Central Region Consortium Final Report Narrative

and List of Endorsed Program Applications

Objectives & Outcomes for 2008-2009

ABSTRACT:  The Central Region Consortium infrastructure provides a collaborative and coordinated network and response strategy for the fourteen colleges in the region to meet the market demands for education and job training.   This network is designed to bring staff from career technical education and economic & workforce development together for information sharing and problem solving.  Dissemination of information, combined with collaborative exchanges and coordination of services, places the Central Region Consortium in a key position to provide statewide leadership.

Narrative

Describe and provide information for each of the following Perkins IV and Economic Development activities.

I.                    Increase the active involvement of Chief Executive Officers, Chief Instructional Officers, Chief Student Services Officers, Career Technical Education and Economic Development Administrators, the Academic Senate, Management Information Systems Officers, the Statewide Discipline Advisory Committees, and Economic Development Centers and Initiative Directors in regional consortia planning.

Efforts to increase active involvement included:

·         Maintained a comprehensive contact matrix of all community college staff listed in Objective 1 for the Region’s list service, mailing list, and Web site directory.  With this information in place, both new an existing contacts received ongoing communication pertaining to Region meetings and statewide events.

·         Invited all Regional EWD Center Directors to report during the Annual Planning Retreat.

·         Resources provided by the www.crconsortium.com Web site encouraged involvement and included links to online event registration, event agendas and minutes, the CCCCO’s Program Approval Handbook; college Web site home pages; CCCCO and EWD Web sites; and more.

·         Facilitated the endorsement of thirty-five (35) applications for New Occupational Credit Programs, and/or requests to Add New Option to Existing Program for the colleges in the Region.

II.                 Conduct, at least six, meetings with appropriate staff from each college in the region to coordinate programs and services.

The Central Region Consortium coordinated the following events/meetings in 2008-2009.  Combined total attendance from all events was 1,021 participants.  Sue Clark, Region Coordinator, served on the conference planning committee for the Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee (JSPAC) and provided support to the CCCAOE conference planning Board by securing break-out session hosts and door prizes for the fall 2008 statewide conference.  Funding, as designated by RFA specifications, was provided to support CCCAOE conferences, the Leadership Conference, the Career Development Workshop, and the Joint Special Populations conference.

GENERAL MEETINGS / EVENTS (Twelve events = 1,021 participants):

August 26, 2008 – Applied Contextual Academics Work Group – Meeting conducted via CCCconfer conference call. (5 participants)

September 11, 2008 – Applied Contextual Academics Work Group – Meeting conducted via CCCconfer conference call. (4 participants)

October 23, 2008 - CCCAOE Fall Conference, San Diego – General meeting – Topics of discussion included a review of region priorities for 2008-2009, marketing CTE, Regional Center reports, CCCAOE Board report, CCCCO reports. (Region Meeting:  23 participants, Total Conference:  294)

November 12-14, 2008 – Best in the West Contextual Basic Skills Workshop at Bass Lake (63 participants)

December 3-4, 2008– California Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee (204 participants)

December 19, 2008 – EWD Demonstration Project Conference Call via CCCconfer. (11 participants)

January 13, 2009 – Conference call to discuss Demonstration Project funding opportunity (8 participants)

March 6, 2009 – Cool Careers in HOT Industries – Regional Career Development workshop co-hosted by Consortium and Career Development Advisory Committee at Rich Foods in Fresno.  (12 participants)

March 11, 12, 13, 2009 – CCCAOE Spring Conference – San Francisco – General meeting – Topics discussed included:  CCCAOE Board Report, Workplace LRC Report, New AA/AS Degrees, Special Populations Advisory Committee (JSPAC), Tech Prep Report/Career Pathways, System Office report, and Workforce Leaders’ Institute, (Region Meeting - 28 participants; Total conference - 323)

April 6, 2009 – Stimulus Plan (ARRA) conference call.  Total number of participants not fully identified during the call, as participants entered and exited the call without identifying themselves once the call began.

April  22-24, 2009 – Leadership Institute – Hosted by the LA/OC Regional Consortium (68 participants)

June 17-19, 2009 – Annual Planning Retreat – Sessions Include:  Opportunities for Faculty in EWD, Making Career Pathways a Known Commodity on Our Campuses, Regional Demonstration Project, EWD Initiative and Center Reports, Five Minutes of Fame Roundtable, Planning for 2009-2010, CCCAOE Board Report, Faculty Entrepreneurship Project, and Program Approval.  (39 participants)

III.               Meet at least quarterly with the Chancellor's Office staff.

Gary Mendenhall, Project Director, and Sue Clark, Coordinator, met with the Chancellor’s Office staff in Sacramento on September 29, 2008, January 12, 2009, and May 18, 2009.   Mr. Mendenhall and Ms. Clark also attended Regional Consortia Chairs’ meetings on October 22, 2008 and on March 11, 2009 during the CCCAOE conferences.

