Board Report: November 7, 2024

Special Report To The Public: 

Geysil Arroyo

Trustee Geysil Arroyo thanked all who made the Mesa College meeting happen; those who provided public comments; trustees Bernie Rhinerson and Mary Graham for their service; and Chancellor Gregory Smith for his message of unity and public statement to protect students and employees from anyone or any policy who might move against them because of who they are and where they come from.

Mary Graham

Trustee Mary Graham noted that, while 78% of all Californians are employed, only 44.3% of Californian’s with disabilities are employed, and she emphasized the importance of adopting the Accessibility and Compatibility Maturity Models. She thanked Chancellor Smith for his comments and commitment to protecting students and employees, and she noted that the District is filled with those who do more with less and are mighty together in serving the least well-resourced and most diverse students in higher education. She highlighted that the 60% of voters who voted in favor of Measure HH know that what the District does matters.

Craig Milgrim

Trustee Craig Milgrim thanked President Ashanti Hands and everyone involved with the Mesa College presentation. He renewed his commitment to safety and security of students and employees, and he said he will never stop speaking on their behalf. He highlighted from the Mesa College Ghana trip presentation a quote: “the most common way people give up power is to believe they don’t have any,” and said not to give up hope. He reported that it was a pleasure working with Trustee Graham at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, in various Board subcommittees, and he wished her the best. He said the bond would not have passed without the efforts of Trustee Rhinerson and remarked that he appreciated his advocacy work. He reported that he received the October issue of the All-Access Pass newsletter from Devika Chhabra and reminded everyone that such helpful services intended solely as accommodations for people with disabilities as closed captioning and voice transcription have infiltrated everyday life. He said helping those who are differently abled helps all of us. Trustee Milgrim noted the resilience of American science is seen in the launching of Voyagers 1 & 2 in the ‘70s, the first humanmade objects to leave our solar system and are now 15 billion miles away continuing to transmit information back to us.

Bernie Rhinerson

Trustee Bernie Rhinerson thanked Mesa College for its uplifting presentation. He commented that the election was a gut punch, stating that everyone needs to learn how to communicate better and more often with one another. He said he knows the District’s commitment to its students will continue. Trustee Rhinerson thanked Chancellor Smith and Vice Chancellor Joel Peterson for their vision and organizational skills related to the bond and said he’ll oversee the organization of the bond spending well. He thanked those on the campuses who helped put together priority lists; labor partners; Val Macedo, the campaign co-chair of San Diegans for Community Colleges; the San Diego Taxpayers Association for analyzing and supporting the bond; construction architects, engineers and project managers for their support of the bond and public education; and the student leaders and organizations who helped advocate for the bond.

Maria Nieto Senour

Trustee Maria Nieto Senour reported that Wednesday felt like a day of grief, but it was a bright spot to see Measure HH pass. She said she is grateful to be affiliated with the District where so much love is present every day.

Gregory Smith

Chancellor Gregory Smith reported that he has never felt the gravity and importance of his position more than he does at this moment, and said that the District’s commitment to uplift the diverse students, employees, and community that it serves stands firm. He said that he will stand in defiance of anyone who organizes themselves against people because of the color of their skin, who they love, or their gender expression/identity to make sure everyone can experience safety, security, belonging, and access to District programs. He celebrated the passage of Measure HH, which will bring in $3.5 billion to modernize, upgrade, repair facilities and launch the District into the future. He thanked trustees Rhinerson and Milgrim for their efforts on the Board’s Bond Subcomittee; Vice Chancellor Peterson and his staff for coordinating with the colleges the document that was shared with voters; and those in Vice Chancellor Dan Troy’s office for their work in making sure financials were in order for heavily audited transactions. He said project work will begin in January. Chancellor Smith reported that those officials up for re-election in City, County, State, and Federal positions who support the District have all been re-elected. He also reported that advocacy work continues to focus on budget matters where the District is getting positive feedback from the state to fund all FTES. He congratulated Chris Ferguson who previously led K-12 and community college budget development in Governor Gavin Newsom’s Department of Finance and is joining the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

