This year, WHCL has focused intently on our relentless pursuit of student success with a primary focus on our Strong Framework to ensure students Get Strong, Start Strong, Stay Strong, and Finish Strong. To that end, faculty have been engaged in professional development that focuses on teaching and learning, ranging from conversations on best teaching practices to tours of leading educational facilities.Focused on Helping Students Get Strong, Start Strong, Stay Strong, and Finish Strong
We consistently remove financial obstacles our students face with financial aid, free college tuition for full-time freshmen, free parking, on campus jobs, and Open Educational Resources: almost 50% of our course offerings this fall will have zero-cost textbooks.
This fall, we will open a new Student Engagement Center in our Library focused on providing additional academic support for students. The WIN (Workforce Internship and Networking) Center has had another successful semester, hosting Entrée to Employment for 80 + employers and students in Administration of Justice and Cybersecurity, supporting students in the Eagle Dress for Success Closet as they interview for internships and entry into their careers, and completing the full launch of the employer-student connection platform, Jobspeaker.
Our relentless pursuit of student success is paying off. More students start strong with an informed education goal, we have significantly reduced the time to completion, and WHCL conferred almost 30% more degrees and certificates in 2018-19 than last year. This year, WHCL was one of six colleges in the Achieving the Dream network to be granted the prestigious Leader College status. We are proud of our accomplishments and committed to continuing our focus on decreasing academic achievement gaps, promoting upward mobility, and strengthening the economic development in the Central Valley.
Kristin Clark, Ed.D.
President, West Hills College Lemoore