Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017
The Voice of San Jose City College Since 1956
Volume 84 Issue 1
SJCC is celebrated as
Staff approved eggs Benedict recipe
Hispanic-serving institute Page 4
Campus map to navigate classes
Page 8 PHOTO BY MELISSA MARIA MARTINEZ/TIMES STAFF
Dancer Carolina Walter performs a traditional Ehecatl Quetzalcoatl dance with a group during the San Jose City College La Raza Commencement, a graduation ceremony dedicated to Hispanic graduates and their families, Friday, May 19.
City College programs create opportunities and open doors to student success
BY MELISSA MARIA MARTINEZ AND JORDAN ELLIOTT
C
TIMES STAFF
ity College is a Hispanic-serving institute with a 43 percent Hispanic student population. “San Jose City College serves the largest corners of poverty in Santa Clara,” former Vice President of Academic Affairs Duncan Graham said. “Most of our students have to work but they are dedicated and our job here is to remove as many barriers as we possibly can.”
For almost 95 years, San Jose City College has educated those who reside in the communities that surround it; producing tomorrow’s future leaders, skilled workers, educators and innovators. Programs such as Cultivamos Excellencia or We Cultivate Excellence to ceremonial events such as the special La Raza Graduation ceremonies reflect the students SJCC serves. At the La Raza Graduation Commencement ceremony in May, SJCC President Byron Breland said that City College is
one of 25 community colleges specifically recognized for “success in serving Latino students.” “We are at a time in our history when education is so much more important than it has ever been,” Breland said. “Over 20 percent (of new students) are Latino, our highest college going ethnic group.” SJCC began hosting La Raza graduation ceremonies during the civil rights movement to allow Spanish-speaking families a chance to celebrate the educational achievements of their family in their native
language. As a Hispanic-serving institute, SJCC offers programs such as Cultivamos Excellencia, an undergraduate research program that provides students an opportunity to participate in university-level studies in collaboration with students at UC Santa Cruz. “We all know that a prosperous people are an educated people,” Breland said. “A focus on our studies is going to help our community learn about our culture, our background and our history.”
New programs and services are available
SJCC partnerships provide vocational networking and additional opportunities for students BY LESLIE AGUILAR TIMES STAFF
San Jose City College now offers a variety of new degrees, programs and certifications starting this semester. Sociology and political science degrees were approved during the 20162017 school year, and are now available to students, as well as a patient navigator certificate of achievement. SJCC has also partnered with Santa Clara County, The Iron Workers and other community agencies to help facilitate job placement for several of the degrees
and programs, such as the peer leader certification, which is involved with the county. Janet Altamirano, a graphic design major, said these programs can help ease the transition from student to worker. “They (the partnerships) really support students, all these resources help you know the ropes outside of school,”Altamirano said. For early childhood education, there will be certification programs for associate teacher, inclusion specialist, teacher and master teacher. “Working together with the community can ensure SJCC students more op-
tions for internships, mentor access and a degree or certificates,” wrote Classified Senate President and articulation specialist Julinda LeDee in an email. Bryan Gutierrez Arroyo, a media arts and printing major, said he supports these new initiatives. “Exposure to these resources are really helpful. You can’t really find them anywhere else.” These programs are designed for students to explore new options or to strengthen a particular skill set, said LeDee. Elizabeth Flores, a Metas Center counselor, said that these improvements are
beneficial to students who are unsure about their educational path. “There is more opportunity, this is definitely something that can open doors for students,” Flores said. These improvements were made to enhance the student learning experience and provide them with the best tools available to succeed beyond the classroom. “We have a diverse student population, and the programs reflect the needs and interests of the students,” LeDee wrote.“Student’s success is the first priority and creating more options to benefit the students at SJCC.”
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