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Published on 10/3/2023.

Comments/Board Business

Land Acknowledgement:  President of the Board Biggin read the District’s revised statement recognizing 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, Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok. We honor them and all neighboring tribes by our ongoing commitment to developing trusting, reciprocal, and long-lasting partnerships.

Member Comments: President Biggin mentioned that she attended the recent Board of Governor’s (BOG) meeting. She also informed the other trustees that the BOG meeting was recorded in case other trustees wanted to view the proceedings.

Board Committee Reports: Trustee Dorn informed his fellow trustees that Board’s Self-Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee met and revised the draft Board goals (see the following agenda item). The goals will be finalized at the Board's August 19 workshop and then approved at their September regular meeting.

Review Draft Board of Trustees Goals for 2023-25: If you’ve been following some of the discussions at the Board meetings, you’d know that the Board’s Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee has been working on draft 2023-25 goals over the past few months. Trustee Dr. Robertson presented the ad hoc committee’s current draft goals for discussion at this meeting (see below).

 1. Support accreditation efforts and adherence to all ACCJC standards and commission policies.

1. Support the ISER review process through the Ad Hoc Committee for ISER Review.

2. Ensure fiscal stability/health with special emphasis on:

1. Maintaining a balanced General Fund with reserves in accordance with board policy.
2. Monitoring and supporting adequate funding of future pension liabilities.
3. Continuing to monitor the District’s progress on recoverable and unrecoverable student debt.
4. Monitoring progress to ensure a revenue stream for continuing operation and maintenance of District capital projects.
5. Maintaining an advocacy effort at the state level to preserve and enhance funding of community colleges.
6. Supporting the development of programs and initiatives that foster student success and enrollment growth.
7. Monitor the successful construction and completion of the current capital projects.

3. Promote student success, educational equity, inclusion and accessibility, and the fiscal health of the institution through advocacy.

1. Monitor and work to influence state and federal legislation that will have a significant impact on the District.
2. Effectively communicate the interests and needs of the District and community constituents.

4. Cultivate a welcoming environment and sense of belonging for all members of the District by:

1. Supporting programs and initiatives that serve the academic, psycho-social, and basic needs of a diverse student body.
2. Addressing institutional bias and inequity through review and revision of board policies
3. Supporting District efforts to address bias and inequity in employment practices, educational programs, and student services.
4. Inviting and carefully considering the input of students, faculty, and staff in Board decision-making.
5. Nurturing awareness of and appreciation for the range of identities, abilities, and perspectives that contribute to and are key to the success of the District.

5. Maintain focus on adapting to and addressing issues with the Student Centered Funding Formula by:

1. Ensuring that the District’s budget addresses the categories of funding in the statefunding formula.
2. Receiving regular reports regarding the District’s strategies and progress in regards to the funding formula, hold harmless option and enrollment growth.
3. Providing advocacy for legislative efforts to correct problems in and improve the funding formula for year 2024-2025.

6. Provide support to ensure continuing progress on equity in student outcomes with special emphasis on:

1. Monitoring progress in closing disaggregated student success gaps.
2. Supporting programs that address student academic, psycho-social and basic needs (e.g., FoodPantries, residence hall scholarships).

7. Support student success and District enrollment priorities by evaluating data on a regular basis and ensuring that data influences decision making.

8. Plan for the future of College of the Redwoods by supporting the Education Master Plan and the Facilities Master Plan, with special emphasis on:

1. Monitoring trends in community college education.
2. Supporting the cultivation of partnership with Cal Poly Humboldt.
3. Identifying economic/workforce opportunities for program development and community partnership.
4. Encouraging and supporting innovation.

9. Support development of the Board’s effectiveness, professional skills, and knowledge by:

1. Encouraging Trustee attendance at annual community college conferences.
2. Requiring completion of the Community College League of California’s Excellence in Trusteeship Program.
3. Encouraging completion of anti-bias training.
4. Providing comprehensive and ongoing mentoring for Trustee’s.
5. Encouraging and carefully considering the input of all Board members, with particular attention to fostering robust discussion and respect for minority opinions.
6. Planning for the future of the Board.

10. Monitor and support the progress of the CR Foundation in meeting its goals.

11. Review and update the President’s job description.

1. Review the policy governing the President’s job description and recruitment.

Consent Calendar Action Items

Approve/Ratify Personnel Actions: We are fortunate that the Board supported my recommnedation to add a few new staff and associate faculty to our college community.  Heather Mitchell will serve as the Instructional Support Specialist III—Nursing, Leonardo Canez as the Student Development Advisor—Outreach, and Jason Maki as the new Interim Director of Housing Operations. Also joining us are seven new associate faculty: Ian Cossar – Welding, Nicholas Garcia – History, Erin Keilty – Nursing, Nicole Kita – Art, James Rojo – Nursing, Shelbi Shroeder – Art, and Hillary Terkelsen – Nursing. At this meeting, the Board also ratified my decision to accept the resignation of Winnifred Carpenter as a Student Services Specialist II at our KT Instructional Site.

