Week of August 31, 2026

Week 1 at Valley College was HOT! The heat did not deter our students and it is beautiful to see the campus come alive with energy. Our athletic teams in particular are off to a strong start.

Here are some highlights for this week:

Institutional milestones, programs, enrollment, and strategic progress

1. ENROLLMENT IS UP AT 16,000+ STUDENTS

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1   |   SBVC Priorities: Career & Transfer, Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

As of today, August 31, 2026, we have 16,382 students for Fall 2026. Thank you to the entire College for pouring love into our students as we educate and serve the community. Valley Up!

Programs removing barriers, measurable outcomes, and high-impact student stories

2. FINANCIAL AID DISTRIBUTES TO MORE STUDENTS IN FIRST PELL DISBURSEMENT

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1, 4   |   SBVC Priorities: Career & Transfer, Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

San Bernardino Valley College disbursed more than $3.5 million in the first Pell disbursement for Fall 2026.

For comparison, our first major Fall Pell disbursements over the last three years were:

·         Fall 2024: 2,014 students | $2,197,108

·         Fall 2025: 2,983 students | $3,274,379

·         Fall 2026: 3,435 students | $3,510,566

 

Thank you, FINANCIAL AID TEAM. This funding is so meaningful for our students and directly ties to their success. For our College, these numbers are so important because they contribute to funding in the Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF), help Valley College reach College targets in the Valley Up Initiative, and help Valley College reach eligibility requirements for federal Hispanic-Serving Institution funding.

3. SBVC ATHLETICS OFF TO AN INCREDIBLE START

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1   |   SBVC Priorities: Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

Congratulations to all of our student-athletes representing us across California. Kudos to all of our coaches this Fall — it’s been a tremendous display of character in competition, in the classroom, and across our campus. Last Tuesday, I had a chance to cheer on our Women’s Soccer team in a scrimmage versus Redlands. Last week, in all this heat, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Football, and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country are off to incredible starts to the season. Last Friday, Men’s Cross Country finished second of 10 teams with our very own Samuel Chavarria coming in first. Women’s Cross Country finished third of seven teams with our very own Savannah Flores coming in second overall. We are proud of our student-athletes and coaches. Valley Up!

Partnerships, K-12 pipeline, and civic leadership in the region

4. SUPERVISOR JOE BACA JR. DONATES $300,000 TO FOR BASEBALL FIELD IMPROVEMENTS — MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1  |   SBVC Priorities: Health & Safety, Boldly Student Centered   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor, Joe Baca, Jr., donated $300,000 for baseball field renovations. These funds will come in handy as the College upgrades the baseball field in the coming years (as VPAS Keith Bacon shared among many facilities updates during opening day). We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. — he is one of our very own alumni and part of the storied history of the SBVC baseball program.

5. CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK DONATES $10,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIPS — MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1, 4   |   SBVC Priorities: Career & Transfer, Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

On Monday, Citizens Business Bank donated $10,000 for scholarships to the San Bernardino Valley College Foundation for the second year in a row! I was proud to participate in a check presentation with Citizen’s Bank, Executive Director Mike Layne, and members of our team. President Mary Wilson and Vice President Jess Tirado presented the check to college and foundation leadership. Thanks to CBB for being a steadfast supporter of our students’ success!

6. ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER MOBILE MEDICAL CLINIC — TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 | STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES/LOT 8 | 8:00 AM-3:00 PM

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1, 3  |   SBVC Priorities: Health & Safety, Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s mobile medical clinic will be back on campus September 15, 2026, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM by Student Health Services. Services are available by appointment and open to all students and community members. Medical insurance is not required. This special partnership helps advance the health of our community. More information is available here or by calling (855) 422-8029.

7. ACADEMIC SENATE EXECUTIVES MEETING WITH PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE CABINET — TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1  |   Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

Twice a month, the President’s Executive Cabinet meets with the Academic Senate Executive team to discuss important topics impacting Valley College. We had a very productive first meeting of the Fall 2026 semester engaging in a long list of topics and goals for this year. Among the numerous conversation points were convocation week and opening day, college committees, professional development, facilities in extreme heat, and faculty prioritization. These meetings demonstrate championing participatory governance in action!

8. SAFETY & LOGISTICS MEETING AT DEL ROSA — THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1  |   Health & Safety, Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

This Fall, Valley College is offering Air Traffic Control courses at the Del Rosa site. I called a meeting with Vice Chancellor Ornelas, Chief Blake Bonnet, Director Aldo Sifuentes, VPI Leticia Hector, and Dean Patty Quach to review logistics and safety protocols. All Valley College services will be available at the Del Rosa site, we confirmed an administrator in charge, and we are excited for this district collaboration. I also provided the Del Rosa team with some of my homegrown, world-famous limes.

Events, performances, and announcements from across the college

9. ALUMNI CLASSIC FOOTBALL GAME — SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2026 | STADIUM | 6:00 PM

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1   |   SBVC Priorities: Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

Bring your Wolverine Spirit to the Alumni Classic football game against LA Valley on Saturday, September 5, 2026! There will be food, music and giveaways at 5:00 PM and kickoff is at 6:00 PM.

Departments and programs are welcome to host a table along the stadium walkway. If interested, email Lacee Domon at ldomon@valleycollege.edu. 

A reminder that admission is free for employees and students. Go Valley!

10. ROCK THE VOTE CONCERT — TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 | GREEK THEATRE

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1, 3   |   SBVC Priorities: Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

We are hosting a Rock the Vote concert with several artists on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Greek Theatre. Rock the Vote encourages young people to be involved in the democratic process. More information to come!

11. NEW CENTENNIAL PODCAST EPISODE

▶  SBCCD Goals: 1   |   SBVC Priorities: Boldly Student Centered, Opportunities for All   |   Guiding Principle: Advancing Community

The new episode in our centennial podcast series features Dr. Nori Sogomonian, Dean of Arts & Humanities, speaking about her deeply personal connection to Valley. The podcast shares stories behind our 100 years of impact, featuring conversations with those who helped shape Valley College and those leading us into the next century. Watch and listen to the podcast on YouTube and Spotify. And don’t miss our centennial roundups on YouTube!

 

Gil