Board Report: March 2, 2023
March 3, 2023 |
Special Report to the Public:
Geysil Arroyo
Trustee Geysil Arroyo thanked Miramar College for hosting the Board meeting, everyone who provided public comment, and Senate representatives for sharing their updates. She said that she recently participated in the District’s legislative advocacy meetings in Washington, D.C., where the highlight was connecting with the student trustees who were excellent. She also participated in the February 23 Trustee Advisory Council meeting.
Mary Graham
Trustee Mary Graham reported on her participation in the recent legislative advocacy meetings in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. Both trips were opportunities to highlight the District’s legislative priorities. She agreed that the student trustees were the highlight. She also participated in the Trustee Advisory Council meeting, where two subcommittees were announced, including one on a possible bond campaign and that the District will be seeking input and broad community participation.
Craig Milgrim
Trustee Craig Milgrim attended the February 22 opening of the Mesa College Pride Center and was invited to speak on behalf of the Board. He said he appreciated that Miramar College highlighted Club Spectrum and said he looked forward to seeing more resources going to support these important programs. He mentioned that Women’s History Month is underway and that a study by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography revealed an inequity in lab and storage space allocated to women researchers. He applauded UC San Diego for conducting the study and said he will be pleased to see them correct the problem.
Bernie Rhinerson
Trustee Bernie Rhinerson expressed his gratitude to Miramar College for the exciting things happening and acknowledged student trustee Allen Kuo was a superstar in Washington, D.C., with his KPBS interviews and in speaking with congressional representatives. He participated in both legislative conferences and the February 3 Corporate Council meeting and is working with Kay Faulconer Boger in her new role as Chancellor's Liaison for Community Engagement to reinvigorate corporate participation. He shared that he and Trustee Milgrim served on the Board's Facilities and Sustainability Subcommittee, which is working with Vice Chancellor Joel Peterson on a possible future bond and that facilities plans are being analyzed and prioritized. The analysis will be reviewed through the District’s participatory governance process and then put forward in the bond. He said they are looking at how the public views the District’s previous bond campaigns, which will help inform the future campaign.
Dr. Maria Nieto Senour
Trustee Maria Nieto Senour thanked Miramar College for its excellent presentation.
Dr. Carlos O. Cortez
Chancellor Carlos Cortez shared that City College hosted the Black Educators Networking Event, which brought together 250+ student advocates, and that President Ricky Shabazz and many other District employees are at the A2MEND Conference this week. Mesa College’s Jumpstart Your Success event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon on March 11. He thanked Miramar College for an outstanding campus presentation. He reported the College of Continuing Education announced its receipt of $2.7 million from various sources to support transitional-age foster youth who are disconnected from work and school. He welcomed Laurie Coskey into her new role as the vice chancellor of Development and Entrepreneurship. Chancellor Cortez continued offering his congratulations to Sonya Christian on her appointment as the first Asian and female state chancellor of the California Community College system. He reported that a delegation of District leaders attended the California Community College Baccalaureate Association conference, and that members of the Board of Trustees and District leaders attended the Community College League of California Legislative Conference in Sacramento and the Association of Community College Trustees Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the District's legislative and budgetary priorities where student trustees were a source of pride. He concluded saying the District will provide public support for two resolutions, one in support of AB 91 (Alvarez) and the other in support of local efforts to expand free public transportation for K-12 and college students.
Allen Kuo
Student Trustee Allen Kuo shared that City College held an event for student veterans; Mesa College opened its Pride Center on February 22, and has a Jump Start event on March 11; Miramar College is hosting the San Diego Regional Science Olympiad on March 4 and the college supported a resolution on oil extraction; and that College of Continuing Education’s Immigrant Support Program will open a virtual support center soon at CE Cesar Chavez and that scholarship and award events are being held on April 21.
