Thursday , January 19, 2023

Greetings, Campus Community:

Happy New Year and welcome back! I'm so excited for the year 2023! This is the year that IVC wins the Aspen prize, begin the process of realizing the 2030 facilities master plan, and continue to celebrate our 60th anniversary. What a year to look forward to! What's more, we get to do it together with the best faculty, staff, administration, and Trustees. I'm beyond excited and grateful to you all!

We have a lot of exciting things to look forward to and below you will find a brief update on the campus.

Campus Safety: First, I would like to welcome our new Risk, Security and Safety Manager, Mr. Edgar Quinones. He is joining us from the Imperial County Sheriff Office and has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He will lead our campus safety efforts moving forward. One of the first task that he plans to administrator is an active assailant training and drill . He will provide training for all employees early February and facilitate the drill in March. He is also working with the architect, and campus staff on the type and placement of the cameras throughout the campus.

Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training: The California Assembly Bill 1825 (California Government Code Section 12950.0) was put into effect in 2005 to protect employees and employers from sexual harassment and discrimination. It mandates that California organizations must provide their employees with comprehensive sexual harassment training every 2 years. To comply with this law, and just as a good practice, we will ensure all faculty, staff, administrators are trained in accordance with this law. There will be no exceptions. HR is working on a training schedule throughout the year and will keep track on who has completed the training. The first training will be held on January 24. If you have not signed up already, please do so. Recognizing that teaching-faculty are off contract, the district will compensate them for the 1-hour training. There will be future trainings for teaching-faculty during the semester.

Campus safety will continue to be a priority of ours and we will do all we can to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. 

 New Administration: We will host a meet and greet for our new administrators listed below:

• Lorena Lopez, Vice President of Student Services
• Johanna Fisher, Associate Vice President of Human Resources
• Enrique Lechuga, Associate Dean of Athletics, Exercise Science, and Health Education
• Edgar Quinones, Risk, Safety and Security Manager

Please join us February 28th from 2:40 – 4:00pm in the College Center, light refreshments will be provided.

Enrollment: For the fourth consecutive term, we recorded double digit enrollment growth. Outstanding! I'm so amazed by our outstanding faculty, staff and administrators for the awesome work you all are doing in granting our students, community members access to higher education. For the winter intersession, we experienced our highest enrollment growth of all time for this term, recording a 15% increase or 609.56 FTEs compared to last year 521.92 and the year prior to 582.98. Spring looks equally promising as we are pacing 11% over last year and 18% over the prior year. This year 2187.04, last year 1932.18, year prior 1855.9. Thank you to all Deans, Associate Deans, Directors, Chairs, faculty and staff from Academic Services and Student Services. Without your help, this enrollment growth does not occur. I appreciate it. Let's continue to work together for our students.

1. Building 200: Renovation of building has been completed
2. Building 300: Substantial Completion by April 30, 2023
3. Building 800: Demolition will start January 23, 2023
   1. Estimated completion date August 31, 2023
4. Building 10 and 100 HVAC Replacement estimated completion date January 30, 2023
5. New Auto Technology and Arts Classroom
   1. Release of Request for Proposals (RFP) was released December 16, 2022
   2. Project estimated completion date December 31, 2025
6. Card Access System: estimated completion date June 30, 2023
7. Tennis Court Renovation Project: anticipated completion date August 31, 2023
8. Borderlink/New Restroom Addition/Westside Lighting: anticipated completion date December 31, 2023
9. Surveillance Cameras: Architect to provide an initial conceptual design by January 30, 2023

MESA Program at IVC. We are very pleased to announce that IVC has been awarded 1.4 million to implement the MESA program (Mathematics , Engineering, Science Achievement). This is going to be great for the Valley and our students. Thank you, Victor Torres, Dr. Carboni, Jill Nelipovich.

Save the Date! April 29th is when we are planning to host the 60th GALA/Hall of Fame celebration located at the College Center, a formal 'Save the Date' flyer is to follow. The Foundation is currently seeking nominations for the Hall of Fame, please contact Monica Rogers for more information.

I look forward to celebrating our 60 Years of College Excellence for our students and community, together.

Thursday , November 9, 2022

Greetings Campus Community:

I hope you are having a wonderful week and are looking forward to the holiday season!  I sure am!  The countdown to the end of the semester has already started; only about four weeks left, and 19 business days, but who is counting?    Below you'll find a quick campus update on the happenings at IVC.

COVID- 19: 

On October 17, 2022, Governor Newsom announced that the COVID-19 state of emergency will end on February 28, 2023. Thus, many of the pandemic provisions will be discontinued. For example, AB 361, the bill that allows Brown Act committees to teleconference will end.

Here is the specific language:

This bill, until January 1, 2024, would authorize a local agency to use teleconferencing without complying with the teleconferencing requirements imposed by the Ralph M. Brown Act when a legislative body of a local agency holds a meeting during a declared state of emergency, as that term is defined, when state or local health officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing, during a proclaimed state of emergency held for the purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, and during a proclaimed state of emergency when the legislative body has determined that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, as provided.

With that, starting in spring 2023, all Brown Act Committees will be held in person.  We will update the participatory governance handbook to denote meetings that are subjected to the Brown Act.  For clarity, I brought this up to the Community College League of California (CCLC) attorneys, who author the BPs/APs for the system, and they confirmed that we would be out of compliance if we allowed remote meetings once the state of emergency has been lifted.  I realize, for some of you, this may not be the news you want to hear, but this matter is out of our hands.  I assume the current laws will eventually catch up to remote meetings in the future. 

Enrollment:

Open enrollment for the Winter and Spring sessions started Monday, November 7. Our enrollment goal for the winter is 565 and for spring is 2800 FTES. By achieving this goal, we will be very close to the enrollment levels of 2019-2020.  We experienced double-digit enrollment growth for three consecutive terms. Let's make it five. 

