How Does the Accreditation Process Work?Accreditation review is ongoing. The initial earning of accreditation is not entry to indefinite accredited status. The four key features of the accreditation cycle are: self-evaluation by an institution; evaluation by an external team of peer reviewers; commission review and action; and follow-up to meet Standards and/or improve. Every accreditation cycle begins with a self-evaluation by the institution prior to the comprehensive review and visit, holding itself up to ACCJC’s Eligibility Requirements, Accreditation Standards, and policies. The college develops its own plans for improvement, where needed, and submits a written evaluation report to the ACCJC. This report is known as the Institutional Self Evaluation Report (or ISER). A lot of hard work went into the writing of Cerro Coso’s Self-Evaluation Report approved by the Board of Trustees at the June 14, 2018, board meeting. Cerro Coso is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the US Department of Education. On October 1-4, 2018, a trained team of peer evaluators from other accredited institutions will engage in an external evaluation, reviewing evidence provided by the college. The team will verify assertions made in Cerro Coso’s ISER, examine institutional practices, and they will write an evaluative report with recommendations for meeting Standards (where deficiencies are found) or for improvement (where the team finds the Standard is met, but offers some advice to improve). Following the team visit, the Commission will review the college’s ISER, evidence, and the team report and make a decision on the accredited status of the Institution. The Commission may also provide the institution with recommendations and directions for improvement. The results of the Commission’s action are sent to the institution in a Commission Action Letter. A follow-up and improvement cycle continues until the next comprehensive review in seven years and takes several forms. Each year the college submits an Annual Report and an Annual Fiscal Report along with an independent audit. Follow-up reports address deficiencies noted by the evaluation team or by the Commission. These reports may be followed by a visit of Commission representatives. A midterm report is filed by the college in the fourth year of the seven-year cycle. In this report, the college is expected to provide narrative information about the status of its Quality Focus Essay, complete a trend analysis of data it has submitted annually to the ACCJC in the annual reports related to student learning and achievement, and provide information about how the data analyses have informed efforts to improve student outcomes. Visit the ACCJC website at www.accjc-accreditationcourse.org. DIRECTED. FOCUSED. NURTURED. ENGAGED. CONNECTED.

August 2018

How Does the AccreditationProcess Work? 1

Gowin Promoted to A & RTech. II 1

Murabito New Dean of CTE 2

Students SupportingStudents 2

Bachman New Director ofOutreach Servifes 2

Burch, ESCC Biology Professor 3

Cano Associate Teacher at CDC 3

Heat Safety 3

Construction Update 4

Welcome Back - Cerro CosoRocks 4

Foundation Feature: Meet BoardMember Derrick Hu 4

Inside this Issue

Gowin Promoted to A & R Tech. II Congratulations to Linda Gowin on her recent promotion to A & R Technician II. A Cerro Coso graduate, Gowin served as a temporary employee in the Department from June 2017 to January 2018 when she became a permanent employee. Congratulations Linda on your promotion! FOCUSED. NURTURED. VALUED.

Students Supporting StudentsCollege is a big step for many students and Access Program’s peer mentors are here to help students be successful through their college experience. They serve as a resource, a helping hand, a sounding board, and a referral for services. Simply put, they care about student success. Student Angie Iraheta has been serving as a peer mentor for three semesters. “I love helping other students through my own experiences,” she said. “They are so grateful for the assistance.” Mentors are assigned up to three students at a time and engage in one-on-one mentoring, serving as positive role models. Peer mentors help students improve study skills, assist students in developing a better connection to the campus, help students adjust to the new college environment, help grow the program, and support staff by assisting with office duties. They also assist in coordinating program activities and promoting student engagement. A psychology major at Cerro Coso, Iraheta is currently working on an Associate’s Degree for Transfer and one day hopes to become a high school counselor. Her plans are to graduate from Cerro Coso in the spring of 2019 and then transfer to a four-year university. Iraheta feels connected with the college, staff, and students and encourages other students to get involved in the program. The benefits for mentors are increased communication and interpersonal skills, leadership and collaboration skills, confidence and motivation, and facilitation skills. Peer mentors offer guidance, encouragement, and a supportive network that contributes to their mentee’s overall success at the college. Not everyone is cut out for the job of a peer mentor, but those who are selected, like Iraheta, love what they do. FOCUSED. NURTURED. ENGAGED. CONNECTED. VALUED.

Murabito New Dean of CTE

Cerro Coso proudly announces the hiring of Maura Murabito, the new Dean of Career Technical Education. Murabito’s responsibilities are to provide academic leadership, direction, and support to the 17 technical

education programs offered by the college at all 7 campuses. “Maura is a seasoned educator and her vast leadership experience in the classroom and administration will make her a tremendous asset to the college,” stated Cerro Coso President Jill Board. “My passion is Career Technical Education,” stated Murabito. “CTE changes lives, and I love being part of a team that provides rigorous and relevant CTE to students. These programs can change lives and careers; I never want to lose sight of that.” Her experience includes being a Marketing Teacher, Adult Education Coordinator, Instructional Services Supervisor, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and most recently, Superintendent for a Regional Occupation Program in the Los Angeles area. She also served as school board member in Glendora, CA. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Murabito moved to Glendora, California, in the early 90’s and has been there ever since. When the opportunity came to move to a more rural, open space, small community that was close to nature and recreation, she was all for it, and says, “I am so excited to make Ridgecrest my home! Everyone I meet is so friendly and welcoming. Murabito and her husband Gene have two grown daughters, Kate and Christy, and a 10-month-old grandson named Callen. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education from the University of La Verne, and is currently working on her doctorate in Transformational Leadership at Brandman University. DIRECTED. FOCUSED.

