14 days and counting.

Today.

Post your theories below.

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Half-staff: ten days and counting.

The flags outside A-100 has been flying at half-staff for ten days now. Even the one of the regular Jehovah's Witness women noticed it and asked me about while waiting at the bus stop.

"I don't know why," I told her.  "It started on 9/11 and then just stayed that way."

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California Guided Pathways Wankery

Institutional Effectiveness Toss Off

Colleagues,

The first California Guided Pathways Project (CGPP) Institute was held this week in Costa Mesa. I had the pleasure of joining my AACC colleagues, Aspen Institute leaders, and the Bakersfield and Mt. San Antonio College presidents in making a presentation on our national AACC Guided Pathways Project experience. 20 California colleges were chosen to participate in the first round of CGPP Institutes. Out of the 20 colleges, a few have already done much of the work of setting Meta-majors (or a term of their own liking), and mapping courses leading to the Meta-majors. Mt. SAC (AACC National Guided Pathways Project College), has completed this process for over 70 programs and is moving to implementation. Other colleges are at the very beginning and are highly engaged in the process and the opportunity to increase student completion. CGPP will also go a long way toward supporting our underrepresented students that are often challenged by our existing system of application, matriculation, academic planning, enrollment, and the pathway to completion.

California Guided Pathways Project

In addition to the AACC National Guided Pathways Project and now the CGPP, the State Chancellor Office has established its own Guided Pathways Grant that will be administered by the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). The grant has been funded by the legislature up to $150M. It is anticipated that continued funding for SSSP, SEP, and Basic Skills, will be determined on a direct and measurable connection to the IEPI Guided Pathways under a performance-base model.

Oo! It's big and shiny!

I hope you will participate when the Pathways Pioneers come to your School or Department for an in-depth dialog regarding Guided Pathways.

Very Respectfully,

Glenn R. Roquemore, PhD
President
Irvine Valley College

     The California Guided Pathways Project will help 20 California community colleges implement an integrated, institution-wide approach to student success by creating structured educational experiences that support each student from point of entry to attainment of high-quality postsecondary credentials and careers. 

     Excuse me while I switch hands 

Glenn ♡  Donald

California Community Colleges Board of Governors Calls on Congress to Preserve DACA

Santa Monica College students, accompanied by college administrators, staff and faculty , march to city hall.  (Photo by Telicia LaRue, of the SMC newspaper, The Corsair.) 

Meanwhile, across our county in Santa Ana today:

California Community Colleges Board of Governors Calls on Congress to Preserve DACA

Santa Ana, Calif. -- The California Community Colleges Board of Governors, in a resolution adopted by unanimous vote, today called on Congress to immediately and permanently preserve the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and further work toward comprehensive immigration reform. The board declared its unequivocal support for DACA recipients and other undocumented students in the California Community Colleges system. 

The action is the latest in a series of measures the system has taken following the Trump Administration’s announced plans to eliminate the DACA program after a six-month pause allowing Congress to address the issue. Unless Congress acts, DACA benefits held by tens of thousands of students in the California Community Colleges system will begin to expire in March of 2018.  

“Rescinding the DACA program punishes young people for actions over which they had no control,” said Board of Governors President Cecilia V. Estolano. “We all benefit from this program, which enables hardworking members of society to contribute to their communities, serve in our armed forces and make better lives for themselves and their families at our colleges. Congress must step up sooner, rather than later, and do the right thing.” The resolution unanimously adopted today at the Board of Governors meeting in Santa Ana cites studies showing that deporting all DACA recipients in the United States would cost the federal government $60 billion and cause $280 billion in economic losses over 10 years....

Meanwhile, in the OC Weekly, Matt Coker reports that an  IVC student objects to SOCCCD's letter about DACA whioch he sees as an "an educational institution try to indoctrinate me into a certain way of viewing the world." Check it out here: "Young Immigrant's Letter to College President Takes a Different DACA Tack. "

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OCC: "We Stand with Our Dreamers"; IVC, not so much. But we have lots of blue tents!

From Orange Coast College's website

from their website:

​Orange Coast College welcomes and supports students from ALL walks of life, regardless of immigration status. In accordance with California law AB 540 and the California Dream Act, undocumented students at OCC will be afforded the same rights and resources as their peers, including access to resident tuition fees and financial aid.

