The clarification comes amid mounting pressure from faculty members and commentators who want the UC to bring back standardized testing requirements that the Board of Regents eliminated in 2020. That decision, approved unanimously by the regents, went against a recommendation from the UC Academic Senate, which had favored keeping the SAT and ACT as part of the admissions process at the time.

Confusion over the university’s plans surfaced last month after the Academic Senate announced it would review both standardized testing and the high school coursework requirements used to determine UC eligibility. Then, on Monday, several media outlets reported that a senate committee overseeing admissions policy had abandoned that review altogether.

UC officials pushed back on that characterization. Ahmet Palazoglu, chair of the Academic Senate, issued a statement Monday night through the UC Office of the President insisting the review remains active.

“The Academic Senate is not rescinding its commitment to a comprehensive review of standardized testing in admissions,” Palazoglu wrote, adding that the faculty body is simply adjusting its original schedule for completing the broader admissions study.

At a Board of Regents meeting Tuesday, newly appointed board chair Maria Anguiano said the Academic Senate now intends to wrap up its testing review by the end of the current academic year — around June 2027. That’s earlier than the fall 2027 target laid out in a senate document circulated last month.

Palazoglu later clarified in an email that the accelerated June deadline applies specifically to the standardized testing question. A separate discussion about how to review high school course requirements for UC eligibility is scheduled for a senate meeting July 22.

Even with a completed review, the Academic Senate cannot single-handedly restore the SAT to UC admissions. That authority rests solely with the Board of Regents, which must first consider an informational presentation before voting on any policy change at a later meeting.

Students renew opposition

The University of California Student Association, which represents roughly 237,000 undergraduates across the system, sent regents a letter this week reiterating its opposition to reviving standardized testing requirements. The organization argued there’s no evidence the SAT or ACT would produce better-prepared students, noting that racial and ethnic diversity on UC campuses grew after the 2020 policy change without any corresponding drop in graduation rates.

“The role of public education is to ensure all students can access their right to a robust, quality learning experience, and the UC must not limit the number of students able to enter its halls,” the students wrote.

This isn’t the first time students have weighed in. It was student advocacy in 2020 that helped convince regents to drop the testing requirement, and the board reaffirmed that stance in 2021.

Anguiano appeared to signal some frustration with how the debate has unfolded publicly. “Recent public conversations have focused on admissions and standardized testing, too narrowly, in my opinion,” she told fellow regents Tuesday.

Faculty push for reinstatement

More than 2,000 UC faculty members in STEM fields have signed a petition calling for the SAT or ACT to become mandatory again for students applying to science, technology, engineering and math programs, with a proposed start date of fall 2027. Separately, nearly 1,000 professors from other academic disciplines signed a letter urging a full return to standardized testing for all applicants.

The STEM faculty petition contends that high school transcripts alone don’t reliably indicate whether a student is ready for college-level coursework, citing grade inflation and the rise of artificial intelligence tools that some students use to complete assignments. Supporters argue this leaves some incoming students unprepared for the academic demands of a UC education.

Mina Aganagic, a physics and mathematics professor at UC Berkeley, told regents Tuesday that dropping the SAT has created real classroom challenges. “Without the SAT, our introductory courses are forced to reteach elementary and middle school material. This wastes opportunities, misallocating resources rather than increasing access,” she said.

But not everyone agrees the SAT is the answer. Jessie Ryan, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to higher education, said reviving the test would address the wrong problem.

“This is absolutely the wrong solution to an undefined problem,” Ryan said. “What we know, based on the UC Office of the President’s own research, is that since going to test-free admissions, our retention rates have remained stable and graduation rates have also increased.”

Ryan argued that if the university wants to improve student preparation, it should focus on strengthening support systems and partnerships with K-12 schools rather than raising barriers to entry. “We should be looking not at becoming more selective, but being more supportive to students across the state,” she said. “Working with our K-12 partners to improve preparation, not slamming the door on thousands of students.”

Opponents of reinstating the SAT have long argued the exam disadvantages low-income students, who often lack access to costly test-preparation resources that can boost scores.

Even when standardized tests were part of UC admissions, they were only one factor among many. Campuses also weighed the rigor of a student’s coursework relative to peers at the same high school, extracurricular achievements and special talents, and the socioeconomic and geographic context of an applicant’s background.

Original source: CalMatters

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According to Kaplan, the debate has largely been framed as a tug-of-war between fairness and merit. Those who favor requiring the SAT contend that standardized testing offers a reliable, objective gauge of academic readiness. Critics counter that the exam puts students from lower-income and historically underrepresented communities at a disadvantage. Kaplan believes both camps have legitimate points — but he argues they’re focused on the wrong issue entirely.

The real reason universities keep circling back to the SAT, he says, is that almost every other piece of the admissions puzzle has lost its usefulness as a way to tell applicants apart. Decades ago, a perfect grade point average meant something rare — often signaling the top student in a graduating class. Now, thanks to grade inflation and the spread of weighted grading systems, near-perfect GPAs are common among applicants to the nation’s top universities.

