New for First-Year Students

San Bernardino Valley College is using Student Success funds from the state to develop a first-year experience program to successfully transition students from high school to their first year of college. As part of the new program, SBVC has hired its first-ever Director of First-Year Experience, Mr. Johnny J. Conley. Creating the new position, according to Vice President of Student Services Dr. Ricky Shabazz, was needed “…in order to increase persistence, that is, orienting first-year students to the college-going experience so that they accomplish their educational goals. Many of our students are the first generation in their family to attend college, which can easily turn into a confusing, daunting experience. College is very different from high school. It’s bigger, classes are spread out all over campus, there’s so much going on… it’s hard to stay grounded and keep to an academic schedule than it was in high school. There, things are more regimented, classes go from one period to the next, and students don’t need to think that much about what to do next. Conley comes to SBVC from Cal State Fresno, where he was an academic counselor. But he’s no stranger to the southland. Prior to his stint with Fresno State, he was a coordinator of student services for El Camino College, and prior to that, an academic counselor at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Conley has taught student development courses that focus on successfully transitioning new students into college. “I’m looking forward to working with the students at San Bernardino Valley College,” says Conley, “and helping them to first, formulate their academic goals, and then to stay engaged with the process, to persist through the challenges that arise and get where they want to go.”