Tag Archives: Riverside City College

Donation Helps Riverside City College and the Wood Streets Green Team Get New Community Garden Out of the Ground

by
(Includes excerpts from the article submitted by Riverside City College and published in the January 1, 2013 Press-Enterprise)

A $1,000 donation from Calvary Presbyterian and the Wood Streets Green Team capped nearly two years of planning for a new community garden at Riverside City College that supporters hope will yield organic fruit and vegetables and provide an “outdoor lab” for students and the community. The new garden will open in the spring.

“We are excited about the creation of this community garden and very pleased with the enthusiasm and generous support from our neighbors and local businesses,” said RCC President Cynthia Azari. “Along with the new LEED certified School of Nursing and the Math and Science buildings, the community garden is another example of RCC’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community involvement. It will be an extraordinary learning environment for everyone.”

From left are: Ryan Sendejas, RCC student; Marilyn Morris; Preston Galusky, RCC faculty member; Pat Silvestri, Calvary Presbyterian member; Kamron Golbaf, RCC student; Justin Scott-Coe, of the Woods Street Green Team; Tonya Huff, RCC faculty member; and Virginia White, RCC faculty member.

From left are: Ryan Sendejas, RCC student; Marilyn Morris; Preston Galusky, RCC faculty member; Pat Silvestri, Calvary Presbyterian member; Kamron Golbaf, RCC student; Justin Scott-Coe, of the Woods Street Green Team; Tonya Huff, RCC faculty member; and Virginia White, RCC faculty member.

Volunteer crews of students, faculty and community members are prepping the former parking lot turned garden site, located adjacent to the Math and Science building and the Library and Learning Resource Center on upper campus. College facilities staff installed a security fence and funds donated by the Associate Students of Riverside provided materials that volunteers are using to construct runoff-prevention decomposed granite pathways. Corona Tools donated more than $1,000 in contractor-grade equipment towards the effort. The donation by Calvary Presbyterian and the Wood Streets Green Team will be used to purchase fruit trees and garden benches. Other planned amenities include a gazebo that will provide shade and space for gardening workshops, as well as entrance arbors to support grape and kiwis vines.

RCC students, faculty, and community members initiated the project in order to learn, teach, and encourage sustainability through local food production and community building.

 “The Green Team is thrilled to provide a return on the investment RCC has made and continues to make in our community,” said Justin Scott-Coe, a member of the Wood Streets Green Team Board of Directors and member of the Seizing Our Destiny Champions Council. “The RCC Community Garden is the first of what we hope are a number of community gardens supported through our local fundraising and partnership efforts. We thank Calvary Presbyterian for providing such a generous donation toward what will certainly be a premier community education and healthy food resource.”

As the new community garden comes on line, planners expect to schedule regular workshops focused on local gardening techniques from pruning to pest management. Once opened, the RCC garden, which features cultivation plots, will join a number of established and emerging gardens throughout the city of Riverside that participate in the Riverside Garden Council. As part of the Council, RCC will be able to help connect interested parties with gardening and volunteer opportunities throughout the city.

The RCC Community Garden demonstrates, the spirit of a unified community that comes together around common interests and concerns and showcases Riverside’s commitment to being one of the most inspiring, livable, healthy and adventurous cities to live in or visit.

For more information about the new Riverside City College community garden, or to volunteer, call 951-222-8361.

For more information on the Wood Streets Green team, click here.

To read the full article as published in the Press-Enterprise, click here.

Riverside Community College District Renaissance Block Adds More Arts & Culture to Downtown Riverside

by
(includes excerpts from the article written by Dayna Straehley and published in the Press-Enterprise on 10/26/12)

The new Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties;  
photo by PE staff writer Dayna Straehley

RCC’s Culinary Arts Academy, the future Coil School for the Arts and a gallery showcasing local civil rights leaders are featured in a planned Renaissance Block.

The projects, which include a rooftop pavilion where culinary students can cater special events and a midsize performing arts venue, will attract people downtown, said Virginia Blumenthal, a college district trustee who has led committees planning the projects. “I’m very excited about it,” she said.

So far, only the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties occupies the block. Funded by Riverside redevelopment pass-through money, the roughly 12,000-square-foot center is housed in a renovated Spanish baroque style bank building and will include displays and videos about Riverside civil rights pioneers and preserved art pieces showcased there. It is open by appointment and times can be scheduled by calling 951-222-8854 or emailing to socialjustice@rccd.edu.

