NEWS & VIEWS FROM COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS ... & VIEWS FROM COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS • SUMMER 2017...

NEWS & VIEWS FROM COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS • SUMMER 2017

Chancellor’sR E P O R T

WE BELIEVE IN TEACHING, LEADING AND STAYING AT THE FOREFRONT OF CHANGE

The first bonds from Measure E, the Santa Clar-ita Community College District $230 million general obligation bonds approved by voters in

June 2016, were sold on April 12, yielding $50 mil-lion for much-needed facilities improvements at the college’s two campuses.

“With student enrollment continuing to grow, the

funds come at a critical time in the college’s devel-opment,” Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook said. “The demand for access to education, whether from veter-ans looking to transition to new careers, or from high school students planning to jumpstart their college studies, or local residents focusing on upgrading their skills to remain competitive in fast-changing fields,

College of the Canyons

‘BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER’ to Serve 22,000-Plus Students

See BLOCKBUSTER on 1

For some students, the difference between academic

success and putting their dreams on hold comes down to dollars and cents.

Formal research and anecdotal evidence both tell us that the cost of college is among the most significant barriers to students’ academic achievement. Whether its enrollment fees, books, or living expenses, many students at College of the Canyons struggle with the affordability of a college education. Scholarships and financial aid go a long way toward helping them, but there’s still a gap between what they receive and what they need to succeed.

Dr. Dianne Van Hook

COLLEGE RECEIVES $750,000 GRANT FOR FIRST-YEAR PROMISE PROGRAMIn a continued effort to reduce college costs for

new students, College of the Canyons launched the First-Year Promise (FYP) program, a path-

way that will provide increased opportunities for new full-time college students to achieve their educational goals.

FYP is funded through a $750,000 grant from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Out of 51 community college districts that applied,

COC was one of only 14 colleges awarded a grant through the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program.

“This grant will be instrumental in knocking down many of the barriers students face as they work to reach their educational goals,” said College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook. “First-Year Promise will not only reduce the financial bur-den for new full-time students, it also will enhance

FIRST MEASURE E PROJECTS TO BREAK GROUND

The ‘Blockbuster Summer’ schedule of cours-es offered by College of the Canyons features four class sessions designed to help students

and community members better achieve their edu-cational goals.

The 2017 summer session includes seats for more than 22,000 students spread across more than 650 sections of high-demand “core” classes in a wide range of academic subjects and disciplines.

See PROMISE on Page 10

See BOND on Page 11See CHANCELLOR on Page 2

8121237_EC_Bottom_Line_SPRING2017 - EC.indd 1 6/21/17 10:04 AM

2 THE BOTTOM LINE ] SUMMER 2017

ChancellorFROM PAGE 1

At College of the Canyons, we are work-ing to close that gap, and ensure that stu-dents have the resources to go the distance from enrollment to graduation.

FIRST-YEAR PROMISEWe recently launched the First-Year

Promise (FYP) program, a pathway that will provide increased opportunities for 300 new full-time college students to achieve their educational goals.

Thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Cal-ifornia Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, eligible first-time, full-time students at College of the Canyons who graduated high school in 2017 will pay no fees during their first year of college. That’s right. No enrollment fees, parking fees, or student services fees during the fall and spring semesters.

Each FYP student also will receive a $100 voucher per semester for other supplies and instructional materials. Free computer lab printing services will also be provided by the college.Participating students can save up $1,500 in education expenses.

The COC Foundation has launched a cap-ital campaign to support this program. To help, please call Chief Development Officer Murray Wood at (661) 362-3433.

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESTextbooks represent another financial

obstacle for students. In an annual survey, 75 percent of our students cited textbooks as a barrier to achieving educational goals, while 35 percent said they cannot afford textbooks.

In response, we are leading the way in expanding the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), teaching and learning materials that have been released in the

public domain or under an intellectual prop-erty license as a no-cost alternative to costly commercial textbooks.

By using OER materials instead of com-mercial textbooks, COC students save an estimated $1.5 million each year.

