Program & Schedule 

 Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Breakfast on your own

  8:00 – 9:30IRPE Newcomers Session

  9:45 – 11:00Welcome and Keynote Address with Dr. Eric Mayes

11:00 – 11:25Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30Breakout Session 1

12:30 – 1:45Lunch and Awards Ceremony sponsored by eLumen

  1:50 – 2:50Breakout Session 2

  2:50 – 3:15Coffee and Snack Break sponsored by ACCJC

  3:20 – 4:20Breakout Session 3

  4:30 – 5:00Creative Sessions Showcase

  5:00 – 6:00Reception

  5:00 – 9:00#RPConf2025 Family Game and Puzzle Night

  6:30 – 7:30Fun On Wheelz

 Wednesday, April 2 | 8:00–9:30 am

What Your Boss And Your Mother Didn’t Tell You About These RP Streets

Are you new (or newish) to the institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) community? If so, join us for a panel discussion and networking session focused on what to expect in your first one to three years in IRPE and how to best position yourself for success.

 Wednesday, April 2 | 10:00–11:00 am

Situated Cognition: The Power of Cultural Context in the Science of Teaching and Learning

Dr. Eric Mayes’ keynote will explore situated cognition as a transformative approach to education in response to America’s shifting demographics. As classrooms grow more diverse, educators must adapt by integrating culture as a seminal input in designing learning environments.

Dr. Mayes will highlight how leveraging students’ cultural strengths fosters deeper engagement, improves cognition, and creates equitable opportunities for success. By moving beyond traditional models, he will demonstrate how contextualized, culturally affirming educational environments lead to liberating student outcomes. His address will provide actionable strategies for designing inclusive, student-centered learning spaces that empower learners.

 Wednesday, April 2 | 11:30–12:30

The Impact of Corequisite Support on Equitable Completion
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Harbour

While the California Community Colleges (CCCs) have made significant strides in expanding access to transfer-level courses, outcomes for disproportionately impacted student groups continue to lag. Corequisite models, which pair a college-level course with a concurrent support course, have emerged as a promising strategy to improve student success rates, particularly for students with lower GPAs. A recent study by the Multiple Measures Assessment Project (MMAP) delved into the impact of corequisite courses on student success, including course completion, throughput, degree attainment, and transfer rates. The study analyzed various factors such as course type, student characteristics, and high school preparation. The study’s findings highlight the potential of corequisite support to benefit diverse student populations who may be less academically prepared. By examining the specific outcomes of corequisite support, this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of how such interventions can mitigate challenges and facilitate student advancement.

Presenters: Mallory Newell, De Anza College; Kevin Hsu, Irvine Valley College; Lauren Ilano and Daisy Segovia, The RP Group

 –From Enrollment to Completion: Exploring Noncredit Time to Completion 
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Cypress A

This research project examines the average time it takes for students to complete noncredit programs, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by nontraditional adult learners. Noncredit programs, known for their affordability and flexibility, are a critical pathway for these students. The project explores key factors influencing time to completion, such as the use of support services, schedule conflicts, and enrollment gaps. A comparative analysis between completers and non-completers highlights potential barriers to success, offering insights into the challenges students face. By identifying these challenges, the research aims to provide actionable recommendations for improving student outcomes through targeted outreach and interventions that ensure equitable access and success for noncredit learners.

Presenters: Dulcemonica Delgadillo, Alvin Makabali, Jason Makabali, and Harpreet Uppal, North Orange Continuing Education

Breaking Barriers Together: Insights & Actions From Student Voices at Fresno City College
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Cypress B

This session unpacks how Fresno City College’s Leading from the Middle team utilized decolonizing research practices to elevate student voices through qualitative inquiry. Attendees will explore each phase of the research design, from data collection to dissemination, with an emphasis on practices that centered the lived experiences of Hispanic and African American/Black students. The session will showcase how theory was transformed into actionable strategies, creating space for students’ voices to guide the work. Through interactive activities, participants will engage in reflective exercises designed to immerse them in the students’ perspectives and experiences. This presentation not only highlights the outcomes of the focus groups but also demonstrates how intentionally decolonized methodologies can reshape institutional research and student engagement.

