College Report: October 2022
Focus Forward Magazine
FCC Dean’s Medallion recipient, Zofia Trexler, will be featured in the 2022 Focus Forward magazine that will be unveiled at the magazine launch party on October 26 at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater. Zofia is headed to Stanford University having earned three Associate in Arts degrees in Political Science, Global Studies and Law, Public Policy and Society all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She has struggled with anxiety and other mental health issues since high school which affected her grades. She started rebuilding her life at FCC and joined the California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) and also served on the coalition for Senate Bill 224. She testified in support of the senate bill, which would have mandated all students in California K-12 public schools to receive age-appropriate mental health education. The bill was eventually signed into law.
Best Practices Nets Award
Fresno City College is featured in the CCC Chancellor’s Office 2022 EEO/Diversity Best Practices Handbook for its New Employee Equity Academy (NEEA). Beginning in fall 2020, the NEEA is an innovative approach to onboarding new classified professionals, full time faculty, and administrators by providing them with foundational information, resources, and tools to foster student equity while orienting them to the equity-minded commitment and culture of the college. The program begins prior to the fall semester with a kick-off event, equity syllabus workshops for faculty, and a three-day orientation covering everything from an introduction to campus leaders, an overview of student support services available at FCC, and how to start the semester with equityminded and culturally affirming practices. Faculty also engage in a year-long program of learning and reflection within interdisciplinary cohorts led by Faculty Support Guides.
Native American Day Celebration
NAISA (Native American Inter-Tribal Student Association) celebrated California Native American Day on Friday, September 23 in Yokuts Plaza. They presented cultural demonstrations, Native American speakers and an Indian Taco food truck. California is one of the few states that has set a day to honor Native Americans. Located adjacent to the Art Space Gallery, the Yokuts Plaza is dedicated to the Yokuts and Mono tribes and their ancestors on whose land Fresno City College sits.
Ram Health Fair
The FCC Health Services Office held the Fall 2022 Ram Health Fair on Wednesday, September 28 on University Mall (in front of the Library). The health fair was open to all students, faculty and staff. There were approximately 50 campus programs and community vendors who participated.
Fall Arts Fundraiser
Friends of the Arts is hosting Toasting the Arts: Jazz Night on October 21 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. on the West Lawn of the Old Administration Building. Bring your blanket or chair to enjoy the free entertainment or purchase a fundraising ticket to reserve VIP seating at a table. VIP tickets are $45 in advance, $55 at the door, or $400 for a table of ten. Each ticket also includes a souvenir gift, light hors d'oeuvres, dessert, two adult beverages and one soft drink. The event will also feature food trucks, a silent auction, art gallery pop-up and kid's crafts. Tickets are available on the Performing Arts FOTA web page.
Disability Awareness Month
Fresno City College’s Disabled Students Program and Services (DSP&S) is proud to recognize Disability Awareness Day on October 5 as a way to promote and celebrate National Disability Awareness Month. Events will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to promote an atmosphere where individuals are comfortable discussing and exploring questions about accessibility, equality, and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Hispanic Heritage Month
The FCC Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LFSA), along with Student Activities, planned several events to focus and highlight Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 – October 13. Several events were held that included Lotería games, a parade and workshops for a group of Girl Scouts to learn how to make papel picado and paper flowers. On Thursday, October 13, an LFSA fundraiser will be held selling fresh fruit juice drinks in cantaritos—traditional clay cups— from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in front of the cafeteria.
Horizon Aware Winner
Grammy-nominated music instructor Dr. Kevin Cooper will be honored by the Fresno Arts Council at the 37th Annual Horizon Awards. The Annual Horizon Awards acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of artists and supporters of the arts in our community. Dr. Cooper is being honored for his outstanding arts contribution to the area. His wife, Catherine, will also be honored for her work as an elementary school music educator for Sanger Unified. The awards will be presented on Sunday, October 16.
Police Academy Graduation Slated
Police Academy Class #168 will hold a graduation ceremony for 49 cadets on October 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the CrossCity Church. Fresno County Assistant Sheriff, Stephen McComas, is the guest speaker. The 25-week program started on April 18. The graduates successfully passed all segments of a curriculum in over 41 topical areas that included criminal law, investigations, patrol procedures, vehicle operations, traffic, first aid, professionalism and ethics, physical training, and many other related subjects.
Pizza with the President
Over 80 students attended Dr. Robert Pimentel’s first Pizza with the President event on September 21 in the Old Administration East Courtyard. Dr. Pimentel fielded a number of questions from students that included parking, the fee structure and class offerings for the West Fresno campus.
Equity Forum 2022
On September 19-20, Dr. Ray Ramirez participated in the Education Trust – West’s “Equity Forum 2022: Moving Forward Together” in Los Angeles. This year’s forum focused on how “we” move forward together to leverage evidence-based strategies to significantly improve racial and educational equity and justice in our early learning centers, schools, and colleges throughout California. Dr. Ramirez served on a panel titled “Towards Anti-Racist Community Colleges: (Re)building and (Re)imaging Student Equity” while representing the ongoing racial equity and antiracism efforts at Fresno City College.
Speaker's Forum
The FCC Speaker’s Forum opens its 2022-2023 season with transgender actor and comedian Zach Barack on Thursday, October 20 at 11a.m. He is credited as the first openly transgender actor in a Marvel film, appearing in Spider-Man Far From Home. Zach has appeared on the TV series Transparent and currently voices the lead character of Barney on Netflix’s animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park. He will speak on transgender issues and representation in the OAB Auditorium.
Stress Reduction Project Offered
As part of the Fall Campus Stress Reduction Project, Fresno City College Master of Social Work Interns will offer a Stress-Reduction Session on October 18 at 2:00 p.m. via zoom. It is open to faculty, classified professionals, administrators, students and community members. The topic will be Finding [Your]self in a Shifted World. Registration for this webinar zoom session is now available.
Health Workforce initiative Grant
Fresno City College has now received $475,000 for the ADN-BSN-MSN Pipeline Expansion Project partnering with Fresno State to develop a collaborative program to increase medical professionals in the San Joaquin Valley. The partnership will develop a pipeline for academic progression in nursing through the Community Funding for a Planning Grant to prepare FCC students to earn an Associate in Science (ADN) and then transfer to Fresno State. The partnership will create opportunities for first generation students of color from diverse backgrounds to enter and complete their bachelor’s in nursing and possibly master's degree programs as Nurse Practitioners and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. This project expansion will intentionally increase the number of Hispanics, African Americans, and AAPI students who enroll and successfully complete the programs.
In the News
Here are some of the news stories about Fresno City College or people from
Fresno City College that have been featured in the media.
- Fresno Bee: New Hall of Fame inductees
- KSEE24: Education Matters: Colleges working to get students back on campus
- The Academic Minute: Alana Jeydel, Fresno City College – 2022: The Year of the Female Gubernatorial Candidate
- Kings River Life: The West Fresno Center Water Feature Project
Sports Update
The defending State Championship Volleyball team is off to a strong start with a 9-2 record thus far. The men’s soccer team is also starting their season strong with a 5-1-1 record and women’s soccer is 2-1-2. The women’s water polo team is half way through the season with a 2-3 record. The football team has had a rough start with a 2-1 record beating American River College 32-7 on September 17. Check out all the fall sports schedules on the FCC athletic website.
