Caring Campus

Cerritos College is a Caring Campus
and a premier Service Excellence Institution





What does it mean to be a Caring Campus? 

It means at Cerritos College – we put students first. We adopted The Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC)’s Caring Campus model showing students who feel more connected to their campus are more likely to stay and complete their academic goals. 

Our whole campus community is rooting for you! We are focused on helping students have meaningful connections with our staff and faculty. So, every time you come across staff on campus or virtually, we want you to have a great experience, whether that is having your questions answered or finding the location to your class. We want you feel empowered for your success.

ACTS OF CARE
(Behavioral Commitments)

Make it Personal – Take personal responsibility for every student, regardless of your area of responsibility.  

Keep it Warm – Engage in warm handoffs to other departments every time you encounter a student

Stay Connected – Tell the student your name and encourage them to share theirs every time

CULTURE OF CARE
(Service Excellence Values)


At Cerritos College, we have cultivated a culture of care through our Service Excellence values: being  welcoming, knowledgeable, empathetic, efficient, and responsive during every student interaction. Our goal is to deliver a positive and memorable experience every time for our diverse students and campus community.

Top Three Traditional & Virtual Commitments

Traditional Virtual
Take personal responsibility for the student, regardless of your area of responsibility Learn about other departments
Engage in warm handoffs to other departments, walk the student if you can Personally engage the student with online resources to be sure they access the information available to them
Approach students on campus, introduce yourself, and walk them where they need to go (10 foot rule) Create online virtual community-building events

Our Process: Cultivating a Caring Campus

In August 2020, our management team attended a Caring Campus Leadership Kickoff event facilitated by the Institute of Evidence-Based Change (IEBC). At the kickoff, the team learned about the positive impacts and benefits to students that are supported by Caring Campus principles.

Throughout the fall semester, IEBC worked directly with a core group of staff to identify campus behavioral commitments. The team led the development of these commitments, which developed to promote and increase meaningful connections with students and enhance the service excellence culture at Cerritos College.

During the spring 2021 semester, a Caring Campus Workgroup was formed to identify specific behavioral commitments. The workgroup is currently focused on the following projects:

  • Caring Campus Outreach – identify methods for promoting Cerritos College as a Caring Campus.
  • “Did you know?” Video Series – six video snippets showcasing students answering some of the most pivotal questions about Cerritos College.
  • Functional Resource Directory – a functional resource directory to provide campus employees with an easy resource to understand the functions of campus departments, including program contact information.
  • Top 5 FAQ – a database of the top-5 frequently asked questions and answers per each department to make answering students’ questions easier.
  • Service Excellence Professional Development – professional development opportunities that promote the Caring Campus behavioral commitments.

Caring Campus Development Team

  • Alva Acosta
  • Amber Dofner
  • America Amador
  • Anna Fischer
  • Carmen Lizarraga
  • Cheryl Thury
  • Daniel De Avila
  • Isabel Aguilar
  • Jan Senf
  • Jeanne Harmon
  • Jessica Munoz
  • John Echevarria
  • Kelly Rios
  • Kevin Butler
  • Lizette Gonzalez
  • Maria Isai
  • Marilu Garcia
  • Michael Meadors
  • Monica Acuna
  • Monica Cordova
  • Monique Rodriguez
  • Nancy Molina
  • Nora Laredo
  • Paul Bleak
  • Ramona Mellgoza
  • Rebecca Pang
  • Regina Ybanez
  • Robin Taylor
  • Rose Vasquez
  • Sara Chavez
  • Sharon Plump
  • Shirley Arceo
  • Tischel Diaz
  • Veronica Elias
  • Zoey Leon

Caring Campus Work Groups

Slogan Development and Promotion 

Miya Walker
Cheryl Thury
Dilcie Perez

Top-5 Resources

Nick Real
Alva Acosta
Rachel Mason
Michael Meadors
Robin Taylor

Functional Area Directory

Paul Bleak
Patricia Robbins Smith
Debra Ward
Don Mueller
Norma Rodriguez

Video Snippets

Sara Chavez
Miya Walker
Kelly Rios