Presenters: Kat Callahan, Celeste Hernandez, Shivon Hess, Apryl Lewis, Amanda Mason, and Jessica Shadrick, Fresno City College

Tools and Techniques for Calculating DI in Access to College Courses for High School Students
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Cypress C

This presentation showcases tools and methodologies to assess and address disproportionate impact (DI) in access to college classes for high school students. Focusing on equity for Latinx and African American students, the project proposes Participation Rate as a metric to measure access, and the 80% Rule Index to assess DI. It includes resources that educators, researchers, practitioners, and leaders can use to calculate and monitor DI at their district, college, or site—as well as across the state. These resources offer insights into the number of students needed to achieve proportional participation at each level of disaggregation. This session will facilitate an applied understanding of DI methodology, demonstrate how to calculate and use DI data with Python and Excel, and showcase examples of how these findings can inform decision-making and goal-setting. This work advances conversations in equitable access and explores practical solutions for closing gaps in Special Admit enrollment.

Presenters: Stephen Bass and Hongling Yang, San Diego Community College District

The Courage to Speak, Listen & Steer: Navigating Difficult Conversations
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Sequoia A

Tired of presentations? Want to engage in conversation with your peers? Not sure how to tackle difficult conversations about equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; misaligned priorities; poorly framed research questions; inappropriate methods; and contentious issues? Join us for an interactive workshop where we will strategize together about having difficult conversations!

Presenters: Coco Donovan, Carol Liu, Micheline Pontious, and Chloe Rickards, City College of San Francisco

From Tools to Transformation: Leveraging DataVista for Centralized Data and Inclusive Research Practices
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Sequoia B

This presentation will explore the conference theme of Building an Inclusive Future for Student Success by demonstrating how DataVista helps institutional researchers measure and analyze key statewide initiatives through an equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) lens. We will examine initiatives such as AB 705 & AB 1705, Dual Enrollment, Guided Pathways, and others, analyzing their impact on diverse student populations. By leveraging DataVista’s features, including single metric views, comparison tools, and benchmarks, we’ll show how performance in one initiative can influence others, highlighting systemic gaps and opportunities for improvement. This approach ensures alignment with EDIA principles, supporting a more inclusive student experience. Additionally, we will address the challenge of initiative fatigue, showing how DataVista streamlines the analysis of multiple initiatives in one unified space. This enables IRPE professionals to track progress, identify disparities, and connect to essential data points, fostering more effective strategies for equitable outcomes.

Presenters: Erik Cooper and Christopher Ozuna, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office; Karen Beltramo, Adriel Garcia, WestEd

 Wednesday, April 2 | 1:50–2:50

 –Improving the Student Experience & Increasing Access by Streamlining Workflows: A Collaborative Between EOPS & Research
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Harbour

Practitioners often look towards the next silver bullet that dramatically alters student trajectories for the better while changing the educational landscape. However, we often forget the diamonds in the rough that could use a little polish. Every college has existing programs and services providing integral support towards student success that are often understaffed and under-resourced. Amidst decreasing enrollment into the EOPS program at Irvine Valley College, EOPS and Research collaborated to increase student access by overhauling the application process, drastically increasing student recruitment. During this collaboration, we discovered manual processes that often took weeks out of an employee’s workday could be remedied utilizing common research tools in the field, streamlining the student experience by freeing employee workloads away from repetitive tasks to more meaningful case management. By attacking the lowest possible denominator, small changes can lead to big effects when allocating existing resources for our programs.

