News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2021-01-20-award
January 20, 2021
College Receives Statewide Award
The College of the Canyons School of Personal and Professional Learning was presented
an Honorable Mention award by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’
2021 Exemplary Program Award.
The award was presented virtually on Jan. 19, 2021 at the Board of Governors for California
Community Colleges meeting.
Sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Board of Governors
created the Exemplary Program Award in 1991 to recognize outstanding community college
programs.
“Our efforts have truly been a campus wide effort and I am eternally grateful to have
such an amazing support network,” said Garrett Rieck, faculty lead for the college’s
School of Personal and Professional Learning (PPL).
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Academic Senate chose “Equitable Practices
in a Virtual Educational Environment” as the theme for this year’s 2020-21 Exemplary
Program award.
Since the start of the pandemic, the college’s School of Personal and Professional
Learning has served a pivotal role in providing equitable educational opportunities
in a virtual environment.
PPL classes, which are tuition free, have provided virtual educational opportunities
to underserved populations and created equitable pathways toward students’ career
and academic goals.
To help students continue meeting their academic goals, the program also provided
laptops to students.
Since fall 2019, the college’s School of Personal and Professional Learning has served
a total of 7,841 students online and more than 360 students earned 440 certificates.
The program also provided instruction to 3,047 public safety students through instructional
service agreements and more than 550 incarcerated students through correspondence
education.
In addition, more than 1,700 Canyons Promise students were served through boot camps
in summer 2020.
During the past two years, the college’s School of Personal and Professional Learning
has gone to great lengths to expand course offerings and faculty training for virtual
instruction.
With an eye toward workforce training, the program has collaborated across campus
and the community to build a diverse menu of course offerings that allow students
to learn the skills needed to increase employability.
“During economic downturns, people rely on the community college system for opportunities
to upskill and earn the degrees/certificates needed to start a new career, advance
in their current field, and meet their academic goals,” said Rieck. “Noncredit programs
serve a unique role in the community college system by providing accessible and equitable
opportunities that require less of a financial and time commitment than credit programs.”
The School of Personal and Professional Learning at COC provides lifelong learning classes to residents of all ages and skill levels, at no cost.