Río Hondo College’s Board of Trustees declared a state of emergency on March 16, providing Superintendent/President Dr. Arturo Reyes with greater flexibility to formulate a response to issues related to COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The action was taken during a special 6 p.m. board meeting called specifically to address the issue.
In response to the recent coronavirus pandemic and in consultation with its Board of Trustees, Rio Hondo College is transitioning courses to an online format. Effective March 16 through April 4, as many courses as possible will be moved online to the College’s Canvas instructional management tool. The College will continue to follow its academic calendar, closing for spring break March 21-27.
Río Hondo College will launch a series of Community Education Forums at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 to showcase its stellar instructional programs, student support services, transfer-focused curriculum and award-winning career pathways in fields such as automotive, police, fire safety and nursing. Faculty and deans from an array of academic and career programs will make presentations and spotlight the Río Promise, which provides two years of free tuition to new, full-time students.
Andrew E. Grzywa, the new director of the Río Hondo Fire Academy, brings more than 35 years of experience as an urban firefighter, wildland firefighter, arson investigator, police detective, fire agency executive and instructor to the post – in addition to being a graduate of the Río Hondo College program. Grzywa, hired by the Board of Trustees in January, succeeds Chief Tracy E. Rickman, who helped lead the academy for 22 years.
More than 700 guests are expected to sample artisan cuisine, fine wine and craft beer from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 17 during the Río Hondo Foundation’s eighth annual “A Taste of Río” event. The event, which supports Río Hondo student programs and scholarships, will feature more than two dozen local restaurants, music, a silent auction and opportunity drawings. The event has sold out for the last three years. The College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Río Hondo College will hold its first-ever Major Declaration Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, working with students to envision a clear path to their goals as a way of helping to ensure success. The event will feature a chance to network with faculty, counselors and staff from across all academic disciplines, learn about key transitional skills and the connection between majors and career options. The College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Río Hondo College’s Board of Trustees on Feb. 19 added its voice of support to the proposal to extend Metro’s Eastside Gold Line along Washington Boulevard instead of a route along Highway 60, saying the first option is easier to build and provides robust ridership opportunities. The light rail extension would run through Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and end in Whittier – all communities served by Río Hondo College. The area is densely populated with low-income, mostly Latino residents.
Río Hondo College will host a Homecoming 2020 celebration on Friday, Feb. 21 featuring reunions for nursing program, former basketball players and the Police Academy, free food for the first 500 guests who sign up, and men’s and women’s basketball games. Students who attend the games will also be eligible to win half-time prizes, which include: two PlayStation4 Destiny games, an Amazon Echo, a 7th-generation iPad and two Chromebooks.
Río Hondo College will hold its second consecutive Homecoming celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. The event, which had been on hiatus for years, will feature men’s and women’s basketball games against East Los Angeles Community College. The first 500 guests to register will receive free food. Before the event, the Río Hondo Police Academy and nursing program will hold all-class reunions starting at 1:30 p.m.
IRS-certified students from Río Hondo College will provide free basic income tax return preparation aid for individuals and families who earned $56,000 or less in 2019 as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The program is being held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Fridays, Jan. 31 through April 10, excluding March 27. For information, call 562-463-7359.