Breakout Sessions

Participants will receive the latest information and data about UC, CSU, and private transfer admissions programs/guarantees. Transfer opportunities, procedures, and requirements will be covered. Participants will leave this workshop equipped with tools to confidently advise students on transferring to their 4-year dream school from IVC. IVC is recognized as #1 in transfers in Orange County to every UC.

Presented by Tuan Nguyen, Transfer Center Coordinator/Counselor

This breakout guides participants through the college writing program at IVC, including tips for when to enroll, strategies for students to excel, and insights into how students can leverage their writing coursework to pursue academic research and conference opportunities that help build standout transfer applications. Our Writing Center is one of the only California Community College centers to be staffed entirely by faculty writing mentors.

Presented by Bill Etter, Professor of English, and Bahareh Alaei, Assistant Professor of English

Meet the dynamic faculty of IVC’s Languages Department, representing Chinese, French, Japanese, Sign Language, and Spanish programs. Our language courses are taught using a communicative approach, with instruction conducted primarily in the target language. In class, students are fully immersed through interactive activities that reinforce vocabulary and grammar, while also enjoying songs, games, and skits that make learning fun and memorable.

Presented by Joanne Chen, Professor of Chinese; Dr. Keith Gamache, Jr., Professor of American Sign Language (ASL); Beatrice Tseng, Professor of Spanish, Chair of Languages Department; Dr. Anca Popescu, Professor of French; Takeshi Takakura, Professor of Japanese; Karla Lemari, Professor of Spanish

This session will spotlight two different transfer pathway programs at IVC, the Teacher Preparation Pathway and the Health Sciences Pathway. Learn how IVC’s Teacher Preparation Pathway gives your students a clear, supported route into the teaching field. IVC’s Health Sciences Pathway offers a streamlined route into high-demand fields in health care. The session will also highlight IVC’s partnership with Western University of Health Sciences, which guarantees eligible students a seat in the PharmD program through the accelerated CCAPP pathway.

Presented by Shelby Clatterbuck, Child Development/Early Childhood Education Instructor, Human Development; Pierre Nguyen, Professor of Biology; and representatives from Western University of Health Sciences: Dr. Eric Gupta, Asst. Dean, College of Pharmacy and Jose Perez, Nursing and Pharmacy Program Recruiter.

This session will highlight the benefits of participating in this signature program, such as priority admission review and/or guaranteed admission at transfer institutions (including UCLA and UCI), Honors counseling, Honors scholarships, small seminar-style classes, and priority registration for classes. The presentation will also cover the Honors application process and priority registration deadline for Fall 2026 applicants.

Presented by Dr. Emily Liu, Honors Program Director, Professor of English

Participants will learn more about the IVC Dual Enrollment Program and how students can earn college credit, while still in high school, strengthening their future university admissions applications and accelerating progress toward associate and bachelor’s degrees. The session will explain available course options, the enrollment process, and introduce the new director of Dual Enrollment.

Presented by Dr. Ryan Cummins, Director of Dual Enrollment