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Published on 4/2/2019.

Comments/Board Business

Member Comments: Trustee Kelley reported that he attended a Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC) meeting. He provided the minutes of a RREDC meeting to the Trustees’ as information.

Trustee Biggin commented that she, Angelina, and I attended the mid-semester student celebration at our KT site earlier this month. Trustee Biggin also reported that she was appointed to serve on the Student Centered Funding Formula Task Force along with several community college presidents and trustees.

Board Committee Reports: President of the Board Emad reported that the President’s Evaluation Committee (Trustees Emad, Biggin and Mathews) met prior to the regular meeting. They agreed to disseminate the evaluation survey instrument in April. The survey results will be discussed with me in closed session in May.

Trustee Dr. Deister commented that the Board’s Self-Evaluation will be sent out in April.  

2019 CCCT Board Election: The Trustees authorized Trustee Biggin to cast a vote on their behalf for the vacant seats on the CCCT Board of the League.

Draft District Vision Statement: The Board is responsible for approving the principles and values that guide the College, setting its mission, vision, and evaluating the College relevant to its vision and mission.  In keeping with this responsibility, President of the Board Emad appointed Trustees Biggin, Dorn, and Kelley to serve on an ad hoc committee to draft a revised District Vision Statement.

The Board reviewed the draft statement at this meeting. The Board suggested including some language relative to student success in the draft vision statement. I included the version of the draft vision statement the Board reviewed in this blog article.

I will now submit the draft vision statement to College’s constituent group review process for comment.

Review Mission Statement: As a matter of good practice and adherence to accreditation standards the Board reviewed the District’s Mission Statement.  President of the Board Emad appointed an ad hoc committee comprised of Trustees Dr. Mullery, Mathews, and Kelley to review BP 1200 Mission. A revised BP 1200 will go to the Board as first read in the coming months.

Consent Calendar Action Items

Approve/Ratify Personnel Actions: Several personnel related items were approved/ratified by Board action. Jonathan Masten will serve as an Instructional Support Specialist I at the KT site effective April 17, 2019 and Jessica Howard as an Assistant Professor, Nursing (replacement) at the Eureka Campus effective August 1, 2019.

Effective April 1, 2019, Kevin Crotty moved from Custodian I to Warehouse/Mailroom Clerk, Alexandra Baker moved from Lead Cashier to Student Services Specialist IV, Rodney Bethune moved from Custodian I to Student Services Specialist II, and Tory Eagles from Student Services Specialist III to Pelican Bay State Prison Program Coordinator.

We will say farewell to Brady Reed. Brady will resign her position as the Director of TRiO Success effective April 30, 2019. President of the Board Emad thanked Brady of her service to the College.  We wish her well in her new role at Lassen Community College.

Approve/Ratify Contracts, Agreements, MOUs: The Trustees approved and/or ratified several contracts, agreement, and MOUs. I want to mention three of the contracts.

Greenway Partners—This an agreement for the College to work with Greenway Partners to identify potential land and building uses for the vacant buildings on the Eureka Campus. Our engagement with Greenway will consist of the following tasks: Project Initiation; Land and Building Assessment; Land, Building, and Use Option Assessment; and Presentation of Findings.

Kerry Mayer, Julia Morrison and I met with representatives from Greenway on March 18, 2019 to establish the project's working timeline, outline roles and responsibilities, identify a primary point of contact, and establish a Focus/Working Group. Our Focus/Working Group will be comprised of the following faculty: Derek Glavich, Mark Winter, Tony Sartori, John Johnston, and Michael Dennis.  Crystal Morse and Lorraine Pedrotti will represent CSEA. Rounding out the group will be two members of the Management Council—Kristy Seher and Bob Brown.  Kerry Mayer will lead the group as our primary contact with Greenway.

I agreed to provide existing data, including previous research, reports, and ideas for the site use, and provide access to staff and stakeholders who have the knowledge to answer emergent questions.

We want to approach this project in a highly collaborative manner. We will engage faculty, staff, community members, and District decision makers at key points throughout the project's process. Greenway will hold stakeholder interviews, research regulatory and statutory laws, and conduct building and site analyses in April and May. Greenway's findings will be presented to the Board of Trustees this coming summer.

Sergio Valencia Construction—We contracted with Sergio Valencia Construction to repair two wood windows at our Garberville Instructional Site. The repair work had to be completed as a prerequisite for closing the sale on the property.