Letters of recommendation have followed a similar path, rarely including any hint of criticism, which leaves admissions officers hunting for small details to differentiate between candidates who all look outstanding on paper. Personal essays, once a window into an applicant’s voice and character, have also lost credibility. With artificial intelligence tools capable of producing polished writing instantly — and with many students receiving extensive help from teachers, counselors or paid consultants — it’s increasingly difficult to know whose words are truly their own.

The end result, Kaplan writes, is an applicant pool where virtually everyone looks exceptional.

Grade inflation doesn’t stop once students get to campus, either. During the 2024-25 academic year, 84% of the grades awarded at Harvard were A’s or A-minuses, compared to just 24% two decades earlier. Reports suggest the same pattern has taken hold at other elite institutions, including UC Berkeley. When nearly every student earns top marks, those grades stop carrying much meaning.

That’s part of why the SAT has retained outsized influence in the admissions process — it remains one of the few tools that still produces a clear range of results. Supporters of the exam point out that it predicts college performance fairly consistently across different racial and ethnic groups, and argue that makes it an unbiased measure. But Kaplan says that argument sidesteps a bigger concern: average SAT scores vary significantly by race, ethnicity and income level, largely because of unequal access to strong schools, family resources and parental education. Giving the test more weight in admissions decisions, he warns, will inevitably reshape who gets in — and not necessarily for the better.

That concern carries extra weight for public universities like the UC system, especially now that political pressure and Supreme Court rulings have curtailed efforts to promote diversity on campus. Kaplan notes that Californians across the income spectrum help fund the UC system through their taxes, and an admissions process that increasingly rewards students with the most educational advantages threatens to undercut the university’s role as an engine of opportunity and upward mobility.

Beyond questions of access, Kaplan argues there’s an educational cost to losing diversity on campus. Students benefit from studying alongside classmates with different backgrounds, cultures and life experiences — exposure that sharpens critical thinking and helps prepare future leaders for an increasingly diverse workforce and society.

Rather than simply reinstating or permanently abandoning the SAT, Kaplan suggests the UC system needs to repair the credibility of the rest of its admissions process. That means confronting grade inflation head-on, pushing for more honest recommendation letters, rethinking how written work is evaluated in an era of AI-assisted writing, and developing better tools to measure traits like creativity, resilience and intellectual curiosity.

He also points to a deeper structural issue: California’s educational pipeline. A recent report from UC San Diego found that a significant number of incoming students are not adequately prepared for college-level math. Making the SAT more central to admissions decisions won’t fix that gap, Kaplan argues. The real fix lies in improving math instruction in high schools and better aligning it with what students need to succeed once they arrive on campus.

Ultimately, Kaplan frames the regents’ upcoming decision as being about far more than whether to bring back a single standardized test. The bigger task, he says, is building an admissions system where no single measure — the SAT included — carries more weight than it truly deserves.

Original source: CalMatters

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Lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on the 2026-27 spending plan last week, directing hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding to the University of California and California State University systems. But that good news came with a catch: Democratic leaders in Sacramento passed on advancing bond measures that could have funneled billions more toward campus construction and science research.

Students, meanwhile, continued to benefit from the state’s continued commitment to the Cal Grant program, one of the most generous financial aid offerings in the country. The grant, which typically covers full tuition at UC and Cal State campuses and partial tuition at private institutions, remains fully funded — meaning grant recipients won’t feel the pinch even as both university systems keep raising tuition rates.

Jessica L. Thompson, senior vice president at The Institute for College Access & Success, a think tank focused on financial aid for low-income students, said the state’s continued investment in higher education will likely stand out as one of the defining features of Newsom’s time in office.

“We’ve never had to work to convince the executive branch that public higher education was incredibly important and central to a lot of the ambitions for the state and for the future, and that’s not something to take for granted,” Thompson said.

Not every program fared as well. The Middle Class Scholarship, a smaller aid program that helped cover costs beyond tuition, will shrink this year. Recipients who received an average of $3,000 last year will see that drop to roughly $2,000.

More Money Flowing to UC and Cal State

Both university systems will receive more than $500 million in new ongoing state funding, money that can go toward hiring faculty, absorbing enrollment growth, and covering rising costs for energy, insurance and employee health benefits.

That kind of funding boost isn’t something the universities can count on automatically. Unlike K-12 schools and community colleges, which are guaranteed roughly 40% of the state’s general fund under the California Constitution, UC and Cal State have no such protection.

In fact, the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget adviser, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, had recommended smaller increases back in February, citing looming multi-billion-dollar deficits and pointing out that both systems already generate additional revenue through annual tuition hikes.

Still, the trend over Newsom’s tenure has been one of steady growth for higher education funding. The year before he took office, both UC and Cal State received about $3.7 billion each in state general fund support. Under the newly approved budget, that figure has climbed past $5 billion for each system — a 50% increase, though smaller than the 80% growth in overall state spending during the same period.