At the start of what he calls the Season of Gratitude, Chancellor Smith thanked those around him for the work they do. He reported that he attended the Association for Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress in Seattle along with several board members and college presidents, where he attended many sessions on AI —noting one particular tool that’s focused on student enrollment and financial aid fraud — affordable student housing, and AB 1705 from where, in the hopes of becoming more informed for advocacy, he heard from those in other states that are voluntarily or involuntarily eliminating developmental math and English classes. Chancellor Smith thanked presidents Tina M. King and Wes Lundburg for their participation in a panel on noncredit to credit alignment and he noted the groundwork laid before him by Trustee Rhinerson learning about a grant opportunity at a previous ACCT conference and taking it to Chancellor Emerita Constance M. Carroll. He said he attended The San Diego Foundation’s 50th Anniversary where CEO Mark Stewart announced a $500 million fundraising campaign for education, noting he and Vice Chancellor Laurie Coskey have a lot of work to do to earn some of those funds. He said the Keeping the Promise giving day was held on October 29, and he thanked US Bank for its $100,000 donation and the Cushman Family Foundation, who recently supported with $20,000, while also noting that the number of monthly recurring employee donations increased by 25%. He reported that he met with SDSU President Adela de la Torre to discuss transfer pathway opportunities and discussed AB 1705; brought San Diego Airport officials to see Miramar College’s Aviation program in an effort to establish a statewide Aviation Alliance; and visited the Port of San Diego with representatives from higher ed and K-12 institutions to learn about work being done there and the specialized positions they’re in need of fulfilling. 

Zora Williams

Student Trustee Zora Williams reported that at City College, a variety of resources are being promoted to students, including mental health counseling during a stressful election period, to help strengthen campus community. She said Mesa College hosted the CCCs to HBCU Caravan on October 28 where more than 20 colleges and universities were represented to highlight the unique experience of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and provided information on the accessibility of these out-of-state institutions. Student Trustee Williams reported that Miramar College Student Government hosted Fall Fest that included multiple school organizations, a Halloween costume contest, and a basketball machine that helped students and faculty de-stress after midterms. She also reported that on October 18-19, College of Continuing Education hosted Cultivating Strategies for Supporting College Men of Color, which provided an opportunity for higher education leaders to convene and discuss ways to strengthen and prioritize men of color in their academic journeys.

