Your Monthly Update for February 2024

Left to right: Rachel Johnson, Kim Hoffmans, Noreen Kreisher, Nell Papavasiliou, April Montes, and Rick MacLennan.

Koffee with Kim

• Wednesday, March 6 at 9 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m.

Captain’s Chat

• Thursday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 17 at 2:30 p.m.

Open Executive Team Meeting

• Monday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m.  

Celebration of Successes

• End of Year Celebration & Retiree Recognition – Thursday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m.

Highlighting the amazing Administration, Faculty, Classified Professionals, and Students that make up our Pirate family. This month's highlights include: Jada Yarnall - Classified, Ahmad Samra - Student, Dyan Collings Ralph - Faculty, and Kim Hoffmans - Administrator.

Jada Yarnall - Classified

Dyan Collings Ralph - Faculty

Ahmad Samra - Student

Kim Hoffmans - Admin

Congratulations Erika Hurtado

VC Classified Employee of the Year!

Our warmest congratulations go out to Erika Hurtado who has just been announced as the Ventura College Classified Employee of the Year. Nominated by her VC colleagues, this recognition is a testament to her outstanding dedication, hard work, and contribution to our campus community. Erika’s nomination has been forwarded to the district office where the Board of Trustees will be asked to announce and endorse one nominee (either from Ventura College, Moorpark College, Oxnard College or the District Office) as the 2024 VCCCD Classified Employee of the Year.

Happy Retirement Maureen Jacobs

Last month, friends and co-workers gathered to give Maureen Jacobs a proper "Pirate Send-off" after 23 years of service at Ventura College. We wish Maureen the best of luck as she moves on to other high-sea adventures. Thank you Maureen, you will be missed!

VC Deans Council Retreat

On Friday, January 26th, the Ventura College Deans Council, including all Deans and Vice Presidents, participated in an all-day retreat focusing on intentional and effective Dual Enrollment expansion for the college and our community. Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel invited the college leadership team to visit FCC to learn about the successful, expansive Dual Enrollment programs offered through the college in partnership with 48 local high schools. The team had the opportunity to learn about: 1) FCCs unique Middle College model - a middle college is a high school on the campus of a college, 2) FCC's early college programs and partnerships in which any student at a local high school can complete a credential, certificate, or a full associates degree in preparation for workforce entry after high school or they can immediately transfer to a university after graduation, and 3) we learned best practices in offering all types of Dual Enrollment courses and programs. Take aways included: 1) the importance of stressing relationships with high schools and among our own faculty and staff engaging in Dual Enrollment, 2) the criticality of early college opportunities which are among the best ways to inspire a college going culture among students who do not see themselves as college bound, and 3) one size does not fit all - each partnership will require creative and intentional planning to make it work, in its own way. The VC DC team left the meeting with intentions for the future that are relevant for each of our academic and student service divisions.  

Scott Brewers College Success Class celebrated Valentine's Day by exploring self-care and self-love, with an assignment titled "Chalk Your Love". What a great way to spend a beautiful day at VC!

Dean's List Ceremony Coming Next Week

Ventura College will be holding its Dean’s List Ceremony at 5:30pm on February 29 in the gym. This is organized collectively by the Deans Council and follows the highly successful celebration last year which was attended by around 1,000 people, including the students being honored and their families and friends. President Hoffmans and a keynote speaker will congratulate the students and they will be presented with certificates and pins to recognize their achievement.

Division of Student Affairs Retreat

The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) held a retreat on February 7 at Camp Arnaz in Oak View. India Pierce-Jackson was the retreat facilitator. Entitled “Deepening the Connection: An Exploration of Joy and Collaboration”, the DSA retreat was an opportunity to reflect on the characteristics of joyful teams to deepen the connection to our work on behalf of students, our calling, and each other. 

Disability Visibility Event

On January 30, the Associated Students of Ventura College and the Ventura College Educational Assistance Center collaborated to host a Disability Visibility event on campus. Our very own VC student Marissa Rodriguez brought forth this request to highlight campus and community resources that were available to support Ventura College students. Students in attendance received resource information, giveaways, and had the opportunity to share their feedback on accessibility ideas at Ventura College. 

Black History Month Celebration

On February 13, the ASVC hosted a Black History Month celebration at the CSC Quad with music and interactive giveaways. They also provided campus wide media highlighting local Black vendors, authors, artists, shows, movies, and music!

Congratulations Joshua Beck!

VC student, Joshua Beck, was recently accepted into the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program and participated in a five-day on-site experience at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. As a highly competitive program, NCAS gives scholars the opportunity to interact and network with NASA engineers and scientists. The program serves as a stepping-stone for a future career in STEM.

"For the past six months I participated in the NCAS program which is split into three missions. It's an exhausting, but exceptionally rewarding program. The most impactful piece of knowledge that I took away from the program was that NASA has a place for anyone that has the passion and drive to explore. You don't need to be the smartest or have the best grades. They are looking for passion to learn, discover, and collaborate."

