President/CEO Message

April 22, 2021

It has been a long week - but it's almost over!

Please remind your students that appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine are still available at the St. John's Student Health Center on campus. Students should check their @compton.edu email to register for an appointment, and a reminder was sent this afternoon. Also, if you have any family member or a member from your household who are above the age of 16 and older, who would like to register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the St. John's Student Health Center, please send an email to Rachelle Sasser, Vice President of Human Resources, for appointment information.

This week you may have read in newspapers or through social media that some colleges and universities are requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for employees and their students. At Compton College, the COVID-19 vaccine is not required. However, we have made the COVID-19 vaccine available to employees and students at St. John's Student Health Center. The President/CEO Message - April 22, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Orange Tier (moderate), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On April 21, 2021, there were 439 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,229,998 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). For more information, go to http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index.htm. Compton College is operating at Level 3 - Moderate Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Safe Return to Campus

As mentioned in previous President/CEO Messages, a report was developed to provide the campus community information regarding the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in occupied and proposed classrooms and offices. The District is working to ensure better air quality in campus buildings. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued Protocols for Institutes of Higher Education, which contain requirements for HVAC systems, including the following:

The HVAC system in all campus buildings is in good working order.
To the maximum extent feasible, ventilation has been increased in all buildings, consistent with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. [These standards recommend the use of filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 13, or, if the HVAC system cannot accommodate MERV-13 filters, then the highest MERV rating which can be accommodated. See https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/filtration-and-disinfection-faq ]
To the extent feasible, portable high-efficiency air cleaners are installed, the building's air filters are upgraded to the highest efficiency possible, windows and doors are opened, and other modifications have been made to increase the quantity of outside air and ventilation in offices and other spaces.

The District has taken significant steps to implement these requirements, including installing MERV-13 filters in many areas throughout the campus, purchasing 25 portable high-efficiency air cleaners, which were delivered today. At the April 20, 2021, Compton Community College District Board meeting, the Board of Trustees approved an additional agreement for $451,860 with Envise to implement their recommendations for the Vocational Technology and Math/Science buildings. The Board of Trustees action item is available here. As stated in the letter dated April 21, 2021, from Envise, these recommendations are proactive repairs for Compton CCD.

The Compton College HVAC Report is available on the Compton College COVID-19 webpage. The report includes the days and times the areas are occupied as well as the maintenance schedule and vendor assigned to the areas' HVAC system.

As mentioned, President/CEO Message - April 15, 2021, this week, we shared the results from the Compton College Safe Return to Campus Survey with the Consultative Council and the Health, Safety, and Parking Committee, and it is available here for your review. I truly appreciate the time and consideration many of you put forth when completing the survey. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness is working on the Safe Return to Campus Survey for Students, which we plan to administer in May 2021. We will seek input from the Consultative Council and the Health, Safety, and Parking Committee on potential survey questions.

In the President/CEO Message - April 15, 2021, and at Tuesday's Tartar Talks, I discussed the planning in progress to offer limited, in-person enrollment services on campus beginning the week of May 3, 2021. During the Tartar Talks meeting, various employees expressed concerns about returning to campus in a couple of weeks. After reviewing the proposed Enrollment Services Plan and the number of employees scheduled to be on campus, I have asked Elizabeth Martinez, Vice President of Student Services, to revise the schedule and decrease the number of employees on campus at a given time. I am hopeful we will receive the updated employees' schedule for limited in-person enrollment services assistance early next week.

Therefore, we are moving the limited in-person enrollment services assistance start date to Monday, May 24, 2021. Employees who will be asked to return to campus will receive a notification next week. I want to make sure we are providing enough notification time to our employees regarding their Safe Return to Campus. Furthermore, I have asked Vice President Martinez to schedule training for employees who are returning to campus regarding our health and safety protocols.

Finally, as mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 15, 2021, the updated version of the Safe Return to Campus Plan is available here.

Plexiglass Dividers Installed

Limited classroom and office capacity, alternative work schedules, modified space layouts, and other safety measures have been implemented, including the installation of plexiglass dividers to ensure physical distancing between employees, students, and visitors. The plexiglass dividers are transparent, easily cleanable, and able to be mounted and used in various settings. These dividers are an example of a safety measure that can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission where social distancing is less feasible. Additionally, these transparent dividers reinforce physical distancing requirements.

