CSU Fresno, Fresno City College align AI-cyber pathways, $1M state grant
At a CSU Fresno event, Central Valley colleges and employers mapped coordinated courses and hiring ties in cybersecurity and AI, backed by new state funding.
CSU Fresno, Fresno City College align AI-cyber pathways, $1M state grant
Key Takeaways
- The Central San Joaquin Valley Cybersecurity Consortium met at CSU Fresno on Nov. 17, 2025.
- Assembly Bill 569 provides $1 million each to CSU Fresno and San Jose State, and $2 million to CSU San Bernardino.
- Fresno City College and CSU Fresno are coordinating courses, workshops, and employer panels in cybersecurity and AI.
- Professor Keith Clement said he filed a $710 million congressional authorization request for a CSU Fresno cyber campus.
- About 60% of attendees were students, with participants from Merced, Fowler, Reedley, and Sanger.
The university dining hall filled before 8 a.m., name tents lined across round tables and a half‑empty Diet Pepsi on the lectern. The Central San Joaquin Valley Cybersecurity Consortium used the room on Nov. 17, 2025, to pitch a simple promise to students: there’s a way into well‑paid cyber work from here.
That matters because Valley kids and transfer students often miss out on entry points into high‑demand tech jobs, and local employers say they can’t find enough trained people.
What the consortium is doing
The consortium grew from a Fresno City College and CSU Fresno partnership that pulled in faculty, industry, law enforcement, and public agencies. Verne Farley, the cybersecurity instructor at Fresno City College, put it this way: "The idea is to get schools, local businesses, local technology and government agencies altogether talking about cyber and AI." He said the two campuses now coordinate courses and workshops, and they mix students and faculty across sessions.
Timothy Woods, dean of business education at Fresno City College, said they hold quarterly FCC‑CSU Fresno meetings to keep employers in the room. "As educational institutions, we’re trying to be the ones that are bringing the industry to the workforce," he said. And students notice.
Where the money comes from
A recent change to the Education Code through Assembly Bill 569 set aside $1 million for CSU Fresno and $1 million for San Jose State to support a statewide cybersecurity pilot, with $2 million to CSU San Bernardino. The pilot links campuses working on cyber and AI workforce gaps. Woods argued that organizations unsure about AI are pressing for stronger security skills, which is driving demand on the hiring side.
CSU Fresno criminology professor Keith Clement told the room that about 60% of the attendees were students. He also said he submitted a $710 million congressional authorization request tied to a future cyber campus plan at CSU Fresno, which would build on a soft‑start in IT and cybersecurity education and continue joint work with Fresno City College on workforce training.
What this means for Valley students
For students coming out of Reedley High or Sanger Unified who head to Fresno City College, the pitch is clearer: start at FCC, pick up cyber and AI coursework that articulates with CSU Fresno, meet recruiters at employer panels, then transfer. It is not a new idea in higher‑ed, but the alignment helps when the first internship pays the rent.
Farley said students show because they can meet hiring managers face‑to‑face, and local firms come because they need people now. "The students show up because they meet industry people, and the industry people show up for the career fairs to hire students," he said.
Central Valley AI is produced by the CVAI Education Desk team and developed by Kaweah Tech, a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.