President/CEO Message
May 13, 2021
Yesterday, I participated in the recording of the "Tartar Success Team (TST) Videos." which will promote enrollment services and TSTs to new and continuing students. Participants included counselors, student services advisors, deans, faculty, and Classified staff members. The videos will go live before the Summer 2021 term begins on June 21, 2021. They will be available on Compton College's website, YouTube channel, and social media accounts to connect students to their Guided Pathway Division TST. TST representatives were 'interviewed' and asked to introduce themselves and talk about their own college experience and how they can help Compton College students achieve their career and educational goals. The videos captured the individuals' personalities and strengths, and I think students will enjoy the messages of support from our Tartar Success Team members.
Special thanks to all involved in coordinating the TST Video, especially Guided Pathways Counselors Desiree Corona Ramirez and David Turcotte, and Director of Community Relations, Heather Parnock.
Today, I had the opportunity to attend the Cultural Connections: Understanding Culture as a Key to Learning Asians Belong workshop. The workshop and the question-and-answer session were genuinely impressive. Special thanks to peace advocate Susanna Yee and Compton College Assistant Professor/Division Chair Dr. Valerie Woodward. Also, thank you to the many Compton College faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors who attended.
The President/CEO Message - May 13, 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 May 12, 2021, there were 322 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,236,243 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 13, 2021, Compton College has generated 210 FTES for the summer 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 29%, and our seats filled is 1,537. The Summer 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. The first six-week and eight-week sessions begin on June 21, 2021, and the second six-week session begins on July 6, 2021. Please encourage interested students to register as soon as possible.
Safe to Return to Campus - Student Survey
Students were sent an email today from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness requesting their feedback on the Safe Return to Campus for the fall 2021 semester. Responses are due Friday, May 21, 2021. Students who complete the survey will be entered in an opportunity drawing for a $50 Bookstore gift card. Please encourage your students to complete this critical survey.
This morning I read an interesting article titled "Community College Reopening Plans Vary Widely, Raising Equity Concerns", detailing how many community colleges are offering specific percentages of courses in person. I am monitoring what our neighboring community colleges are offering in-person versus Compton College. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 1, 2021, for the fall 2021 semester, we will be offering up to 30% of our courses in-person on the Compton College campus, with the remaining courses offered online. I do not intend to increase that number even though some of our surrounding community colleges are offering more in-person courses than us. I am confident that our approach is safe for our students, faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors.
In the President/CEO Message - March 4, 2021, I talked about the importance of a gradual return to campus. The next steps in the Safe Return to Campus planning were included in the President/CEO Message - April 29, 2021.
Classified Professional Development Day
Compton College Classified Professional Development Day is scheduled for tomorrow, May 14, 2021, via Zoom Meeting from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Classified staff, please check your email for a reminder from Professional Development Manager Pilar Huffman, that includes the agenda and the Zoom Meeting information. Lunch will be provided to all full-time staff members through UberEats voucher codes. Please check your email to make sure you received your voucher code from your manager/supervisor.
Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting
The Compton CCD Board of Trustees' next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, 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.
Compton College Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) Budget
In the President/CEO Message - January 25, 2021, I mentioned the HEERF II funding for Compton College and some of my general thoughts related to these funds' usage, and in the President/CEO Message - February 18, 2021, I provided a draft plan and requested your feedback and creative input. As a reminder, Compton College has received $6,356,599 in HEERF II Funds. Using the draft plan as a guide, I have authorized the following expenditures for the HEERF II Budget as of today, May 13, 2021.
Budget |
Budget Amount |
Department/Notes |
| Supplies (formerly provided by FEMA) | 50,000 | COVID-19 Related |
| St. John's COVID Testing/Contact Tracing | 52,500 | COVID-19 Related |
| Edquity | 25,000 | Emergency Aid Processing |
| Legal Fees | 150,000 | COVID-19 Related Legal Expenses |
| Document Scanning Services | 25,000 | Human Resources |
| Banner Consulting Services | 150,000 | ITS - to support additional Banner assistance for Compton College |
| Faculty Laptops | 300,000 | Information Technology Services |
| Classified and Managers/Supervisors Laptops | 320,000 | Information Technology Services |
| Student Laptops | 162,000 | ITS/Student Services – Purchasing an additional 250 Student Laptops |
| UV Light Sanitizers for Laptops | 20,000 | Information Technology Services/Enrollment Services |
| Provisional Classified Staff | 60,000 | M&O Dept. - to hire additional Maintenance and Operations staff |
| Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Repairs and Maintenance | 500,000 | Maintenance and Operations Dept. |
| Single Air Purifiers | 100,000 | Maintenance and Operations Dept. |
| Plexiglass | 550,000 | Maintenance and Operations Dept. |
| Student Financial Aid | 500,000 | Emergency Aid for Spring 2021 |
| Edquity | 1,000,000 | Emergency Aid for Summer and Fall 2021 |
| Indirect Cost | 150,000 | Business Services Staffing |
| Unallocated | 2,242,099 | |
| Total | 6,356,599 |
In future President/CEO Messages, I will provide additional updates on the HEERF II Budget and the Compton College American Rescue Plan Funds draft plan.
Final Thoughts
Another week is coming to a close, and tomorrow is Friday. This evening, Kamilo Ali Curry and I participated in the Compton College Virtual Paint Night, sponsored by the Fine Arts, Communication, and Humanities Guided Pathway Division. We had a lot of fun with the Compton College community, painting the Watts Towers. Thank you to Compton College Assistant Professor Vanessa Madrid and Guided Pathways Counselor Noemi Monterroso for leading us this evening. It was a lot of fun!
Please be safe and have a wonderful weekend.
Keith Curry, Ed.D.
(preferred pronouns: he/him/his)
President/CEO
Compton College