OCC's website includes the following information:

About the End of DACA
Rescission Resources for DACA
Know Your Rights

Qualifying for Resident Tuition Fees under AB 540
Applying for Finanical Aid under the California Dream Act

Safety Plan for Youth & Children
Immigrant Rights Advocates in/near Orange County

DACA FAQs:

What is DACA?
How do I apply for DACA?
Should I renew my DACA?
What is the difference between DACA, AB 540, and the California Dream Act?
What is Advance Parole?

Upcoming Events

DACA Information Session
Thursday, Sept 14 @ 3:30 p.m.
Location: Multicultural Center
In partnership with UCI Dreamers Center

DACA Renewal Clinic
Wednesday, Sept. 20 @ 5-9 p.m.
Location: Student Center Lounge
In partnership with OC Immigrant Youth United

Constitution Day
Wednesday, Sept. 20 @ 11 a.m.
Location: Robert B. Moore Theatre

Campus Announcements

DACA Students Eligible for Scholarships to Be Used Toward Renewal
President Dennis Harkins' message to DACA Students
President Dennis Harkins' message about DACA Rescission

Contacts Information:

For general questions about DACA
Global Engagement Center
Phone: (714) 432-6810
Email: occinternational@cccd.edu

For questions about DACA resources on campus
Student Equity
Location: Watson Hall, 2nd floor
Phone: (714) 432-6847
Email: studentequity@occ.cccd.edu

For questions about AB 540 status
Enrollment Center
Location: Watson Hall, 1st floor
Phone: (714) 432-0202 ext. 26379
Email: tweikel@occ.cccd.edu

For questions about Financial Aid under California Dream Act
Financial Aid
Location: Watson Hall, 4th floor
Phone: (714) 432-5508
Email: occfinaid@occ.cccd.edu

In contrast, the IVC website dedicated to this topic, filed for inexplicable reasons under the auspices of Ofiice of Marketing and creative Services,  leads with a curiously remote image of blue tents from IVC's 2015 preview day and the title: Statement on Rescission of DACA

followed by this statement:

Upon learning of the Trump administration’s decision to phase out and rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the South Orange County Community College District reaffirms its commitment to upholding the constitutional rights of everyone in the United States, regardless of their citizenship or visa status.

We are steadfast in our commitment to our students’ rights and are dedicated to ensuring that all students have full access to our colleges and are protected from actions that would disrupt their education. Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College provide a safe learning environment for a diverse population of students, including immigrants who are pursuing a better life for themselves and their families. We will continue to be in full compliance of the District’s policies and procedures and will follow federal and state laws and regulations.

Our district is working closely with the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office to advocate with Congress on a permanent resolution to help students who are impacted by the president’s decision. If you are interested in lending your support for this effort, please click here to contact your representatives.
To access resources for undocumented students, please visit the State Chancellor’s Office website at: http://www.cccco.edu/ResourcesforUndocumentedStudents.aspx.

Thank you to our dedicated students, faculty, staff, and administrators for your support of all of our students. 

Timothy Jemal
Board President

Dr. Debra L. Fitzsimons
Interim Chancellor

Denise Whittaker
Interim President, Saddleback College

Dr. Glenn R. Roquemore
President, Irvine Valley College

Nary a local contact or on-campus reference.

SHAME.

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To Boldly Go

From UC Irvine's website.

Our corporate overlord at Workday sent employees this missive today through the ether:

Sent to all employees

Workday Update – AB 1887 Restricts Travel to Certain States

With the passage of AB 1887, the California Legislature announced that our state “must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.” AB 1887 prohibits state agencies from requiring state employees and officers to travel to a state that has enacted a law that discriminates against the LGBT community.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office supports the out-of-state travel restrictions and will not approve travel to an AB1887 restricted state, regardless of the funding source for the travel.

On August 21, 2017 the SOCCCD board approved the Chancellor’s recommendation to support State Chancellor Oakley's adoption of AB 1887 out-of-state travel restrictions for all SOCCCD travel to the following states:  Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota and Texas.

To assist you, we have changed the Workday Spend Authorization process to display a warning if you select a restricted state in the destination for your airfare.

