Rio Hondo College Fire Academy held a 50th Anniversary Celebration and Reunion on Oct. 20, welcoming more than 200 guests in addition to retired firefighters and alumni from the first class in 1968. U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez provided a proclamation recognizing the academy and Rio Hondo College Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss recognized the efforts of faculty and staff and encouraged the program to continue to train tomorrow’s firefighters. Los Angeles County Fire Department provided a helicopter fly-over to kick off the festive event, which also featured a band, a fire bucket brigade challenge and remembrance of graduates who died in the line of duty.
Rio Hondo College is expanding and creating programs to support undocumented students and their families so that more people will be able to realize their full potential, aided in part by a $125,000 grant received for 2018-19 from the new California Campus Catalyst Fund. To date, the Catalyst Fund has raised nearly $10 million for a three-year initiative that will increase support for undocumented students and their families on campuses in state’s three public higher education systems. Rio Hondo College has enrolled 799 students who have identified as undocumented.
Rio Hondo College Hires Search Firm to Guide Selection of New President
Rio Hondo College’s Board of Trustees on Oct. 10 hired education-focused search firm PPL, Inc. to conduct a search for a superintendent/president to succeed leader Teresa Dreyfuss, who is departing at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. The search is expected to take about six months and cost about $31,000. Dreyfuss gave the Board advance notice of her retirement plans in August. PPL has a long history of assisting California Community Colleges in finding campus and district leaders.
Four Rio Hondo College students are among 319 community college students across the U.S. selected to travel to NASA’s Stennis Space Center this fall to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars onsite experience. Jashandeep Anand, Corrine Rivera, Albert Ramirez and Charinamae Blank will interact with NASA engineers, form teams, establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration, and design and 3-D print and test a rover.
Rio Hondo College’s Board of Trustees adopted a balanced budget for 2018-19 on Sept. 12 even as it expands an ambitious free-tuition program to boost student success, College leaders have announced. The budget, with an apportionment of $74 million, is up from $69 million under the state’s previous formula. Student success numbers are also looking up for Rio Hondo College. Completion rates hit 73.4 percent for college-ready students who earned at least 30 units and 60.4 percent for students who completed a degree, certificate or transfer related outcome, according to the 2018 Student Success Scorecard.
Rio Hondo College launched an expansion of its Rio Promise program on Sept. 25, offering free tuition for first- and second-year students who start their college journeys at Rio Hondo College and enroll full time. More than 2,500 students are participating in the program in 2018-19. In addition to financial benefits, Rio Promise Scholars receive ongoing support to foster success.
Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, who helped lead Rio Hondo College through the Great Recession, execute close to $300 million in construction projects, open three regional campuses and create a historic four-year degree in automotive technology, will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Dreyfuss started at the College as an accountant in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become interim superintendent/president in 2012 and assuming the post permanently a year later. She announced her plan to step down on Aug. 17 to administrators, faculty and students attending a bi-annual FLEX staff development event.
Rio Hondo College has created Associate of Science and Certificate of Achievement academic offerings in homeland security, open for enrollment this fall. The interdisciplinary program incorporates courses in fire technology, wildland fire technology, administration of justice, geographic information services and cybersecurity policy. Career fields open to graduates in homeland security have the potential for more than 400,000 job openings by 2024.
Rio Hondo College Observatory Holds Free Stargazing
Rio Hondo College's Gordon D. Crowell Astrophysical Observatory will hold a free stargazing event from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 to welcome Roadrunners back for fall semester. For more information, visit the observatory website at www.riohondo.edu/mathematics-and-sciences/astronomy/observatory-nights.
Rio Hondo College greeted new and returning students when the fall semester commenced with a new major in homeland security, an expanding roster of academic support services and a pantry resource to combat food insecurity. Students hosted a Welcome and Information booth in the mid-quad area where they answered questions and walked new students to classes.