ASSESSMENT TESTING AND PLACEMENT – REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COURSES AND ... COST OF BOOKS

Moving students more quickly through their programs of study also helps make college more affordable. Our “Accelerate Your Dreams to Reality” project nearly triples students’ chances of completing college-level courses by introducing the accelerated Math 75 and English 96 cours-es. It also saves them time and money by reducing the number of courses they need to take and the textbooks they need to buy.

For students who are not majoring in fields related to science, technology, engi-neering or math, Math 75 paves the way for college-level statistics by replacing a two-course sequence of basic and intermediate algebra. English 96 replaces a two-course sequence that prepares students for the transfer-level curriculum in just one course.

These accelerated courses have already helped save more than 600,000 hours of

instruction and more than $1.6 million in tu-ition costs for remedial courses not applica-ble toward earning associate degrees.

We also made changes to assessment and placement processes to ensure students begin with the English and math classes that best match their academic ability. This streamlines students’ coursework and ensures that they are not taking unnecessary classes, wasting money, and experiencing delays and frustration. It helps them more quickly achieve their educational goals.

Now, 71 percent of students receive direct placement into transfer-level statistics, a rate that is four- to five-times the rate higher than neighboring community colleges. As a result, students are expected to save an additional 250,000 hours of instruction and $700,000 in tuition costs per year.

Together these initiatives help students close the financial gaps that act as barriers to their achievement. When students aren’t worried about finances, they can focus on accomplishing their goals and reaching their dreams. That adds up to student success, and that’s what we’re about at College of the Canyons.

Dr. Dianne Van Hook serves as chancellor of College of the Canyons.

The Bottom Line is published by the College of the Canyons Public Information Office

to inform the community of news and events of interest in the Santa Clarita Community College District.

Phone: (661) 259-7800

Internet: http://www.canyons.edu

Mailing AddressSanta Clarita

Community College District26455 Rockwell Canyon Road

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

Vice President, Public Information Advocacy and External Relations

Eric Harnish

Managing Director, District Communications

John Green

Editorial TeamJesse Munoz

Stephanie Corral

Layout & DesignEvelyn Cox

DOLLARS & SENSECOC initiatives make a real difference in affordability for students

$1,500 – Amount a First-Year Promise student saves on one year of education expenses

$1.5 million – Annual student textbook savings by using open educational resources

600,000 – Hours of remedial instruction saved by accelerated courses

$1.6 million – Tuition savings to students taking accelerated courses

250,000 – Hours of remedial instruction saved by placing students into higher level math and English courses

$700,000 – Annual tuition savings by placing students into higher level math and English courses.


SUMMER 2017 ] THE BOTTOM LINE 3

Two College of the Canyons science fac-ulty members will bring a new perspec-tive to their work in the fall.

Adjunct instructors Christine Hirst and Thomas Gavin have been selected by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute to join the 2017-18 NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program, joining 37 high school physics and earth science teachers from seven California school districts.

Hirst and Gavin, who teach astronomy and physical science at COC, will fly aboard NA-SA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the world’s largest air-craft-based observatory that flies at altitudes between 39,000 to 45,000 feet.

“This is the only space program of its kind in the world, so this is such an honor,” said Hirst, who also teaches earth science and en-

gineering at West Ranch High School. “I ap-plied to this two years ago and was denied, so this is a dream of mine.”

Positioned above more than 99 percent of the atmosphere’s water vapor, SOFIA makes it possible to conduct experiments and gather data that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

The modified Boeing 747SP aircraft, which is based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in Palmdale, carries a reflecting telescope with an effective diam-eter of 2.5 meters.

“I have been teaching science for over 30 years and can’t believe that this opportunity to contribute to the science that I teach has been offered for me to participate in,” said Gavin, who is also a physics teacher at West Ranch High School. “I am very proud to rep-resent our great COC science program, and I know that this experience will help me to

build a better classroom experience for my students.”

