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Published on 1/4/2022.

Comments/Board Business

Land Acknowledgement:  President of the Board Carol Mathews read the District’s formal statement that recognizes our area’s 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.

Trustee Area Redistricting Options: We are required by Education Code to use new census numbers to analyze Trustee areas. We asked Colette Santsche from Planwest Partners to present a few redistricting options to the Board to consider. After some discussion, the Board agreed to continue the redistricting conversation at the January 15 Board workshop.

The Board must approve a redistricting plan before March 1. We intend to hold a hearing and approve a redistricting plan at the February board meeting.

Recommendations for Naming Facilities: Our Foundation Board recommended naming a nursing classroom in memory of Doris Anne Penalosa, the CR Boardroom in honor of Bruce Emad, and the CR Light Center in memory of Jim Davis. I asked the Expanded Cabinet via a survey what they thought of the Foundation’s naming recommendations. The survey results showed that the Expanded Cabinet overwhelming supported the recommendations.  I want to thank Research Analysist Cameron Papp for putting the survey together and providing the results so quickly.

The Trustees decided to approve the naming recommendations for Doris Anne Penalosa and Jim Davis.

The recommendation to name the CR boardroom after Mr. Emad was tabled because the recommendation could be seen as conflicting with the spirit of Administration Procedure (AP) 6620. The procedure states that “When an area or building is proposed to be named for individuals associated with the District or California education, a period of not less than three years should elapse between the end of the individual’s service to the District or California education and consideration by the Board of Trustees.”  Mr. Emad retired from the Board in November 2020. The Trustees noted that honoring Mr. Emad’s service to the District by naming the boardroom after him was not in question.  His service to the District was exemplary and deserving of honors. However, what the Board meant by the word “associated” when the original AP was written was unclear. Are Trustees considered employees of the District and therefore subject to the three year waiting period before being considered for a naming opportunity? This is a great question. Rather than discussing their intent at the meeting, I committed to clean up the language of the AP for the Board to consider.

Organizational Procedures

Appointment to Board Committees: President of the Board Carol Mathews appointed several Trustees to Board committees.

• Ad Hoc President/Superintendent Evaluation Committee: Trustees Dr. Mullery, Kelley and Mathews
• Ad Hoc Board Self Evaluation Committee: Trustees Biggin, Dr. Robertson and Mathews
• Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy: Trustees Kelley, Dorn and Dr. Robertson
• Ad Hoc Committee on Student Success: No appointments were made.
• Audit/Finance Committee: Trustees Coppini, Dr. Mullery and Biggin

President Mathews also appointed Trustees Coppini and Kelley to the C.R. Foundation Board.

Consent Calendar Action Items

Approve/Ratify Personnel Actions: By Board action, Travis Ammer (Maintenance Specialist III – Plumber), Alysia Hegg (Student Development Advisor), Cody Love (Public Safety Officer), Kelly Mottershead (Instructional Support Specialist II), Christine Reiher (Instructional Support Specialist II), Carla Santsche (Administrative Office Assistant II) and Cicely Suhayda (Graphic Artist) were added to our classified staff service. We also added the following associate faculty to our academic community: Stephanie Dolph (Librarian), Justin Egan (English), Kokko Figueiredo (Coaching), Marcos Hernandez (English), and Shelly Ingram (Agriculture).

The Board approved my recommendation the change the employee status for Lupita Martinez (from Administrative Office Coordinator to Human Resources Technician), Melody Pope (from Professor of Nursing in Eureka to Professor of Nursing in Del Norte), Matthew Shell (from Student Services III/Evaluation Specialist to Evaluation Specialist), and Nicole Bryant Lescher (from Professor of English to Interim Director Student Success Pathways).

While we have the opportunity to welcome several new colleagues to our college community, we also said have to say goodbye to a classified staff member and an administrator. The Board ratified my acceptance of the resignations of Robert Matthew Christman as our Financial Literacy Advising Specialist and Clinton Slaughter as the Vice President of Student Services.   

Approve/Ratify Contracts, Agreements and MOUs: I’d like to highlight a few contracts the Trustees approved or ratified at this meeting:

• Motimatic ($30,000)—We are asking Motimatic to use their retargeting technology to help us turn students who have applied but not enrolled into registrants and to assist in continuing students who’ve not registered to sign up for classes.
• tBP Architecture, Inc. ($297,064) —We are contracting with tBP Architecture to have them update the District’s Facilities Master Plan. 
• TimelyMD ($98,040 annually)—The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our student’s physical and mental health. To enhance the support we give to our students, we’re contracting with TimelyMD to provide 24/7 student health services, including mental health services. 
• S&B James Construction Co. ($23,354,000)—The State has given us the green light to formally award the construction of our new Creative Arts Building to S&B James Construction. 
• John Pospishil ($264,000)— John Pospishil will serve as the Inspector of Record agreement for the Creative Arts Building Drop and Replace project construction phase. 
• Critical Solutions, Inc. ($452,000)—Critical Solutions will manage the construction of our Creative Arts Building Drop and Replace project.

Approve Dr. Jack Miyamoto as District Labor Negotiator: The Trustees approved my recommendation to appoint Dr. Jack Miyamoto as the District’s chief negotiator for contract negotiations with CRFO. Dr. Miyamoto will serve in this capacity temporarily.

