President/CEO Message
October 19, 2020
Campus Community,
As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - August 17, 2020, we continue to monitor enrollment and provide timely updates to the campus community. I want to mention again that nationally, and in the California Community Colleges system, many community colleges are experiencing a decline in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This past weekend, I read an article from Education Dive titled "College Enrollment Declines Depends." What I found interesting about this article was the following statement: "Across the sector, enrollment of these students was down 16% from a year ago. But that was steeper at community colleges, which recorded nearly 23% fewer first-time students."
I know many of you are concerned about enrollment, and yes, enrollment keeps me up at night. However, we are not alone. Everyone is experiencing enrollment challenges. We must look at the bright side. We have implemented a new academic division structure. We have implemented Tartar Success Teams. We have several partnerships, including collaborations with Apple Inc. and Calbright College. We have increased the number of students enrolled in dual enrollment programs. And we have three major construction projects in progress right now on campus that will be completed during the 2021 and 2022 years.
As I mentioned in the President/CEO Message - June 25, 2020, Compton Community College District has hold-harmless funding provisions at 5,980 Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTES) during the 2020-2021 year. We anticipate Compton CCD will have a budget reduction in the next 2-3 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, working with our statewide elected officials and the California Department of Finance, we anticipated a decline in enrollment due to the conclusion of the partnership with El Camino College; and that transition has provided us hold-harmless FTES funding provisions in the California State Budget at 5,980 FTES, which was extended in June 2020 through the 2025-2026 year. We have continued to advocate for the Compton CCD hold-harmless FTES funding provisions to be extended through the 2028-2029 year. Last week, I had a meeting with the State of California Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) about Compton CCD hold-harmless FTES funding provisions. In January 2021, the Compton CCD Board of Trustees and I will meet with our statewide elected officials and the Department of Finance regarding our hold-harmless FTES funding provisions extension request.
We must focus on recruiting first-time students, returning adults, and retaining our current students during this time. Most important, we have to improve the student experience for all students, which has been a topic of discussion with the Tartar Success Teams. The President/CEO Message - October 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." As of October 18, 2020, there were 358 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 288,451 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). There has been a total of 6,875 deaths reported in Los Angeles County. For more information, go to http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index.htm. According to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan, Compton College continues to operate at Level Four - Severe Infection Rate.
Enrollment Update
As of today, October 19, 2020, Compton College has generated 1,358 Full-Time Equivalent Students for fall 2020. Our fill rate is at 56%, and our seats filled is 9,290. Click here for the current fall 2020 Enrollment Snapshot.
The online applications for summer 2021 and fall 2021 opened on October 1, 2020. Virtual workshops are scheduled Monday-Friday to assist new students with the completion of the required Steps to Enrollment. A complete list of workshops is available on the Educational Partnerships webpage: www.compton.edu/studentservices/educational-partnerships/. Eligible in-District high school seniors may also apply for the Oliver W. Conner Promise Program. The Promise application is available here.
African American Male Education Network Development (A2MEND) Anti-Racism National Dialogue
The next African American Male Education Network Development discussion is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2020, and is titled "Compounded Oppression: Sister Circle." The panel includes Tamika Mallory, Ijeoma Olou, and Dr. Tricia Rose. Compton CCD will provide financial support for employees (including faculty, Classified staff, managers/administrators) and students. If you are interested in participating in this national discussion, RSVP with Pilar Huffman, Professional Development Manager, at phuffman@compton.edu, by Wednesday, October 21, 2020.
2020-2021 Scholarships Available
All current Compton College students are encouraged to apply for scholarships using the online application available via the MyCompton student portal. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2020. Scholarships are awarded during the 2020-2021 academic year to students who meet the eligibility requirements. Most scholarships are for returning students and require enrollment in the fall semester to receive the full award. A few scholarships are targeted for transfer students; verification of university enrollment is required before award disbursement. For more details about current scholarship criteria, please click here. Students will be sent an email this week with additional information.
Compton Pledge
You might have seen the article in the Los Angeles Times titled "800 Compton residents to get guaranteed income in the two-year pilot program" about the Compton Pledge program. More information on the Compton Pledge is available here. Dr. Sharoni Little, Vice President, Compton CCD Board of Trustees, and I serve on the Compton Pledge Advisory Committee. We are interested in the research and evaluation of this program and how we can connect the program participants to our educational programs and support services. After reading the Los Angeles Times article and reviewing their website, if you have any additional recommendations on how Compton College could support the Compton Pledge, please email your suggestions to me at kcurry@compton.edu.
Compton College Website Redesign
As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - September 10, 2020, the Web Task Force will reconvene this semester to help guide a comprehensive redesign of the Compton College website (www.compton.edu). We have budgeted $80,000 for the redesign project. The website is a vital resource to the college, students, potential students, and the community. This project aims to enhance the site's design, navigation, and usability.
The Web Task Force, representing a cross-section of the college community, including faculty, Classified staff, managers/supervisors, and student representatives, will begin the redesign project by drafting a Request for Proposals. The task force will also review submitted proposals, select a vendor, develop a timeline, and participate throughout the redesign process. If you are interested in participating in the Web Task Force, please email Heather Parnock, Director of Community Relations, at hparnock@compton.edu by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2020. We want to schedule the first meeting soon. The Zoom meetings will be scheduled on Mondays or Thursdays based on the Web Task Force members' availability.
Compton College Social Media
In my President/CEO Message - September 21, 2020, I discussed Compton College's social media platforms and the process for posting information on the Compton College social media handles. Some of you feel this limits your ability to communicate with students, and you would like to have social media accounts for your programs and departments. This weekend, I decided to do a little research. I reviewed several of our local community colleges' social media presence. I found many colleges had multiple accounts associated with their name, many with very few followers, and some had not updated their information in months.
As we continue to monitor and discuss our social media presence, we need to be mindful that the college has official accounts for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Flicker that are active and up to date. We can promote events and programs through those official accounts if the information is provided promptly. Once again, to request an item from your program or department to be posted on the college's social media sites, send an email to hparnock@compton.edu. Please allow up to five business days for posting.
Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting
The next meeting of the Compton CCD Board of Trustees is scheduled for tomorrow, October 20, 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.
Fall 2020 President/CEO Virtual Student Forums
Compton College students are invited to meet with me virtually via Zoom Meeting to discuss matters affecting them personally or the College community at large. Virtual forums are scheduled for October 29, 2020, and December 3, 2020, from 1-2 p.m. Click here for the Zoom Meeting link.
Final Thoughts
Last Friday, I finally set-up my Cranium Cafe card so District employees, students, and the community can reach out to me through this online service, which is available here. Please feel free to knock on my door when I am online. Over the next couple of weeks, departments, and programs that do not utilize Cranium Cafe will be encouraged to do so immediately.
I received a request today, October 19, 2020, to establish email accounts for each of the Guided Pathways Tartar Success Teams, which I approved. We must identify someone from each Tartar Success Team responsible for sending and replying to their assigned email account.
Finally, don't forget this week is the Undocumented Student Week of Action. Once again, I want to thank the UndocuAlly Task Force for coordinating our week of activities, which are available here.
Please be safe and have a wonderful week.
Keith Curry, Ed.D.
(preferred pronouns: he/him/his)
President/CEO
Compton College