Presenters: Kevin Hsu, Luis Macias, Sarah Smeltzer, and Diego Valencia, Irvine Valley College

 – Building Bridges: Uncovering Truth & Cultivating Relationships to Support Native American Student Success
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Cypress A

This session explores how dismantling systemic barriers in data collection can lead to more accurate representation and support for Native students. By moving beyond traditional demographic categories, the session challenges inequities like underreporting and misrepresentation. Attendees will learn strategies to advance inclusive data practices and institutional policies that promote equity, particularly for marginalized groups. Emphasizing the importance of authentic, community-centered relationships between researchers, DEI colleagues, and local communities, this session encourages IRPE professionals to collaborate with tribal leaders and the college community to improve data collection methods. The session demonstrates how more precise identification methods have debunked myths, revealed the true needs of Native students across one multi-campus college, and led to better resource allocation. Ultimately, this session empowers IRPE professionals to drive change, ensuring that Native students, and all students, have the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive and supportive environment.

Presenters: Madison Barlow, Jaclyn Kessler, Bryan King, Betzabel Martinez, and Michael Roque, Cerro Coso Community College

Designing Inclusive Pathways: A Community-Centered Approach to Adult Learner Success
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Cypress B

In developing an educational model for workers in low-wage jobs in East San Jose, we are employing an innovative, community-centered research approach that prioritizes direct student engagement. Through a mixed-methods study, we conducted demographic analysis, interviewed 16 college staff and 28 community partners, and facilitated 3 design thinking workshops with 35 residents working low-wage jobs. By creating spaces for workers to articulate their educational barriers and aspirations, we generated insights that challenge traditional higher education assumptions. This presentation will explore our participatory research methodology, inviting attendees to participate in a design thinking workshop simulation and engage in individual and small group brainstorming to think creatively about addressing barriers. We aim to demonstrate how centering community voices can drive more inclusive and responsive institutional design, with potential applications across higher education contexts seeking to support non-traditional learners.

Presenters: Laura Bernhard, California Competes; Joyce Lui, San Jose City College

Accelerating Student Success: Evaluating the Feasibility & Impact of 8-Week Courses
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Sequoia A

As community colleges seek to improve student success and close equity gaps, accelerated eight-week courses offer a promising approach. This presentation provides an in-depth analysis of the feasibility and impact of compressed course formats, drawing on institutional research, disaggregated completion data, and qualitative feedback from students and faculty. Attendees will learn how to use EDIA-focused analyses to uncover who benefits most from eight-week offerings and where improvements are needed. We will demonstrate how IRPE professionals can leverage robust data to inform planning, streamline pathways, and ensure that accelerated courses truly serve all learners. Participants will leave with strategies and tools to guide evidence-based decision-making at their own colleges.

Presenter: Lysander Ramos, Bakersfield College

Equity in Focus: Shaping the Chancellor’s Office Research Priorities for a Diverse Future
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Sequoia B

Join us in a review of Chancellor’s Office research to support student achievement with equity. The team will highlight recent efforts to study the student journey from dual enrollment in DataVista to UC/CSU transfer pathway analyses, evaluations of supports including basic needs centers and Vision Aligned Reporting, and a pilot of a more inclusive definition of American Indian and Alaska Native students within the Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP). Participants will have an opportunity to engage with this work, provide feedback, and discuss how it can be replicated or utilized locally.

Presenters: Ruth Latendorf, Shuai Li, Hawk McFazden, Christopher Ozuna, Patty Sanders,  Terrence Willett, and Rujun Yang, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

 Wednesday, April 2 | 3:20–4:20

 – Crossing Borders, Bridging Identities: Empowering Binational Students at the US–Mexico Border
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Harbour

This session will present recommendations to support the success of binational students. Attendees will explore key findings on the challenges, strengths, and goals of binational students, including their experiences navigating bicultural identities, building & leveraging social capital, and adapting to border dynamics. The session will highlight a mixed-methods research approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative data alongside concepts from the cultural adaptation, social capital, and border theories.