Action/Discussion Items

Approve Monthly Financial Status Report: In our report this month we noted that the $985,603 in total transfers out are comprised of $60,000 to the Child Development Center, $25,603 to the Shively Farm, $750,000 to the OPEB fund, and $150,000 to Capital Outlay. The $90,000 Child Development Center planned transfer out as noted in previous monthly reports was reduced by $30,000 to $60,000 to better reflect the level of unrestricted general fund support needed for 2022-23. Additionally, the $67,122 Shively Farm planned transfer out was also reduced by $41,519 to $25,603 to account for the increase in farm revenue activity and support that comes from the Strong Workforce Program. The report also showed a projected 2022-23 Unrestricted General Fund ending fund balance of $ $7,623,066, or 20.1% of Unrestricted General Fund expenditures.

Approve 2023-24 Revised Facilities Master Plan: I am pleased to share with you that the trustees unanimously approved our Revised Facilities Master Plan (FMP). This plan included the changes requested by the Trustees at the July 11 Board meeting. As you know, the formal adoption of this plan completes a year-long process that included broad consultation across our district. I want to thank Julia Morrison for her wise leadership in developing this forward-looking plan that will ensure that our physical resources best support our core educational mission. I am grateful as well to all faculty, staff, students and Trustees who contributed to the planning effort. Now we can begin to carry out our plan. I attached the revised FMP to this article. I encourage you to read the plan since it’s a roadmap for our future infrastructure and construction related projects.

Informational Reports

Strong Workforce Update: Morgan Solem provided a great summary of how we used, and in some cases still use, Strong Workforce Program (SWP) funds to support our academic programs.  Here are a few examples of our Strong Workforce investments:

New Program Development

• Social Work and Human Services, AS Degree (Eureka Campus)
• Aquaculture, AS Degree & Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Graphic Design & Visual Communication, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Geomatics, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Horticulture and Landscape Practices, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Organic/Sustainable Agriculture, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• CIS Cyber Security, Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)
• Personal Wellness Trainer, AS Degree & Certificate of Achievement (Eureka Campus)

New Program Faculty Funded Via the SWP

• Carolyn Perkins, Social Work and Human Services, Eureka Campus (100%)
• Jasmine Iniguez, Aquaculture, Eureka Campus (100%)
• Jason White, Personal Wellness, Eureka Campus (50%)
• Laurrie Mckendry, Business, Del Norte/Pelican Bay State Prison (100%)
• Leonard Bechler, Fine Woodworking, Eureka Campus (100%)
• Madeleine Lopez, Forestry and Natural Resources, Eureka Campus (100%)
• Nathalie Dierkx, Social Work and Human Services, Del Norte/Pelican Bay State Prison (100%)

Program investments

• Agriculture & Forestry—Expanded Instructional Support at the Farm for work-based learning and Community Sponsored Agriculture activities, purchased vegetable production equipment and expanded storage space, and supported faculty costs for new programs.
• Basic Law Enforcement Academy—Updated the training fleet, training UTVs, mobile and portable training radios, classroom technology, and upgraded the Skid Card Training System.
• Automotive Technology—purchased HEV safe tools, trainers, and safe epoxy flooring, modernized the facility with electric bay doors, and the fleet of cars.
• Welding Technology—added a grinding station, purchased welding protective equipment, and weld testing equipment.
• Fab Lab—funded the people mover for Shively Farm, photo brackets and interpretive signage for Outdoor Campus Collaborative, and small projects for campus departments.
• Allied Health Programs—funded dental lab and technology upgrades.
• Nursing—purchased simulation equipment for the Del Norte and Eureka Campuses and technology for Nursing pre-requisite courses, including an Anatomage table for our Biology Department.

Organizational Reports

I want to add my voice to the Board of Trustees in thanking the leadership of the CSEA and Management Council for providing written reports and appropriate comments in their updates.  Effective written reports can engage the Trustees and provide information in a format that is easy to understand and follow.

Academic Senate: President Dr. Herrera's verbal comments included an introduction of herself as the new President of the Academic Senate and a overview of the areas that the Academic Senate will discuss in the next academic year.

CSEA: President Engman’s written report mentioned that CSEA sent Tom Cossey and Gabrielle Meyer to the 97th annual conference and CSEA welcomed a new chapter secretary, Rebecca Gwin. CSEA also thanked the outgoing chapter secretary, Esmeralda Ramirez.

