At the San Diego Community College District, 2023 was a year that would pave the way for expansion. The district broke ground on an affordable student housing project[BROKEN LINK], a new Native American Studies program[BROKEN LINK] is in the works, and our credit colleges are on track to eventually offer bachelor’s degree programs in Cyber Defense[BROKEN LINK] (City College), Physical Therapist Assistant[BROKEN LINK] (Mesa College), and Public Safety Management[BROKEN LINK] (Miramar College). These will be in addition to the Health Information Management baccalaureate program that is already offered through San Diego Mesa College. With the expansion of student emails, free Microsoft software, and improved Wi-Fi access, students can stay more connected than ever.
There were 2.8 million users and 3.7 million page views on the district website this year, with 79,000 of those views just in our NewsCenter. Here are the top stories from NewsCenter in 2023.
No. 10
897 page views - California budget proposal
Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a $297 billion budget for FY 2023-24, which includes
a 3.6% decrease from last year’s record budget. The budget includes $224 billion in
the General Fund and a projected deficit of $22.5 billion. This proposal issued in
January gives state leaders a snapshot of the budget with an updated proposal in May,
also known as the May Revise. In the proposal the California Community College system
would receive $778 million in new revenue including $200 million in one-time Prop
98 funding to boost student enrollment and retention. The governor also committed
to fund the UC and CSU with 5% general fund budget increases targeted at increasing
access and affordability. READ THE ARTICLE
No. 9
1,299 page views - Cyber defense bachelor’s degree
San Diego City College will launch a new bachelor’s degree program in Cyber Defense
and Analysis starting in fall 2024. City College’s next steps will include hammering
out program details, purchasing program resources, preparing campus facilities, finalizing
cohort information, and hosting information sessions, before accepting applications
during spring 2024.
“The bachelor’s degree program in Cyber Defense and Analysis will provide a pipeline that not only leads to an above-livable wage career in an industry that is clearly in demand, but will also help diversify the cyber security workforce by allowing more women, military veterans, and people of color to find good jobs,” City College President Ricky Shabazz. READ THE ARTICLE
No. 8
1,308 page views - Pride Parade announcement
The district’s participation in the San Diego Pride Parade is one of our highlights
of the year. Hundreds of students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators
join in this event to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community. This was the sixth
year the SDCCD has marched together as a contingent in the parade, which is one of
the largest in the country with approximately 100,000 spectators.
READ THE ARTICLE
No. 7
1,700 page views - Affordable Housing Groundbreaking Event
In October, San Diego City College broke ground on an affordable housing project that
would eventually more than 800 students. District leaders, public officials, and community
members gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of the eight-story
building. The current plan calls for rent per bed to be at least $500 below the market.
Each unit likely will house two to four students, and the building is planned to include
laundry facilities, a grab-and-go store, a communal kitchen/lounge, study spaces,
and a tutoring office.
READ THE ARTICLE
No. 6
1,849 page views – Chancellor Carlos Cortez resigns
After taking time off in March 2023, Chancellor Carlos Cortez announced that he would
be resigning starting May 1 to care for his parents in Florida. Cortez had served
as chancellor since July 2021, and as president of the San Diego College of Continuing
Education from 2015-21.
“Dr. Cortez made significant contributions during his time as chancellor for which we are sincerely grateful,” said Board of Trustees President Maria Nieto Senour. “This included overseeing the safe reopening of our 10 campuses following the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilding enrollment, and putting the district on sound financial footing by replenishing our reserves and securing important new revenue streams through grants and philanthropy.” READ THE STORY
No. 5
2,205 page views - San Diego Promise registration
By the end of July, the San Diego Promise had already received over 5,000 applications
for the fall semester. The program not only provides free-tuition to qualifying students,
but also offers book grants, waived health fees, peer mentors, success coaches, and
academic counseling. Recent high school graduates as well as foster youth, veterans
of U.S. Armed Forces, formerly incarcerated, undocumented students, and adult learners
transitioning to college from the San Diego College of Continuing Education are encouraged
to apply. READ THE ARTICLE
No. 4
3,086 page views - Classes begin
The beginning of a new semester is always a busy time with registration, books, counseling,
clubs, and welcome week. Nearly 50,000 students were registered for the fall semester.
Our credit colleges had a 12 percent enrollment increase from last year. More students
were returning after having put their educations on hold during the pandemic. To attract
more working adults, the district’s colleges continue to offer a flexible mix of online,
in-person and hybrid courses. READ THE ARTICLE
No. 3
3,154 page views - Chancellor Finalists
In November, the Board of Trustees announced that the three finalists for chancellor
are Daisy A. Gonzales, Ph.D., Brian King, Ed.D., and Gregory Smith, MPA. The finalists
were selected as part of a national search by the SDCCD Board of Trustees to replace
Carlos O. Cortez, Ph.D., who resigned in May. The Board is aiming to make a final
selection and announce the new chancellor by the end of the year. The SDCCD chancellor
is responsible for all operations in a district that is the largest provider of workforce
training and education in the region with a $1 billion annual budget. READ THE ARTICLE
No. 2
5,636 page views - Hurricane Hilary
Last time a tropical storm reached San Diego was 1939, so the region was very surprised
to hear the forecast in August 2023, that Hurricane Hilary was headed this way. Even
though Hurricane Hilary had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached
California, the SDCCD decided to close the following day to clean up debris from the
high winds and heavy rain. Fortunately, the damage wasn’t too bad and the following
day campuses reopened and classes resumed. READ THE STORY
No. 1
12,024 page views – Registration for new semesters
During registration students are looking up key dates and reaching out to counselors
to make sure their educational plans are on track. Our NewsCenter coverage connects
students with financial aid, veteran support, disability services, online support
and more. READ THE STORY
Some of our most popular content on NewsCenter is our photo and video coverage of events around our district. The most popular always being commencement. Here is the top multimedia coverage for 2023:
Top multimedia
40,563- Commencement coverage (photos and video)
- 14,646 – Miramar College[BROKEN LINK]
- 11,200 – City College[BROKEN LINK]
- 9,009 – Mesa College[BROKEN LINK]
- 5,708 – College of Continuing Education[BROKEN LINK]
21,512 - MLK Parade[BROKEN LINK] (photos and video)
15,319 – Pride Parade[BROKEN LINK] (photos and videos)
11,172 - Groundbreaking for affordable housing at City College[BROKEN LINK] (photos and video)
10,314 - Fall semester begins[BROKEN LINK] (photos and video)
8,280 - Pride Flag raised at District Office[BROKEN LINK] (photos and video)
5,326 – San Diego Promise Giving Day[BROKEN LINK] (photos and video)
4,314 – Groundskeepers taking care of our campuses[BROKEN LINK] (video)
3,995 – New FAFSA form (video)
3,740 – New student emails[BROKEN LINK] (video)