President/CEO Message

January 7, 2021

Campus Community,

For the past 24 hours, I have been thinking about the violence that occurred in Washington, D.C., and reading the many statements released by elected officials and educators regarding the incident. I know many of you are concerned about what is happening in this country, the impact of the November 2020 Presidential Election, yesterday's incident in Washington D.C., and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a difficult time for all of us; not only must we condemn the violent actions from yesterday, but we also must continue to work together and lead by example to ensure this country is a better place for everyone.

As an institution of higher learning, we must remain committed to our mission statement and support our diverse community. We must also honor our students by protecting the integrity of their lives. As I mentioned in the President/CEO Message - January 4, 2021, we are committed to providing additional support to our employees by establishing the Tartar Employee Support Services Program. Tomorrow, January 8, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., we will have an open discussion on what took place in Washington, D.C., yesterday. There will be no agenda, just an open forum to have a campus conversation. The Zoom meeting information for tomorrow's open discussion will be emailed to all Compton College employees by Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX.

The President/CEO Message - January 7, 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 6, 2021, there were 11,841 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 852,165 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.

Update on Sunrise Produce Partnership

I am genuinely appreciative of our partnership with Sunrise Produce and the Compton Community College District Board of Trustees, Compton College employees and their family members, and our community partners for supporting the food distribution. We have been in contact with Sunrise Produce to continue this partnership in 2021. We know how important this program is for Compton College students, employees, and our community. In November and December 2021, we provided 256,200 lbs. of groceries, which is a total of 128.1 tons of food. More information on the potential extension of the partnership with Sunrise Produce will be included in a future President/CEO Messages.

Essential Employees Work Schedule

The current Essential Employees Work Schedule is posted online here.

Individual Requests to Come to Campus

Individual employees (faculty, Classified staff, managers/supervisors) who are not included on the Essential Employees Work Schedule who wish to come to campus must submit an Individual, One-Time Request Form online. Requests must be submitted at least two business days in advance after obtaining your manager/supervisor's approval.

The location you wish to visit on campus will determine what day of the week (Monday-Thursday) you can come to campus. Please note, individual requests to come to campus are only scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This schedule helps track occupied spaces on campus in terms of capacity and cleaning needs. Please review the chart available via the online request form before making your request.

Required Entry to Campus Protocol

Essential Employees, students, and individuals scheduled to be on campus are required to use the new 2021 Wellness Questionnaire available online via MyCompton. Everyone needs to be responsible and recognize the importance of complying with and completing the Wellness Questionnaire. It is your responsibility to complete this survey within 12 hours of arriving on campus, no sooner.

Employees and Students: Physical Distancing and Additional Safety Precautions

All employees must limit in-person interactions when they are on campus as much as possible and be respectful of their coworker's space. If you cannot practice physical distancing of 6 feet or more, consider moving your exchange outside.

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.

For additional guidance, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LACDPH) protocols for office worksites are available online here.

Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, January 7, 2021, Compton College has generated 220 FTES for the Winter 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 70%, and our seats filled is 1,802; Compton College has generated 687 FTES as of today, January 7, 2021, for the Spring 2021 semester, with a fill rate of 28% and seats filled is 4,564. The Winter 2021/Spring 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. The last day to add winter 2021 classes is tomorrow, January 8, 2021. Spring classes begin Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

Just a friendly reminder, below are the dates and criteria used for canceling spring 2021 classes:

Spring 2021 full-semester classes with an enrollment of three or fewer students will be canceled on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
Spring 2021 full-semester classes with an enrollment of nine or fewer students will be canceled on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

Winter 2021 Student Resources Still Available

Please encourage your students to apply for Winter 2021 Student Resources, including laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, food resources, financial resources, and housing grants. Compton College students need to complete the Compton College Resources Form, which is available here. All resources and services are available on a first-come-first-served basis to students currently enrolled in winter 2021 classes at Compton College.

