President/CEO Message
March 25, 2021
Campus Community,
To provide much-needed support to students and employees, the Abel B. Sykes Jr. Child Development Center (CDC) will reopen to Compton Community College District employees and Compton College students on April 19, 2021. The plan to reopen includes a limited capacity schedule, based on California and Los Angeles County health and safety guidelines for childcare/child education facilities. More information on the reopening of the Abel B. Sykes Jr. CDC and the Child Development Center protocol will be included in future President/CEO Messages.
The next phase of the gradual reopening of the campus will focus on enrollment services. To address enrollment concerns and provide in-person support to new and current students, a schedule of limited services will be developed to assist with summer and fall applications and registration. We are conducting a lot of research and having conversations about the gradual reopening and the fall 2021 semester. Please note, summer 2021 courses will be offered online, and a decision regarding fall instruction will be made by April 1, 2021.
Also, at the March 16, 2021, Compton CCD Board of Trustees meeting, the Board approved the Memorandum of Understanding dated March 23, 2021, between Compton CCD and the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Foundation, which will allow the Major League Baseball Academy to open on April 1, 2021, for youth sports. The link to the MOU is available here.
Finally, I will be asking the Health, Safety, and Parking Committee to meet more often as we seek additional creative input as we prepare for the gradual reopening of the campus.
The President/CEO Message - March 25, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.
Compton College COVID-19 Update
Los Angeles County's current risk level is Red Tier (substantial), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On March 24, 2021, there were 666 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,215,763 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.
Return to Campus Survey
A survey will be emailed to all Compton College employees to gather input about their considerations related to returning to in-person work and activities. The college will use this input to inform the Return to Campus plan. The survey will be open Monday, March 29, 2021, through Friday, April 9, 2021. Results from the survey will be shared at the April 21, 2021 Health, Safety & Parking Committee meeting. Please contact Lauren Sosenko at lsosenko@compton.edu if you have any questions.
Compton College Pandemic Coordinators Meeting
The Compton College Pandemic Coordinators meet twice a week to discuss our current operating level and provide recommendations to the President/CEO. Employees and students are invited to join them on Thursday, April 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to receive an update on Compton College's COVID-19 status and to review the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health "Protocol for Institutes of Higher Education." If you are interested in participating in the meeting, please email the Director of Community Relations, Heather Parnock, at hparnock@compton.edu to receive the Zoom meeting information.
Tartar Focused and Directed Pathways to Completion Committee (Guided Pathways)
In the President/CEO Message - September 10, 2020, and President/CEO Message - December 21, 2020, I provided you with an update on the Tartar Success Team proposals and information about their funding of $10,000 each to support student success activities. All Tartar Success Teams have submitted various proposals, which are available here, listed by Guided Pathway Division. I truly appreciate all the hard work the Tartar Success Teams put toward developing and implementing their proposals.
As we continue implementing Guided Pathways, I want to share with you the different consultants and/or agencies who provide us with assistance with our Guided Pathways implementation, which is available here.
Compton College Distance Education Webpages
This week, I reviewed the Compton College Distance Education webpages and observed that we have a lot of information for faculty, staff, and most importantly, for students. When you have a moment, please visit the Distance Education webpages here. Dr. Airek Mathews, Distance Education Manager, sends weekly Distance Education updates to faculty. I have asked for those updates to be shared with staff and managers/supervisors and for the updates to be posted on the Compton College Distance Education webpages.
Compton Community College District Resolution Condemning the Recent Surge in Hate Crimes Targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
As mentioned in a message to the campus on March 17, 2021, Dr. Valarie Woodward, Associate Professor, English; and Division Chair, Fine Arts, Communication and Humanities Guided Pathway Division, and Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX, have drafted a Compton CCD resolution condemning the recent surge in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Following the Collaborative Governance process, the resolution has been shared with different committees. The resolution is scheduled to be presented to the Compton CCD Board of Trustees at their April 20, 2021, Board meeting. The resolution is available here for your review.
This Saturday, March 27, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., The Coalition will host the webinar titled "Silence is Violence: Unpacking and Addressing Anti-AAPI Violence." The Coalition includes the African American Male Education Network and Development (A2MEND), the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE), and California Community College Organización de Latinx Empowerment Guidance & Advocacy for Success (COLEGAS). You can register for the webinar here.
Final Thoughts
All current students are invited to join the virtual President/CEO Student Forum scheduled for April 28, 2021, and May 26, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom meeting information will be shared in future President/CEO Messages.
In closing, this has been a long week, and I am tired. My final thought is that I am glad tomorrow is Friday.
Keith Curry, Ed.D.
(preferred pronouns: he/him/his)
President/CEO
Compton College
