The year 2015-16 was another banner year for the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD). The SDCCD is always honored to play a critical role in enriching the lives and careers of residents throughout our region by providing high-quality learning experiences to meet the educational and economic needs of the San Diego community. As the second-largest community college district in the state, the District continues to lead and innovate in building programs to promote student success and equity, expanding community engagement, and collaborating with industry in strengthening the workforce.
Providing a High-Quality Education to Meet the Needs of the Community. Leadership and Innovation The San Diego Community College District’s dedication to leadership and innovation can be
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seen in numerous instances. Let me highlight a few. For example, Mesa College is among the first of 15 community colleges in California to launch a bachelor’s degree program. Miramar College serves as home to the Southern California Biotechnology Center. City College saw Issanna Loughman named as one of the nation’s top community college students as a member of the prestigious All-USA Community College Academic Team. San Diego Continuing Education, which is among the most diverse adult education institutions in the country, has taken the statewide lead in helping other community college districts blend credit and noncredit programs to serve their regions.
Education — all also being named Military Friendly schools. The result: a 33% increase in degrees conferred since 2014 putting the District well on the way toward the goal of doubling the number of associate degrees awarded by 2022. Of special note is the fact two of every three degrees conferred this year were secured by students of color.
Community Engagement The San Diego Community College District is committed to the community because the District is an integral part of it. The colleges and CE work closely with business leaders and civic groups, with neighborhood organizations, and law enforcement. Celebrating diversity, the rich diversity of the region, the District actively sponsors events such as Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, AsianPacific American Heritage Month, and Women’s History Month with films, discussions, and exhibits. The District also embraces its role in co-sponsoring the annual Conference on Restoring Civility to Civic Dialogue and the opportunity to take part in the annual Pride and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day parades.
Workforce Development The San Diego Community College District is San Diego County’s largest single provider of workforce training, awarding degrees and certificates. Even students who do not finish a formal program are seeing a huge boost in pay after completing career technical education courses. The District’s success helped it secure $1.1 million in state grants this year to expand apprenticeship programs aimed at training workers in professions ranging from carpenters to microbiology quality control technicians. It also received millions more dollars in grants to build upon other successful job training and workforce preparedness programs. The District is proud to present this 2015-16 Annual Report to highlight the progress and impact on the community.
Student Success Helping students succeed is a priority in the District, as evidenced by myriad efforts ranging from the San Diego Promise to an expanded selection of online courses at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges, as well as Continuing
CONSTANCE M. CARROLL, PH.D. CHANCELLOR
2015-2016 Annual Report to the Community 3