Part of this year’s increase includes restoring more than $100 million in cuts that both systems absorbed in last year’s budget. Those earlier reductions triggered a labor dispute at Cal State that remains unresolved. The system has argued the funding cut prevented it from honoring full raises for thousands of employees, though some unions counter that a state loan covering last year’s shortfall should have made those raises possible. Cal State maintains that the loan doesn’t offset the cut, since it ultimately has to be repaid.

CSUEU, a union representing 36,000 Cal State employees in administrative and grounds-keeping roles, filed an unfair labor practice complaint last July, arguing the funding cut should have triggered contractual pay-step increases for workers — each worth a 2% raise. The union says some employees should have advanced five or more steps but were only bumped up one. A resolution could come before California’s Public Employment Relations Board issues a ruling in August. The union is also pushing for 11% annual raises over the next three years and has floated the possibility of a strike, though it hasn’t yet sought member approval to do so.

Financial Aid: Mostly Good News for Students

The state’s commitment to fully funding Cal Grants continues, even though — unlike K-12 and community college funding — there’s no constitutional guarantee behind it.

Since 2015, the number of students receiving Cal Grants has jumped from about 330,000 to more than 450,000, with state spending rising from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. Much of that growth traces back to 2021 reforms that opened eligibility to more than 100,000 community college students over the age of 28. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates those changes alone added $167 million to the program’s costs last year.

Rising tuition at UC, which began climbing in 2022, and at Cal State, starting in 2024, has also driven up Cal Grant expenses. Analysts estimate roughly a quarter of the program’s cost growth over the past decade stems directly from tuition increases at the two systems.

The Middle Class Scholarship wasn’t as fortunate. Funding dropped from nearly $1 billion last year to $680 million this year, cutting the average award for its 350,000 UC and Cal State recipients from about $3,000 to roughly $2,000. The reduction was one of several moves lawmakers made to balance a budget that, by law, cannot run a deficit. Students may need to pick up extra work hours or rely more on loans to make up the difference, though most UC and Cal State undergraduates still graduate without debt.

Bond Measures: A Mixed Bag

Higher education’s bigger disappointments this year came in the form of bond measures that failed to make it onto the ballot.

Chief among them was a $12 billion bond proposed by state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, that would have funded science research grants for universities and research institutions. The UC system and its graduate student worker union pushed hard for the measure, viewing it as insurance against the Trump administration’s efforts to slash federal research funding.

The Trump administration has targeted grants it claims involve prohibited research into diversity or climate change, though many of the affected projects focused on diseases, pharmaceuticals, cancer and dementia research. UC alone brought in $3 billion in federal research funding during the 2024-25 academic year, accounting for nearly half of its total research budget.

At one point last year, the federal government froze or canceled more than 1,000 California research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Court challenges have restored most of that funding, but tens of millions of dollars remain frozen, and nearly $900 million in Environmental Protection Agency funding is still on hold, according to legislative analysis tied to Wiener’s proposal.

Wiener has argued that California needs to insulate its research institutions from federal unpredictability. His bond measure cleared the Senate but stalled in the Assembly, failing to clear a key committee before the deadline to qualify for the November ballot.

A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, said in a statement that the ongoing federal pressure on California has forced lawmakers into difficult tradeoffs. Sources familiar with the negotiations told CalMatters that some legislators worried backing the science bond might hurt the chances of a separate $11 billion affordable housing bond — an Assembly priority — passing in November.

A second stalled measure would have helped UC and Cal State tackle a growing backlog of aging campus buildings and fund new construction. Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Chula Vista Democrat, had pushed for such a bond, but the effort collapsed by late June after Newsom’s Department of Finance determined the state wouldn’t have enough money in future budgets to repay the debt.

The need is real: More than half of Cal State’s academic buildings are at least 50 years old, and the system’s five-year construction plan includes $24 billion in projects. UC, meanwhile, reports a $46 billion shortfall in infrastructure funding across its campuses and hospitals. Students and faculty have complained in recent years about broken air conditioning during heat waves, failed heating systems in winter, and flooding that has damaged sensitive lab equipment.

Voters haven’t approved a facilities bond for public universities since 2006, and both systems’ ability to borrow independently is limited since debt payments come directly out of their operating budgets. A 2020 school facilities bond that would have set aside $2 billion each for UC and Cal State failed at the ballot box, and a later bond that did pass excluded the university systems altogether.

“It’s too soon to plan for 2028 ballot measures, but a facilities bond will remain within Alvarez’s priorities for sure,” said Chris Jonsmyr, a spokesperson for the assemblymember.

There was at least one silver lining tucked into the November affordable housing bond. If approved by voters, UC and Cal State would each receive $175 million to build affordable student housing that campuses could rent to low-income students below market rate.

