Skip to main content

President/Superintendent's Blog


Summary of the March 9, 2021 Board of Trustees Meeting


Published on 3/9/2021.

Comments/Board Business

Land Acknowledgement: President of the Board Danny Kelley read a formal statement that recognizes and respects the Indigenous Peoples as the original stewards of the land that College of the Redwoods occupies. 

We acknowledge that the land on which we are gathered today is unceded territory of the Wiyot people who continue to live and thrive on this land today. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homeland of several indigenous nations including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

Board Attendance at the Virtual Annual Trustees Conference in May: The Board approved a recommendation for interested Trustees to participate in the virtual annual Trustees Conference in May.

Board Attendance at 2021 ACCT Virtual Governance Leadership Institute March 30 - April 1, 2021: The Board agreed to support Trustees who may want to participate in the upcoming Governance Leadership Institution.

Resolution 776 In Support of Women's History Month March 2021: Women’s History Month, a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society, has been observed in March annually in the United States since 1987. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution in celebration of Women's History Month. I attached the resolution to this blog article.

Resolution 777 In Support of Equal Pay in California Community Colleges: There is a harsh reality for women that, regardless of education and work experience, a wage gap exists in the United States.  It only gets worse as women’s careers progress. Payscale conducted research that showed in 2020 women made only $0.81 for every dollar a man made. You can read the article at https://www.payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap. I am proud that the Board approved a resolution at this meeting that supports equal pay for women in the California Community College system.  The resolution is attached to this article.

Resolution 778 Condemning the Recent Surge in Hate Crimes Targeting Asian Americans:  There has been a lot of media attention documenting the rise in hate crimes against members of the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community, including the killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old retired auditor from Thailand, while out on his regular walk near the University of San Francisco. This is just one of over 2,800 incidents nationwide of discrimination and violence against AAPIs (https://stopaapihate.org/news/).  Historians of Asian American Studies point to the long history of anti-Asian xenophobia in the United States dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries, including anti-Asian immigrant exclusion laws. This history exists alongside the violence directed toward Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

The Trustees took courageous action and approved a resolution condemning the recent surge in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. The resolution is attached to this article.

Returning to In-Person Board Meetings on June 1, 2021: I asked the Trustees to consider returning to in-person board meetings starting with the June 1 Board meeting.  I believe doing so would send a powerful leadership message to the District as we move toward more in-person instruction and administrative operations.  The return to face-to-face Board meetings will require adherence to the protocols in distributed by the County Health department and the CDC. The Trustees agreed to place a recommendation on the April Board meeting agenda to return to in-person meetings effective June 1.

Discussion of Board Policy 2715 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice:  The Board had a discussion in open session focused on reinforcing their commitment to Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 2715.

We are fortunate to have Trustees on our Board who are extraordinary community leaders elected or appointed to champion CR’s mission and the students we serve. If you were at the College in early 2010s you would have seen how hard the Trustees, working alongside our faculty and staff, worked to heal the self-inflicted wounds caused by our disregard of the accreditation standards.  As we move steadily closer to another comprehensive accreditation visit, it is important that we remain diligent that we do not let history repeat itself.

Occasionally, a faculty, administrator, or staff member may place a Trustee in an unenviable position of pursuing a path other than serving for the greater good and going against board policy related to proper communication protocols.  As history has taught us, violation of the Board’s policies related to ethical behavior and communication protocols will put the College in danger of not meeting Accreditation Standard IV Leadership and Governance.

Consent Calendar Action Items

Approve/Ratify Personnel Actions: By Board action, the following staff had their employee status changed:

General Fund

  • Alia Dunphy, Director of Student Equity and Success ($79,887.19/Annually) to Interim Vice President of Student Services ($91,870.26/Annually) effective February 15, 2021 to July 15, 2021
  • Angelina Hill, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services ($147,920.95/Annually) to Vice President, Instruction and Vice President of Human Resources/Title IX Coordinator ($147,920.95/Annually) effective February 15, 2021
  • Cameron Papp, Student Services Specialist IV ($19.83/Hourly) to Academic Affairs Analyst ($21.83/Hourly .95 FTE) and Student Services Specialist IV ($19.83/Hourly .05 FTE) effective February 22, 2021
  • Megan Laney Schroeder, Interim Manager of Advising and Counseling ($55,825.31/Annually) to Human Resources Technician ($51,378.65/Annually) effective March 22, 2021
  • Ernest Shull, Maintenance Specialist III – Mechanic ($26.06/Hourly .50 FTE)   and Instructional Support Specialist III – Automotive Technology ($22.47/Hourly .50 FTE) to Assistant Professor, Automotive Technology, Class I, Step 7, $61,202.00/Annually effective August 1, 2021