The remaining phases are in the planning stages, with construction scheduled to begin in 2014 after a delay for required state approval of the plans. Completion is anticipated for May 30, 2016, which Riverside City College President Cynthia Azari said would coincide with RCC’s centennial celebration.

The school of the arts has been in the planning stages about 20 years, Riverside Unified School District board member Chuck Beaty said. Beaty served on a planning committee when he was on the City Council. The project has evolved, he said.

A combination of funding Henry W. Coil Jr., of Riverside, dedicated $5 million for programming for the arts school in memory of his parents, Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil.

In addition to a performance space that seats approximately 450, the 34,700-square-foot arts school will also include classrooms, practice rooms, a choral room, band room, orchestra room, a piano lab, and a state-of-the-art recording studio.

The Culinary Arts Academy will include a demonstration kitchen and street-level dining room, which Blumenthal said gives students practical experience preparing and serving breakfasts and lunches.

By bringing people downtown, the projects will benefit all of Riverside, Blumenthal said.

RCC’s commitment to integrating fine arts, culture and history into the Downtown helps solidify Riverside’s place as a center for creativity and lifelong learning while creating interesting, inviting places and venues for students, residents and visitors.

To read the full Press-Enterprise article that includes additional details on the project, funding and timing, click here.

Additional links:

RCCD Community Excellence projects

RCCD Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties

RCC Culinary Academy

Completion Counts Two-Year Guarantee Helps 373 High School Graduates

by

With California’s budget cuts creating limited seats at Riverside City College (RCC), many students are finding it hard to enroll in the classes they need. However, through Completion Counts, RCC is now offering a two-year completion guarantee for eligible graduates of Alvord and Riverside Unified School Districts starting with the Class of 2012. The Guarantee has already helped 373 Riverside high school graduates register for the classes they need to graduate on time and complete their higher education goals.

The two-year guarantee is an invaluable opportunity for students who hope to earn an associate’s degree or transfer to a four-year university under the current budget crunched system because it gives priority registration to graduates from Riverside and Alvord Unified School Districts who meet the eligibility requirements. In order to participate, students must sign a contract, pass placement tests in English and math, cannot drop any classes and must meet other applicable deadlines. (View the full list of requirements and resources for the two-year guarantee)

Under the Two-Year Guarantee Riverside City College Guarantees:

  • Early registration for courses at Riverside City College (not valid for Moreno Valley or Norco Colleges)
  • Access to English and math courses starting your first term until your requirements are met
  • Access to 15.0 units each term based on your Student Education Plan
  • Two-year Student Education Plan (SEP) created with an RCC counselor
  • Follow-up student support services each term

Cindy Taylor, Director of Completion Counts, stressed the importance of the Guarantee for students in an August 27, 2o12 Press Enterprise article by Dayna Straehly. “If we don’t get more kids graduating, we’re going to see more jobs pass us by” as a community, Taylor said.

This message was echoed by Riverside City College Chancellor Gregory Gray who also commented on the impact of budget cuts for students trying to enroll in required courses. Chancellor Gray said the district turned away about 7,000 students who wanted classes last year because of budget cuts at the Riverside City, Moreno Valley and Norco colleges. “So a seat is an extremely valuable thing,” Gray said.

The two-year guarantee is the result of Completion Counts, a $3 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant funded citywide partnership to raise college graduation rates by 2020. The grant is entering its final year and has created a solid framework of collaborations between the City of Riverside, RiversideUnified School District, Alvord Unified School District, Riverside City College and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce that will continue to promote a college-going culture in Riverside.

Riverside has come together around the need to promote higher education in our community and ensure that our students are able to take full advantage of the opportunities available at any of the institutions of higher education within our city. The two-year guarantee reflects the commitment to lifelong learning and a college-going culture in Riverside by ensuring that students achieve their academic goals through accessible and efficient means. 

Read the full August 27, 2012 article from the Press Enterprise.

Learn more about Completion Counts and the efforts to improve college graduation and college-going rates in Riverside.

Related articles

Improvement in Graduation Rates Shows Commitment to Culture of Lifelong Learning

by

1

CBU 2012 Commencement

Cal Baptist University’s largest graduating class in history.

Riverside promotes a culture of lifelong learning and a greater quality of life through the diverse array of educational and developmental opportunities ranging from K-12 to institutions of higher education. The 2011-2012 school year has shown great results for efforts made in Riverside through Completion Counts, a partnership between the City and local schools to advance educational attainment at all levels of learning. The collaborative effort is critical in strengthening Riverside’s regional competitiveness and our long-term economic growth.

