Upcoming
Conferences
CCCAOE Fall 2009 Conference
"Collaborative Innovations for Economic Recovery"
October 28-30
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel
Keynote speakers:
Richard Trigg,
Regional Administrator, US Dept of Labor
Virginia Hamilton,
Executive Director, CWA
Jonathan Lightman,
Executive Director, FACCC
Ron Selge,
Dean~CCCCO
Mary Niven,
VP~Disney CA Adventure & Guest Services
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CCCAOE Newsletter - October 2009
In This Issue
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Tough Times, Tough Choices
California's dramatic fiscal contraction and corresponding state budget reductions are presenting our colleges with difficult programmatic decisions. For decades, we have "filled all the gaps" of the public higher education system; can we be expected to effectively address such a breadth of expectation with diminishing resources?
We all know the struggle to meet our multiple missions, even in "good times". Those who are under-prepared for college-level work and need basic skills development come to us. When four-year college tuitions rise, students need a lower-cost gateway for transfer to a four-year school. They come to us. Many four-year graduates need to go back to school to gain in-demand skills. They come to us. Employment in fields like nursing, fire safety or dental hygiene requires education beyond high school, but not necessarily a four-year degree. Those students come to us. When employers want a cost-effective, fast and high-quality training program, they come to the community colleges.
President Barack Obama's visit to Hudson Valley Community College last week highlighted the role that community colleges must play in ensuring that the American workforce can meet the challenges of this century. As the President said, community colleges have become the place "for anyone with the desire to take their career to a new level -- or start a new career altogether." And he further highlighted our role by stating "...in the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience." (See the full text of his remarks on the FACCC website at www.faccc.org)
What does this mean to CTE and economic development? As our colleges are faced with budget shortfalls and engaged in heart-wrenching discussions about what to cut where, we must continue to advocate for our programs. Short-term strategies can have long-term impacts on our ability to respond to new opportunities. The President's address emphasized the role of innovation, which will spur new advances and lead to economic growth. There are new jobs and skills sets implicit in all of this - in areas such as health information technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology and clean energy, which we must be prepared to address. If we work together locally, regionally and at the state level we can ensure that we emerge from this current crisis with our core programming intact. Stay engaged through CCCAOE and your Regional Consortia - together we will be ready to meet the next set of challenges/opportunities.
CCCAOE President,
Kim Schenk, Diablo Valley College
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A Frayed Knot: Surviving Troubled Times
With the possible exception of Chevron, no one escaped July's budget deal unharmed.
Even the world's eighth largest economy will inflict serious carnage on its residents if it's squeezed dry. With unemployment rates over 12 percent, the positive news from Congress or the Federal Reserve provides little solace; the Golden State has yet to witness the recovery.
While the Legislature was able to modestly preserve the three biggest programs slated for elimination - CalWORKs, Health Families and Cal Grants - it's just a matter of time before they're back on the chopping block. K-12 and community colleges would have been cut much deeper if legislators had free reign. Thankfully, they were stopped by state constitutional funding minimums and a federal maintenance of effort.
In this era of budgetary free-fall, community college career technical education (CTE) fared better than expected. The Budget Act specifically recognizes that CTE, along with transfer and basic skills, is a core mission of the community colleges. The Budget Act calls upon districts to preserve its core functions and cut in other areas.
In the July Budget Act, the Legislature took the extraordinary step . . .
Click here for more from Jonathan Lightman, Executive Director~FACCC
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Meeting of the Minds
The California Workforce Association (CWA) recently hosted the annual Meeting of the Minds conference in Monterey. The conference brought together leaders from local non-profits, government, educational institutions and community based organizations involved in training, education, economic development, welfare, and employment. The keynote speakers were outstanding and topics leadership at the state and local levels; priorities for the Employment Training Administration and Department of Labor; how to establish world class ambition; how to lead in times of change. Below are excerpts from keynote speakers:
- Warren Wright from Gallup Consulting provided insight on what the world is feeling and thinking, and how listening to the global voice can guide world leaders on economic policy, security, health, environment, education and many other factors.
- Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, spoke about her priorities for the Employment Training Administration, and how they reflect Secretary Solis' priorities for the Department of Labor. Jane discussed her work with other federal agencies and ways in which her leadership will influence the Workforce Investment Act, states and local WIBs. Click here for complete report from CWA
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Opportunity to Honor Your Business Partners
Dear CCCAOE Colleagues,
Do you know a business leader who is making a significant contribution to help expand educational opportunities so more people earn valuable degrees and credentials after high school? Have you worked with a business leader who has been a vital partner in breaking down systemic barriers that limit opportunities for postsecondary education? If so, Business Champions, Inc. wants to hear from you. With support from Lumina Foundation for Education and The Joyce Foundation, this organization is working with collaborators to find and profile exemplary business leaders who are using their influence to create large scale changes so more people get the skills they need to advance, companies have the workforce required to compete, and communities thrive.
Please share your story about how business leadership is making a difference. Here is your chance to nominate and recognize exemplary business partners/individuals.
To learn more, tell your story, and read about “Business Champions to Watch” please visit our website at www.businesschampions.org, or email Lisa Bauer at Lisa.Bauer@businesschampions.org.
Business Champions, Inc. thanks the following organizations for lending their support in spreading the word and soliciting stories of exemplary business leadership:
AACC
Corporate Voices for Working Families
Excelencia in Education
Institute for a Competitive Workforce, US Chamber of Commerce
League for Innovation
The Workforce Alliance |
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One Thing Leads to Another:
By-Laws Revision
In March 2008, CCCAOE hired Jonathan Lightman and Andrea York to serve as our legislative liaisons in Sacramento to provide vital contacts to the legislature and guide us toward greater involvement in CTE decision-making. Our relationship with Jonathan and Andrea has allowed us to develop strategic relationships in Sacramento and throughout the state. CCCAOE President Kim Schenk, President elect Hazel Hill and Immediate Past President Mollie Smith along with other Board members and colleagues around the state are positioned on councils and at meetings to engage in dialog and provide input on CTE issues.
As a result of our endeavors to integrate legislative advocacy into the role of CCCAOE, new roles and responsibilities have been established and require documentation. It was brought to our attention that CCCAOE's by-laws were heavily loaded with policies and procedures that present the organization with potential liabilities. The CCCAOE Board is taking on the task of streamlining the by-laws and will present the new document, for your review, at the fall conference in Long Beach.
The revised by-laws will be a much simplified version from the current one, which you can read through on the CCCAOE website. The new version will be a more foundational structure which is less prescriptive. Once the by-laws are approved in accordance with current procedure, the Board will begin the task of creating a Policies and Procedures manual which will contain much of the operational detail contained in the current version. The CCCAOE Board anticipates submitting the revised by-laws for approval later in the fall. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Immediate Past President,
Mollie Smith, Palomar College
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