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President/Superintendent's Blog


Update Following the June 5, 2018 Board of Trustees Meeting


Published on 6/6/2018.

Yesterday's Board of Trustees meeting went very well. The Trustees were engaged and demonstrated commitment and dedication to the welfare of the District. We are fortunate to have such dedicated Trustees leading the institution. 

I appreciate the contributions made by the faculty, staff, managers, adminstrators who participated in the meeting.  I am truly lucky to work with some phenomenal colleagues.

Allow me to share a brief summary of the meeting in case you were not able to attend or follow it online.  The Board’s Audit and Finance Committee met prior to the regular meeting and discussed two topics—Dr.  Harrison’s final report and the District’s 2018-19 Tentative Budget. 

We engaged Dr. Albert Harrison, a consultant with the Collaborative Brain Trust, to serve as temporary Chief Business Officer while we conducted the search for a permanent replacement for Lee Lindsey. I asked Dr. Harrison to oversee the day-to-day work of the business office and assess our business office staffing and budgeting processes.  Dr. Harrison provided a report on his findings and recommendations for future actions.  The Audit Committee agreed to, in the spirit of openness and transparency, share Dr. Harrison’s report with the full Board and the college community.  To that end, the report will be included in July 10 Board meeting agenda for review and discussion.

Julia Morrison led a discussion of the revenue assumptions that influenced the Tentative Budget and our anticipated general, categorical and restricted fund expenditures. The Audit Committee agreed to meet immediately before the August Board meeting to discuss the impact of the State’s Final Budget on our 2018-19 budget and 2019-2021 budget forecast.

Board Business. President of the Board Carol Mathews swore Florentina Phillips in as the new Student Trustee. President Mathews also appointed Trustee Biggin to serve as Florentina’s mentor.

Trustee Kelley commented on his experience at the 2018 Trustee Conference.  I attached four handouts he provided the Trustees relative to guided pathways and student transfer to this summary. Please see files: Why is Transfer Important.pdf, The New Normal.pdf, Getting Students Through the Transfer Gate.pdf, and Mapping the Transfer Landscape.pdf.

Trustees Mathews, Biggin, Kelley, Dorn, and Emad spoke about their participation in the District’s commencement celebrations. Trustees Dorn and Kelley mentioned their participation in the June 4 Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) training with members of the District and CRFO negotiating teams and members of the Budget Planning Committee.

Approve/Ratify Personnel Actions.  The Board approved or ratified the hiring of Jesica Rawlings as the new Account Clerk III – Accounts Payable (Eureka) replacing Holly Cunningham; Cody Yeates as the long awaited Custodian I – Evenings for the Del Norte campus; Heather Watkins as an Academic Advisor Special Programs for the Upward Bound Program (Eureka); and Alia Dunphy as the District’s new Director for Student Equity and Success.

The Trustees also approved the recommendation to change the employment status of Chia Hinchliff from an Administrative Office Assistant II to a CTE Student Development Advisor (Eureka); Margaret Talcott from the Student Development Advisor – Adult Education to the Assistant Director, Adult Education; and Shannon Walkley from a DSPS Specialist to the TRiO Student Development Advisor. The Board ratified the resignation of Andrea De Cleyre as an Assistant Professor, Counselor (Eureka),  Tyler Hines as a Public Safety Officer, and Nadia Richardson as a TRiO  Student Services Specialist I.

With the Board’s action, we welcome five new Associate Faculty to our college community:  Kyle Bankston – Construction Technology (Eureka); Alissa Boochever – Agriculture Production (Eureka); Chad Hilgenberg – Business (Eureka); Jonathan Maiullo – English (Eureka); and Kendra Wolcott – Sign Language (Eureka). 

Approve/Ratify Contracts, Agreements, MOUs. The Trustees approved several agreements including a $76,500 contract with KCOE ISOM to complete the District’s 2017-18 audit, $215,275 with Dynamic Sports Construction to complete the Track Repair Project, $10,000 to LACO Associates for their engineering work on the UIR project, and $17,000 to ZFA Structural Engineers for the geotechnical and structural review related to the Student Union Building.

Monthly Financial Status Report. This monthly financial report covered July 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018, or 83.33% of the fiscal year. It was noted that our property tax revenue was significantly higher from the prior month, total revenue was higher, and total expenditures were less at this same point in time last year.

The 2018-19 Tentative Budget. The 2018-19 Tentative Budget was approved. The District’s 2018-19 Final Budget will be presented to the Board on September 4, 2018. I attached the Tentative Budget to this summary (see file 2018-19 Tentative Budget.pdf). Please take some time to review the Tentative Budget document. I want to thank Julia Morrison for presenting the tentative budget in a clear and transparent manner. The Trustees were very appreciative of Julia Morrision's professionalism, openness and transparency when she presented the Tentative Budget.

