Joseph Williams Reappointed to California Community Colleges Board, Prioritizes Housing, AI and Affordability

Joseph Williams said reducing student costs, expanding housing and preparing students to shape artificial intelligence will be central to his next term on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors following his reappointment by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Williams, a Rialto resident and longtime Inland Empire education and workforce leader, has served on the statewide board since 2020. His reappointment requires Senate confirmation and carries compensation of $100 per diem.

On July 14th, Williams told IECN his priorities are rooted in Vision 2030, the California Community Colleges system’s strategic plan. He said the work ahead must focus on affordability, housing and ensuring students are not left behind as AI reshapes education and the workforce.

At the center of his affordability agenda is what he described as “burden-free instructional materials,” including efforts to make required course materials available on the first day of class.

Williams said he helped champion a change to Title 5 regulations that gave colleges 120 days to implement policies aimed at improving access to instructional materials. He said delayed access can put students at an immediate disadvantage, especially when they are balancing rent and other household expenses.

“When students do not receive their textbooks until two weeks into class because they are deciding whether to pay rent or buy a book, it affects their ability to keep up,” Williams said.

He plans to monitor how colleges carry out the requirements and work with the Chancellor’s Office to measure whether districts are implementing the policy consistently.

Artificial intelligence is another major focus. Williams said colleges must move beyond conversations centered almost entirely on cheating or misuse and instead prepare students to take active roles in developing, programming and governing the technology.

“We have to move beyond students simply being consumers of AI,” Williams said. “They should also have opportunities to become owners, programmers and decision-makers in how the technology is used.”

He said colleges should expand technical training, including Python and other skills used to program large language models, while exposing students to AI applications in fields such as health care.

Williams said that training must reach Inland Empire students at the same pace as students in more affluent communities. He pointed to high school AI pathways in other parts of California, including Anaheim, and said students in Rialto, San Bernardino, Colton and surrounding communities deserve comparable opportunities.

“The train has already left the station,” Williams said. “We have to meet students where they are.”

He acknowledged faculty members’ academic freedom and differing views on classroom AI use but said colleges must work through those differences as student demand evolves.

Housing is the third pillar of Williams’ agenda. He said the San Bernardino Community College District is exploring a market-rate housing development with a student housing component and hopes to break ground next year.

Williams also sees housing as a potential recruitment tool for faculty and staff. Statewide, he said community colleges could partner with K-12 school districts, many of which hold significant amounts of land, and seek financing support through the state treasurer or Legislature.

Williams has served on the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees since 2013, representing Area 2, which includes Muscoy, Rialto and San Bernardino. The district oversees Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Valley College and KVCR Public Media.

He also works in strategic partnerships at Rialto Unified School District and founded Youth Action Project, a nonprofit focused on preparing Inland Empire students for college and careers. His earlier public service included work in behavioral health, workforce development and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Williams attended Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College before earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands and a master’s degree in social impact from Claremont Lincoln University.

“I’m always a student, and I’m a beneficiary of the system,” Williams said. “My goal has been to expand the positive experiences I had and remove the barriers that still stand in students’ way.”

He said community colleges can do more to clarify pathways to graduation and economic mobility while connecting students with employers, community organizations and mentors.

“Community colleges connected me to people who mentored me and invested in me,” Williams said. “That social capital opened opportunities and helped me build the career I have today.”

Williams said he will judge his next term through measurable results: the number of districts providing instructional materials on time, housing units developed and AI-related programs launched.

“It is not just about numbers,” Williams said. “There are real people behind those numbers.”

Williams can be contacted here.