Greetings, Wolverines!

February is almost in the books at San Bernardino Valley College.  It has been a pleasure walking the campus this past week—observing joy and community-building among our faculty, students, and management team.  I especially want to thank Amy Avelar and Sheri Lillard for engaging conversations where I got to experience joy exuding from their passion for teaching and passion for students.

Here are some important updates for this week:

1. BLACK ART EXPO CELEBRATES COMMUNITY CREATIVITY

This past weekend, the 2nd Annual Black Art Expo, hosted by the Black Faculty & Staff Association (BFSA), was an incredible celebration of artistry and culture. The event featured breathtaking paintings, sculptures, live art, and photography from local artists and SBVC students. Thank you to Veada Benjamin, BFSA, and everyone who put in work to create an inspiring and uplifting experience that brought together our campus and surrounding community. I had the honor of purchasing the entire collection from the youngest artist—a 9-year-old creative leader whose artwork captured the spirit of the event.  My heart is full from the positive energy at the 2nd Annual Black Art Expo.  If you missed the event, be sure to check out some snapshots and recaps on SBVC's Instagram. 

2. SBVC COLLABORATES WITH SBCUSD TO EMPOWER FOSTER YOUTH

Earlier this month, SBVC partnered with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to host an event welcoming over 50 foster youth, their caregivers, and school staff to campus. Students had the opportunity to tour our facilities, explore resources, and engage directly with SBVC programs. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from two student speakers from the NextUp program, Alena and Brianna, who shared their personal academic journeys with the students. Thank you to the teams from NextUp, Outreach,  EOPS, Guardian Scholars, VPAS Keith Bacon and Sergio Zazueta from Facilities for making the day a success and inspiring future Wolverines!

COLLEGE COUNCIL MEETS THIS WEEK

The College Council agenda this week is full with important work in progress at San Bernardino Valley College.  We will be discussing potential changes to faculty prioritization (in collaboration with Program Review), College Priorities related to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the Student Success Funding Formula (SCFF), Diversity Branding, and the SBVC Committee structure.  Please engage in these important conversations.  All voices are welcome.

MARCH 6 - JOIN US FOR THE APPLIED TECHNOLOGY BUILDING RIBBON-CUTTING

Mark your calendars for a historic milestone at SBVC! Next week on Wednesday, March 6, 2025, we will celebrate the opening of the Applied Technology Building—the final facility completed in SBVC’s first century. Hundreds of community partners, local stakeholders, and campus members will join us for this special ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a major investment in hands-on learning and workforce development. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the cutting-edge programs and opportunities this state-of-the-art facility offers to our students and community.

Event Highlights:

  • 6:00 to 7:00 PM: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
  • 7:00 to 9:00 PM: Open House, Food Trucks, and Music
  • Keynote Address: Stewart Knox, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency
    Join us for an evening of celebration, networking, and a firsthand look at how this space will shape the future of workforce training in the Inland Empire. Visit this link for more details.

SBVC ATHLETICS

Come out and show your SBVC pride at this week’s games!

  • Feb. 25: Baseball at Mt. San Jacinto (2 PM)
  • Feb. 26: Softball at Golden West (2 PM) | Men’s Basketball vs. Palomar (7 PM) PLAYOFFS
  • Feb. 27: Baseball vs. Mt. San Jacinto (1 PM) | Softball at Glendale (2:30 PM)
  •  March 1: Softball vs. Compton (1 PM) | Cuyamaca Invitational (All Day) 

Let’s pack the stands and cheer on our Wolverines! View the full schedule at sbvcathletics.com. 

PROGRESS REPORTS

Monitoring student progress is an important tool to advance student success and student equity. Faculty, please be sure to complete student progress reports by 10 PM this Friday, February 28th, if you have students that need a progress report completed. Thank you for making the San Bernardino Valley College student experience excellent.

Thank you for all you do to help WOLVERINES CROSS THAT STAGE!

Go Wolverines!

Gil