Construction:

1. Building 200
   1. Substantial Completion November 30, 2022
   2. Punch List to be completed by December 31, 2022
   3. 95% of furniture delivered and in place already
2. Building 300
   1. Substantial Completion April 30, 2023
3. Building 800
   1. Staff to empty building in December 2022
4. Building 10 and 100 HVAC Replacement
   1. Building 10 – Replacement to begin on November 17, 2022
   2. Building 100 – Replacement to begin on November 14, 2022
5. New Auto Technology and Arts Classroom
   1. DSA Submittal January/February 2023
6. Card Access System
   1. Equipment to arrive by January 31, 2023
7. Tennis Court Renovation Project
   1. In the bidding process
8. Borderlink/New Restroom Addition/Westside Lighting
   1. In the bidding process

Athletics:

The athletic season is in full effect and our student athletes are doing an incredible job. Please support them by attending their games. It will mean a lot to them, and it will give them a competitive edge. Here are a few upcoming home games. For more information, please visit the athletic website.

• Veteran Day Celebration, November 10
• November Food Distribution, November 16
• Thanksgiving Potluck, November 17

Recognition: 

In addition to being recognized as an Aspen Finalist, IVC has been named a 2022 Equity Champion of Higher Education by the Campaign for College Opportunity. Imperial Valley College is being recognized as a top performer in the following category:

• Equity Champion for Black Students, supporting at least 65% of Black associate-degree earners on your campus to earn an ADT, as well as supporting these students to perform as well or better in this metric compared to the student body.

Great job everyone! We are truly changing lives! 

Measure B:

I want to thank everyone who has supported the bond.  So far, the results look promising, but there are still a lot of votes to be counted.  We'll keep our fingers crossed; hopefully, we'll get the results soon.  Here is the link to the election reports.   

Final Thoughts:

Thank you for all you do!  You all continue to amaze me with your commitment to students and your commitment to excellence!  Also, I want to wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day!  Thank you to all who have served this great country!  Your service has allowed each one of us to be here today - safe and free! (Another note, tomorrow, November 10, is the 247 Marine Corps Birthday. Happy Birthday, Marines! Semper fi!)

Have a safe and wonderful week!  

Thursday , October 13, 2022

Greetings, Campus Community:

I am very pleased to announce that the Aspen Site Visit went extremely well. Thanks to each one of you. They were quite impressed and spoke highly of all the wonderful things we are doing. They specifically highlighted the following:

1. Our "Culture of Care:" Everyone genuinely cares about our students and is willing to go the extra mile for them.
2. Our campus and community engagement: We are the Community college, and we work closely with business, civic, and community leaders. Moreover, the community seeks to work with us and considers us a valuable partner.
3. Our strong relationships with our K-12 partners: It is evident that we collaborated with K-12 and support a successful transition from K-12 to IVC and beyond.
4. Our learning support services and embedded tutoring.
5. Our flexible scheduling process: We listen to students, faculty, and staff and adjust to meet student needs and demands.
6. Our facilities: To be a small campus with limited resources, we provide outstanding facilities and technology to our students.
7. Our participatory governance structure and willingness to listen and work with each other at all levels.

As I've mentioned and after this visit, I feel even stronger about our chances of being in the top three and, most likely, number 1 in the nation. We have an amazing team, both internal and external, and I can't see them nominating any other college over us. It is such an honor to work with you.

They have confirmed a jury will review the summative reports in January and announce the winners in April.

So, we'll have to wait patiently until then, but whatever happens, I'm so proud of the work we have done and continue to do in helping our students achieve their dreams.

Thank you again for all who participated in the interviews, and those who helped get our campus ready! Outstanding job!

Thursday , September 22, 2022

Greetings, Campus Community:

I hope this email finds you well and in good spirits.

We are ending another week of the fall 2022 semester; I can't believe we are already a month into the semester. I hope you are enjoying it, as much as I am. To see students on campus, in the labs, in the college center, in the library, etc. is something special, and it truly inspires me. IVC has been a leader in so many categories from basic needs, academic excellence, student persistence and completion, innovation, financial prudence and so much more. No wonder we are considered one of the best community colleges in the nation, and I personally attribute our success to each one of you! You all make the difference, your dedication, and your commitment to our students and our community. Thank you for being GREAT! Below you'll find a quick campus update.

COVID-19 and Campus Safety: According to the health department, there are 339 active cases as of 9/20/2022. The seven-day positivity rate is 21.8% as of September 5, 2022 and the county averages 15.10 cases per day per 100k people. Currently, we have no reported active cases on campus.

The college has been quite busy with enhancing our safety measures. Over the past three months, we have hired an acting Risk and Safety manager to take the lead on campus safety, while we recruit for a permanent safety manager. We received the go ahead to update our campus wide camera systems. We audited all classrooms to identify opportunities to lockdown the classrooms, and the Board has approved the district to install keyless entry to all exterior doors, which would allow us to lockdown the campus remotely. We tested and fixed all police alert poles. We have trained, restructured, and diversified our Title IX office. We have also increased the number of campus safety officers and armed deputies. There are several other safety measures in the works, such as creating and/updating our Injury/Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP), Heat Stress Program, Hazardous Material / Hazardous Waste Program, Emergency Response Plan, etc. Although there is still much work to be done, we are very pleased with the progress we have been making.

I want to sincerely thank the task force for providing their input and the administrative team for leading these efforts. Ric Epps, Melani Guinn, James Dalske, Clint Dougherty, Hope Davis, Lisa Solomon, Paige Lovitt, Jessica Prock, Andrew Robinson, Pearlie Baluyut, Brett Houser, Jose Plascencia, Gina Madrid, Patricia Robles, Cesar Vega, and Rick Webster. I do apologize if I missed someone.

