San Jacinto College Chancellor celebrates community in annual State of the College address

PASADENA, Texas — On Thursday, Nov. 10, Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Chancellor, delivered the State of the College to elected officials, Board of Trustees, community members, and faculty and staff both virtually and in person.

The presentation — titled "A focus on opportunities that are enriching for YOU, the community" — concentrated on three areas: meeting the evolving needs of San Jac students, addressing the changing landscape in hiring and retaining employees, and effectively meeting the evolving needs of our business and community partners.

Meeting the evolving needs of San Jac students

San Jac is the caretaker of students' hopes and dreams, and it is a responsibility that is not taken lightly. Throughout its history and the recent challenging times, San Jac has remained focused on student success and providing a quality educational experience to each person who comes through the doors:

• In 2021, San Jac awarded credentials to 6,675 unique students, which is the largest number of unique students in the College's history. This is a 15.6% increase over the previous year.
• San Jac also awarded 8,114 credentials in 2021, which is the largest number ever awarded in one year.
• Enrollment has shifted this semester to approximately 52% in-person for academic classes and more than 72% face-to-face for technical classes.
• Starting with the spring 2023 semester, San Jac will offer 60 certificate and degree options that can be completed 100% online. The shift in academic classes led San Jac to build on providing more flexibility for students while still maintaining standards of excellence for a high-quality education.
• San Jac is a part of Houston GPS (Guided Pathways to Success), which brings together partners from seven community colleges and six universities to work on alignment so those community college students can transfer to the university more easily and with fewer credits lost.
• The Promise @ San Jac Scholarship expanded to all high school graduates in the College's taxing district this fall, with 2,845 students enrolled as Promise Scholars. Seventy-two percent of area high school seniors have already pledged to be a part of the Promise cohort of 2023.
• San Jac created a new neurodiversity resource center, which supports students that identify as neurodiverse to help them meet their academic, professional, and personal goals.
• The College expanded the San Jac Marketplaces to provide not only food but also personal hygiene products, clothing, cleaning products, and more.

Hiring and retaining employees in a changing landscape

San Jac took steps to be more competitive in the workplace with significant pay increases for all employees, market premiums for high-demand areas, more flexible remote work options, adjustments to our holiday schedule including adding a floating holiday, and expanding our employee leadership and development programs.

The College also created a Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which consists of 25 employees who coordinate the work of 12 teams comprising 120 employees who are researching and recommending ways that San Jacinto College can better serve the needs of our students, employees, and communities.

Effectively meeting the needs of businesses and community partners:

San Jacinto College has had a 61-year partnership with the East Harris County community and is committed to being a resource to the community. With a responsibility to help advance the social and economic mobility of all members of our community, San Jac is looked to as the preferred workforce training provider:

• San Jac has continued its good work with the Chancellor Advisory Councils in the maritime, petrochemical, and aerospace industries. In these councils, the College meets with business leaders to learn what is needed to provide a skilled workforce. Industry also provides feedback on training that works and what needs to be improved.
• The College has created three new Chancellor Advisory Councils this year: biopharm manufacturing, cyber security and cloud computing, and global logistics.
• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board announced that the San Jacinto College Fast Track Program has been selected as a 2022 Star Award recipient as we work to Build a Talent Strong Texas.
• In September, the College partnered with LyondellBasell for its Global Day of Caring to distribute more than 2,500 trees to community members.
• This past year — thanks to a partnership with organizations such as Eye Care for Kids Foundation, Houston Health Department, Prevent Blindness Texas, the University of Houston College of Optometry and Walmart — more than 1,200 Pasadena ISD students received glasses, and 333 received medical referrals through San Jac's See to Succeed program. The program covers the cost of frames, prescription lenses, and emergency medical care for all participating children.
• Coming back in 2023 is Mindtrekkers, an event for sixth graders in the College district, which has brought more than 29,000 students to campus to learn more about careers in STEM since it began in 2017. During the day, thousands of sixth graders are on campus participating in the event, where kids have fun with science. In the evening, there is a family night where they can learn and explore.
• San Jac recruiters are in high schools, at college fairs and recruiting events, and in community events in the district. Additionally, College employees and students are also volunteering at events such as school supply drives and STEM fairs and at Armand Bayou.

The address ended with the Chancellor thanking supporters for helping make the educational goals a reality for students at San Jacinto College and continuing to build on the support and momentum the College has made.

"As we move into the next year, we know that we need to continue to build on our successes, build on our outcomes, and build on how we serve our students, employees, and community," Hellyer said.

View photos from the 2022 State of the College here.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. San Jacinto College is among the top five community colleges in the nation, as designated by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence in 2021, and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. The College is a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, serving approximately 41,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. San Jacinto College's impact on the region totals $1.3 billion in added income, which supports 13,044 jobs. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor's and Moody's

For more information about San Jacinto College call 281-998-6150, visit sanjac.edu or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.