For UC, that funding could support roughly 1,700 new beds for low-income students, based on recent project costs that have ranged from $200,000 to $300,000 per bed — driven up by soaring construction costs and expensive land near the system’s mostly coastal campuses.

Last fall, nearly 9,900 UC students were on waiting lists for campus housing, according to data obtained by CalMatters. The potential funding would add to UC’s broader push to build 15,000 new student housing units by 2030 — an urgent need, given that average occupancy across the system’s housing network currently sits at 104%, forcing some rooms designed as doubles to house three students instead.

Original source: CalMatters

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Dr. Dotson succeeds Dr. Roger Schultz, who retired after 25 years of service to MSJC, including 18 years as Superintendent/President. She becomes the first woman to serve as Superintendent/President of Mt. San Jacinto College and assumes leadership of one of California’s largest community college districts, serving approximately 30,000 students annually across Riverside County.

Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Dotson has earned a reputation as an innovative leader, collaborative partner, and passionate advocate for student success. As she begins her tenure, she plans to spend time listening, learning, and building relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community partners across the District’s campuses and service region.

“The Board sought a leader who would honor MSJC’s strong foundation while embracing the continued evolution of an institution that is already thriving,” said MSJC Board of Trustees President Tom Ashley. “We found that leader in Dr. Dotson. She brings a thoughtful and forward-looking vision that reflects the values that define our college—excellence, integrity, access, and, above all, a commitment to student success.”

In a video message released on her first day, Dr. Dotson acknowledged the excitement and the uncertainty that naturally accompany change while inviting the MSJC community to embark on the College’s next chapter together.

“As an educator and leader, I believe community colleges were created to complete a promise to our students and our community,” Dr. Dotson said. “That promise begins with open, equitable access, continues by helping students succeed through persistence, retention, and completion, and culminates in opportunities for great careers and successful transfer pathways. I hope to join you in building on that strong foundation, accelerating momentum, amplifying accomplishments, and driving student success.”

Dr. Dotson emphasized that her first year will focus on listening and learning from the people who make MSJC exceptional while working collaboratively to shape the College’s future.

“I’m going to start by listening and learning about what we value and appreciate about what we do at Mt. San Jacinto College,” she said. “Collaboration is important to me because, as the proverb says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'” Over the coming weeks and months, Dr. Dotson will continue visiting MSJC’s campuses and engaging with faculty, staff, students, educational partners, elected officials, and community stakeholders throughout the region.

Dr. Dotson assumes leadership at a time of continued momentum for the College. This year, MSJC awarded a record 3,881 degrees and certificates, continues to expand educational opportunities throughout Southwest Riverside County and the San Gorgonio Pass, and is advancing major initiatives that support student success, workforce development, university transfer pathways, and regional economic growth.

Members of the community are invited to hear directly from Dr. Dotson by watching her first-day message at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3zESKLGF9x4.

As Superintendent/President, Dr. Dotson will oversee the College’s three campuses in San Jacinto, Menifee, and Temecula, leading the institution’s mission of transforming learners, communities, and lives through accessible, high-quality education.

The post Mt. San Jacinto College Welcomes Dr. Tawny Dotson as Eighth Superintendent/President appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Among the graduates this year were Naomi and Nayana Velardi, 22-year-old twins from Romoland who are both on the autism spectrum and earned certificates in Digital Media after pursuing studies in animation, video production, and graphic design with support from MSJC accommodation services and life coaches.

The ceremonies also highlighted the remarkable range of ages and experiences represented within the graduating class. Alyssa Nicole Gumms of Perris, age 16, was recognized as the college’s youngest graduate this year. Alyssa began her college journey through dual enrollment and graduated with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts: Mathematics and Science while serving as this year’s Tassel Turner.

At the other end of the spectrum, Jacqueline M. Al-Rauf, a 75-year-old student from Hemet, was recognized as the oldest graduate in the Class of 2026 after earning her Associate of Science degree. Jacqueline has served as an emergency room registered nurse since 1982 after previously attending MSJC to earn her nursing degree. She returned to college decades later to earn an additional degree required to teach Licensed Vocational Nursing courses, reminding attendees that learning, growth, and service to others can continue throughout a lifetime.

The ceremonies also celebrated students whose educational journeys reflected resilience and determination across decades. Melissa Lopez, a 48-year-old first-generation student from Murrieta, first enrolled at MSJC in 1995 before putting college on hold while raising four children as a single mother and working full time. This year, she completed two associate degrees: one in Behavioral Sciences and another in Administration of Justice.

“Coming back to college after all these years was something I did not think I would ever accomplish,” Lopez said. “I wanted to show my children that no matter how long it takes or what life puts in front of you, you can still achieve your goals. Earning these degrees means everything to me and my family.”

Students at the Temecula Valley Campus know Lopez well through her work at the campus café, where many affectionately refer to her as their “second mom” for the encouragement and kindness she brings to campus each day.

