Dear SDCCE Community,

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I invite our SDCCE community to come together in support of survivors and in raising awareness about domestic and intimate partner violence. This issue touches people in every community and walk of life. According to the CDC, one in five women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. In alignment with the #WithSurvivorsAlways campaign, let’s continue to stand with compassion, listen without judgment, and create spaces where survivors feel seen, supported, and safe.

Enrollment Updates

Fall Update

SDCCE’s overall enrollment for fall stands at 27,094 (1% less than this time last year, and a 2% increase from last week), with a fill rate of 68%, which is less than last fall (75%). SDCCE’s overall headcount is currently 14,388, a decrease of 3% compared to this time last fall (14,788) and a 1% increase from last week (14,221). FTEF scheduled for the fall semester is 7% greater than last fall (183.85 to 196.58). View the enrollment report.

Passport to Success is just around the corner! This program offers a wonderful opportunity for our new faculty and classified professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. I look forward to seeing the meaningful mentorships and cross-college relationships that will take shape—strengthening our SDCCE community and our shared commitment to excellence.

Update Your Emergency Contact Information

• Take a moment to update your emergency contact information in the mySDCCD Portal to ensure you receive important text alerts.
• To add or update your phone number:
• Log in to your mySDCCD Portal.
• Go to Employee Dashboard > My Personal Info > Contact Details.

Written instructions and a video tutorial are available on the Administrative Services Intranet.

It only takes a minute to complete and ensures you can be reached quickly in the event of an emergency.

Parking Reminders

Please share with students to be mindful of parking when visiting the Educational Cultural Complex campus. Encourage them to purchase their campus parking permit, and if they choose to park on surrounding streets, avoid blocking driveways to prevent towing or citations.

View this helpful What to Know before You Purchase a Virtual Parking Permit guide and once ready to purchase, head to myportal.sdccd.edu.

*Parking permits are required at all SDCCD locations, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Join myself and the Executive President’s Cabinet during the upcoming campus visits for an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and hear the latest college updates—over coffee or ice cream. The next visit will be at North City in the MPR from 12 to 1pm over some ice cream. Please join us for any of the visits listed!

CE MediaFest 2025

The San Diego College of Continuing Education's Communications and Creative Services team is proud to present CE MediaFest 2025!

They will be touring and hosting the event at each campus between October 20th to November 7th. Join the Comms team and your fellow attendees for free headshots, program interviews, video promotions, exclusive swag items, and more!

Check out the lineup for when they visit your campus!

The SDCCD has partnered with TimelyCare to expand access to high-quality mental health support for enrolled students. Through this partnership, students can connect with licensed counselors virtually, access 24/7 on-demand support, and explore wellness tools designed to meet their unique needs. The goal is to provide timely, flexible, and efficient care that helps students manage stress, maintain balance, and stay focused on their academic and personal success. Encourage students to get started and register with their SDCCD.edu student email to access services.

Enhance your safety on and off campus with the SDCCDSafe app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. It is the official safety app of San Diego Community College District. The app features emergency contacts, crisis alerts, location services features, in-app tip reporting, and much more! The app also lets you stay connected by inviting a trusted friend or family member to virtually accompany you through a safety walk—so you’re never truly alone, even when they’re not nearby.

Club Rush is in Full Swing!

Encourage students to stop by one of our Club Rush tabling events from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout October to connect, get involved, and explore the many ways to enhance their college experience.

Club Rush provides a chance for students to:

• Meet student leaders and learn about active clubs and organizations
• Discover new interests and opportunities for leadership
• Connect with classmates with shared passions
• Access campus and community resources

Here’s where to find us:

• Tuesday, Oct. 7: CE Miramar – West Façade (exterior walkway)
• Wednesday, Oct. 8: César Chávez – Main Lobby
• Thursday, Oct. 9: Mid-City – Main Lobby
• Monday, Oct. 13: West City – Main Lobby
• Tuesday, Oct. 14: North City – Main Lobby
• Wednesday, Oct. 15: ECC – Corridor near Student Services
• Thursday, Oct. 16: CE Mesa – North Entrance & Corridors

This is the perfect chance to build connections, get inspired, and make the most of campus life at the Club Rush & Resource Fairs!