High School Graduation Rates on the Rise

2010 Census data shows that citywide, 79% of students in Riverside graduate from high school, 42% enroll in college, 14% graduate from a 2-year college, and 66% graduate from a 4-year university. Riversiders can be proud to see that community-driven efforts to improve these numbers and cultivate an educated workforce have gained momentum. A June 2012 Press Enterprise Article emphasized the steady progress made in Riverside, stating that “In Riverside County, nearly 81% of students who began high school as freshman in 2007 graduated with their class in 2011, 3% more than in 2010.

Click to enlarge.

The article also noted that “Most Inland schools are doing better than the state average graduation rate. The top Inland schools, Chaparral High School in Temecula and King High School in Riverside, have the region’s highest graduation rate of 96.5 percent.”

This is on track with the Completion Counts Action Plan to raise these numbers by 2020: 90% of high school students will graduate, 62% of students will go on to college, 42% of students who start at a 2-year college will complete or transfer, 72% of students who start at a 4-year college will complete their degree.

Record Breaking University Graduation Numbers

Riverside is home to four internationally recognized universities and colleges: University of California, Riverside; Cal Baptist University; La Sierra University; and Riverside City College. These institutions for higher education offer a wide array of degree and credential programs and range in size from about 20,000 students to 2,000. The chart below provides a summary of enrollment and graduation numbers as well as degree programs offered at each school.

Click to enlarge.

University of California, Riverside (UCR) graduated the largest class in the its history with a total of 5,016 graduates. California Baptist University’s (CBU) Class of 2012 was the largest in CBU’s 62-year history, numbering 1,330 graduates and surpassing the 1,000-graduate mark for the fourth consecutive year. Although La Sierra University’s graduating class of 343 did not set a new high, the 2012 graduating class showcased the University’s diversity with students who arrived from 36 countries, represented 22 faiths and ranged in age from 21 – 66.

Riverside has tremendous intellectual capital and its schools are devoted to excellence in teaching and learning. These invaluable assets serve as the foundation for the most desirable attributes in a unified city – a strong innovative economy, an able workforce, opportunities for intelligent growth, welcoming places to gather and be entertained, art in all its forms, quality health care and respect for one another. These attributes of a high quality of life make the City of Riverside a location of choice to pursue an education and grow in your career.

Related articles

Junior Olympics Come to Riverside, Aquatic Complex Adds New Admirers

by

The Riverside Aquatics Complex has truly raised the bar for aquatic sports in the Inland Empire and Southern California. In just 18 months the world class facility has already staked the claim as an outstanding venue for major competitions and events.

The RAC hosted the 2012 CIF Southern Section swimming and diving competition from May 7th-12th and the 2012 Southern California Swimming Summer Junior Olympics from July 25th-29th. The Complex is continuing to build this reputation with several other national and international competitions already booked for the near future. 

(The following is an article by Greg Patton as published in the Press-Enterprise on July 27, 2012)

The facilities? Great.

The pool? Fast.

The organization of the meet? Terrific.

Junior Olympics swimmers compete underneath
the flag at the Riverside Aquatics Complex
STAFF PHOTO BY TERRY PIERSON

But those aren’t the only things that impressed Jason Schwarz, head coach of the Los Angeles Swim Club, who brought 50 of his athletes to compete in the massive 2012 Southern California Swimming Summer Junior Olympics at the Riverside Aquatics Complex this past week.

Some of his kids actually were hanging out in the lobby of the Mission Inn, reading about its history. What? And taking walks around downtown. Huh?

“You know how it is with teen-aged boys,” said Schwarz, and we do. “Sometimes they just sit in their rooms with their Xboxes. We’re real pleased coming out here.”

That should come as anecdotal gold to organizers of the meet, as well as city, county and Riverside City College officials – all of whom were hoping that the RAC would have this kind of synergistic effect.

That a new, high-end complex on the RCC campus would attract a variety of large events. That it would develop an image for Riverside as a pool-sports Mecca. That it would boost the number of visitors, and create a favorable impression of the city.

It’s early – the RAC only opened 18 months ago – but so far, it’s looking good.