Any exceptions to the restrictions due to extenuating circumstances must be approved by the Vice Chancellor of Business Services.

The state currently subject to this policy:

1. Alabama
2. Kansas
3. Kentucky
4. Mississippi
5. North Carolina
6. South Dakota
7. Tennessee
8. Texas

A little local background.  AB 1887 originally appeared as Item 5.13 on the consent calendar of the August 21 SOCCCD board meeting. Prendergast and Jemal pulled item 5.13 from the consent calendar. Prendergast, who identified himself as an ally of the LBGTQ community, wanted to be assured that exceptions existed to address the possible impact on students. The chancellor reassured him there were.  The motion passed unanimously.  Move by Prendergast, second by Lang. 

SOCCCD: Adopt AB1887 - Out-of-State Travel Restrictions Ratify the Interim Chancellor's decision to support state Chancellor Oakley in adopting the AB1887 out-of-state travel restrictions for all SOCCCD travel.

Here's the complete text of AB 1887.

Here's the UCI fact page for their employees. 

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Dream a little dream

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University of California sues Trump

from the LA Times:

UC sues the Trump administration for rescinding DACA protections for immigrant students

excerpt: 

The University of California sued the Trump administration Friday for rescinding protections for immigrant students without legal status, saying it unconstitutionally violates their rights on “nothing more than unreasoned executive whim.”
...
UC President Janet Napolitano, who was an architect of the program in 2012 as U.S. Homeland Security secretary, said the decision to sue the federal government was not taken lightly. The 10-campus system educates about 4,000 students — with teachers, researchers and healthcare providers — who are in the country illegally.
...
Napolitano has said UC campuses will continue to provide services for its immigrant students without legal status, also known as “Dreamers.” Those efforts include:
-Providing in-state tuition
-Maintaining the DREAM loan program for financial aid
-Free legal services
-Campus-based student-service centers
- Directions given to campus police not to contact, detain, question or arrest individuals based on their documentation status, or to enter agreements to undertake joint efforts to make arrests for federal immigration law violations.

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Go team!

Education leaders step up except in our district!

IVC's A-quad today. 

Today at IVC, informational flyers about DACA continue to be distributed on an ad hoc basis in classrooms and posted on bulletin boards. Meanwhile, across the state and country, other campuses and education leaders have stepped up to defend students and staff who are affected by this policy:

California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley issued this strongly worded letter yesterday.  It arrived in Rebel Girl's email box not via the usual suspects at the college or district, but through back channels.

The CCC's website directs visitors to a resolution adopted by the Board of Governors.

California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White issued this statement yesterday. According to the LA Times: "Of the system's 480,000 students on 23 campuses, about 10,000 received in-state tuition benefits under AB 540 in 2015."

Over at USC,  President Nikias issued this letter which in part reads:

"As president of one of the most global and diverse university communities in the world, I am deeply concerned about the adverse impact that potential DACA changes might have on our DACA and undocumented students. We are enriched every day by the presence and contributions of our students from all backgrounds in our classrooms, labs, residence halls, and campuses. It is crucial to our mission that we continue to support and protect our students’ ability to finish their degrees and our faculty and staff’s ability to teach, conduct research, and work at our university. "

Further south, the San Diego Community College District also found time to issue a robust statement. Please note that the first signatory to this missive is Dr. Constance Carroll, former president of Saddleback College back when Rebel Girl was first hired a lifetime ago and now Chancellor of
San Diego Community College District.

Meanwhile back in the O.C., Chapman University president Daniele Struppa sent this message to the community, reassuring its "students and employees whose families face challenges due to identity or immigration status" and directing them to various and impressive resources dedicated to them on campus.

And  Rancho Santiago Community College District passed this resolution back in March 2017 (and their website prominently features information for and about DACA students):

Resolution No. 17-06 relating to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Resolution No. 17-06

And way back in February, Fullerton College's Academic Senate passed this resolution in support of DACA.

Closer to home in the good ol' SOCCCD: crickets.

District-wide announcements can be sent out (as they should) about broken water mains, but not about broken promises to people whose money we take and whose labor we rely upon.

Shame.




