Daily Business Report: Sept. 22, 2023
Want a degree without classes and lectures?
Eight community colleges test a new approach
By Adam Echelman | CalMatters
A revolution is in the making at California’s community colleges: No more grades, no more sitting through lectures or seminars, no more deadlines. In a pilot program taking shape across eight of the state’s community colleges, the only requirement for some associate degrees will be “competency.” Students who can prove that they have the relevant skills can earn that degree.
Southwestern College in Chula Vista is one of those eight colleges, with a proposed associate degree in Automotive Technology.
In theory, this model, known as “competency-based education,” could provide students with more flexibility and the potential to attain degrees faster in key job sectors. The pilot is geared toward working adults, many of whom left community colleges at record rates
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the state’s population of K-12 students continues to shrink, leaving colleges with fewer students right out of high school, the pilot aims to attract adults who are already in the workforce by “valuing their lived and work experience,” said Madera Community College President Ángel Reyna.
If successful, these community colleges will set themselves apart from every other two-year institution in the country. The pilot, which launched in 2021, provides eight California community colleges with up to $515,000 over the course of four years to each design a single associate degree program using this new model.
Photo: Southwestern College offers an associate degree in Automotive Technology.
National University receives National Science Foundation
grant to improve biology instruction through art
National University announced that it has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to support a new academic research project seeking to improve how biology is taught to college students. Biology professor Michael Maxwell will serve as the principal investigator for a three-year, $400,000 grant-funded project to explore the cognitive and academic benefits of art-enhanced instruction in biology, working in collaboration with faculty at other universities across the country.
Traditionally, the study of biology has relied on drawing, sketching and diagramming to illustrate living organisms, design experiments and visualize data, by way of field journals, for example. A growing body of research suggests that combining STEM with art within students’ coursework can help learners visualize, understand, and disseminate the results of science research.
Travel
Paradise in the Pacific: French Polynesia
By Marlise Kast-Myers
French Polynesia sounded exotic, tropical, and romantic—all necessary ingredients for an idyllic honeymoon. But I’d been married for nearly a decade, and this was my solo adventure, a gift to myself while my husband toured Colorado’s Backcountry Discovery Route.
We both have our passions; mine being surfing and all things water, while he craves motorbikes and off-roading adventures. With the calendar before us, I set my eyes on Tahiti and he on Colorado.
There was little I knew about the destination, other than I could put my French to use in a place known for epic waves, and of course Bora Bora. With 118 islands and five archipelagoes, this French collective beckoned me to just about every island, except Bora Bora. I was on a quest for the uncommon, the cultural, and the fluid core of French Polynesia.
Legal fights over California’s homeless camps expands
Fed up with homeless encampments, California local officials are seeking guidance from the nation’s most powerful judges. In a legal brief filed Tuesday with the U.S. Supreme Court, the California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities told the justices that a string of federal court rulings over the last five years that restrict cities’ abilities to sweep camps and order residents off the streets have made addressing health and safety concerns “unworkable.”
Study shows tourism industry provides stable wages,
low barriers to empower economic, social mobility
San Diego’s tourism industry has been shown to provide stable wages and opportunities for upward mobility in a comprehensive study by the San Diego Tourism Authority and the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center.
Contrary to common perceptions, only about 110,000 of the 214,000 jobs in tourism fall within leisure and hospitality. More than 70 percent of tourism occupations do not require a college degree, and approximately three-quarters demand minimal or no on-the-job training. Additionally, 89 percent of surveyed employees expressed satisfaction with their earnings, and on average, hourly wages for directly supported jobs by visitor spending stand at $28 per hour.
Women’s Venture Summit
The Women’s Venture Summit, now in its tenth year, connects female founders with investors, aiming to enhance their access to capital and encourage more investors to support female-led startups. This inclusive event on Sept. 28-29 welcomes founders, investors, community partners, and individuals interested in investing, fostering a more equitable future. Location: Cooley LLP, 10265 Science Center Drive, San Diego 92121.
Cal State San Marcos President Ellen Neufeldt
to deliver annual Report to the Community on Sept. 26
With Cal State San Marcos having welcomed the largest first-year class in its history, President Ellen Neufeldt will deliver her annual Report to the Community on Tuesday, Sept. 26, highlighting the university’s role as a powerful engine for good.
About 350 individuals representing a broad cross section of regional business, nonprofit, education and government leadership are expected to attend the event.