In the midst of so much happening across the country, it is essential that we remain mindful of how we can best support one another. We invite you to share and join the relevant weekly Mental Health Resource Support Group for students and constituents — see details below:

• This Thing Called Life, Wednesdays at 12:30 PM; this session is specifically for students, please encourage them to email Be Well CCE for the Zoom link.
• Think it Through Thursdays, specifically for faculty and classified professionals to express, de-stress, and re-fuel beginning at 12:30 PM. Join the session at the Zoom link; Meeting ID: 868 0187 2407

We’re excited to co-host the Vision 2030 Noncredit Summit 2025: Reimagining Noncredit Education for Equity and Economic Mobility on October 16 & 17. Our college will play an active role in the summit, participating in a range of panels—from dynamic student and faculty discussions to impactful sessions with the president—and participating in engaging breakout sessions.

Founded just three years ago at SDCCE, this summit has quickly become a vital platform for shaping the future of noncredit education. We look forward to continuing this important work by sharing best practices, innovative strategies, and strong advocacy.

For more information and updates, please visit the summit’s official website.

Counseling Services and Workshops

We have several services available to share with students to contribute to student success at SDCCE, please view the complete list here.

Career Workshops

An upcoming workshop hosted by SDCCE Career Counselors will help students explore career paths and create strong, effective resumes. Be sure to share this opportunity with students!

Workshop 1: Career Decision Making Basics

Tuesday, October 14 | 2:00 PM | Zoom

Gain insights for career planning and strengthen job applications. If there are any questions, please email sdccecareerservices@sdccd.edu.

Undocumented Student Success Week

SDCCE is proud to participate in Undocumented Student Success Week (October 13-17), a statewide effort led by California Community Colleges to uplift and support undocumented students across the state.

Through our Immigrant Student Success Program, SDCCE will host a series of local events focused on empowerment, resources, and community building. This important week highlights the resilience, achievements, and vital contributions of undocumented students—and reaffirms our commitment to equitable access to education for all.

We invite students, employees and community members to stand with us in celebration and advocacy.

Throughout the Fall 2025 semester, The Rising Scholars program will be tabling at all seven of our campuses from 10:45am to 12:00pm, providing students and colleagues the opportunity to learn more about Rising Scholars, ask questions, and explore ways to engage, support, and collaborate. The next stop will be at ECC on October 14. We encourage you to bring students and colleagues or share the flyer with anyone who could benefit from the resources and support Rising Scholars offers.

In honor of National Coming Out Day, you are invited to join us for an event that celebrates courage, authenticity, and the power of community: “It got better. Life after coming out.”

Wednesday, October 8
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Cesar Chavez Campus, Room 103

This gathering will feature stories from members of our SDCCE community and beyond, reflecting on the journey of coming out and life afterward. Through these personal experiences, we hope to inspire, uplift, and remind everyone that they are not alone.

*Lunch provided with registration.

ECC Theatre Renovation

The ECC Theatre Renovation is underway! Signs have been placed around campus outlining the construction. Below are some recent updates:

• Loud demolition activities are scheduled for the 1st Floor Restroom SOG and CMU Openings now through October 10.
• Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we work through these projects. The construction site is active Monday - Friday, 7am - 3:30pm.
• PCL is doing their best to minimize and manage any disruptions to college operations.

Visit the project webpage to learn more and stay up to date with the progress via livestream.

Thank you to our Theatre Director, Silvia Nogales, for playing a pivotal role in the theatre renovation and for keeping us informed on its progress. You can now follow the theatre on Facebook and Instagram @Educational Cultural Complex Theatre & Community Room.

Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging (SIB) Task Force Updates

The Safety, Inclusion, and Belonging (SIB) Task Force meets monthly to further our conversations on continuing to implement proactive strategies for tracking students who are facing immigration challenges, as well as the importance of reporting any sightings of ICE on campus to the Chancellor or District General Counsel. Reports of ICE near campus (off campus) should first be directed to the COS, who, in collaboration with the Deans, will take appropriate and informed next steps to address the situation.

We are also implementing more support for employees who are assisting students during these situations. These efforts aim to provide space for reflection, support, and continued access to critical resources. Other items that are on our list is the development of mock trainings to deescalate tense matters and active training scenarios around navigating through challenging situations with ICE. Additionally, the Task Force is also exploring the creation of a Resiliency Fund, organizing more campus tabling events, improving communication about Rave Alerts, and updating phone numbers in PeopleSoft to keep everyone informed about ICE-related incidents. I look forward to our next meeting to further these important conversations.

Please take a moment to review the safety cards for navigating ICE incidents on campus, which were distributed during Convocation. These resources are designed to guide employees on the steps for reporting.