Participants will learn about effective institutional strategies, including flexible course offerings, resources for multilingual learners, and job readiness programs. The session will also discuss the broader scalability of this framework to other student populations. Attendees will leave with insights on how to implement research-based, equity-conscious interventions that prioritize student voices and institutional collaboration, ensuring lasting impact on access, retention, success, and completion for diverse student communities.

Presenters: Shakerra Carter, Semei Coronado Ramirez, Jessica Luedtke, and Jesus Rivas, San Diego Community College District

 – “Seeing I to I” (Input to Impact): Equitable Co-Design of the Student Experience Survey
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: CYPRESS A

It is common practice across community colleges to bring the student voice into institutional research and evaluation through student surveys. However, students rarely shape how their voices are sought out or responded to by the campus community. In this session, we will share how we have leveraged student voice in our equitable co-design of the Annual Student Experience Survey at Calbright College. We will highlight how equitable co-design led to increased survey participation, improved understanding of how the institution can better serve students, and informed actions to increase equitable outcomes for students at Calbright. Participants will unpack the challenges of equitable co-design and walk away with practical strategies for ensuring student voice in the design of efforts to support student success at their institutions.

Presenters: Rebecca Poon, Kalpana Ranganathan, Logan Rowland, Patsy Ulloa, Calbright College

 – The SCFF Jeopardy: Analyzing Equity & Impact After Six Years
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Cypress B

Six years after the SCFF was introduced as a key equity reform in California, we have yet to see a complete analysis of how it impacts access and student success across districts in the CCC system. Moreover, policy analysts have failed to present studies documenting the reform’s return on investments. This presentation seeks to fill these gaps. Attendees will learn how factors like ethnic population distributions, age group demographics, cost of living factors, and rural vs. urban characteristics of a college can impact the rates of funding available to serve students. Today, funding rates per student are so different across the CCC system that the inequity outpaces what was declared unconstitutional in California’s K-12 schools in Serrano v. Priest (1976). This presentation will raise serious questions about how IRPE professionals can advocate for equitable funding in districts that have lost ground under the SCFF formula.

Presenters: Cody Jarvis and Matthew Wetstein, Cabrillo College

 – Student Veteran Experiences at Fresno City College: A Collaborative Model for Inclusive Survey Development
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Cypress C

This session showcases how the Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness department at Fresno City College (FCC) collaborates with a graduate student veteran worker to center the student voices throughout survey design. Our graduate student worker in the department was able to propose and gain approval to implement a research project exploring veteran student success via a survey and one-on-one interviews. This research looks at the experiences and outcomes of veterans at the community college level since most student veterans start there, particularly those of Color. Our presentation will provide details about the value of a graduate student worker in our IRPE office and the results of this research on the veteran student experience at FCC. Participants will have the opportunity to explore what they might consider implementing, especially a focus on intersectional identities of their veteran students.

Presenters: Alex Adams, Celeste Hernandez, and Pedro Martinez, Fresno City College

Build a Student: Using CCSSE to Construct a Student Composite
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Sequoia A

This session will provide participants with an interactive way to have groups engage data. The exercise that will take place in this session will force participants to focus on data outcomes irrespective of group descriptor. The data is the data. The outcomes are the outcomes. Furthermore, attendees will examine the possible bias that is associated with disaggregated data.

Presenter: Marcell Gilmore, Mt. San Antonio College

Creating Space for LGBTQIA+ People in the San Diego Community College District: A Qualitative Study of Students & Employees
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Sequoia B

Due to a lack of reliable data on LGBTQIA+ people, the San Diego Community College District conducted nine focus groups and interviews with LGBTQIA+ identified students and 15 interviews with LGBTQIA+ or actively allied employees (e.g., Gender Sexuality Alliance faculty advisor) between spring 2020 and fall 2022. The purpose of the study was to explore the intersecting identities and complex experiences of LGBTQIA+ people throughout the district, better informing programming and support services for LGBTQIA+ students in particular. Overall, student voices largely revealed an overarching need for spacemaking at their colleges, while employees spoke to structure and power that either facilitate or impede the success and belonging of LGBTQIA+ students and employees. This session will review the methods, results, and actions that have come from this study while also providing attendees with opportunities to work in small groups and apply similar strategies to their own difficult-to-approach research questions.