Enrollment: For the third straight term, IVC has increased enrollment by double digits, and we are well on our way to reach our campus goal. For the fall, although not final, currently, we have an 12.67% or 337.97 increase in enrollment, including credit and non-credit. 3004.19 compared to last year 2666.22. Most colleges continue to experience either flat enrollment, a slight increase, or decrease. Although we are still not at our held harmless rate, I have no doubt that we'll get there!

Bond Measure: Attached you'll find the FAQ for Measure B. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Vice president of Administrative Services, Cesar Vega or me.

Measure B FAQ

Aspen Recognition:  The campus is preparing for the site visit on October 12 & 13. Our first preparation meeting was held on September 12, and we'll have follow-up meetings on September 26 and October 4. The Aspen Institute will be examining how we are doing in learning, completion, transfer and bachelor completion, labor market outcomes and student equity.

Camps Projects and Construction: The construction zone is slowly coming down, at least for now, but more projects are underway.

• Nursing building is completed
• Building 200 will be substantially completed by November 30
• Building 300 should be substantially completed by April 2023
• Building 800 should be substantially completed by Fall 2023
• HVAC replacement in building 10 and 100 will start on November 14 and should be completed by January 30, 2023
• Groundbreaking of New restroom addition, border-link antenna project, and west-side lighting is tentatively scheduled for December 2022. Project should be completed in the summer of 2023.
• Tennis renovation project should be completed by June 30, 2023
• Auto Technology and laboratories building should be completed by October 2025
• Wayfinding Project – The Board of Trustees has approved $1.2 million for the construction of this project. Our Project Management Team will start working on the planning and engineering of documents. A project timeline will be provided at a later date.
• Security Cameras Replacement – The Board of Trustees has approved $1 million for the replacement of campus security camera systems. Our Project Management Team will start working on the planning and engineering of documents. A project timeline will be provided at a later date.
• Card Access System – Our Project Management Team has ordered all the necessary equipment to update our campus and provide card access into our buildings. This project requires DSA approval for access control, so a timeline will not be provided until DSA approval is secured. DSA approval timeline is approximately 6-months.

Student Services and Equity Update

The Student Services and Equity division has been busy providing services to students. Counseling teams are busy this week participating in Higher Education Week I at local high schools. The SEA and Matriculation team has started visiting local high schools for application workshops and will continue to do so throughout the semester. The Transfer Center has held several events that have been well attended. Financial Aid has disbursed approximately $5 Million in aid for students. EOPS, Cal Works and SSS have received a record number of applicants/referrals and the programs are in growth mode. The Housing and Basic needs teams have been providing services throughout the month. We are happy to report that the Lotus Living -Tiny Homes Community is at full capacity with 26 students. The September 21st food drive was very successful and over 275 families were served. The next food drive is scheduled for October 12, 2022, and the team is still looking for volunteers to assist. ASG has been busy advocating for students and participating in committees on campus. We love to hear student voices and consider their input valuable and needed to make progress.

Campus and Community Celebrations:

Thank you to everyone who contribute to our campus culture in their own respective way. This Sept. 30, we will be celebrating our National Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday, September 30, 2022, at 6:00 pm on the Student Affairs lawn (building 1000). This event is open to the community. Thanks to our Associated Students Government. In addition, we will have a unique opportunity to collaborate with the City of Imperial on Oct. 15 for their Imperial Market Days celebration. IVC will be hosting a community ofrenda, and we would like your support! A community collaboration meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2022, at 10 am. The link can be found here. If you would like to be included, please join in, or send your thoughts to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Final thoughts

We are off to an excellent start to the year. Many of our projects have been completed or are near completion. Our student success outcomes continue to show improvement. Enrollment is growing at a rate better than our contemporaries, and we are moving closer to our held harmless rate, which would grant us financial stability for years to come. And to top it off, we are an Aspen finalist. Each one of you should be very proud of yourself for the exceptional contributions you have made. Without you, these accomplishments and our students' success would not be possible. You are making a difference and changing lives. Thank you for all you do!

Lastly, a sincere condolence to the student services and A&R teams who lost a valued member of the IVC family. Jose Alarcon you will forever be missed, and I would emphasize, if you need to speak to someone, we have grief counseling available through the Student Health Center, as well as our employee assistance program. To make an appointment, please call (760) 355-6310 or email, Lupita Castro at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact EAP 866-533-4278.

Friday , September 16, 2022

Dear Campus Community:

I would like to begin by wishing everyone a Happy Mexican Independence Day.

Imperial Valley College is proud to be recognized as one of the 569 institutions nationally to be designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). An HSI has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application.

Even more importantly, Imperial Valley College's designation as an HSI represents our deep commitment to a racially just campus climate and supporting our Hispanic, Latinx, and Chicanx students toward completing their personal and educational goals.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced that National Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week will be observed September 13-19, 2021, which is during National Hispanic Heritage Month. In observance and celebration of National HSI Week, Imperial Valley College will continue to build community by increasing awareness of the importance of HSIs in improving access to education, advancement of equity practices, and contributions made to the communities we serve.

As we take this opportunity to reaffirm our appreciation and support of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Chicanx students and employees, we encourage you to join us at our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on September 30th at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Student Affairs (bldg.1000). We are excited to bring a mariachi band, Mix Techo and Lucha Libre, brought to you by Venue Wrestling Entertainment. We look forward to seeing you there!

Estimada comunidad universitaria,

Me gustaría comenzar deseándoles a todos un Feliz Día de la Independencia de México.

Imperial Valley College se enorgullece de ser reconocida como una de las 569 instituciones a nivel nacional designadas como Institución al servicio de los hispanos (HSI). Un HSI tiene una inscripción de
estudiantes universitarios equivalentes a tiempo completo que es al menos un 25 por ciento de estudiantes hispanos al final del año de adjudicación inmediatamente anterior a la fecha de la solicitud.

Aún más importante, la designación de Imperial Valley College como HSI representa nuestro profundo compromiso con un clima de campus racialmente justo y con el apoyo a nuestros estudiantes hispanos, latinx
y chicanx para que alcancen sus metas personales y educativas.

