Community colleges chief to speak at CLU

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Sept. 22, 2011) The chancellor of the California Community Colleges will speak at California Lutheran University on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Jack Scott will present "Preparing 21st-Century Learners Through the California P-20 Pipeline" in Lundring Events Center as part of the Silver Anniversary Distinguished Speaker Series celebrating the formation of CLU's Graduate School of Education and School of Management. The event begins with networking at 6 p.m.

Scott will discuss high-impact education practices in California's P-20 pipeline of preschools, K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, also referred to as cradle-to-college. As chancellor of the nation's largest system of higher education, he oversees 112 campuses, nearly 90,000 employees and 2.76 million students. Since taking office in 2009, he has worked with legislators on a historic law to simplify the transfer pathway for community college students to state universities, guaranteeing them junior standing when they earn an associate degree in certain majors. He also created a Student Success Task Force of academic, research and business leaders that is developing a plan to increase student retention and degree completion rates.

As a California state senator and assemblyman from 1996 to 2008, Scott authored 146 bills that were signed into law, including landmark measures that increased community college financing, eased the nursing shortage and strengthened career technical education. He served as chair of the Senate Committee on Education and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education. Many organizations including the California Federation of Teachers, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Association of California Community Administrators independently named him legislator of the year.

Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Scott served as president of Pasadena City College and Cypress College. He is past president of the Association of California Community Colleges Administrators and former chair of the Accrediting Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Scott holds a master of divinity from Yale University and a doctorate in American history from Claremont Graduate University.

CLU's higher education doctoral program, ELS Language Centers, the Pacific Coast Business Times, the San Fernando Valley Business Journal and Corwin are sponsoring the free presentation.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is north of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus.

RSVP by Friday, Oct. 7, to Lauren Amundson at lamundso@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3445.