An intensive science, technology, engineer-ing and mathematics (STEM) experience, the SOFIA flight week provides participating ed-ucators with access to subject matter experts at NASA and science curricula to engage stu-dents in the classroom with real-world science.

“My high school students launch a weather balloon each year, so I am very excited to fly where my students’ experiments have flown,” said Hirst. “I plan to apply to NASA’s Jet Pro-pulsion Laboratory as a solar system ambas-sador following this experience, and will defi-nitely bring the lessons into all of my classes.”

SOFIA, a partnership between NASA and the German Aerospace Center, welcomed its first group of educators in 2011.

Thomas and Hirst are expected to fly aboard SOFIA in this fall.

ASTRONOMY INSTRUCTORS TO FLY

ABOARD AIRBORNE OBSERVATORY

In recognition of how vital small businesses are to local econo-mies, the City of Los Angeles and Small Business Administra-tion (SBA) Resource Partners awarded John Pictaggi, owner of

National Glass, an Outstanding Small Business Award at City Hall on May 1.

The award came at the nomination of the Small Business Develop-ment Center (SBDC) hosted by College of the Canyons.

“Congratulations to John Pictaggi and National Glass for their continued commitment to the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Catherine Grooms, COC SBDC Director. “We are proud to work with them over the years, as they positively impact the economy through job creation and retention.”

As the second-generation owner of National Glass, Pictaggi has worked with COC SBDC for the past three years on ways to continue the family business, diversify the customer base, and leverage areas of expertise.

“Their contribution has been invaluable,” said Pictaggi. “As a small business owner, you don’t have a lot of money to afford a team of business consultants, but they allow you to have that vital input. It really makes a difference to have that seasoned business perspective.”

Located in Newhall since 1967, National Glass is a licensed glass and glazing contractor that focuses on residential and commercial projects.

The SBDC is the SBA’s largest service program and provides high-quality business and economic development assistance to small businesses owners and entrepreneurs.

SBDC locations provide one-on-one professional business con-sulting at no cost. Training is offered at no cost or low cost to entre-preneurs, and both existing and new businesses.

For more information about the SBDC hosted by College of the Canyons, please visit http://cocsbdc.org.

COC Small Business Development Center Client Wins Award

John Pictaggi, owner of National Glass (second from right) receives his award from (from left) Jan Perry, City of Los Angeles Economic & Workforce Development; Eileen Sanchez, City of L.A. Mayor’s Office of Economic Development; and Victor Parker, Los Angeles District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration.


Honoring

Jack and Doreen Shine

1. The College of the Canyons Foundation presented its 2017 Silver Spur Award for Community Service to Jack and Doreen Shine. 2. COC Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook with Jack Shine 3. Harold and Jacquie Petersen (right), the 2009 Silver Spur honorees, with Chancellor Van Hook, and former College of the Canyons trustee Bruce Fortine and his wife Gloria Mercado-Fortine. 4. Doreen Shine (right) with Peggy Rasmussen and Nancy Starczyk. 5. COC Foundation Chief Development Officer Murray Wood with Jack and Doreen Shine. 6. Former Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon sent a video greeting to the honorees. 7. Doreen Shine and Dr. Van Hook. 8. Marlee Lauffer and her daughter Katharine. 9. The Universal Sheraton’s Starview Room filled for the celebration. 10. Jack and Doreen Shine.

Recipients of the 2017 Silver Spur Award

Honoring4 THE BOTTOM LINE ] SUMMER 2017

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The Santa Clarita Community College District’s independent citizens’ bond oversight committee has accepted the

results of an independent audit confirming that, for the 10th year in a row, the district has properly accounted for all bond expen-ditures and issued the district an unmodified opinion – the best rating possible – noting no adjustments, audit findings, questioned costs or instances of bond noncompliance.

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co. LLP conduct-ed both the financial and performance audit, covering the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2016.

The firm presented its report in January to the district’s independent citizens’ bond oversight committee.

