Victor Valley College (VVC) has experienced a transformation by weaving Caring Campus principles and strategies across its campus, impacting the college’s culture, enrollment, and community engagement.
“Caring Campus has helped to redefine what it means to be a part of Victor Valley College,” President Dr. Dan Walden said. “Our culture has really come alive and can be seen everywhere. Our campus is extremely vibrant, and faculty, staff, students, and community members can feel that difference.”
The results of VVC’s cultural shift are especially evident in the college’s enrollment growth. VVC has rebounded from a 20% drop during the COVID-19 pandemic to a 50% enrollment increase over the past two years. Dr. Walden cites Caring Campus as a contributing factor to this increase.
“The culture of our college has shifted to one where people go out of their way for others,” Dr. Walden said. “We don’t want students chasing us down for help; we want to meet them at the door and ask how we can help.”
One strategy VVC has implemented is its Connect2Success call center, which provides students, employees, and community members with a direct line to find an answer to their questions.
VVC is also proud of its on-campus Engagement Centers, which offer events, guest speakers, and support for students.
“We had a student come into our STEM Engagement Center who was initially enrolled in just one math class and was quite nervous about his performance,” VVC Vice President of Instruction Todd Scott said. “After a conversation with our supportive staff, he felt encouraged to take on a full course load and he ended up becoming a 4.0 engineering student. That staff member’s encouragement and belief in him made all the difference in his success.”
VVC’s overall culture is encapsulated by a story in which the campus community, including maintenance staff, other employees, and students, came together to free a goose entangled in fishing line. Such acts of kindness demonstrate the collective commitment to helping one another, ensuring that no one—whether a student or a creature in need—is left without support.
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