San Diego Miramar College will usher in its 50th year serving the educational needs of its community with a daily fact about the college on its social media platforms and by offering new classes and enhanced student services. You can follow Miramar College on twitter @sdmiramar, on Facebook at SanDiegoMiramarCollege, on Instagram @sdmiramar, and on Snap Chat at sdmiramar.
The daily fact will chronicle the humble beginnings of San Diego Miramar College from its inception in 1969 as a police and fire training facility to its current day status as one of the region’s most comprehensive public two-year community colleges with an enrollment over 10,000 FTES in 2017/18.
The College will also celebrate its 50th anniversary on March 9 with an open house from 8am-2pm on campus. The open house will be held in conjunction with the annual 0-99 Science Fair.
Limited edition 50th anniversary logo wear is currently available in the bookstore for purchase. Proceeds will go to the Miramar College Foundation to support student scholarships.
The Spring 2019 semester will see an influx of new class offerings and enhanced student services as well.
Physics 290 will allow for students interested in Astronomy to receive independent research credit. The Astronomy Research Seminar is a one unit independent study course geared to introduce and expose students to professional scientific research. The primary objective of the seminar is to produce a peer-reviewed publication-worthy research paper. Throughout the semester, students will reach specific milestones that will eventually lead to paper publication. Although the seminar focuses on double star astronomy, the skills students develop is easily transferrable to any scientific field. For an application and more information, contact Jae Calanog at jcalanog@sdccd.edu.
Three new math classes, Math 96X, Math 116X and Math 119X, will increase our student’s chances of completing transfer level mathematics. “As a result of the passage of AB-705, our basic skills students will now be able to enroll in transfer level math courses and still receive extra support through newly established learning communities,” said Dr. Linda Woods, dean of the School of Math, Biological, Exercise, Physical Sciences.
In science, S6-110 will be used for faculty office hours and as a student study space Monday through Thursday. A usage schedule will be located outside S6-110.
English 31 makes its debut in spring 2019 as a result of AB-705. This co-requisite course can be taken along with English 101 and will help accelerate a student’s ability to transfer.
Miramar College will also be the place for students looking to start their own business. New Entrepreneurship classes will be offered on campus for the first time, including BUSE 155 Managing the Small Business and BUSE 157 Plan for the Small Business. In these classes, students will develop ideas for new ventures, develop skills in design thinking, product and service development, and business growth, and evaluate their ideas using Business Model Canvas and idea modeling. Students will learn the fundamentals of how to create, acquire or manage a new business, and how to write a business plan.
In all of the Entrepreneurship classes, students will get a chance to meet local successful entrepreneurs and learn how to raise money using crowd-funding, venture capital, and business plan competitions. No previous business experience is required. All classes are transferable. Classes begin Jan. 28. Students can register today at http://www.sdmiramar.edu/ or contact Assistant Professor Tanya Hertz at THertz@sdccd.edu for more info.
A graduation ceremony in the School of Public Safety will kick start the new semester. A cohort of aspiring firefighters will graduate from the College’s Firefighter 1 Academy program on Jan. 25. The program is designed to allow for students to complete an independent academy program prior to seeking employment. This new academy is one of the examples of faculty’s commitment to align curriculum and skill sets with industry standards.
In this format, students can fully access financial aid options, veteran and active duty military students can utilize their Post 9/11 & Forever GI Bill and all students can apply for a variety of scholarships. Student costs are minimal in comparison to the traditional academy, reducing financial barriers toward earning the Firefighter I certification required for entry level employment.
All students will now be ready to begin their vocational experience, a requirement to become a certified Firefighter 1 in the State Fire Training System. Students are eligible to test for every fire department in the state that hires entry level firefighters with the completion of this program.
Students are eligible to become reserve firefighters with San Diego County Fire Authority, Heartland Fire & Rescue, San Miguel Fire Protection and other Departments with reserve programs, starting the clock toward the minimal one year experience requirement working part time.
In the area of student services, the campus food pantry will see an influx of non-perishable food items thanks to a recent partnership with the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. “We expect to get about 15-hundred pounds of food per week from this organization,” said Joseph Hankinson, student life officer at Miramar College. “Unlike the deliveries we get from Sprouts and Smart Final where we have to turnaround the food quickly because it will expire, these deliveries will allow for us to have items with a longer shelf-life available in the pantry for our students on a daily basis.”
Student Services is also engaging in local area admissions discussions that will explore new pathways intended to help ensure that San Diego area students have the best opportunities for transferring and obtaining a bachelor’s degree at San Diego State University.
To further its commitment to serve DACA students, the college has received grant funds from the California Campus Catalyst Fund. This grant is designed to strengthen individual campus support for Dreamers (AB-540 students). The College recently attended a statewide workshop to learn best practices for serving DREAMERS.
To address restorative justice more directly and collaboratively, the College identified a point person, Vice President of Student Services Adrian Gonzales, to take part in regional discussions on best practices to serve formerly incarcerated students.
And finally, the College will highlight its future and current students during the NC3 National Signing Day ceremony for Career Education students. On Feb. 21 from 9am-2pm, the College’s School of Business, Technical Careers and Workforce Initiatives, School of Public Safety and School of Math, Biological, Exercise, Physical Sciences will host its first ever National Signing Day ceremony for local students looking to commit to careers in Auto and Diesel Technology, Aviation, Bio Technology, Business, Computer Science, Fire and Science Technology and many other career education programs. This signing day, much like a letter of intent athletic signing day ceremony, will be a part of the larger national NC3 signing day.
