San Diego Community College District

Special Report to the Public:

Geysil Arroyo

Trustee Geysil Arroyo said that she attended the January 20 Special Board meeting and thanked Vice Chancellor Joel Peterson for his thoughtful presentation and thanked those in attendance. She said she appreciated the comments mentioning the murder of Tyre Nichols and thanked those who make space for staff and students to open up about the events. She commented that change starts with those who have a public forum to speak up, and that she worries about adversity her own son may have to face in the future.

Mary Graham

Trustee Mary Graham recognized the college campuses for providing mental health services following the murder of Tyre Nichols and said that while it’s no substitute for substantive change, it’s still very important to offer. She said she would like to learn more about how students are informed of such programs. She reported that she attended the Community College League of California (CCLC) legislative conference January 29-30 and found a session on student housing to be very informative, which paired well with Vice Chancellor Peterson’s January 20 Board presentation. She said that the CCLC is compiling resources for housing efforts, including tools for data tracking, policy language, and advocacy points. Trustee Graham pointed out that 30% of LGBTQ students at SDCCD report being homeless or housing insecure, which emphasizes the importance of this work. She encouraged community members to attend one of City College professor Lisa Will’s The Sky Tonight planetarium shows held on the first Wednesday of each month at the Fleet Science Center.

Craig Milgrim

Trustee Craig Milgrim commented that the National Science Foundation’s grant for Mesa College is rare opportunity for community colleges to receive such a grant from the NSF, especially one that’s been secured for multiple years in a row. He said that it is important for everyone to understand their place in the world and recommended students take a geography class to satisfy their physical science requirement. Trustee Milgrim recognized the District Communications and Public Relations team for production of the winter 2023 WE magazine, and in relation to the cover story, he is looking forward to the opening of the Mesa College Pride Center on February 22 and to the future addition of Pride Centers at Miramar and Continuing Education colleges. He said that City College’s strategic enrollment group met with the Chancellor’s Office to help ease and facilitate transition from non-credit to credit programs, in particular student enrollment in child development programs, and that he hopes more opportunities can be provided to allow students to seamlessly chose between the various opportunities.

Bernie Rhinerson

Trustee Bernie Rhinerson reported that he went to Sacramento with the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association (SDICCCA) legislative group as part of the CCLC legislative conference and thanked Communications and Public Relations Director Jack Beresford and public information officers from the other districts for their work in setting up meetings with legislators and producing the programs and other meeting materials. He commended all the student trustees who attended the conference, especially Julia Kogan who shared her immigrant story and involvement in College of Continuing Education. He noted that, for the first time, student trustees will travel to Washington, D.C., for the Association of Community College Trustees annual legislative summit from February 5-8. Trustee Rhinerson also reported that Assemblymember David Alvarez has introduced AB 91 to allow students residing in Mexico within 45 miles of the border to be eligible for in-state tuition fees at community colleges within 25 miles of the border, an agreement that exists in areas of Texas and Nevada, but Trustee Rhinerson is advocating that the 25-mile distance be extended to include Miramar College and all other SDICCCA colleges.

Dr. Maria Nieto Senour

Trustee Maria Nieto Senour thanked Trustee Rhinerson for clarifying the 25-mile limitation introduced with AB 91, a bill that she said would greatly benefit the region. She said that, following the murder of Tyre Nichols, the District, which trains police officers at Miramar College, is in a unique position to improve upon training methods. She said that she is thankful for the cameras that caught the egregious act and showed the truth but saddened that the color of one’s skin is a determinant of being on the receiving end of excessive force.

Dr. Carlos O. Cortez 

Chancellor Carlos Cortez said that select Trustees, including Student Trustees Diego Bethea, Phoebe Truong and Julia Kogan, and Chancellor’s Cabinet members attended the CCLC legislative conference as part of a lobbying delegation that shared budget and policy priorities with assemblymembers Akilah Weber, Chris Ward, David Alvarez, Tasha Boerner Horvath, and Brian Maienschein and senators Brian Jones and Steve Padilla. He said he will travel to Washington, D.C., with a similar group, to attend the ACCT legislative conference and will meet with Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten and Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal, as well as members of the United States Congress.

