About President Olivo
Dr. Cynthia Olivo, an established leader in higher education, began serving as the 12th president of Fullerton College in January 2023.
Dr. Olivo’s career spans nearly three decades, serving as a champion for equity, inclusion and academic excellence for students. Her time in educational leadership is marked by a student-centered philosophy that aligns with Fullerton College’s mission to empower students to achieve their educational goals.
Dr. Olivo personally identifies with the challenges faced by Fullerton College students and the broader community. Her personal history as the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers, the daughter of a single mother, a first-generation college student and third-generation Chicana, deeply inform her empathetic and equity-driven approach to leadership in higher education.
Previously, Dr. Olivo served as the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Student Services at Pasadena City College, which serves 30,000 students. There she also served as the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Counseling and Student Success Services. At California State University, San Bernardino she served as Associate Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment.
Dr. Olivo’s influence extends beyond Fullerton College, serving as: the President of the Chief Student Services Officer Association; the President of the California Community College Organizacion de Latinx Guidance, Empowerment & Advocacy for Success (COLEGAS); and as a founding member of The Coalition, an organization that includes African American Male Education Network and Development (A²MEND) and Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE). She has also served on the Jobs for the Future Policy & Leadership Trust in Washington D.C. and on the Executive Board for National Community College Hispanic Council.
Dr. Olivo’s academic credentials include a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in urban leadership from Claremont Graduate University, as well as a Master of Science in counseling and guidance and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino.
How to meet with the president
Dr. Olivo encourages open communication and invites you to share information, seek clarity or express your thoughts through various opportunities to meet with the president.
Meet the Staff
Nitzya Hamblet
Administrative Assistant III
Phone: 714-732-5051
Email: nhamblet@fullcoll.edu
Patricia Sanchez
Administrative Assistant II
Phone: 714-732-5050
Email: psanchez@fullcoll.edu
President’s Goals
Promote and Enhance the Fullerton College Experience
- Foster and strengthen a campus culture that is radically student-centered
- Work as a campus to provide a just, equitable, inclusive educational experience
- Implement the Anaheim Pledge and develop the Fullerton Education Partnership
- Promote a campus climate of respect, civility and kindness
- Support the leadership development of students, faculty and staff
Increase Student Success and Student Equity
- Make progress each year towards eliminating the achievement gap
- Increase the college-wide rates for transfer, associate degree and certificate completion
- Work as a campus community to be the top community college in transfer and educational goal completion
Strengthen Planning, Resource Development and Allocation
- Develop, complete and implement a campus Guided Pathways plan
- Complete accreditation 18 month follow-up report and maintain our successful accreditation status
- Develop and implement strategies to strengthen our organizational structure
- Work with our campus to set and achieve appropriate FTES targets in accordance with district-wide planning and available resources
- Support the growth and fiscal viability of the Fullerton College Foundation
- Make timely progress on planning and construction objectives per our Campus Facilities Master Plan
- Complete the Sherbeck Field environment impact review process with campus and community input
Foster Collaboration and Partnerships
- Develop and strengthen processes and infrastructure for dual enrollment, the Anaheim Pledge and Guided Pathways
- Promote innovation and continuous improvement in our planning and governance structures to support student learning and support
- Strengthen partnerships with business and community to promote a strong workforce and successful career outcomes for our students
Core Values
Access
Diversity – We embrace diversity in our community and work to build on the strengths and opportunities it brings. We recognize that diversity is intersectional with multiple dimensions.
Equity – We commit to equity for all we serve by eliminating injustices and barriers to students’ educational and career goals.
Inclusivity – We design our planning and decision-making processes to include all stakeholders
Antiracism – We recognize that institutional barriers based on perceived racial categories were erected over centuries and we commit to identifying and dismantling them.
Community
Belonging – We promote belonging and connection that fosters the well-being of those on our campus and surrounding areas.
Responsibility – We accept our responsibility for the betterment of the world by identifying opportunities for leading our community to respond to local issues.
Respect – We support an environment of mutual respect.
Compassion – We attend to our students as whole people, identifying their changing needs personally, academically, and professionally. We adapt the institution in response to our shared understanding of who our students are and what they need.
Learning
Growth – We create an environment where personal and professional growth is expected, supported, and rewarded for all members of our community.
Intellectual Curiosity – We encourage each other to ask questions that drive further inquiry, research, and experimentation.
Excellence – We hold ourselves accountable to high standards.
Statement of Ethics
As representatives of Fullerton College, we all share the responsibility to conduct ourselves with integrity, and to act in a fair, consistent, and equitable manner. We recognize the need for openness and reliability in what we say and do. We are committed to addressing issues in a forthright and professional manner, and to engaging people without prejudice. As members of an educational community, we are committed to excellence in all that we do, and to adhering to the principles of ethical behavior established in this statement.
The conduct of each member of Fullerton College is expected to be consistent with and to comply with the principles contained in this statement. All members of the campus community are expected to engage in the following:
- Trustworthy conduct — including dependability, loyalty, and honesty in communications and actions.
- Respectful behavior — treating everyone with civility, courtesy, tolerance, and acceptance, and recognizing the worth, dignity and unique characteristics of each individual.
- Accountability — taking personal responsibility for one’s own actions and decisions.
- Fair and just actions — utilizing equitable processes in decision making.
- Compassion — caring for others, both within and apart from the campus community, and providing services to others in a manner that reflects our commitment to them and to their well being.