IV.       Meet with the Statewide Advisory Committees representatives and the Perkins IV Statewide Discipline/Industry Collaborative projects as designated by the Chancellor's Office.  A minimum of two meetings is anticipated.  The Chancellor's Office will convene and facilitate these meetings.

The Chancellor's Office convened a meeting of system leaders in Career Technical Education and Economic & Workforce Development in Newport Beach on January 28, 2009.  Dr. Hazel Hill served as Mr. Mendenhall’s designee during this meeting.

IV.              Collaborate with the Perkins IV Statewide Discipline/Industry Collaborative projects, Accountability Collaborative, Career Development Collaborative, Special Populations Collaborative, Work-Based Learning Collaborative, Statewide Advisory Committees, the Statewide Academic Senate and the Chancellor's Office staff, to:

A)     Assist in the development/implementation of statewide consortium and partnerships with the five Perkins IV collaboratives:

Within the Central Region, individuals serving in a variety of capacities provided assistance in the development of a statewide consortium and partnerships with Perkins IV collaborative projects.  Their involvement in both Regional Consortium activities and Perkins IV Statewide Projects served to strengthen partnerships.

• Dr. Hazel Hill, Dean of  Workforce & Economic Development at San Joaquin Delta College, provided support by serving as Vice President of the Central Region for the California Community Colleges Association for Occupational Education (CCCAOE).  In the spring of 2009, Dr. Hill was elected to serve as the President elect for CCCAOE.
• Mr. John Means, Vice Chancellor, Kern CCD, was elected to serve a two-year term as the Central Region CCCAOE Vice President.
• Ms. Sue Clark, Central Region Consortium Coordinator, provided assistance through her role as the Region V representative to California’s Joint Special Populations Statewide Advisory Committee (JSPAC).  
• Dr. Hazel Hill, Dean of Community and Economic Development, San Joaquin Delta College, served on the Statewide Advisory Committee for Research and Accountability.
• Mr. Don Borgess, of Modesto Junior College, served as the Central Region Tech Prep Coordinator.

b)  Provide communication about and dissemination of Perkins IV collaborative activities, outcomes and products to all community college providers of VTEA collaborative specific discipline/industry cluster education.

• The Central Region Consortium office disseminated materials for the following Statewide Discipline / Industry Collaborative Projects, as received, via the region’s electronic list service:  On-the-QT Newsletters and Work-Based Online Learning Course information disseminated for the Work Based Learning Collaborative; FLASH Newsletters to region for the Family & Consumer Sciences Collaborative, and the Special Populations Collaborative via the Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee.

c) Assist with professional development activities:

The Central Region Consortium Office provided assistance with professional development activities as follows:

• Coordinated the events listed under Item II of this report for the 14 colleges of the Central Region and statewide advisory committees and the CCCAOE Board.

V.                 Collaborate with the Economic & Workforce Development Initiatives through Regional Centers and Initiative Directors.

Collaboration included invitations to Center Directors to participate in the Annual Planning Retreat.  Content of reports from these Centers are documented as part of the meeting minutes and final report of the Central Region Consortium.

VII.               Conduct, in coordination with the California Community College Association of Occupational Education (CCCAOE), seminars to address workforce needs.

Provided financial support, in the amount of $1,000, to CCCAOE for the fall 2008 conference in San Diego (294 participants) and spring 2009 conference in San Francisco (323 participants).

Dr. Hazel Hill, CCCAOE VP for Central Region, provided CCCAOE Board reports to the Region in October 2008, March 2009, and June 2009.

VIII.         Expand professional development that provides academic and vocational faculty and counselors with the knowledge and skills required to implement economic development and workforce preparation and ensure responsiveness to special populations. 

·         Supported participation in California’s Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee’s (JSPAC) statewide conference by providing travel funds in the amount of $2,000 to the project’s fiscal agent.   (204 total participants from community colleges, K-Adult education, and Industry)

·         Provided $10,000 to the Statewide Career  Development Collaborative to support statewide Career Development Workshops.  (Coast Community College District, Fiscal Agent)

IX.       Participate in statewide and regional workforce development marketing efforts.  Encourage regional collaboration to market workforce development.

• Maintained regional Web site, www.training4me.com.  The site offers a comprehensive directory of community college providers and services. The Central Region Consortium Office served as the primary point of contact for receipt of web site inquiries.    Each inquiry is forwarded to the college lead vocational education administrator and/or economic development practitioner for follow-up.   One (1) inquiry was received in 2008-2009.

X.                 Facilitate the dissemination of information, articles, position papers, and products developed by Career Technical Education and Economic and Workforce Development Program projects to colleges, and education and economic development entities in the region.  Link regional Web site to the Chancellor’s Office Web site.

