Tag: Moorpark College

Dr. Julius Sokenu Named Moorpark College President

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The Ventura County Community College District board of trustees announces that Dr. Julius Sokenu has been named the president of Moorpark College, pending contract approval. Sokenu has served as the interim president since 2019 and has been with the college for 14 years.

“Dr. Sokenu is a visionary leader who supports the college’s approximately 14,000 students and the faculty and staff,” said Chancellor Greg Gillespie. “During his tenure as the interim president, he expanded and supported institutional priorities related to equity and diversity, specifically for services to underserved populations.”

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Moorpark College Theatre Arts and Ventura Youth Correctional Facility Collaborate to Bring Original Theatre to Ventura County and Beyond

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Moorpark College Theatre Arts Department and the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility (VYCF) are proud to announce their upcoming collaboration. The Student One Acts, which occur every semester, will feature two one act plays written and performed by VYCF students on April 30. It is believed that the Moorpark College Theatre Arts Department is the only college or university producing works from an underserved community.

Two years ago, VYCF asked Moorpark College faculty to teach college courses at the youth facility in Camarillo, and the Theatre Arts Department seized the opportunity. Professor Suzanne Fagan had experience bringing theatre to underserved and justice-involved communities and knew that students at both organizations would benefit from the experience.

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VCCCD Highlights Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Week of Activities — April 12-15

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Addressing systemic racism and discrimination, and building a more inclusive and equitable culture are top priorities of the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) board of trustees, the District, and Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges. As part of this important work, the VCCCD is presenting its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week, April 12-15. It will feature free virtual events, open to students and the community, designed to be thought-provoking, engaging and entertaining. The week is in tandem with the California Community Colleges’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Awareness Month.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion permeate all aspects of the District, from student services to hiring,” said Board Vice Chair Dianne McKay. “The communities we serve expect us to be leaders in DEI. We depend on everyone?—students, faculty, classified employees and administrators—to maintain a culturally informed environment in which accountability, growth and mindfulness are of the utmost importance.”

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Ventura College Custodian Selected as VCCCD 2021 Classified Employee of the Year

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With his trademark “Ask Me” button showcasing his helpful attitude, Ventura College’s Alwin Sauers Jr. has been named the 2021 Ventura County Community College District Classified Employee of the Year. The VCCCD bestows this honor in accordance with the California Community Colleges (CCC) Board of Governors, who will now consider Sauers for the CCC statewide award. The award recognizes classified professionals who positively influence countless lives by showing the utmost commitment to our community colleges, by upholding professional ethics and standards and by serving the community with purpose and passion. They embody the best of California’s community colleges.

Fellow VCCCD Classified Employee of the Year nominees included Thomas “Tommy” Arellano of Moorpark College, and Gabriela Rodriguez of Oxnard College.

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Matt Escobedo Joins VCCCD Personnel Commission

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The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) board of trustees has selected Matt Escobedo, assistant human resources director at the County of Ventura, to become a member of the Personnel Commission. Escobedo will serve a three-year term on the three-member commission, which is charged with ensuring fair and objective treatment of classified applicants and employees in all aspects of personnel administration.

Escobedo has over 15 years of progressively responsible public-sector human resources management experience, which includes working for the Los Angeles Unified School District, VCCCD, City of Santa Monica and County of Ventura.

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VCCCD Receives Statewide CISOA Technology Excellence Team Award

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When the COVID-19 pandemic required Ventura County Community College District’s employees to transition to remote work in March, the District’s information technology team faced a challenge. They needed to provide over 500 employees with an immediate, reliable secure process for accessing their core applications and files. A transition process that historically would take six to 10 weeks, the IT team did in 10 days. They accomplished this feat by evaluating, selecting and implementing Amazon AppStream 2.0, a fully managed application and desktop streaming service built on Amazon Web Services.

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America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College — A Re-Opening Fit For A King

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America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College will re-open Saturday, Feb. 6 just in time to celebrate the 7th birthday of Ira the lion, King of the Campus.

The community is invited to celebrate with Ira in-person or virtually. Ira’s birthday party will be live streamed from noon to 12:30 p.m. so people at home won’t miss a thing as in-person guests visit Ira in his new home, appropriately named “Ira’s Kingdom.”

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Matthew Crater Joins Moorpark College As Athletic Director

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Moorpark College is pleased to announce the selection of Matthew (Matt) Crater as its new athletic director. Crater comes to Moorpark College from College of the Canyons after serving as an athletic support coordinator, assistant head football coach and kinesiology instructor. Crater replaces longtime athletic director Vance Manakas, who recently retired after nearly 40 years.

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Through Oct. 17 — Moorpark College Theatre Arts Brings ‘Nell Gwynn’ From Over the Pond to a Parking Garage

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The Moorpark College Theatre Arts Department is proud to present live theatre with “Nell Gwynn,” a comedy that chronicles the true story of the play’s namesake, a prostitute turned orange-seller who becomes the mistress of King Charles II in 17th century London. The play runs Oct. 7 – 17, with matinee, evening and live streaming performances.