Compton College Diploma Update

Diplomas and certificates for summer 2019, fall 2019, and spring 2020 will be distributed later this month. This will be Compton College's first issuance of diplomas as an independent college. The diplomas and certificates include the new Compton Community College District seal. Thank you to the Admissions & Records staff for completing this important milestone for the College. We appreciate your patience as we finalize the details and verify the accuracy of our graduates' information.

CRM Advise Early Alert

In the President/CEO Message - April 8, 2020, President/CEO Message - April 22, 2020, and September 14, 2020, I provided information on the Compton College CRM Early Alert System. In the coming week, Compton College faculty, who are teaching this winter, will receive a communication from Sheri Berger, Vice President of Academic Affairs, regarding Early Alerts for students in their classes. The communication will comply with the Agreement Between Compton Community College District and the Compton Community College Federation of Employees (Certificated Unit), Article VII: Instructor's Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities that was recently approved by the Board of Trustees at their December 8, 2020 meeting, and is available here.

Compton College CRM Early Alert System aims to provide students with the timely intervention of academic and student support services. Faculty must maintain records of the early alerts for their students in the CRM Advise system. The Step-by-Step Guide for utilizing the Compton College CRM Advise is available here.

Compton College and Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services Partnership

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - December 21, 2020, we are working on a data-sharing agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) 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 and are signing up to participate in the CalFresh program. Yesterday, January 6, 2021, Compton College held a historic meeting with the Los Angeles County DPSS, the California Student Aid Commission, and the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice to discuss the proposed data-sharing agreement. I feel it is essential for me to share how this partnership was formed. A couple of years ago, during a meeting with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell, the topic of CalFresh came up, and how the number of community college students taking advantage of the program needed to increase. During that meeting, then-Senator Mitchell strongly encouraged Compton College to establish a partnership with the Los Angeles County DPSS and provided me with the contact information to Antonia Jimenez, Los Angeles County DPSS Director. Since that meeting, and through our Financial Aid Department, we have been working with the Los Angeles County DPSS to increase the number of Compton College students who sign-up for the CalFresh program.

However, many of our students are still not taking advantage of the CalFresh program. Holly J. Mitchell is now the Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the 2nd District, which includes Compton College. Working with our partners, we want to create a national model for utilizing data-sharing to ensure more students are receiving CalFresh services. During yesterday's meeting, we discussed the data-sharing agreement. We were also able to identify 1,546 students through the Compton Banner ERP system who have a $0 Expected Family Contribution, based on their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2020-2021 year. These students may qualify for the CalFresh program, and in the coming weeks, we will be sending these students an email communication about the CalFresh program. Finally, we will be asking the Financial Aid Coordinators and the Student Services Advisors to follow-up with these students.

I am genuinely appreciative of Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell for connecting Compton College to the Los Angeles County DPSS and encouraging us (especially me) to think outside of the box as it relates to our students' housing and food insecurities. Our next meeting with our partners is scheduled for March 2021, and more information will be provided in a future President/CEO - Message.

Final Thoughts

In the President/CEO Message - January 4, 2021, I mentioned that when we have more information on the COVID-19 vaccine availability for higher education institutions, I will share it with you. On Monday, January 11, 2021, the Pandemic Coordinators and I will meet with St. John's Well Child & Family Center to discuss the vaccination plan for Compton College Essential Employees. Furthermore, we will begin conversations with the faculty and Classified bargaining units regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and discuss the vaccination plan with the Health, Safety, and Parking Committee. I am incredibly grateful to St. John's Well Child & Family Center, particularly Jim Mangia, their president and CEO. Over the years, Jim Mangia has remained committed to Compton College and the students we serve.

In closing, over the holiday break, I started reading the Revolutionary School Culture by Compton's very own Principal, Dr. Amen Rahh. The book will officially be released on Friday, March 5, 2021, through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The book will be on my spring 2021 reading list. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - August 6, 2020, please send me your recommendations for my spring 2020 reading list to kcurry@compton.edu.

Please be safe, and tomorrow is Friday.

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