BOARD ACTIONS

• At its regular meeting of November 7, 2024, which was conducted in-person, with online participation available, the Board of Trustees:
  Announced the following actions from Closed Session: the Board adopted the Advisory Decision of the Arbitrator and upheld the termination of a classified employee at San Diego Mesa College.
• Conducted a campus meeting in a hybrid format with San Diego Mesa College that welcome remarks from President Ashanti T. Hands, Associated Students President Zora Williams, Classified Senate President Ayana Woods, and Academic Senate President-elect Mary Gwin. The campus meeting focused on the theme of Celebrating 60 Years of Equity and Excellence, and included presentations such as a video about the college’s 60th Anniversary by Dean Letizia Diaz; Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy by Vice President, Instruction Isabel O’Connor, program managers Toni Parsons and Leland Simpliciano, and Instructional Designer Katie Palacios; the Future of Dramatic Arts at the college featuring professors George Yé and Jesse Keller and students Liz Benson and Leo Romero; Space and Wellness and on Safety and Emergency Preparedness by Director Jacqueline Collins featuring videos on the Mesa Trail, TerraMesa Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Club, and Employee Wellness; FamilyU Update by Basic Needs Coordinator Johanna Aleman; Pride Scholars by Pride Center Counselor Lucio Lira; and the recent Ghana Trip by Dean Lorie Crosby Howell, Professor Thekima Mayasa, and counselors Monica Woodruff and Terry Sivers. Closing remarks were provided by President Hands.
• Heard public comment from FlorDeliza Abuyo and Ellen Engels who spoke in support of a 32-hour workweek. Past Academic Senate (AS) President Justin Akers provided a report for the City College AS, reading a resolution opposing the deployment of tasers on SDCCD campuses. Mesa College AS President-elect Mary Gwin reported that faculty had a lot of questions following a presentation on AI; Mesa College was the first stop on the CCCs to HBCU Caravan; congratulated Erin Evans on her recent election to the San Diego County Board of Education and recognized the Mesa College Athletics department which has several ranked programs in the state. She also said the Dance department has several performances coming up and that the campus is seeing significant enrollment increases in many programs due to the hard work being done by faculty. She concluded by acknowledging the work being done on AB 1705 by math and other faculty. Miramar College AS President Pablo Martin thanked the Board members for their service, especially trustees Graham and Rhinerson on the occasion of their retirements and acknowledged their many contributions. He said the AS is working on several resolutions which will be shared at future meetings including a resolution on technology and planning issues and on use of AI in courses. Chancellor Smith shared an update on behalf of College of Continuing Education Classified Senate reporting that President Tina King hosted the Classified Senate for a lunch which was appreciated, the Staff Training and Retention (STAR) conference was held, and that participation in the AS is at an all-time high.
• Conducted the second reading of a Chapter 3 – General Institution Board Policy; and the first reading of Chapter 2 – Board of Trustees and Chapter 3 – General Institution board policies with approval to proceed with the next steps of review.
• Established December 19, 2024, as the annual organizational board meeting; and elected Trustee Craig Milgrim to serve as interim president during the period of December 12, 2024, to January 2, 2025.
• Authorized an agreement with healthcare agencies for use of clinical facilities by students enrolled in District health occupation programs; with the City of San Diego Lifeguard Services Division of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to provide training for Lifeguard Services at San Diego Miramar College; and approved a master service agreement between the Research Triangle Institute and Miramar College.
• Adopted amendments to the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreements with the San Diego Unified School District, The O’Farrell Charter High School, San Diego County Office of Education (Monarch School), and King-Chavez Community High School.
• Authorized travel for San Diego City College students to take Spanish classes in Barcelona, Spain; San Diego Mesa College students to take Spanish classes in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Miramar College students to take Filipino studies and personal growth classes in the Philippines during the 2025 intersession.
• Authorized travel for City College students to attend a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) March 31 through April 5; and Mesa College Fashion Department students to attend the Women’s Wear Daily MAGIC Conference February 12-16 in Las Vegas.
• Accepted grants from the US Department of Education for a Hispanic Serving Institution grant at Mesa College; from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a Biomedical Research and Research Training grant at UC San Diego and City College
• Accepted grants from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) for the City College Umoja Campus Program; for the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program at Mesa College; for the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges; for the English Language Learners Healthcare Pathways Grant at San Diego College of Continuing Education; and for the Common Course Numbering (CCN) - AB 1111 Grant at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges.
• Accepted grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for Integrating the Arts and Humanities for a Career and Social Justice Impact collaborative transfer support program with UC San Diego; and from American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for the Catalyzing a Data Infrastructure to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Inclusion Institutional Support Pilot Program.
• Authorized agreements with the Foundation for Grossmont-Cuyamaca Colleges for the Regional Strong Workforce Program (SWP) for the Building Construction sector project and the College Based Marketing project at Mesa College; and with the California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Education for Child Development programs at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges.
• Heard a quarterly report of the budgeted expenses to actuals and approved the 2023-24 Annual Financial Report.
• Entered into a consulting agreement with Harris & Associates and HELIX Environmental Planning to provide as needed environmental services as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and approved a change order for the painting project at the District Office issued to GQ Builders.
• Adopted a resolution to accept the findings that the City College Affordable Student Housing Project is categorically exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
• Approved the appointment and employment contract of Aurora Ayala as Associate Vice Chancellor, Facilities, Risk Management, and Operations.
• Authorized the use of Chollas Mead Elementary School as an off-campus facility by College of Continuing Education.
• Approved purchase orders and contracts completed during October 2024; the District’s Report of Participation in the San Diego County Investment Pool; new or revised courses and programs; and various personnel actions including the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after November 8, 2024.