Buddy Holly and the Crickets: "That'll be the Day"

UPDATE:

And as Rebel Girl was writing her rant, someone else was writing this:

Upon learning of the Trump administration’s decision to phase out and rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the South Orange County Community College District reaffirms its commitment to upholding the constitutional rights of everyone in the United States, regardless of their citizenship or visa status. 

We are steadfast in our commitment to our students’ rights and are dedicated to ensuring that all students have full access to our colleges and are protected from actions that would disrupt their education.  Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College provide a safe learning environment for a diverse population of students, including immigrants who are pursuing a better life for themselves and their families.  We will continue to be in full compliance of the District’s policies and procedures and will follow federal and state laws and regulations.

Our district is working closely with the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office to advocate with Congress on a permanent resolution to help students who are impacted by the president’s decision.  If you are interested in lending your support for this effort, please click here to contact your representatives.

To access resources for undocumented students, please visit the State Chancellor’s Office website at: http://www.cccco.edu/ResourcesforUndocumentedStudents.aspx.

Thank you to our dedicated students, faculty, staff, and administrators for your support of all of our students.

Timothy Jemal

Board President

Dr. Debra L. Fitzsimons

Interim Chancellor

Denise Whittaker

Interim President, Saddleback College

Dr. Glenn R. Roquemore

President, Irvine Valley College

Amy Tan, California Community College alum, stands with the dreamers. 

Trashing Dreams at IVC

IVC's A-quad this morning. 

What to say about today's news of Trump's decision to rescind DACA, the program designed to assist those brought here as undocumented children on a path to citizenship? Estimates are 800,000 young people qualify under this program with it strict requirements regarding education, employment and criminal records (absence of).  If you work at a community college in California, it is safe to say that you know - whether you know it or not - many students who are dreamers (and perhaps a few who were too anxious and wary to even apply, fearing perhaps what has just happened).  

So this morning, after listening to Jeff Sessions announce this latest policy change (Trump himself was, of course, too cowardly to stand there and throw the kids under the bus himself. No he could pay someone else to do his dirty work and stand in the school house door...), Rebel Girl was inspired to do what she has done before: drape a message on the inexplicable sculpture in the A-quad.  Nothing too incendiary, just positive messages of WELCOME DREAMERS, KEEP DREAMS ALIVE, AMERICA IS FOR DREAMERS, etc. in red, white and blue. Indeed, if you didn't know what was going on, you might mistake her modest protest as a birthday wish or a random act of kindness. But if you were a dreamer, coming to campus after hearing the news, you might see this and feel, well, welcome.  

The simple white paper ribbon lasted a couple of hours. Indeed, just about the time Rebel Girl was talking to a longtime IVC student, a dreamer, giving her information from the ILRC , someone was tearing the ribbon down and tossing it in a nearby trash can. In her twenty-five years at the college, Rebel Girl has seen hair balls in the corners of classrooms or posters touting bygone speech tournaments last longer than that hand-lettered ribbon. She can't imagine a student doling such a thing. Rumor has it was the work of someone who likes a tidy campus. Tidy. 

Trashed.

One could linger there but Rebel Girl would rather travel cross town to UC Irvine where Chancellor Howard Gillman released this statement today about the same time she was dressing up the A-quad. Gillman, you may remember, was IVC'scommencement speaker last May. Here's what he had to say in a message titled "In Support of Undocumented Members of Our Campus Community" -

Sept. 5, 2017
To the Anteater community:

This morning, President Trump’s administration announced its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, impacting the lives of an estimated 800,000 “Dreamers” across the United States. The UCI community includes hundreds of Dreamers who significantly contribute to our campus and to Orange County’s vibrant cultural fabric.

I am profoundly disappointed in this administration’s action and want to reassure the entire UCI community that we will continue to stand by all of our students, regardless of background, to help them attain their higher education goals. I also reaffirm University of California President Janet Napolitano’s statement and call to action for Congress to pass a permanent solution for Dreamers.