Emily Longfellow of Redlands Swim Team
goes through her 400 IM paces
STAFF PHOTO BY TERRY PIERSON

The facility’s calendar is filling up nicely. In addition to swimming events, such as the recent CIF Southern Section meet and the Junior Olympics, there are synchronized swimming, water polo and diving events on tap. Among them are a national masters water polo tournament next year and an international synchronized swim event in 2014.

“I’ve wanted competition water in this city for 40 years,” said Debbi Guthrie, director of the new Riverside Sports Commission, and once a nationally ranked member of the Riverside AQuettes. “This is going to be a huge economic driver.”

Some 900 swimmers from the Southland and Nevada are in town for the five-day Junior Olympics, helping fill 600 room-nights at local hotels.

The key to this whole enterprise, of course, is the RAC itself. As soon as it was built, it was among a handful of unique pool complexes in the Southland. Its amenities are the multiple diving platforms; the large amount of deck space around the long-course pool to accommodate team tents and spectators; the two scoreboards; the nine competition lanes; and the three auxiliary pools providing 17 lanes for warm-ups and cool-downs.

“I’m thoroughly impressed,” said Travis Tyler, coach of the Boulder City-Henderson (Nevada) Swim Team, who enjoyed bringing his swimmers somewhere other than the usual venues, like Mission Viejo and Irvine. “There are clusters of swimmers around each complex, and this opens up another avenue. It’s good to come to a different locale and (compete against) different swimmers, but the same caliber. Actually, they’ve been faster, so far.”

Swimmers relax between Junior Olympics
races at Riverside Aquatics Complex
STAFF PHOTO BY TERRY PIERSON

In fact, the pool has been producing strong times. That’s a big plus for accomplished athletes like the 5-to-18-year-olds who qualified for the Junior Olympics.

Said Tyler, “If there’s a history of fast times, (swimmers) feel comfortable. They want to come back.”

“Kids train all year looking at one (qualifying) number,” said meet director Shari Chun, of the host Riverside Aquatics Association, which also helps manage the use of the complex. “We hope they like coming here.”

No problem.

“If there’s an opportunity for us to come back, we will,” said Schwarz of his LA team.

Hometown athlete Seva Eagle, of the Redlands Swim Club and Riverside King High School, said he’s heard good things about the venue from his competition, too.

“I am kinda proud of it,” said Eagle. “It’s a pool everyone wants to go to.”

And once they get the swimmers here, who knows?

“It introduces people to a town they probably don’t know much about,” said Tim Sharpe, an assistant with the LA Swim Club. “There’s great history here. I’m sure I’m not the only one who cares about that kind of thing.”

Whatever makes you happy, RAC’s cadre of public and private caretakers are just glad their pool is making a splash.

Follow Gregg on Facebook or Twitter, or click here to go to the original article.

Riverside is known for big city recreation with a hometown feel and the Riverside Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art venue available for the entire community to enjoy. As the first 65-meter competition pool in the Inland region, the RAC is a world-class training facility and location of choice for competitive swim, dive, and water polo teams and individual athletes in the Inland Empire. The complex is also recognized as an excellent venue for both national and international competitions and events that attract visitors from across the country and exposes them to the wonderful amenities that Riverside has to offer. The RAC also helps address the growing need for sports medicine and water fitness classes, and swimming education and recreation programs for the community. 

RCC Hosts a Preview Opening of the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties

by

0

Mine Okubo Social Justice & Civil Liberties BuildingThe Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and World War II camp internee Norm Mineta and Consul General Jun Niimi from the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles were in Riverside on June 27, 2012, to speak at the preview opening of Riverside Community College District’s new Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, and the official commemoration of the 100th anniversary of noted Japanese American artist Miné Okubo’s birth (June 27, 1912).

Nearly 300 guests and dignitaries were in attendance at the Wednesday afternoon event, which began with an official program in the adjacent White Park, followed by a tour of the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties.

The center features the works of Riverside native and Japanese-American artist Miné Okubo, who left the bulk of her collection to her alma mater, Riverside City College (RCC). Miné Okubo’s family was present to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her birth and participate in the tribute to Okubo’s public roles as artist, activist and feminist.

Okubo graduated from RCC in 1933, and went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UC Berkeley and was on her way to fame as an artist before she was among 100,000 to 200,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans in the western states who were sent to internment camps.

While she was confined, she created approximately 2,000 drawings and sketches of her experiences in the camps. Okubo’s seminal work Citizen 13660 was the first chronicling of the Japanese American internment camp experience by an internee and was published to critical acclaim in 1946. Her personal collection of 8,000 pieces of artwork, professional papers, correspondence, and memorabilia, which she bequeathed to her alma mater Riverside City College in 2001, was the catalyst for the new Center, and anchors the inaugural exhibitions.

