President/CEO Message

November 23, 2020

Campus Community,

In the President/CEO Message - November 16, 2020, I mentioned that we received a $100,000 donation to support emergency grants for our dual enrollment students. The dual enrollment emergency grant is a partnership with Compton College, Believe in Students, and Edquity. A total of 843 dual enrollment high school students from Compton and Lynwood unified school districts will receive $114 each, fitting since Compton College is the 114th California Community College. The goal is to disburse the emergency grants to the dual enrollment students before the end of the fall 2020 semester. I am excited about these emergency grants since this fund is the first-ever in California to support dual enrollment students who experience many of the same financial challenges that non-high-school-aged college students face and were left out of the critical emergency support provided by the CARES Act.

The President/CEO Message – November 23, 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 22, 2020, there were 2,718 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 364,530 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.

Employee COVID-19 Testing Protocols

All essential employees and Career and Technical Education faculty and Classified staff working on campus are required to be tested for COVID-19 at least once per month, until further notice. The Office of Human Resources will continue to schedule testing via the St. John's Health Center on campus, including December 2020 appointments, or individuals can utilize other off-campus testing options. All test results must be emailed to the Vice President of Human Resources at rsasser@compton.edu.

Telecommuting Policy Statement - Temporary Use of Office Furniture

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - October 29, 2020, the Compton CCD intends to maintain the quantity, quality, and integrity of District employees' work product while reducing commuting's climate effects during this period of social distancing to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Therefore, the District allows employees to request the temporary use of chairs and monitors for telecommuting purposes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With supervisor approval, employees may request the temporary use of 'office furniture' and portable goods necessary for telework for use at their residence. This includes monitors and chairs. No other equipment or supplies may be requested. The policy statement and procedures are available online here. If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Purchasing & Auxiliary Services, Reuben James, at rjames@compton.edu.

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. The first 300 students will receive a FREE Turkey! Compton College employees are also invited to pick up a box at the Greenleaf entrance.

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 Wednesday, November 25, 2020, from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Tartar Focused and Directed Pathways to Completion Committee (Guided Pathways)

In the President/CEO Message - September 10, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - November 5, 2020, I provided an update on our Guided Pathways implementation. Today, November 23, 2020, I received the Fine Arts, Communication, and Humanities Division funding request for the 2020-2021 year. I will be reviewing their funding request at November 24, 2020 President/CEO Cabinet meeting.

Based on the recommendation from a 2020 Tartar Focused and Directed Pathways to Completion Committee meeting, in the coming weeks, a letter will be mailed to all in-district high school seniors encouraging them to apply for the Oliver W. Conner College Promise program. The letter includes the next steps for College Promise-eligible students in both English and Spanish. Students will be able to access the online application and additional information via QR codes. Special thanks to Dr. Donald Roach, Professor, Mathematics, and Division Chair for the Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Guided Pathway Division for this suggestion.

Finally, we have many consultants and team leads for the various components of our implementation of Guided Pathways. In a future President/CEO Message, we will provide more information on our Guided Pathways implementation.

Compton College Website Redesign

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - September 10, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - October 19, 2020, the Compton College website redesign process is underway. A request for Proposals (RFP) will provide details about the project and solicit bids for the redesign project. The Web Task Force held their first meeting on October 29, 2020, and is researching samples of college websites for use in the redesign process. The next meeting will be held sometime in December 2020. In the meantime, the Guided Pathway Division deans, division chairs, and faculty are in the process of creating new academic program webpages. The old division webpages will be deleted on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

UndocuAlly Task Force

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - October 8, 2020, Compton College and Compton CCD is committed to supporting our undocumented/AB540 students through the work of the UndocuAlly Taskforce. I wanted to inform the campus community, through our non-traditional student account with the Foundation for Compton Community College District, we have set aside $5,000 to provide emergency grants for undocumented/AB540 students. I have asked the task force to establish a process and application for this new emergency grant program.

Last week we received notification from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office regarding California State Senate Bill 74 (Budget Act of 2020), which included $5.8 million in local assistance funds to support Dreamer Resource Liaisons and student support services for immigrants and undocumented students in community colleges. These services provide an opportunity to address disparities and advance economic justice by supporting educational attainment, career pathways, and economic mobility for students who may face barriers related to their immigration status. Compton College will be receiving $37,252 that must be spent by Thursday, June 30, 2022. I am requesting the UndocuAlly Task Force to provide me with a funding recommendation for the $37,252.

More information on the UndocuAlly Taskforce and the services we provide to undocumented/AB540 students will be available in a future President/CEO Message.

California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Update

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - July 13, 2020, President/CEO Message - October 1, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - November 12, 2020, I provided an update on the Compton Tartars Athletics Program, and I shared their "Resocialization Plan,," which is available here. Included in the plan is a budget request of $191,046. Last week, we received notification from the CCCAA regarding the opt-in and opt-out dates for spring 2021 athletics. Institutions must opt-in or opt-out for CCCAA Spring I Athletics no later than Friday, December 18, 2020, and CCCAA Spring II Athletics no later than Friday, February 26, 2021. For more information on the opt-in and opt-out for CCCAA, the form must be submitted is available here. No formal decision has been made, as I am waiting for the South Coast Conference presidents' meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2, 2020, to discuss spring 2021 athletics. However, I have concerns about our students' and employees' safety if we were to offer intercollegiate athletics in spring 2021.

In a future President/CEO Message, I will provide another update on Compton College Athletics.

Compton College Virtual Tartar Talks

I will host our next virtual Tartar Talks on tomorrow, 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.

#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.

Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting

The next meeting of the Compton CCD Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2020. 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.

Final Thoughts

Over the past couple of months, in the President/CEO Message, I have provided a lot of information about the campus community, books that I am reading, and web links to articles and publications. Hopefully, the information I am providing is helpful to you.

Please mark your calendar for the Virtual Compton College Holiday Social Hour, scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2020, from 2-3 p.m. It will be a time for us to hang out, participate in games and an opportunity drawing.

Finally, the campus is closed Thursday-Friday, November 26-27, 2020, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please take this time to enjoy with your family and friends and not participate in Zoom meetings or webinars.

Please be safe and have a wonderful week.

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