UCI is home to a diverse group of individuals who share the common belief that education has the power to improve and transform lives and who are committed to making the world a better place. All members of the Anteater family – including faculty, staff and students – have a right to engage in their activities at UCI without fear or intimidation, and we will do all that we can to protect and uphold this conviction. We also will continue to follow the University of California Statement of Principles in Support of Undocumented Members of the UC Community. President Napolitano’s advisory committee on undocumented students is currently working to determine how to best support and protect UC students who rely on DACA. In the meantime, UC will continue to allow California residents who are Dreamers to pay in-state tuition; maintain the DREAM loan program for financial aid; offer legal services to our undocumented students; support campus-based student service centers; and direct campus police not to contact, detain, question or arrest individuals based on suspected undocumented status.
As we navigate through this uncertain time, UCI will strive to maintain an environment in which all are included and given a chance to succeed. We remain steadfast in our commitment to support our students in any way possible.

If you have questions or concerns for yourself or a loved one affected by DACA, please contact the UCI Dreamers office, which provides financial aid guidance, legal services, academic consultations and other vital resources.

Chancellor Howard Gillman

Gillman at IVC's commencement

That's true public education leadership - responsive and direct, proud and fearless, advocating in no uncertain terms on behalf of students.

Let's find ways to take action to support and protect those students and others who need us at this time.  The need is real. By this afternoon, all the English language copies of the ILRC's flyer Rebel Girl had left for distribution were gone and the Spanish and Chinese ones were depleted.

As that IVC student told Reb when she relayed all of what UCI was doing for its dreamers: "That's what makes UCI so great."

Indeed.

Dreaming.

California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley’s  Statement on the Trump Administration’s Action to End DACA for Dreamers :  "Ending DACA is a heartless and senseless decision that goes against American ideals and basic human decency. Those who are affected by this decision were brought to this country as children and are pursuing an education and making contributions to their communities. Some have served in the armed forces defending this country. In California, we don’t put dreams -- or Dreamers -- on hold. The California Community Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless of immigration status, and to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to learn. We will do all within our power to assist students affected by this decision, and we will advocate tirelessly in Congress for a permanent resolution to this issue.”

from Santa Monica College: SMC Stands with California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in Support of Dreamers

University of California System-Wide Faculty Statement Against the Suspension of DACA



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Barbara Rubin, Lou Reed - 

Rubin was an avant-garde filmaker in New York in the 60s. According to Wikipedia, she "left New York in the late sixties, married, and joined a Hasidic sect. She died of a postnatal infection in France in 1980 after giving birth to her fifth child. She was 35."

Kurt Cobain - 

I like Mark Twain's remark about cats. “When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction."

I wonder if Cobain was packing heat in this photo.

Barbara Rubin - 

In your face.

Clara Bow and cat - 

I've always had a real thing for these silent babes. For me, the B&W photography and silence puts them in a special and mysterious space. Love 'em.

James Dean and his cat, Marcus - 

There's nothing better than a kitten, I say.

Kate Bush with her cat - 
In grad school, a friend of mine was a total music freak—he ran a rock program on KUCI, and I'd occasionally help out—and he followed all the latest bands, especially punksters. But when Bush came out with her "Hounds of Love" album—which is decidedly non-punk—he nearly quit everything just to go see her. I sorta understood. Unique.

I was a big Mott the Hoople fan when I started college (UCI) in 1973. Hunter was the band's songwriter. Still love this stuff. Like most great bands, this one fell apart, and everyone went his separate way. Hunter has hung on. I think he's about 70 [no he's 78!]. I'm gettin' up there, too.
So much to do.

I do believe Hunter scared this girl somehow. As I recall, the band lacked a change of outfits for this tour. I bet they were nasty.

Written by Cat Stevens. Nice song, a throw-away performance, but I've always liked it anyway.

What's not to love?

Etheridge always gives a terrific performance of this song.

I have always loved the Turtles, who actually played on their recordings, unlike most So Cal bands. (In LA, backing tracks were often done by the so-called "wrecking crew.") The Turtles (or "Tyrtles") never took themselves too seriously, but they made some great and fun music anyway. Howard Kaylan's a great singer.

The label kept demanding a hit like "Happy Together," so singer Howard Kaylan wrote this parody of that song ("Your looks intoxicate me, even though your folks hate me"!). Nevertheless, it was a hit, and I loved it. Love the drummer. "Et cetera."

Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy

I've come home, I'm so cold

Let me in through your window