to 11 am, online via Zoom

Look for more information to come from DO IT. Visit the Okta Information Page for additional details about this rollout.

New Service for Undocumented Students & Employees

Any California Community College student or employee now has the opportunity to have their Advance Parole application filing fees covered! Advance Parole is permission granted by the Department of Homeland Security allowing certain noncitizens, such as DACA holders, to temporarily travel outside the U.S. and return lawfully. This is a valuable tool that can assist with the adjustment of the status process as it can provide legal entry as well.

To qualify, you must have a valid reason for travel falling under the following categories:

• Education (examples: study abroad programs, academic research, student-athletes traveling to participate in sporting events)
• Employment (examples overseas work assignments, conferences, interviews, trainings, or client meetings)
• Humanitarian (examples: attending a funeral, visiting an ailing relative, or seeking medical treatment)

To access this benefit and learn more about advance parole eligibility, book an appointment at FindYourAlly.com and our partners at CHIRLA will assist you through the process.

Important Notes:

• Funding for this benefit is available until October 2024.
• DACA and Naturalization fees are still covered as well, so don't forget to take advantage of this support.

For more information and other resources, contact the American River College Dream Center/Undocumented Center.

Universal Design + Equity - Two Paths Toward Student Success at ARC

Thursday, December 7, 12:15 PM, ITC Training Room or Zoom

Students, faculty, staff, and administrators!! Our College is slowly returning to on-ground instruction after years of mandatory online classes and our campus community faces important questions about the what, why, and how of instructional practice at ARC. We invite you to a College Hour discussion that puts two theories of pedagogy into conversation with each other: Universal Design and Equity, in an effort to shape that future. The synergy of these approaches can help to create a path toward a better, more student-ready class experience for our students, which in turn, benefits all members of the ARC community. Students, we especially invite you to join us and lift up the strategies and learning experiences that have worked best for you in the classroom. Faculty, we need your perspectives on changes you’ve made or changes you are considering to better support the success of your students. The future doesn’t change without momentum, so come join us, share your experiences, and learn more about how universal design and equity can be the path for all of us!

That's right, the semester is almost over. We are tired, we are giving one last loving push to get our students to succeed, and we just want to sleep through the night for once! Well, it is time to take a break and come to the X-SALE! 

Tuesday, Dec. 5 and Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Fantastic ceramic artwork for sale at great prices!

Behind the ceramics lab.

Cash/checks only.

There will also be ceramic bowls to help raise money to feed the cats on campus. Hope to see you all there.

Upcoming Music Events

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Monday, December 4 at 7:30 pm, Main Campus Theater

Buy tickets

Music from the Nordic Nations of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland

Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30 pm, Main Campus Theater

Buy tickets

Series 2 Vocal Jazz Ensemble Performance

Wednesday, December 6 at 7:30 pm, Main Campus Theater

Buy tickets

The Parrot

Squawk! Squawk! Issue #176 of The Parrot ESL Newsletter is ready to talk, so sit back, relax, and enjoy! Check out the work of the Parrot staff and some of our ARC ESL students!

In this issue:

• The Untold Story of an Afghan Woman: An Interview with Dr. Mary Aryanpur by Asila Sadiqi 
• It’s an Alien Invasion!  Bollywood’s “PK” Looks at Earth Life:  a Movie Review by Edres Sadiqi
• To Pay or Not to Pay?  What a Horrible Question! Bathrooms around the World, page 21
• Grammar Myth Exploded by Prof. David N. Evans, page 32
• Odes to BMW, Rainbows and Baseball–original student poetry from ESL 350
• Autumn Leaves in “Explore California” by Manny Madrid
• Parrot Pastimes:  The Joy of Exploring, page 11
• Shark! A Close Encounter by Nabil Kirolos, ESL 47
• Laughter across Cultures by Mohammed El mrani
• Canvas Problems:  A Student’s Perspective
• Parrot Voices from Kazakhstan and Ukraine
• Pet Elephant?  by Mitra Sayad, ESL 47 page 6 
• and much, much more . . .

Support and Resources for ARC Students

The below message was sent to all students in the Nov. 17 and Dec. 1 Beaver Bites. Please share the available resources with students.

The tragic events that continue to unfold in Israel and Gaza have caused feelings like grief, uncertainty, and loss in communities worldwide, including our own. Witnessing horrific violence and suffering, coupled with the significant stress many are carrying for loved ones in this region, is resulting in tensions in our daily lives. A sense of helplessness can create an environment where frustration is expressed as anger, but despite the complex feelings surrounding these tragedies, we must remember that our diversity is our strength. 

As a community, American River College rejects all forms of identity-based hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. We are committed to fostering an inclusive campus for students, staff, and faculty across all faiths and belief systems. As we face these challenging times, we must center our shared humanity in everything we do. 

It can be challenging to care for ourselves when our hearts and minds are elsewhere, but your well-being and the well-being of the ARC community is our priority. Below is a list of available support services and resources and a brief survey to help us identify where we can grow to meet your needs and better serve our community.

Peer-to-Peer Virtual Support

Looking to connect with peers in a safe and anonymous virtual space? Log into Togetherall and share your feelings and concerns with an understanding community of your peers. Available 24/7 when you need it and free – a whole community is ready to support you. The peer community is moderated and strives to create a space where people can support each other. You may create your own post or search using relevant terms to find a discussion.

Individual Mental Health Therapy Sessions

Do you prefer to talk individually in a safe space? Los Rios provides all students with up to 17 free mental health therapy sessions. You are not alone. 

• Make an in-person or virtual appointment online with a college therapist for up to 5 free one-to-one sessions. On-campus in-person and virtual appointments are available during college hours. 
• TimelyCare virtual teletherapy is also available for students during college hours, as well as evenings and weekends for up to 12 free sessions.  

Student Survey: Additional Support

In addition, we want to make sure what we are offering is meeting your needs. Please fill out the short survey below to give us insight on the best avenue of support.

SURVEY: Supporting Students Impacted by Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Reporting Harassment and Discrimination

Everyone has the right to feel safe on our campus, free from harassment and discrimination. If you or someone you know experiences discrimination or harassment at ARC, we urge you to send a report to the American River College Equity Officer at arc-equity@arc.losrios.edu. Our Equal Opportunity and Title IX Officers are responsible for receiving and responding to reports and concerns of discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence involving students, faculty, staff, and third parties.