Rio Hondo College is offering a broad array of programs in the 2015-16 academic year to promote student success, including its new four-year bachelor’s degree, Pathway to Law School Initiative, 21 degrees that guarantee transfer to California State University and premier fire, police and nursing training programs. The academic programs work hand-in-glove with the community college’s equally deep range of student support programs, which include priority enrollment for targeted student groups, a First-Year Success Center and state-of-the-art facilities. The College is launching its fall semester on Monday, Aug. 24.
Rio Hondo College will host an orientation program for first-year students and their families at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the College’s Wray Theater and Rio Café, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. First-Year Family Night sessions – to be conducted in English and Spanish – will provide information on financial aid, student resources and how families can help support their children as they begin their higher-education journey. The event follows four Freshman Welcome Days events in late July and early August that helped nearly 400 new students transition to college. Registration is available at www.go-rio.eventbrite.com or at 562-463-4693.
Rio Hondo College lit up the night on Aug. 12, projecting a giant color image of its logo and the message “Now Enrolling For Fall” against the walls of its five-story Library Tower – a sign visible to drivers along the 605 Freeway and for miles around the hilltop campus. The sign will be cast daily from 7 p.m. to midnight to promote various College programs. This fall, Rio Hondo launched one of the state’s first four-year degrees offered by community colleges, a Bachelor of Science in automotive technology. The college also offers a pathway to law school, 19 degrees that guarantee transfer to a Cal State campus and noted public safety and nursing programs.
Rio Hondo College has joined the Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3) National Consortium on College Men of Color. The consortium facilitates exchange of ideas to boost the success of historically underrepresented and underserved students. Nearly seven in eight male students at Rio Hondo College – 86.8 percent of men who declared ethnicity – identified themselves in 2014-15 as men of color. The group is more than 80 percent Latino, 8 percent Asian, and 4 percent African-American. In the U.S., only 17 percent of African-American men and 15 percent of Latino men earn certificates, degrees or transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in six years.
Rio Hondo College is offering a rare chance this fall for newly minted nurses to take a specialized course that will prepare them to meet the rising demand for ambulatory patient care. The advanced training course is a 16-week, online program limited to 15 students who must register by Monday, Aug. 17. Applicants must hold active RN licenses. Ambulatory care is an outpatient service provided to patients who are recovering from treatment, often at home. Instruction begins Saturday, Aug. 22.For more information about the class, or to apply, go to www.riohondo.edu or call Carolyn Gonzalez at 562-463-3227.
Rio Hondo College will hold the final of four Freshman Welcome Days from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, an opportunity for students to get a helping hand to ease the transition into their first year at the highly regarded community college. The program is based out of Rio Café at the center of campus, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. The event includes free breakfast, campus tours, registration assistance and financial aid review. Workshops offer advice on selecting a major and detail resources for new students. Registration is required. Students may sign up at startatrio.eventbrite.com.
Rio Hondo College’s highly lauded Child Development Center is accepting applications for children ages 3 and 4 for its fall 2015 preschool program, which begins Monday, Aug. 24. The center, praised for its sustainable foods program and innovative student-directed, age-appropriate curriculum, enrolls four classes of 16 to 20 students on a sliding fee scale based on parent income levels. To enroll, students must turn 3 years old by Sept. 1, 2015; the center also serves 4 year olds, including those who qualify for transitional kindergarten programs. The center is linked with Rio Hondo College’s child development education program, which brings supervised student instructors into classrooms for additional interaction and guidance. For information, visit the Child Development Center online.
Rio Hondo College’s Veterans Service Office has launched a one-stop center allowing U.S. armed forces veterans to conveniently obtain a host of critical services. The center, which opened July 1, provides counseling, financial aid advice, tutoring, a computer lab, access to a Veterans Administration official regarding education benefits, and information on community programs and services for veterans.
Rio Hondo College is launching a free pilot program on Wednesday, July 8 that will train applicants as personal home care aides and assist them in securing immediate employment in the entry-level field. The 120-hour course takes place Wednesdays through Saturdays and covers all requirements needed to aid individuals who require personal care but desire to remain in their homes. Students who complete the course will be certified by Rio Hondo College and immediately begin on-the-job training with Cambrian Homecare. Students will pay no fees for the class or the required background checks.
Rio Hondo College has added its 19th associate’s degree guaranteeing graduates acceptance to a CSU campus as juniors and priority consideration in selecting their field of study. The Associate of Arts for Transfer (AA-T) in philosophy was approved in May by the California Community Colleges in accordance with SB 1400, which created the guaranteed pathway from community college to Cal State in 2010. Rio Hondo’s philosophy AA-T was developed by a team of faculty and administrators, including Dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences Rebecca Green, Professor of Philosophy Ted Preston and Associate Professor of Philosophy Scott Dixon. Rio Hondo College staff, meanwhile, are hard at work finalizing up to six new transfer degrees. As with the philosophy degree, they will be reviewed by the Community College Chancellor’s Office before approval is granted.
