dfd (Photo courtesy TK)
Our Stories
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or seven years, I served the most vulnerable students in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) that serves 100,000 students across 10 campuses. I became the Chancellor on July 1, 2021. Like some of our students, I came from a working-class, single-parent household. As the oldest child of three, I grew-up recognizing the value of higher education, and how it could help lift students and families out of poverty.
Resiliency By Chancellor Carlos Cortez, Ph.D. San Diego Community College District (July 2021 – May 2023)
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was the President of San Diego College of Continuing Education, serving since 2015. I knew that this was going to be an unknown threat that we as educational leaders would be facing.
Chancellor Carlos O. Cortez, San Diego Community College District (Photo courtesy San Diego Community College District)
On March 16, 2020, everything changed. All classes were suspended, instruction moved online, and on March 30 the entire district was operating remotely, eliminating the direct in-person services and instruction because of the COVID health threat to all. We were a teaching and support staff of more than 5,400. Many of us thought this was going to be a short-lived challenge, and we would soon return to normal operations. By that summer, we realized this health emergency would drastically change our “normal” operations; especially, in how we would serve students and the new ways to teach them.
San Diego City College Commencement Drive-by – May 21, 2021 (Photo courtesy San Diego City College)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 8 – Facing COVID-19
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