President/CEO Message

December 7, 2020

Campus Community,

Five days remaining in the fall 2020 semester, but who is counting? I know many of you, including myself, are looking forward to Friday, December 11, 2020. As I reflect on this semester, I am incredibly concerned with the daily increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases within Los Angeles County. I review the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard daily, hoping to see a decrease in numbers. However, that hasn't happened yet. Please be safe and follow the guidelines that apply to your neighborhood. We must all do our part to ensure the safety of our family and friends.

On December 2, 2020, as a part of my professional development, I participated in the EAB Global, Inc., President Roundtable "Serving the Students of the Pandemic." The discussion was fascinating, and I learned a lot about how other colleges are managing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The link to the presentation from the EAB Roundtable is available here.

The President/CEO Message - December 7, 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 7, 2020, there were 8,086 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 457,880 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.

Compton Tartars Athletics Program

In the President/CEO Message - July 13, 2020, President/CEO Message - October 1, 2020, President/CEO Message - November 12, 2020, President/CEO Message - November 23, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - November 25, 2020, I provided updates on the Compton Tartars Athletics Program, and I shared their "Resocialization Plan." which is available here. On December 2, 2020, I informed the South Coast Conference presidents; and today, we informed the California Community College Athletics Association that Compton College would be opting out of offering athletics for the spring sports I season. The link to Compton College opt-out form is available here. Contrary to the statement I made in the President/CEO Message - November 25, 2020, I have decided to wait until February 2021 to make a final decision on the spring sports II season.

Tomorrow, December 8, 2020, at 2:00 p.m., I will be meeting with the Compton College student-athletes regarding this decision and providing them with an update. Furthermore, I am scheduling a meeting with the athletic coaches for some time this week. As previously mentioned, with the savings from not offering athletics in spring 2021, we will explore the implementation of an Esports program. If approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, we will provide an intramural sports program this spring.

I will continue to provide updates on the Compton College Tartar Athletic Program in future President/CEO Messages.

Compton College Faculty Teaching and Learning Professional Development Plans

At the November 25, 2020, Achieving the Dream Core Committee meeting, we discussed Professional Development for faculty and the additional support that is needed for faculty by Guided Pathways Division. 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 be requesting each Guided Pathways Division to submit a proposal for professional development that focuses on teaching and learning activities to be scheduled over the next 18 months. More information will be discussed and shared at the Spring 2021 Professional Development Day on Thursday, February 11, 2021. Furthermore, more information will be provided on the Compton College Faculty Teaching, and Learning Professional Development Plans in future President/CEO Messages.

Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, December 7, 2020, Compton College has generated 177 FTES for the Winter 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 44%, and our seats filled is 1,443. Compton College has generated 309 FTES as of today, December 7, 2020, for the Spring 2021 semester, with a fill rate of 12% and seats filled is 1,998. The Winter 2021/Spring 2021 Enrollment Report is available here.

Essential Employees and Support Staff

I don't do this enough; however, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the essential employees who have been reporting to work on campus, especially Maintenance & Operations staff who are scheduled to work a five-day workweek on campus - thank you for keeping our campus safe and clean! And to the Classified staff who assist with the screening protocol at the entry to campus - thank you for your help with the College's strategy to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

Entry to Campus Protocol

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 10, 2020
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.

Please share this information with your students and remind them to check their @compton.edu emails for more information. All student communications are available on the Student Communications and Information webpage.

Call for Volunteers for the Free Groceries Available for Students via Curbside Pickup

I am asking for staff and faculty volunteers to assist with distributing the boxes of groceries mentioned above. Please email Student Services Coordinator Oluwatosin Williams at owilliams@compton.edu if you can help us on Thursday, December 10, 2020, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting

The next meeting of the Compton CCD Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2020. The closed session begins at 4:00 p.m., with the open session commencing at 5:00 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. Information on how to access the Compton CCD Board of Trustees meeting is available here.

5th Annual Compton College Holiday Celebration

As a way to celebrate the holidays virtually and show appreciation to all employees, the annual Holiday Celebration has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2020, from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. I sent the Zoom link and passcode, along with the invitation to all Compton College faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors on November 29, 2020. Please check your @compton.edu email.

Final Thoughts

If you don't know already, I wake up every morning around 4:00 a.m. to read newspaper articles, journals, research papers, and/or books. I usually start my morning reading with Inside Higher Education and the Los Angeles Times newspaper. I also spend a considerable amount of time reviewing research articles on the EAB Global, Inc. website. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 13, 2020, Compton College has a partnership with EAB Global, Inc. (EAB) to provide research, insight, and actionable advice for student success. EAB is a research and technology company that helps schools support students from enrollment to graduation and beyond. All Compton College faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors across campus have access to EAB's website and can utilize any practice, tool, or webinar. Instructions for how to register for the EAB website (www.eab.com) is available here. Please contact Pilar Huffman at phuffman@compton.edu for any questions regarding EAB.

If you have free time over the holiday break and want to read some research articles, please take advantage of the EAB website.

By the time you receive this President/CEO Message, for some of you, you will only have four more days left before the semester is over. Please be safe.

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