Partnerships: Essential to Success

Presidency, The, Fall 2009 by Hernandez, Edward

During my tenure as the chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD), the area has grown from a single college to a multi-college district with two campuses and five education centers. RSCCD is the fourthlargest community college district, the second-largest provider of continuing education programs, and a leading provider of workforce and economic development programs in California. None of these achievements would have been possible without the board of trustees' unwavering commitment to partnership development and the cultivation of strategic relationships to expand learning and training opportunities for our students.

Our partners range from large hospitals and financial institutions to unions, corporations, chambers of commerce, nonprofit organizations, education agencies, and cities. Industry partners strengthen our instructional programs by ensuring the curriculum meets industry standards. For instance, an eight-year partnership with St. Joseph Hospital has expanded training opportunities for hundreds of nursing students and employed nurses. The hospital pays for a portion of the cost of a faculty member and provides space for an onsite robotic mannequin simulation laboratory, computer laboratory, classroom space, and resource library.

Other examples include:

* A 40-year partnership with the Orange County Sheriff's Department has resulted in the construction of a leading-edge law enforcement training center, serving more than 800 recruits annually and providing continuing education to officers across the western United States. A model inmate education program is an outgrowth of this longstanding partnership.

* The water utility science program is supported by dozens of partners, including nearly every waterrelated agency in the state, private corporations, elected officials, advocacy groups, and many others who are working with us to ensure tomorrow's workforce is trained to address water conservation, storage, and reclamation, which are persistent statewide issues.

* Partnerships with the cities of Santa Ana and Tustin, as well as the Irvine Company, have yielded land donations, enabling the expansion of campus facilities. A partnership with the city of Orange has resulted in the installation of lighting for a new soccer field, now shared with youth soccer teams who use the field at night.

Every partnership is unique, but all share the same foundation-a commitment to the success of our students. As I ready for retirement on June 30, 2010, I marvel at the accomplishments we have achieved thanks to our strategic partners. None of us can meet the needs of our communities alone; together, in partnership, we become a powerful force for change.

Edward Hernandez, Jr. is chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.