Add writing a book to Professor Michael Harrison’s impressive list of activities and interests. Most people at Mesa College know him as a Spanish Professor, a member of the LGBTQ+ Task Force, the Co-Advisor for the Mesa Gender-Sexuality Alliance and even as a tenor with the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus. In his “spare time” though, he is a comic book fan. Really. Since forever. And, he loves superheroes in comics. And Comic-Con. Just ask him. His face will light up.

Even though the semester is well underway, prospective students can still enroll for open “short-term” classes this fall Mesa College, most of which start on October 12. Seats are still available in over 40 classes, all of which are on-line. Short-term classes are 8-weeks, and designed so that students can earn units more quickly. Students are encouraged to enroll and register as soon as possible. Courses still available include Accounting, Computer Business Technology, Chicano Studies, Exercise Science, Fashion, Health, Nutrition, Multimedia and Philosophy, many of which can fulfill general or specific education requirements for students looking to both earn a degree or transfer.

Due to continuity of instruction and rigorous adherence to guidelines and safety practices, 100% of Mesa College’s 2020 graduating Dental students who were seeking employment, were able to get hired this past summer, despite the global pandemic. Even though Mesa’s Dental Assisting students were not allowed to return to campus until June 22, 2020, during that time frame, the Dental Assisting faculty continued to engage and instruct students in their laboratory courses, remotely, through videos, virtual simulations, case studies role playing and discussions.

Mesa College Alumna, Rose Servida, who earned two degrees during her time at Mesa College, including a Bachelor’s degree, had her senior project article, recently published in the California Health Information Association’s (CHIA) Journal for their July-August 2020 “Focus on Education” issue. The industry journal publishes articles regarding current issues and best practices in Health Information management (HIM), on a variety of timely educational topics, and can include tips, strategies, techniques, case-studies, opinions and commentary.

Today, San Diego Mesa College announced the renaming of their Humanities Institute to the Dr. Constance M. Carroll Humanities Institute. The Institute, which was originally established in 1990, was generously supported by Dr. Carroll upon her appointment as President of Mesa College in 1993, and has continued to be in the forefront of her work during her tenure with the San Diego Community College District.

On July 23, 2020, San Diego Mesa College’s Teacher Education Pathways Program was honored with a League for Innovation’s 2019-2020 Innovation of the Year Award. The Mesa Teacher Education Program (Program) and the recognition via this award, positions Mesa as one of the premiere colleges for aspiring teachers, and prepares the next generation of educators to bring necessary racial and gender diversity to the current teacher work force. The Program was awarded, in part, not only because of the focus on diversity, but because it also offers free tutoring, smaller classes, stipends and a direct path to earning a Bachelor’s degree - all to help ensure student success.

Mesa College still has classes available this Fall, and is also providing supplies, kits and equipment for nearly 20 academic programs to ensure that students succeed. Students taking science courses such as Biology and Zoology will have access to take-home microscopes and dissection kits, sewing machines are available for fashion classes, culinary will supply pots and pans, music students can receive guitars and keyboards, art classes will be offering pottery wheels and clay, and geology students can get rock and mineral reference sets.

Each year, the League for Innovation in the Community College hosts the Student Literary Award competition, showcasing some of the best original poetry, fiction, drama, and personal essays composed by community college students from its 19 board member colleges. For the second year in a row, the San Diego Community College District has a national winner – Troy Bernardo – a Mesa College student whose One-Act Play entitled Three River Thieves has garnered him the first-place prize for a literary drama