We have installed plexiglass in the Child Development Center, Allied Health Building, Business Office, Human Resources, Facilities Office, Cosmetology Lab, and the shop areas in the Vocational Technology Building. Click here to view a sample of the barriers. Plexiglass will be installed in Tartar Village in preparation for limited in-person enrollment services to begin on Monday, May 24, 2021.

Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, April 22, 2021, Compton College has generated 1,387 FTES for the spring 2021 semester; the fill rate is currently 54%, and our seats filled is 7,988. The spring 2021 Enrollment Report is available here.

A few of the midterm classes are still available for in-person registration. Click here for a list. Please encourage interested students to check the registration system and contact the instructor to request an add code today.

Black Student Success Week

As mentioned in President/CEO Message - February 8, 2021, Black Student Success Week is scheduled for next week and is a collaboration among many organizations. I want to encourage you to participate in the daily webinars from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. The webinar topics and registration links are listed below:

MONDAY, APRIL 26 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Follow the Money: Unapologetically Supporting Black Students
Register Now

TUESDAY, APRIL 27 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
The ADT Journey for African American Students
Register Now

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Equity and Black Representation in Higher Education Leadership
Register Now

THURSDAY, APRIL 29 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
A Legislative Briefing: Actively Advocating for Black Student Success
Register Now

FRIDAY, APRIL 30 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
The Cost of Freedom: "Speaking Up to Diversify the Faculty Ranks"
Register Now

Click here to download the Zoom background for Black Student Success Week. Also, Compton College will be hosting several events during Black Student Success Week. Hopefully, you can participate in those activities as well. The flyer with zoom information is available here. Thank you to Chabree Thompson, Interim Director of Basic Needs and Student Success, and Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX, for coordinating the week of Compton College events.

2019-2020 Compton CCD Financial Audit Report

EideBailly LLP, our independent external auditing firm, completed the 2019-2020 Compton Community College District Financial Audit Report. The Compton District Annual Financial Audit was completed and submitted to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office with an unmodified opinion of the financial statements (see page 102). Below is a summary of the results regarding the 2019-2020 Annual Financial Audit Report:

Compton CCD general fund ending balance was $17.1 million, which is above the 10% minimum reserve requirement pursuant to Compton CCD Board Policy 6200 - Budget Preparation.
Compton CCD reported six audits finding for the 2019-2020 year. The areas of concern are year-end closing and federal financial aid. Each month, for the Compton CCD Board of Trustees, we will update our corrective action plans and status reports related to those findings.
The Compton CCD was in compliance with the 50 Percent Law for the seventh consecutive year.

Auxiliary Services Committee Application

The Auxiliary Services Committee provides funding opportunities for programs that directly support student learning. To learn more about the requirements and application process, please refer to the 2020-2021 Auxiliary Services Budget Request Form and Procedures available here. The deadline to submit an application, along with required signatures, is at 5 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2021. Please send questions and comments to Dr. Michelle Garcia, Director of CalWORKs/TANF/GAIN, and Auxiliary Services Committee Management Representative, at MGarcia22@compton.edu.

Tartar Talks/Virtual Photo Day

Compton College hosted a "Compton College Zoom Picture Day" during the April 20, 2021 Tartar Talks. Full-time faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors wore their Compton College t-shirts. At one point there were over 200 employees in the Zoom meeting! Click here to view the photos.

Final Thoughts

I want to thank those of you who participated in Tuesday's Tartar Talks and those who provided feedback and asked questions regarding the Safe Return to Campus planning. My presentation from the Tartar Talks is available here. We are all working toward the same goal of providing services to Compton College students in a safe and healthy environment. We will continue to provide updates to the campus regarding the Safe Return to Campus through the President/CEO Message.

I want to take a moment to reflect upon the April 20, 2021 guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis policeman, Derek Chauvin. I received several phone calls, text messages, and email communications regarding the verdict and how justice was achieved. Now more than ever, we must remain committed to our students by protecting, honoring, and maintaining the integrity of their lives. Furthermore, at Compton College, together, we have to continue fighting against racism and hate.

In closing, I admit this is a long message with a lot of information, but at least tomorrow is Friday.

Sincerely,

Keith Curry, Ed.D.
(preferred pronouns: he/him/his)
President/CEO
Compton College