Ratify Early Retirement Incentive MOU with CSEA. The Board approved the Early Retirement MOU between the District and CSEA to provide a one-time lump sum payout of 20% of the eligible employee’s annual base salary with a maximum payout of $15,000. Three CSEA members have elected to take advantage of the incentive to date. The District should realize approximately $179,846 in savings without considering replacements. Keeping with past practice, this same incentive will be available to all administrators, managers and confidential staff.

Accreditation Update. Our Dental Assisting Program will undergo a comprehensive accreditation site visit by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) on November 8-9, 2018. CODA conducts a site visit every seven years. We will not have anything to worry about with Hillary Reed and Angelina Hill at the helm of the program.

Summers Lane Sphagnum Bog Site.  The transfer of our Mendocino Service Area was completed a year ago. However, Mendocino College did not take possession of the Sphagnum Bog (aka Sholars’ Bog) when the area was transferred. Therefore, CR retained the title to the bog.

Clearly, the District will not need to keep possession of the bog since we no longer need the property for instructional purposes.  However, prior to recommending that we relinquish title of the bog, we wanted to provide an informational report outlining the background of CR’s purchase of the property since several members of the Board and administration were not aware of the College’s connection with the bog.

The District worked with the Coastal Conservancy to purchase the parcel through a grant as part of the Conservancy’s Nolo River Enhancement Plan with the idea that the District would preserve the property and use it as an “effective educational location.”  The Conservancy provided $69,260 to the College Foundation to purchase the parcel and make specified improvements and repairs. The improvement work included removal of abandoned vehicles, a marijuana farm, and refuse; culvert repairs; debris removal from stream channels; repair of damage done by off road vehicles; placement of a sign and the installation of a perimeter fence and a boardwalk. The improvement work was completed by August 7, 1987. The College Foundation transferred the property to the District in 1990.

The property title is encumbered by the agreement with the California Coastal Conservancy. The Coastal Conservancy agreement states that the College’s obligations end on February 7, 2006. The agreement with the Coastal Conservancy Condition 3 (b) provides that if the Foundation “is terminated” or fails to operate and maintain the property in accordance with the prescribed requirements, “title to all interests in the property acquired with these funds shall immediately vest in the state, upon approval by the Conservancy and the State Public Works Board, unless another appropriate public agency or nonprofit organization is identified by the Conservancy and agrees to accept title to the property. The Grantee shall record a restriction on the deed to the property reflective of this condition.” Condition 3(c) states that “Transfer by Grantee of any interest in land acquired with these funds is subject to approval by the Executive Office and can only occur if the transferee enters into an agreement with the Conservancy sufficient to protect the interests of the State of California in lands acquired with these funds."

The Board directed me to include a recommendation in the July agenda that seeks approval to surplus the bog.  In disposing of surplus real property Education  Code § 81363.5 requires that offers "at fair market value" be solicited in writing from the State Director of General Services, the University of California Regents, the Trustees for the California State University, the City or County, and to all public housing authorities in the county where the real property is located. Also, a public notice must be placed in the newspaper of general circulation within the District soliciting offers from any other public agency, any public district, and any non-profit agency eligible to purchase as provided by statute.  The notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks.

If there is a positive response to any of these solicitations within 60 days after the last published notice, the District may engage in negotiations with the other agency or agencies to determine if the parties can reach a mutually satisfactory price.

Capital Projects Update. Steven Roper updated the Board on several capital projects. Here’s a quick summary of his discussion.

Stadium Demolition: Mobilization began for the demo team on June 4, 2018. Completion is required contractually by the first week of August.

Track Repair/Resurfacing: This project is running along smoothly. We are on track for completion by June 21.Student Union Building: Steven Roper and Garry Patrick met with the Department of State Architects (DSA) regarding the Student Union Building on May 2, 2018. The DSA Lead Structural Engineer agreed with the assessment of the seismic issues and the mitigation plan we developed.

We plan to remove the portion of the building that housed the Veterans Resource Center, all four restrooms, and part of cafeteria and retail area. We will be allowed to keep the rest of the building and not be required to perform a full building code upgrade. We’ll discuss this plan in more detail with the Facilities Planning Committee in the fall.

Tennis Court Repair/Resurfacing: Garry Patrick is getting the fences repaired and Dean Davison is getting the new Prop39 lighting installed prior to the resurfacing. Resurfacing will begin in July and should take about three weeks to complete. Also, two of the courts will be striped for pickleball. I didn’t know that pickleball was so popular.

Scoreboard Replacement: We should have the new Scoreboard delivered by July 12. The bid request to install the new scoreboard, rework the electrical system and remove the old scoreboard has been released.

Creative Arts Drop & Replace: This is one of five projects funded in the May Revised Budget. The Chancellor’s Office expects to release funding for the Preliminary and Working Drawings when the State’s final budget is approved in July. Based on past practice, we anticipate both funding streams to be available in early September. 

