President/CEO Message

January 28, 2021

Campus Community,

In the President/CEO Message - January 4, 2021, and the President/CEO Message on January 7, 2021, I mentioned that we are working with St. John's Well Child & Family Center to discuss a vaccination plan for Compton Community College District. On January 27, 2021, Compton College confirmed with St. John's Well Child & Family Center that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine would be made available to all Compton College employees, beginning with Essential Employees, who may register for an appointment for Wednesday, February 3, 2021, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the St. John's Student Health Center on campus. It is very important Essential Employees sign up by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2021. An email will be sent to the Compton College Essential Employees with the registration link for scheduling their appointment time.

Compton College full-time and part-time employees may register for an appointment on either Monday, February 8 or Tuesday, February 9, between 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the St. John's Student Health Center on campus. We have 102 appointments available each day. It is very important full-time, and part-time employees sign up by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2021. A separate email communication will be sent to Compton College employees with the registration link for scheduling their appointment time.

The vaccine is not required but highly recommended. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity being provided by the Compton CCD and St. John's Well Child & Family Center. Please note, this opportunity is only for Compton CCD employees.

The President/CEO Message - January 28, 2021, 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 January 27, 2021, there were 6,917 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,091,712 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 Community College District Board of Trustees Goals

On January 19, 2021, the Compton CCD Board of Trustees approved the Board of Trustees' Goals for January 1 through June 30, 2021, which are available here. The Board of Trustees also changed the cycle for the Board self-evaluation. The development of the Board of Trustees' Goals will coincide with the fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2021. This is important as the Board of Trustees' Goals will now be on the same cycle as the Compton College Goals.

Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, January 28, 2021, Compton College has generated 1,020 FTES for the Spring 2021 semester; the fill rate is currently 41%, and our seats filled is 6,715. The Spring 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. Spring classes begin on February 16, 2021. Please encourage any interested students to enroll as soon as possible. Sections with nine or fewer students enrolled will be reviewed for consolidation/cancellation on February 9, 2021.

Virtual Job Fair - Friday, February 5, 2021

Compton College is hosting a Virtual Job Fair on Friday, February 5, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to noon via Zoom. The Job Fair is free and open to the public. It will provide individuals with an opportunity to explore employment opportunities and learn more about Compton College, as well as meet with Compton College administrators and deans. Free resume writing and employment application workshops will be available online.

Applications are being accepted for the following full-time faculty positions at Compton College: History/Ethnic Studies, Journalism/English - Social Media, Nursing, Political Science, and Special Resources Center Guided Pathways Counselor.

For information on the specific qualifications required for each position and to apply online, visit the Compton CCD Human Resources webpage www.compton.edu/district/administration/human-resources. For more information about the Compton College Job Fair, click here.

Spring 2021 Professional Development Days

We will begin the spring 2021 semester with two Professional Development Days on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (optional), and Thursday, February 11, 2021 (mandatory), via Zoom Meeting.

The Wednesday, February 10, 2021, Professional Development Day 1 (optional) will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. All Compton College faculty are welcome to attend the scheduled activities offered by the Compton College Academic Senate.

The Thursday, February 11, 2021, Professional Development Day 2 (mandatory) activities will begin with the general session at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. All Compton College faculty and staff are expected to participate in the mandatory Professional Development activities on Thursday, February 11, 2021. Jasmine Roberts, Strategic Communication Lecturer, Ohio State University, will serve as our keynote speaker.

The Compton College Spring 2021 Professional Development agendas, including Zoom Meeting information, are available on the Professional Development webpage: www.compton.edu/facultystaff/professional-development/.

Achieving the Dream Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool

The deadline to complete the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool has been extended until Thursday, February 4, 2021. The Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The results will help guide the college in our work with Achieving the Dream over the next three years. I resent the link to the survey to all Compton College employees on January 26, 2021.

If you have already completed the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool, you do not need to complete it again. For the Compton College faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors, who complete the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool, you may enter your name in an opportunity drawing, where four employees could win $200 each. The end of the survey should direct you to the drawing entry.

