National Community College Hispanic Council, CSULB Teaming Up to Offer NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program

The Educational Leadership Program at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is collaborating with the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) to offer the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program this summer at the campus.

Established in 1985 as an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the NCCHC is the nation’s premier organization for preparing and supporting Hispanic leaders in America’s community colleges. The non-profit professional organization is committed to delivering high-quality leadership development experiences and providing Hispanics with opportunities to continue their personal and professional growth.

“The current economic and educational climate highlights the critical need for increased numbers of Latino and Latina leaders in community colleges. It reinforces the necessity of offering leadership development programs,” explained William M. Vega, director of the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program and Distinguished Faculty in Residence with the CSULB College of Education. “The changing student demographic, with increased numbers of Hispanic students attending community colleges nationwide, further enhances the importance for Hispanic leaders to serve as role models and mentors for these students.”

The goal of the Leadership Fellows Program is to develop a pool of highly qualified Latino and Latina leaders. It is designed to provide professional and leadership development training, mentoring and networking to attain executive-level positions in community colleges.

The Leadership Fellows Program offers two programs –- a Mid-Managerial and an Executive Leadership Fellows Program –- on an alternating yearly basis. The Mid-Managerial Leadership Fellows Program will be offered at CSULB June 9-12. It is designed for mid-level community college administrators who may hold a dean, associate dean or director position and have aspirations to become a community college executive level administrator.

“The College of Education at CSULB has consistently looked for opportunities to collaborate with and support educational and leadership development programs such as the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program,” Vega added. “This collaboration would not have been possible without their full and complete cooperation. I am appreciative of their support.”

Summer seminar topics will include organizational development, institutional effectiveness, conflict resolution, crisis management, community development, technology, board/ CEO relations, strategic planning, culture and diversity, finances and facilities, change process and negotiation.

CSULB is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), which is defined as a non-profit institution that has at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment and, of that Hispanic enrollment, at least 50 percent are low income. CSULB obtained its HSI eligibility status in fall 2005 when 8,663 Latino and Latina students enrolled at the campus, representing 25.1 percent of undergraduate and graduate students. For the 2009-10 academic year, that number stands at 28.4 percent.

For more information on this summer’s NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program at CSULB, contact Peggy Card-Govela, program coordinator, at 562/985-8805, e-mail ncchclfp@csulb.edu, or visit www.ced.csulb.edu/asec/academic/lfp/index.cfm.


-- Rick Gloady