President/CEO Message

December 17, 2020

Campus Community,

Tomorrow is Friday, and we are closing in on the holiday break. I know many of you are counting down the final days. 2020 has been some year, and I am so excited for 2021. However, my schedule is already starting to fill up for January and February 2021. One of the projects I will be working on in January 2021 is a data-sharing agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services related to CalFresh food assistance. The agreement's overall goal is to continue to increase the number of Compton College students who are aware of the CalFresh food assistance program and are signing up to participate. In January 2021, I want to follow-up on the Compton College Cafeteria, which will be operated by Everytable, even though we are telecommuting until further notice, I want to make sure we have a timeline for opening the cafeteria and completing the renovations on time. I know we have the holiday break, but I will be working on several important Compton College and Compton College 2024 Comprehensive Master Plan projects.

The President/CEO Message - December 17, 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." On December 16, 2020, there were 22,422 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 566,005 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 21-23, is posted online here. This schedule does not include individuals who may be on vacation.

Essential Employees: Physical Distancing and Additional Safety Precautions

As outlined in the Compton College, :Eventual Return to Campus Plan" employees and students who are scheduled to be on campus must practice physical distancing, including, but not limited to the following guidelines:

Minimize contact among workers by replacing face-to-face meetings.
Utilize digital communication methods to replace face-to-face contact.
No events to be scheduled on campus (internal or external requests) unless approved by the President/CEO.
Common areas where personnel are likely to congregate and interact, such as cafeteria, Student Lounge, computer labs, Staff Lounge, and lounges/breakrooms, will remain closed unless strict social distancing protocols can be enforced.
All non-essential travel is prohibited; employees will adhere to CDC guidelines regarding isolation following travel.

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LACDPH) issued updated protocols for office worksites on December 3, 2020, available online here. Updates include:

Face coverings must be worn by employees working in cubicles, including cubicles equipped with partitions. This is a temporary measure in compliance with the temporary HEALTH OFFICER ORDER issued on November 28, 2020. The requirement is effective from 12:01 a.m. (PST) on November 30, 2020, through 11:59 p.m.(PST) on Monday, December 20, 2020.
At all times when eating or drinking, employees must maintain a 6-foot distance from others and should do so outdoors, if possible. Eating or drinking at a cubicle or workstation is preferred to eating in a breakroom.
Screening of employees and visitors must include a question about whether the individual is currently under isolation or quarantine orders.
Frequently touched items, bathrooms, and payment consoles must be disinfected on an hourly basis.

On October 21, 2020, the LACDPH updated its guidance for van and carpools: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/docs/transportation/GuidanceVanCarPool.pdf. The guidelines provide recommendations to ensure that both drivers and riders remain healthy.

Final Distribution of Free Groceries

On Wednesday, December 23, 2020, 1,200 30-pound grocery boxes will be available at the east Greenleaf Boulevard entrance between noon and 5:00 p.m. Students must show their Compton College student ID or a copy of their fall 2020 class schedule. The Sunrise Produce 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 will be available.

Last 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 Wednesday, December 23, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, December 17, 2020, Compton College has generated 208 FTES for the Winter 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 51%, and our seats filled is 1,690. Compton College has generated 521 FTES as of today, December 17, 2020, for the Spring 2021 semester, with a fill rate of 21% and seats filled is 3,553. 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.

Enrollment is all our responsibility, and please encourage your current students to register for the winter 2021 term and spring 2021 semester.

Compton College 2024 Teaching and Learning

In the President/CEO Message - December 7, 2020, I introduced the Compton College Faculty Teaching and Learning Professional Development Plans. Working closely with Achieving the Dream coaches and key stakeholders (i.e., Professional Development Manager, Professional Development Liaisons, Faculty Development Committee, and the Academic Senate), we will ensure a connection to the Compton College 2024 Planning Documents and rename this initiative "Compton College 2024 Teaching and Learning."

As previously mentioned, we will be requesting each Guided Pathway Division to submit a proposal for professional development that focuses on teaching and learning activities to be scheduled over the next 18 months. An essential component to the Compton College 2024 Teaching and Learning Initiative is the hiring of the Professional Development Liaisons for the following Guided Pathway Divisions:

Business and Industrial Studies
Health and Public Services
Social Sciences
Counseling

The Professional Development Liaisons positions close on Wednesday, December 23, 2020. To apply, qualified candidates must submit:

Cover Letter (Letter of introduction highlighting your education and experience.)
A complete resume

All materials must be submitted by the closing date to the Vice President of Human Resources, Rachelle Sasser, at rsasser@compton.edu.

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI)

In the President/CEO Message - August 31, 2020, the President/CEO Message - November 19, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - November 30, 2020, I discussed the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). On November 30, 2020, the IEPI mini-Partnership Resource Team (PRT) completed its virtual visit, facilitating lively conversations with faculty, classified employees, and administrators to strengthen Compton College's professional development opportunities in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.

The result of this visit was a menu of options and curated recommendations presented by the mini-PRT. Following their guidance and honoring key points that various constituent groups raised during the visit, we have completed and submitted the IEPI Mini-PRT Institutional Innovation and Effectiveness Plan for review. I want to thank everyone who participated in this process. A copy of the plan can be viewed here.

Compton College AB-705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment Implementation

In the President/CEO Message - December 10, 2020, I shared 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. In the President/CEO Message - May 8, 2020, I provided an update on the new strategies being implemented in English and math to address student completion. I shared some success rates for students who were enrolled in transfer-level courses in English and math. Over the past week, I have reviewed our course offerings in transfer-level English and math, compared to basic skills English and math. Below is our course offering data from 2015-2016 to present: $English and Math Data charts$

Please pause for a second. These numbers are incredible; however, we still have a lot of work to do to support our students' successful completion of transfer-level English and math. My goal is for Compton College, by fall 2025, is to offer 90% transfer-level English and math courses and only 10% basic skills math.

More information on Compton College AB-705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment Implementation will be included in future President/CEO Messages.

How Would You Describe Compton College-2020?

How would you describe 2020 in terms of what Compton College has accomplished? If you could use one word to illustrate how we have helped students succeed during a pandemic, what would it be? Please send ONE WORD to Paula VanBrown, pvanbrown@compton.edu, by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. We will create a word cloud and include it in a future President/CEO Message.

In Closing

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the remarkable resilience demonstrated by faculty, Classified staff, and students in adapting to significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have faced challenges unlike anything we have experienced before, yet faculty and staff continue to support our students as they adjust to a new way of learning. As the end of the year quickly approaches, I want to extend my best wishes to all Compton College students, faculty, and staff for a safe and healthy new year!

Once again, tomorrow is Friday! And I only have one more President/CEO Message to write in 2020.

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