Riverside City College Viewpoints

There are three decisions students should be aware of from the last Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees meeting before the fall 2026 semester begins. During the Aug. 18 meeting, the board discussed cuts to federal funding of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), a new certificate available from Riverside City College’s Advanced Technical Arts and Trades department and relaxed restrictions on Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).

Categories: August 22, 2026 California Community Colleges will now require future students to verify their identities prior to enrollment in order to qualify for registration. Implemented on Aug. 11, a link to ID.me and DMV Mobile Wallet has been added to the CCCApply, or application, website.

When we leave our houses to go to work or school– most of the time, both–where are our other options to go when we just want to relax? Why are our options in Riverside so limited? The term “third place” comes from sociologist Ray Oldenburg, which he discussed in his book “The Great Good Place.” He explained how most of us have our “first place,” which is our homes and the “second place,” our work or school environments.

After years of discussion and controversy, Riverside has officially decided to host regulated cannabis dispensaries inside the city limits. Following the passing of Prop 64 in 2016, Riverside officials took a strict stance on marijuana, only allowing delivery services from neighboring cities. However, in March of 2023, a major shift occurred when city council voted 5-2 in favor of cannabis sales, and dispensaries within Riverside.

After a failed impeachment attempt while serving as vice president for Associated Students of Riverside City College, Latiesha Williams now takes the helm as president. Williams and her running mate Aleida Hill won the majority by 71% in the election for the 2026-2027 school year. Megan Bottoms, ASRCC advisor, announced the election results in an email to Viewpoints on May 26.

Navigating the academic system has become a puzzle that requires several participants to complete from beginning to end. Students are blinded by the impending list of tasks to finish before stepping foot onto campus. For many, knowing where to begin is just as difficult as completing the list. The first step to becoming organized is to seek guidance, yet it seems that counseling appointments are a rarity.

Former Riverside City College baseball player Grant Gray’s path to professional baseball didn’t end when he went undrafted in the 2026 MLB amateur draft. Instead, he found another opportunity to go pro. Gray signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent after not hearing his name called during the draft. He joined the organization following a stint with the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League. Gray officially signed with the Cubs on July 24, following his time with the Thunder.

Categories: August 18, 2026 As a long time fan of social media and creative content, I’ve grown affection towards young adult led press and what comes from being able to build your own platform. Not only does this digital age revive artistic storytelling through accessible film and editing softwares, but it also challenges the idea that our favorite celebrities are so far away from us and untouchable.

As the warm summer weather cools down, the fall semester heats up with assignments and lots of procrastinating. Students can feel overwhelmed with the workload instructors give them and cause them to stress out, especially if they don’t have a space that is strictly for studying. Luckily for incoming Riverside City College students, RCC and the entire downtown Riverside area has some relaxing and chill spots for students to wind down to do their homework.

The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees reviewed the proposed Advanced Technology Project during a meeting on Aug. 4. The project is set to reshape the Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities at Riverside City College. The project is aimed to give updated and proper resources to the automotive, HVAC and welding programs. The project has pulled together a planning committee that includes RCC CTE instructors along with other administrators.