San Diego Community College District NewsCenter

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

The San Diego Community College District is honoring Black excellence and Black achievements with a number of events throughout February. Among the events sponsored by San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar, and Continuing Education colleges, as well as the District Office, the public can expect to learn about sacred African sculptures, hear a spoken word presentation from poet Stacy Dyson, and learn about the power of perseverance from Rodney Walker, a former foster youth and Yale University graduate.

All events are free and open to the public. Here’s how the SDCCD is celebrating Black History Month:

COMMUNITY INPUT SOUGHT ON DISTRICT'S GOALS AND PLANNING

The San Diego Community College District is inviting members of the public to share opinions that will help shape the district’s future mission, vision, and direction as part of a six-month project to develop a districtwide strategic plan.

The SDCCD strategic plan will serve as a roadmap that guides district activities over the next five years. A key focus of the plan will be how the district can fulfill its commitment to equitable outcomes for the 100,000 students it serves annually.

Public input will be sought in two ways: through an online survey and at two community meetings. The first community meeting is scheduled for March 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. via Zoom.

A follow-up meeting will be held later this spring, when a draft of the strategic plan is ready for comment and review. Similar to the community meeting, the online survey will seek input on key issues to be addressed by the strategic plan, areas of opportunity, and what distinguishes the district and its colleges. READ MORE.

FINALISTS FOR PRESIDENT OF COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION NAMED

The search for the next president of the San Diego College of Continuing Education has been narrowed to three candidates with strong backgrounds in serving diverse and low-income student populations.

The finalists include: Michelle Fischthal, D.B.A., Vice President of Instructional Services, San Diego College of Continuing Education, San Diego Community College District; Marsha Gable, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Services, Grossmont College, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District; and Tina King, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Affairs, Southwestern Community College District.

The finalists will participate in a virtual public forum from noon to 3 p.m. on February 16. Faculty, administrators, staff, students, and the public are invited to participate.

JAHLONI MITCHELL IS BOUNCING

BACK AT MESA COLLEGE

When talking about his journey after high school graduation, Jahloni Mitchell will be the first to admit it has been anything but smooth. When he started community college in fall 2017 at the age of 17, Mitchell quickly found himself and on academic probation and a redshirt player on the men’s basketball team. “I hit a brick wall,” he recalled. “I felt like I was doing everything on my own, and I didn’t take things seriously enough.” After a series of events and not being able to find his footing, Mitchell set out on a new path. He transferred to Mesa College in fall 2019. READ MORE.

CONTINUING EDUCATION'S EMERITUS PROGRAM KEEPS STUDENTS CONNECTED

Older adult students took to art classes offered through San Diego College of Continuing Education’s free Emeritus programs to cope with the lack of socialization caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The courses allowed art scholars to engage virtually as they learned traditional and modern art techniques and styles from award-winning artist and faculty member Remi Dalton.

“Art is a powerful way to stay connected,” said Dalton in response to the COVID-19 campus closures that began in spring 2020. “Many students are making creative spaces in their homes amid the quarantine.”

SDCCE’s Emeritus program offers classes for students aged 50 and older. Dalton teaches drawing, painting, and art appreciation. Her students are able to journey through virtual tours inside the studios of San Diego’s modern working artists, and, after, engage in lecture-discussion on intergenerational sculptors, photographers, poets, and printmakers from Swedish-born American sculptor Claes Oldenburg to American artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Helen Frankenthaler.