“This displays the efficiency and con-tinuous stability of the combined efforts of finance staff, the facilities team, and the chancellor,” Nicholas Lentini, chair of the bond oversight committee, said during the meeting. “Thank you for being so efficient and clearly explaining the audits in detail to our committee.”

The 2015-16 audit confirms approximate-ly $152.2 million in resources from the first four bond issuances, which also includes earned interest and net premium in the bonds. Of that amount, more than $130.8 million has been expended on authorized bond projects, leaving the district with a Measure M bond project fund balance of $21.4 million as of June 30, 2016.

Since its passage, the $160 million bond

measure has helped fund a wide variety of major facilities and campus expansions at the college, such as the construction of the Mentry Hall Expansion, The Learning Cen-ter (TLC)/Library Expansion, Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center, the Canyon Country campus, the College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education (iCUE), and the Canyons Hall student services/adminis-tration building.

The bond also helped secure $36.7 mil-lion in state matching funds that otherwise would have been lost and gone to other districts.

Measure M will begin the funding of the construction of the Science Center at the Canyon Country campus and a 1,000-space parking structure at the Valencia campus.

“We look forward to using the remaining Measure M bond funds to the maximum value possible,” Van Hook said. “The new facilities we build will enable students to learn in cutting-edge facilities that will help prepare them for careers in competitive, in-demand fields.”

Audit Finds Measure M Bond Measure in Full Financial Compliance

“College of the Canyons has diligently used Measure M bonds

to continue meeting the short-term and long-term needs of our

ever-growing student population,” said Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook. “With the support and trust

of the community, we are committed to continue building

for their future, as promised.”



For her efforts in assisting children within the Los Angeles County De-pendency Court system, Lori Young, a

College of the Canyons paralegal professor, received the 2017 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Child Advocacy Award.Young was presented with the award during a ceremony at the Antelope Valley CASA Benefit held in April..

CASA is a national association that pro-vides court-appointed advocates for foster children in the Dependency Court system to serve as mentors and guides.

Young has spearheaded a “Back to School” event for the past 10 years that col-lects school supplies for CASA kids.

“I never knew that starting something so small could grow so big,” said Young. “With the support from friends, co-workers, court personnel, COC students, and community

members, I am honored to receive this award and I share it with all of those who support CASA Kids.”

Young’s involvement began after hearing a CASA representative speak at an Ante-lope Valley Legal Professionals Association meeting.

“My heart was touched when I learned about children being removed from un-healthy homes due to abuse and neglect, sometimes taking nothing with them,” said Young, who later met with the CASA repre-sentative to learn how to get involved as an advocate.

Young realized that CASA children would feel more compelled to stay and succeed in school if they had back-to-school supplies just like their classmates.

Then a senior paralegal at Thompson | Von Tungeln, APC, Young started collecting school supplies through her networks with law firms and court personnel.

Since 2011, COC paralegal students have donated back-to-school supplies, par-ticipated in internships with the Juvenile Dependency Court, and become CASA volunteers.

College Paralegal Professor Receives CASA Child Advocacy Award

The College of the Canyons Welding Department held at demonstration for students at Arroyo Seco Junior High School, giving them a hands-on opportunity to learn what welders do, and practice their own skills on a virtual welding machine.

WELDING DEPARTMENT HOSTS HANDS-ON STUDENT DEMONSTRATION AT ARROYO SECO

Lori Young



College of the Canyons received three awards from the California Internship & Work Experience Association (CI-

WEA), including the prestigious 2017 Out-standing College Work Experience and Intern-ship Program Award.

Annually presented to two institutions of higher learning, the CIWEA Outstanding College Work Experience and Internship Pro-gram Award recognizes schools that model exemplary internship and work experience programs. The award program encourages organizations to continue offering opportuni-ties for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace. Such expe-riences help students successfully move into

their chosen careers after completing their coursework.

“We are honored to receive, this award for the wide range of innovative programs that we offer our students to better equip them to reach their goals,” said Gina Bogna, assistant dean of internships, job development and career cen-ter. “At College of the Canyons, the success of our students is our top priority.”