·         The Central Region Consortium office sent and received 7,823 electronic messages between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

·         Newsletters and correspondence from Statewide Collaborative projects, Statewide Advisory Committees, CDE, and the CCCCO (to include CTE and EWD project information) were disseminated to the Region’s 298 electronic list service contacts, as received.

·         Disseminated correspondence on behalf of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.

·         Provided coordination and facilitation of conference calls and meetings to support a EWD regional demonstration project that was directed by George Boodrookas, Project Director and Dean of Community and Economic Development at Modesto Junior College.  $90,000 in EWD funds received to support a regional approach to workforce development and a regional grant team for a twelve month period.

·         The Central Region Consortium office maintained the www.crconsortium.com Web site.  Recorded visits to the site in 2008-2009 were 1,665.

·         The www.crsonosrtium.com Web site is linked to both the CTE and EWD unit pages of the CCCCO Web site.

·         Maintained 4 lists for electronic list service communication.  These included two lists for communication to Central Region colleges (298 contacts) and two lists for communication with regional consortia chairs and CCCCO staff (42 contacts).

XI.      Sponsor regional meeting/workshops:

1. For Career Technical Education and Economic and Workforce Development funded projects to promote the regional economic development plan, networking, sharing of best practices, and updates on legislative and other current events impacting the regions.

·         The meeting schedule and meeting topics set by the Central Region Consortium are based upon priorities established by regional participants during the June annual planning retreat.  In 2008-2009, the following topics were the priorities for meetings planned:  Applied Contextual Basic Skills, Marketing/Advocacy, alternative English/math graduation requirements, grant collaboration, and a concept paper to address a statewide response system for responding to the needs of business.

·         Meetings of the Central Region Consortium promoted networking, sharing of best practices, and events impacting the region, as evidenced by meeting minutes posted to the http://www.crconsortium.com web site.

·         Updates on legislative and other current events were forwarded electronically to the Region list service upon receipt by the Consortium office.

2. For Career Technical Education and Workforce Development initiatives to promote collaboration and linkages between the Local Workforce Investment Boards that will encourage local community college participation in the One-Stop system.

• The Central Region Consortium is a partner with the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.  The Consortium is committed to disseminating information to the region on behalf of the Partnership.  Electronic communication was forwarded to the region list service upon receipt.  The director of the project provided a report to the region’s colleges during the Annual Planning Retreat in June 2009.
• The Central Region Consortium Chair and Coordinator provided facilitation and coordination to Central Region Demonstration Project in 2008-2009 by scheduling and participating in conference calls and hosting a regional event where participants gave input to the project.  The Demonstration Project is an EWD funded grant for one year.  George Boodrookas, Dean of Community and Economic Development at Modesto Junior College, serves as the Project Director for the grant.

c.  In coordination and collaboration with the CCCCO Career Development Advisory Committee, provide faculty and counselors with access to professional development conferences and workshops to learn the latest research and best practices for conducting career development/career management student support services and/or integrating career management activities in the classroom.  Each region will receive $10,000 for this purpose.

• $10,000 was paid to Coast Community College District to support coordination and collaboration with the CCCCO Career Development Advisory Committee.

• Disseminated information to promote participation in Cool Careers in HOT Industries career workshop.  Facilitated the online registration process and hospitality for this event..  (12 counseling staff attended the March 6, 2009 workshop at Rich Products TrainingCenter in Fresno.)

XII.                           Maintain Internet connections with the CCCEWD home page.

The http://www.crconsortium.com Web site LINKS button provides easy access to the http://www.cccewd.net home page.

XIII.               Facilitate and coordinate assistance efforts to colleges that will be used to enable special population students to meet state adjusted levels of performance.

·         Supported the work of the California Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee (JSPAC) by providing funding to support the statewide conference ($2,000) and a regional representative to the committee.  Sue Clark served as the Region V representative to the JSPAC.  Ms. Clark participated in Advisory Committee and sub-committee meetings.

XIV.  Conduct one statewide conference for Special Populations program personnel.  This may be coordinated with the California Department of Education.

·         Provided funding to support the California Joint Special Populations Leadership Training Conference, Planting for the Future: Improving Access & Opportunities using Career Pathways, held December 3-4, 2008 in Sacramento.   (203 participants representing K-Adult and community college education and private industry)

XV.      Conduct a statewide conference for new and/or prospective Vocational Education Administrators.

·         The Central Region Consortium contributed $4,730 to the Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortium (Citrus College, Fiscal Agent) to support the 2009 Workforce Leaders’ Institute held at the UCLA Conference Center, Lake Arrowhead, April 22-24, 2009. (68 participants)

LIST OF NEW PROGRAM APPLICATIONS ENDORSED BY THE DESIGNATED LEAD VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS IN 2008-2009