Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
April 25, 2016
Faculty, staff, and administrators at San Diego Mesa College have a new center for developing innovative strategies on student success, a center that underscores why the campus has become a national leader for equity and excellence in higher education.
Mesa College will unveil this new home for professional development and training, dubbed “The LOFT,” on Wednesday, April 27 at 4:00 p.m. LOFT is an acronym for Learning Opportunities For Transformation.
“The LOFT is the culmination of research and self-evaluation, and puts into practice our commitment to professional development for all Mesa College employees, said Dr. Pamela T. Luster, president.
“Over the past several years, Mesa College has worked with the Center for Urban Education and San Diego State University Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3) to research our impact on students from underrepresented minority populations,” Luster explains. “It was through this research that the college identified the need to expand professional development and training for all staff.”
The LOFT will have specific programming for faculty, staff and administrators to support equity minded and inclusive practices. It will be staffed by a Professional Development Coordinator, an Instructional Designer, an Instructional Lab and Learning Resources Technician, and a Senior Clerical Assistant.
The new center includes small and large group and individual training spaces, gathering spaces for discussion, mobile workstations, computer stations, a Zen zone, and quiet rooms.
The $254,000 cost was covered by a Title V grant as part of the college’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Mesa College in 2014 secured the five-year, $2.62 million, Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions/Title V grant. Mesa’s research department reports that in 2014/15 Latino students represented 44% of Mesa’s first-time students entering the college from high school.
According to Monica Romero, Mesa College’s Title V Grant Coordinator, part of the grant was set aside for creating a professional development center to help faculty members incorporate new learning strategies into their lesson plans and understand the latest teaching techniques known to promote success of diverse students.
“You really can’t overstate the importance of a center like this,” noted Romero. “It will be vital for professional development, interdisciplinary discussions, and workshops on pedagogy related to culturally relevant teaching and instructional design.”
Dr. Leticia López, a Mesa College Spanish professor who is also the Title V Professional Development Coordinator, agrees.
“The LOFT is a wonderful addition that will help spur conversation in creating strategies to cut down on attrition and boost the success rates of our Hispanic students,” López said.
The LOFT, on the top floor of the Learning Resource Center, will officially be dedicated April 27 during a ribbon cutting ceremony that is set to start at 4 p.m. An open house will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the following day
Tags: Student Equity, Professional Development, LOFT, Student Success
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
Monica Romero
mdromero@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2781
On Thursday, May 4, 2023, at the Shining Light on Generosity event, San Diego Mesa College debuted the naming of The Stand: The Pamela T. Luster Resource Center, in honor of former President Dr. Pamela T. Luster. Additionally, the event served as an intimate gathering that honored and recognized multiple donors who helped the Mesa College Resiliency Fund become a reality.
San Diego Mesa College student, Jason Compy, is expected to graduate Pre-med this spring majoring in Bio Chemistry. Jason hopes to attend USC, but has already been accepted to UCLA. So, he plans to become a Bruin or a Trojan this fall. With graduation around the corner, Jason reflects on the many obstacles he has overcome on his journey through life.
In a campus-wide equity effort to help students succeed in their Spring 2021 classes, Mesa College is providing supplies and kits for over 20 academic courses and programs. Students taking science courses such as microbiology and botany will have access to microscopes and seed kits, fashion students can get sewing machines, fabric and dress forms. Music students can access electronic music studio kits and electronic keyboards, dental students can receive various dental instruments, and astronomy students will receive supplies to build their own Galilean telescopes. Spring 2021 classes start on Monday, February 1, and supplies distribution will take place during the first several weeks of classes.
Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