La Asociación Hispana de Colegios y Universidades (HACU) ha anunciado que la Semana Nacional de las Instituciones de Servicio Hispanas (HSI) se celebrará del 12 al 18 de septiembre de 2022, que es durante
el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana. En conmemoración y celebración de la Semana Nacional de HSI, Imperial Valley College continuará construyendo la comunidad aumentando la conciencia de la importancia de las HSIs en la mejora del acceso a la educación,
el avance de las prácticas de equidad, y las contribuciones hechas a las comunidades que servimos.

Mientras aprovechamos esta oportunidad para reafirmar nuestro aprecio y apoyo a nuestros estudiantes y empleados hispanos, latinxs y chicanxs, los animamos a unirse a nosotros en nuestra celebración del
Mes de la Herencia Hispana el 30 de septiembre a las 6 p.m. en el césped detrás del edificio de Asuntos Estudiantiles (edif. 1000). Estamos emocionados de traer mariachi y Lucha Libre, presentada por Venue Wrestling Entertainment. Esperamos verlos allí!

Sinceramente,

Dr. Lennor Johnson

Monday, May 02, 2022

Greetings, Campus Community:

I hope this email finds you well and in good spirits. I'm sure everyone is excited and looking forward to a great 2022-2023 academic year. I am! Here is a quick update on what's been happening.

Also, we are monitoring the COVID-19 cases closely and in communication with the county health department. At this time, there are no plans on a federal, state, or local level to change the COVID-19 protocols. We'll make temporary adjustments as appropriate but will continue to follow the guidance from the health agencies.

Summer enrollment was also very strong as we finished with 601.11 FTES compared to last year's 434.72, plus 166.39 FTES - a 38% increase. Great job, everyone!

Please save the following dates:

• College Center Grand Opening, August 24 at 11 a.m.
• Nursing, building 2100 grand opening September 21 at 11 a.m.
• Building 200, grand opening, October 26, at 11 a.m. and then, the State of the College address

We have received some requests after the agenda had been sent; unfortunately, we were not able to change much based on those recommendations. However, in the future, please send your request to the president's office before June 30, 2023, or volunteer to serve on the convocation task force. We will reach out to the academic senate and CSEA for volunteers. Convocation is for you, the entire campus, and we want to make sure you get the most out of it while providing essential college information.

• District resources may not be used to advocate for the measure. They may only be used to present fair and impartial informational material designed to aid the electorate in reaching an informed judgment regarding the measure.
• Employee time may not be used to advocate for the measure, work on a campaign, or fundraise for a campaign. Board members and employees may advocate for a Measure, work on a campaign or fundraise during their own time but may not use District resources to do so.
• District email should never be used to communicate about or support a Measure campaign.
• The District may allow groups to use their facilities for campaign activity; however, if these facilities are opened, they must be opened to all sides.

2022-23 Priorities

• Enrollment: The governor's budget extends the hold harmless protections until 2024-25. The average over the next three years will establish the District's new "floor;" thus, it is important that we get to the 2019-2020 enrollment levels to avoid any financial shortfalls.
• Safety: Safety is always of the utmost importance. As stated in previous communications, we have increased our security efforts, i.e., hired additional staff, plan to hire a safety/risk manager, and are planning several safety trainings leading up to our active assailant drill on September 16, 2022. We are also considering upgrading our camera system, installing keyless entry on all doors, and much more. If you have recommendations, please send them to me.
• Aspen Prize: We have a wonderful opportunity to be considered the best community college in the nation. In doing so, we will have the chance to earn the $1 million prize. The visit is scheduled for October 12 and 13. Let's be ready.
• Celebration of IVC's 60th anniversary: This academic year marks our 60th anniversary. We are in the process of planning several activities to celebrate this incredible milestone. If you are interested in being part of the planning process, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join!
• Website: The website is transitioning to a new content management system, Modern Campus, and as more details arise, the Public Relations/Marketing office will notify the campus of major changes. The goal is for the website to be student-focused and relatively easy for departments to update and maintain their web pages.
• Community Partnerships: As a community college, it is vitally important that we are connected and open to the community. Last year, we participated in and supported countless events. Our participation helped us increase our enrollment, establish new partnerships, strengthen our brand, and contribute to local initiatives like the lithium project. This year, I would like to continue to build on this success and bring IVC to the community. As you participate in community partnerships, please be sure to make the Public Relations/Marketing office aware to share your team social media!
• Grants and Fundraising: IVC has been fortunate to have secured millions of dollars to support the college and various initiatives. I have also heard that many of you would like to learn more about writing grants; thus, we plan to have multiple trainings throughout the year on grant writing and the process. This is an excellent opportunity to secure funding for projects that couldn't be funded through the program review process.
• Professional Development: We are doing great work and have unbelievable talent within our organization. I aim to ensure you have the tools you need to be the best you can be so that we will invest in your development. Hopefully, we will win the Aspen prize, and we'll dedicate a lot of that funding to help you and the District better serve our students and the community.

Monday, May 02, 2022

I hope everyone is doing well and had a wonderful weekend.

 On Monday, April 25, the Board of Trustees announced my appointment as their new superintendent/president. First, I would like to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me over the years. Without your support, friendship, and advice, none of this would be possible. I'm truly honored and grateful. When I first came to Imperial Valley College nearly six years ago, I couldn't even imagine the possibility of becoming IVC's President. All I wanted was to do an excellent job in serving you, our students, and the community. I promise I will continue to do my absolute best to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, and the community-at-large.

 So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you. It is not a solo act when one achieves this type of accomplishment, but a team effort. I could not be in this position today without your support.

 I especially thank the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with this incredible role and opportunity. I am humbled by the thought and assure you I am here to serve our exceptional students, faculty, staff, administration, and the Imperial Valley community. Thank you, IVC.