Presenter: Jaime Sykes, San Diego Community College District

 Wednesday, April 2 | 4:30–5:00 pm

Dating Your Data

Getting people to engage with data is a lot like dating: It can be challenging; however, in the right circumstances, it can also be—dare we say it—fun! Data Gamification can diminish some of the mental barriers and intimidation that may exist with data. It can also cultivate community, strengthen IRPE and stakeholder relationships, and create a more meaningful experience with the data. This session will showcase various gamification strategies that can be used to help any stakeholder group navigate data exploration…and who knows, they may just fall in love.

Presenter: Rosaleen Ryan, Monterey Peninsula College

Designing for Equity: Using Human-Centered Design to Communicate Data-Driven Insights

Data-driven decision-making is essential for improving student success and institutional effectiveness. However, effectively communicating complex data insights can be challenging. This session will introduce IRPE professionals to the power of design in data communication and visualization. By leveraging human-centered design principles, we can create more engaging, accessible, and impactful data visualizations and narratives to promote equitable student outcomes. This session will empower participants with practical tools and techniques to craft compelling data stories that resonate with diverse audiences and design innovative data visualizations.

Presenters: Daisy Segovia, The RP Group

From Vision to Action: Foothill College’s Journey Towards Equitable Organizational Change

This presentation shares how Foothill College’s Office of Equity & Inclusion team developed a nuanced, strategic approach to generating organizational change for equity, at-scale from day one. The Foothill DEI team tackled challenges of buy-in, scaling, and resourcing to create campus-wide ownership of an integrated network of local equity initiatives. Participants will gain ideas for scaling their college’s equity plans and initiatives.

Presenters: Ajani Byrd and Liz Leiserson, Foothill College

Unifying Voices: Hartnell College’s Path to Effective Data Governance

This session showcases Hartnell College’s process in developing a comprehensive data governance policy that unites campus groups to enhance data quality, security, compliance, and trust. By exploring collaborative efforts, attendees will learn how effective governance frameworks improve decision-making and efficiency, ultimately supporting an inclusive and equitable academic environment.

Presenters: Gayle Pitman and Layheng Ting, Hartnell College

Work in Progress: Using Job Projection Data to Inform Future Program Offerings

Determining new programs for our colleges to consider and work toward launching is a difficult, long-term investment. There are many considerations that must be made, two of which are the job outlook and wages when a student finishes their program of study and enters the job market. As an attempt to make these decisions easier, we have created a dashboard using job projection data that ties potential occupations to our departments. The goal is to meet with deans and program chairs to discuss programs they are considering and the overall outlooks in the ideation phase. In joining this presentation, we will discuss how we are using data to help guide these conversations with a long-term view in mind and to ensure our students’ time is respected by doing our best to ensure there are jobs for them.

Presenter: Michael Gracia, San Diego College of Continuing Education

 Wednesday, April 2 | 6:30–7:30 pm

Join RP Conference Tri-Chair Brad Trimble for an evening ride loop along the SF Bay Trail bike path to Coyote Point Park and back to the hotel. Bring your own wheels or secure a bike rental through SPIN bikes available at the hotel. Details on how to download and reserve a SPIN bike will be shared soon. Meet in the hotel lobby near the front doors at 6:15 pm.

 Wednesday, April 2 | 5:00–9:00 pm | Atrium

After a full day of conference programming, join RP Conference Committee Members and wind down with a fun evening playing games and/or puzzling. We will start during the reception and continue into the evening. An assortment of activities will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorite game or puzzle to share with others.