Esteban Valdes, a first-generation college student, returning student, and DREAMer from Lake Elsinore, was also recognized for overcoming hardship and becoming a student leader, mentor, and Supplemental Instruction Leader while preparing to transfer and pursue a future in business and finance.

“MSJC didn’t give us all the answers,” Valdes said. “But it gave us the space to ask the questions. To try. To fail. To change our minds. To grow into versions of ourselves we didn’t even know existed when we first got here. And I think that’s one of the most powerful things about this place. We found parts of ourselves we didn’t even know we were missing.”

Student Trustee and commencement student speaker Claudia Walukouw, a 32-year-old returning student, also reflected on the transformative impact of her time at MSJC.

“When I think of education, I think of the night that I chose to go back to school in pursuit of a nursing degree,” Walukouw said. “Older, non-traditional student, convinced that this was my last chance and not knowing that my time here at MSJC would have such a deep impact on my personal journey of finding my passions and finding the community I never knew I was missing.”

“These students remind all of us that there is no single path to success,” said Roger Schultz.

“Every graduate carries a story of perseverance, sacrifice, growth, and hope. Watching students transform their lives through education has been the greatest privilege of my career.”

This year’s commencement ceremonies also reflected the tremendous growth of Mt. San Jacinto College and the communities it serves.

When MSJC held its first commencement ceremony in 1965, the college graduated just eight students. Sixty-one years later, the college awarded 3,881 degrees to 2,952 graduates during four ceremonies over two days, underscoring the institution’s continued growth throughout one of California’s fastest-growing regions.

During Schultz’s nearly two decades as Superintendent/President, the college experienced significant transformation, including the expansion of college facilities by half a million square feet, increasing access to higher education opportunities across the region.

From 2008 to 2026, MSJC experienced an average annual graduation growth rate of approximately 4.7%, rising from 1,681 degrees awarded in 2008 to 3,881 degrees awarded in 2026.

At the conclusion of the academic year, Schultz will retire after leading 18 graduating classes at MSJC.

“This year’s commencement felt especially meaningful,” Schultz said. “As our Eagles prepared to soar into their futures, I found myself reflecting on how far this college has come—and how much potential still lies ahead for both our students and this institution.”

The post Mt. San Jacinto College Celebrates 2,952 Graduates During Commencement Ceremonies and Dr. Roger Schultz’s Final Graduation After Nearly Two Decades of Leadership appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Founded in 2011, Excelencia in Education launched the Presidents for Latino Student Success initiative in 2014 to support institutional leaders transforming higher education by ensuring Latino students have the opportunities and resources needed to succeed. Programs and initiatives that work for Latino students often serve as models for supporting all students, benefiting the broader educational landscape.

By joining the P4LSS network, Dr. Schultz will collaborate with Excelencia and other higher education leaders to share expertise, leverage resources, foster partnerships, and strengthen efforts to accelerate Latino student success at the national level.

“At Mt. San Jacinto College, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive environment where all students can excel,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, Superintendent/President of MSJC. “Joining the Presidents for Latino Student Success network aligns with our mission to provide equitable access to education and empower our diverse student body. We are excited to partner with Excelencia in Education to further advance these efforts and drive meaningful impact.”

“Institutional leadership focused on intentionally serving Latino, and all, students is the hallmark of the presidents and chancellors in this network,” said Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia in Education. “We are proud to catalyze and support them as they advance student success and grow talent for our country’s bright future.”

Dr. Schultz joins more than 150 higher education leaders in the P4LSS network. While this network represents only 5% of the thousands of colleges and universities nationwide, its members enroll 32% and graduate 34% of all Latino students in higher education.

Excelencia in Education is honored to work alongside visionary and action-driven leaders who have answered the national call to accelerate Latino student success and help shape America’s future.

To learn more about the Presidents for Latino Student Success network and the institutional leaders affiliated with Excelencia, visit: EdExcelencia.org/leadership/presidents-latino-student-success.

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Immediate and conditional admission will be offered to high school seniors who are on track to meet college preparatory courses before they have even started their application process.

The pilot, launched in partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education and the CSU, expects to admit 12,000 to 10 different CSU campuses by way of a brochure that has been mailed to their homes.

Then, students must use CaliforniaColleges.edu to select their preferred CSU campus and acceptance letters will be sent directly by the universities.

“We want students to know that the door to college opportunity is open to them, and to help relieve some of the stress and uncertainty about applying for college,” said April Grommo, the university system’s vice chancellor of enrollment. “Riverside County is an excellent location for this first-ever program for the CSU, as it is ethnically and economically representative of the diversity of California, and many of the students the CSU is so proud to serve.”

Here are the campuses available for the pilot:

• San Bernardino
• Channel Islands
• Chico
• East Bay
• Humboldt
• Maritime Academy
• Monterey Bay
• San Francisco
• San Marcos
• Sonoma.

