President/CEO Message

May 3, 2021

Over the past couple of months, I have been thinking about Black and males of color's success at Compton College and how we can provide additional intervention and programs for these students. Our Males of Color Task Force has been working on several initiatives in support of males of color. However, it is time for Compton College to take an additional step toward addressing the retention and success of Black and males of color by hiring a director of Black and Males of Color's Success. This proposed position would be funded for the first two years with funds from 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 Pathways Division work to ensure all Black and males of color are provided appropriate academic and student support. In addition, the director would work closely with the Professional Development manager to provide Professional Development activities for faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be developing the job description for the proposed director of Black and Males of Color's Success. We will seek input from the Academic Senate, the Consultative Council, and the Student Success Committee. If you have creative input regarding the proposed position, please email me at kcurry@compton.edu.

The President/CEO Message - May 3, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Orange Tier (moderate), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On May 2, 2021, there were 313 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,233,772 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 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, May 3, 2021, Compton College has generated 150 FTES for the summer 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 22%, and our seats filled is 1,117. The Summer 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. The first six-week and eight-week sessions begin on June 21, 2021, the second six-week session begins July 6. Please encourage interested students to register as soon as possible, as five sections are already full.

Immediate Action Package Plan - Statewide Retention and Enrollment Campaign

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 1, 2021, Compton College was awarded $410,983 of the 2021 Immediate Action Plan (Senate Bill 85), approved by the Governor and Legislature on April 13, 2021, to provide emergency financial assistance to low-income community college students.

Compton College will be distributing emergency grants to students who are California residents or who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under §68130.5 of the California Education Code who self-certify that they meet the following conditions:

Currently enrolled in at least six units.
Demonstrate a need for emergency financial aid.
Qualify as low-income by meeting the requirements to receive a California College Promise Grant (CCPG) or is projected to receive a CCPG for the upcoming term.
Earned a 2.0-grade point average at their current or prior institution in one of the previous three terms OR is a student who is receiving additional support or services through a community college's Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) program.
Completion of the Tartar Support Resource form.

Five hundred and sixty-five students will be receiving $725 in the next 7-10 business days. Special thank you to the Financial Aid Department for processing the Immediate Action Package emergency grants for our students.

Safe to Return to Campus - Student Survey

The student survey will be reviewed at the Health, Safety & Parking Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, and administered to students via email on Monday, May 10, 2021. Current students will have two weeks to complete the online questionnaire. The results from the survey will be shared with the campus community, the Consultative Council, and the Health, Safety & Parking Committee.

Compton College COVID-19 Vaccination Education Forums

Compton College is hosting two open forums to help address employee and student concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines. The hour-long forums will provide students and employees with an opportunity to ask questions of medical experts.

The student session will occur on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at noon.
Zoom Meeting: 975 4225 9716

The employee session will occur on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 2 p.m.
Zoom Meeting: 953 8212 1525

Students and employees can schedule appointments at the St. John's Health Center for the COVID-19 vaccine by calling 1-866-980-0870.

Compton Community College District Awarded a National Science Foundation Grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded Compton College a grant under the Advanced Technology Education program titled Creating Equitable Pathways to Careers in Biotechnology for $299,999. This grant supports our new Biotechnology program in training prospective employees with the requisite knowledge and skillsets to work as biomanufacturing technicians in the Los Angeles/Orange County region and earn a living wage. The program offers stackable certificates and a support system of peer mentors, and an internship program. This program would further support students of color by offering a workshop on race and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) as part of Compton College's Race Matters Student Development Workshop Series in which industry professionals, who are reflective of the student population, will share their obstacles and teach strategies for success in college and the workplace.

Special thanks to Dr. Katherine Marsh, Assistant Professor, Biology, who was the lead on the grant proposal and will serve as the principal investigator and Dr. Abiodun Osanyinpeju, Dean of Student Learning, who will serve as the co-principal investigator for the Compton Community College District Awarded a National Science Foundation Grant.

Compton College Virtual Tartar Talks

The dates for the 2021-2022 Tartar Talks have been set. I will host our next virtual Tartar Talks on September 21, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. The remaining 2021-2022 Tartar Talks are scheduled for November 23, 2021, and February 22 and April 19, 2022. Please mark the 2021-2022 Tartar Talks on your calendars.

Final Thoughts

Just a friendly reminder, Compton College is hosting a Virtual Job and Resource Fair May 4-7, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. The four-day event is open to the public and will include online workshops in resume writing, job fair tips, career exploration, a chance to network and interview for jobs, and more. There will be opportunities to enter raffles and win prizes each day. Click here for more information and a daily agenda.

At the April 18, 2021 Board of Trustees meeting, the Compton CCD Board approved a contract with California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy to help us improve our Career and Technical Education and workforce-related initiatives to support student success. A copy of the contract is available here. While Compton College's Director of Adult and Workforce Development, Lynell Wiggins, is our primary contact for this agreement, some of you may be contacted by the consultants with California Competes to assist with this project.

Over the next couple of years, I will be serving on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Standard Review Leadership Team. The ACCJC Standards Review Leadership Team is the steering council for the Standards Review Process. The Leadership Team advises on the Standards Review process and helps facilitate dialogue between the Field, the Commission, and ACCJC staff. Early this spring, ACCJC launched its Standards Review website, which is available here. This is a tremendous opportunity for me and Compton College as I will be a part of the process related to the review of the accreditation standards.

In closing, it is Monday, and I am looking forward to this week.

Sincerely,

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