CLEARLAKE— Yuba Community College District Chancellor Shouan Pan and Woodland Community College President Lizette Navarette spoke this week at the Judge’s Breakfast in Clearlake, closing out a month of educational updates which featured highlights on the Lake County Campus.
Pan began the presentation noting his enthusiasm for being invited to what he called “a famous breakfast.” He shared “Thank you to everyone in this community” expressing his gratitude for everyone here and for all of their efforts in recent board elections. He also thanked community members for their response to the Boyles Fire which threatened the campus. Pan also shared that recent collaborations with District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier are leading them on an analytic path to discover how to better fulfill local needs by providing more streamlined training and certification for careers and organizations lacking staff here in Lake County as a way to fill gaps in the employment field with those seeking employment.
Though Navarette has spoken at the breakfast before, she has since then filled her cabinet, assembling an all women leadership team. “I couldn’t be prouder” she said, outlining their current goals which officials have labeled “The Big Three.” These three priorities are first accreditation, with a campus visit scheduled for September. Second is enrollment recovery and persistence gains, with the Woodland Community College’s Strategic Education Plan for 2025-2028 being last.
Navarette went over enrollment rates dating back to 2022, which show an increase in overall students attending YCCD going from 6359 in 2022 to 7443 this year. As this is a main focal point, YCCD recognizes that it must create an environment that supports students in a post pandemic world, catering to each student on a more individual level. Navarette described the student support services they can provide through programs like EOPS, CARE, and CalWORKS. They have also increased offerings at their Basic Needs Center, which now has an Eagles Essentials section helping provide necessary school supplies and even clothing.
The duo spoke about protecting students’ rights, addressing the California Values Act, which limits a state’s response to federal immigration enforcement, and also the Equity on Higher Education Act, which prohibits discrimination in post-secondary education. Regarding the current situation with the possibility of alterations in federal funding Pan shared “I don’t want to talk politics but what is happening at a federal level is effecting us.” Despite these changes Pan said, “We will continue to serve every student.” She added, “We do not ask your immigration status on any application. You have a right to be here whether you are white or not, undocumented, or from any sexual orientation.”
With graduation scheduled for three weeks from now, Navarette mentioned that now would be the time to apply for Summer and Fall enrollment, as that was opened the other day. Going forward, the team at YCCD hopes to continue working with local leaders to “rethink the college promise” and attempt to attract more adult learners whose numbers have dropped since the pandemic. Mary Wilson, who also works with adult learners at the LCC, spoke on one of the main barriers for these students stating, “You have to pay your rent” alluding to the fact that many have to choose – work or school. She shared that currently four students are living at the nearby Hope Center Homeless Shelter, with talks in city council about a tiny house campus for students to alleviate some of the stress of finding housing while attending college classes.
Ultimately the campus strives to end poverty as Navarette stated “Together we will continue to advance the socio-economic mobility of our students and communities.”