CIWEA also awarded a COC veteran stu-dent with the $1,000 Bernard L. Hyink Student Scholarship, in recognition of the student’s re-cent internship at Pulchella Winery. The award marks the second consecutive year that a COC student has received this honor.

The California Film Commission was also

awarded the CIWEA Outstanding Internship or Work Experience Employer Award for play-ing an integral role in providing COC students with real-life work experience. The commis-sion placed 10 COC student interns in paid en-tertainment industry positions in one year.

The Cooperative Work Experience Educa-tion (CWEE) department is a member of CI-WEA, California’s leading professional asso-ciation for educators and employers dedicated to supporting internship and work experience programs in higher education.

For more information about the program and internship opportunities, visit www.can-yons.edu/CWEE.

AWARDS HONOR COLLEGE EFFORTS TO LINK LEARNING AND WORK

The National Council for Market-ing and Public Relations (NCMPR) named College of the Canyons Chan-

cellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook its National Pacesetter of the Year.

The award recognizes a two-year com-munity or technical college CEO who has demonstrated leadership and support in the area of college communications and public relations.

“I am honored to receive the National Pacesetter of the Year Award,” said Dr. Van Hook. “Public relations and marketing are essential components of our college’s ability to create quality and results-driven messag-ing that positively impacts our students and defines their experience at College of the Canyons.”

Dr. Van Hook was announced in March as the recipient of the award during the NCM-PR National Conference in Charleston, S.C.

She has served as CEO of the Santa Clar-ita Community College District since 1988, making her the longest-serving community college CEO in California. Her longevity in that role and emphasis on effective commu-

nication have ensured the college focuses on connecting students with the resources that enable them to achieve their educational goals.

College of the Canyons was recently ranked among the top-15 community and ca-reer colleges by graduates’ salary potential. PayScale’s 2016-17 College Salary Report examined the earnings of graduates from 381 two-year colleges across the nation.

In a continuing effort to reduce costs for students, College of the Canyons recently launched First-Year Promise, a pathway to increased opportunities for new, full-time college students. The program, seeded with a $750,000 grant from the California Com-munity Colleges Chancellor’s Office, will help students achieve their educational goals by waiving tuition and fees for their first year. College of the Canyons was one of just 14 California community colleges to receive the grant; 51 college districts applied.

“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Van Hook as a visionary and inspirational lead-er,” said Steve Zimmer, president of the Santa Clarita Community College District

Board of Trustees. “She has been able to oversee the long-term growth of our college and widely communicate our student success story to our local community and throughout the entire state through the effective use of public relations and marketing.”

The addition of the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center, named in her honor, in 2009 and the College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Educa-tion in 2015 have helped students in the Santa Clarita Valley reach their academic and career goals.

“Dr. Van Hook has always supported ef-fective communication on her campus and has been a leader at the state and national levels to further the mission of California’s community colleges,” said Juan Gutierrez, director of NCMPR’s District 6. “I cannot think of a more deserving person to receive this prestigious award.”

The National Pacesetter Award is present-ed annually to one of the seven winners of regional district awards. Dr. Van Hook was named Pacesetter of the Year for Region 6 in September.

Chancellor Van Hook Named National Pacesetter of the Year



In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the College of the Canyons literary and arts magazine “cul-de-sac” released its annual volume at a special reception on May 26.

The magazine’s 10th volume includes poetry, stories, photographs and artwork created by more than 30 COC students, in-cluding five students who are incarcerated at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic.

“Taking into account the current politi-cal environment, we were interested in in-vestigating the ideas of captivity and free-dom, of exercising our voices and resisting oppression,” said Alene Terzian, the maga-zine’s co-founder and English professor at the college.

In collaboration with the California De-partment of Justice and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, COC has provided college courses to more than 300 incarcerated men at Pitchess over the past two years.

This spring, COC adjunct professor Eric Barnhart taught creative

writing, allowing inmates the opportunity to submit work to the literary magazine.