Wahlund Construction—This is a Notice to Proceed and contract documents for the Utility Infrastructure Replacement (UIR) Project. Over the next two years, we will replace the underground utilities throughout the Eureka Campus including installing new gas, electrical, water and fiber option lines, and storm drains. We will also see the installation of a new leach filed behind the old Stadium site, a new HVAC at the AT building, new fire alarm panels, and a new Energy Management System.

Approve Purchase of Lot 2004 G Street, Eureka, CA for Construction Technology Program: The Board approved the recommendation to purchase the next location for the student built house.

Action/Discussion Items

Monthly Financial Status Report: The monthly financial report covered unrestricted general fund revenue and expenditures for the period of July 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019.  The report noted that revenue is at 60.2% of the budgeted amount, state and local property tax receipts are coming in lower than expected, salary and benefit expenditures continue to trend slightly low, and we’re still projecting a 2018-19 ending fund balance of 6.6%.

Equal Employment Opportunity Fund Multiple Method Allocation Certification Form for Fiscal Year 2018-2019: We are required, as a requirement for EEO funding, to attest to how the District is addressing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).

The Chancellor's Office uses the Equal Employment Opportunity Multiple Method Allocation Form to ensure that community colleges are adhering to policies contained in Education Code and Title 5. The Equal Employment Opportunity Multiple Method Allocation form is due to the Chancellor's Office by June 1, 2019.

Informational Reports

Pelican Bay Initiative: Mr. Rory Johnson, Professor Bernadette Johnson, Professor Christopher Callahan, and Ms. Tory Eagles gave a wonderful presentation on the College’s prison education initiative. They discussed the history of the initiative and provided a few highlights of our work in the prison. What follows is a quick summary of the information they presented.

• The program began in 2015 with non-credit Math and English preparatory classes. In spring of 2016 the first for credit class (GS 6) was offered with an enrollment of 21 students.
• As of spring 2019 the program has grown to serve approximately 300 students, with 24 students enrolled full-time, and 200+ student waiting list.
• We received 1.2 million dollar Innovation Award in June 2018. This 3 year award is funding one full time English faculty member and parts of several staff positions as well as instructional materials and equipment.
• There are now two full time positions devoted exclusively to the Pelican Bay program, one English faculty member and a newly created staff level coordinator position.
• This year the program began offering Statistics and Intro to Biology with a lab.
• All students have student education plans and access to research materials with support from research librarians.
• The program will graduate its first two students this summer.

Student Success Data: Financial Aid & Persistence: This informational agenda item underscored that almost three-quarters of incoming students receive financial assistance. Students receiving a grant persist from their first fall to the spring semester at higher rates, and from their first year to the next year at higher rates. 

Financial Aid Status	# Students	Fall to Spring Persistence
Received Promise/BOG or PELL Grant	2845	69.7%
Did Not Receive Promise/BOG or PELL Grant	1089	61.5%
Financial Aid Status	# Students	Fall to Fall Persistence
Received Promise/BOG or PELL Grant	2348	46.4%
Did Not Receive Promise/BOG or PELL Grant	875	41.9%

 

Update on Vacant Buildings on the Eureka Campus:  I provided a brief information report related to the vacant Old Library (OL), Physical Science (PS), and Life Science (LS) buildings on the Eureka Campus. I noted that two community meetings were held late last fall to discuss re-purposing options for the vacant buildings.

Following the second community meeting, I engaged Greenway Partners to help us develop options to increase utilization of the under-purposed vacant buildings on the Eureka Campus. Greenway will hold stakeholder interviews, research regulatory and statutory laws, and conduct building and site analyses in April and May. Greenway's findings will be presented to the Board of Trustees this coming summer.

An important piece of the planning process to determine what we can or should do with the old vacant buildings is analyzing the historical value of the buildings. To that end, I contracted with Mr. Gerald Takano, a respected architectural consultant, to determine the historical significance of the three vacant buildings.

I received a copy of Mr. Takano’s final evaluation report, which I included in the board agenda in its entirety for full transparency.  The final report included a history of the buildings, original and current architectural and landscape features, discussion of the building’s appearance, changes and present conditions, and an evaluation of the significance of the buildings. I included a brief summary of Mr. Takano's findings in this blog article. Please see April 2, 2019 Board of Trustees agenda item 4.3 to read and/or download the full report.

