Mark Fields
Community College Faculty Preparation Certificate Program
As a young officer with the California Highway Patrol, Mark
Fields got some useful advice from his sergeant, to prepare
a “back-up” in case an injury sidelined his career.
Fortunately, that never happened and Lieutenant Fields
spent nearly 30 years with the CHP before retiring.
But he still prepared for “that second career - just in
case,” he said.
“I always wanted to be a community college instructor but
didn’t know the pathway to get there,” said Mark, who had
trained police supervisors. He went through CCE’s Community College
Faculty Preparation (CCFP) certificate program, classes
which were “absolutely critical,” he explained, in
transitioning from law enforcement to higher education.
“The curriculum of the CCFP prepared me for teaching at a
community college,” he said, “to understand the diversity of
students, how to structure lessons and handle
classroom management.” He learned to prepare a teaching
demonstration and networking with faculty led to his first
job interview.
“Education is my encore career.”
Mark started as a part-time instructor at Folsom Lake
College, then became a professor teaching administration of
justice at El Camino College in Torrance. “Higher education
is my encore career,” said Mark, who’s thriving in
retirement.
Then, realizing he wanted to make an even “greater impact on
student success,” Mark earned his doctorate in educational
leadership. And like his law enforcement days, he
moved up the ranks. Today, he’s a community
college dean at Laney College in Oakland.