Categorical/Other Fund

  • Jordan Walsh, Student Development Advisor ($47,195.20/Annually) to Interim Assistant Director, EOPS ($60,243.02/Annually) effective March 22, 2021
  • Alex Wright, Instructional Support Specialist III – EOPS ($47,195.20/Annually) to Interim Student Development Advisor ($47,195.20/Annually) effective March 22, 2021

Grant Fund

  • Morgan Solem, Administrative Office Assistant II ($38,417.60/Annually) to Administrative Office Assistant II ($38,417.60/Annually) plus 15 percent out-of-class pay to perform special project duties for CTEA and Strong Workforce effective February 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021

The Board ratified my acceptance of two resignations and one retirement.

  • Shannon Walkley resigned from her position as Student Development Advisor, TRiO effective March 5. Juliet Maestas resigned as the Klamath-Trinity Instructional Site Manager effective March 26.
  • Mark Renner, Professor, Computer Information Systems will retire from the District effective May 21, 2022.

Action/Discussion Items

Monthly Financial Status Report:  The Board approved a monthly financial status report that noted that our overall revenues and expenses are trending slightly lower than last year. Furthermore:

  • We adjusted the Beginning Fund Balance to reflect the audited 2019-20 ending fund balance. We also adjusted the State revenue elements to reflect the amounts included in the P1 Apportionment Report.
  • According to the P1, the District’s Total Computational Revenue (TCR) is currently $30,342,885, which is an increase from the TCR reported on the Advanced Apportionment report.  While this is good news, we are required to include a deficit factor percentage of 2.38% in our revenue projections. The deficit factor will cause or projected TCR to decrease to $29,619,927. 
  • We reduced the budgeted amount for Nonresident Tuition to reflect the drop in our nonresident enrollment.
  • The General Apportionment Revenue is still higher now than last year; however, the final apportionment payment for the year was received in January. Due to the apportionment deferrals, apportionment payments will continue again in July 2021. 
  • The Property Tax Revenue is continuing to come in, however current year receipts are less than at this point in time last year. 
  • The Salary and Benefit expenses are coming in slightly lower than at this point in time last year and Other Operating is still lower due to a slow-down in spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • The Fixed Expenses are trending higher, partially due to an unexpected increase in water charges. 
  • We intend to transfer $90,000 to the Child Development Center, $50,911 to the Shively Farm, and $645,000 to OPEB from the general fund.
  • The monthly financial status reports shows a projected 2020-21 ending fund balance of 10.5%, or $3,287,334. 
  • We still expect to have $5,000,000 in apportionment deferrals.  What this means is that although the fund balance is $3,287,334, the District may not have the cash to back it until the deferred payments are received from the State.

Approve Sabbatical Recommendations for 2021-22: Please join me in congratulating Professor Natalia Margulis and Professor Philip Mancus for gaining Board approval for their sabbatical leaves. 

Natalia’s Fall 2021 sabbatical project will focus on ensuring that students are gaining digital skills that will be relevant in today’s marketplace and creating relevant and significant work as an artist who integrates traditional practices with digital technologies.

Philip’s intends to conduct an overview of education theory, with particular emphasis on research in cognitive, executive functioning and social-emotional learning for his Spring 2022 sabbatical leave. His goal is to create student-centered learning activities that promote development of these domains in the context of social science instruction, enhance student success and close the achievement gap.

First Read of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures: The Board conducted a first read of several IT related policies.  

Second Read of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures: The Board reviewed and approved a revised BP 3200 and BP 2725.

Informational Reports

Legislative Update: Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon reached an agreement on a comprehensive package of immediate budget actions. Legislation, Senate Bill 85, was released on February 18, 2021. For the California Community Colleges, the package includes:

  • $100 million to provide emergency financial assistance to low-income students;
  • $20 million to support retention and re-enrollment strategies for former, current, or prospective students in the context of COVID-19 impacts; and
  • $3.1 million for financial aid administration.

