News Stories

On April 29th, the Crafton Hills College Foundation received a $10,000 grant from Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) to provide emergency assistance funds for students. Growing Inland Achievement is a regional collective impact organization aimed at increasing postsecondary credential attainment, adding more qualified people to the workforce, and contributing to a thriving economy.

The 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony at Crafton Hills College was held virtually on Friday, May 22nd. The ceremony was prerecorded, but the link didn’t go live until 6 p.m. Viewers had a choice to stream the event through Youtube or Facebook through the homepage of the Crafton Hills College website.

Faculty and staff have been working throughout the semester on a plan to implement the Guided Pathways Project at Crafton Hills College. The team meets regularly with the goal of developing guided pathways that will provide students with clear direction, including specific course sequences, aimed at increasing college completion rates and closing equity gaps.

For 25 years, Dan Sullivan was a firefighter and later captain in the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Throughout his career, Sullivan noted that at each structure fire call he responded to, he and his crew paid special attention to staying safe around electricity. It is a lesson he continues to pass on to his students now as an instructor at Crafton Hills College’s Fire Technology Program.

On Friday, May 8th, the 29 cadets from CHC Fire Academy 102 spent their final day of the program celebrating their accomplishments. Some tri-tip, a cake, and tossing around a football replaced the usual bagpipes, formal presentation, and cheering family members of past completion celebrations. Although the cadets sat six feet apart and wore masks, the bond they formed throughout their 16 weeks is undeniable.

CHC Honors Coordinator Judy Cannon was unwavering in her commitment to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2020 graduates who completed the College Honors Institute (CHI) program despite COVID19 disruptions. Cannon declared, “just because we aren’t having a luncheon to honor your achievements doesn’t mean we don’t want the world to know that you are an HONORS COMPLETER!” In lieu of the traditional luncheon, Cannon arranged for students to pick up yard signs designating their accomplishment, purple Honors stoles embossed with the letters “CHI,” and certificates of completion.

One Book/One College at Crafton Hills is a college-wide reading initiative with the main purpose of bringing together the Crafton Hills campus community through the reading of a common book focused on equity and inclusion. This year, students, faculty, staff, and administrators will select and read a common book. The One Book/One College task force in collaboration with the Professional Development committee will hold a series of free events to encourage college-wide conversation, creativity, and community.

As with many activities, the annual Transfer Recognition Luncheon was cancelled this spring. But, Transfer Center Coordinator Mariana Moreno found an alternate way to celebrate students who are transferring.

On May 21st, the EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs/Guardian Scholars department recognized the students in their programs who were graduating with certificates or degrees or, transferring to a four-year university. The program celebrated the 71 graduates, 15 with honors, and 5 with highest honors.

Crafton Hills College’s theater department presented the inaugural New Works Festival, “In the Beginning,” virtually on Saturday, May 9th.