SBVC Soars Into 2024 With Spotlight On District & Community Partnerships
Patricia Nickols-Butler and CAPSBC’s management team attend Opening Day.
Patricia Nickols-Butler, CEO of CAPSBC (left) receives a commemorative plaque from Dr. Linda Fontanilla as appreciation for CAPSBC’s partnership with SBVC.
SBCCD Chancellor Diana Z. Rodriguez speaking at Opening Day.
Vice Chancellor of Educational & Student Support Services, Dr. Nohemy Ornelas, speaking at Opening Day.
To kick off the Spring 2024 semester, the college celebrated and highlighted key community and district partnerships crucial for supporting student success. Opening Day, held on January 12th, showcased some of the college's most impactful partnerships, including Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC) and the San Bernardino Community College District office. The special guest speakers were Patricia Nickols-Butler, CEO of CAPSBC and Dr. Nohemy Ornelas, SBCCD Vice Chancellor of Educational & Student Support Services.
Ornelas emphasized the importance of partnerships between the college and local school districts, universities, and employers to promote student retention. She talked about the significance of identifying factors that might lead students to discontinue their educational pursuits and actively seeking solutions to address the challenges they're facing.
Nickols-Butler, who has been working in the community for decades, began with emphasizing her personal connection to the college. She shared her upbringing in San Bernardino, surrounded by a large family with siblings and other relatives who attended the college. She then highlighted how CAPSBC supports the local community, our students and their families beyond academics.
CAPSBC is a major supporter of the Valley360 Resource Center and has provided the mobile shower service for students that was launched in Fall 2023. Once a week, registered San Bernardino Valley College students can utilize mobile shower services offered on campus through this collaboration. The three shower units, including one that is ADA accessible, will be located by Student Parking Lot #8 on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., excluding holidays and campus closures. Students are also provided with a towel, soap, and hygiene bag.
"The college is constantly looking at innovative ways to serve students through collaborative partnerships," Basic Needs Coordinator LaCretia Smith said, and the plan is to have "services for a year with an option to expand if student need is present."
The future is looking bright for students at SBVC. Opening Day served as a reminder of how crucial community is within our campus when it comes to student success and paved a blossoming start to the spring semester.
