Office of Student Services Update - July 2024

Happy July!

June seemed to be busier than normal, although I will say I'm enjoying the slightly slower mornings now that my 13-year-old is out of school!

I had the opportunity to attend ASG's kickoff meeting in early June and learn more about each of this year's members. I continued working with the California State Auditor's Office on final stages of the CCC, CSU, and UC transfer audit. Clovis was one of about a dozen colleges selected for a visit and additional documentation was required because of our high transfer rates. We anticipated having the final report this summer; however, given the size and scope of the audit, we now expect the final report sometime in early fall. I also worked on audit requirements for our annual DSPS audit. Thank you to Heather Golden for assisting me with gathering all of the necessary documents while I am serving as Interim DSPS Director again. Last week, Rebecca Kinlow and I met with Jodi Samuels from the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and we had a chance to share more about our Finish Line Scholars program and gave Jodi a campus tour.

Also in June, I served on a District VP Subcommittee to pre-review a number of Board Policies and Administrative Regulations that will be reviewed by the District VP Workgroup in July, and I participated in interviews for our new EOPS Director, Vice President of Administrative Services, and went through the various interviews as a candidate for the permanent Vice President of Student Services position.

It was a pleasure to attend our Juneteenth Celebration and found lots of great items at our Vendor Fair. Thank you to Clarke-Lauren, Caryss, and Sasha for leading the efforts on a great event!

A huge thank you to Roseanne Susoeff for the leg work in getting all of our CCAP Dual Enrollment Agreements signed and Board approved. Below you will see some of the exciting new offerings we will have this year as we expand our services with Clovis Adult School.

I was also able to complete a number of other projects, classified evaluations, and finalize some grant budget projections. I am looking forward to taking some time off in July and hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Basic Needs & Retention Services

  • The Crush Pantry served 202 students and their families during June.
  • The Diaper Program served 13 students through the Crush Pantry this past month.
  • Equity Book Vouchers have increased this year with 263 summer requests totaling $23,250.
    The Student Equity Book Voucher application will open Monday, July 8, for Fall 2024.
  • Basic Needs has received 49 Parking Permit Vouchers for Summer 2024.

Summer at SEA (PODER – Title V)

STEM Exploration Academy welcomed their 4th cohort on June 10, and we have 15 students representing each of the Clovis Unified High Schools.

Topics around college culture, self-management, interdependence, and motivation have encouraged thoughtful conversations.

Thanks to our wonderful faculty members, students have been able to extract DNA from fruit in Biology, conduct three experiments in Chemistry, and compete in a bridge building competition with Engineering. Students are looking forward to upcoming projects with Geology and Physics!

CAPP (California Academic Partnership Program)

We are thrilled to provide you with an update on our Summer CAPP 2024 program as we enter the third week of exciting activities and learning experiences here at Clovis Community College. This year we were able to increase our enrollment to 21 students, who are on campus four times a week through July 11.

Exploring College Life

Our students have been actively engaged in exploring various facets of college life, gaining valuable insights into what it takes to succeed in higher education. We have focused on the critical first steps when embarking on this new journey, emphasizing essential actions such as navigating student services and understanding academic support systems.

Engaging Student Services

Throughout the past weeks, we have been fortunate to hear from key student service departments including Financial Aid, Career Center, Academic Counseling, and EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services). These sessions have provided invaluable information on resources available to students and how to access them effectively.

Cognitive Learning Areas

In addition to practical aspects, our program has delved into cognitive learning areas crucial for academic and personal growth. Topics such as Accepting Personal Responsibility, Discovering Self-Motivation, and Creating Interdependence have been explored, encouraging students to cultivate skills that are essential for success both in college and beyond.

Exploring Music

A highlight of our program was the exploration of Clovis Community College's vibrant Music Department. Through weekly sessions of our music sampler, students have been immersed in a variety of musical genres, instruments, and the creative process of music composition. These sessions have sparked creativity and fostered an appreciation for the diversity of musical expression.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, we are excited about the upcoming activities and opportunities for our students. Next week, we will continue to deepen our understanding of academic and personal development, alongside further explorations into the arts and academics that make our college community so dynamic.

