Looking to address equity issues on campus, San Diego Mesa College sought out advice and expertise from the Center for Urban Education (CUE) at the University of Southern California. “We needed to have someone hold up the mirror to us because it can be difficult to change from within if you don’t know what you need to change,” said Dr. Pamela Luster, President of Mesa.

On Thursday, February 4, San Diego Mesa College will celebrate the annual Rosa Parks Birthday Ceremony virtually, with a Rosa Park Remembrance Video Montage, The Power of One. The event is one of many that Mesa has scheduled for Black History Month this year. Community members are invited to view the video to keep her memory alive and honor those who walked instead of riding the bus after Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.

With the Spring semester starting next week, students can still get seats in approximately 75 classes, over 30 of which are on-line. Seats are still available in some of the most popular programs, including Fermentation Management, Multimedia, Web Development, Health, Nutrition, and Political Science, Art and Drama. Online, evening and short-term (8-week) classes are available.

In a campus-wide equity effort to help students succeed in their Spring 2021 classes, Mesa College is providing supplies and kits for over 20 academic courses and programs. Students taking science courses such as microbiology and botany will have access to microscopes and seed kits, fashion students can get sewing machines, fabric and dress forms. Music students can access electronic music studio kits and electronic keyboards, dental students can receive various dental instruments, and astronomy students will receive supplies to build their own Galilean telescopes. Spring 2021 classes start on Monday, February 1, and supplies distribution will take place during the first several weeks of classes.

Often, it’s not what students are learning, but how they are learning that determines their success in education. This metacognitive approach to teaching forms the basis of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers’ project, “Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-Year Colleges,” or SAGE 2YC, which empowers faculty members to improve STEM education through the adoption of student-centered pedagogy. Following a one-year collaboration with SAGE 2YC, three Mesa College geoscience professors, Don Barrie (Geology), Bulent Bas (Geology), and Waverly Ray (Geography), bring refreshed intention to their teaching, leadership, and professional development approaches to better serve Mesa College’s students and ultimately, prepare them for success in the STEM workforce.

San Diego, CA. — It is with great sadness and deep regret that San Diego Mesa College announces the passing of one of the greatest long jumpers in history, Arnie Robinson, at the age of 72. Arnie Paul Robinson, Jr. had a nearly life-long connection to Mesa College as a student, a coach and a Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient. He lived in San Diego and began his track career as a stand-out athlete at Morse High School. In 1967, he enrolled at Mesa College, where he set school records in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump for track and field.

Art has a lot to say these days, and from November 13th to December 9th, 36 California artists will be adding their voices to the mix to memorialize the dramatic events of the past eight months in the socially distanced Mesa College Drive-In: An Outdoor Art Exhibition (open Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm, excluding school holidays). This free, unique exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to reflect on artwork from the safety of their cars as they drive through the outdoor display located in Lot 1 on Mesa College’s campus. Curated by the San Diego Mesa College Museum Studies class, the art pieces capture the turmoil of the 2020 “new normal,” and provide commentary on the effects of global illness, social unrest, and destructive wildfires.

In an effort to encourage a more sustainable future for all, the City of San Diego is recognizing 10 local businesses and organizations - including San Diego Mesa College - that implemented or expanded innovative waste reduction and recycling programs. From establishing a cigarette butt collection and recycling program, to creating a system to track solid waste tonnage to identify diversion opportunities, the 2020 Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Award winners displayed forward thinking in their programs.