Chancellor Cortez reported that the spring semester started at all four colleges this week, and news coverage of the occasion and highlighting the addition of a second District baccalaureate program are a result of Director Beresford’s efforts to increase coverage of the District. He reported that City College welcomed Deputy United States Trade Representative Jayme White and members from the Office of the United States Trade Representative for a tour and presentation on January 25 of STEM programs. He said at Mesa College the Mesa Impactship Program (MIP): Interning with a Purpose funded by Perkins and Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) grants will support more than 70 students during the spring 2023 semester; the college is hosting an African art exhibit for Black History Month; and recognized Olympian student-athletes Ezra Christensen for receiving more than 20 offers to mostly D-1 football programs, and Michael Harkin for his selection as a National Football Foundation 2023 Scholar Athlete Leader Scholarship winner. Chancellor Cortez reported that the Chancellor’s Cabinet approved the hiring of an additional four faculty members at Miramar College using state funding to further efforts to equalize staffing levels; the college received a state grant to increase STEM programming for students; and joins City and Mesa colleges to host a Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) Program. He said that at College of Continuing Education, Minou Spradley started in her role as the interim vice president of instruction; and the college received a first-place award for its float entry in the January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade. He reported that at the February 1 District Governance Council, he was inspired by the group’s conversation on the topic of enrollment management and the efforts of District leaders, including faculty and classified professional leaders at the colleges, who have put the SDCCD on track to restore enrollment to pre-pandemic levels over the next 30 months between now and when state protections will be removed. Chancellor Cortez shared that the District secured Assemblymember Mia Bonta from Alameda as a sponsor to help fund transformative policing efforts and training, and he shared his report with Vice Chancellor Peterson who provided an update on the Police Advisory Committee.

Julia Kogan

Student Trustee Julia Kogan reported that City College Associated Student Government meetings will resume on February 24; the college held its spring 2023 Convocation on January 26; and there will be various Black History Month events including basketball games with free food for the first 150 attendees. She also reported that City College recently was approved to launch a Cyber Defense and Analysis baccalaureate program. Student Trustee Kogan reported that Mesa College also held convocation on January 26 and will hold a celebration on February 22 for the opening of its new Pride Center. She said that students at Mesa College are being encouraged to apply for scholarships and that workshops are being hosted; students who attend one workshop and apply for three scholarships will receive $100. Student Trustee Kogan reported that Miramar College held a Welcome Back to Campus event on February 1 and provided lunch for the first 100 students; and resumed ASG meetings on February 3. She said the college also will offer Basic Computer Skills classes to all students starting February 6. Student Trustee Kogan reported that at College of Continuing Education all seven campuses held Lunar New Year celebrations in January; hosted outreach sessions for enrollment; and will host various educational programs during Black History Month in February. She also said a new Continuing Education Cares Program for basic student needs recently was launched.

BOARD ACTIONS

At its regular meeting of February 2, 2023, which was conducted in-person, with online participation available, the Board of Trustees:

- Heard public comment from Victor Barrera, a student, and Jo Aud, a former SDCCD employee, who expressed displeasure with the firing of employees who were not following vaccination policies. City College Academic Senate (AS) President Maria-Jose Zeledon-Perez shared that the announcement of City College’s new baccalaureate has generated news coverage and considerable excitement, and that Welcome Week events have been well attended. Mesa College AS President John Crocitti reported that Black History Month has begun under a shadow due to the recent death of Tyre Nichols, and that educators have a responsibility to try to connect people. He mentioned the School of Public Safety at Miramar College as an opportunity for the District to play a leading role. Miramar College AS President Pablo Martin suggested, in light of recent events, that the SDCCD take time to make space for people who need it, and he said he is proud of the work being done by Miramar College in this regard.

- Adopted revisions to a Chapter 3 – General Institution Board Policy (first reading) as part of a comprehensive six-year review to ensure currency.

- Adopted resolutions 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; and amending the contract between the SDCCD and California Public Employees’ Retirement System for eligible public safety employees.

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

- Accepted grants for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity, Act Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act at College of Continuing Education; from the U.S. Department of Education for Title III Hispanic-Serving Institution Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at City College; and from Association of American Geographers and the National Science Foundation to support research and development of inclusive, culturally responsive, geocomputation curriculum resources at Mesa College.

- Ratified the Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) Tentative Agreements for a salary increase for the Management Association and Police Officers Association, effective March 31, 2023.

- Heard reports from Propositions S and N Citizens’ Oversight Committee (COC) member Leslie Bruce on the 2022 Annual Report for Propositions S and N; and a Mid-Year Update on the Emergency Conditions Recovery Plan presented by Vice Chancellor Susan Topham.

- Approved purchase orders completed during December 2022; the 2022-23 Second Quarter Financial Report; and various personnel actions.