BOARD ACTIONS
At its regular meeting of March 2, 2023, which was conducted in-person, with online participation available, the Board of Trustees:
- Conducted a campus meeting in a hybrid format with San Diego Miramar College that included welcome remarks and land acknowledgement from President Wes Lundburg, Academic Senate President Pablo Martin, and Classified Senate President Kurt Hill, and Associated Student President and Student Trustee Allen Kuo; and the Miramar College College Community Game with student contestants Neal Ruiz and Andrehya Azzatto, which included presentations on land acknowledgement from Laura Gonzalez; on collaborations happening at Miramar College, by Lisa Brewster; on building community, by Neesa Julian; on milestones to completion, by Randy Claros; on innovations helping new students succeed, by Lucas Iacarella; on collective learning and the Honors Program, by Carmen Carrasquillo and Marcella Osuna; and STEM-focused Exito Project by Alex Hofler and Linda Woods; on Campus Read, by Laura Pecenco; on cultural humility as a path to equity, by Neesa Julian; on the importance of student spaces, by Cheryl Barnard; on supporting Black and Latinx students, by Laura Pecenco; and on Academic Career Pathways Success Teams, by Lisa Brewster.
- Heard public comment from 26 individuals who spoke on closed session agenda items; Dora Meza who requested concern about the comment tab on board meetings YouTube, and Ramiro Hernandez, Joanna Aud, and Patty Stottlemyer who spoke about District vaccine policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic. City College Academic Senate President Maria-Jose Zeledon-Perez thanked Miramar College for hosting an incredible presentation, acknowledged the college’s guided pathways work, use of a game-show theme, and students sharing their personal stories. City is celebrating Black History Month events, including students from UMOJA. Sixty percent of City’s classes are now face-to-face with faculty working hard to better serve students both online and in person. The college is getting ready for eight-week classes and our AS colleagues are preparing for the ASCCC plenary in April. Major upcoming events include Knights Men’s basketball which made it to the playoffs, City Women Rock, the celebration of the Title IX anniversary and an Enrollment Management Forum on March 24. Mesa College AS President John Crocitti shared the college is celebrating Women’s History Month and highlighted the Women’s Studies program which provides a variety of interdisciplinary courses. Miramar College AS President Pablo Martin thanked the Board for coming to campus. He acknowledged Rebecca Bowers Gentry who coordinates the San Diego Regional Science Olympiad being held March 4; highlighted the first-ever Women’s Beach Volleyball team and Men’s basketball team coached by Nick Gehler who is the 2022-23 PCAC Coach of the Year. He also shared that he is working with his colleagues on a resolution declaring solidarity with faculty in Florida around academic freedom, that there are 54 applicants for the AS scholarships, that Super Saturdays are back, and that the college’s accreditation report is nearly complete.
- Adopted revisions, Chapter 3 – General Institution, and Chapter 2 – Board of Trustees board policies as part of a comprehensive six-year review to ensure currency.
- Approved the appointment and employment contract of Laurie Coskey as vice chancellor of development and entrepreneurship.
- Adopted resolutions in support of expanding the Youth Opportunity Pass free transit program, in support of AB 91 (Alvarez), Community colleges: exemption from nonresident tuition fee for San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA) colleges; and to designate an authorized representative to the San Diego County Schools Fringe Benefits Consortium for Fringe Benefits Programs.
- Heard a quarterly report of the budgeted expenses to actuals.
- Authorized an agreement with healthcare agencies for use of clinical facilities by students enrolled in District health occupation programs.
- Accepted a grant for one-time funding from Prop 98 College Specific Allocations to support the Veterans Resource Center at Miramar College; and from California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) to establish a Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program at Miramar College.
- Approved change in tuition for nonresidents from $304 per unit to $331, and discontinued the $100 application fee for international student applications.
- Awarded a contract to GQ Builder, Inc. for window replacement at the Mesa College Child Development Center.
- Approved agreements between the Naval Consolidated Brigs at Camp Pendleton and Miramar and the San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) and SDCCE Foundation to provide instructional services and vocational training to military personnel.
- Entered into agreement with DISH Wireless LLC to lease rooftop space at the College of Continuing Education Mid-City campus for a telephone cellular site.
- Authorized travel to the Anza-Borrego Desert Park on March 17, 2023, for Mesa College biology students, and to Julian and Jacumba from April 22-23, 2023, for Mesa College geology and oceanography students.
- Approved purchase orders completed during January 2023; the report of the District’s participation in the San Diego County Investment Pool for the period ending December 31, 2022; new or revised courses and programs; the reformatted salary schedules for calendar year 2023 in accordance with CalPERS guidelines; and various personnel actions including the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after March 3, 2023.