COSTA MESA : Educators Forge U.S.-Mexican Link

Coast Community College District Chancellor Alfred P. Fernandez signed a “binational” agreement with Mexican education officials on Thursday to foster an exchange of educational and economic information between colleges in the two countries.

The agreement was signed during a formal, one-hour ceremony attended by several of the college district’s trustees as well as staff members representing some local members of the state Legislature.

With the signing, the college district becomes a member of the International Consortium for Educational and Economic Development, which includes 15 community colleges in the Southwestern United States.

This group will work with Mexico’s Colegio Nacional de Education Professional Technica, which ministers to 250 technical colleges in that country.

Representatives of both nations said their new endeavor is a direct result of the proposed United States-Mexico Free Trade Agreement.

Fernandez said the educational link between the two countries will not only give students on both sides of the border an opportunity for a more interesting education but will also help to create jobs.

“Community colleges view themselves as the trainers of America’s work force,” Fernandez said. “The consortium will serve as the education and training arm to assist businesses on both sides of the border in developing the work force needed to support free trade between the United States and Mexico.”

The groups will also concentrate on faculty exchanges in English and Spanish, student exchanges, teacher training, science and mathematics education, migrant education, literacy, dropout prevention and educational technology.

“This joint effort will allow us to open up to our students a very broad level of opportunity,” said Diodoro Guerra Rodriguez, director of the Mexican colleges. “Without a doubt, the graduates of both institutions will acquire the level of education required to move into the labor market with a high level of efficiency and productivity.”

Fernandez, who has been district chancellor since 1988, has been elected to serve as president of the consortium of the American colleges. He said the district was chosen to participate in the collaboration because of its extensive involvement in international and intercultural education.

Coast Community College District, which is made up of Golden West, Orange Coast and Coastline community colleges, has an enrollment of 54,695 students.