Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does the
Consortium do?
A: The Consortium
provides services and
assistance to community
colleges faculty, staff
and administrators in
the Inland Empire. It
provides support to
individual colleges to
design programs and
courses that will be
used region-wide to meet
student needs for
workforce competence and
advancement. The
Consortium strives to
strengthen leadership
and communication across
colleges and public and
private partners. It
also provides
professional development
opportunities,
disseminates best
practices, and increases
the visibility of
vocational and technical
education, and economic
development
opportunities throughout
the region.
Q: Can other Colleges
become members?
A: No, regions were
defined by the
California Community
Colleges Chancellor’s
Office. The Desert
Consortium comprises the
11 colleges listed on
this website. Other
colleges in California
are served by their own
regional consortium.
Q: I am not in the
Inland Empire; how can I
find out how to contact
the Consortium serving
my region?
A: They are listed at: http://cccaoe.org/consortia.html
Q: Who leads the
Consortium?
A: Riverside Community
College District was
awarded the leadership
grant and the
administration of the
Consortium through a
competitive process. The
project coordinator is
Julie Pehkonen. She can
be reached at (951)
222-8026 or
julie.pehkonen@rcc.edu
Q: What happens at
Regional Consortium’s
meetings and should I
attend?
A: Three groups meet
separately at 8:30 AM:
(1) Regional Occupation
Deans, (2) CalWORKs
administrators and
staff, and (3) Economic
and Workforce
Development
professionals (including
Contract Education
Practitioners and
Initiative Center
Directors). They then
meet all together from
10:00 AM to 2:30 PM.
Meeting minutes and
agendas are available on
this website. If you
would like to attend,
talk to your college’s
representative listed in
the “Consortium Members”
section.
Q: Where can I find
Consortium meeting
minutes and agendas?
A: They are available in
the “Download” section
of this website.
Q: Where can I find
information on the
program approval
process?
A: Information is posted
in the “Download”
section of this website.