Mr. Takano found that the OL, PS, and LS buildings are significant. He also stated that although the buildings are significant, their preservation is unachievable because of the following three constraints:

1. The entire Eureka Campus is located in an Aiquist Priolo Special Studies Act Zone. The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, passed in 1972 to mitigate the hazard of surface faulting to structures for human occupancy. Another state law, the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act, passed in 1990, addresses non-surface fault rupture earthquake, and hazards, including liquefaction and seismically induced landslides.
2. The Aiquist Priolo Special Studies Act and California State Law prohibit school buildings located on or within 50 feet of an active earthquake fault. Facilities are also subject to the Field Act which bans the construction of unreinforced masonry buildings and requires that earthquake forces be taken into account in structural design.
3. Subsequently, funding for the retrofitting and rehabilitation is prohibitive for the College of the Redwoods.

Steven Roper and I sent a copy of the full report to the Humboldt County Planning Department for their review and determination of our next steps. We hope to hear something back the Planning Department soon.

Organizational Reports

CSEA: CSEA President Tami Engman highlighted the wonderful classified staff at the Del Norte Campus.

Management Council: President Brady Reed spoke to the Interest Based Approach training that several managers attended at Los Rios recently. She also mentioned that Ron Waters will serve as the next Management Council President with her departure from the College.

Administrative Reports

President/Superintendent's Report: My report touched on the Hope Center Survey and the work of the Program Viability Committee (PVC). Here’s a brief summary of the Hope Center Survey’s key findings:

• 19% of California’s 2.1 million community college students have been homeless during the past year.
• Rates of basic needs insecurity vary by region and by institution. The highest incidence of basic needs insecurity is found in the Northern Coastal, Northern Inland, and Greater Sacramento regions of California.
• Rates of basic needs insecurity are higher for marginalized students, including African Americans, students identifying as LGBTQ, and students considered independent from their parents or guardians for financial aid purposes.
• Students who have served in the military, former foster youth, and formerly incarcerated students are all at greater risk of basic needs insecurity.
• During the 30 days preceding the survey, 50% of the California community college students who responded to the survey experienced food insecurity,
• Sixty percent of survey respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year. The most commonly reported challenges were experiencing a rent or mortgage increase (32%), not paying the full cost of utilities (28%), and not paying the full amount of their rent or mortgage (28%).
• Six percent of those respondents self-identify as homeless; 13% experience homelessness (e.g. were living under conditions indicating housing insecurity), but do not self-identify as homeless. The vast majority of students who experience homelessness temporarily stayed with a relative or friend, or couch surfed.
• Seven in 10 students responding to the survey experienced food insecurity or housing insecurity or homelessness during the previous year.
• Transgender students have the highest rates of homelessness at 37%, approximately double the rate of students identifying as male or female. Bisexual students have rates of food insecurity 11 percentage points higher than their heterosexual peers, at 58% versus 47%. Gay or lesbian students have food insecurity rates almost as high, at 56%. These students have rates of housing insecurity and homelessness almost 10 percentage points higher than their heterosexual or non-identifying peers.
• Higher levels of parental education are associated with less risk of basic needs insecurity, with the clearest disparities evident based on whether or not a student’s parent possesses a bachelor’s degree. Nonetheless, about one-third of students with college-educated parents experience food insecurity.
• Basic needs insecurity is more pronounced among older California community college students. For example, more than half of students ages 21 or older experience food insecurity (compared to 40% for 18–20 year olds) and about one in five experience homelessness (compared to 15% for 18–20 year olds).
• Students who served in the military were more likely to experience homelessness (25%) than students who did not (19%). However, students with military experience were no more likely to experience food insecurity than students who were not in the military.

The Program Viability Committee (PVC) completed final annual progress reports on the Business Technology, Adult Education (non-credit), and Addiction Studies programs.  After an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, the PVC recommended that the Business Technology program be discontinued. The PVC also recommended that the Adult Education and Addiction Studies programs should undergo another progress review next year since they are making satisfactory progress towards revitalization. I concurred with the recommendations.

I want to again thank Academic Senate Co-President Professor Peter Blakemore, Dean George Potamianos, Vice President Angelina Hill, Director Rory Johnson, Professor Michael Dennis, Professor Roberta Farrar, Professor John Johnston, Professor Jon Pedicino, and Professor Shannon Sullivan for serving on the PVC. Their work is invaluable to the College.