We have been doing a great deal of seismic testing at the Softball/Baseball fields in order to seismic clear the new location for the new Creative Arts Building. In doing so, we uncovered an additional fault that runs underneath the Gym and across the softball field to the Administration of Justice building.

Administration of Justice: We will submit a Final Project Plan to the State to replace this building. We anticipate this going in as a Category A-3 project and avoiding the Initial Project Plan process.

Gymnasium Complex Drop & Replace: According to the May Revised Budget this project, along with 14 other projects within the community college system, was not funded. We have already resubmitted this project asking for additional consideration for funding this year.

First Read of Board Policies and Administrative Procedure. The Board conducted a first reading of the19 Board Polices and/or Administrative Procedures reviewed by the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee. The 19 policies and procedures included: BP 2210 Officers, BP 2305 Annual Organizational Meeting, AP 2305 Annual Organizational Meeting, BP 2310 Regular Meetings of the Board, BP 2315 Closed Sessions, BP 2320 Special and Emergency Meetings, AP 2320 Special and Emergency Meetings, BP 2325 Teleconferencing, AP 2325 Teleconferencing, BP 2330 Quorum and Voting, BP 2340 Agendas, AP 2340 Agendas, BP 2345 Public Participation at Board Meetings, AP 2345 Public Participation at Board Meetings, BP 2355 Decorum, BP 2360 Minutes, BP 2365 Recording, BP 2510 Participation in Local Decision Making, and AP 2510 Participation in Local Decision Making. The Trustees asked review BP 2330, BP2345, and AP 2345 again. The BPs and the APs will go to the Board for a second read in July.

Second Read of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures. Trustees approved five BPs and one AP as a second read: BP 2015 Student Trustee, BP 2200 Board Duties and Responsibilities, BP 2432 President/Superintendent Succession, BP 2750 Board Member Absence, AP 2712 Conflict of Interest Code, and BP 2800 General Fund Reserve. The Trustees asked that a minor revision be made to BP 2750. The BPs and AP will now go to the College Council for constituent review. The documents will go back to the Board as a final read again once they've been reviewed by College Council.

K’ima:w Medical Center. Keith Dobbs, CEO of K'ima:w Medical Center discussed healthcare in the Hoopa Valley and possible areas of collaboration.

Informational Report: Presentation of the Construction Technology Program. Assistant Professor Derek Glavich gave a wonderful presentation related the Construction Tech Program. It’s clear why the community views our Construction Tech program is an important CR program and vital component in the economic development revitalization plan for our service area.

Informational Report: Spring Semester Foundation Report and Financial Update. Marty Coelho briefed the Board on the current condition of the Foundation and discussed the wonderful work his team has done to develop the CR brand, recruit and retain students, build business partnerships and generate ongoing resources. I attached a copy of his presentation to the blog article (please see Foundation and Marketing Spring Report June 5.pdf). 

CRFO. President of the Board Carol Mathews thanked outgoing CFRO President Mike Haley for his service in CRFO. Incoming CRFO President Michelle Haggerty provided the Trustees with a summary of her background with the District.

CSEA. Tami Engman spoke about the 4-day work week we agreed to implement this summer. She also thanked the managers and administrators who participated in the celebratory barbecues for our classified staff colleagues.

Management Council. Kintay Johnson thanked the Eureka and Del Norte TRiO staff as well as the faculty and staff of the EOPS and CalWorks programs for their work.

President/Superintendent Report.  My informational report included a letter from CR student Douglas Hartling relating a positive experience he had with the Physical Education department.  I think it appropriate to include his letter in this Board meeting summary:

Hi all,

I've been meaning to write for a little while to tell of my invaluable experience with the Athletics Department and its staff. I returned to school full time last semester after a long hiatus. I had recently made a decision to get back in shape and lose weight over the summer, and was concerned about not being able to stay on track while carrying a full course load. From the beginning I was met with help and great encouragement from everyone I met with. Bob Brown (thanks Bob!) helped me to figure out a way to take the weight training class and fit it into my schedule even though it partially overlapped with one of my academic courses; he was also very upfront and insightful in his approach to fitness. In that class, Brad Morgan was a huge asset not only in keeping up with my lifting program, but also in addressing a long standing shoulder issue and figuring out exercises to increase strength and mobility.

