San Diego Community College District

Trustee Mary Graham reported that she attended the Community College League of California (CCLC) Legislative Conference in Sacramento. She commended the Student Trustees who participated for providing legislative members with the student perspective regarding community college budgetary and policy needs. She also reported that she and Trustee Senour attended a session at the CCLC conference on increasing support for mental health services and requested that the District participate in the National College Health Assessment.

Trustee Rich Grosch expressed his appreciation for the large District contingent, which included the entire Board of Trustees, Student Trustees, and staff, at the CCLC Legislative Conference and stated that the climate in Sacramento was much more favorable to community colleges.

Trustee Bernie Rhinerson reported that he also attended the CCLC Legislative Conference and, as chair of the CCLC Advisory Committee on Legislation, participated in discussions regarding the lack of availability of Cal Grants for community college students. He also reported on his participation at the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., and discussed topics that included increasing Pell Grants and Career Technical Education funding. Trustee Rhinerson added that the Board of Trustees Scholarship, supported by the Christensen Foundation, will be providing $2,000 per institution for eligible students.

Trustee Peter Zschiesche reported on his attendance at the CCLC Legislative Conference. Trustee Zschiesche also reported that he attended an Open Society Foundations event and suggested that City College and the District consider collaborating on topics related to recidivism in the criminal justice system.

Trustee Maria Nieto Senour reported that she attended the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association (SDICCCA) annual Trustees Dinner, hosted by Imperial Valley College, and added that the event was an effective way to network within the region.

Chancellor Constance Carroll reported that discussions are underway regarding several aspects of the developing state budget pertaining to: 1) how the proposed $200 million for the Strong Workforce program should be allocated, e.g., to individual districts or to regional consortia; 2) whether the $25 million Community College Innovation funds could be used to support the “college promise,” free enrollment effort; and 3) three separate legislative bills that would also provide funding assistance for “college promise” projects – AB 1583 (Santiago), AB 1721 (Medina), and AB 1741 (Rodriguez). The Chancellor also said that in the fifth week of the spring semester at the colleges, enrollment is essentially at the same level as it was in spring 2015, with the District still on track for its planned 3% increase. Dr. Carroll shared her report with Mesa College President, Dr. Pam Luster, who introduced the college’s new Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Ashanti Hands.

Student Trustee Olivia Light reported on various student activities, including a districtwide Associated Student Government (ASG) retreat on February 26 at the University of California, San Diego; the National Conflict Resolution Center’s first civility training for student leaders on February 19 and the launch of the "Rock the Vote" campaign at Miramar College; and plans for an advocacy trip to Sacramento in March are underway at Mesa College, where a "Jump Start Your Success" event will be held on February 26. At City College, the ASG held club rush events, displayed its Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade float in honor of Black History Month, and scheduled a Women’s Day Celebration on March 8.

BOARD ACTIONS

At its meeting of Feb. 18, 2016, the Board of Trustees:

• Heard public comments by Professor Daphne Figueroa regarding the PeopleSoft implementation at Miramar College; and from Mesa College Professor Ian Duckle on supporting AB 1690 (Medina).

• Announced the following action from Closed Session: the Board approved the termination of the employment of a classified employee at the District Office, Human Resources, as required under Section 88013(b) of the California Education Code.

• Held a campus meeting at Miramar College that included a welcome and overview by President Patricia Hsieh, Academic Senate President Marie McMahon, Classified Senate Representative Joyce Allen, and Associated Student Council President Olivia Light; presentations on “Vets to Jets – Building Bridges to Success” by Professor Duane Short, Veterans Affairs School Certifying Official Christine Barlolong, Career/Placement Officer Joseph Hankinson, student Corey Mlaska, and SDG&E Senior Community Relations Manager Penney Newell; and on “EMT and Fire Technology: Saving Lives and Property – Classroom to Community” by Professor Mary Kjartanson; Associate Professor Darren Hall; alumna Kristen Magpuri; students James Blasic, Brittany Russell, and Natasha Ferrer-Perez; and CAL FIRE San Diego Unit Chief Tony Mecham.

• Approved and adopted Board Policies: BP 3100 Student Rights, Responsibilities, Campus Safety, and Administrative Due Process and BP 3105 Academic Accommodations and Disability Discrimination for Students with Disabilities (first reading 1/28/16).

• Approved a recommendation by Trustees Rhinerson and Graham to support AB 1690 (Medina), Community Colleges: Part-time, Temporary Employees, a bill which would direct a statewide approach to a collective bargaining issue regarding adjunct instructors; ratified the SDCCD’s response to an inquiry from the 2015-16 San Diego County Grand Jury dated January 20, 2016; and approved the SDCCD “Promise” framework that will initiate a pilot project providing free enrollment-fee and book grants to students admitted to the colleges in fall 2016 as part of the national “America’s College Promise” and “California College Promise” initiatives, with comments by Vice Chancellor of Student Services Lynn Neault.

• Authorized agreements with health care agencies for use of clinical facilities by students enrolled in District health occupations programs; approved new or revised courses and programs, following comments by Vice Chancellor of Instructional Services Stephanie Bulger; and authorized travel for Mesa College students and faculty to participate in a concert tour with other choral groups in Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

• Authorized a service agreement between the Southern California Biotechnology Center and San Diego Workforce Partnership for the Amgen Bruce Wallace Laboratory Program at Miramar College; accepted additional funding from the California Department of Education for operation of the Child Development Centers at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges; accepted a grant from the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Auxiliary to provide services in support of the Career Technical Education Pathways grant districtwide; and approved various personnel actions including the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after February 19, 2016, with comments by Mesa College President Pamela Luster.

• Awarded a contract to Zagrodnik + Thomas Architects LLP for architectural design services on the A-100 remodel project at Miramar College; to RR Donnelly for the purchase and delivery of printed college catalogs; ratified the Statements of Work for the completion of the Campus Solutions module and additional functionalities within the Finance module in PeopleSoft following comments by Director of Information Technology Kent Keyser; approved the District’s Report of Participation in the San Diego County Investment Pool for the period ending December 31, 2015; and purchase orders prepared during the month of January 2016.

• Received a report on “Hungry to Learn,” a national study in which the District participated that was designed to assess community college students’ financial hardships, food and housing challenges, and emotional issues, presented by Vice Chancellor of Student Services Lynn Neault.

Board Report for downloading and printing.
Board Report for sharing on social media.