7,500 take on IVC
Campus life is in full swing at Imperial Valley College as about 7,500 students began their fall semester Aug. 15 at the campus on Aten Road.
Faculty and staff were treated to a Welcome Back Convocation on Aug. 12, complete with breakfast and lunch, entertainment, updates and workshops.
For the first time in many years, students were provided with “Pop Up Help Services” in the College Center and the Transfer Center/CTE Lab during their first week of class. Help was available for students with questions about counseling, admissions and records, financial aid, parking permits and student IDs.
Student Services personnel established the “one stop” service center to assist in answering questions and resolving issues that may arise.
Fall enrollment is about even with 2015 and late registration will continue through Aug. 27. Students can choose from more than 790 course sections being offered both during the day, in the evening and online.
Many fall students are just beginning their college education careers.
IVC is one of the nine community colleges in the San Diego-Imperial County region. Combined, they are region’s largest provider of higher education with nearly 150,000 students taking classes in the 2016-2017 academic year.
“California Community Colleges offer the most affordable higher education option in the country, and we are looking for another successful year in helping students secure a degree, transfer to a four-year university or college, or get the skills necessary to get ahead in their profession,” said Dr. Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, president of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association and superintendent/president of MiraCosta College in Oceanside.
Cooke — who chairs the California Community College Chancellor’s Office’s Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economy campaign — noted that every college in the region is adding and expanding programs that offer residents the latest, cutting-edge job skills for in-demand industries.
“Our Valley has seen a long line of folks coming through the doors of IVC, leaving us with degrees or certificates in hand to make an impact on others,” said IVC Superintendent/President Victor M. Jaime. He noted that in June, the largest graduating class in the IVC’s history received diplomas or certificates, and that trend is expected to continue.