Your monthly update for March 2023 | |
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Dear Pirate Crew,
Spring typically has the promise of sunshine and warmer weather. This year, Punxsutawney Phil groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter and for VC the translation means lots and lots of rain.
On Wednesday, I attended an important Naloxone (Narcan) training. This training was timely since recent reports from the VC Star reported that fentanyl is the deadliest drug in Ventura County with 181 deaths in 2022 compared to 22 overdoses in 2017. The total death count for Ventura County in 2022 was 278 with fentanyl as a component of 65% of the fatalities. The majority of the overdoses are men (74%) and individuals between the ages of 31-60 (68%).
According to END OVERDOSE, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to ending drug overdose, “fentanyl is lethal in small amounts (2mg)” which can easily be added to other drugs without the users knowledge. If you are interested in becoming certified to administer naloxone (Narcan), END OVERDOSE has free online training. Fentanyl tests strips are also available on their website for purchase.
On another note, while at the training, I also had the opportunity to visit with our FMO classified employees who mentioned the many complications they are experiencing related to the frequent rains. I want to thank them for all their efforts to keep Ventura college safe and operational for our students and employees. THANK YOU!
March is also the month VC celebrates Women’s History and Cesar Chavez.

Women’s History Month
The first Women’s History Day was in 1909 in New York City to celebrate the end of garment factories abuse of teenage girls working in poor conditions for 12-hour days. In 1987, women activists lobbied for Congress to declare March as Women’s History Month. Although women were celebrated annually, they were not given the right to vote until 1920. Native Americans, Black women, Asian Americans, and Latinx women were excluded from the basic right of voting until 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act eliminating discriminatory practices like literacy tests. Please join me in celebrating the history, contributions, and struggles women have overcome to contribute to society. VC has two events planned: March 15, Identiteas on our East Campus and March 21, Women’s Resource Fair on our Ventura Campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the LRC Lawn.
Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
Mexican American labor and civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez, was a steadfast advocate for improving working conditions for struggling farm workers. Experiencing firsthand the struggles with poverty, poor working conditions, and hunger, Chavez championed the formation of a farm workers’ union, National Farm Worker Association (NFWA). His protests were nonviolent (hunger strikes and marches) aimed to support farm workers and their right to unionize. In honor of Cesar Chavez Day, Ventura College will be closed on Friday, March 31.
“Once social changes begin, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has
learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people
who are not afraid anymore” – Cesar Chavez
Thank you for your dedication to educate our students, which in turn can bring about pride and confidence in themselves. Through education, opportunities for our students and community become realities.
Stay safe and dry. I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful flowers and foliage that will come from the rain when spring does arrive in Ventura.
Best wishes,
Kim
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Koffee with Kim
- Tuesday, March 21 at 3 p.m.
- Thursday, April 20 at 9 a.m.
Captain’s Chat
- Tuesday, April 18 at 2 p.m.
Celebration of Successes
- End of Year Celebration & Retiree Recognition – Thursday, May 4 at 11:30 a.m.
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Highlighting the amazing Administration, Faculty, Classified Professionals, and Students that make up our Pirate family. This month's highlights include: Felicia Dueñas (Dean of Career Education), Gema Espinosa (Counselor), Aundrea Roberts (Student Success Specialist ll), Brenda Delgado (Student Employee and VCEC Wall Mural Designer). | |
Felicia Dueñas - Administrator | |
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Aundrea Roberts - Classified | |
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Ventura College Classified Employee of the Year
Congratulations to Jordan Goebel for being recognized as VC's Classified Employee of the Year! Jordan was nominated by his VC colleagues and recognized by the VCCCD board for his distinction.
"As all of you know who work with Jordan, he brightens your day while resolving the tech problems of the day. His dedication to the college, employees, and students is exemplary."
President Kim Hoffmans
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Emergency Preparedness
Ventura College continues to work on our emergency preparedness with the assistance of Ketaily Technical Consulting. Review and revision of standard operating guidelines is in process, as well as the development of a Crisis Communication Plan. The Incident Management Team is having regularly scheduled tabletop exercises covering various emergency scenarios, such as earthquake, active shooter and water main break.
