SDCCD : Board Report: September 23, 2021

Press release from San Diego Community College District:

September 24, 2021

Special Report to the Public:

Trustee Geysil Arroyo thanked Student Trustee Natalia Trinh for leading the day’s
pledge of allegiance. She recognized Mesa College President Pamela Luster’s announcement
that she will be retiring in June, and thanked her for her service. Trustee Arroyo
congratulated City College President Ricky Shabazz for his selection by the Aspen
Institute College Excellence Program to participate in the 2021-22 Aspen New Presidents
Fellowship. She said that she and other Board members have been preparing to host
the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) National Congress in San Diego
from October 13-16, and that she will be part of a presentation about "Lessons Learned
from the COVID-19 Experience" with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion,
and thanked the District staff who have helped prepare for the event. Trustee Arroyo
thanked all those who submitted public comments, particularly with regard to the Occupied
Palestinian Territories resolution by AFT Guild, Local 1931.

Trustee Mary Graham said that she echoed all of Trustee Arroyo’s comments.

Trustee Craig Milgrim reported that he attended a Homelessness Program for Engaged
Educational Resources (PEER) class at City College, a program that trains students
to help homeless individuals in the San Diego community, where Mayor Todd Gloria attended
to talk about the program and the funding the City is extending to help support it.
Trustee Milgrim echoed congratulations to President Shabazz. He acknowledged Mesa
College’s acquisition of new equipment for its Radiologic Technology program; and
thanked the college for setting up a peer-outreach program to help students access
CalFresh benefits.

Trustee Bernie Rhinerson reported that he attended the Legacy of Achievement gala
honoring Chancellor Emerita Carroll, which has raised $720,000 to-date for the San
Diego Promise Program; he said it was great to see students, both volunteering and
performing, in person again; and he thanked Chancellor Cortez and the District teams
that lent support for the evening. He also thanked Trustee Arroyo for her collaborative
work on the Board Redistricting Subcommittee, which met with its consultant firm to
review population changes in the area in order to make minor adjustments that would
find a better balance of population for the District’s sub-districts. He thanked Chancellor Cortez and
Legal Services and EEO Director Ljubisa Kostic for their participation in the process,
and he reported that there will be a more detailed update provided to the Board in
October.

Trustee Maria Nieto Senour said that she echoed her fellow Trustees’ reports. In regards
to the public comments, Trustee Senour said that the Board is taking them seriously
and will review all comments in full; and she said that she respects people’s positions,
but does not think it is the Board’s place to take a side on the matter of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.

Chancellor Carlos Cortez reported that on September 18, the District hosted the Legacy
of Achievement Gala honoring Chancellor Emerita Dr. Constance M. Carroll, and thanked Lisa
Cole-Jones, Jack Beresford, and Margaret Lamb and the countless volunteers who helped
put on the event. The District's enrollment projections have strengthened slightly,
but a shortfall is still expected. At this time, the District may miss its target
by 8.6% but efforts are underway to build a robust spring semester schedule. The Department
of Education awarded both City and Mesa colleges HSI Title III STEM grants. City will
receive $999,938.00 for five years and Mesa $999,999.00 for five years. City College
was awarded a second Department of Education STEM grant for approximately $3.2 million
over five years in partnership with San Diego State University to create pathways
for transfer. The District will be using $3.9 million from HEERF III to clear student
debt. It will impact students from the beginning of the pandemic through fall 2021.
AB 928 (Berman), which has passed the Legislature and awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin
Newsom, is billed as a potential solution to address the challenges with students
transferring from the community colleges to the California State University and University
of California systems, but we are concerned that it will not increase transfers. Two
other important bills — AB 576 (Maienschein), which would allow community colleges
to offer closed classes on military bases and AB 927 (Medina), which would make permanent
the baccalaureate pilot and expand four-year degrees across the state system — have
been approved by both chambers and are awaiting approval from Governor Newsom. We
are closely watching developments in Washington, D.C. on the Reconciliation Soft Infrastructure
Bill, which is expected to including funding for community college programs.

Student Trustee Natalia Trinh reported that the City College Associated Student Government
(ASG) had its first meeting of the semester in September, meeting several times since,
and has focused on reducing textbook costs and extending tutoring services. At Miramar
College she said the ASG Treasurer position remains vacant, and ASG members are focused
on student reengagement methods. Student Trustee Trinh reported that Mesa College
will soon host a Homeless and Hunger Awareness Week; the college is currently having
a Club Rush Week; and the Associated Students (AS) are focusing efforts toward low
cost textbooks and adding an Asian American curriculum to the campus. She also reported
that there is continued encouragement from the United Student Council to increase
participation in student government from students at the College of Continuing Education.

At its regular meeting of September 23, 2021, which was conducted in a virtual format,
the Board of Trustees:

Heard public comment from Doc Rivera, Briana Wagner, and Roxana Mashek who expressed
their opinions on the protocols that are in place for a return to in-person instruction
throughout the District; from 44 people who commented on the American Federation of
Teachers Guild, Local 1931’s resolution regarding the Occupied Palestinian Territories,
and from 50 people who commented on Chancellor Cortez’s response to the AFT Guild’s
resolution. City College Academic Senate (AS) President Darius Spearman shared that
the college will celebrate Hispanic Heritage, Latinx, and Indigenous People’s Month
with events September 15 through October 15. City College President Ricky Shabazz has
been selected by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program to participate in
the 2021-22 Aspen New Presidents Fellowship. The college is preparing for accreditation
site visits for its nursing program and will host the October Board of Trustees meeting.
The AS executive board was taken aback at the District’s statement regarding the American
Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 1931 position on Israel and its occupation of Palestine.
AS President Spearman read a statement critical of the District’s position. Miramar
College AS President Laura Murphy reported the college is preparing to host its annual
Equity Summit honoring Chancellor Emerita Constance M. Carroll in October. The two-day
event will include panels, an art contest, and a lecture by Chancellor Emerita Carroll.

Adopted a resolution directing the Chancellor to develop and implement COVID-19 vaccine
requirements in order to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases among
students and employees following  public comments by Dora Meza, Paul Hubtka, Marc
Hutchinson, and Suzanne Khambta.

Appointed Trustees Geysil Arroyo, Mary Graham and Bernie Rhinerson as the Board’s
voting delegates and Trustee Maria Nieto Senour as alternate to the Association of
Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress on October 13-16, and nominated
members for election to the ACCT Board of Directors, including Regional Directors: Richard
Fukutaki, Bellevue College, WA; Diane Noriega, Mt. Hood Community College, OR; Linda
Wah, Pasadena Area Community College District, CA; Director-At-Large: Carol Del Carlo,
Nevada System of Higher Education, NV; Fritz Larsen, Black Hawk College, IL; Vivian
Malauulu, Long Beach City College, CA (write in candidate), ACCT Diversity Committee: Deborah
Ikeda, State Center Community College District, CA.

Heard a presentation on Climate Literacy through Educational Initiatives and Programs,
from Vice Chancellor of Educational Services Susan Topham, Dean Shelly Hess, and faculty
members Lisa Chaddock, Dean Leavitt, Paul Martin, Stacy Surwilo.

Awarded contracts to Agiliti Imaging for three Digital Wireless Radiography Systems
for the Radiologic Technology program at Mesa College; and to Sylvester Roofing for
Districtwide roofing replacement and repairs.

Approved new or revised courses and programs; and various personnel actions including
the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after September
24, 2021.

This press release was produced by San Diego Community College District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.