By far the biggest impact on my fitness was realized in the walking and running class led by Eric Wright. I signed up for the class not knowing what to expect, but with the hope of maintaining my weight loss and increasing my aerobic conditioning. To say that it helped me achieve these goals would be a huge understatement. I went into the class having only run a bit of cross country in high school (15+ years ago), and at the time being able to run for a total of a mile or two at about 9 min./mile. With Coach Wrights support, enthusiasm, and guidance I managed to work up to 8 miles in 1:06 by finals week... Something I never imagined I'd be able to do. Since then, again at the encouragement of Coach Wright, I've joined 6 Rivers Running Club and regularly participated in their events, seeing him at many of them, where he always has a great deal of positive inspiration to offer. Like I said, I've been meaning to write about my experience for a while: The impetus for doing so today is that today, thanks to the class and Coach Wright, I again did something I never dreamed possible; I completed the Avenue of the Giants Marathon. It was a daunting challenge, and at times I was doubtful if I'd be able to finish. Who was along the route not once, but three times to cheer me on? Coach Wright! His words spurred me on and made the run easier, especially at mile 25 when my legs felt like they couldn't go on. Crossing the finish was exhilarating.

My experience last semester was amazing, has certainly led me to a healthier lifestyle that has vastly improved my quality of life, and will continue to do so for years to come. I cannot say enough to express my gratitude to the school, department, and especially Coach Wright for the time and effort!

My final written comment focused on my contention that the Governor’s proposal to establish a new funding formula—with the changes outlined in the May Revision—would create much needed stability for our community colleges and provide extra support for students requiring extra support. My contention notwithstanding, it is not clear at this time whether the funding formula will be made into law.

Vice President of Instruction Report. Angelina Hill’s written comments spoke to the District’s new placement process, the Dual Enrollment and Pathway Alignment Summit, and the Chancellor’s Office rebranding of Career Technical Education (CTE) to Career Education (CE).

Angelina also shared that Assistant Professor Nicole Bryant Lecher led discussions about Keeping Students at the Center and Student-Based Problem Solving with AB 705 Resources at the AB 705 Workshop at Bakersfield College this past May.  Assistant Professor Bryant Lecher's involvement is a reminder that AB 705 and remedial reform is much more than simply doing away with placement exams in the pursuit of student success.

Vice President of Student Development Report. Joe Hash’s written comments centered on the Multicultural Center’s (MCC) first ever graduation celebration for MCC students who completed a degree and/or certificate, the 14th annual "CR Dinner and Sports Auction" fundraiser to benefit CR Athletics and the Foundation, the District’s successful transition from Accuplacer to Multiple Measures for math and English placement exams, and the Del Norte TRiO program’s College Transition event for high school seniors.

Joe also recognized the success of the four CR athletes who competed in the California State Community College Track & Field Championships at Bakersfield College on May 18 and 19: Nicholas Brichta in the 5000 meter run, Angelo Flores in the javelin, J.W. Dauth in the javelin and discus and Jasper Severn in the 3000 steeplechase run.  Angelo Flores was crowned state champion in the javelin with a winning throw of 58.93 meters.  Dauth was the javelin champion at the Nor Cal Championship Meet at Sacramento on May 11 with Flores finishing in 2nd place.  Severn took 3rd in the steeplechase at the Nor Cal Championship Meet. 

Vice President of Administrative Services Report. Julia Morrison’s written comments drew the Board’s attention to the District’s engagement of KCOE-ISOM to complete the 2017-18 annual audit and her attendance at the ACBO Spring 2018 Conference on May 21 - 23 in Santa Rosa.

Julia also outlined some of the recommendations included in the Governor's May Revised Budget. The Governor's budget includes two major proposals that affect the California Community College System—a new student-focused funding formula, a fully online community college and consolidation of categorical programs. The proposal for the student-focused funding formula includes $175 million for the transition to the new formula, $173 million for a 2.71% COLA, $60 million for 1% growth, and $104 million in discretionary resources. The proposal for the new online college includes $100 million in one-time funds and $20 million ongoing funds. The budget also includes $46 million to fund the California College Promise Program, and consolidates categorical programs - SSSP, Basic Skills, and Student Equity.

Julia noted in her written comments that the Senate and the Assembly have taken the following actions on the Governor's proposals:

  • The Senate rejected the formula, redirected $175 million and $104 million to other legislative priorities, allocated $108 million to college base funding, and maintained funding for the COLA. 
  • The Assembly also rejected the formula but suggested the creation of a task force to make recommendations on the funding formula. 
  • The assembly also suggested allocating $175 million so that all districts would receive at least 17-18 funding levels plus COLA. 
  • The Senate approved the new online college proposal, with several modifications. 
  • The Assembly rejected the online college proposal and instead provided $60 million in one-time funds to support an Institute for Innovation in Online Learning.
  • Both the Senate and the Assembly approved the California College Promise Program funding as well as the consolidation of the categorical programs.

I included two of Julia’s attachments to this blog article if you want to take a look. See Annual Legislative Update.pdf and Chancellor’s Office Report and System Update.pdf.

Next steps for the Governor's Budget - The Budget Conference Committee will meet to reconcile the differences between the Senate and the Assembly's actions.  A final budget must be adopted by June 15.  It's anticipated the State will have an on-time budget.

 

 

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