Congratulations Joshua, we are so proud of you!

Help Us Plan for the 100 Year Celebration!

In 2025 Ventura College will celebrate its 100 year anniversary. Are you interested in helping plan a year of celebrations? We need you! Please contact Vanessa Stotler at vstotler@vcccd.edu and let's get this party started!

Ventura College Athletic Highlights

• Men’s Basketball: Carter Alexander's 28-point performance, fueled by six 3-pointers, led Ventura's men's basketball team to an 88-79 win over Los Angeles Pierce. Dominik Contreras contributed 22 points, Caleb Gilbert added 17, and Reese Widerburg scored 11 for Ventura (10-10, 3-1). Ventura dominated the first half with a 51-31 lead, while Pierce fought back in the second half before Ventura secured the win.

• Women’s Basketball: Ventura College women's basketball team secured a 66-47 win over Los Angeles Pierce with Alexa Coubal's standout performance of 27 points and 15 rebounds, supported by Daphné LeBrun's 10 assists. Ventura led from the start, with contributions from Alexis Howery and others, maintaining control throughout the game.

• Baseball: The Pirate baseball team split a doubleheader with San Joaquin Delta College, losing the opener 11-4 but rebounding to win the nightcap 5-2. Dylan Jackson's bases-clearing double in the second game propelled Ventura to their first victory of the season, with Yuki Kawashima and Dominic Bayless also making significant contributions.

Athlete of the week,

• Sam McKenzie: Oxnard High School standout and first-year guard Sam McKenzie is a key factor in the success of the Ventura College women's basketball team, averaging 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game, earning her recognition as this week's VC Pirate Student Athlete of the Week sponsored by M & M Sports, as the team heads towards the playoffs with a 3-1 record in Western State Conference play.

Attend Poetry Workshops to Prepare for the Annual Poetry Slam

Get ready to participate in our annual Poetry Slam! Yes, the Poetry Slam is open to all staff and students. Attend our upcoming Zoom workshops featuring acclaimed poets and spoken word artists.

• Tuesday, March 5 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Matt Sedillo
• Wednesday, March 6 | 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | David Romero
• Tuesday, March 12 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Kali Bennet
• Wednesday, March 13 | 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Brennen De Frisco
• Tuesday, March 19 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Special Guest Joaquin Zihuatanejo
• Thursday, March 21 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Vincent Jimenez

The Diversity in Culture Festival Poetry Slam will be Thursday, April 11 at 1 p.m. The theme is "Our Roots of Belonging." There will be cash prizes for the winners: $500 for first place; $300 for second place; and $250 for third place.

The 8th annual Diversity in Culture Festival will take place April 10 - 11. There will be presentations, workshops, performances, student clubs, community organizations, food, and a cultural marketplace. Don't miss the Student Poetry Slam with award winning spoken word artist, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. The event is open to the campus and community.

For more information, please contact Gigi at mtfiumerodo@vcccd.edu

Professional Development

Ventura College is happy to bring Professional Development opportunities to staff, faculty, and administration to help develop new skills and stay up to date on current trends that are always evolving within our campus community. Upcoming event information can be found in the Classified Professional Development Corner, SharePoint, and the Master Calendar.

Upcoming Events

• March 7 - FLEX Day
• April 10 & 11 - Diversity in Culture Festival     

On-Going

• State Vision Resource Center: The Vision Resource Center is a portal for professional development and colleague connection throughout all of California’s Community Colleges.
• USC Race and Equity Center: The Alliance unites community colleges across the state of California for high-quality professional learning experiences on an array of racial equity topics.

Community Partners Supporting Ventura College Programs & Students

Left to right: The Charitable Foundation’s Board Chair, Magda Nordahl; Board Member, Kellye Patterson; The VC Foundation’s Executive Director, Anne Paul King; and The Charitable Foundation’s Board Member, Roylin Downs

The Charitable Foundation

The Board Members of The Charitable Foundation recently presented the Ventura College Foundation with a $1,500 grant for the VC Promise. The Charitable Foundation is comprised of dedicated agents and employees of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties who donate a portion of their commissions/salaries and time to support their local community. Thank you for your generous investment into our Ventura College students!

President's Circle Member, Ed Burnett, President Kim Hoffmans, VCCCD Student Trustee, Damaris Figueroa, and President's Circle Member, Elise Kearney.

VC Foundation Hosts President’s Circle By the Sea Reception

Last month the Ventura College Foundation hosted the President’s Circle By the Sea at the Ventura Yacht Club. Nearly 40 President's Circle members and esteemed guests attended, including VCCCD’s Chancellor Rick MacLennan, Board of Trustees Chair Bernardo Perez, Trustee Stan Mantooth, and Student Trustee Damaris Figueroa.  

