San Diego Community College District

Special Report to the Public:

Trustees Geysil Arroyo, Mary Graham, Bernie Rhinerson, and Maria Nieto Senour reported on their attendance at the Community College League of California (CCLC) annual Trustees Conference from April 29-May 1 in Dana Point, where they learned about best practices and accreditation. Trustee Bernie Rhinerson and Vice Chancellor Greg Smith each presented. Trustee Senour said that she is eager for Vice Chancellor Smith to give the same presentation to the full Board at a future meeting.

Geysil Arroyo

Trustee Geysil Arroyo said she has been honored to participate in various scholarship award ceremonies and classified professional events. She reported that she watched the Mesa College president candidate forums. Trustee Arroyo thanked Academic Senate presidents Maria-Jose Zeledon-Perez, John Crocitti, Laura Murphy, and John Bromma for their service and their reports to the Board over the last academic year. She concluded by saying she looks forward to in-person commencements this year, starting with Miramar College on May 20.

Mary Graham

Trustee Mary Graham said that the past couple years have been rough, but there are only a few weeks to go in the semester, and said that she hopes everyone can be kind to themselves and one another as they prepare to celebrate at upcoming commencements.

Bernie Rhinerson

Trustee Bernie Rhinerson reported that he has been enjoying scholarship awards ceremonies and is looking forward to commencements.

Dr. Maria Nieto Senour

Trustee Maria Nieto Senour presented 2021-22 Student Trustees Victoria Owusu (City College), Natalia Trinh (Mesa College), and Edward Borek (Miramar College) with plaques commemorating their service to the Board and District.

Dr. Carlos O. Cortez

Chancellor Carlos Cortez shared that the colleges have hosted scholarship awards events and congratulated all the students who were awarded scholarships. He reported that the colleges are also hosting classified appreciation events this month and that Miramar College hosted the District's Rites of Passage Ceremony to celebrate African American transfer students and graduates. He said Mesa and Miramar colleges are distributing tens of thousands of dollars in emergency transportation grants, that Mesa will host the Echoes of Africa benefit event to support the college's African art collection, and that the District's Honors Program conducted their end-year celebration. He expressed thanks to the three faculty coordinators who make this program possible. He reported City College, The College of Continuing Education Foundation, and District Auxiliary have raised over $600,000 to support the District's housing development efforts and expressed thanks to The San Diego Foundation, Lucky Duck Foundation, Funders to End Homelessness, and the California Community College Foundation for their generous support. He credited Trustee Craig Milgrim for his leadership in bringing to the Board of Trustees a proposal to consider adding a fourth student trustee from the College of Continuing Education. He also expressed thanks to Edward Borek, Victoria Owusu, and Natalia Trinh, the District's three outgoing student trustees, for their service. He acknowledged Vice Chancellor Stephanie Bulger for her service to the District. He also reported Governor Gavin Newsom will release his May Revised Budget and encouraged student and employee participation at the Chancellor's Investiture, which will be held at 4:30 p.m. on May 31 at Petco Park.

Edward Borek

Student Trustee Edward Borek reported that City College held a student forum and meet and greet with its new Associated Student Government representatives; on May 17 the campus will host a mortar board decorating party; and a new social justice mural is being created on the side of the Saville Theatre. He reported that Mesa College held Grad Fest on May 4 and 5; that Student Trustee Natalia Trinh was name Woman of the Year by the San Diego Chapter of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges; and the campus will hold Associated Students elections starting May 17. Student Trustee Borek reported that Miramar College has been working on campus reengagement and in doing so held a Spring Career Expo on May 4 and a Lo-Fi Study Jam in-person event with various tutors; Miramar hosted a districtwide Rite of Passage Ceremony on May 11; and that Allen Kuo was selected as the next ASG president at Miramar College. Student Trustee Borek recognized that this was his first and last in-person Board Meeting as a trustee, and thanked the Chancellor and Board for their support over the past year. 

BOARD ACTIONS

At its regular meeting of May 12, 2022, which was conducted in a hybrid format, the Board of Trustees:

- Heard public comment from Nathan Kapitaniuk, a Miramar College aviation maintenance student, who voiced his disagreement with the District’s continued vaccination requirements and campus mask mandates. City College Academic Senate (AS) President Maria-Jose Zeledon-Perez thanked the Board for attending the college’s scholarship event and chancellor Cortez for his highly appreciated meeting with the AS presidents. She also reported that several City students and former students had received recognition including alumna Katya Echazarreta who will be going into space aboard Blue Origin’s New Sheppard, East Village Middle College High School (EVMCHS) valedictorian and City College concurrent enrollment student Lucia Cavallini-Martinez who is graduating high school with three associate degrees, and City College & MESA Program star Jeannette Mayo Gallegos who has been selected to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation transfer scholarship. Mesa College AS President John Crocitti shared that the college’s commencement will be held May 27 at 4 p.m. at the football field and invited people to attend a June 10 celebration for retiring President Pam Luster. Miramar College AS President Laura Murphy also thanked Chancellor Cortez for meeting with the AS presidents, reported that the AS will hold its final meeting of the year, and announced that the AS has selected a new executive committee to assume leadership in the new academic year.

- Adopted revisions to Chapter 2 – Board of Trustees Board Policies and Chapter 5 – Student Services Board Policies as part of a comprehensive six-year review to ensure currency following comments by Chancellor Carlos Cortez who noted that these changes would allow the District for the first time to have a student trustee representing the College of Continuing Education.

- Adopted a resolution reaffirming that the state of emergency declared by the Board on March 12, 2020, continues and that state or local officials continue to impose or recommend social distancing measures.

- Approved the revised Board Meeting Schedule for June 2022 through December 2022.

- After conducting a public hearing, approved the Educational Protection Account Funding and Expenditure Plan (Proposition 30) for 2021-22 following comments by Chancellor Carlos Cortez who outlined how Proposition 30 funds were used in the District’s budget, indicating that the funds were used 100% for instruction.

- Authorized an agreement with health care agencies for use of clinical facilities by students enrolled in District health occupation programs.

- Authorized agreements with the Foundation for California Community Colleges for strategic enrollment management and facilitating pathways to careers for adult learners at Miramar College.

- Authorized a master agreement with Grossmont-Cuamaca Community College District Auxiliary Organization for Faculty Institute Research activities.

- Accepted a grant from the California Community Colleges State Chancellor’s Office for LGBTQ+ programs at City, Mesa, Miramar, and Continuing Education colleges.

- Approved the Miramar College Facility Plan, as it relates to the Miramar Facilities Path to 2035 following comments by Chancellor Carlos Cortez and President Wes Lundburg.

- Heard a report on districtwide Honors Programs with remarks from Vice Chancellor Susan Topham, Professor Carmen Carrasquillo, and Professor Kelly Mayhew.

- Certified the District’s Equal Employment Opportunity Fund Multiple Method Allocation Model Certificate Form for fiscal year 2021-22.

Approved purchase orders completed during March 2022; new or revised courses and programs, the 2021-22 Third Quarter Financial Report; the District’s Report of Participation in the San Diego County Investment Pool; and various personnel actions including the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after May 13, 2022.