2021 Commencement Update

The planning for the virtual 2021 Commencement Ceremony is underway. The Commencement Planning Committee is working on the schedule of pre-recorded speeches and guest speakers and preparing the Class of 2021 instructions. Compton College faculty and staff will also be provided the opportunity to submit congratulatory videos to be included at the end of the ceremony. In May, eligible graduates will receive an email (via their @compton.edu email) from the Office of Student Development providing the deadline and upload instructions for their videos and photos. A virtual Grad Fest will be held May 11-12, and graduates will be able to learn more about Commencement and how to upload their videos and photos.

For more information about the June 11, 2021, virtual ceremony, visit the Commencement webpage: www.compton.edu/studentservices/studentlife/commencement/.

#Real114 Leadership Academy

In the President/CEO Message - December 21, 2020, I provided information on the #Real114 Leadership Academy, which is scheduled for July 12-16, 2021. The intensive five-day conference will build capacity and enhance the leadership skills of Classified staff. The #Real114 Leadership Academy aligns with Compton College 2024 Comprehensive Master Plan and will help build a culture of diverse leadership. Please join me in celebrating the first #Real114 Leadership Academy Cohort for Compton College:

Giovanni Bautista, Dual Enrollment Specialist, Educational Partnerships
Colleen Edwards, Senior Administrative Assistant, Business Services
Ebony Freeman, Student Services Advisor, Educational Partnerships
LaVetta Johnson, Accountant, Business Services
Alma Lopez, Financial Aid Coordinator, Financial Aid Department
Andres Orozco, Admissions and Records Specialist, Admissions and Records
Devora Seay, Student Services Advisor, Special Resources Center
LeShawn Simplis-Barnes, Program Manager, Upward Bound Math/Science
Chabree Thompson, Student Services Advisor, Counseling & Guided Pathways
Aura Weber, CalWORKs Program Specialist, CalWORKs/TANF/GAIN
Louis Williams, Financial Aid Coordinator, Financial Aid Department
Lakiesha Wright, Student Services Advisor, Guided Pathways

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity 2030

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is inviting teams of visionaries, change agents, and community leaders from around the world to join its Racial Equity 2030 challenge - a global call for bold and actionable solutions to drive an equitable future for all children, families, and communities. Up to ten Finalists will be identified and receive $1 million planning grants along with nine months of capacity-building support to further develop their project and strengthen their applications. At least three Awardees will receive a $20 million grant, and at least two Awardees will receive grants of $10 million each from the pool of finalists.

Compton College is applying for this grant. Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX, has been working with our grant writer to apply for this opportunity. We propose creating a first of its kind Community College Center for Educational Justice and Transformation with a mission to promote racial equity and racial healing through affordable, accessible, and relatable education rooted in the community. In a future President/CEO Message, I will provide more information on our grant proposal and the proposed Community College Center for Educational Justice and Transformation.

Final Thoughts

In the President/CEO Message - December 7, 2020, I mentioned we would explore implementing an Esports program at Compton College. I am pleased to announce that Compton College will be offering an intercollegiate Esports Program in the 2021-2022 year. In the spring 2021 semester, Shannon Williams, Associate Professor, Physical Education/Baseball Coach, working with the Academic Senate Curriculum Committee, will be proposing new curriculum for the Esports Program. Andree Pacheco, Director of Student Development and Athletics, will identify a location on campus for an Esports center. Furthermore, in the 2021-2022 budget, I will propose transferring $350,000 from the Compton CCD General Fund into the Capital Outlay Fund for the Esports Program's permanent location. More information on the Esports program will be provided in future President/CEO Messages.

Finally, this morning I had a great meeting with the Student Services Advisors at Compton College. I received a lot of valuable input regarding student registration, the student experience, Early Alert, and the challenges our students face in this online environment. I will receive the meeting notes and the follow-up items from today's meeting in the coming weeks. I have asked for another meeting with the Student Services Advisors to be scheduled sometime in March 2021 to continue today's discussion.

Please be safe, and once again (very important), stay home if you feel sick, even if your symptoms are mild. Tomorrow is Friday, and after Friday, it is the weekend.

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