In addition, we are providing opportunities for individuals to improve their personal preparedness. Ventura College is hosting a Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) course. This six week course educates individuals on disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations, fire and utility safety, and search and rescue operations. Individuals who complete the course will receive a CERT certification and may choose to register with their local city as a trained volunteer. In March, we are hosting a Narcan training. Narcan reverses the effect of an Opioid overdose (fentanyl) and is known to be very effective in saving lives. As part of improving your preparedness and situational awareness, we invite you to review the “Driving After a Disaster” scenario.
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Three Ventura College Majors Ranked in Top 20 Nationally
Congratulations to our Pirate Crew! Three of our majors are in the top 20 national rankings for the 2023 Best Accredited Colleges.
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Call for Special Event Volunteers
Do you enjoy interacting with the public, and being a part of something inspiring? Do you have family or friends that belong to a community organization or service club that is looking for opportunities to serve others? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then being a special event volunteer is the role for you!
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST WITH:
✔️ Pre-event tasks in the VC Foundation office (name tags, stuffing, folding, etc.)
✔️ Setting up and tear down of events
✔️ Day of event support during the VC Foundation’s events such as Special Donor Receptions, our Scholarship Award Ceremony, and more!
Contact Stephanie Montenegro at smontenegro@vcccd.edu or 805-289-6122 or click the button below for more information.
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Facilities Projects Update
Ventura College has numerous facilities projects in the works this year. We are using Federal HEERF (Covid related) funds to purchase a relocatable and create outdoor spaces that could be used for instruction and activities. A new paved patio area at the PAC is complete. Project bids have been received and construction is starting soon for shade structures on the north side of the ASC and the kinesiology exercise space by the stadium. A shade structure in the courtyard outside the Campus Student Center just got approved by the Department of State Architect (DSA) and will go out to bid in March. An additional shade structure and a relocatable are still under review with DSA.
After a slow start, the Student Housing Project is making progress. Through discussions with the DAC Business and Administrative Services department, district attorney and consultants, it was decided that one firm should be hired for both the project management and construction management services. A Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) for project management/construction management was issued in mid-February. Proposals were due March 8 and will be vetted through the Facilities Operation Group (FOG) for recommendation to the President with an anticipated May 1 commencement of services. Once the project/construction management firm is onboard, we anticipate regular meetings will start happening and an updated timeline developed. The FOG chairs are in the process of identifying individuals to serve on the housing work group.
Other projects in the works include the conversion of the WAM manufacturing space to a diesel lab, the replacement of the AEC bleachers, and a new STEM relocatable building. These projects are in various stages from concept design to DSA review which can be quite time consuming. A project to expand the Welcome Center in the Student Service Center is underway and expected to be completed by May 1. (See a sample design layout of their new space below). In addition to all these projects, we have continual Scheduled Maintenance projects to address the ongoing maintenance of our facilities, such as flooring, windows, painting and electrical systems.
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Accreditation Institutional Self Evaluation (ACCJC)
Accreditation Institutional Self Evaluation Review, meetings, and a forum happened this month for VC and the other colleges. The ACCJC Team hosted a community forum on March 16 at 5:00 p.m. and a meeting with the college writing team on March 17 for an online meet and greet. The College was grateful to meet the team and share information on the exceptional instruction, services, and initiatives in place to support student equity and success.
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ASVC Women's History Month Events
The ASVC hosted Women's History Month events. The first event was a panel of outstanding women employed at Ventura College. Topics consisted of battling imposter syndrome, maneuvering through higher education, and entering the workforce as a modern-day women. There was an event at VCEC called Identi-TEAS! Tea and coffee were served during a conversation about topics that affect women, including breaking "the glass ceiling." and body positivity in this age of social media. The purpose of the event was to offer a space where women feel safe enough to express concerns, ask for help, and feel heard. To conclude our events, we will be having a Women's Resource Fair on March 21 on the LRC Lawn from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. where we will be helping women connect with resources available in our community.