When students receive admittance, they must continue to meet A-G requirements to graduate high school. Once the official acceptance letter is granted by their university of choice, students should confirm their intent to enroll by the given campus deadline.

Here’s how students can apply for financial aid: Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) no later than the deadline, which has always been March 2. But, the sooner the better.

“As one of the fastest growing regions in California, the need for college-educated professionals will continue to soar, and this partnership will remove barriers to higher education, welcoming more college-ready students to the CSU system through this innovative direct admission program,” said Edwin Gomez, Riverside County superintendent of schools.

The post Eligible RivCo High Schoolers To Be Offered Direct Admission To CSU appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Soboba Indian Reservation school also invited students from Sherman Indian High School in Riverside to interact with vendors throughout the afternoon. Students were asked to create a schedule based on their interests, spending 15 minutes at each table, throughout six rotations.

Noli chooses to hold this annual event early in the school year so students have exposure to different colleges prior to open application month in October.

All Noli students, in grades 6 through 12, have a 20-minute Advisory Class prior to their fourth period classes where they discuss their current grades and challenges as well as their future goals. Sonia Modesto, who teaches Special Education and serves as one of the grade level Advisory teachers, said the annual fair plays a huge part in the students’ guidance process as they explore all options and opportunities.

“I think it is so amazing and inspiring that these vendors take the time out of their day to share it with our students,” said Modesto, who plays a key role in organizing the event. “During Advisory, we do encourage our students to reflect and discuss the day, what they learned, what they are interested in, what they enjoyed and what they may not have cared for. It is both engaging and interesting to get their feedback. It also helps us to plan for the next year.”

Students sat in the gym’s bleachers to be welcomed by Alex “Panda” Armendariz, Admissions and Outreach Specialized Recruiter for California State University San Bernardino. “This event gives you the opportunity to learn about what’s available. Take advantage of having the chance to talk to those who are making time to be here for you today,” he said.

Four other colleges were represented, sharing what each campus offers in terms of Native American studies and student life. Mt. San Jacinto College is a local community college that shared information about its adult education courses and non-credit programs for career development as well as its Native American Student Success/Support Services. Representatives from The University of Redlands and California State Universities located in Fullerton and San Marcos answered many questions posed by the students and had lots of handouts for them.

To further help students make the right decision, Cal State Fullerton is offering a Fall Webinar Series during its open enrollment period of Oct. 1 through Dec. 2 and a free campus tour on Oct. 26. Seniors were encouraged to visit calstate.edu/apply or Fullerton.edu to learn more.

The electricians’ union offered demonstrations about the type of jobs available in this field and AUMT Institute shared the career of phlebotomy. Temeeku Midwifery and the California Nurses Educational Institute shared details about medical field careers and several branches of the military explained recruitment to the students.

Coast Guard recruiter Caleb Svitenko served in the U.S. Navy for six years prior to joining the Coast Guard six years ago. He said those who enlist have often already done research and come in prepared to serve in this very specific branch.

Eastern Municipal Water District has a plethora of career paths for students to consider as does GRID Alternatives who shared the various jobs available in the rapidly growing solar industry.

Entrepreneur and Realtor David Borja Castaneda was able to explain different aspects of the real estate business to students who asked many different questions. He shared that he was working a full-time job with an automotive company and was not making the income he wanted so he switched careers. He said he enjoys being self-employed but that it isn’t easy. He added that it’s important to be a “people person” and to have compassion and great listening skills to be successful. Chloe Trosper, a junior at Sherman Indian High School, is interested in being a designer so Castaneda explained what stagers do and how they have a big impact on the sale of a house. “Real estate and designing go hand in hand,” he told Chloe.

Anthony Luna Trujillo always has one of the most popular presentations with his Stylish Culture business. He discussed how he started his graphic design business with the support of his family while he was a senior at Noli in 2015. He is a self-taught artist and graphic designer who comes up with creative designs that he recreates on items such as decorative boards, T-shirts, hats, stickers and his new line of coloring books. Although he has been a firefighter for the past seven years, he has always found time to keep up with his many orders on his days off. “I started Stylish Culture with my family when my parents invested in me. It started with an image and ended with a legacy,” said Trujillo, who now has a son, Tukut Trujillo, born June 29. “I love doing this.” He is active on Instagram @stylishculture15.

Funeral Arranger Robert Young with Inland Memorial Funeral Care in Hemet explained the different jobs that exist in that business. With a strong tie to the Native American culture, the company is well-known among local students.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Tyler Topping brought purebred bloodhound Leia to the event, and she was an instant hit with students and staff alike. He explained that his K-9 partner is trained to search for missing people – not drugs, guns or bombs – and that she is extremely good at what she does. Leia was super friendly, eliciting hugs and tummy rubs from the crowd. Topping explained that when it’s time to trail, he puts on her vest and she completely changes, transforming into working mode.