Clovis Adult School

  • Upcoming Clovis Adult Education LVN to RN college presentation on July 16, 2024, with Sasha Fisher and Viviana Huerta.
  • ESL Non-Credit course opportunity for Adult Learners beginning Fall 2024 at Clovis Adult Education:
    • ESL 313 - Intermediate Academic Reading and Writing
    • ESL 314 - Discourse in the Humanities
    • ESL 315 - Advanced Discourse in the Humanities

Outreach

With the support of Financial Aid and Counseling, the Outreach Team launched Virtual Extreme Registration on June 26, assisting students with their matriculation steps. This event will be held every Wednesday through July 31, from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. In-Person Extreme Registration sessions are scheduled for Friday, August 2, from 1:00 – 6:00 PM and Saturday, August 3, from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

The team will conduct a three-week Student Ambassador Summer Training program in July for current ambassadors and seven new hires. Our ambassadors will engage in team-building activities, learn about campus programs and services, develop leadership skills, and much more!

Additionally, over the summer, the team is proactively reaching out to students who have applied to offer assistance and address any questions they may have.

Counseling

Our TRiO team has been busy completing the grant writing for the next cycle. Huge thanks to Kimra Garcia for taking the lead on this big project and thank you to the entire staff for their contributions.

Financial Aid

In 23-24, we disbursed $17,328,503 in aid which is an 8% increase from last year!

We are completely up and running with the 24-25 academic year processing, and our first payment to students is scheduled for July 3. We are working hard to contact students to complete their financial aid file prior to the Fall semester beginning.

Word was received, beginning this year, the 25-26 FAFSA will go back to its original opening date of October 1, hopefully allowing for a more normal application cycle moving forward.

Starting July 1, over 20 Federal Work Study jobs will be open across the campus! Please encourage students to contact our office to check their eligibility and to receive a link to the available positions.

Health & Wellness

We had 14 Student Services employees participate in Mental Health First Aid National Certification Training in early June. We are so thankful to Naomi Forey for providing this training and helping equip our team with tools to support students.

Title IX

In June, we hosted another RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) session for employees. A big thank you to Renee Garcia and Sergeant Allison for bringing this important training to our campus and for offering it during the day allowing our staff the opportunity to participate.

Student Services Personnel Updates

We have some new colleagues who started working with us in June. Please help us in welcoming:

  • Stephen Guenzi, Program Assistant serving our EOPS/CARE students.
  • Belen Vera, Part-time DSPS Counselor.
  • Destiny Guerrero, Part-Time Counselor in the Career Center, who is helping us out for the summer.

We also have some colleagues who will be leaving us soon. Goodbyes are always hard, but we are thankful for the time you have dedicated to our students while you were here.

  • Sheila Yang, Temporary Program Assistant serving our EOPS/CARE students, is leaving us to continue her education. Sheila’s last day is July 5, and we wish her the best of luck.
  • Tracy Ekizian, Temporary A&R Assistant, will be pursuing career education in the esthetician field.
  • Chong Yang, Part-time DSPS Counselor, will be leaving us at the end of July to begin a full-time position at College of the Sequoias. Congratulations, Chong!

We have some news on our recruitments.

We have completed the recruitment for the Director of Student Success Programs – EOPS, CARE, NextUP, CalWORKS, and our new director will start on our campus on July 8.

We are in the recruitment process for the Director of DSP&S, and we will be conducting interviews in July.

If you stop by the A&R Office, you will notice that Cameron Ferraro is now here at the main campus while we recruit for our vacant Sr. Admissions & Records Assistant position. We are very happy to have Cameron on the main campus and he is enjoying the additional foot traffic!

Thanks,

Kira Tippins
Interim Vice President of Student Services