 Thursday, April 3, 2025

  7:30 – 8:30Breakfast

  7:30 – 8:30Breakfast with the Board at RP Conference 2025

  8:30 – 9:45Opening Plenary and Birds of a Feather

10:00 – 11:00Breakout Session 4

11:00 – 11:25Coffee Break sponsored by Nuventive

11:30 – 12:30Breakout Session 5

12:30 – 1:30Lunch and Affinity Groups

  1:30 – 3:00CCCCO Briefing and Closing Plenary

  3:00 – 3:25Coffee and Snack Break

  3:30 – 4:30Vision Aligned Reporting Working Session

 Thursday, April 3 | 7:30–8:30 am

Join The RP Group and members of our Board of Directors for breakfast on Thursday, April 3, 7:30–8:30 am!

Come meet Jake Kevari, Board President for The RP Group, and your regional representative! Bring your questions and learn more about…

• Who’s on the Board?

• What does the Board do?

• What is it like to be a Board member?

• Which Board positions are open starting July 1, 2025?

• How are Board members elected and selected?

 Thursday, April 3 | 8:45–9:45 am

Birds of a Feather discussions are designed to provide an opportunity for conference attendees to engage with each other about specific topics of interest. RP Conference 2025 topics include:

• AB 705 & 1705

• Engaging Resistance & Facilitating Topics Related to EDI 

• IRPE Office Leads

• IRPE Research Analysts

• Noncredit

• Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI)

• Vision Aligned Reporting (VAR)

 Thursday, April 3 | 10:00–11:00

MastIR PIEce Theatre: The Data Chronicles: Past, Present & the Ridiculously Predictable Future
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Harbour

Get ready to crunch some numbers and crack a few smiles. This session will dive deep into the role of institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) professionals as the unsung heroes of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA)—one scatterplot at a time. We’ll trace the “histogram” of data practices, spotlighting how outdated approaches have marginalized student voices, and chart a “trendline” toward a more inclusive, actionable future. With a mix of humor and practical insights, attendees will learn how to stop “pie-charting” their way around equity gaps and instead serve up disaggregated data slices that reveal the full story. From “forecasting” student success with responsible predictive analytics to ensuring dashboards are as accessible as they are actionable, this session provides the tools and inspiration IRPE professionals need to “excel” at transforming outcomes. Come for the puns, stay for the strategies—it’s time to turn data into the hero of the story!

Presenters: Erik Cooper, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office; Aeron Zentner, Coastline College; Z Reisz, Contra Costa Community College District

Driving Equitable Change: Using Cross-Functional Inquiry Teams to Build an Inclusive Future for Student Success
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Cypress B

This presentation explores the Cross-Functional Inquiry Team (CFIT) model, a data-driven, inclusive framework that addresses equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) to improve student success. Developed through the Guided Pathways initiative, the CFIT framework fosters cross-departmental collaboration and integrates student feedback—especially from underserved groups—to guide decision-making and strategy development. Using the 2023-24 First-Generation Students CFIT as an example, the session will walk participants through the key steps of the process: identifying challenges, forming the team, conducting inquiry, incorporating student voice, and developing actionable strategies. The session will highlight how these steps led to the creation of the First Year First-Generation Student Experience program. Participants will engage in a hands-on activity to design their own CFIT proposals, applying the model’s process to overcome barriers and promote equitable outcomes, ultimately helping to build a more inclusive future for student success.

Presenters: Kathryn Bachman, Jaclyn Kessler, Bryan King, and Heather Ostash, Cerro Coso Community College

A Case for Planning: A Head Start on Vision-Aligned Reporting
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Cypress C

Are you tired of new reporting requirements making you scramble to be in compliance? Are you looking for what planning could look like in action? Come hear about CCSF’s planning efforts around Student Service Outcomes (SSO) and how this planning gave us a head start to Vision Aligned Reporting (VAR) reporting. It wasn’t an easy journey, but thanks to the partnerships made and useful data provided over the years, we have built a culture of trust in data collection and reporting with student services. This workshop will share CCSF’s process and engage the audience in discussion and reflection.

