President/CEO Message

June 3, 2021

The countdown continues to the Compton College Commencement Ceremony, which is now eight days away. Please congratulate our graduating students for achieving this accomplishment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many of you are aware, we have already begun the process of planning for the 2022 Compton College Commencement Ceremony. Our goal is to host the ceremony on campus or at an off-site location, so we can have the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 participate in the ceremony. If you have any creative input related to a location for the 2022 Compton College Commencement Ceremony, please forward them to Andree Pacheco, Director of Student Development, at apacheco@compton.edu.

Just a friendly reminder, tomorrow, June 4, 2021, is our Zoom Free Day. Please enjoy your day of no-Zoom meetings! Classes will still be held on Friday, June 4, 2021, as it is still a work/instructional day. The President/CEO Message - June 3, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Yellow Tier (minimal), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On June 2, 2021, there were 120 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,244,254 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). For more information, go to http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index.htm. Compton College is operating at Level 3 - Moderate Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Summer and Fall 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, June 3, 2021, Compton College has generated:

321 FTES for the Summer 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 46%, and our seats filled is 2,376.
193 FTES for the Fall 2021 semester. Our fill rate is currently 7%, and our seats filled is 1,216.

Today's enrollment snapshots are available here.

The first summer sessions begin Monday, June 21, 2021. A variety of eight-week and six-week classes are still available for registration, including some six-week classes that begin on Tuesday, July 6. Please encourage interested students to apply and register as soon as possible as the first set of low enrolled classes will be reviewed for possible cancellation on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

What a difference a week makes with enrollment! Last week, Compton College summer 2021 FTES was up by 14.1% compared to the previous year, and today, June 3, 2021, we are down by 12.8% compared to last year at this time.

In the final thoughts of my President/CEO Message - May 27, 2021, I provided an update on Compton College enrollment and some of our Outreach and Recruitment Strategies we are implementing related to summer and fall 2021. The link to the 2021-2022 Outreach and Recruitment Strategies is available here.

I want to thank those who provided feedback on the first strategy and the proposed partnership with Swim Digital Group who is interested in partnering with Compton College to recruit students from within our community. A copy of their presentation was provided last week and is available here.

The following free and paid Summer 2021 advertisements and campaigns are underway.

Summer and fall 2021 registration information is available on the Compton College website, on the MyCompton student portal, and Canvas.
Current students were sent a summer registration reminder email via their @compton.edu email on April 15, 2021. A second reminder will be sent to all students next week with a list of open sections.
Registration information and links to the class schedule - both the online searchable and the PDF versions - have been shared on the College's social media channels.
The retention campaign, facilitated by Blackboard, will focus on recent students who have not registered for summer 2021 classes. Up to 1,000 students will receive a phone call with information about summer registration.
Social media ads are running on Facebook and Instagram, targeting 17-35-year-olds within our District plus a radius of 30 miles.
Digital ads began to air at the Compton and Gardena DMV offices on May 12, 2021.
Postcards will be mailed to all in-District residents next week with summer and fall registration information and the Steps to Enrollment. In-person enrollment services are also mentioned on the postcard.

Annual 'Voices of Compton' Literary and Arts Journal Published

Each spring, Compton College students are invited to share their artistic and literary work completed during the academic year in the annual Voices of Compton, a fine arts and literary journal published by the College. The Spring 2021 edition features student submissions representing the artistic and literary creativity of the Compton College community.

The Spring 2021 'Voices of Compton' Literary and Arts Journal is available online here. Copies will be mailed directly to all Fine Arts, Communications and Humanities majors and will also be available in the Library. Special thanks to the Voices of Compton Committee for their work on this wonderful publication.

2021-2022 Compton Community College District Tentative Budget

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 17, 2021, and President/CEO Message - May 24, 2021, we revised the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget Assumptions based on the Governor's May Revision. The 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget Assumptions were approved at the May 25, 2021, Planning and Budget Committee meeting. We are working on the Tentative Budget that will include the following updates:

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 3, 2021, Compton CCD will hire a Director of Black and Males of Color's Success. This proposed position would be funded for the first two years through the American Rescue Plan. The position would report to the vice president of Student Services and work closely with the vice president of academic affairs. This position would be integrated into our Guided Pathway Division work to ensure all Black and males of color are provided appropriate academic and student support.
Through the planning process, I approved adding a new 504/508 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance position. This position will be funded in the Unrestricted General Fund. The position will report to Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX. The goal is for the job description to be finalized in the coming weeks and placed on the July 20, 2021, Board of Trustees meeting agenda with a recommendation for approval.

This afternoon, I approved hourly assignments for summer 2021 for faculty who currently have reassign time during the spring 2021 semester. Hours were approved for the Academic Senate President, Curriculum Committee Chair, Nursing Program Assistant Director, Instructional Specialist for English and Math, Program Review Faculty Coordinator, Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator, the Professional Development Liaisons, and the Instructional Designer/Trainer. I also approved hourly funding for a Nursing Faculty member to work in the Open Skills Laboratory this summer. Next week, I will review and make final decisions on the counseling/coordinating proposals for summer 2021.

In the coming weeks, I will be announcing the approved budget for one-time augmentations/enhancements in the amount of $250,000; and the prioritized funding requests for Enrollment Management, Guided Pathways, Lottery, Student Equity and Achievement, Strong Workforce, and Grant funds. Decisions regarding the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Budget will be communicated in future President/CEO Messages.

EAB Partnership

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 13, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - December 7, 2020, Compton College has partnered with EAB Global, Inc. 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. Working closely with Compton College, EAB research is helping to inform decisions and contribute to the execution of Compton College 2024 - Comprehensive Master Plan. Also, all faculty, staff, and administrators across campus have access to EAB's website and can utilize any practice, tool, or webinar. I am hopeful everyone takes the opportunity to explore this site.

Instructions for how to register for the EAB Global, Inc. website are available here. Please contact our Professional Development Manager, Pilar Huffman, at phuffman@compton.edu for any questions regarding EAB.

Summer 2021 4/10 Work Schedule

The Compton College 4/10 work schedule, 10-hour days, four days per week, will begin Monday, June 21, 2021. The campus will be closed on Fridays, June 25, 2021, through August 6, 2021.

Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting

The Compton CCD Board of Trustees' next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, 2021. 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.

Final Thoughts

In the President/CEO Message - April 29, 2021, I provided a recap on the Safe Return to Campus decisions. This week we sent notifications to faculty members assigned to teach dual enrollment courses for fall 2021, that those courses will resume in-person instruction on high school campuses. This only includes the AB 288 Agreement and the Compton Early College High School Courses. I was asked again this week when all employees will return to campus. I do not have an answer to this question at this time, nor do I have a timeline for making this decision. On Tuesday, June 15, 2021, we will monitor the reopening of California, and we will continue to follow the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health "Protocol for Institutes of Higher Education" and look to the county for guidance as they relate to employees returning to campus. Decisions regarding the safe return to campus will be communicated in future President/CEO Messages.

In closing, I wanted to share with you the Success and Retention Report from Spring 2017 to Fall 2020 from our Institutional Effectiveness Office.

Please be safe and enjoy your Zoom Free Day tomorrow.

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