President/CEO Message

September 2, 2021

Thank you to all who participated in yesterday's drive-thru food giveaway and COVID-19 vaccination event. There was a great turnout! One thousand two hundred twenty-six households were provided with free food, and 89 individuals were vaccinated. Special thank you to our partners: Los Angeles County Supervisor, Holly Mitchell, Second District; the City of Compton; the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation; the Los Angeles County Food Bank; and St. John's Well Child and Family Center. It was an honor to host a community event such as this one. In the coming weeks, we will be following up to host additional food giveaways for our students in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Food Bank.

The President/CEO Message - September 2, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's Daily COVID-19 Data webpage reports 2,277 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County as of 6:00 p.m. on September 1, 2021. The county now has a total of 1,409,545 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena health departments). For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/. Compton College is operating at Level 4 - Severe Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Exposure Management

As we work collaboratively to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, everyone should follow current Los Angeles County Public Health protocols when in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were infectious.

What is a Close Contact?
You are a a "close contact" if you were exposed to someone who tested positive* for COVID-19 while they were infectious if:

- You were within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
- You were not masked and/or had contact with someone with COVID-19. Examples: you were coughed or sneezed on, you shared a drinking cup or eating utensils, you kissed, or you provided care to someone without wearing protective equipment.

*Tested positive means they had a positive COVID-19 viral test.

In Los Angeles County, if you have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 you are required to:

1. Quarantine - stay home and separate yourself from others (unless you are exempt)
2. Monitor your health for 14 days
3. Follow the Health Officer Quarantine Order along with the steps below

It is recommended that you get tested for COVID-19 (unless you had a positive test in the last 90 days).

Recent travel: For information about quarantine after travel, follow CDC domestic and international travel recommendations.

Learn more about quarantine and isolation requirements: publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/isolationquarantine/

If you are staying home because you have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, contact your Compton College instructor via email as soon as possible. Faculty members will provide alternatives to in-person classes; students in online/remote classes must continue to participate via Canvas or Zoom. Employees can work from home if possible.

Exemption/Accommodation Process - Vaccine Requirement

All employees and students received a notification via email from Rachelle Sasser, vice president of Human Resources (rsasser@compton.edu) on September 1, 2021. The emails explained the exemption/accommodation process and how to submit the request online. The notification also provided information on the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement that will go into effect on October 1, 2021, for employees and student-athletes who did not submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination status or are exempt from the vaccination requirement. For more information, please refer to the emails available online:

Fall 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, September 1, 2021, Compton College has generated 1,192 FTES for the Fall 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 56%, and our seats filled is 8,090. Click here to view today's enrollment snapshot. A variety of eight-week classes, that offer the same credit as full-semester courses, begin October 18. A list of open classes is available online here.

One More Class - You've Got This!

As part of the Fall 2021 "One More Class - You've Got This!" campaign, 2021-2022 Financial Aid recipients enrolled in 7-10 units for the fall 2021 semester were sent an email on August 31, 2021 alerting them to the opportunity to receive 25% more in financial aid if they enrolled in one more 3-unit class by September 5, 2021. Students were encouraged to stop by campus to receive in-person assistance.

Current fall 2021 students enrolled in 4-11 units will be sent an email with information about late-start classes in the coming weeks.

President/CEO Closing the Loop

As part of the annual program planning process for 2021-2022, multiple funding sources were reviewed to support as many recommendations as possible across the campus. The Annual Planning at Compton College Report summarizes the Planning Cycle for 2021-2022 Academic Year, including Prioritized Funding Recommendations. Today, I am announcing approved recommendations for instructional equipment and Student Equity and Achievement (SEA).

Recommendations from the 2021-2022 planning process for instructional equipment totaling $398,400 were approved and are available here. Instructional equipment funds are used for equipment that is used in the classroom or student learning process. We will be using funding from the Physical Plant and Instructional Support Program for Compton College to purchase the instructional equipment. More information on the Physical Plant and Instructional Support program for Compton College is available in the President/CEO Message - August 5, 2021.

In addition, through the 2021-2022 planning cycle, grant managers and President/CEO Cabinet members reviewed the Student Equity and Achievement grant budget and considered new recommendations that support student success and equity. After considering existing/ongoing budget allocations and funds expended as of March 2021, additional funding recommendations were forwarded to the President/CEO. The final, approved recommendations are available here. Please note, we anticipate additional Student Equity and Achievement Funds being available for student support programs and services. In the coming weeks, we will share information on the application process to request those funds.

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - August 31, 2020, President/CEO Message - November 30, 2020, President/CEO Message - December 17, 2020, the President/CEO Message - February 1, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - August 19, 2021, I discussed the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office's Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). The Institutional Innovation and Effectiveness Plan was approved in January 2021 and included a budget of $10,000 to provide the Compton College community with opportunities to participate in nationwide and statewide webinars and workshops regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This is a reminder that if you are interested in attending a DEI-related seminar or webinar, please contact Tina Kuperman, Director of Diversity, Compliance, and Title IX, at tkuperman@compton.edu for information on submitting a proposal to utilize these funds. I have asked Tina Kuperman to work with the EEO Advisory Committee to provide me with their recommended funding by October 1, 2021. Please note, these funds are only available during the 2021-2022 year. Today, I am pleased to announce we have $45,000 to recruit high-caliber speakers and presenters with expertise in DEI to provide professional development at Compton College for faculty, Classified Staff, managers/supervisors, and students. If there is someone you would like to see share their knowledge on DEI with Compton College, please get in touch with Tina Kuperman.

Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting

The Compton CCD Board of Trustees' next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7, 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.

Final Thoughts

Like many of you might agree, this was a busy week for Compton College and Compton CCD, and I know it's only the second week of the semester, but we are in full swing. I want to thank many of you for providing creative input on the various items I discuss in the President/CEO Messages. I will continue to seek out input from the campus community and our various constituent groups on college-related matters.

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - August 19, 2021, we would develop and schedule Summer Enrichment Activities on our campus beginning in summer 2022. Furthermore, I mentioned we would develop a Request for Proposal for agencies to utilize our campus for summer enrichment programs for pre-collegiate students from the Compton CCD service area. Once again, if you have any creative input regarding summer enrichment activities at Compton College, please email me at kcurry@compton.edu.

In closing, I have been thinking a lot about Compton College's Hispanic Serving Institution designation and how we could utilize those funds (see President/CEO Message - July 29, 2021, for more information) to support our students, particularly those interested in transferring to a four-year college/university. I have been thinking about partnering with a couple of University of California campuses, a California State University campus, and an out-of-state college to offer summer residential programs for our students at their institutions in summer 2022. This could engage our current students during the summer and serve as a recruitment opportunity for prospective new students. If you have any creative input regarding summer residential programs for our students at four-year colleges/universities, please email me at kcurry@compton.edu.

Please be safe, and tomorrow is Friday!

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