To foster collaboration while encouraging data-based decision making, the San Diego-Imperial Center of Excellence (COE) celebrated the launch of the Strong Workforce Faculty Institute’s second cohort of participants in March.

“We understand that student retention begins in the classroom, so the Institute provides faculty members with the tools to assess and reflect on data specific to their courses,” said Tina Ngo Bartel, project lead and director of the San Diego/Imperial COE. “The Institute was created by faculty, researchers, and deans for faculty, researchers, and deans across the region’s 10 colleges.” 

The Strong Workforce Faculty Institute provides professional learning opportunities for San Diego/Imperial community college instructors to analyze student outcomes data in their courses and share teaching practices. 

Between March and September, 223 instructors from 10 community colleges in the region will meet monthly with their home institution’s faculty cohort, researchers, and career education deans  to build data literacy skills and complete reflective activities.

Despite beginning right before the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order in March 2020, the program’s first cohort of 245 participants completed the Institute and developed an action plan for continuous improvement in the classroom. The inaugural cohort was such a success that the Regional Consortium for San Diego and Imperial counties is, once again, supporting and investing in the Institute.

The March 11 kickoff event included a keynote speaker, Shamini Dias from Claremont Graduate University, who discussed how faculty can contribute to developing a caring and culturally inclusive campus. Breakout sessions for each college cohort then followed, and the event concluded with alumni sharing their experiences and explaining what to expect from the Institute. 

For more information about the kickoff event, see the event program.

Participants in the second cohort will reconvene on September 16 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina to share what they learned.