Inclusivity in the Riverside Community College District was the main talking point at the Board of Trustees meeting held April 1.
Members of the meeting first recognized high enrollment in the past year in the Gateway College and Career Academy. Enrollment increased from 349 students in the spring of 2024 to over 450 in spring of 2025.
Gateway serves at risk high school students looking to get back on track and graduate. It has been located on the Riverside City College campus since 2004 and provides an opportunity for students to earn a high school diploma and also college credit via dual enrollment.
“Students get re-engaged,” said Miguel Contreras, the Executive Director at Gateway.
Gateway has had to institute waitlists for the first time due to an increase in demand, a change from the drop in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With an increase in popularity, Gateway plans to expand its Career Technical Education programs. It also plans to strengthen its dual enrollment partnerships with RCCD colleges.
RCCD Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac spoke on the Inland Empire Healthcare Access Demonstration Project, which would expedite students’ access to essential healthcare for those that qualify. The project would be the first of its kind.
“It will create a more sustainable way of providing our students with essential not only mental health, but access to preventative care as well,” Chancellor Isaac said.
The goals of the partnership are to enroll all eligible students in Medi-Cal, strengthen campus infrastructure and remove barriers to the services provided.
Thomas Pham, IEHP’s vice president of strategy said, “We hope the success of this partnership allows for more innovative thinking when it comes to strengthening the well-being and quality of life here in the I.E. and across California.”
Chancellor Isaac also spoke on the climate conference he attended March 26 at the University of California, Los Angeles, saying that we need to better preserve our resources and that marine sciences will provide plenty of jobs for the future.
A report by the resources committee found that the future for RCCD’s budget faces a deficit, but the exact future is unknown as the state budget has yet to come out until later this year and the funding from the federal government is unclear.
An issue was raised regarding the diversity of RCCD employees. The equity committee found that a disproportionate amount of qualified applicants were not being interviewed. A reported 80 qualified African American males applied, and none were interviewed.