After much discussion and adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines, the department received approval to perform the play in a parking garage on the Moorpark College campus, creating an indoor-outdoor theatre.

“This decision to perform in a parking garage was not easy, and it has presented many challenges. But with those challenges have come unexpected triumphs,” said Suzanne Fagan, who teaches in Moorpark College’s Theatre Arts Department and directs the show. “Though we are not performing it in a traditional theatre, the play,

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Oct. 23 — Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College East Campus holding free Cash 4 College workshops

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To help students overcome the challenge of paying for college, Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops. Workshops are scheduled for Oct. 23, and will be in-person or by Zoom, depending on the campus (details below). Students can drop in anytime during the workshops and attend any campus workshop.

Bilingual financial aid staff will assist students in completing applications for the 2022-2023 school-year FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). The workshops are free and open to the community; people may attend a workshop on either date and at any campus. Advance registration is preferred.

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Oct. 30-31 — ‘Boo at the Zoo’ Offers No Tricks, Just Treats

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America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College turns wildly spooktacular on Oct. 30 and 31 for “Boo at the Zoo,” the annual Halloween-themed event that features animal shows, costume parades, prizes and treats for kids.

For the family-fun event, the Zoo will be draped in decorations, and people of all ages can closely view the more than 100 animals cared for at the Zoo. Each child wearing a costume will receive a zoo-themed bingo card upon entry. Each square of the card represents a trick-or-treat station where the child can receive candy or a treat.

“Our guests look forward to our family-friendly Halloween event each year, and we have the best one around!” said Zoo Operations Assistant Kris Romero. “We have more and more local families discovering this gem of a Zoo in their own backyard, and we have new animals and new animal habitats for the community to discover.”

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VCCCD Installs New Board Trustees and Elects Board Leadership

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Stan Mantooth was installed as a Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) trustee at the District’s Annual Organizational Meeting on Dec. 15. Trustee Bernardo M. Perez, who has represented Area 4 since 2010, was installed for another four-year term. The board of trustees also elected Joshua Chancer as chair, Dianne B. McKay as vice chair and VCCCD Chancellor Greg Gillespie as secretary.

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Feb. 1 — Ira The Lion Celebrates His 6th Birthday

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MOORPARK — America’s Teaching Zoo (ATZ) at Moorpark College invites the community to celebrate Ira the Lion’s 6th birthday on Feb. 1. The day of festivities includes Ira unwrapping edible gifts made by his student trainers and guests singing “Happy…

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Moorpark College Launches New Program for Adult Learners

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MOORPARK — Moorpark College is launching its new Program for Accelerated College Education (PACE), a fast-track college initiative designed for busy adults. The program allows students to earn an Associate degree in Business Administration or Early Childhood Education in about two…

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VCCCD Chancellor Appoints New Leadership at Moorpark and Oxnard Colleges

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OXNARD — Ventura County Community College District Chancellor Greg Gillespie has appointed Moorpark College President Luis Sanchez to serve as Oxnard College Acting President. With an immediate vacancy created by this appointment, Chancellor Gillespie has appointed Dr. Julius Sokenu as Moorpark…

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Feb. 23 — Moorpark College to Host Region in Statewide Cybersecurity Contest

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MOORPARK — Moorpark College was named as one of 12 regional sites to host the California Mayors Cyber Cup, (CMCC) a statewide cybersecurity contest for middle and high school students. Simultaneous regional competitions around the state create one virtual statewide…

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Local colleges, CSUCI closed due to Ventura County region brush fires. Public schools also announced closures. Resources available

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VENTURA COUNTY — Oxnard College closed its campus at noon Friday due the the Woolsey/Hill; brush fires. Moorpark College has canceled Friday classes as a result of the Woolsey Fire and related events. The Board of Trustees, Chancellor Gillespie, President Sanchez,…

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Moorpark College Presents Distinguished Faculty Chair Award to Communications Professor Rolland Petrello

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MOORPARK — Moorpark College’s Department Chair for Communications Studies and Media Arts, Professor Rolland Petrello, has been presented with the College’s 2018-19 Distinguished Faculty Chair Award. The honor was announced during the College’s Convocation held on Friday, August 17th.  Established by…

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March 17 — Moorpark College 1st Annual Spring Festival

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MOORPARK — Moorpark College will be having a busy weekend coming up on March 17th! In conjunction with America’s Teaching Zoo’s annual Spring Spectacular, Moorpark College will host its 1st ever open house Spring Festival. Families can enjoy games, food…

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Dec. 16-17 — Winter Brings Snow and “Arctic Lights” to America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College

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America’s Teaching Zoo turns into a Winter Wonderland full of real snow – for you and the animals. Plus hot chocolate, crafts, games, and lights galore! MOORPARK — America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College will host their annual “Arctic Lights” event on December 16th and…

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Guest commentary: Institutions of higher learning in need of more H.U.G.s

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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. Frank P. Barajas. Courtesy photo.…

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Local news briefs

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VENTURA COUNTY — Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College are offering a variety of classes this summer from general education to career technical education, basic skills and transfer courses, the Ventura County Community College District reported in a media…

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