Mariah Jameson, a policy staffer for the county board of supervisors, is running for the District D seat on the San Diego Community College District board of trustees. The San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates running in community college districts around San Diego County about their policies, plans and priorities. Here’s what Jameson told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? I am running for the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees because I believe its crucial to enhance student representation and ensure their voices are heard and valued. As an alumnus of the district, I bring firsthand experience of some of the challenges students face and a deep understanding of their needs, which are often overlooked. What makes me a strong candidate is my background in social work, which has taught me the value of having a holistic perspective. I understand the importance of addressing issues comprehensively and considering all aspects of students’ experiences to create effective and inclusive solutions. What is the most important issue currently facing your community college district? The most important issue that the district is currently facing is funding. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on funding due to reduced enrollment, state budget cuts and an increase in expenses. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Three specific things I would like to accomplish while on board are: Expand housing opportunities, developing and implementing plans to increase housing options for both students and employees across the district, ensuring that everyone has access to affordable and convenient living arrangements. Enhance enrollment and student success rates across the district — I want to establish innovative strategies to boost enrollment numbers and improve student success rates, focusing on supportive programs and resources that facilitate academic achievement and retention. Create and expand diverse educational opportunities, including new programs and educational pathways, for example apprenticeship programs, to meet the evolving needs and interests of the community for current students and incoming students. What would your approach be to budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? My approach to budgeting and spending would be both strategic and responsive. I would want to ensure that all budgeting decisions are aligned with the goal of enhancing student success and promoting equity. I would like to allocate resources to programs and initiatives that directly impact student achievement, access and support. I would focus on long-term sustainability, balancing immediate needs with long-term financial health. And because data is vital to me, I would implement data-driven decision-making, using data and evidence to guide budgeting decisions. If the district had a budget shortfall, it is important to assess and analyze the situation by reviewing the financial reports and identifying the contributing factors, then engage stakeholders and if possible involve the community by engaging the students, faculty and staff to consider their perspectives and needs. (This would result) in the development of a strategic plan that balances short-term relief with long-term sustainability. What would you do to make community college more affordable and accessible? To make community college more affordable and more accessible, I would implement a range of strategies focused on reducing costs, increasing support and expanding opportunities. For example, (in addition to) implementing tuition-free programs, freezing or lowering costs on textbooks and/or other essential services, I would also strengthen community partnerships by creating and increasing job placement programs with apprenticeships and internships. Increase outreach services by hosting more community events throughout the district that provide information about enrollment, financial aid and the various programs offered. I think it is also important to foster inclusive practices specifically supporting underserved populations. How should your community college district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? Raising student academic achievement in a community college involves a multifaceted approach that addresses educational quality, support services and student engagement. To enhance educational quality, support faculty development by advocating for funding and resources dedicated to faculty training and curriculum development. To improve student support services, expand academic advising and increase mentoring and tutoring by promoting partnerships with local businesses and organizations to establish mentoring programs, and supporting the allocation of funds and resources to expand academic support services. I have previously mentioned data is very important to me, so I would track student performance and assess the effectiveness of the implementations. In doing so, it encourages a culture of continues improvement based on data-driven insights. Why do you think more students are not transferring to four-year colleges or completing a degree/program? What, if anything, do you think should be done to address that issue? In my opinion, there are several factors that can contribute to the challenges students face in transferring to four-year colleges or completing their degree/programs. The most common barriers are financial and lack of academic preparation; this often comes with transfer credit complications. There is a possibility of personal and life circumstances; many students must maintain full-time employment while in school, and some are also full-time caregivers to a loved one. There are also the factors of insufficient academic advising and having limited support as a student. To address these issues, I think it’s important to strengthen preparatory programs. Develop programs that support and bridge courses to better (prepare) students for transfer-level coursework, and implement success programs by developing programs that provide holistic support, including workshops on time management, study skills and stress management. Lastly, mentorship fosters community and institutional support. No student can make it without support. Do you think anything currently offered in community college district curricula, libraries or programming should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? No, I do not think anything currently offered in the community college district curricula, libraries or programming should be removed, because I believe students should have access to and be exposed to anything that will elevate their educational experience and provide them with unlimited tools and knowledge of history.