“Our goal was to make a subtle statement about how important writers and artists are to the revolution—that even if we are incarcerated, either literally or figuratively, we still have valuable and power-ful voices,” said Terzian.

Created entirely by students enrolled in En-glish 122, the college’s magazine production class, “cul-de-sac” gives students the oppor-tunity to learn about the literary production process.

“All volumes of “cul-de-sac” have been a la-bor of love, but volume 10 marks an important milestone and carries with it a decade’s worth of pressure,” said Terzian. “We wanted this

year’s magazine to be even more exceptional, to be design-forward and content-driven. With the powerful cover design, the strength of the content and the inclusion of the incarcerated artists section, I believe we have achieved our goals.”

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS LITERARY MAGAZINE

CELEBRATES A DECADE OF ARTISTRY

SCHOLARSHIP DONOR RECEPTIONThe College of the Canyons Foundation awarded more than $225,000 in scholarships to COC students in 2017, and recipients had a chance to

meet with the generous donors who funded the awards at a special reception held in the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center in May.

Alene Terzian


WINTER 2016 ] THE BOTTOM LINE 9SUMMER 2017 ] THE BOTTOM LINE 9

College of the Canyons student-athletes continue to find suc-cess both on the field and in the classroom, as evidenced by the recent statewide academic awards they have garnered.

The COC football program had 14 players named to the 2016 Southern California Football Association (SCFA) Scholar-Athlete team. To be eligible for the award, athletes must play football for two seasons and achieve a GPA of at least 3.0. while completing at least 27 units of academic courses (non-PE or collegiate sport activity).

Representing COC on the 2016 SCFA Scholar-Athlete team are: Blake Austin, safety, 3.15 GPATyler Bjorklund, offensive line, 3.17 GPARaymond Calles, defensive line, 3.33 GPAGabriel Gaitan, offensive line, 3.27 GPAZach Gragas, linebacker, 3.68 GPAJerel Hall, linebacker, 3.15 GPAAndrew Karatepeyan, defensive line, 3.09 GPAAustin McKinney, punter, 3.07 GPAMatthew Moore, quarterback, 3.05 GPAJesus Mota, offensive line, 3.19 GPATobenna Okunna, linebacker, 3.0 GPAColton Oshiro, safety, 3.70 GPAJacob Sammut, long snapper, 3.07 GPAHayden Wright, safety, 3.88 GPA.“These young men have dedicated hours of hard work to their

studies and we take great pride in their achievements,” said foot-

ball head coach Ted Iacenda. “They understand the true purpose of College of the Canyons football is for student-athletes to pursue both their academic and athletic goals.”

STATE ACADEMIC HONORThe college’s first-ever Western State Conference (WSC) Male

Swimmer of the Year added an academic award to mirror his athletic achievements.

Griffin Scott was named to the 2015-16 California Communi-ty College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Scholar Athlete Honor Roll, one of only 18 student-athletes across the state to earn that recognition.

Honorees must have participated in two seasons of sport, maintained at least a 3.5 GPA and displayed strong characteristics of citizenship, while representing the positive outcome of dedication, hard work and service.

Scott maintained a 3.85 transferable GPA while double majoring in communications studies and geography. He earned an associate degree in both subjects while fulfilling all requirements of the COC Honors Program to graduate with magna cum laude honors.

“Griffin represents the very best of this program and is a role mod-el for all COC student-athletes,” COC swim & dive head coach Sean Kakumu said. “Though extremely talented, what makes Griffin truly stand out is how hard he works towards his goals. He has always strived for excellence academically and athletically, and this award proves it’s possible to achieve both.”

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES HONORED FOR CLASSROOM AND COMPETITIVE SUCCESS

Griffin Scott



PromiseFROM PAGE 1their ability to succeed and build a founda-tion for lifelong learning.”

FYP is scheduled to launch this fall, and eligible incoming students will enroll in a one-year sequence of courses with priority registration, preceded by summer orientation to learn about majors and receive academic guidance. To ensure participating students remain on track, ongoing counseling and student support will also be offered.

