News Stories

Crafton Hills College proudly hosted a weeklong celebration to recognize and honor veterans.

Crafton's First-Generation College Day Resource Fair hosted by the EOPS Department was held on Thursday, November 6, 2025, bringing together over 350 students to celebrate and recognize the achievements of first-generation college students.

Crafton Hills College’s Cross Country Team is making huge strides one race at a time. Just four years after the program’s inception, its men’s team and runner Elizabeth Garcia are heading to Southern California regionals in San Diego on Nov. 7.

On November 5, residents from Plymouth Village visited Crafton Hills College for an engaging and informative tour of the Public Safety and Allied Health (PSAH) Building.

When Crafton Hills College alumna-Meredith Hamlett-was in high school, she never imagined that she would graduate with a master’s degree, a teaching credential, and a classroom of her own. “When I think about where I am now, I know I would not have made it here without Crafton Hills College,” Hamlett said. “Crafton carried me through the beginning of my educational journey and gave me the foundation to keep moving forward.”

Crafton Hills College’s Fall 2025 Club Rush brought food, fun, and plenty of “spooky season spirit” to campus on Wednesday, October 30.

Crafton Hills College hosted the Hello Major, Hello Career Fair on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in the Main Quad.

A grand slam of generosity resulted in $259,000 in support of the Crafton Hills College Foundation during the nonprofit’s annual fundraising gala on Oct. 16.

Crafton Hills College hosted a series of vibrant events that brought students, faculty, and staff together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. From September 15 to October 15, the United States honors the contributions of people whose forbearers came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Crafton Hills College's Outreach and Public Safety departments collaboratively hosted Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

As part of Undocumented Student Week of Action, Crafton Hills College hosted an Undocumented Resource Fair on Tuesday, October 14.

For Nicholas Delgado, a chance stop at Crafton Hills College’s Career Center led him to the Most Magical Place on Earth—The Walt Disney World Resort.

On October 11, more than 60 members of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) gathered at Crafton Hills College for the annual Reciprocity event, hosted in the Fire Academy Bay.

On Friday, October 10, 2025, Crafton Hills College’s Outreach Department hosted Yucaipa High School's Health and Biomedical Science Academy

Walk into Dr. Diane Pfahler’s classroom on day one, and you get her approach fast. Real life comes first, theory follows, and humor keeps everyone awake. She opens by claiming that psychology studies everything you do, think, and feel, then she proves it with irresistible hooks. One favorite example is the late-arrival pop quiz about which color cars are getting the most speeding tickets around town and why that matters. Psychologists do not just theorize. They predict, test, and apply.

Crafton Hills College has selected internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Stephen Prutsman as its 2025 Outstanding Alumnus. Prutsman attended Crafton in 1981, taking general education courses before transferring on to continue his studies. After Crafton, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, and later earned a master’s degree and an artist diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Each sporting event calls for three things: athleticism, a bit of drama, and plenty of (friendly) smack talk. All three were on display during the second annual San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) Employee Olympics, a competition where faculty and staff from Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Valley College and the District Office are invited to come together to compete, share laughs, form friendships and celebrate what makes the district special—its people.

On September 23, the Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) Department at Crafton Hills College hosted Little Hands, Big Creations, a family-friendly arts and crafts event open to the entire campus. In recognition of September as National Student Parent Appreciation Month, the EOPS Department invited families to enjoy a free meal, listen to fun music, and get creative together.

On Friday, September 19, Crafton Hills College (CHC) and the San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) proudly celebrated the grand opening of the new Finkelstein Performing Arts Center (PAC). The state-of-the-art, 24,000-square-foot facility replaces the original Finkelstein Performing Arts Center, which had housed the College’s theatre arts and music programs since 1978.

Crafton Hills College’s new Multi-Cultural Center, a renovation and re-purposing of the second floor of the old Student Services Building, was opened on Thursday, Sept 18 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that brought together faculty, staff, and students to celebrate the purpose of this space: to be a place on campus where everyone feels at home and where their cultural identities are valued, amplifying student voices and building a stronger campus community.

Each year, the One Book/One College program invites students, faculty, staff, and administrators to gather around a shared text that sparks dialogue, creativity, and community. The goal is simple yet powerful: to unite the campus through the exploration of equity, inclusion, and the human experience.

At Crafton Hills College, what was once old is new again—thanks to the generosity and enduring commitment of Barbara L. Smith. During a special Preview Party and Naming Ceremony on September 12, the Yucaipa-based college officially renamed the building formerly known as Crafton Hall in honor of Smith, a longtime volunteer, donor, and friend of the college.

The Crafton Hills College (CHC) Counseling Department has been recognized by California’s Career Ladders Project (CLP), an organization that partners with colleges “to discover, develop, and disseminate effective practices… [that] enable more students to attain certificates, degrees, transfers, and career advancement” (Career Ladders Project website).

Crafton Hills College Interim Associate Dean of Public Safety and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic Program Director Amanda Ward has been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the California Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Commission, which makes recommendations to the state on EMS system standards and policy. The announcement was made by the Governor's Office on Sept. 11.