Management Council: President Ericka Barber noted that the Management Council collaborated with Human Resources to present "Mental Health Strategies for Supervisors: Recognizing & Responding to Burnout, Compassion Fatigue & Vicarious Trauma" training for managers. They also anticipate working with Human Resources to provide additional professional development opportunities for management. In her verbal comments, Ericka noted that the Management Council will send out a survey related to future professional development needs.

Administrative Reports

President/Superintendent's Report: My written reported include the following:

• Cal Poly Humboldt agreed to make the Stewart School building (adjacent to Arcata High School) available to us to offer classes in the fall semester.  I think scheduling classes at this site would give high school students an opportunity to take our courses concurrently with their high school curriculum. Additionally, we may be able to offer classes that are attractive to Cal Poly students wishing to take CR classes to reverse transfer to Cal Poly.
• The Board of Governors (BOG) unveiled the preliminary framework of Vision 2030 A Roadmap for California Community Colleges at the July 24 BOG meeting. The preliminary framework of the roadmap included the following goals: 

• Increase the percentage of students earning degrees, certificates and specific skill sets for in-demand jobs by 20% by 2026;
• Increase the percentage of K-12 students who graduate with 12 or more college units through dual enrollment by 15%;
• Focus on establishing or expanding programs that address workforce needs in healthcare, climate response, education and early education;
• Increase the number of transfers to the UC or CSU in proportion to enrollment growth in those systems;
• Decrease the median units to completion by 15%, and establish systemwide stretch goals regarding the number of students completing or transferring within the minimum amount of time necessary;
• Increase the percentage of completing students who earn a living wage by 15%; and 
• Close equity gaps in access to dual enrollment programs. 

In my verbal comments, I introduced Amy Moffat to the Board of Trustees. Amy is our new Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research. I also mentioned that our football preseason practice will start on August 7 and mentioned the July 29, 2023, article by Ray Hamill titled Big Numbers expected to help Redwoods football in 2023. In the article Ray noted that last year’s team featured mostly freshmen, with just one sophomore on the entire roster, and the numbers are also up, with a very healthy squad of 90 players showing up for the summer workouts. I encourage you to read Ray’s article at: https://humboldtsports.com/2023/07/29/big-numbers-expected-to-help-redwoods-football-in-2023/

Vice President of Instruction Report: In Lisa’s written report, she mentioned that the planning for Convocation is progressing. She also wrote that she is exploring early college opportunities and expanding dual enrollment programming in local high schools as well as in Del Norte and Hoopa high schools. Lisa talked about the work of the Shively Farm in her verbal comments.

Vice President of Administrative Services Report: Julia provided a brief overview of the Physical Plant and Instructional Support (PPIS) and Retention and Enrollment Outreach (REO) Funds in her written report. She noted that the 2023 Budget Act reduced PPIS funding by $500 million to $340.7 million, and REO funding by $55.4 million to $94.6 million in order to balance the 2023-24 State Budget. This equates to a reduced 2022-23 PPIS allocation of $2,241,607 to CR. She also mentioned that our REO allocation was also reduced. Our initial 2022-23 REO allocation was $634,814. With the reduction our new 2022-23 allocation is $374,507.

Julia touched on the two electric vehicle charging stations that we’re going to install thanks to a grant received by the RCEA.

Interim Vice President of Student Services Report: One of the important enrollment management actions the Admissions staff have been working on over the past year and half was auto-awarding of degrees. In her written report, Crystal provided the following auto-awarding numbers:

 

AY 22-23	Fall 2022 Auto-Award	Spring 2023 Auto-Award	AY 22-23 Auto-Award Totals
ADT	3	11	14
AA/AS	58	105	163
CA	30	72	102

Crystal made a point to thank the Board for approving the personnel agenda item. Specifically, the hiring of Leonardo Canez and Jason Maki.

Interim Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives: Kerry noted that she was invited to join a group of local representatives who met with leadership from the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and partners at New Energy Nexus to share experiences in engaging with emerging climate-friendly industries like microgrids and offshore wind and to discuss CR's community-wide planning for major renewables development. She also wrote that CR has been awarded a grant from the Chancellor's Office in the amount of $182,400 to support expanding enrollment in the CR nursing program. CR's project plans to increase the number of nursing students by adding two student cohorts during the Spring of 2024. Each additional cohort will have 10 students, thus adding an additional 20 students. 

Executive Director of College Advancement and the Foundation: Marty wrote that 47 of the 48 tables for the CR Dinner & Auction have been sold or reserved and 185 businesses and individuals/families have donated items to the event.

Approve a Trustee Request to Place an Item on a Future Agenda or Direct Staff to Give a Regular Report: The Board would like to talk about Board benefits at a future meeting.