Greetings, Wolverines!

Last Saturday, I spent the day with our team from Honors at UCR.  It was a proud moment for SBVC to hear the keynote speaker, Donna Arteaga Alvarez, who is an alumna from Valley College.  I was inspired to hear our students present, moderate, and engage in this meaningful conference.  Special thanks to our faculty for supporting our students—thank you Carol Damgen, Amy Mills, Ed Gomez, and the entire team. 

This week, I will meet with the Allied Health programs on Friday to discuss showcasing our signature programs as part of the College year-long centennial celebration.  On Friday afternoon, I will meet with CSUSB to advance our HSI and BSI initiatives and our College goal to be the #1 feeder school for CSUSB.

Here are this week’s updates:

1. HEALTHY MINDS STUDY
Let’s Talk Mental Health – The Healthy Minds Study is Here!  SBVC is participating in the Healthy Minds Study—and this time, it’s not just for students. Check your inbox for an email invitation to complete the survey—it only takes a few minutes, and your input truly makes a difference. The deadline to participate is May 2nd! Thanks for helping make SBVC a healthier, more supportive place for everyone.

This cycle will include a student survey that will provide us to compare results from the data we collected 3 years ago.  In addition, there will be a survey of employees based on input from our faculty, classified professionals, and managers wanting more information about the mental health needs of our employees.

2. SCIENCE STACKED COURSES
In alignment with our success and equity objectives, San Bernardino Valley College will implement changes to the scheduling of lecture sections for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  After detailed analysis by Interim Vice President of Instruction, Leticia Hector, and Interim Dean of Science, Lorrie Burnham, it has been decided that students will benefit from a schedule that assigns a single lecture section with a single lab section.  This change will support instructional faculty and improve the learning experience for our students.  We want to thank the leadership of the science division faculty and the collaborative approach CTA leadership with this request, especially Jeff Demsky.

3. SBVC SECURES $125K GRANT TO EXPAND ATHLETICS COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Congratulations to the SBVC Foundation and Athletics department on receiving a $125,000 grant from the LA84 Foundation! This new funding will support a community outreach project designed to deepen connections with local youth through athletics and engagement. Kudos to Mike Layne, Ken Lawler, and everyone involved in making this vision a reality.

4. BIOLOGY STUDENTS EARN PRESTIGIOUS STEM INTERNSHIPS
We are incredibly proud of Christopher Romo-Ornelas and Samantha Bustamante, two SBVC biology majors who have been selected for competitive, paid internships this summer at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). They will be working alongside researchers at one of the nation’s top outdoor science labs. A huge thank-you to Professors Tatiana Vásquez and Thomas Lechuga for supporting these students' journeys! Learn more about the RMBL experience here.

5. ADULT EDUCATION OPEN HOUSE – APRIL 8
SBVC is proud to be a leader in adult education throughout our region and is thrilled to partner with the Inland Adult Education Consortium and our own DEEP (Developing Educated Empowered Professionals) Program to host an Adult Education Open House on Tuesday, April 8, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM in B-100. This all-day event will showcase the many academic and career pathways available to adult learners across our region, with information, support, and on-site assistance. Whether it's completing a high school diploma, starting college courses, or advancing workforce skills, SBVC is here to support adult learners every step of the way. Special thanks to Dr. Emma Diaz, Director of the Inland Adult Education Consortium, and Ayanna Spivey, Coordinator of the DEEP Program, for their leadership in making this impactful event possible.

6. FINANCIAL AID AWARENESS – APRIL 10
Mark your calendars and share with your students: a special Financial Aid Awareness event will take place Thursday, April 10, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in B-100. This is a valuable opportunity for our students to get informed about financial aid resources and the importance of submitting their applications on time.

7. SBVC MARKETING PRESENTS AT CCPRO CONFERENCE
Our award-winning marketing team is headed to San Diego this week to present two workshops at the CCPRO Statewide Conference, where they will be sharing SBVC’s voice with other marketing professionals and community college leaders across the state. The first workshop, Cultivando Conexiones: Building a Spanish-Language Social Media Community, will showcase the strategy and impact behind SBVC’s Spanish social media accounts. As the first community college in the state to establish a bilingual social media presence, SBVC has become a leader in this sphere across higher education nationwide—building a thriving digital community that speaks directly to our bilingual and Spanish-speaking audiences. The second workshop, Ideas on Demand: Using AI Chat Tools to Supercharge Creativity and Research, will demonstrate how AI tools like Copilot can support creativity, research, and content development in busy creative services teams. Way to go, Paul Bratulin, Eve Mulhall, Gilbert Ortiz, and Giovanny Elizarraraz—thank you for representing SBVC with excellence!

8. INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
Join us for our annual International Film Festival screenings, every Wednesday in April in LIB-149, 4:00-6:00pm:

    • April 9 – Train to Busan
    • April 16 – The Devil’s Backbone
    • April 23 – A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 

9. PROGRESS REPORTS – LET’S SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
Faculty, thank you for your continued support in submitting progress reports—it’s one of the most meaningful ways we can help our students stay on track.

    • For 13–17-week sessions: Due 4/7
    • For 9–12-week sessions: Due 4/18
    • For 2nd 8-week sessions: Due 4/28 

This week, please be mindful of the conversations happening at College Council.  We are getting close to completing our first draft of the charge and composition of College Council.  We are also receiving an overview presentation from VPAS Keith Bacon about the upcoming Student Services Building. Finally, we will discuss in more detail the plans for SBVC celebrating our centennial.

Valley Up!

Gil