NEWS RELEASE

April 30, 2015

CONTACT:

Jack Beresford
jberesford@sdccd.edu
619-388-6540
@SDJackB

New President Named at San Diego Continuing Education

San Diego Continuing Education has a new president: Dr. Carlos O. Turner Cortez, a longtime
educational leader with a strong commitment to social justice and a legacy of success from New
York to California.
Dr. Cortez comes to Continuing Education from Berkeley City College (BCC), where he has
served as Acting Vice President of Instruction and Dean of Academic Pathways, Workforce
Development, and Student Success.

Dr. Cortez is a remarkable person, said San Diego Community College District (SDCCD)
Chancellor Constance M. Carroll. As an experienced educational leader, he combines academic
interests, innovation, research, and effective management with a respect for faculty and staff and
a deep and compassionate commitment to students. I am looking forward to working with him.
SDCCD Board of Trustees President Dr. Maria Nieto Senour agreed, adding, His commitment
to diversity is also a great strength. The Board of Trustees welcomes Dr. Cortez and looks
forward to his joining our leadership team.
Dr. Cortez will assume leadership of San Diego Continuing Education, which serves 45,000
students per semester at seven campuses and many community locations. Continuing Education
plays a vital workforce development role in the region and offers an array of programs ranging
from citizenship courses to welding classes. It is one of the oldest and largest noncredit
institutions in the nation, serving San Diego since 1914, and its students are among the most
diverse in California culturally, ethnically, and educationally. It also offers the high school
diploma and GED in conjunction with the San Diego Unified School District. The Continuing
Education division was recently lauded by the California Little Hoover Commission for its
organization, practices, and success, and is being used as a statewide model.
In addition to his position at BCC, Dr. Cortez also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the
Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, where he has worked in
various capacities since 2001. His research interests center on the role of educators and
administrators of color in the historical development of American social welfare and education
policy. He is also an expert in the area of promoting equity and access in urban education

through literacy and policy initiatives. Before BCC, he served as Director of Education
Extension at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Prior to UCLA, he worked in
education at the P-12 level as a teacher, administrator, and researcher.
I am honored by the remarkable opportunity to serve as the new president of Continuing
Education, said Dr. Cortez. Throughout my lifetime, I have focused my personal, academic,
and professional efforts on closing equity gaps for underserved populations. I believe that these
collective experiences will lend themselves to this next challenge. The San Diego Community
College District has long demonstrated academic excellence and a commitment to supporting the
academic success of all students. I am honored to join the SDCCD family and grateful for this
opportunity.
Dr. Cortezs educational background includes a bachelors degree in History and Sociology from
Georgetown University; a masters degree in Race and Gender Politics from New York
University; and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Southern
California.
The presidency of Continuing Education opened up last summer when its former president, Dr.
Anthony Beebe, was named president of San Diego City College. Rudy Kastelic has served as
interim president since August 1.
Dr. Cortez appointment is scheduled to be ratified at the May 14 Board of Trustees meeting. He
will begin his new role July 1.
As the second-largest of Californias 72 community college districts, the San Diego Community
College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges
and San Diego Continuing Education. The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego
Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in
occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level
jobs. Beginning fall 2015, Mesa College will also offer baccalaureate degrees in the field of
Health Information Management.
San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) is the adult education division of the San Diego
Community College District (SDCCD). SDCE was one of the first continuing education
institutions in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges. Nearly 45,000 students are served per academic year at
seven campuses in San Diego. Noncredit classes are available at no cost, including online
options. Short-term job training programs are offered for numerous industries including:
Automotive Technician, Child Development, Culinary Arts, Nursing Assistant training,
Professional Bakeshop Skills, and Plumbing. Classes are free because San Diego Continuing
Education is part of the California system of higher education. Funding also comes through
business and industry partnerships. Learn more at www.sdce.edu
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