As of now, 25 colleges are eligible for the $1 million prize and are to be awarded the next year. The expanded prize field signifies growing momentum for community college reform. The $1 million Aspen Prize is the nation's signature recognition of community colleges that are closing equity gaps, improving student outcomes, and meeting transfer and career placement objectives. In years past, only ten finalists have been named on the road to the winner, and this change is designed to highlight the increased number of colleges across the country doing excellent work. I am so proud of each one of you. You are committed to putting students first, changing and adding programs to best meet students' needs, and delivering education with care and compassion.

As the summer intersession and fall semester approaches, we plan to have roughly 50% of our classes face-to-face and 50% online, some of which will be asynchronous, hybrid, or hyflex. Our schedule continues to be flexible to accommodate students from online, real-time online, hyflex, hybrid, and face-to-face. We are super excited that we can offer so many different modalities to meet our students' individual needs and interests. This is the very definition of meeting students where they are.

We are continuing our community outreach. We hosted an 'Explore IVC' event on April 29, where HS teachers, counselors, and administrators, were invited to learn about our programs and initiatives and witness demonstrations in fire, nursing, electrical, and POST programs. We anticipate this to be just the beginning, as we want to show the community all of the great things IVC has to offer.

IVC will not be able to offer free tuition to students any longer. Please do not let this discourage potential students; we have programs available to assist our students with economic challenges. I encourage you to send students in need of services to our Student Services Department, where they can receive what they need. We are committed to their success, and we do not want finances to be a barrier.

Check out the article in Calexico Chronicle.

Friday, March 07, 2022

It should be noted that although we are reversing the negative enrollment trend of the past two years, we are still considerably down from 2019/20 year by 18%, which is our hold harmless year. We need to build on this momentum and get back to 19/20 enrollment level our plan is to achieve this by next year. I know we can do it!

While our late enrollment period has ended on a positive note and we continue to be a dynamite team, it is important to keep contacting and encouraging our students to not only attend IVC but to stay enrolled and relay available resources to our students.

We have all done an incredible job working together to protect the health and well-being of our community. Let's continue to work together to keep our community safe and healthy. If you haven't gotten your booster shot, please do so and upload your vaccination card with the booster vaccine to receive the incentive. Click here.

I encourage you all to visit IVC's Fairbooth at the Casa de Manana building next to San Diego State University from now until Sunday, March 13, 2022. I look forward to seeing you there.

Join us at the next State of the College Town hall meeting on March 17, 2022, at 3:00 pm. At the Townhall, we'll share updates on the happenings at IVC as well as take questions from the audience. Please submit your questions in advance at https://forms.imperial.edu/view.php?id=868214.

Immediately following the Townhall, we'll have our DSPS Grand Opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:00 pm. It took us a long time to get here, and we are extremely excited to provide a better facility with enhanced student resources for our students with disabilities.

In the meantime, we plan to conduct informal interviews with interested parties to identify an Interim Vice President of Student Services. If you or someone you know is interested and meets the qualifications, please email Clint Dougherty and me directly.

In closing, keep up the amazing work, Team! We are IVC!

Sincerely,

Friday, February 14, 2022

Greetings, Campus Community:

I hope this email finds you well and in good spirits.

First, I would like to say, it is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our colleague and friend Mark Duva. He passed away on February 5, 2022. Mark began employment with the district on August 15, 2014, as a Psychology Professor. He was an outstanding faculty member who his students adored. He will be truly missed. It is important to note that COVID did not cause his death but another health condition. If you would like additional information regarding funeral arrangements, don't hesitate to contact Dave Drury, Interim Vice President of Instruction.

We offer Mark's family and friends our sincerest condolences.

Since my last email, we have increased enrollment by nearly 500 FTES, which brings us to 16.14% over the prior year. I remind you our goal was to increase spring enrollment by only 5% over the prior year. Unduplicated headcount also jumped considerably. We went from being down 931 students to being up 277. What a turnaround! Either I set the goal too low, or we simply have a fantastic team that is committed to student success. I believe it to be the latter.

I want to acknowledge the outstanding work that Vice President David Drury and the Deans are doing. They worked closely with faculty and the program chairs to adjust classes to meet enrollment demands and students' preferences. Also, I want to thank our outstanding faculty who have been working with the VP and the deans to make these accommodations. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the Student Services team, who actively encouraged students to enroll and take additional units. They are also bringing IVC to the community by participating in parades, fairs, and standalone IVC events. Last, I must acknowledge our Marketing department. I have seen our ads and promotional collateral more this year than in the last six years combined. OUTSTANDING JOB, EVERYONE! We know it takes a campus to enroll, retain and graduate a student. You all are doing it! Thank you!

Many of our buildings are under construction. As a result, many walkways and restroom facilities are unavailable. Upon entering the campus, you will be provided a map of the impacted areas. There will also be staff strategically around campus who can assist you and our students. I sincerely apologize for this disruption and the inconvenience this may cause. Most of our buildings and major equipment are very old and well past their serviceable life. We are actively trying to modernize our facilities to better serve our students and you.

For your reference, the following construction projects are scheduled to be completed by:

• Building 2100 Nursing: April 30, 2022
• Building 700 Gym: April 30, 2022
• Building 200: August 30, 2022
• Building 600 College Expansion: April 30, 2022

The state of California and other states are planning to lift many of the mandates. The indoor facemask mandate for vaccinated people will be lifted on February 16. As in the past, we'll continue to follow the local, state, and federal guidelines. Thus, vaccinated persons will no longer have to wear a facemask starting next week. However, we strongly encourage you to wear a face-covering in close or highly populated areas. Considering that a large percentage of our students will be back on campus next week, we are discontinuing the adjusted schedule. If you feel a special accommodation for your area should be made, please consult your manager and your vice president or executive officer. We'll consider these requests and get back to you as soon as possible.

