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President/Superintendent's Blog


Update Following August 1, 2017 Board of Trustees Meeting


Published on 8/2/2017.

Personnel Actions

The Board ratified the appointment of Chad Williams as our new Director of Upward Bound.  Prior to accepted the CR position, Chad served as the Director of the Bonner Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at Carson Newman University.  Prior to that work, he served as the Assistant Director of the Irwin W. Steans Center and Egan Urban Center at DePaul University and the Director of the Boys Leadership Institute of the Chicago Urban League.

The Trustees also approved the employment of Allison Formica as the Instructional Support Specialist III in the Eureka Science Lab, Jessica Frint as the new Administrative Secretary for the Academic Senate, and Margaret Talcott as a Student Development Advisor in the Adult Education department.

Monthly Financial Report

The preliminary financial status report for fiscal year 2016-17 was reviewed and approved.  The books are not yet closed, so the financial status report provided a snapshot in time.  In the expenditures, the actual expenditures are $389,000 over the budget.  As a result, the Business Office must find other funding sources outside of general funds to cover the overage before finalizing the closing of the books.  Measure Q, IELM, restricted lottery, auxiliary funds, rental income funds, and any other available resources must cover the overage.  Also, the Transfers In were increased by $300,000 in order to maintain the ending fund balance at 6.9%.  This $300,000 also will come from resources outside the general fund.

As expenditures for salary step increases, medical insurance, and STRS and PERS costs rise each year by more than the State’s COLA and base budget increase, the amount of support from outside the general fund will continue to grow at an unsustainable rate.  Savings from retirements can help close this budget gap which is why the District has offered retirement incentives over the years.

Next year, the Cabinet will begin holding positions open to increase the temporary vacancy savings.  Some positions, such as life safety and classroom instructors for scheduled course sections, may not be able to be held open.  Therefore, the hold will be on a case-by-case basis.  Positions will be held open for two months and savings will be tracked. 

Naming of Facilities and Properties

The Trustees approved the recommendation to name the Student Services and Administrative building after College of the Redwoods’ first president, Dr. Eugene Portugal.  I am planning to have the naming ceremony later in the fall semester.

Approve plan to Replace the Del Norte Portable Buildings

Vice President Lindsey has repeatedly called attention to the fact that the portable buildings on our Del Norte campus are old and inadequate for student learning.  The Board approved the recommendation to complete the necessary paperwork and enter data into the Chancellor’s Office FUSION system to create an initial project proposal to get those outdated portable buildings replaced.

Authorize the President to Research Financing Options for the Residence Halls

The Trustees authorized me to research various finance options to renovate the existing residence halls and/or to construct a new residence hall.  I’ll provide a summary of the findings and options for the Board review once complete.

Informational Reports

Ron Waters provided a report to the Board outlining the work of the Police Academy.  

 

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