California Indian Manpower Consortium provides employment and training services and other related services to Indian and Native American people. Hemet’s Coastline Beauty College offers certification in cosmetology and manicuring to anyone 18 years or older that has a high school diploma. Instructor Mina Price is also a former student and Jessica Crane from admissions said the school has hired quite a few students to work there. They also shared with students that the college offers discounted prices for salon services and specials for prom and homecoming events.

Noli science teachers Jay Dagostino and Sabrina Sobel Smith discussed all the different types of jobs that are available in the field of marine biology as both had previous careers at Sea World. Smith shared scuba diving equipment and how it works and Dagostino had many sea life samples and photos. He said there are many internships and entry level jobs at aquariums and other places where workers can learn the business from the ground up.

Branch Bankers Rosa Guardian and Tracie Bannister are with PNC Bank, the sixth largest bank in the nation but new to Hemet. Their message to students was mostly about the importance of financial literacy and the fact that PNC offers internships for college students to learn more about the banking business. “It may not seem important to them now but having a good relationship with your bank is important,” Bannister said. Guardian said banking offers all kinds of positions from the business side to the customer service side and shared that PNC is really big on expanding from within. Bannister agreed, stating that career development is huge and that the bank offers lots of incentives, sharing its motto of “employee driven, management guided.”

Members of the Soboba Casino Resort shared details about what is involved with marketing and the different skill sets they seek. Several departments from the Soboba Indian Health Clinic were available to share what it takes to work in the areas of dental, optical, pharmacy and wellness/behavioral health.

 Cecilia Tsai is an optometry resident and had lots of equipment available for students to explore the world of optometry. She answered questions about eye function and diseases and what it takes to get into the field.

Dental Assistant Liz Martinez explained that being a hygienist offers lots of flexibility and freedom because they can work as often as they want and at different dental offices. “It’s been very rewarding for me; I love it and I enjoy my patients,” said Martinez, whose table offered smile kits that consisted of toothpaste, a toothbrush, floss and lip balm.

Students left with lots of other freebies from the vendors, such as candy, water bottles, pens, T-shirts, notepads, stickers and more.

“I would have to say that the main highlight for me at this event each year is to see our students really engage,” Modesto said. “They become so inquisitive and interested in what the representatives of the colleges and careers that attend have to share.”

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This academic year marks a significant milestone for MSJC, reflecting a continued rise in enrollment and underscoring the college’s dedication to accessible, flexible, and affordable education. The college’s diverse course offerings, including in-person, online, and hybrid formats, cater to students’ varying needs, providing them with the flexibility to balance their academic and personal commitments effectively.

Dr. Roger Schultz, Superintendent/President of MSJC, expressed his enthusiasm for the new academic year: “We will continue to work together as a community of transformation for the lives of our students and for the betterment of our region.” Dr. Schultz also highlighted upcoming developments, including the grand opening of new STEM buildings at the San Jacinto and Menifee Valley campuses. These state-of-the-art facilities are designed to enhance the educational experience and support academic growth.

In addition to these advancements, MSJC is expanding its academic offerings with new and enhanced programs within the Nursing and Allied Health Department. Students can now benefit from expanded training in Nursing, Radiologic Technology, and Emergency Medical Technician programs. Dr. Schultz added, “I am so proud of our institution and the innovative learning programs and extracurricular activities curated to offer each of our students the opportunity to explore interests, develop personally and professionally, and reach their full potential.”

At the Temecula Valley Campus, the start of the academic year was marked by memorable moments. Sisters Elyssa and Naya Sim began their college experience together, while Great Oak High School graduates Aidan Savena and Owen Streeter enjoyed a welcoming breakfast as they started their college journey in their hometown. The sense of community and local pride was evident as students embraced the opportunities ahead.

The San Jacinto Campus saw an extra layer of excitement with the unveiling of the new STEM building. Students, including Diagnostic Medical Sonography major Anahi Guerra Brito, were impressed by the state-of-the-art facility. “The building is beautiful, honestly. It’s very new and very technologically advanced, and I’m happy to start classes here,” she noted.

At the Menifee Valley Campus, the Learning Resource Center tutors, including Ace Araujo, Olivia Frazier, and Katrina Bellemonte, rallied behind the students with encouraging words: “We are rooting for you, Eagles!” Their support highlighted the collaborative spirit and dedication of the Menifee Valley Campus community.

As MSJC moves forward into this academic year, the college remains committed to fostering an inclusive and innovative environment where every student can thrive. With a focus on community and academic excellence, MSJC is poised for a successful and transformative year ahead.

For Dr. Schultz’s welcome video message, please visit https://youtu.be/Gap_ElK8Z2Q.

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The majority also think it’s unfair for colleges to consider an applicant’s athletic ability, family alumni ties, ability to pay full tuition or parents’ educational levels in determining who should get acceptance letters, the survey found.

At the same time, most Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders surveyed believe that slavery, racism and segregation should be taught in schools and oppose individual school boards restricting classroom discussion of specific topics, as some conservative districts have done.