Our goal is to keep you as safe as possible while we return to campus. We will continue to do screenings at the entry points. We have ordered plenty of N-95 masks that will be provided upon request. We have testing kits that will be provided to employees and students. If you are feeling sick, you should test yourself before coming on campus or stay home. We'll continue to do on-campus testing and vaccination clinics. Also, if you haven't gotten your booster shot, please do so and upload your vaccination card with the booster vaccine to receive the incentive. https://forms.imperial.edu/view.php?id=812177. Last, if you require any additional PPE, please let us know. We have masks, gloves, shields, disinfectants, and other safety supplies for you.

Upcoming Events:

Now that the spring semester is starting, I look forward to attending and participating in our scheduled campus events. Here are a few upcoming events. I hope to see you there!

Holtville Carrot Festival Parade (12/12: 10:00 am)
ASG Valentine's Day (12/14: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Spring Welcome Back Resource/Outreach Fair (2/16: 4:00 – 7:00 pm)
Black History Month Trivia (2/17: 3:30 – 4:30 pm via Zoom)
Black History Month Event (2/25: 3:30 – 7:00 pm in Student Affairs Lawn)
IVC Kitchen Food Distribution (2/24: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Social Justice and Equity Forum (2/23: 2:00 – 3:30 pm via Zoom)

We also plan to have the Spring State of the College address and DSPS grand-opening event in early March. More details to come.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I hope to see you next week!

Sincerely,

Friday, February 4, 2022

Greetings, Campus Community:

In fact, in my conversation with one of the officers, they were so impressed with our response and action that if we had the metasystems and governance structure (Integrated Consultation Council) prior to the first visit, we would have most likely received a commendation. Please see the attached notification.

Considering this spike, we will continue the on-site work-schedule adjustments made early this month through the first day of the semester, February 14, 2022. At that time or before, we'll determine if an extension is warranted. For events and large gatherings, we will approve them on a case-by-case basis. The criteria will be, can it be done safely, such as in a large classroom that allows for social distancing, or can it be done outdoors? Meetings should continue to be held online when possible. The State has extended the indoor masking mandate until February 15, so we'll continue to follow suit. Lastly, I would like to reiterate we have plenty of PPE, N-95 masks, social distancing decals, disinfectants, and other safety materials. If you need anything that can help reduce the spread and keep you safe, please let us know, and we'll try our best to provide those materials.

The board approved the booster vaccination incentive January 19, 2022. Please take advantage of this opportunity, as it will help keep you safe and well. Please click on the following link to upload a copy of your Vaccination Card with the Booster Vaccine https://forms.imperial.edu/view.php?id=812177

Thank you again for all you do! WE ARE IVC!

• ACCJC Action Letter - Accreditation Reaffirmed
• Follow-Up Visit Peer Review Team Report

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Dear Campus Community:

Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday break.

COVID-19: Omicron

As you may be aware, the state and the country are experiencing a spike in cases primarily due to the Omicron variant. According to researchers, this variant is less severe but more transmissible. As of January 4, 2022, the County has 1264 active cases and a positivity rate of 19.2%. There is a seven-day lag in the positivity rate. Government officials project that the rate will continue to rise over the next two weeks due to the recent holiday gatherings.

The County has a vaccination rate of 86% fully vaccinated, which is one of the highest in the state. The State average is 71.2% IVC's vaccination rate is 85%. We are considering options to encourage employees and staff to get the booster shot since many of us got our last vaccination shot over six months ago.

Your safety is our highest priority. Considering the spike in cases and the virus's transmissibility, some departments may need to make temporary adjustments to their current practices from now until Monday, January 31, 2022.

• Scheduling: Administrators will work with employees to reduce the number of employees on campus and minimize close and prolonged contact while maintaining appropriate on-campus staffing and support during normal business hours. If you work in a safe environment, such as a private office or an office space that allows social distancing, no change should be made to your on-campus schedule. There are no changes in class schedule or modality planned at this time. However, if a larger classroom is available, instructors can work with their dean to move into a larger classroom.

• Gatherings: We will have a temporary moratorium on all on-campus indoor events. If you have an event already scheduled, please consider moving it outdoors, rescheduling it for later in the year, or as a last option, add additional precautions to facilitate social distancing indoors. The last option will require consultation with your dean and vice president.

• Meetings: If you are hosting a meeting with more than 10 participants, please consider a virtual meeting or use a room that will allow proper social distancing.

This plan goes into effect immediately and will continue through Sunday, January 30, 2022. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as required.

CDC recently changed the isolation requirement from 10 days to 5 days. As we have done in the past, we will follow this guidance, and we have changed our decision tree, which is attached.

Enrollment

As of yesterday, January 3, 2022, we are slightly behind in FTES for the winter intersession (-36.68 FTES or -6%), and we are up 8.8% or 154.45 FTES for the Spring Semester. In total, we are 5% above last year in FTES, which is our goal. GREAT JOB! Let's continue to build on this momentum. I provided our 2019-20 results as a baseline comparison. Our goal is to increase year-over-year enrollment by 5% for spring 2022, and 10% in fall 2022, and another 10% in spring 2023. That would bring us roughly back to the 2019-20 enrollment baseline.

Other Updates

• Construction:
  
  • The DSPS building should be fully completed in early February, and we'll have a grand opening shortly thereafter.
  • The swing space has been completed.
  • The College Center (600) and Nursing (2100) buildings should be completed by the end of April or early May
• Food services:
  
  • We are in the process of searching for a food service vendor. An RFP is forthcoming, and we hope to have the vendor in place by August 1, 2022
• Mascot:
  
  • The Mascot Identity Taskforce will send out the Mascot Design Contest next week to the community. A campus announcement will be sent out once it is open. We encourage you to please spread the word and help us choose our new mascot.
• Mission, Vision, & Values:
  
  • We are in the process of reviewing and updating our mission, vision, and values. We have hired a consultant to lead us in this work. An Ad Hoc committee has been established that comprises faculty, staff, and administrators. The committee will solicit input from the campus community.
• Annual Report:
  • If you have not done so, please check out our annual report that highlights some of the amazing work you have done.