Presenters: Coco Donovan, Carol Liu, Micheline Pontious, and Chloe Rickards, City College of San Francisco

Understanding the Support Networks of First-Generation College Students: Research Findings & Implications for Institutional Research
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Sequoia B

In this session, presenters will share findings from a four-year mixed methods social network analysis of the personal support networks of first-generation college students in their first year at two California community colleges and two universities in the California State system. The session will be structured and designed to inform efforts of institutional research professionals in gathering data about first-generation college students on their respective campuses that can inform the design and delivery of services intended to improve outcomes among this subgroup of students. Attendees can expect to take away lessons learned about who first-generation college students turn to for support and how these relationships shape their postsecondary pathway. Attendees can also expect to take away survey questions that they can modify and use at their institutions to collect more precise information about first-generation students and, in doing so, better position their colleagues to serve these students.

Presenters: Hoori Kalamkarian, Community College Research Center; Alex Adams, Fresno City College

Data Gymnastics: Leaping Over ETL Hurdles for Equitable Student Success
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Sequoia B

Explore innovative strategies for transforming complex data into actionable insights. Focusing on equitable and collaborative practices, the San Diego College of Continuing Education research team will demonstrate how their inclusive approach improves workflows and supports noncredit student success. Attendees will gain hands-on experience with ETL processes, discover creative ways to address system constraints, and learn how teamwork and shared repositories foster efficiency and data accessibility. This session will empower IRPE professionals to inspire institutional change and enhance equity through practical, replicable data practices.

Presenter: Semei Coronado Ramirez, San Diego College of Continuing Education

 Thursday, April 3 | 11:30 – 12:30

Sharing is CAIRing: Updates from the California Association for Institutional Research and an Open Discussion with Board Members
Room: Harbour
Track: Research & Evaluation

The California Association for Institutional Research (CAIR) is a volunteer-run nonprofit that aims to create professional development opportunities and community for institutional research, planning, and effectiveness professionals across all segments (e.g., CCC, UC, CSU, private colleges, and universities) of higher education in California. Join members of the CAIR board for updates on current initiatives, opportunities for involvement, our upcoming 50th conference in San Diego, and a chance to share your ideas with CAIR leaders about what CAIR is doing now and where we should be going together.

Presenters: Kristin Rascon, CAIR/Kern Community College District; Jesus Rivas and Jaime Sykes, CAIR/San Diego Community College District

 – Building Bridges: A Collaborative Pipeline for Developing Future IR Analysts
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Cypress B

Institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) remains a career path many professionals discover accidentally rather than intentionally. Our collaborative pipeline between Fresno City College and Fresno State’s psychology program illuminates how strategic partnerships can expose students to IRPE’s dynamic landscape. By bridging academic research skills with institutional effectiveness, we demonstrate how social science research methodologies transfer seamlessly into data-driven decision-making roles. Our approach not only creates visibility for an often-overlooked career field but also provides structured pathways for students from diverse backgrounds to explore IRPE. Presented alongside our graduate student intern, we showcase how transferable research skills—statistical analysis, methodological rigor, and evidence-based interpretation—prepare students for impactful careers in institutional research.

Presenters: Muneeb Afnani, California State University, Fresno; Alex Adams, Michael Gonzalez, and Dorthy Schmidt, Fresno City College

Equity-Minded Redesign of the Calculus Pipeline at Citrus College
Track: Planning & Institutional Effectiveness
Room: Cypress C

The goal of the project is to improve calculus completion by implementing two strategies: 1. Redesign of Placement Policies and the Prerequisite Pathway to Calculus Citrus College will broaden direct access to Calculus 1 with Support for students currently placed into precalculus. The pathway will replace the traditional preparatory precalculus course with a 2-unit corequisite support course tailored to meet students’ needs within the calculus framework. For students needing further foundational skills, Path to Calculus with Support will offer an equitable bridge to success in calculus. 2. Integrate Active Learning and Enhance the Learning Environment to Support Authentic Student Engagement and Participation, including Blended Strategies that Positively Impact Math Attitudes and Identity Citrus faculty will embed relevant precalculus concepts into calculus instruction using interactive pedagogy on 360° whiteboards.

