The Mt. San Antonio College Podcast

Today our hosts Ivan Sanchez and Chisa Uyeki are joined by Dario Fernandez, director of the DREAM center at Mt San Antonio College to have this critical conversation. Dario shares with us the barriers faced by undocumented students and students in mixed-status families, as well as how recent federal and local policy changes have reshaped these barriers. We also explore how faculty and staff can st...

Everyone's story matters. In today's episode we listen in on documentary film Director and Producer Larissa Lam and Producer Baldwin Chiu in conversation with Mt. SAC students about the making of their film, Far East Deep South - Discover The Past You Never Knew. This film began as a search for one family's roots but became an exploration of a broader story about hidden histories of intersectional...

On behalf of the Mt. SAC Podcast team we want to take a moment to acknowledge the wildfires in Los Angeles County and their impact; the horrendous loss, the overwhelming grief, and the continued fear that we are living through. We know that so much has already been lost to so many. We offer our heartfelt solicitude and our hopes that you and yours are safe. We've gathered some information and reso...

All of us at the Mt. SAC Podcast - we wish you a very Happy Holidays! We're going to be taking a little break until January, but we have over 200 episodes for you to browse and catch up on over the break, including six great episodes from this past semester. Catch up on Season 9: Instructor Best Practices for Embedded Tutoring Episode 201 The Right To Read with Isabel Quintero, Banned-Book Author...

If you teach online, this episode is for you. You may have heard of RSI or Regular and Substantive Interaction and in today's episode, Mt. SAC Podcast cohost Ivan Sanchez will be talking with the two faculty who are serving as Mt. SAC's RSI coordinators, Sheila Wright from English Literature and Creative Writing and Jenny Gernhardt from Biology. They will discuss what regular and substantive inter...

What does it really mean to acknowledge the land? In this episode, we have an insightful conversation with Primavera Reza-Nakonechny, director of Mt. SAC's First Peoples' Native Center and a descendant of the Tarahumara or Raramuri people. They are joined by Alisa Chiula, a Mt SAC student of Pueblo descent. Our conversation is led by our host Chisa Uyeki, guiding us through a conversation on the i...

Have you explored Mt. SAC's First People's Native Center yet? Today, we are excited to bring you an in-depth conversation with two special guests: Primavera Reza-Nakonechny, the director of Mt. SAC's First People's Native Center and whose family is from the Tarahumara or Raramuri in the unceded lands of Chihuahua, Mexico, and Alisa Ciulla, a passionate second-year student at Mt. SAC who is a desce...

Each September 17th the Geography and Political Science Department hosts a campus-wide event to highlight Constitution Day. This year, a student and alumna of the Mt. SAC Forensic program debated on forced choice voting, and a panel of faculty presented on election-related topics including the current issues motivating the political party bases, political communication, the psychology of polarizat...

Have you read a banned book this month? The Mt Sac Library and Mt Sac Equity center partnered to host Banned Book Month to explore why access to books is a matter of equity and inclusion. In this episode, you'll hear from Career Education Librarian Monica Chavez speak about the reasons behind the numbers when it comes to book challenges and book bans. You'll also hear from Collection Development L...

To bring attention to book banning as an equity issue, the Mt. SAC Library and Mt. SAC Equity center collaborated to host Isabel Quintero, the author of Gabbi, A Girl In Pieces. Gabbi has been challenged and banned from libraries in the United States and in this episode, our host Chisa Uyeki and Isabel Quintero sit down for a conversation about Gabi and the power and healing effects of writing and...

Have you ever considered integrating a peer tutor into your classroom? In this episode you'll hear an abridged recap of the Workshop - Instructor Best Practices for Embedded Tutoring led by Learning Assistance Professor, Dianne Rowley. We'll learn data on the impact, the equity-focused philosophy of embedded peer tutoring, strategies for embedding support, and the faculty role. Mt. SAC Librarian M...

If you're looking for a dynamic space to share as a resource for your students - the brand new Mt. SAC Student Center is truly a hub for all activities - from quiet dedicated spaces for studying, or meditation or worship to a mother's lactation room to a bustling multicultural center, and places to grab a bite. ​​ Students share what they love about the new Student Center and staff members, Nancy...