Final Thoughts

I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and are looking forward to an exciting year. 2021 is over, and it presented us with several challenges: COVID cases, leadership changes, enrollment challenges, and institutional changes. Despite all of these challenges or opportunities, IVC has thrived and has gotten better. You have thrived and have become more resilient! Our students have persevered and demonstrated their commitment to their studies during these difficult times. We have supported each other and have given our all to our students and community! That is truly remarkable and commendable. I'm very proud of each one of you. Thank you for being an incredible team. With this team, all things are possible, and we are ready to make 2022 the best year ever! WE ARE IVC!

Greetings, Campus Community and Happy Holidays:

The winter break is around the corner, and I hope you have a great holiday season! I'm sure it will be full of joy and happiness. I hope you find time to relax and spend time with your loved ones. Below you'll find the campus update on leadership changes, COVID-19, enrollment, construction, and accreditation.

The State of California reinstated the universal masking mandate requiring all persons vaccinated or unvaccinated to wear face-covering indoors. This goes into effect today until January 15, 2022. At that time, the State may provide new guidance. We will continue to follow the guidance of our local, state, and federal agencies.

It is very important that we stay safe and vigilant over the winter break, as we would like to see everyone return safe and well.

With approximately six weeks remaining, we are doing a lot to grow enrollment. We are marketing heavily, and you may have seen the billboards, social media promotions, traditional media, streaming live TV, and mass media communication. The contact center will also work some limited hours during the break to answer questions and help students enroll. In addition, incoming Interim Vice President of Instruction, David Drury, is leading the enrollment management task force that has been charged with identifying opportunities to grow enrollment and remove process bottlenecks.

I encourage you to continue to spread the word about free tuition for the winter and spring sessions by utilizing our 2022 enrollment toolkit. This is truly an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I hope that everyone takes advantage of it.

Enrollment Toolkit (Google Drive)

I want to acknowledge Bill Gay and his colleagues of Reliance Public Relations, Inc. and Elizabeth Espinoza for their leadership in making this annual report a reality. Also, I would like to acknowledge everyone who contributed to the creation of this document: Mike Nichols, Yethal Alonso, Paula Saldana, Daniela Estrada and to all of you. Thanks to everyone's commitment and dedication to our students' success because of you, we are able to highlight our students success.

• The Library has been completed and is available for use.
• We are planning a Grand Opening for the DSPS building in February upon completion of the automatic door installation.
• We are in the process of developing and engineering schematic designs for a new auto-tech building.
• The Project Management Team and architect are getting ready to submit plans for Division of the State Architect approval on the new restroom addition, west-side lighting project, border-link antenna; and the renovation of the tennis courts.

IVC will be closed for winter recess and will resume operations on Monday, January 3, 2022. Please be safe and have a wonderful holiday break! We'll see you next year! WE ARE IVC!

Sincerely,

Dear Campus Community:

The College received the attached letter dated 2-1-2021 from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). As you will recall, IVC submitted a Follow-Up Report to the Commission on October 1, 2020 after receiving three commendations and two compliance recommendations following our last Comprehensive Peer Review Visit in March 2019. Upon review of IVC's first Follow-Up Report, the Commission determined that we were compliant with Recommendation #1, but required additional time to demonstrate compliance with Recommendation #2. College Recommendation #2 (Standards I.B.7, I.B.9) states: In order to meet the standards the Commission requires the College to improve the evaluation of processes and systems that are currently in place, and ensure they are more systematic and routine.

Since the Commission saw that IVC had made true progress toward compliance with Recommendation #2, we were granted a Good Cause Extension. These are seldom granted by ACCJC and we maintain our accredited status during the good cause extension period.

In order to fully address compliance recommendation #2, the College has been hard at work through activities like the governance reorganization and the implementation of Nuventive to collect learning outcomes and program review. All of this has been described in the attached second follow-up report that you are encouraged to review. We will also have a virtual Follow-Up visit on November 16, 2021.

I am confident we will meet the recommendations since we have all worked together to improve our holistic institutional planning efforts and the process by which we will evaluate those processes. I would like to thank all of you who have contributed to the college improvements and preparing the report.

Sincerely,

Lennor

• President's Message 10-29-2021-2 (2)

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State of the College/Town Hall 10/21/21

Greetings, Campus Community:

I hope you are doing well and enjoying this fine weather. The heat is behind us and the holiday season is on the horizon. I am sure you are all looking forward to spending quality time with family and friends and planning some nice "getaways." I am.

State of the College Townhall

It was a pleasure to see many of you at the town hall meeting last week. I hope it was informative and provided a comprehensive update on where the college is and is headed. I have attached the presentation for your review. It will also be posted on the website.

Below are items I would like to highlight from the town hall:

· COVID-19: Our goal is to keep you safe to the best of our ability, and we are constantly looking for ways to enhance safety while maintaining the operation. If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor or me directly. At this time, we do not plan to issue a vaccination mandate since most of our county residents have been fully vaccinated, and those who have not may never due to their current situation or beliefs. The estimated return on such action may not grant us the result we are looking for. However, this will be an ongoing conversation and consideration with faculty, staff, students, and administration and may change in the future.

· Enrollment: Enrollment is down considerably (-19%), and it will take all of us to reverse this trend. The impact can be devastating if we fail to do so once the held harmless status is lifted. Along with the Enrollment Strategies listed on the PowerPoint deck, we will reestablish the Enrollment Management Task Force, which will have representation from all constituency groups. I want to thank Jeff Cantwell for the suggestion and Dave Drury's willingness to take a lead role in this task force.

· Accreditation: The ACCJC follow-up visit is on November 16. I want to recognize all who have worked tirelessly in getting us to this point. Great Job! Kudos to the entire accreditation team and a special acknowledgment goes to Dr. Tafoya, Dr. Jia Sun, Yolanda Catano, Ric Epps, Jose Carrillo, Kevin Howell, Betsy Lane, Melody Chronister, Oliver Zambrano, Linda Amidon, CART members and all others who contributed to this.