In her remarks, Neufeldt will discuss how CSUSM is dismantling barriers to educational access and leading the conversation on student social mobility. The university ranks first nationally out of more than 1,400 schools measured in the Social Mobility Index by the online publication CollegeNET. The rankings were released last November.
Enrollment for the fall increased 3 percent compared with last year, including a record group of 2,766 first-year students.
The Kleinfelder Group to be acquired by Lindsay Goldberg
The Kleinfelder Group Inc., a leading engineering, design, and construction management firm, announced that affiliates of Lindsay Goldberg, in partnership with company’s management, has completed an investment in Kleinfelder. The transaction, which closed on Sept. 18, 2023, fortifies Kleinfelder’s strategic growth potential and bolsters the opportunities to add to the robust client and service portfolio throughout the business. Kleinfelder President and CEO Louis Armstrong and the entire management team will remain with the company.
Legence acquires San Diego’s A.O. Reed & Co.
Legence, the world’s first Energy Transition Accelerator, announced the acquisition of San Diego-based A.O. Reed & Co., a leading specialty mechanical contractor focused on building and servicing complex systems in mission-critical facilities. The addition of A.O. Reed & Co. allows Legence to offer comprehensive solutions throughout all of California, providing clients with expanded coverage to optimize systems and decarbonize the built environment.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Rady Children’s appoints Rush Chewning
as medical direcor, pediatric interventional radiology
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, the largest children’s hospital on the West Coast and one of the nation’s top pediatric health care systems, and UC San Diego announce that Rush Chewning, M.D., has been appointed as medical director, pediatric interventional radiology,
at Rady Children’s and associate clinical professor at UCSD. As a health professional, Chewning will provide medical and clinical leadership to the newly established pediatric interventional radiology program.
Medical Solutions moves up on SIA’s
Fastest-Growing U.S. staffing firms list
Medical Solutions, which maintains an office in San Diego, has been anked among SIA’s 2023 Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the U.S. The company, which connects nurses and allied health clinicians with hospitals and health care systems across the country, ranked No. 22, up three spots from No. 25 last year. Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), a global research and advisory firm focused on staffing and workforce solutions, announced the list which includes 158 firms.
Jack in the Box features the new Angry Monster Taco
Jack in the Box Inc., home of the menu with the most variety, announces the return of the Monster Taco along with a spicy twist on the fan-favorite specialty taco – introducing the extra spooky Angry Monster Taco. Ahead of Halloween, Jack’s favorite night of the year, the Monster Taco is returning for the third year in a row in its original form alongside its spicy addition, both priced at two for $3.
Taoglas nominated for Digital Media Award
San Diego-based Taoglas, a leading provider of antennas and IoT (Internet of Things) components that help solve complex engineering problems, announced that its company website, Taoglas.com, has been nominated for a Digital Media Award in the category of Best Website. Digital Media Awards are the most prestigious digital awards in Ireland, organized by Ashville Media Group.
Hint Health and Dock Health launch new partnership
Hint Health, the leading platform for membership-based health care, and health care work management hub Dock Health, announced the launch of a new bi-directional integration allowing HIPAA-compliant task and workflow automation to seamlessly flow between systems for better, more efficient care delivery for millions of patients across the U.S. Hint helps clinicians manage the unique complexities of a membership-based primary care model.
New Go Macro partnership benefits Autism Tree
GoMacro, known for its organic, plant-based nutrition bars, announced a new Give Back partnership with Autism Tree, an innovative organization serving San Diego communities and beyond. The organization is dedicated to improving autism communities around the world through 200+ programs and events designed to give neurodiverse individuals an equal voice and build community compassion. Autism Tree was established in 2003 by parents Todd and Dayna Hoff following their son’s autism diagnosis.
Inseego appoints Philip Brace to its board of directors
Inseego Corp., a leader in 5G edge cloud solutions, announced it has appointed experienced technology executive Philip Brace to its board of directors as an independent director. Brace has an extensive technology and operations background. His experience at technology companies over the past 30 years includes roles in a wide array of functional areas, including engineering, software, hardware, and sales and marketing.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals appoints Albert Kildani as senior vice president
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the appointment of Albert Kildani as senior vice president, investor relations and corporate communications. Kildani will be responsible for leading investor relations and corporate communications and serve as a member of the company’s Executive Management Committee. He will report to Mark Schneyer, executive vice president, chief financial officer of Acadia. Kildani joins Acadia most recently from Halozyme Therapeutics.
