RCCD

Civil Rights Attorney Selected as the District Alumnus of the Year

Maha Ibrahim was selected as the Riverside Community College District’s Alumnus of the Year. Ibrahim attended then-Riverside Community College from 2002-04, serving as the District’s student trustee from 2003-04 and the College’s commencement speaker. She went on to attend UC Berkeley and UCLA where she earned a law degree.

Chancellor's Message

As I reflect on the past academic year, I have come to realize the importance of the word community in the title of the Riverside Community College District. The word community is commonly associated with a community of individuals who live together in a neighborhood, work together, or go to school together, but the Riverside Community College District perceives community as a thread to bring people together to advocate and support each other while learning and building a better future.

English Professor Delivers Faculty Lecture; Makes Argument for Climate Change

Jeff Rhyne, professor of English at Moreno Valley College, delivered Riverside Community College District’s 61st Distinguished Faculty Lecture. His lecture entitled, Making Arguments Matter: Facing Climate Catastrophe and Teaching College Writing, analyzed reports on global warming and arguments about the climate crisis to theorize why more people are not alarmed, and thus more motivated, to make or advocate for impactful changes.

District Selects Firm to Further Dream of a Technical Trade Center

The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees selected the DLR Group, an integrated design firm, to develop a comprehensive master plan for the Inland Empire Technical Trade Center. The Inland Empire Technical Trade Center is expected to be built in phases. The Center will be established from bare land and developed to address the shared vision of government and private sector leaders, ensuring an educated and skilled workforce that is competitive in the global economy.

Vassale Selected Classified Employee of the Year

Norco College’s Leona Vassale, a disability specialist, was selected as Riverside Community College District’s 2023 Classified Employee of the Year. Vassale, a 19-year employee, began her career at the District as a student worker in the Disabled Student Programs and Services and realized she wanted to devote herself to helping students with documented disabilities to overcome barriers and reach their potential.

Colleges Work to Bring the Community Together

Each year, the colleges find ways to engage with the community.

Moreno Valley and Norco colleges hold yearly book events where community members are encouraged to read and then join in a discussion with college staff and other community members.

Decorated Lieutenant Hired as Chief of Police

Christopher Cano, a lieutenant with the El Monte Police Department, has been hired as the Riverside Community College District chief of police. Cano, who graduated from Mt. San Antonio College with a degree in emergency medical services, has served in a variety of leadership roles during his law career

Inland Empire Tech Bridge

The Riverside Community College District Procurement Technical Assistance Center has created the Inland Empire Tech Bridge, a collaborative effort with NavalX; University of California, Riverside; California State University, San Bernardino; and regional businesses.

RCCD Celebrates the Californians for All, College Corps Program’s First Cohort

Riverside Community College District celebrated the inaugural cohort of the Californians for All, College Corps Program. The 2022-23 College Corps fellows collectively completed over 16,000 hours of community service; 87 percent of those hours were dedicated to direct service to local communities. The remaining hours were devoted to professional development and training.

Board Approves Funding for District-wide Solar Project

In December of 2022, the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees approved an energy services agreement with TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA, LLC for energy conservation services. The nearly $35 million agreement will allow the District to harness sun energy to power the campuses, District and Ben Clark Education Center facilities.

District Earns IDEAS Grants to Build, Expand Study Abroad Capacity

Riverside Community College District received a Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, USA Study Abroad’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for US Students (IDEAS) Program grant. With the support of the IDEAS grant, RCCD plans to expand its study abroad program, including adding pathways for low-income and career and technical education students to participate in international experiences.

CA Secretary of Labor Visits the District; Partners with the District for a Regional Workforce Conference

As Riverside Community College District’s leadership continues to plan and develop the Inland Empire Technical Trade Center in Jurupa Valley, several state and local leaders from labor, business, education, and government, including California Secretary of Labor Natalie Palugyai, have made trips to the District.

Kaatz Named Director of the RCCD Foundation

Jeffry Kaatz has been named as the Riverside Community College District Foundation director. Kaatz had been the director of Development for the School of Business Administration at the University of California, Riverside, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to UC Riverside, he served as the vice president for Advancement at La Sierra University

RCCD Foundation Receives a Tail of the Whale Grant

The Riverside Community College District Foundation, in support of Moreno Valley College’s TRIO Programs, received a $50,000 grant from the California Coastal Commission. The monies will be used to expose middle school and college students to career marine and coastal pathways.

Riverside Community College District Office

3801 Market Street

Riverside, CA 92501

Moreno Valley College

16130 Lasselle Street

Moreno Valley, CA 92551

Norco College

2001 Third Street

Norco, CA 92860

Riverside City College

4800 Magnolia Avenue

Riverside, CA 92506

Ben Clark Education Center

16791 Davis Avenue

Riverside, CA 92518

Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties

3855 Market Street

Riverside, CA 92501

Henry W. Coil Sr. & Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts

3890 University Avenue

Riverside, CA 92501

RCC Culinary Arts Academy

3801 Market Street

Riverside, CA 92501

RCCD Board of Trustees

Jose Alcala (Area 4)
Virginia Blumenthal (Area 2)
Mary Figueroa (Area 3)
Bill Hedrick (Area 1)
Keri Then (Area 5)
Melody Ward (Student Trustee)

Board Approved Land Acknowledgment Resolution

At the April 18, 2023 meeting of the RCCD Board of Trustees, a Land Acknowledgment Resolution (No. 57 - 22/23) was considered and passed to honoring the indigenous people who first inhabited this land and the Native Americans who continue to reside in this area today. The resolution affirms the District’s intentions of maintaining the land’s integrity and the Tongva (Gabrieleno), Cahuilla, Payómkawichum (Luiseño), Serrano and Cupeño tribes’ legacy.

Native land map