COVID-19 update

On Tuesday, October 26, the County Board of Supervisors voted to end the facemask mandate for vaccinated people indoors and align Imperial County's guidelines with the state. Official statement from the Health Department is attached. As we have done in the past, we will continue to follow the guidelines prescribed by federal, state, and county officials. Therefore, IVC will end the facemask mandate for vaccinated individuals indoors, effective Monday, November 1, 2021. However, we strongly encourage all persons to wear a facemask indoors and especially when close to others. This will help keep us safe and prevent spread.

I recognize that some of you may not agree with this decision and others support it wholeheartedly.  This pandemic has divided many of us, as each has our own level of risk and fear tolerance.  I attest, these are not easy decisions, and we take them very seriously.  Our primary purpose is to keep you safe and, at the same time, serve the district and our students.  Unfortunately, we are going through this unprecedented time and have to make tough decisions, where there is no clear right answer. 

Imperial County Daily COVID-19 Data webpage reports 508 active cases in Imperial County as of 7 p.m. on October 27, 2021. For more information, go here. As of October 27, 2021, 85.7% of the County eligible residents are fully vaccinated, which is one of the highest vaccination rates in the state. For detailed vaccine information, go here. Currently, 83.2% of our faculty and staff have been fully vaccinated.

The state has also reduced the number of isolation days from ten days to seven days for vaccinated people who have been exposed to COVID-19. The updated decision tree is attached. Also, please review Lupita Castro's email dated 10/25 with the subject line: COVID-19 Support Services and Vaccine Clinic information for additional information.

Final thoughts

I recognize there are many concerns regarding returning to campus in the spring, and I take your concerns very seriously. That is why we are gradually returning to campus instead of being fully onsite in the spring. In the fall semester, roughly 25 percent of our courses were onsite. In the spring, roughly 48% will be onsite, 41% will be online, and 11% hybrid or hyflex. This gives our students flexible options and gives IVC time to address some of our infrastructure issues and maintain a degree of safety while we transition back to campus.

I also want to note that pre-pandemic, roughly 7% of our courses were online. This number is considerably low and does not meet some students' needs, particularly working adults and students who prefer online. We will never be at this level again. On that note, we also have to stay true to our community college identity that serves all students - those with means and those without – by offering most of our courses onsite. So, over time through research and trial and error, we will be able to identify the best combination of course options. My hope is along with the academic senate and the enrollment task force, we will be able to identify the "perfect" modality mix. This will be a gradual and fluid process.

Thank you for all you do. You make the difference!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

My door is open! We Are IVC!

Kind regards,

Lennor

• President's Message 10-29-2021 (3)

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Dear Campus Community:

I would like to begin by wishing everyone a Happy Mexican Independence Day.

Imperial Valley College is proud to be recognized as one of the 569 institutions nationally to be designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). An HSI has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application.

Even more importantly, Imperial Valley College's designation as an HSI represents our deep commitment to a racially just campus climate and supporting our Hispanic, Latinx, and Chicanx students toward completing their personal and educational goals.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced that National Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week will be observed September 13-19, 2021, which is during National Hispanic Heritage Month. In observance and celebration of National HSI Week, Imperial Valley College will continue to build community by increasing awareness of the importance of HSIs in improving access to education, advancement of equity practices, and contributions made to the communities we serve. 

As we take this opportunity to reaffirm our appreciation and support of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Chicanx students and employees, we encourage you to join us at our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on September 30th at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Student Affairs (bldg.1000). We are excited to bring a mariachi band, Mix Techo and Lucha Libre, brought to you by Venue Wrestling Entertainment. We look forward to seeing you there!

Imperial Valley College President's Message:

On behalf of the outstanding faculty, staff, and administration, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Imperial Valley College. We understand that electing to continue your education during these unprecedented times may have been a difficult decision. For that, we sincerely applaud your tenacity and commitment to your education, and congratulate you on your decision to pursue higher education. You are making an investment that will prove invaluable for the rest of your life.

We are committed to your success and actively put several programs in place to ensure you are successful in this new and ever-changing environment. First and foremost, your safety is of utmost importance, and to protect you and others, we will have ongoing COVID-19 testing and on-campus vaccination clinics. We introduced the Ready Education application that provides pre-screening, vaccination reporting, and contact tracing. All on-campus community members are required to wear a face-covering while indoors. We will do daily screening upon entering the campus. We want you to be and feel safe on campus. That is our commitment to you.

In addition to your health and safety, we are committed to your academic success! Thus, we have dedicated additional resources across campus. We have enhanced our supportive services by creating a contact center, increasing tutoring, having specialty counselors for students with unique needs, and providing emergency assistance and basic food, housing, and technology support. We added more flexible class options to meet your individual needs and safety. We have several class options that you can choose from: fully online, entirely onsite, a combination of both, and Hyflex, which grants you the chance to participate in class or online.

As an IVC student, you are joining the ranks of several highly successful people who preceded you. In fact, many of our graduates have gone on to achieve great things. They are teachers, professors, lawyers, doctors, nurses, superintendents, principals, engineers, counselors, welders, fire captains, law enforcement officers, and the list goes on. Many of our students head to four-year universities, where on average are more successful than many native students in terms of grade point average and time to completion. Many other students complete certificate programs as one of the fastest and most affordable paths to gaining valuable career skills and entering the workforce quickly. You have made a great decision!

Imperial Valley College is part of a greater partnership involving community leaders, taxpayers, trustees, legislators, alums, K-12, universities, and the support of the great State of California. They all want you to succeed.

Thank you for choosing IVC. Our college has a rich history of serving Imperial County residents. We are delighted to count you among them.

Lennor M. Johnson, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent/President