Action/Discussion Items

Approve Sabbatical Recommendations for 2022-23: The Trustees approved my recommendation grant sabbatical leave for 2022-23 academic year to Professors Wendy Riggs and Lisa Sayles. I want to congratulate Wendy and Lisa for submitting exceptional sabbatical proposals. I am confident that their sabbatical projects will help them become more effective teachers and scholars, enhance their service to the College and serve our students.

Approve Revised Education Master Plan: Several months ago, the College initiated a process to revise the Education Master Plan (EMP). The purpose of the revised plan is to describe the academic mission of the institution, which is used to guide the future of the College. Academic Senate Vice President Professor Chris Gaines presented the EMP to the Trustees.

I am proud to report that our Trustees approved the EMP.

Administrative Reports

President/Superintendent's Report: Here are a few topics I noted in my written report:

• In light of Clinton Slaughter’s resignation as Vice President of Student Services, I have decided to separate the Vice President's role into two distinct interim administrative positions. Prior to the holiday break, Human Resources sent emails to all faculty, administrators, and managers asking them to consider applying for the Interim Associate Vice President of Student Success (AVPSS) and/or the Interim Dean of Students. Anyone interested in serving in the positions had to submit their paperwork to HR by January 3, 2022.

The AVPSS will provide overall strategic leadership for Enrollment Services, Counseling, Leaning Resources/EOPS, DSPS, TRiO, Behavioral Intervention, Dual Enrollment, Guided Pathways, Articulation, Outreach and Orientation. The AVPSS will also serve as the District's Title IX Officer when that person is properly certified.  The duties of the Dean of Students will include Student Conduct, Special Programs, the Multicultural Diversity Center, ASCR, Child Development Center, Residential Life and the Bookstore. The AVPSS will move back under the Vice President of Instruction and the Dean of Students will move under the President's Office.

Dr. Angelina Hill will supervise the Public Safety Department and will serve as the Title IX Officer until the AVPSS is ready to assume the Title IX Officer role.

• I asked Vice President Mayer to use our long established AP 4020 process to engage the Program Viability Committee (PVC) in reviewing data and making recommendations for potential Associate Degrees in Respiratory Therapy, Healthcare Navigation/Patient Care Coordination, and Construction Management and Baccalaureate Degrees in Entrepreneurial Studies, Respiratory Therapy, and Healthcare Management. To my mind, adding these academic programs will help us recover lost enrollment. They are also directly linked to several of the strategic themes memorialized in the District’s new Education Master Plan. Specifically, Initiative 1—Become the Preferred Transfer Pathway to Cal Poly Humboldt, Initiative 2—Expand and Prioritize offerings that Prepare Students for Living-Wage Jobs, Initiative 3—Create a More Nimble and Adaptable Institution, and Initiative 5—Pursue the Future of Learning. I hope that the PVC discussion will occur early in the spring semester.

Concurrently, Vice President Mayer will research the potential new associate degrees with the North Far North Regional Consortium. Since each of these proposed new programs carry CTE TOPS codes, the potential programs are subject to the Chancellor’s office requirements for the initiation of new CTE programs. This adds an additional layer of research and approval that must come prior to our local consideration of the new program proposals.

In my verbal comments, I mentioned that we are moving forward with planning face-to-face May commencement ceremonies at our Eureka, Del Norte, and Klamath-Trinity locations. We’ll hold the Del Norte commencement on May 13 and the Eureka and Klamath-Trinity commencements on May 14. Students, staff, faculty and community members will have to provide proof of vaccination or have an approved exemption on file to attend in person.

Interim Vice President of Instruction Report: Kerry’s written report included the following information:

• CR was selected for the Military Articulation Platform (MAP) 2022 Cohort.  This Platform was developed under a $2 million grant awarded by the state of California as part of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) initiative. 
• Thirty two fulltime and associate faculty members have been accepted into a cohort-based professional development program in effective teaching practices, Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Online Learning Environment. This eight-week program which begins mid-February is offered by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and is built on a reflective practice model that asks participants to implement a series of research-based teaching practices shown to improve student outcomes. Using a cohort model, the program connects faculty who share a common goal of improving teaching and learning.
• The Office of Instruction, the Academic Senate, the Multicultural and Diversity Committee, and the Student Equity Committee are co-sponsoring an upcoming workshop on Thursday, January 13th from 9:30 am -12:30 pm that will focus on equity work and how it manifests at the College. The session will begin with a presentation by CR-alumna Aristea Saulsbury of Stepping Stone Consulting who will cover the context of equity work along the North Coast, as well as local examples of equity work that may be adapted to CR. The second half of the workshop (from 1:30 to 2:30 pm) will give faculty and staff an opportunity to share any equity-driven practices that they have incorporated into their work or that they have planned to incorporate in their work.  

Vice President of Administrative Services Report: Julia’s written report noted that she is working closely with Sean McLaughlin, Executive Director of Access Humboldt, on a potential agreement for Access Humboldt's lease of approximately 2000 square feet of the Old Forum building. She’s also working with Molly Blakemore and S&B James (the construction company building the new Creative Arts Building) to schedule a ground breaking ceremony.  We’ve tentatively set January 27, 2022 as a potential date for the event.

Approve a Trustee Request to Place an Item on a Future Agenda or Direct Staff to Give a Regular Report:

The Board wanted to better understand the organizational structure of the College in light of several personnel retirements and resignations. I agreed to discuss this topic at the Board workshop on January 15.