Photo courtesy of the Press Enterprise: David Bauman/Staff Photographer

Complementing the Okubo Collection is the plaza level “Riverside Stories” interpretive exhibition that explores the struggle for social justice and civil rights through citizens engaged in the fight for equality. These stories include the Harada Family, who challenged the Alien Land Act in U.S. courts; Frank Johnson, who fought to integrate the city’s public swimming pool in the 1920s; Rupert Costo, an RCC alumnus and national leader in the fight for economic and social recognition for Native Americans; and Johnny Sotelo, the first Mexican American to serve on Riverside’s city council. Also profiled are poet and author Tomas Rivera, UC Riverside’s first Mexican American chancellor, and hotelier and peace ambassador Frank Miller, original builder and innkeeper of the Mission Inn, a national historical landmark.

The center will have regular operating hours in the fall and is open by appointment only this summer.

Read more from the RCC Press Release for June 25, 2012.

Read the full article from the Press Enterprise about the opening event.

Read an article from KCET about the hidden history behind the building being used to house the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties.

Riverside Attracts National Attention for Its Commitment to Student Success

by

0

As the City of Arts & Innovation, Riverside is attracting national attention for our citywide partnership to improve graduation rates and create a college-going culture. The National League of Cities recently published an article by Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge showcasing this commitment to creating an educated workforce and a community of lifelong learning.

The following is the article written by Mayor Loveridge published here by the National League of Cities: 

We recently made two important, and I think defining, announcements for our students in Riverside, California. The first is that Riverside City College (RCC) will guarantee our local high school graduates the opportunity to complete a degree, or transfer, in two years. This comes at a time when our state budget is forcing our community colleges to cut hundreds of classes. The second is that our city, education and business leaders are united in a commitment to raise the number of students who enroll and graduate from college by 2020. Our citywide partnership is called Completion Counts and we have a plan of action to deliver on our promise.

The talent dividend – the long-term economic benefits associated with a more educated workforce – is becoming the best marker of a successful city in the 21st century. The presence of college-educated people explains much of a city’s success. In Riverside, a one percentage point gain in college completion would yield an estimated $185 million increase in per capita income.

Our city is home to three universities and a community college. This is our most important characteristic. However, we must also be a community that creates a college-going culture and supports our high school students to become college graduates. In 2010, Riverside was one of four cities to receive a $3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase college graduation rates through the foundation’s Communities Learning in Partnership initiative, for which NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families serves as managing intermediary.

Our approach addresses key barriers that hinder our students’ ability to earn a degree. For example, our high school math and English teachers have joined with college professors to align curriculum and lesson plans so that students are ready for college-level work. Students will reap the benefits when they don’t have to take “catch-up” courses that don’t count towards a degree – saving them time and money.

High school guidance counselors are also working with student advisors at the college level to decide on the best ways to groom students for college. That means students receive the most accurate and up-to-date information about college-prep classes, college admissions, selecting a major, and financial aid requirements.

We are also leading a public awareness campaign to foster a citywide, college-minded culture where college graduation is the educational standard for all youth. That includes working with the chamber of commerce to support local and statewide measures that raise high school graduation standards to ensure college and workforce readiness.

The RCC two-year guarantee is perhaps our most ambitious effort. We will provide our students with priority class registration, a guaranteed seat in math and English classes required for graduation, and frequent assistance from RCC counselors to help them reach their educational goals. This will particularly help our students from Riverside, whom are overwhelmingly the first in their family to go to college.

We are confident that through our collaborative efforts we will raise college graduation rates among Riverside youth. By 2020, our goal is:

  • 90 percent of high school students will graduate (compared to 79 percent today).
  • 62 percent of students will go on to college (compared to 42 percent).
  • 42 percent of students who start at a two-year college will complete or transfer (compared to 14 percent).
  • 72 percent of students who start at a four-year college will complete their degree (compared to 66 percent).

When we made these goals public, we collectively agreed to hold ourselves accountable to create real solutions that our students can count on. We have to do it for the prosperity of our city, our students, and our future.

Related articles

Fun Fact: Inventor of the Xerox Machine Was An RCC Alum

by

0

Riverside is home to many well known innovators, but did you know that the inventor of Xerography, the process of copying onto plain paper that spurred the creation and growth of the Xerox Corporation was an alumnus of Riverside City College?