Vice President of Instruction Report:  Angelina called attention to several courses that were revised in accordance with the remedial reform and AB 705:

• MATH-380 Elementary Algebra
• ENGL-102 Developing Reading and Writing
• ENGL-150 Pre-collegiate Reading and Writing
• English labs
  • ENGL-53B Lab for ENGL-1A
  • ENGL-1L Cohort Lab for ENGL-1A
  • ENGL-53B Lab for ENGL-1B
  • ENGL-55 Lab for Behavioral & Social Sciences
  • ENGL-54 Lab for Arts & Humanities

Angelina’s written comments noted that we received some guidance from the ACCJC. The ACCJC will not ask us to report the percentage of courses and programs with completed student learning outcome assessment. However, we will be required to:

1. Expound on significant enrollment changes from one year to the next and our graduation rate and
2. Report the unduplicated headcount of how many students received a degree or certificate. This new requirement will affect our future funding since the new Student Centered Funding Formula was originally designed to fund community colleges for each student completion.

Angelina also noted that we have been awarded a $90,000 grant to provide students with a single username and password for all of their accounts (e.g., Datatel, e-mail, Canvas), to enhance accessibility of CR’s website, and to comply with ADA regulations.

Angelina commented that the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) approved the letter of interest we submitted. Our letter asked for IEPI Professional Resource Team guidance on how to get the faculty as a whole centered on a shared goal for student success.

Vice President of Administrative Services Report: Julia’s written comments focused on the Chancellor's Office March 6 and 22 Memos related to the 2018-19 First Principal Apportionment (P1. The Memos included some interesting details related to the status of California Community College revenue. Here’s a brief snapshot of what Julia discussed.

• The student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF) cost estimates that informed the Governor's budget were less than P1 Total Computational Revenue. This resulted in a budget deficit (inadequate budget to cover SCFF costs) at the State level.
• The State’s property taxes are coming in lower than was estimated in the Governor's January budget.
• The current revenue guarantee from the Chancellor's Office for districts is the Hold Harmless revenue amounts. Our Hold Harmless Revenue is $27,626,532 and Total Computational Revenue with the SCFF is $29,246,221.

In the District's 2018-19 Final Budget, the estimated SCFF revenue is $28,137,999.  As mentioned above, the Chancellor's Office is currently only guaranteeing Hold Harmless Revenue levels for all districts.  At this time, administration thinks it would be premature to adjust 2018-19 Final Budget revenue.  The updated P1 Apportionment Report that is scheduled to be released in April will provide a more accurate revenue estimate. We have to keep in mind, however, that the property tax deficit might be back filled as is past practice.

Vice President of Student Development Report: Joe’s written report updated the Board on the following:

• We submitted a proposal for Humboldt Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funding.  Our proposal asked for funding to initiate programs and activities to support students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity and/or food insecurity.  Some activities noted in the proposal included emergency temporary housing assistance, homelessness prevention services, culturally competent case management, transportation assistance, and hotel/motel vouchers. 

• The Multicultural Diversity Center (MDC) celebrated Cesar Chavez Day with activities including the screening of, "Who is Dayani Cristal" and the movie, "Cesar Chavez". 

• Our student government leaders and ASCR advisor Professor Gary Sokolow attended the statewide Student Senate General Assembly in Sacramento.  The theme for the event was “Students Uniting Beyond Barriers”.  

• The Eureka Campus hosted the 16th Annual Northcoast Youth Summit on Saturday, March 23, 2019.  The event had over 200 youth participants who enjoyed a day of group activities, workshops and inspirational local keynote speakers Kym Kemp and Betty Chinn.

• The CR women's basketball program had two student athletes recognized for their significant contributions this season.  Sophomore Bobbie Purify and freshman Bree Northern were both named to the All-GVC Team.   For the men, Logan Thrap was named All-GVC, with Elysha Jackson being named Honorable Mention and Donald Snowton, Jr. named to the All-Defensive Team. 

• The College hired Ryan Bisio as our new men's basketball coach. We are extremely lucky that Ryan as a new associate faculty/coach.   

Joe spoke to the tremendous effort by Resident Life, Financial Aid and the Business Office in lower student dorm debt and increasing revenue.

Director of Human Resources Report: Wendy pointed out that she, Kerry Mayer, Brady Reed, Heidi Bareilles, Kris Marquez, and Ericka Barber attended the Interest Based Approach (IBA) training sponsored by Los Rios Community College District recently. This is an important initiative for the College and will send another group composed of members from the classified body, faculty, and confidential groups to a training in the near future. Our IBA training team will also attend the facilitator training at Los Rios in the spring of 2020.   

Future Agenda Items, Reports, Requests for Information

Approve a Trustee Request to Place an Item on a Future Agenda or Direct Staff to Give a Regular Report: The Board asked for an update regarding the Del Norte Science Lab.