Office of Student Services Update - November 2024

October was a busy and exciting month for the Student Services division. I had the opportunity to attend the Clovis Unified Annual State of the District Breakfast and hear about the wonderful work going on within Clovis Unified School District; meet the first cohort and give a welcome at the first Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter meeting led by David Cao; attend Victor Rivas Rivers’ presentation on domestic violence hosted by Title IX Coordinator, Renee Garcia; attend the Pizza with the Presidents Town Hall; meet with administration and tour United Health Centers; participate in the California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) Fall Partnership meeting to review the work being done with Clovis East High School on the math alignment project; attend CTE Expo Night at Chukchansi Park; attend the Soroptimist International Denim & Diamonds Fundraiser Dinner; attend the Focus Forward Magazine Launch Event where Maria Tellez, CCC alum, current student ambassador, and someone I have had the privilege of working with over the last five years, was featured for her incredible story; participate in the California Community Colleges Credit for Prior Learning Summit; and of course, support the Speech and Debate Club in their Panda Express fundraiser. In full transparency, I was happy to not have to worry about what the family was going to have for dinner for a night. 😊

New Faculty Institute (NFI) met three times in October to cover important information and resources available. A huge thank you to the presenters (Reynani Chappel, Alyssa Talbot, Tracy Stuntz, Renee Garcia, Nate Saari, Edgar Manriquez, Christina Wells, Naomi Forey, Tabatha Stewart, C.J. Albertson, Rachel Barcelos) and our deans! Department Chairs also held an extended meeting to go through the certificated position request prioritization process, and I have enjoyed participating in the bi-weekly admin meetings with Academic Senate leaders Max and Galin.

During October, the Student Services leadership team also spent a day strategizing for the year and team building. We identified formal processes that serve as pain points, as well as areas in which processes need to be developed. While we do not have control over all these processes, we will use this list to help guide our work on improvements, where possible. We also had a little fun together that some of the team may despise me for now. 😊

  • Credit Card Options for Clubs
  • Extended Hours
  • Personnel Commission Processes
  • Policies and Procedures Manuals
  • Space
  • Staff Onboarding
  • Student Holds
  • Tracking of MAGICs
  • High School Enrichment Process Updates
  • Understaffing/Wearing of Too Many Hats
  • Plagiarism/Cheating Process
  • Orientation Timeline

As a follow-up to our list, here are updates for progress made so far:

Extended Hours: Our Student Services hours for many years have been Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm, and Friday: 8am-5pm. We are the only campus in the district with these extended hours, and most Student Services departments have one or two classified employees, making coverage a challenge. Last year when these concerns were brought forward, I asked the departments to track evening students coming in between the 5-6pm hour. I was expecting to see a larger number of students served between 5-6pm given the increased foot traffic this year. However, after the first week of the semester, the numbers drop off and demonstrate that our offices are serving 0-1 students per day between 5-6pm. As a result, we are changing our Spring 2025 hours for Student Services, with the exception of the Crush Pantry and Tutorial Center, to:

  • Week before school starts: Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm, Friday: 8am-5pm
  • Week 1: Monday-Thursday: 8am-6pm, Friday: 8am-5pm
  • Weeks 2-18: Monday, Wednesday-Friday: 8am-5pm, Tuesday: 8am-6pm

Space: I shared space needs and various data sets with Vice Presidents Council (VPC) for the following areas:

  • A&R
  • ASG
  • Clothing Closet
  • Counseling
  • Dream Center
  • DSPS
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Center
  • Transfer Center
  • Tutorial Center
  • Veterans Resource Center
  • Welcome Center

As a first step in addressing the many space needs on campus, VPC agreed to take AC2-176 (counseling classroom) offline as a classroom after the end of this term. There are very few sections offered in this room, which negatively impacts our capacity load percentages for state facility matching funds. We will move the Veterans Resource Center into AC2-176 to allow for compliance requirements and suggestions from the CCCCO regarding VRC resources. Financial Aid will acquire AC2-149 (where the VRC is currently located) in addition to their current space next door. This will allow us to bring the two full-time Financial Aid employees at the Herndon Center back to the main campus where they can be available to meet with students. We will also be able to provide a number of computer stations, so the Financial Aid team can assist students and parents with applications and corrections. Financial Aid is currently trending higher compared to last year, and having the whole team on campus together will create more access and availability for students.