That inventor was Chester Carlson (1906-1968), a Seattle born man who moved to the San Bernardino area as a young boy. Chester was a graduate of the RCC Class of 1928 and was recognized as Alumnus of the Year in 1964.  

After graduating from high school, Chester enrolled at RCC in a work-study program that required him to work alternate 6-week periods working and attending school. While working at a local print shop he became frustrated with the duplication techniques, which ultimately inspired him to begin rethinking the process. After completion of a three year chemistry program at RCC, he transferred to Cal Tech as a 3rd year Physics major. He graduated and was hired by Bell Labs as a research engineer and later transferred to the patent department. He put himself through New York Law school, graduating in 1939.

Chester kept a pocket diary from the age of 15 where he wrote down hundreds of ideas for potential inventions. When he was laid off during the depression he began experimenting with several of these ideas in his own kitchen, including the duplication method. He spent years trying to perfect the technology and finally in 1944 a young engineer from Battelle Memorial Institute saw potential in his work and became his agent. A researcher from Haloid (now Xerox) took an interest in Carlson’s technology and after much experimentation Haloid Xerox introduced the first plain paper copier, the 914 model to the market in 1960. (You can actually see a working 914 copier at Riverside City College in the MLK Teaching and Learning Center)

Mr. Carlson became very wealthy as a result of his patents and stock offerings from Xerox. He was a generous philanthropists, donating mostly as an anonymous donor, although Cal Tech did build a research lab with funding he provided.

The City of Arts & Innovation is known for its interesting people and Chester Carlson is certainly one of them. His invention of the first copier has been referred to as “the biggest thing in printing since Gutenberg” and Fortune Magazine called it “the most successful product ever made in America.” Riversiders can be proud to know that one of the greatest inventors in America came from their community.

Completion Counts Video Focuses on Opportunities For Local Students

by

1

View the latest video from Completion Counts about the commitment to make sure students are better prepared for college and that they get the classes they need to graduate on time.

Completion Counts is Riverside’s landmark initiative to raise college graduation rates. We are a partnership of teachers, parents, administrators and community organizations behind one purpose: to raise the number of Riverside students who enroll and graduate from college by 2020. The City of Riverside, Alvord and Riverside Unified School Districts, Riverside Community College District, the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and you can change the direction of our city by improving the future of our students.
Related articles

Riverside Leaders Kick Off RCC Two-Year Completion Guarantee To Raise College Graduation Rates

by

2

On Monday, May 7th Mayor Ron Loveridge and Completion Counts, a citywide partnership of education, civic and business leaders, kicked off the Riverside City College two-year completion guarantee, which looks to boost college access and success for local youth. Students at Norte Vista High School gathered in their gymnasium to learn about the new citywide initiative as high school graduation approaches.

The guarantee assures that eligible 2012 graduates of Alvord and Riverside Unified School Districts get priority class registration at RCC and a seat in classes to help them earn an associates degree, or transfer to a four-year university, within two years of enrolling.

The RCC two-year guarantee is part of an ambitious effort led by Completion Counts to raise the number of Riverside students who enroll and graduate from college by 2020. The partnership is driven by the City of Riverside, Riverside City College, Alvord Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside County Office of Education, UC Riverside, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.

California’s budget cuts to education are driving community colleges to make changes to address the specific needs of their campus and community, while still making higher education accessible to everyone. Through Completion Counts, RCC is now focusing its efforts to give priority to eligible local incoming students, whom are overwhelmingly the first in their families to go to college.

“We know that for some of you right now college is just a dream, but we’ve been working very hard to make college a real possibility,” said Board President of Riverside Unified School District Gayle Cloud to a packed gymnasium. “This kind of collaboration between K-12 and higher education is unheard of in many communities – but we’re making it happen here in Riverside,” she said.

Dr. Cynthia Azari, President of Riverside City College presented the details of the guarantee. To participate, students must meet certain criteria including: score high in a college-entrance English and math test, complete the 2012-13 Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), attend full-time and maintain a 2.0 GPA at RCC. The guarantee does not apply at the Moreno Valley or Norco colleges.

RCC provides opportunities for technical education and transitions to four year universities and produces a highly educated workforce. The two-year completion guarantee shows the commitment to lifelong learning and a college-going culture in Riverside by ensuring that students achieve their academic goals through accessible and efficient means.