News Stories

Rene Sampay joined the CHC team in April, bringing with him over 15 years of experience in educational custodial operations. Rene is looking forward to building professional relationships with his team, and his priority is to “meet APPA cleaning standards at a level 4 or above.” To meet these standards, all custodial staff are being trained on proper floor care, routine maintenance, and daily cleaning operations.

On Saturday, April 25th, students were able to meet with a counselor virtually to complete a two-semester ed plan and get assistance with registration.

Robert McAtee volunteered with the Rotary Club of Fountain Valley to assemble 55,745 face shields to be delivered to various hospitals in California. This work was done at seven different locations over a three-week period.

Fire Academy Through the Fire and Flames Amid campus closures and stay-at-home orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Crafton Hills Fire Academy has continued to meet and train students who will join the front lines with other first responders fighting fires and saving lives. Against all odds, 29 cadets will complete their Fire Academy training in mid-May.

Amanda Ward, Emergency Medical Services Professor at Crafton Hills College, was recently selected to present at the EMS World Expo in Las Vegas. This is the largest event of its kind attracting more than 6,000 EMS professionals from all over the world.

As I prepared to graduate high school in 2017, I was starting to feel the pressure to attend a 4-year university. I was rejected from two of my dream Universities and waitlisted for the third. At the time it was a hard pill to swallow, but little did I know it would lead me to a gem that is Crafton Hills College.

The COVID-19 global pandemic is causing a strain on every part of the healthcare system, calling for “all hands on deck.” Crafton Hills College student paramedics feel the tension as well, as they navigate a strenuous paramedic program while also working the front lines in the field.

Every problem is an opportunity for innovation. When the campus closed for COVID-19, Jonathan Townsend noticed that the campus lacked a general help line. He proposed an online answer center, a Zoom room,staffed throughout the day to ensure that students receive the information they need from a live person that they can see. Jonathan was tasked by instructional dean Kay Weiss to organize and maintain this online answer center which has run since the beginning of April and continues each week during the business day.

The Crafton Hills College (CHC) Emergency Distance Education team is nicknamed “DE Superheroes,” and it’s no wonder why. With little time to prepare, the team transitioned the college to online instruction to prioritize the health of both the college and the greater Yucaipa communities.

The 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony at Crafton Hills College was held virtually on Friday, May 22. 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. The event incorporated all traditional elements of the in-person ceremony including individual recognition of the 237 graduates who signed up to participate. The ceremony began with the song "Pomp and Circumstance" while a montage of videos featuring faculty and staff waving and cheering for the graduates set a celebratory tone.

Students enrolled in a Crafton Hills College (CHC) multimedia design class engaged in a contest funded by the CHC Foundation. The class was challenged to design a logo that could be used for the college's athletics program.

Learning continues, even for our youngest students at Crafton Hills College. Child development center teachers remain engaged with the children and families even during school site closure due to COVID 19. Students are provided virtual weekly activities, story times and even Zoom meetings in an effort to continue the early learning program provided by the campus.

As we transitioned to online instruction and services at Crafton Hills College, we asked students to respond to an online survey about the recent COVID-19 pandemic related changes. Their responses are being used to help Crafton Hills College develop interventions and offer additional support. Students were asked questions related to online student services, training needs, technical, personal, and financial support, and campus communications. There were 827 surveys collected. The results of this survey will inform decisions to help students achieve their educational goals amidst this time of national emergency. As an example, please refer to the graph of self-reported personal student needs.

Crafton’s scholarship program is funded through the Crafton Hills College Foundation. The Foundation supports the college by raising money and building relationships and partnerships to support the success of our students. Scholarships are made possible by more than 15 organizations and 100 individual donors, including each of our Foundation Directors.

The show must go on! Crafton Hills College Theatre Department is presenting a New Works Festival “In the Beginning” virtually on Saturday, May 9 from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. PST.