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Press Release January 28, 2010
Media Advisory
Contact: Monica Gomez
Public Information Officer
San José/Evergreen Community College
(408) 759-0626
monica.gomez@sjeccd.edu
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PRESIDENT OBAMA HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
SJECCD emphasizes need to revitalize community colleges as a solution to building the economy and creating more jobs
(January 28, 2010 - SAN JOSÉ, CA) In President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address, he recognized the key role community colleges have for working families. As the United States of America faces a high unemployment rate, the President says it’s time for the Senate and the House to pass a bill that will “revitalize our community colleges, which serve as a career pathway to children of so many working families.”
The San José/Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) can be a part of that solution. As our district continues to support growing enrollment demands while at the same time suffering from significantly declining state resources, we remain committed to student success. Acting Chancellor Jeanine Hawk says, “Our students cannot be faced with additional fees and more cuts to the programs that help improve their success. We stand behind President Obama’s push to make college affordable for all students and we are committed to providing an education with strong workforce programs that can help rebuild our state’s economy.”
The Spring semester begins on Monday, February 1 and while many of our students will face long waiting lists and longer lines to get in, our faculty and staff are stepping up to the challenge to deliver quality programs and continue to serve as advocates for the role community colleges play in California’s economic recovery.
- About San José/Evergreen Community College District
SJECCD prides itself in creating an environment focused on equity and excellence in student success, respecting the strength of the heritages and life experiences of its students and communities to build more responsive colleges. The District is nationally renowned for its advocacy to develop policies and educational approaches that incorporate the knowledge it has gained from critically analyzing global, national and immigrant experiences. SJECCD has approached its work with the intention of reframing the standard definitions of student and institutional success. The District’s core values are opportunity, equity and social justice. Each one of these values is incorporated into strategic planning and is a part of the foundational commitments the district makes to its communities as it uses the tool of higher education to bring them to life.Facts
- 2009/2010 ending fund balance estimated to be $5.5 billion
- SJECCD serves over 26,000 students per year
- 82% of our students are from San José
- 60% of our students are First Generation
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- Governing Board: Mayra Cruz * Balbir S. Dhillon * Maria Fuentes * Richard Hobbs * Ronald J. Lind * Randy Okamura * Richard K. Tanaka