Tutoring & Learning Center

The Tutoring & Learning Center (TLC) is here to help students succeed in their classes. The following services are offered:

• 1:1 and Group Academic Tutoring – Get guidance to better understand assignments and projects.
• Digital Literacy Support for Learning – Learn how to access their student portal, Canvas, and Zoom classes.
• Study Space & Small Library – Quiet areas to focus, study, and find helpful resources.
• Laptops - use of laptops in the TLC.
• Learning Workshops – Build skills to stay on track and excel in their coursework.

The TLC is for enrolled SDCCE students and focused on academic support and learning. While students can get assistance with course-related assignments, please note TLC tutors and faculty are not able to provide technical support or troubleshooting (i.e. hardware, software, access issues related to account or campus solution issues that require a IT Help Desk Ticket), or help with personal applications, legal paperwork, or financial documents or processes.

This semester we are located at the following:

• ECC, Room 76: Mondays & Wednesdays from 9 am to 6 pm; Tuesdays from 9 am to 5 pm, Thursdays from 9 am to 4 pm, and Fridays from 8:30 am to 1 pm.
• MCC, Room 317: Mondays - Thursdays 12 pm to 5 pm.
• NEW this Fall, the TLC at Chavez, Room 317: Starting October 27, 2025, Mondays 1 pm to 3:30 pm.

Encourage students to visit the TLC to discover how we can support their learning journey.

Stop by a Tech Hub for Single Sign On Support!

Need help with the new Single-Sign On (SSO) system or general tech assistance? Stop by a Tech Hub at our ECC or Mid-City campuses!

Starting October 13, the District will expand Single Sign-On (SSO) to include mySDCCD Login. You’ll be able to securely access these systems with your SDCCD email credentials—no more separate logins for each application.

The Tech Hub is designed to provide walk-up technology services to our students, faculty, and staff. Tech Bars are open at the following locations:

• Educational Cultural Complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Mid-City Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., & 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday

Classified Professional Spotlight

This week’s Classified Professional Spotlight shines on Leslie Romero, an example of dedication, perseverance, and excellence at SDCCE—especially proud to represent West City Campus (“Dub City”).

A devoted mother, professional, and student, Leslie balances it all with resilience and a passion for growth and service. Her journey began as a student at the Cesar Chavez Campus, leading to a meaningful career in CE Student Services, where she’s proudly served for over six years.

Known for her empathy and commitment to student success, Leslie continues to inspire colleagues and learners alike. Now pursuing her education to become a counselor, she embodies the spirit of lifelong learning and the transformative power of opportunity at SDCCE

Faculty Spotlight

Our Faculty Spotlight shines on Sean D. Caruana, Instructor and Program Chair for High School Programs at the César Chávez Campus. Sean is deeply committed to student success, consistently going above and beyond to support learners in achieving their goals. Through his engaging teaching style, mentorship, and dedication to creating an inclusive learning environment, he inspires students to reach their full potential. His positive impact extends beyond the classroom, shaping confident, capable, and motivated individuals who carry their learning into their personal and professional lives.

• A reminder that all requests of the Communications Department must be approved by a dean or vice president and requires submission of a request form. You can find the Project Request Form link on the Faculty and Staff Resources Page of our website. Allow ten working days for a request to be completed. If a request needs immediate attention, please complete the form and contact the Public Information Officer.
• For SDCCE professional development opportunities, visit the professional development web page for upcoming workshops.

President's Updates

• I was pleased to welcome the President’s Advisory Council to the ECC campus for the Fall 2025 meeting, where members received key college updates and an exclusive preview of the ECC Theatre Renovation. Their insight and expertise continue to help advance our mission and ensure we serve our students and community with excellence.
• My Executive President’s Cabinet and I enjoyed our first campus visit at the West City Campus, where we connected with colleagues and had great a campus discussion over coffee. They also gifted us beautiful Dub City plants!
• I'm thrilled to attend the 3rd Annual NANDI Conference and connect with colleagues and students from across the state. This important event brings together professionals and students from the California Community College System to engage in meaningful dialogue around equity and inclusion, with a dedicated focus on uplifting and advancing the experiences of Black women in higher education and academia.

The Research Corner

This week we invite you to explore the report State of Higher Education in California: Motivators and Barriers to Postsecondary Attainment. This report is a compilation and investigation of interest in, appreciation of, and importance placed upon postsecondary education by Californian adults, and how those values vary with demographics. This document may be accessed here: State of Higher Education in California: Motivators and Barriers to Postsecondary Attainment. Please take a minute to review this resource and email jsalcedo001@sdccd.edu if you have any questions.