23/24 Financial Aid Applications Processed: 9,765

24/25 Financial Aid Applications Processed Year-to-Date: 7,308

Personnel Commission Processes: The Director of the Personnel Commission Samerah Campbell and Human Resources Analyst Jame Yang attended one of our meetings to provide an overview of their processes and Title 5 obligations. We identified a couple of starting points where some flexibility would be allowable for process improvements. We plan to have them back at a future meeting to continue discussions and collaboration.

Outreach

Outreach staff continue to provide application workshops and follow-up with new students. We are working with the CCC Technology Center on the challenges caused by the increased fraud filters and hope that the testing being done will help both the students in our District and the other California community colleges who have yet to open their fall applications.

In addition to working with the current seniors, staff are busy at the high schools providing workshops and support for students who are enrolling in Dual Enrollment or High School Enrichment courses, as interest in these opportunities continues to grow.

Many of the large events for the fall are behind us, including the Career Tech Expo, Super Saturday, Clovis Fest, and Fresno Area College Night to name a few. Attendance has been high at all these large events, and we look forward to continuing the contacts made with prospective students.

Going into November, more attention will be focused on preparing for orientation, which opens on December 2, and updating the New Student Guidebook, which is an important resource for incoming students.

Our Extreme Registration events with Counseling, Financial Aid, and A&R are scheduled next month on December 4, 11, and 18, from 12-5pm, virtually and on January 7 and 8, 1-6pm, in-person.

The Welcome Center has been busy assisting current students with online registration. Additionally, the first tiers of new student registration began on October 28, so we are looking forward to enrolling incoming students in Spring 2025 courses.

 

Title V - PODER (Providing Opportunities to Educate and Recognize) Program

Currently, there are 17 students from the PODER Summer at SEA (STEM Exploration Academy) high school program, Cohorts 2 and 3, that are enrolled full-time at Clovis Community College. This means that after attending the INTDS-50 course, students decided CCC was the place for them to start their college journey.

Student Success Coach/Coordinator Gabby Ramirez has been meeting with these students and visiting Cohort 4 students, from the PODER Summer at SEA 2024 program, at their respective CUSD high school campuses for check-ins and additional support.

Current CCC STEM and nursing students have been making appointments for study skills, time management, and basic needs information and are encouraged to continue to reach out to Gabby via email at gabriella.ramirez@cloviscollege.edu.

HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Tour

In partnership with 22-Ways Leadership Academy, 24 students throughout SCCCD participated in the second districtwide Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Tour. The HBCU Tour took place on October 16 – 20, 2024, and included visits to Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Alabama State University, Morris Brown College, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, and several cultural excursions.

Students who participated traveled to Atlanta, Georgia and embarked on an unforgettable experience. The HBCU Tour’s purpose was to prepare community college students with qualified options for transfer into a four-year university, so students can pursue their advanced degree. Students were also inspired to excel in their academics and successfully meet their educational goals at SCCCD.

In addition to touring the HBCU campuses, all 24 students explored historical locations that were educational, enjoyable, and entertaining. These cultural excursions included the Giza Plateau and the Great Pyramid of Giza exhibit using Virtual Reality headsets at the Illuminarium; The Legacy Museum; Clark Atlanta University homecoming game; The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center – The King Center, where students even stood in front of the birth home of Martin Luther King, Jr. This was such a great experience for EVERY student.

MSI (Male Success Initiative)

The Male Success Initiative (MSI) hosted impactful luncheons in both September and October, bringing together male students, professionals, and guests to share ideas around success and motivation. During these gatherings, everyone explored how success can take many forms, exchanging personal definitions and stories that deepened our understanding of what success means to each of us.

Last week’s October luncheon began with a focus on motivation but took an insightful turn, encouraging us to “check into the moment.” This led to open, heartfelt discussions about our personal and educational journeys, where everyone had the opportunity to be vulnerable and supportive. By sharing our experiences, we created an environment where we could learn from one another, breaking down barriers and building a stronger community. Through these conversations, MSI continues to foster meaningful connections and empower male students to redefine success together.

We are excited to announce the development of the MSI Canvas Page, a virtual hub that will allow us to connect, share resources, and engage in meaningful discussions. The page will feature Clovis Community College support systems, upcoming events/activities, volunteer opportunities, discussion boards, and career information.