Presenters: Bala Sethu Raja, Robert Chen, Sophia Lee, and Yueyi Huang, Citrus College

Beyond the Numbers: Centering Equity in Research and Evaluation
Track: RP Toolbox
Room: Sequoia A

Inclusive language and research methods are essential for promoting equity and social justice in higher education. By engaging in practices that uplift and surface the unique needs of minoritized student groups, IRPE professionals can play a crucial role in the creation of more equitable learning environments. This session will provide practical strategies for incorporating inclusive language and research methods into IRPE work, including: (1) identifying and addressing biases in research design and analysis; (2) using inclusive language in research reports and presentations; (3) developing equitable data collection and analysis practices; and (4) collaborating with diverse constituents to ensure research is more diverse and inclusive. By attending this session, attendees will gain valuable skills to enhance their research practice and ability to contribute to a more equitable future for students.

Presenters: Beverly Chakrabarty, Darla Cooper, Alyssa Nguyen, and Daisy Segovia, The RP Group

Instructional & Non-Instructional Support for Academic Success: Assessment of Embedded Tutoring, Counseling & Co-Requisites for Writing 1
Track: Research & Evaluation
Room: Sequoia B

Institutions have shifted to a more inclusive approach of allowing students to enroll in core classes without any prerequisites, accompanied with instructional and non-instructional support to help students succeed in these classes. Irvine Valley College (IVC) has piloted such programs for an introductory writing class, specifically, (1) embedded tutoring, (2) embedded counseling, and (3) co-requisite programs. Preliminary results indicate students who visited an embedded tutor, especially for those who visited more frequently, were more likely to succeed in passing the class than those who did not visit a tutor. Students enrolled in embedded counseling had a higher frequency of visiting their assigned embedded counselors, especially for students struggling in the class. Students enrolled in co-requisite classes seem to be significantly more likely to succeed in passing. Moreover, non-native English-speaking students significantly benefited from enrolling in co-requisite courses designed for ESL students.

Presenters: Joshua Rhee and Rhea Zhang, Irvine Valley College

 Thursday, April 3 | 12:30–1:30 pm

This year, we will offer a new opportunity for affinity groups to meet during lunch on Thursday, 4/3. If you are interested in connecting with others who identify similarly, we invite you to sit at tables designated by the following signs:

• APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) Black/African American Latinx

• Black/African American

• Latinx

• LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual +)

• Native/Indigenous

• Neurodivergence and/or Disability

 Thursday, April 3 | 1:30–3:00 pm

The Chancellor’s Office update will address Vision 2030, Vision Aligned Reporting, DataVista updates, MIS modernization and data element updates, and information about Chancellor’s Office research projects.

Presenters: Erik Cooper and John Hetts, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

 Thursday, April 3 | 3:30–4:30 pm

This session is intended to provide a dedicated space for conference participants to come together and discuss questions, challenges, and opportunities arising from VAR implementation. Each table will navigate and direct conversations as participants feel fit.

Here are some common VAR implementation questions for consideration to help guide discussions among each table group: 

• What’s working well as it relates to VAR implementation?

• What challenges are you facing?

• What tools are your college/district using for data collection?

• Who is doing the data collection?

• Where is your institution at with respect to data collection for Year 1 (2024-25)?

• How is your institution setting up processes and structures for student-level data collection that begins next year (2025-26)?

• What strategies are you using for mapping onto the VAR data elements?

• How are you pulling data from the various sources into one comprehensive dataset that can be submitted to MIS?

• What forms of support are available through vendors to help implement VAR?

 Friday, April 4, 2025

  7:30 – 8:30Breakfast and Post-Conference Workshop Registration

  8:30 – 12:00Post–Conference Workshops

 Friday, April 4 | 8:30 am–12:00 pm

Find details about each workshop on the Post-Conference Workshop page.