Emergency Grants

A total of $100 million for emergency grants would be allocated to districts based on the headcount number of students who received a fee waiver, as well as the number who meet the requirements for resident status and the income criteria applicable to the California Dream Act application. The criteria for students to be eligible for emergency grants are slightly different than those stipulated in the 2021-22 budget trailer bill related to the $150 million proposed for this purpose which would require self-certification of full-time enrollment or full-time employment to qualify.

Specifically, for emergency grants provided as part of the Early Action Package, students would have to self-certify that they:

  • Are currently enrolled in at least 6 semester units. First-time community college students this term and noncredit Adult Ed students enrolled at least half-time may be eligible for these funds;
  • Can demonstrate an emergency financial aid need, including loss of employment, and that they either currently qualify for a fee waiver or would qualify in the upcoming semester or quarter; and
  • Either earned a GPA of at least 2.0 in one of their previous three terms or are a disabled student receiving DSPS services.

Only to the extent that information is readily available, districts would have to verify that students meet these conditions when providing an emergency grant.

Retention and Enrollment Outreach Support

The agreement includes $20 million to support efforts to increase student retention and enrollment is primarily aimed at engaging with former students who may have withdrawn or current and prospective students who may be hesitant to remain or enroll due to the impacts of COVID-19. Of the funds, 10% will be used to support statewide recruitment and retention efforts.

CalFresh Outreach

Finally, $3.1 million would be allocated to districts by the Chancellor’s Office to increase student applications for CalFresh benefits. Funds could be used to create outreach materials, host events, support equipment needs, and support application assistance, including hiring staff and student workers to assist students in applying for the program and understanding how to use the benefits.

Organizational Reports

Academic Senate: Academic Senate President Gary Sokolow noted that:

  • The Senate is working on a number of issues such as implementing the CVC-OEI program; considering whether to recommend separate course enrollment caps for course offered in the distance education mode; and redefining the academic divisions, for the purposes of Senate representation of the faculty.
  • Professor Chris Gaines was elected to serve as Senate Vice President for the 2021-2022 academic year, beginning on July 1. On that date, current Senate VP Professor Erin Wall will assume the Senate President position.
  • The Senate is continuing to work with the Administration to meet the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation.
  • The Senate is participating in the development of the College’s Educational Master Plan.

CRFO: CRFO President Haggerty mentioned that faculty are feeling better now that vaccines are available. She noted that she attended the COVID-19 vaccine presentation by Dr. Hoffman recently. She also noted that CRFO and the Senate are going to hold a faculty meeting on March 24 to discuss the fall 2021 reopening plan.

CSEA: CSEA President Engman mentioned the SERP tentative agreement will be put in front of the CSEA membership in a few weeks for formal approval. She also mentioned that a task force comprised of administrators and CSEA members has been formed to review departmental reopening plans.

Management Council: Management Council President Hamill mentioned that managers are working on their department’s reopening plans. He also mentioned that several managers participated in the CR/HSU summit.

Student Trustee: Student Trustee Peters spoke to the fact that ASCR is working to expand the membership of the student senate.

Administrative Reports

President/Superintendent's Report: I noted the following in my written report:

  • We held a three part series of dialogue session on February 18, 25 and March 4 to encourage the faculty to look comprehensively at inclusivity and cultural competency in curriculum. I thanked Professor Sean Thomas for the time and effort he put in to developing the conceptual framework that formed the foundation of the dialogue sessions. I believe that this dialogue represented another very important step forward in the conversation about culturally responsive curriculum.

To help us move forward on this initiative, a District Ad-Hoc Task Force has been formed that will focus on continuing the cultural competence in curriculum conversation. Equally important will be the collaboration between the Curriculum Committee and the Academic Senate's Multicultural and Diversity Committee on a recommendation to support the faculty’s work on this topic.