We have set the date for our Second Annual Male Success Mixer 2.0 for November 14, 5:30pm, and this year’s focus will be on speed mentoring. Career mentors from the community will be participating at the event to introduce students to possibilities and to support the reasons for following their educational goals.

 

Crush Pantry

  • Crush Pantry visits for the month of October:  1,016 (as of 10.29.24)
  • October Diaper report:
    •  26 families served
    •  30 children served
    •  85 packs of diapers distributed 
    • 2,125 total individual diapers distributed
  •  October Farmers Market:  234 visitors
  •  CalFresh Outreach Week:  October 28 – November 1 
    • The Basic Needs and Retention Services team hosted CalFresh Outreach Week this week and held activities dedicated to increasing student awareness to CalFresh, which is a nutrition assistance program that allows individuals and families to afford nutritious food, including more fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods.  If eligible, the maximum amount of CalFresh benefits a household can receive is $292 per month.  The events for the week included:
      • Monday, October 28 - CalFresh Kick-off:  Grab and Go Breakfast
      • Tuesday, October 29 - Grow your Garden:  Gardening Activity 
      • Wednesday, October 30 - CalFresh Myth Busting (at the Incredibly Spooky Party)
      • Thursday, October 31 - Grow your Garden:  Gardening Activity 
      • Friday, November 1 - Burritos and Benefits:  CalFresh Info Session

 

Student Activities

  • November is packed with special events on campus!  From honoring our Veterans to celebrating our First-Generation students, and gathering together for the holidays, there’s something for everyone.  Check out the highlights below and mark your calendars.  We hope to see you there!
  • Veterans Events
    • Tuesday, November 5 – Student Veteran Panel, 11am-12pm, AC1-150
      • This panel will give insight into the experiences and perspectives of the military/Veteran student population.
    • Wednesday, November 6 – Veterans Day Celebration, 11:30am-1:30pm, outside in front of the Bookstore/Café
      • Enjoy food, music, photo booth, games, activities, vendors, and resources.
      • View campus lawn signs honoring our student Veterans!
  • First-Generation Celebration
    • Wednesday, November 13, 1-3pm, outside in front of the Bookstore/Café
      • Join in on the resource fair, photo booth, FREE professional headshots for students, and food trucks!
  • Grateful Gathering
    • Thursday, November 21, 11am-1pm, AC3 Lobby

 

VRC (Veterans Resource Center)

The VRC had a couple of community resources visit our campus for the month of October, which included the Fresno County Veterans Service Office on October 9 to assist Veteran students with compensation claims, and the Fresno VA Hospital on October 23 to answer healthcare questions and assist with VA healthcare enrollment.

Our campus Veterans Club, The Student Veteran Organization (SVO), became an official chapter of Student Veterans of America (SVA). SVA is the premier national organization leading service, research, programs, and advocacy for Veterans in higher education.

Veterans Day is approaching, and we will be honoring our Veterans with two special events open to all. Please join us and encourage students to attend.

The very first ever Veteran Student Panel on Tuesday, November 5, 11am-12pm in AC1-150.

On Wednesday, November 6, our Veterans Day Celebration, 11:30am-1:30pm, outside in front of the Bookstore/Café. We are excited to be handing out challenge coins to our student Veterans who have completed 30 units!

The Health and Wellness Office

Upcoming events for November include:

FREE & Confidential STI Testing
Wednesday, November 20, 9:00am to 12:00pm, Locker Rm between AC2-102 & AC2-106

FREE Mental Health First Aid Certification Training
Open to students and staff at Clovis Community College
Two-day training, Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, from 8:00am to 12:00pm, AC2-276
Class size is limited; deadline to register is November 8, 2024. To register call the Health and Wellness Office at 325-5531 or email healthservices@cloviscollege.edu.

Financial Aid

  • The second major Pell Grant payment went out on October 31.
  • We have disbursed over $9.4 million in aid this academic year!
  • The 25-26 FAFSA & CADAA are both anticipated to open on December 1, 2024.
  • The 25-26 CCC Scholarship Application is open! Deadline to apply is March 2.
  • The Live Your Dream Scholarship is open through November 15.
    • If you know any women who are head of households, encourage them to apply!
    • The Fall 2024 Appeal deadline is November 22, 2024.

Thanks,

Kira Tippins
Vice President of Student Services