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Bachman New Director of Outreach ServicesCongratulations to Katie Bachman on her promotion to Director of Outreach Services. Katie began her career at Cerro Coso as the Executive Secretary in Career Technical Education in 2015. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Bachman went through the Corrections Academy in Riverside at the age of 19. She spent 15 years in law enforcement as a corrections officer, dispatcher, trainer, crime scene investigator, evidence collector, public information officer, and reserve police officer. She enjoyed the diversity of tasks, new challenges, and helping her community, but not so much the long hours, shift work, and weekends on call. It was time for a change, when Katie joined the Cerro Coso family. Katie has been an asset to the college most recently serving as the Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services. She and her husband Tim have four children: her two boys Cole and Keeton, and his two girls Hallie and Sydney. We are looking forward to some new and exciting outreach efforts at the college. DIRECTED. FOCUSED. ENGAGED. CONNECTED. VALUED.

Burch, ESCC Biology ProfessorCerro Coso welcomes new Professor of Biology at the Bishop and Mammoth Lakes campuses Andrew Burch. Originally from San Diego, he has lived in northern, central, and southern California and spent 8 months in Thailand. Burch chose to study biology because he was interested in learning about how life works at the molecular level. He is fascinated by how cells sense and respond to the environment in which they live. In graduate school, he studied how microalgae respond and alter their cellular metabolism during environment stress. When teaching, he tries to break down and simplify complex biological concepts, and enjoys those moments in class when he can tell his students are starting to “get it.” After graduating with his degree at Cal Poly, SLO, he and his then girlfriend (now wife) Jenny, moved to Thailand where he taught science at an international school and she taught elementary school. During their time there, they learned a lot about Thai culture and enjoyed copious amounts of authentic Thai food. The

pair also did a fair amount of traveling within Thailand and neighboring countries. After finishing their degrees, Burch highly recommends his students consider moving abroad (if circumstances permit) because it broadens your worldview, helping you to appreciate the benefits and luxuries associated with living in this great country (some you may not even realize!) It also shows that there are alternative ways to live, and some may find that the way things are done in other countries are an improvement to the way we do things here. Burch and his wife Jenny have a 7-month-old son named Trenton. Burch holds a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Biological Sciences from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Davis. DIRECTED. FOCUSED. NURTURED. CONNECTED. VALUED.

COYOTE HOWLER 3

A messageof theCCCC

Safetyand

SecurityCommittee

Cano Associate Teacher at CDC

Rosie Cano, is a new Associate Teacher at the Child Development Center (CDC) in Ridgecrest. Cano is a 2018 graduate of Cerro Coso earning her Certificate of Achievement as a Child Development Teacher. She will be assisting children and helping them to build healthy relationships with fellow classmates and teachers, preparing them to be more comfortable and ready to learn as they enter kindergarten. A very hard worker, Cano believes in never giving up on her dreams. She has a passion for creativity and enjoys drawing and painting, skills that will prove to bring out the creativity in those she teaches. Welcome to Cerro Coso, Rosie! DIRECTED. NURTURED. CONNECTED. VALUED.

The Coyote Howler is a publication of Cerro Coso Community College. For more information about the stories in this publication, or to include information in this publication, contact Natalie Dorrell, Public Relations

Director, at 760-384-6260 or email ndorrell@cerrocoso.edu.

BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE

CERRO COSOCOMMUNITY COLLEGE

PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

About this Publication

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Meet Foundation Board Member Derrick HuMeet Foundation Board Member Derrick Hu. He is the Deputy Director for the Office of Small Business Programs, Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD). He was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. Derrick is a veteran of the US Air Force serving in the logistics career field. He is a graduate of Musician’s Institute of Technology (MI) in Hollywood, CA. Derrick has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Master’s Degree in Administration from California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). He was hired as an intern for the Navy Acquisition Intern Program (Outstanding Scholars Program) supporting the NAWCWD Contracts Competency and has experience in “cradle to grave” contracting and supporting many of the DoD’s Electronic Acquisition Initiatives. Derrick has been a resident of Ridgecrest, CA, since 1994. He is married to Teresa (O’Neil) and has two adult children (twins). Derrick enjoys travelling and spending time with his family. He has a passion for music and loves playing and collecting (left-handed) guitars. Derrick is the lead guitarist for recording artist Andrew Ryan and supports other local musicians. Volunteering is important, it’s not only about the impacts we make in the lives of those around us, but the role it can play in making us more tolerant individuals and giving towards the global community. Derrick has the following volunteer experience: Chair, DoD Western Regional Council for Small Business Advocacy and Education;

Voting Board Member of the SSUSD Special Education Community Advisory Committee; Club President (and various officer positions), Ridgecrest Possibilitarians Toastmaster Club; Executive Board Member, China Lake/Ridgecrest Chapter of the National Contracts Management Association (NCMA); and Advisory Committee Member, Leadership Ridgecrest Inaugural Program. Derrick joined the CCCC Foundation Board in 2017 and we are very excited about the enthusiasm and commitment he has towards education and our students. WELCOME Derrick. FOCUSED. NURTURED. CONNECTED. VALUED.

FOUNDATION FEATURE

Construction Update

The main building at the Ridgecrest campus is not the only Cerro Coso building being renovated. The building in Mammoth Lakes is receiving new siding this summer. Construction on the original building was completed in December 2002. The building houses a variety of classrooms, labs, and administrative offices that are essential to campus life. The Mammoth Lakes campus is closed the month of July, providing the perfect time and weather for a construction project of this type, eliminating class and work disruptions. FOCUSED. NURTURED. ENGAGED. CONNECTED. VALUED.