LBCC’s return to campus and student challenges were among the topics discussed by the superintendent-president final candidates Mike Muñoz and Nohemy Ornelas during virtual forums on Dec. 1.
The hour-long forums were streamed on LBCC’s Youtube channel and featured PPL Executive Vice President, Guy Lease, as the forum moderator.
“The (presidential search) committee advanced three candidates, but one had to withdraw due to the competition that exists in our environment at this point,” said Loy Nasua, Vice President of Human Resources.
Ornelas, who currently serves as the Associate Superintendent/Vice President at Allan Hancock College, has previously worked in the financial aid department at Cuesta College and Berkeley City College.
If chosen, Ornelas wants to emphasize mental health and wellness services for students and faculty next semester to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
“We have to create spaces for us to feel safe and to feel open to be able to share our experiences,” Ornelas said.
“Our experiences are real and everyone has been affected by the pandemic. Whether you’ve lost someone or whether you’ve experienced anxiety and stress, everyone has been touched by COVID.”
Ornelas has led Allan Hancock College’s emergency operations by managing the vaccination clinics, food distribution and the district’s overall response to the COVID pandemic. Ornelas plans to implement greater emergency planning and training efforts at LBCC if she is chosen for the position.
“We, as a college, were prepared (for the pandemic) but we planned ahead. We started undergoing training … and I think that as your president, that would be one of my top priorities to ensure that our staff are adequately trained to respond to an emergency,” Ornelas said.
Mike Muñoz, who serves as the current interim superintendent-president at LBCC, views the return to campus as an opportunity to reevaluate the college’s priorities to better serve students and faculty.
“The pandemic has really, I think, put a spotlight on some of the long-standing challenges our students have faced, especially around basic needs,”Muñoz said.
“It’s going to be really important to be a convener as superintendent-president and … to have these very important and meaningful discussions about what the new normal will look like as we continue to reopen.”
“I don’t think any of us want to go back to the old normal,” Muñoz added. “We were able to really prove to ourselves that we can adapt quickly. We can change our systems pretty quickly and be responsive to students.”
Muñoz will primarily make decisions about returning to campus, specifically returning to primarily face-to-face classes, based on enrollment data from the college.
“We’re estimating of what the percentage of face-to-face demand will be for spring and we’re going to adjust accordingly,” Muñoz said. “We’re making data-informed decisions about what it looks like as we emerge out of the pandemic.”
Ornelas believes that college students are facing various challenges in their educational journeys, but especially with the cost and affordability of college.
“One of the things that I’ve done at Allan Hancock College and also at Cuesta College is implement a comprehensive Promise program,” Ornelas said.
“What that Promise program means is that college is free for all students and that’s been an agenda, not only at the state level, but also at the national level,” she added.
Bulldog Bound, a program that was developed by Ornelas at Allan Hancock College, focused on outreach for elementary, junior high and high school students in order to familiarize them with the college early on.
Over 3000 elementary students were brought onto the college campus during its first year, according to Ornelas.
Orenalas wants to revitalize the Promise program at LBCC, which was established in 2008.
“The students that we were serving 10 years ago are not the same students that are here today,” Ornelas said. “It will allow us an opportunity to really reevaluate and put new pieces in place to enhance that program. As your president, I feel very comfortable and confident leading those efforts to ensure that all of our students have access to Long Beach City College and to an education.”
Muñoz believes that institutional barriers pose a large challenge for students, specifically Black and Latino, hoping to enter higher education.
“It’s important that we have tailored services that reach out to those communities in a way that are culturally responsive, engaging and that are aware of the different types of barriers that stand in the way of students being able to enroll,” Muñoz said.
According to Muñoz, financial aid is one of the barriers that many students face. He also highlighted how in the past few years, LBCC has restructured the financial aid process and has seen significant gains, such as an increase in Pell Grants and Cal Grants awarded to students.
Muñoz said LBCC has also created special programs for students in order to help retention rates and guide them through their educational journeys.
“We’ve been very intentional about how we’re supporting our first-year students, so we’ve created the Viking Advantage Program that is doing case management with student success coaches, counselors and financial aid specialists,” Muñoz said.
The LBCC Board of Trustees will conduct their final interviews with Muñoz and Ornelas this week, and are expected to announce their decision on Dec. 15. The superintendent-president will step into their position on Jan. 1.