Overall, AAPI adults value higher education not only as a pathway to economic well-being but for teaching critical thinking, fostering the free exchange of ideas and advancing equity and inclusion.

The survey by AAPI Data, a UC research enterprise, and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,068 AAPI adults age 18 and older. The poll, conducted April 8-17 in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean, has a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points.

The poll offers a comprehensive look at attitudes toward education among Asian Americans, who make up a disproportionately large share of students at the University of California and other selective institutions — yet are often overlooked in policy discussions about equity and diversity.

Several polls have shown that Asian Americans support affirmative action, depending on how the question is asked. A 2022 survey found support at 69% when respondents were asked if they favor programs to help Black people, women and other minorities get access to higher education. But Asian American plaintiffs who led a landmark lawsuit against Harvard University argued that affirmative action policies that use race as a factor in admissions discriminated against them. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down such race-conscious practices.

In the new survey, the question about using race in admissions, worded without context about who it would help, drew little support. Asked if they think it is “fair, unfair or neither fair or unfair for colleges and universities to make decisions about admitting students” based on race and ethnicity, 18% of respondents said it was fair, 53% said it was unfair, and 27% said it was neither.

The AAPI Data/Associated Press-NORC survey is among the first to gauge Asian American attitudes on standardized testing and other metrics for college admissions, along with broader questions about the value of education.

“The stereotype of AAPIs might suggest that they care about education only in a narrow way as it relates to economic mobility and hard skills related to job prospects,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a UC Riverside professor of public policy and political science and founder of AAPI Data. “This study reveals a more nuanced and fuller portrait, illustrating that AAPI individuals value education … also for fostering critical thinking and nurturing a more informed citizenry.”

A strong majority — 71% — of those surveyed believe the history of slavery, racism, segregation and the AAPI community should be taught in public schools. A smaller majority, 53%, favor teaching about sex and sexuality — including 72% of AAPI Democrats and 25% of Republicans.

Overall, AAPI adults hold similar views as the general American public about the keys to children’s success: hard work, time spent with parents and which schools they attend. Asian Americans, however, are significantly more likely to believe the neighborhoods they live in are important to educational success — 62%, compared with 49% of all Americans. Ramakrishnan said research has shown that AAPI families are more willing to move to areas with good schools even if it means living in worse housing.

Asian American support for standardized testing comes as several elite universities have restored those requirements for admissions after pausing them during the pandemic. In recent months, Harvard, Caltech, Yale, Dartmouth and the University of Texas at Austin, among others, have reinstated testing mandates.

Some institutions say their reviews showed that the testing requirements increase diversity — benefiting applicants with less access to rigorous high school curriculum, strong letters of recommendation or impressive extracurricular activities. Others have said it’s harder to assess an applicant’s readiness for college work without standardized testing — especially because many educators have reported significant grade inflation since the pandemic.

The University of California and California State University have both eliminated standardized testing requirements for admission.

While some UC leaders have indicated interest in reviewing the impact of that decision on student outcomes, faculty leaders say there may not be much of an appetite for it. The UC Board of Regents rejected the Academic Senate’s recommendation to retain testing requirements and voted to bar them for admissions decisions.

USC is continuing its test-optional policy — accepting scores from those who wish to submit them but not penalizing those who don’t — and is reviewing whether to continue that course.

Frank Xu, a San Diego parent of a high-school sophomore and an MIT student, said he opposed UC regents’ decision to nix testing mandates and believes that the preponderance of research shows that test scores highly correlate with college success.

“I’m all for research-based decisions, and I felt that at UC, it was a completely political decision to ignore the faculty senate,” he said.

But some Asian American students say testing is an unfair factor in admissions decisions.

At Downtown Magnets High School, students Rida Hossain and Shariqa Sultana said their families were not able to afford test prep, with annual incomes of less than $30,000 and relatives in Bangladesh to support.

“Standardized testing doesn’t portray a student’s capacity for how they’ll perform in higher education, because in the classroom, they’ll be doing a lot of essay writing, research, collaboration and projects that wouldn’t necessarily be put into a multiple-choice exam,” Shariqa said. “How you actually perform in class and your extracurriculars are a better metric than one test that determines your entire future.”

Ramakrishnan said there are several reasons why many Asian Americans support standardized testing. The majority are immigrants from China, Korea, India and other countries that use such tests for college admissions, he said. They are accustomed to a system of high-stakes testing and see it as an equitable way to determine college access, compared with wealth or political connections.

The survey backs up that point, showing that 70% of AAPI respondents who are immigrants back testing, compared with 56% of those born in the United States. A plurality of those surveyed, 45%, said it was fair to consider personal experiences with hardship or adversity.

But 69% of those surveyed said legacy admissions — preferential treatment for children of alumni — was unfair, while 48% oppose consideration of an applicant’s ability to pay. A majority, 54%, don’t think it’s fair to consider whether applicants are the first in their family to attend college.

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