The Top Three Issues Facing YCCD and Columbia College

By Joseph K. "Joe" Mitchell

The three top issues facing YCCD are 1)the need to provide greater access to more students, 2)the need to provide facilities to accommodate growth, and 3) the need to work with local business and political leaders to anticipate the workforce needs of new businesses that might be attracted to the area and develop that future workforce.

Though YCCD serves over 27,000 students currently, there are many others who cannot or do not believe that they can attend college. We need to explore the barriers that stand in the way of people succeeding and find ways to knock down those barriers. In addition to my Board seat, I sit on the Columbia College Foundation; we have made more scholarships available for needy and interested students. The college has enhanced its tutoring and financial aid services to help students overcome potential barriers to access. I favor these approaches. And I want to cast the net wider to determine how we can help others overcome whatever stands in the way of their obtaining an education and realizing their dreams.

Columbia College has seen an enrollment increase of 23% in the past four years. In order to accommodate that growth, the board has encouraged the college to find NEW space which is more conveniently located for our students (Calavaras Center in Glory Hole/Angel's Camp and the downtown Sonora Center near Sonora High School). I voted along with the rest of the board to accept the state funding for the new library on campus which will provide not only a larger library but more offices, more computer labs, more classrooms and several small conference rooms. I voted in favor of issuing Lease Revenue Bonds in order to cover the cost difference in this project (the state left a gap of $1.2 Million for the district to come up with).

Perhaps the greatest challenge for all of us is to develop a future vision that will help us to accommodate growth: we don't want too much, too fast; but we want our children to find jobs close to home and to be able to find affordable housing near us. By working with leaders from all walks of life we can begin to look at the future. What businesses can we, should we try to attract here? And then our challenge will be to try and figure out the work skills that will be needed by our people in order to get those jobs and attract those businesses.