The New and Updated WESTWords

March 12, 2019

For the past couple of years, I've used a newsletter format to regularly share relevant information with the campus about West Los Angeles College.  However, the pace of change affecting California community colleges demands a more responsive, timely approach to keep the campus community abreast of trends, issues, challenges--and accomplishments.   As a result, I've been asking various groups and individuals around campus as to the best way to keep everyone updated--and a recurring suggestion was something like this:  "Why don't you try a blog that you can update as news, issues, and challenges come up?"

Welcome, then, to the new WESTWords.  I'll be posting to this blog on a regular basis to keep you abreast of what's happening at the local, regional, and state level that can impact West.  

To begin, let's discuss change.  Here's four significant initiatives that will fundamentally alter the way we--and every other community college in California--will deliver on our promises of educational access and student success.

  • An understanding of the new Student-Centered Funding Formula is imperative, because its tenets will affect the entire WLAC community.  You can learn more about the Formula.
  • AB 705, with its virtual elimination pre-transfer courses in mathematics and English,   drastically alters how we deliver Math and English.
  • The state-wide implementation of Guided Pathways will create a completely new set of options to help students navigate their way to transfer institutions or to careers.
  • The State Chancellor's Vision for Success provides a clear direction for all colleges to implement these changes, as well as others, into an exciting new learning environment.
There's a lot to absorb in the coming months.