  • We contracted with Humboldt IPA to provide an additional eight hours (for a total of 16 hours) of mental health counseling. We also collaborated with Kirra Health to provide healthcare to college women. Kirra's virtual clinic services will include birth control consultations, women's health education, mental health resources, preconception counseling. Kirra’s services will be available 24/7 via phone, video and chat. The Board approved the Humboldt IPA and Kirra contracts at this meeting.
  • The Education Master Plan (EMP) revision process has entered a new phase. Six working groups have been created to focus on goals and specific actions to move each of the following areas of the EMP forward: Narrative/Organizational Capacity, Future of learning, Interdisciplinary, Budget Impact and Data Needs, Community Partnership, Student Services, and Scheduling, Modality, and Course Mix. The groups will meet this spring semester, each with a specific purpose.
  • Narrative/Organizational Capacity: Synthesize recommendations from all working groups, add organizational capacity recommendations, and finalize plan.
  • Future of learning, Interdisciplinary: Create narrative, including rationale / goals / actions, of what the future of learning looks like and how CR can create a local, hands-on, interdisciplinary focus.
  • Budget Impact and Data Needs: Synthesize recommendations from all working groups and assess impacts to CR’s budget and define data still needed for planning.
  • Community Partnerships: Create narrative, including rationale/goals/actions, for how CR can expand and manage partnerships that include project-based and hands-on learning opportunities for students.
  • Student Services: Create narrative, including rationale/goals/actions, for how CR can deliver the best student experience from start to finish.
  • Scheduling, Modality, and Course Mix: Create narrative, including rationale/goals/actions, for what scheduling, modality, and course mix should look like for students.

I thanked the following faculty, administrators, managers, and staff for serving on the working groups:

  • Narrative/Organizational Capacity: Pete Blakemore, Sean Thomas, John Johnston, Molly Blakemore, Natalia Margulis, Derek Glavich, and Chris Gaines.
  • Future of learning, Interdisciplinary: Erin Wall, Sean Thomas, Pete Blakemore, Kerry Mayer, Wendy Riggs, Reno Giovannetti, and George Potamianos
  • Budget Impact and Data Needs: Levi Gill, Julia Morrison, Rory Johnson, and Joseph Hayes
  • Community Partnerships: Mike Haley, Marty Coelho, Prudence Ratliff, Rory Johnson, and Roberta Farrar
  • Student Services: Alia Dunphy, Bernadette Johnson, Meghan Schroeder, and Bob Brown
  • Scheduling, Modality, and Course Mix: Jon Pedicino, Dave Bazard, Kerry Mayer, Shannon Sullivan

We intend to draft the revised EMP this coming summer and obtain constituent group feedback and Board approval next fall.

CR will hold a workforce summit on Friday, April 9 from 10:00 to noon. The summit will provide valuable insights into the expectations that the business and public sectors have for CR's academic programming.

  • I nominated Professors Amber Buntin, Levi Gill, and Jon Pace for the Mathematics Faculty for Racial Equity Leadership Institute. The Institute believes that AB705’s potential as an equity-focused reform depends greatly on instructors who are committed to its aims and have the knowledge and leadership to serve as models of equity-minded implementation. They are focusing on mathematics because it is a critical gateway discipline to transfer to a four-year institution.
  • CSEA President Tami Engman made me aware that some staff are not aware of the purpose and membership of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). To address this concern, I included a background of the EOC in my written administrative report.

In summary, we created the EOC to respond to disaster or major district-wide emergency events that require a coordinated District-wide response. When activated, key EOC personnel meet in a central location to provide emergency coordination. The role of EOC personnel include but are not limited to:

  1. Establishing a situation assessment function;
  2. Establishing a public information function;
  3. Determining resource requirements and coordinating resource requests; and
  4. Establishing and coordinating the logistical systems necessary to support emergency services.

We activated the EOC in October 2019 to respond to PG&E power shutoffs and again in March 2020 to address district-wide issues related to the COVID-19 declaration of emergency. The EOC has continued to meet since March. Each EOC member is assigned specific duties in accordance with FEMA National Incident Management Center protocols (e.g. Operations Section, Planning Section, Logistics Section, and Finance Section).

The membership of the EOC includes Molly Blakemore, Paul Chown, Marty Coelho, Jordan Hamill, Angelina Hill, Alison Hodges, Jade Euan, Rory Johnson, Sandra Macias, Steve McKenzie, Julia Morrison, Ashley Mitchell, Michael Perkins, and Keith Flamer. Michael Perkins is the Director of the EOC.

In my verbal comments, I thanked Tami Engman and the CSEA Executive Board for working with the District on the reopening plans. I also thanked the following people for agreeing to serve on the Return to In-Person Operations Task Force: Julia Morrison, Kevin Crotty, Esmeralda Ramirez, Tanya Anderson, Mark Bernards, and Tami Engman.