Is there a secret to cultivating student success? In this episode we delve deep into the transformative power of the learning culture in higher education. Inspired Teaching Day keynote, Rafael Alvarez, SDCC Mesa Program Director, shares insights on fostering a mindset for learning, implementing strategies for success, and empowering students through the learning culture revolution. Join us as we e...

We are thrilled to have Nalleli Cobo, an award-winning environmental activist and Mount San Antonio College's keynote speaker for our 2024 Earth Week events. Growing up next to a toxic oil drilling site in South Los Angeles, Nalleli began her activism journey at just nine years old. Despite severe health impacts on her and her community, Nalleli's relentless efforts not only led to the shutdown of...

We're thrilled to sit down with Dr. Connie Gutierrez, our new Dean of Access and Wellness, who joined our community in January of 2024. Today, Connie shares her compelling personal journey, marked by her roots in community college that dramatically altered her family's course. From her mother's transformative experiences to her own unique path through higher education and various professional role...

Are you doing all you can to support the needs of your students in and beyond the classroom? In this inspiring episode, host Tania Anders leads a powerful conversation with a dynamic group of faculty and students who delve into the realities and stigmas surrounding the Access Program at Mt. SAC. Students, Jason Chico, Jesus Ramirez, Joshua Flores, and Becca Garcia bravely share their personal educ...

The conversation of Burnout continues as our host Tania Anders catches up with Chisa Uyeki, Collection Development Librarian Faculty of 17-years, to have a deeper discussion about her recent presentation from Spring Flex day 2024, on her findings regarding Burn-out during her sabbatical. We revisit the defining factors of Burnout from how it feels to how to recover and how we can take on the work...

What is burnout? What causes burnout? How can we recover from burnout? How can we take on the work of social and environmental justice and anti-racism in a sustainable manner that won't leave us burnt out? While most of us have, unfortunately, seen the impact of burnout on ourselves, colleagues, and students, we may not have a shared understanding of the root causes or how to address burnout, mana...

Welcome back to the Mt. SAC podcast, today we have a fun recap of the opening session highlights from 2024's Spring FLEX Day, so you can catch up easily or recap easily and stay in the know. Here is Shiloh Blacksher to kick us off! Run time: 20:52 min To find the full transcript for this episode, click HERE

What do students of color need? The work of addressing inequity consistently, the consistent challenging of ourselves and our colleagues, and the creation of programs, classrooms and environments that foster: belonging, validation, support networks and cultural affirmation. This quote is taken from this year's Fall Flex Day's keynote Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, which she shared during her presenta...

Today we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes, originally released on May 18th, 2021. You'll hear from Lance Heard and some amazing black student's personal success stories as well as their hurdles along the way that were captured during Black Student Success Week. If there is one takeaway, let it be the question "What can we all do to break down the barriers to black student success?" Reso...

Thomas Edison said "The value of an idea lies in the using of it". In this insightful episode, we sit down with Victor Zamora to explore his journey from a sales merchandiser to an influential educator and innovator in computer information systems at Mt. SAC. Victor shares his philosophy on the importance of human connections in education, the value of learning from failures, and how technology ha...

Introducing Mt. SAC's new president and CEO, Dr. Martha Garcia! In this episode our host Tania Anders, speaks with Dr. Martha Garcia to learn a little more about her vision. Dr. Garcia is the 10th President/CEO of Mt. San Antonio College, the first President of color for the College, as well as the second female President. Resources: Learn more about Dr. Garcia in Episode 184, LatinX Success: A Fa...

The Mt. SAC podcast will be taking a break along with you with new episodes coming your way mid January. We hope you've enjoyed this year's library of episodes and encourage you to catch up on the ones you may have missed! Mt. SAC has experienced some milestones this year like becoming the first AGZA Green Zone Certified Community College which you can learn more about in Episode 186 or learn more...

This episode features an interview with the soon to be retiring Director of Choral Activities, Bruce Rogers. Bruce directs Mt. San Antonio College's award-winning Chamber Singers and the elite vocal jazz ensemble, Singcopation. He was honored this year by the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) with their Lifetime Achievement Award. This episode also features a captured recording of Whi...