Chancellor's News Brief

Thank you to everyone who participated in a Take a Break conversation at one of our colleges or the District Office. These gatherings are a chance to engage, talk about our work, and, this Fall, see what’s new on the Student Equity Dashboard. We continue to improve the dashboard to help us better understand student outcomes and identify where we can make progress.

Seeing the dashboard data reminds us that closing the opportunity gap requires intentional action, but it’s not just about intentions. The goal is outcomes. By examining student outcomes across different groups, we can identify barriers, focus resources where they are needed most, and hold ourselves accountable for ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.

As Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) comes to a close, it is worth taking a closer look at the outcomes for our Latine students. Latine students now make up one-third of our student population, and the data show meaningful gains in closing equity gaps between Latine students and all other students.

This graph shows how we are closing the gap for transfer-level math and English completion.

We are also closing persistence gap, with persistence defined as students who continue from one term to the next.

These improvements are significant, and you should be proud of your contributions in narrowing these gaps. While the numbers help us measure our work, the student stories from Coastline, Golden West College and Orange Coast College (#1, #2, #3) show why your efforts matter.

We owe it to our students to continue to close these gaps. While the data show encouraging gains for Latine students in the classroom, transferring to a four-year institution remains a challenge. The graph to the right shows that transfer rates are improving for both Latine students (in gold) and all other students (in blue). Even so, over the last five years, transfer rates for Latine students increased at a slower rate, causing the gap to widen.

Nevertheless, the progress we are seeing is promising, and continued improvement will depend on making data-informed decisions about how we serve our students. Please take some time to explore the Student Equity Dashboard and see how the data can inform your own efforts to support student success.

With gratitude,

Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.

The Banner SaaS Dashboard is live! Visit the dashboard in Navigator to get the latest updates about our transition to Banner SaaS.

Link: https://cccd0.sharepoint.com/sites/DOC-ROOT/SitePages/Banner-Dashboard.aspx

Walktober is a fall-themed walking campaign and employee wellness challenge held during the month of October to encourage physical activity, build workplace community, and improve health.

• Learn more at the Wellness Committee's Coast Navigator page.
• Sign up for Walktober on the Coast Thrives App.
• For help with the Coast Thrives App.
  
  

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill on 10/15 at 10:15 am. Your involvement helps strengthen our preparedness and reinforces our commitment to maintaining a safe learning and working environment for our students, employees, and community.

Hello Coast Colleagues,

We are excited to reconnect the Coast Community College District LGBTQ+ Affinity Group and invite employees from Coastline College, Orange Coast College, Golden West College, and the District Office to join us!

An Affinity Group, similar to an Employee Resource Group (ERG), is an employee-led space where colleagues with shared identities, experiences, and interests can connect, build community, and support one another.

Our LGBTQ+ Affinity Group welcomes LGBTQ+ employees and allies and aims to:

• Build connections across our colleges and District
• Share resources and professional development opportunities
• Create opportunities for community and collaboration
• Strengthen support for our LGBTQ+ employees and students

Interested? Complete our short interest form below. Whether you want to help organize, attend when you can, or simply receive updates, there is a place for you.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Affinity Group Interest Form

We look forward to building a stronger Coast community together!

Warmly,

CCCD LGBTQ+ Affinity Group

Check out our first "Coast Colleges in a Minute," featuring Trustee Elizabeth Dorn Parker, and learn about the gremlins that still hang around Orange Coast College.

Watch, like, and subscribe!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoastCCD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastccd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coastccd

Visit https://cccd.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/Subscribe.aspx to select the meetings you want to receive notifications about. Diligent will automatically send you an email when the agendas for those meetings are available.

Help spotlight the incredible work happening across our campuses by submitting examples of persistent innovation, moments when an idea grew into an achievement through dedication, creativity, and follow‑through. Large or small, recent or ongoing, every example helps highlight the meaningful progress being made. Let's celebrate these successes together!

Coastline College students were the center of the day. The symposium marked the end of STORM Cyber, a two-year project funded by the National Security Agency through its National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. Through the project, students prepared for industry certifications and built connections with professionals in the field. The NSA has also designated Coastline College a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. At the symposium, students walked attendees through their research in a poster session and joined guests in hands-on activities. Guests also toured the college’s Student Security Operations Center, a lab where students practice spotting and responding to cyberattacks the way security teams do on the job.

Vincent Nestler, Ph.D., director of the Center for Cyber & AI at California State University, San Bernardino, opened the program. Breakout sessions covered topics from new AI threats to protecting personal data, and network analysis expert Laura Chappell, founder of Wireshark University, led a workshop on Mars research and space communications. The day ended with a capture-the-flag competition, where participants worked through hands-on hacking challenges.

The symposium gave Coastline College students a chance to show their work to the universities and employers that could be their next step, and gave those partners a closer look at the college’s cybersecurity program.

Golden West College will celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Tuesday, Oct. 27, beginning at 11 a.m. behind the Student Services Center. The event is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to come together to honor loved ones who have passed and celebrate the cultural traditions of Día de los Muertos.

The celebration will feature traditional altars, live performers, food and activities. Free food will be available for the first 200 guests who participate in the event.

The event is hosted by GWC's Puente Program, Mi Casa Club, Golden Pride, El Centro and Dream Success. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend!

The Orange Coast College Friends of the Library will host its annual Fall Book Sale on Tuesday, October 27, and Wednesday, October 28, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The book sale will include a variety of used books ranging from bestsellers to romance, mysteries, science, art, history, and computers. Most books are priced starting at $1. The event will conclude with a “$2-a-bag” deal during the last two hours of the sale on Wednesday, October 28, from 1 until 3 p.m.

Friends of the Library (FOTL) members and OCC students can enjoy a pre-sale exclusive from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27. Those interested in becoming a FOTL member can complete a FOTL Membership Application before the book sale to take advantage of the one-hour pre-sale exclusive.

The book sale will be held in the Library Lecture Room (Room 112), near the front entrance.

The event is free to the general public. Attendees can park in Lot E and purchase a parking permit online for $5 through Passport Parking. Visit OCC’s Friends of the Library website for more information.

What: OCC Friends of the Library Book Sale

When: October 27 & 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where: Orange Coast College Library | 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

Admission: Free

Parking: $5 parking, Park in Lot E, Merrimac Way, Costa Mesa

Chancellor, Week of October 19

Chancellor Yamamura is in the District Monday and Tuesday. Dr. Serban is acting chancellor Wednesday through Friday.