President/CEO Message

December 10, 2020

Campus Community,

This may be my last President/CEO Message of the fall 2020 semester, but I will still have three more President/CEO Messages to write in 2020. This week has been a little bit overwhelming as I had too many Zoom meetings, and I felt like I couldn't get a break. However, the meetings were beneficial, and I learned a lot. I also had the opportunity to participate in the 5th Annual Holiday Celebration. Thank you to the Compton College faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors who attended the celebration. It was fun to learn more about each other and celebrate with the opportunity drawings' winners.

Congratulations to everyone! Tomorrow is the last day of the fall 2020 semester, and we have reached the finish line. The President/CEO Message - December 10, 2020, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Tier 1 (widespread), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." Today, there were 12,819 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 487,917 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index. According to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan, Compton College continues to operate at Level Four - Severe Infection Rate.

Essential Employees Work Schedule

The Essential Employees Work Schedule for Monday-Wednesday, December 14-18, is posted online here. The schedule will be updated every Thursday for the following week as employees continue to gradually return to campus.

Entry to Campus Protocol Reminder

Essential Employees and individuals scheduled to be on campus December 14-23, 2020, please note that the Wellness Questionnaire will be completed via hardcopy at the Entry to Campus checkpoint. Do not use the online link for the questionnaire during this time. When we return from Winter Break on Monday, January 4, 2021, a revised and shortened questionnaire will be available online. The questionnaire will continue to be available via the MyCompton Portal and must be completed within 12 hours of your arrival time, no sooner.

Free Groceries Available for Pick Up

With our partner, Sunrise Produce, Compton College will continue to distribute 1,200 30-pound grocery boxes at the east Greenleaf Boulevard entrance between noon and 5:00 p.m. on the following dates:

Thursday, December 17, 2020
Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Students must show their Compton College student ID or a copy of their fall 2020 class schedule. The grocery boxes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Compton College employees are also invited to pick up a box at the Greenleaf entrance. Drive-thru and walk-up service are available.

Call for Volunteers for Distributing Grocery Boxes

I am asking for staff and faculty volunteers to help distribute the last 1,200 grocery boxes mentioned above. Please email Student Services Coordinator Oluwatosin Williams at owilliams@compton.edu if you can help us on Thursday, December 17, 2020, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, December 10, 2020, Compton College has generated 192 FTES for the Winter 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 47%, and our seats filled is 1,556. Compton College has generated 417 FTES as of today, December 10, 2020, for the Spring 2021 semester, with a fill rate of 16% and seats filled is 2,705. The Winter 2021/Spring 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. A postcard has been mailed to all district residents encouraging them to register for the winter term and spring semester.

Final Thoughts

I wanted to share a report to share with you, the "Still Getting There: How California's AB 705 Is (and Is Not) Transforming Remediation and What Needs to Come Next." report, which is available here. The Public Advocates commissioned the California Acceleration Project (CAP) to conduct this analysis. On December 9, 2020, I shared the report with the Academic Deans and Division Chairs. Over the next couple of months, we will review our current implementation of AB-705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment Implementation, and chart our direction toward 2024.

Over the winter break, I hope you think about our plans for Compton College 2024. We have a lot of work to do to reach our 2024 goals in only four years. We need your help, as I mentioned yesterday at the 5th Annual Holiday Celebration. We are creating the "new reality" for higher education at Compton College, post COVID-19, and our new reality is outlined in the Compton College 2024 planning documents:

I remain concerned about the number of new COVID-19 cases reported daily in Los Angeles County and the uncertainty of when a vaccine will be made available to the public. I am erring on the side of caution and holding off on deciding how we offer summer 2021 and fall 2021 semester courses, until February 2021. We need to continue to focus on the health and safety of our students and employees. I will be looking for your creative input on how to plan for the 2021-2022 academic year and prepare our students for success.

Finally, please enjoy the last day of the semester and be safe. And if I don't see you via Zoom meeting before December 23, 2020, happy holidays to you and your family!

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