Vice President of Instruction/HR Report: Angelina’s written report included the following information:

  • The Academic Senate recently formed and convened a subcommittee to address academic issues related to distance education (DE).
  • Thanks to the leadership of Curriculum Chair and English Professor Dr. Sean Thomas, the Credit for Prior Learning Task Force has continued making progress towards the most effective use of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) for current students and potential students. Most recently, they have discussed an implementation plan from the viewpoint of the staff, faculty, and of a student. The Task Force makes one thing abundantly clear—this effort requires coordination from many stakeholders. Task Force members include Sean Thomas, Jennifer Bailey, Ken Letko, Erik Kramer, Michelle Haggerty, Rory Johnson, Angelina Hill, and Stephanie Burres with input from Karen Reiss.

Angelina informed the Board that she and the deans are developing the fall schedule based on student demand.

Vice President of Administrative Services Report: Julia’s administrative report spoke to the following:

  • We will move forward with a $4,000,000 TRAN in order to mitigate the impact of the apportionment deferrals on the District's cash flow, and to ensure adequate cash flow is available for operations during these uncertain times.  The funds should be available in April 2021 and the repayment will be due in December 2021.  
  • The total student accounts receivable has decreased over the past five years.
    • June 30, 2020 - $3,393,715
    • June 30, 2019 - $3,952,652
    • June 30, 2018 - $3,607,024
    • June 30, 2017 - $3,525,964
    • June 30, 2016 - $3,510,678

To date for this current fiscal year, the student accounts receivable has decreased further to $3.004 million. 

The total student accounts receivable includes tuition and class fees, Community Education course fees, room and board charges for the dorms, library charges, childcare expenses, and charges for calculators or equipment not returned.  Of the amount due, approximately $2 million is over 3 years old.

Jordan Hamill, Director of Residential Life, has been involved in monitoring dorm related accounts receivable during his time in the position.  Since Fall of 2018, 96% or more of dorm related charges have been collected each semester.

Julia spoke to the process we may use to write off bad debt in her verbal comment.

Interim Vice President of Student Services: Alia Dunphy’s written report included:

  • The Cultural Humility Series was facilitated by Humboldt State University’s Dr. Edy Reynoso, Sasheen Raymond, and Meridith Oram in February. The series centered on the trainings introduced in 1988 by Drs. Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray Garcia on how cultural humility transformed cross-cultural education into a model derived from four basic principles: Critical self-reflection and lifelong learning; Recognition and mitigation of inherent power imbalances; Mutually beneficial non-paternalistic relationships with community members, highlighting the expertise that resides in the community, away from the university, agency, or clinic campus; and Institutional accountability and alignment.

In her verbal comment, Alia talked about a March 8 event celebrating women’s history month.

  • The Multicultural and Diversity Center created a space for a shared facilitated discussion on the book Emergent Strategies: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown with participants across the district. The book’s topics lend themselves to examination of personal and collective change.
  • Gary Sokolow (ASCR), Michelle Haggarty (Queer Student Union Advisor), and Kintay Johnson (Director of Special Programs), in partnership with the Multicultural and Diversity Center, provided a platform for 19 campus programs, clubs, and support groups to provide students with a quick overview of the opportunities for connection and engagement.
  • Four faculty from Math and English departments: Amber Buntin, Erin Wall, Nicole Bryant Lescher, and Ruthe Rhodes provided content to students how they can express their fears and trepidation about taking Math and English at the college level and to engage students in strategies for tacking assignments in the virtual environment.
  • The CR Multicultural and Diversity Center Ambassador program has collaborated with the Humboldt State Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Center.

Executive Director of Foundation Report: Marty’s written report included:

  • He applied for a second Finish Line Scholarship allocation from the California Community College Foundation.
  • The Foundation received a $4,000 contribution towards our Redwoods Room & Board Scholarship Fund.
  • He worked with the Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) hiring committee to promote and advertise the hiring of a Humboldt COAD Coordinator. He will provide contract and project oversight.
  • The Foundation received $7,900 in Measure Z funding to support Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainings in Humboldt County. CERT trainings improve public safety by preparing residents to help families and communities when professional and government resources are overwhelmed after major disasters, and until professional responders arrive following local emergencies. The CR Foundation will act as the host agency for the Humboldt CERT Coalition.
Print

CR President

instagram

  2023 College of the Redwoods