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Financial Aid Staff Helps Students Get "Cash for College"
The Financial Aid Office has been focused on assisting students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the 23-24 school year before the March 2 priority deadline. We held two Saturday Cash for College events, as well as 12 application workshops at our local high schools. From February 27 through March 2, we welcomed students who came to complete their FAFSA/CADAA applications in our computer lab with free coffee and donuts. We also extended Zoom hours for students who prefer online assistance.
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VC Staff Speak to Standing-Room-Only Crowd at HSI Summit!
Ventura College’s HSI-STEM Grant Director Adrienne Arguijo-Morgan and STEM Counselor Gema Sanchez packed the house at the AHSIE 15th annual conference (La Quinceñera). VC was proudly represented at the conference by a team of 9 leaders including faculty, classified professionals, and administrators. Arguijo-Morgan and Sanchez shared, with a standing-room-only crowd, how Ventura College launched our inaugural HSI Summit in Fall 2022. Our presenters discussed the meaningfulness of developing an HSI identity at the college, centered on Hispanic students, and they skillfully emphasized the importance of the first “S” in “HSI-STEM”: Serving! As the college works towards embracing a more intentional serving-ness culture for Latina/e/o/x students, we are grateful to have Adrienne and Gema as two of our key thought leaders and HSI practitioners and advocates!
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From left to right - Phillip Briggs, Gema Sanchez, Alejandra Ildefonso, Adrienne Arguilo-Morgan, Aaron Jones, Jessica Perez and Nell Papavasiliou at the AHSIE conference. | |
Professional Development
Ventura College is happy to bring Professional Development opportunities to staff, faculty, and administration to help develop new skills and stay up to date on current trends that are always evolving within our campus community. Upcoming event information can be found in the Classified Professional Development Corner, SharePoint, and the Master Calendar. Please visit us at Professional Development | Ventura College for more information.
Upcoming Events
March 24 - New Faculty On-Boarding (Full Time)
March 30 - FLEX Day
April 6 - Classified Retreat
April 12 - Diversity In Culture Festival
April 13 - Diversity In Culture Festival
April 19 - Classified Lunch & Learn - Marketing Magic
April 21 - New Classified Orientation
April 28 - New Faculty On-Boarding (Full Time)

On-Going
The Vision Resource Center is a portal for professional development and colleague connection throughout all of California’s Community Colleges.
The Alliance units community colleges across the state of California for high-quality professional learning experiences on an array of topics pertaining to racial equity.
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THE IMPACT OF A PROMISE
Ventura College was the first community college in California to offer a tuition Promise Program with the support of public and private donors to the Ventura College Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, more than $4 million in tuition costs have been covered and close to 20,000 students served. VC Promise’s success served as a model for the creation of the statewide California College Promise Program in 2017. The state program aimed to enable Ventura College to cover tuition and fees for eligible incoming first-year, first-time, full-time students for up to two years at VC, until this academic year.
State budget cuts caused a shortfall in Promise funding in 2022 and future state funding is on shaky ground. To ensure that our pioneering program meets its financial commitment for the 2022-23 academic year, the VC Foundation lunched a fundraising campaign for the VC Promise on March 1, with the goal of raising: $40,000 by April 30. Visit our website to learn more or to give, or text VCPROMISE to 71777.

"The Ventura College Promise was a huge contributing factor when it came to me being able to afford attending Ventura College. Without it, I don't know how I would have paid for college."
- Daisy Castillo, Former ASVC President & VC Alumni; VC Foundation VC Promise, Textbook & Scholarship Recipient
Thank you for considering a gift in support of the VC Promise. Your generosity is an investment in the vitality of our region and creates life-changing opportunities for Ventura College students like Daisy.
For further information about supporting the VC Foundation's VC Promise Campaign with through an Employee Payroll Deduction or a recurring gift, please contact Julie Harvey at jharvey@vcccd.edu or call 805-289-6502.
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