President/CEO Message

November 19, 2020

Campus Community,

On November 18, 2020, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) released the annual publication, California's Fiscal Outlook, including the revenue summaries for the first quarter of the fiscal year as well as a five-year fiscal forecast. The 2021-2022 Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges is available here. The good news is the state revenue is ahead of the 2020 California Budget Act assumptions. These estimations may be able to assist with paying down the $1.45 billion in California Community College deferrals. In my President/CEO Message - October 1, 2020, I discussed budget deferrals and the potential fiscal impact to Compton Community College District.

Also, on November 17, 2020, the Lumina Foundation released the "Higher Ed Budgets for the Post-COVID Era, Now's Our Chance to Do This Right." and the Major Shortfalls are Forecast for State Budgets are highlighted on page 3 of this report, which "estimate state revenues and state budgets will decline 7 to 30 percent". The news from LAO is great; however, I am seriously concerned since we do not know the full fiscal impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the state of California. Furthermore, with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state of California and Los Angeles County, we are now anticipating further restrictions that could negatively impact our economy.

Finally, I wanted to share the California Community Colleges' 2021-2022 System Budget Request, titled "A Plan For An Equitable Recovery 2021-2022 System Budget &Legislative Request." In the coming weeks, working with the Compton CCD Board of Trustees, we will be developing our Legislative Priorities for the 2021-2022 year. The President/CEO Message – November 19, 2020, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Tier 1 (widespread), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On November 18, 2020, there were 3,944 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 348,336 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index. According to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan, Compton College continues to operate at Level Four - Severe Infection Rate.

Essential Employees Work Schedule

The Essential Employees Work Schedule for Monday-Wednesday, November 23-25, is posted online here. The schedule will be updated every Thursday for the following week as employees continue to gradually return to campus.

Free Groceries Available for Students and Employees via Curbside Pickup

On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, 1,200 30-pound grocery boxes will be available for curbside pickup at the east Greenleaf Boulevard entrance between noon and 5:00 p.m. Students must show their Compton College student ID or a copy of their fall 2020 class schedule. The Sunrise Produce Grocery Boxes are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Compton College employees are also invited to pick up a box at the Greenleaf entrance.

Click here to view photos from last week's grocery box giveaway event.

Call for Volunteers for the Free Groceries via Curbside Pickup

I am asking for staff and faculty volunteers to assist with distributing the boxes of groceries mentioned above. Please email Student Services Coordinator Oluwatosin Williams at owilliams@compton.edu if you can help us on either Thursday, November 19, 2020, or Wednesday, November 25, 2020, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

2021-2022 Compton Community College District Faculty Hires

I have reviewed the recommendations from the Compton College Faculty Prioritization Committee, and the following full-time faculty positions have been approved for the 2021-2022 year:

Political Science
History/Ethnic Studies

We will also continue the recruitment for the following full-time faculty positions that were approved in prior years:

Special Resource Center Counselor/Guided Pathways Counselor (roll-over from the 2019-2020 year)
Social Media - Journalism/English (roll-over from the 2020-2021 year)

California Community Colleges Student-Centered Funding Formula

At the November 17, 2020, Compton CCD Board of Trustees Meeting, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Lauren Sosenko, provided an update on the Student-Centered Funding Formula. Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation. This presentation provides valuable information regarding the Student-Centered Funding Formula and the future impacts it can have on the Compton CCD Budget.

Connecting Students to Their Guided Pathways Division Dean

If Compton College students are having difficulty connecting with their instructor outside the "classroom," please refer them to the dean for the Guided Pathway Division(s) corresponding with their course. To determine which Guided Pathway Division, their course falls under, go to www.compton.edu/gpdiv/index. Students may also connect with a counselor to access online student support services and discuss concerns. Compton College counselors are available online via Cranium Café. Click here for more information.

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI)

In the President/CEO Message - August 31, 2020, I discussed the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). The IEPI is committed to advancing the California Community Colleges' institutional effectiveness and enhancing the system's impact on serving students, advancing best practices, and avoiding potential pitfalls. Technical assistance teams, called Partnership Resource Teams (PRT), are subject matter experts and help institutions develop improvement strategies and timelines on their area of focus.

In July 2020, Compton College applied for assistance from a mini-PRT to strengthen its professional development opportunities in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion matters. The proposal was approved, and along with technical assistance, Compton College will receive up to a $75,000 grant in seed money towards the effort. The mini-PRT is set to visit Compton College virtually on Monday, November 30, 2020. They will meet with various constituent groups, provide feedback and advice, and assist with drafting a plan on how to best design and implement the diversity, equity, and inclusion elements within professional development.

The mini-PRT will be led by Dr. Pamela Luster, President of San Diego Mesa College. Dr. Luster's scholarly and professional pursuits are focused on student equity, diversity and inclusion, and building campus and community coalitions towards cultural proficiency. We are looking forward to welcoming Dr. Luster and her team as they bring their experience and knowledge to Compton College.

Achieving the Dream Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool

As noted in the President/CEO Message - November 5, 2020, Compton College faculty, staff, and managers/supervisors are invited to contribute to the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool. The tool will take approximately 30 minutes to complete and guide the college to achieve the Dream over the next three years. You can access the survey here, and please complete the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool by Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

For individuals who complete the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool, you may enter your name in an opportunity drawing, where four employees will win $200 each.

Compton College Virtual Tartar Talks

I will host our next virtual Tartar Talks on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. We will provide campuswide updates during the virtual Tartar Talks, including the 2020-2021 Compton CCD Final Budget, Guided Pathways, COVID-19, 2020-2021, and the Compton CCD Legislative Agenda. The virtual Tartar Talk Zoom Meeting information is available here.

President/CEO Virtual Student Forum

The next Virtual Student Forum is scheduled for Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. You will have the opportunity to join via Zoom and ask me questions. Student login information is available here.

#RealCollegeCalifornia Basic Needs Summit: Fostering Resiliency During A Pandemic

The #RealCollegeCalifornia Basic Needs Summit: Fostering Resiliency During A Pandemic, is scheduled for Friday, December 4, 2020, via Zoom. As many may recall, in December 2018, we held the first summit at Compton College. If you are interested in participating in the 2020 summit, which is free to #RealCollegeCalifornia members, such as Compton College. The link to register is available here. The keynote speaker for this year's summit is broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien.

Final Thoughts

This morning, I had the opportunity to listen to Compton College student Kevin Quincy Jones participate on a student panel with California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. Kevin talked about his personal life, Compton College, and provided recommendations on how community colleges could better support their students. Kevin's inspiring words during the panel personified our mission here at Compton College and exemplified student success. Below is the email I received this afternoon from Kevin:

"Hello, Dr. Curry! We completed our panel discussion today, and I wanted to say thank you for believing in me enough to recommend me to such a prestigious event. I had no idea it was LIVE on YouTube, and I believe that in part is what helped me today. I wanted to represent you and Compton College to the best of my ability and training. Thank You Again!"

I responded and said, "You did well, and you represented Compton College well! Please be proud." Thanks go to Kevin Quincy Jones for sharing his story at this panel discussion. He is definitely a Compton College Success Story!

In closing, thank you to everyone who reached out to me regarding the special gift that was sent to all Compton College full-time faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors. I hope everyone enjoys their treats.

Please be safe, and tomorrow is Friday! And I only have four Zoom Meetings. Hopefully, no more meetings are added to my schedule in the next 24 hours.

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