Additionally, each of the 300 participat-ing students will receive a $100 voucher per semester that can be applied toward other supplies and instructional materials. Free computer lab printing services will also be provided by the college.

FYP is part of a larger effort by College of the Canyons to make college accessible to more students by removing barriers related to affordability. In an annual student survey conducted by COC, the cost of textbooks was identified as a top barrier to achieving educational goals by 75 percent of students surveyed; 35 percent of students reported they cannot afford any textbooks.

A MORE AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVEIn response, the college has encouraged

the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), which are teaching and learning ma-terials that have been released in the public domain or under an intellectual property li-cense as a no-cost alternative to costly com-mercial textbooks.

According to the nonprofit College Board, the cost of textbooks and supplies average

$1,390 per year for students at a public two-year in-district commuter school.

By using OER materials instead of com-mercial textbooks, COC students save an estimated $2.3 million each year. Cours-es included in FYP will make use of OER materials.

In the fall 2017 semester, COC will intro-duce an Associate Degree-Transfer in sociol-ogy, which will provide students a guaran-teed transfer to a California State University campus by taking only OER-based courses that do not require the purchase of costly commercial textbooks.

Additional resources that are available to students to alleviate college costs include an Associated Student Government food bank, access to child care at the Early Child-hood Education Centers at the Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, on-campus bus stops, as well as a robust financial aid depart-ment and scholarship program.

HELPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GET AHEAD

COC’s aggressive outreach efforts to local high schools have helped many stu-dents jump-start their college careers and save money.

The college expanded its College Now! program to allow all William S. Hart Union High School District juniors and seniors to enroll in COC courses without having to leave their high school campus or pay enroll-ment fees. Participating high school students receive concurrent enrollment status, which

allows them to enroll in any degree-appli-cable coursework offered at the Valencia campus, Canyon Country campus or online.

SAVING STUDENTS TIME AND MONEY

The college’s “Accelerate Your Dreams to Reality” project nearly tripled students’ chances of completing college-level courses by introducing the accelerated courses Math 75 and English 96. For students who are not majoring in fields related to science, technol-ogy, engineering or math, Math 75 paves the way for college-level statistics by replacing a two-course sequence of basic and inter-mediate algebra, while English 96 replaces a two-course sequence that prepares stu-dents for the transfer-level curriculum in just one course.

Of note, the implementation of these accelerated courses helped save more than 600,000 hours of remedial instruction and more than $1,650,000 in tuition costs for remedial courses that are not applicable toward earning associate degrees.

“Our reputation for institutional effective-ness, data-driven initiatives, and dedication to reducing higher education costs sets us apart as a college,” said Van Hook. “We are very excited to implement the First Year Promise program to continue supporting course completion and student success.”

More information about First-Year Promise can be found at www.canyons.edu/promise.



BlockbusterFROM PAGE 1

As always, courses are available at both the Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, as well as online.

The majority of class sections offered will help students either graduate or meet pre-requisites for transfer to a four-year school. Summer provides an excellent opportunity for incoming students to get a jump start on their coursework before the start of the fall semester in August.

In addition, a number of elective and ex-ploratory courses – which students often use to help determine their desired educational or career track – are included in the 2017 summer schedule.

“This year’s summer session is especially

diverse with class offerings to fit a variety of student schedules,” said Jerry Buckley, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Academic Affairs at the college. “We are very excited to welcome both new and re-turning students who see College of the Canyons as a valuable resource to help them reach their education goals.”

Also, high school juniors and seniors can take advantage of the robust offerings to earn college and high school credit while taking classes at COC with waived enrollment fees.

The final five-week summer session will be offered from July 10 to Aug. 12. Ear-lier sessions began on June 5, June 12, and June 19.

The college’s summer schedule of classes is posted online at www.canyons.edu/classs-chedule. New classes added to the summer schedule can be found there.

Summer 2017 enrollment fees at all Cal-ifornia Community Colleges will remain at $46-per-unit, as mandated by the state of California.

