Dean Ivan Peña Wins 2023 Toward-A-Shared-Vision Award for Excellence in Innovation by GIA

Publish Date: Oct. 20, 2023

Crafton Hills College Dean of Student Equity and Success Dr. Ivan Peña has been selected to receive a 2023 Toward a Shared Vision Award for Excellence in Innovation by Growing Inland Achievement, a regional K-16 collaborative that works to achieve educational and economic equity in the Inland Empire. 

This award recognizes individuals and groups supporting student success in the region while embodying GIA’s core values of equity, transformation, collaboration, innovation, and centering students. 

When asked about his award-winning contributions, Dr. Peña credited the College’s counseling department for its innovative efforts. “This recognition is not only a personal honor, but a testament to the remarkable counseling team at CHC.” 

CHC’s counseling department has used data to track its students according to progress toward degree or certificate completion in terms of unit count (0-14, 15-29, etc.) and holds student events to celebrate the completion of these unit milestones. 

CHC has incorporated a Completion Team model that proactively reaches out to students to address early alerts, and provides academic enrichment workshops, career exploration, early transfer preparation, and just-in-time counseling support. The work has resulted in a record number of students completing counselor-approved educational plans. This approach may very well be why CHC continues to lead community colleges in southern California in student success rates. 

The Toward a Shared Vision Awards ceremony will take place on October 26 as a part of the Growing Inland Achievement’s Annual Summit.