President/CEO Message

June 7, 2021

We are five days away from the end of the semester and commencement. Our goal is to finish the semester strong for our students. I know many of you have Zoom fatigue (me included) and are looking forward to the end of the semester and the four-day workweeks.

As I reflected on the end of the semester this morning, I realized today is June 7 - the second anniversary of the conclusion of our partnership with El Camino Community College District. For those of you who may recall, in 2006, we didn't know what the future held for Compton Community College or what would happen through the partnership with El Camino College. However, we surpassed all expectations. I genuinely believe the work we are doing now, supporting student success, will guide community college transformation in California and nationwide. I frequently refer to the Compton College 2024 Comprehensive Master Plan and all our planning documents as the burgundy print for student success. I know everyone has been a part of this transformation, and I want to say thank you.

The President/CEO Message - June 7, 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 6, 2021, there were 213 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,245,120 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.

U.S. Department of Education Releases COVID-19 Handbook for Higher Education Institutions

On June 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) released the COVID-19 Handbook Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staff to provide additional strategies for higher education institutions (IHEs) and communities as they work to reopen for in-person instruction safely and equitably. The Department worked with public health officials and partners across the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that the Handbook provides actionable strategies IHEs can use to implement CDC guidance to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Handbook also provides strategies on how higher education institutions can utilize funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and previous relief bills to meet the needs of all students, boost vaccination rates on campus, and address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, among other topics covered.

Summer and Fall 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, June 7, 2021, Compton College has generated:

334 FTES for the Summer 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 49%, and our seats filled is 2,493.
217 FTES for the Fall 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 8%, and our seats filled is 1,379.

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, 2021. Click here for a list of open sections for the summer 2021 term. 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.

June 9, 2021, Virtual Community Meeting

Compton CCD will hold a Virtual Community Meeting this Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. via the Zoom conferencing app. CCCD Board of Trustees Vice President Dr. Sharoni Little and Clerk Barbara Calhoun will co-host the meeting, including a presentation about Compton College's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) transfer agreements and a Compton College update. This virtual meeting provides students, parents, and community members with an opportunity to learn more about Compton College's partnerships with HBCUs and participate in a discussion with Board of Trustees members. Virginia State University President Dr. Makola M. Abdullah will provide comments during the meeting.

Click here for additional information and the Zoom Meeting link.

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.

President/CEO Closing the Loop

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 5, 2021, I am adding a 'Closing the Loop' section to the President/CEO Message. The goal for the section is to provide me with another way to communicate decisions to the campus community. The Closing the Loop section will only be included in President/CEO Messages when decisions need to be communicated.

As a follow-up to my meeting with the math faculty on March 5, 2021, and May 3, 2021, this past Friday, I reviewed the proposal from the Mathematics Department as it relates to AB-705 Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment Implementation. Math faculty have been approved to provide Just in Time Workshops for the 2021-2022 year during summer 2021, fall 2021, winter 2022, and spring 2022 using Student Equity and Achievement funds. I approved 147.5 hours for the Just in Time Workshops.

Final Thoughts

This past weekend I was thinking about our loss of revenue from student enrollment fees from spring 2020 through the present due to COVID-19, which is approximately $900,000. In the President/CEO Message - January 25, 2021, I shared my thoughts on the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II). I haven't given up on the idea of paying off past due enrollment fees of former Compton College students. There is clear guidance in the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II Frequently Asked Question for the American Recovery Plan Act of 2021, stating this is an allowable use of the federal emergency funding. Since Compton College lost revenue due to the coronavirus, I am interested in utilizing the institutional dollars from the American Recovery Plan Act to cancel students' unpaid enrollment fees from spring 2020 to the present. This would give our students and former students much-needed financial relief. Thankfully, this conversation is underway, and Compton College has joined the effort to make this possible in the 2021 California State Budget Act. Statutory language is needed to allow community college districts to offset unpaid student enrollment fees with federal COVID-19 relief funds. If the statutory language is approved in the 2021 California State Budget Act, this process can begin in July 2021. This action would then require Compton CCD Board of Trustees' approval, which I am interested in placing on the July 20, 2021, Board agenda. Before moving forward, please let me know if you support or do not support this recommendation by emailing me at kcurry@compton.edu. More information will be provided in future President/CEO Messages.

Last week, I participated in an interview with Inside HigherEd for the "Raising the Roof for Student Housing" article, which is available here.

In closing, be safe and have a fantastic final week of the spring 2021 semester.

Sincerely,

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