BondFROM PAGE 1means that we will need more facilities, and different kinds of facilities, to serve our community. Measure E provides the funding that allows us to respond to what our com-munity needs.”

Among the most significant project to be funded from the inital bond proceeds will be a 55,000-square-foot Science Center to be built on the Canyon Country Campus. The facility will be located at the center of campus, serving as a focal point for stu-dents and first-time visitors. It will primar-ily be devoted to physical and biological sciences, housing eight labs and a lecture room. Construction is expected to start later this year.

The Student Services/Learning Resourc-es Building will be the new home to Student Services and

The Learning Center (TLC). The four-story building will be opposite the Science Build-ing at the center of campus and will provide office and library space.

Measure E will also help build a three-story parking structure at the college’s Valencia campus, which will create 1,659 parking spaces. Construction is slated to begin by the end of 2017.

In addition to the general obligation bond sale, the district refinanced approximately $10.25 million in Certificates of Participa-tion (COPs). The new COPs will enable the district to save approximately $1 million in interest costs.

As a part of the financing process, the district received and confirmed its credit ratings with Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s, which issued

an “AAA” rating – the highest rating as-signed to a community college – and an “AA” rating, respectively, with stable outlooks.

As a result, the district received more than $114 million in orders for the $50 million in bonds being offered, which demonstrated significant investor interest in the district’s bonds.

The current interest bonds went to market April 11 with an interest rate of 3.63 percent.

Construction of the Canyon Country campus Science Center, depicted here in architectural rendering, is expected to begin in fall 2017.

ENROLL NOW!For more information, or to become a student, call the Admissions and Records office, (661) 362-3280,

or visit www.canyons.edu

Construction of the Canyon Country campus Science Center, depicted here in architectural rendering, is expected to begin in fall 2017.


Santa Clarita Community College District26455 Rockwell Canyon Road

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Edel Alonso

Michael D. Berger

Michele R. Jenkins

Joan W. MacGregor

Steven D. Zimmer

JB Martinez, Student Trustee

ON THE FAST TRACK TO SUCCESS Before making a splash in the manu-

facturing field, Chad Turner worked as a bartender at a restaurant for four

years. After hearing about the Computer Nu-merically Controlled (CNC) program at Col-lege of the Canyons and doing some online research, Turner enrolled in the three-month CNC certificate program.

“I have always been the type that works well with my hands,” said Turner. “Manu-facturing was an easy transition.”

CNC machinists use CNC machine tools to create precision metal parts and necessary cuts to complete an operation or to create a complete part. Operating CNC machines, which follow a computer program, requires the use of complex operations and great at-tention to detail.

The Fast Track CNC Machinist Train-ing Program at COC is designed for stu-dents seeking entry-level jobs in the CNC

manufacturing industry. The program taught Turner about machine tools and machine op-erations, which are skills he continues to use on a daily basis.

Two weeks before graduating, he was of-fered a machine operator position at B&B Manufacturing.

“The program was beneficial because it put me in an environment where my ma-chine tool skills could be noticed by mul-tiple aerospace manufacturing companies,” said Turner.

The skills and training Turner acquired at COC continued opening several doors within the aerospace manufacturing field. Now the national sales representative at SMTCL USA Inc., Turner assists distrib-utors and customers across the nation. SMTCL is the largest machine tool manu-

facturer in the world, producing 80,000 machine tools each year.

Located in City of Industry, the company has more than 300 products, such as verti-cal turning centers, radial drills, and pipe threading machines.

“Chad’s success serves a testament to the high-quality training our CNC manufactur-ing programs offer,” said Michael Bastine, director of the Center for Applied Compet-itive Technologies (CACT) at the college. “Our goal is to provide students with the hands-on experience they need to enter the workforce and remain competitive.”

For more information about the CNC Fast Track program at College of the Canyons, visit http://www.canyonsecondev.org.

Chad Turner


NEWS & VIEWS FROM COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS ... & VIEWS FROM COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS • SUMMER 2017...

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