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.
Rio Hondo College will receive $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to create and evaluate work-based training tools for alternative-fuels automotive technology students as a way of diversifying and strengthening the auto industry’s workforce. The three-year grant specifies training in high-performance electronics, computer management and advanced diagnostic skills within the College’s fledgling Associate of Science degree in Alternative Fuels/Second Degree Battery/Electric/Hybrid/Fuel Cell Technology. Directed by Professor John Frala and Automotive Program Director Steve C. Tomory, the effort is expected to build on the expertise and partnerships Rio Hondo College has developed with area schools, companies, Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), the state Employment Development Department, the Governor's Green Team and the California Energy Commission. Rio Hondo’s Automotive Technology Program also was selected this month to offer one of the state’s first four-year degrees offered by a community college.
Rio Hondo College received unanimous approval May 18 from the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to offer a four-year, Bachelor of Science degree in automotive technology as part of a historic statewide pilot program. The degree is authorized by Senate Bill 850 as a way to train a new generation of graduates for high-demand technical jobs that increasingly require bachelor degrees. The degree will offer concentrations in management and technical expertise as it prepares students for a variety of positions with automotive, sea and rail transit companies. The College expects to begin offering lower-division courses this fall and upper-division courses in fall 2016, once the program is reviewed by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Rio Hondo College’s existing Automotive Technology program draws 300 students annually for certificate courses and two-year degrees. Enrollment has climbed about 20 percent over the last five years as new components – including one on alternative fuels – have been added.
Rio Hondo College Police Academy will pay tribute at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 27 to fallen Covina Police Officer Jordan Corder during a special ceremony featuring College leaders and law enforcement officials from across the region, at Rio Hondo College Police Academy, Administration of Justice Building, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Corder, 28, of Fontana, was on his motorcycle pursuing another motorcycle on Sept. 30, 2014 when he was struck by an SUV and died of his injuries. More than 1,400 people attended his funeral at Pomona First Baptist Church. A 2008 graduate of the Academy’s 185th class, Corder is the 24th police officer whose name will be added to Rio Hondo Police Academy Memorial Wall. The first name was posted in 1967 and the most recent went up in 2005.
Follow-up Story: Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who has served the public for 32 years at national, state and local levels, urged graduates to give back to their community during her keynote address at Rio Hondo College’s 52nd commencement on May 28. Molina said her volunteer service prepared her to be a community leader. More than 1,300 students were eligible to receive their degrees this spring.
