Cuyamaca College

This Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) reflects on Cuyamaca College's performance, mission realization, and progress in advancing equitable student access and achievement, adhering to ACCJC 2024 accreditation standards. Key themes for improvement include strengthening planning culture, improving communication, implementing student-centered scheduling, enhancing a sense of belonging, optimizing budget processes, and improving governance infrastructure. The report highlights the college's commitment to continuous quality improvement, equity, excellence, and social justice through education, leveraging data-informed innovation to serve the diverse East San Diego County community.

This Student Equity Plan for Cuyamaca College outlines a strategic direction from 2025 to 2028, focusing on eliminating disproportionate impact and closing equity gaps for various student populations. Key areas of focus include successful enrollment, completion of transfer-level math and English, student persistence, overall completion, and transfer to four-year institutions. The plan centers on race consciousness, emphasizes guided pathways, financial aid maximization, and provides tailored support for students with disabilities, foster youth, veterans, justice-involved, and low-income students to foster a welcoming, supportive, and equitable educational environment.

The Cuyamaca College workshop breakout groups discussed the institution's mission, values, organizational structure, and unique student population. The discussions included the college's revised mission, vision, and values from 2021, which serve as the basis for the 2022-2028 Strategic Plan. The workshop also covered the establishment of meaningful and ambitious goals for institutional improvement, innovation, and successful outcomes for all students, as well as the assessment of progress toward strategic goals through annual planning workshops. The college's commitment to resource allocation, innovation, and continuous quality improvement through ongoing systematic planning and evaluation of programs and services was also addressed.

The workshop focuses on governance practices supporting the institution's mission. Key discussion points include academic freedom, integrity, and inquiry, with established policies and procedures. Decision-making roles and responsibilities are defined and communicated, ensuring stakeholder participation. The institution's structures are used consistently to foster collaboration and innovation. The governing board monitors progress towards goals and fiscal health, selects and evaluates the CEO, and functions effectively to promote the institution's values and fiduciary responsibilities.

The 2025-2028 Student Equity Plan Executive Summary for Cuyamaca College outlines a strategic roadmap to address and eliminate equity gaps for disproportionately impacted student populations. The plan focuses on several key areas: increasing equitable access, eliminating equity gaps in course success rates and persistence, increasing completion rates, and enhancing the hiring and retention of diverse employees. Specific initiatives are detailed for Black/African American, Latiné, Indigenous, Asian, First Generation, DSPS, Foster Youth, and LGBTQ+ students, with the overarching vision of achieving parity in access and outcomes and fostering a more equitable and inclusive campus environment.