Attendees enjoyed a lively cocktail reception with the beautiful backdrop of the Ventura harbor and the sunset over the ocean. President Kim Hoffmans provided an update on the latest at Ventura College, and Chancellor MacLennan shared an update on the Ventura College President Search. Speakers for the evening also included the VC Foundation's Board Chair and VC Alum, Nicole Kreutz, and Executive Director, Anne Paul King, who highlighted the Foundation's Impact during 2022-23.  

The highlight of the evening was hearing from Ventura College student and VC Foundation Scholarship recipient, Jerome Morata who shared his educational journey, goals, and how scholarship support removed financial barriers to obtaining his education

Ventura County Writer’s Club

On behalf of Ventura College Foundation and the writing students at Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark, we would like to thank the Ventura County Writers Club for providing a $3,000 donation ($1,000 gift to each college foundation). Ventura College’s gift will support one faculty member to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit to further enable responsible writing in the age of AI and/or to purchase follow-up materials needed for VC faculty to implement the summit strategies.

Ventura Downtown Lions Club

A heartfelt shout-out to the amazing Ventura Downtown Lions Club's Charitable Foundation board members, Charlie Burnham (left), Pat Pothier (second from left) and Steve Shaw (not pictured), for their recent visit to VC's Basic Needs Center. During the tour, they presented a generous $1,000.00 check to VC's Basic Needs Specialist, Maria Crisosto Calderon (second from right) and VC Foundation's Executive Director, Anne Paul King (right), fueling the mission to support the Basic Needs program.

A big thank you to the Ventura Downtown Lions for their unwavering support and the positive impact they've made over the years through your scholarship and program support to support VC students.

VC Sending 22 Leaders to HSI Educators Conference

This spring, Ventura College will send a team of 22 campus leaders to the 16th Annual Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) Best Practices Conference, Nuestros Cuentos: Sowing Seeds of Resilience and Persistence, from March 17-20, 2024 in Monterey, CA. Our team will be comprised of students, administrators, and faculty from a broad representation of our campus Academic and Student Affairs represented by Institutional Effectiveness, HSI projects S:AIL in STEM and PORT, Associated Students, Student Services, Sciences, Career Education, Ethnic Studies, and Behavioral Sciences.

The conference provides practitioners from current and emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) a forum through which they can share ideas, build partnerships, and influence the development of policies designed to increase student success and institutional effectiveness. The conference features sessions that examine high-impact practices that elevate student success at HSIs. AHSIE attendees are higher education administrators, evaluators, staff, faculty and students who foster the institutional conditions and best practices that close institutional performance gaps for Latine/x/a/o and further historically marginalized students.

Highlights:

• Six team members will be presenting at the conference within the Professional Developemnt and Inaugural Student Tracks. The presentations will be as follows:
• HSI Transformardorxs: Building Capacity for Change Through Culturally Responsive Leadership-Dr. Rocío D. Hernández, Faculty Counselor and Coordinator, CalWORKs Program and Adrienne Arguijo, Grant Director, HSI-STEM
• Semillas de Crecimiento: HSI Campus Identity Through Student Leadership, Advocacy, and Activism-Kevin Rangel, Julissa Perez, Armando Razo, and Julissa Deluna, Students

We are most excited for our talented and accomplished student leaders who will all be attending and presenting at a professional HSI conference for the first time. Here’s a little more about their important roles on campus:

• Kevin: STEM Navigator (peer mentor) with Project S:AIL in STEM, President of the Engineering Society, Vice President of the Transfer Student Organization, Director of Student Clubs and Organizations with ASVC, and proud MESA student.
• Julissa P: Student Assistant with Admissions and Records, Vice President of ASVC, founding board member of WOMXN IN STEM, member of Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and Engineering Society, and board member Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
• Armando: Basic Needs Student Ambassador, Financial Aid Peer Advisor, Director of Events and Activities of ASVC, and Sociology Club Treasure.
• Julissa D: STEM Navigator (peer mentor) with Project S:AIL in STEM, President of the Society of Hispanic Professional in Engineering (SHPE), Manager of Internal Affairs of Womxn in STEM, and engineering tutor for MATLAB.

In addition to presenting at the conference, it’s a pleasure to share that Armando Razo was also selected as a scholar for the 2024 AHSIE Seed to Tree Scholarship award. The award package includes a cash scholarship, complimentary conference registration, travel & hotel expenses, and recognition at the conference. Armando was selected in recognition of his academic achievement and potential for leadership and contribution to the HSI community. By attending this conference, he, and our other student leaders, will broaden experiences, develop networks, and foster mentorship with HSI professionals across the nation. The Ventura County Community College District will be sponsoring the conference in partnership with all three campuses within the district.

Acknowledge the great work of your peers! A "Pirate Treasure" is a way to recognize colleagues and say thank you for outstanding support to our college community.

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