President/CEO Message

August 12, 2021

Let the countdown begin! Only nine days until the fall semester begins, with Saturday classes starting August 21 and weekday classes beginning Monday, August 23. I am looking forward to classes being held in the new Instructional Building 1. On a personal note, on August 10, 2021, Kamilo Ali Curry started middle school. I still remember those days of him walking across the Compton College campus to the Child Development Center. This has been a tough week for me as I continue to process that my son is no longer in elementary school. I know many of our employees have children, grandchildren, and relatives returning to school in the coming weeks – and I wish everyone 'good luck!'

This morning, I shared with the campus community an update on the Compton Community College District Vaccine Requirement. As stated in the communication, the District is preparing to require that all students and employees on campus and employees traveling on behalf of the District must be vaccinated. Our intent is for all employees and student-athletes to be fully vaccinated by October 1, 2021, and all other students to be fully vaccinated by January 1, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact the Vice President of Human Resources, Rachelle Sasser, at rsasser@compton.edu or 310-900-1600, ext. 2400.

The President/CEO Message - August 12, 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 3,498 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County as of 6:00 p.m. on August 11, 2021. The county now has a total of 1,335,332 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.

Open Pandemic Coordinators' Meeting

More than twenty employees participated in today's Open Pandemic Coordinators' Meeting. The Pandemic Coordinators provided a brief overview of employee-related updates from recent President/CEO Messages and the current Entry to Campus Protocol for Faculty and Staff. Attendees asked the Pandemic Coordinators about the distribution and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfecting schedules for open restrooms, and signage for open and closed offices. Individuals also asked about the process of submitting proof of COVID-19 vaccination to Human Resources versus submitting monthly COVID-19 test results. A recording of the meeting is available here.

Fall 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, August 12, 2021, Compton College has generated 955 FTES for the Fall 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 39%, and our seats filled is 6,202. Click here to view today's enrollment snapshot.

The fall semester begins Saturday, August 21, 2021, with weekday classes beginning on Monday, August 23, 2021. Please encourage interested students to enroll today as some sections are already full. A list of open classes is available here.

In-Person Enrollment Services Available on Campus

In-person enrollment services, including orientation, educational plans, registration assistance, student IDs, as well as CalWORKs, EOPS/CARE representatives, are available in Tartar Village. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Students may call 310-900-1600, ext. 2765 for more information and to make an appointment. The Bookstore is also open for in-store shopping Monday-Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students can also shop online anytime at www.comptonbookstore.com and select shipping or in-store pickup.

The Library-Student Success Center is also open to currently enrolled students Monday-Thursday. Appointments are required for in-person tutoring, computers, and study rooms. In-person library services, reserve textbooks, and study rooms are available by appointment and walk-in (please check the Library webpage for specific days/times).

Compton College Cranium Cafe

As mentioned in previous President/CEO Messages, many Compton College departments and programs utilize Cranium Cafe to interact with employees, student workers, and students. I cannot stress enough how important it is for employees to be available during their assigned time and be active on Cranium Cafe. This is the only method some departments have to connect with students. Also, it is essential to respond to student messages via Cranium Cafe promptly. Over the past year, we have set up Cranium Cafe cards for all full-time managers/supervisors and Classified staff. If you or your department does not have a Cranium Cafe card, please contact the Dean of Counseling and Guided Pathways, Dr. Cesar Jimenez, at cjimenez@compton.edu. In future President/CEO Messages, I will share more information on the Compton College Cranium Cafe implementation team, including representation from each division (Academic Affairs, Student Services, Administrative Services, and Human Resources).

Application Fraud and Financial Aid Fraud

Over the past couple of months, the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and Compton College have been monitoring instances of admission application and financial aid fraud. A guidance memo was issued by Dr. Valerie Lundy-Wagner, Interim Vice-Chancellor, Digital Innovation and Infrastructure, on June 22, 2021, regarding Admission Application Fraud and Financial Aid Fraud, which is available here for reference. This week, we have become aware of potential fraud during the 2020-2021 year and have launched an investigation. For the 2021-2022 year, faculty must remove non-attending students by the Census date for each semester/term to significantly reduce the likelihood that financial aid is disbursed fraudulently. If you become aware of potential fraud, please contact Richette Bell, Director of Admissions and Records, at rbell@compton.edu.

2021-2022 Compton Community College District Budget

In the President/CEO Message - April 26, 2021, President/CEO Message - May 24, 2021, President/CEO Message - June 3, 2021, President/CEO Message - June 24, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - August 5, 2021, I provided updates on the 2020-2021 Compton CCD Budget and information on the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Budget Assumptions. During the process of closing the 2020-2021 books with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, our projected ending balance from the 2020-2021 year increased to $18,489,011. The revised 2021-2022 Compton CCD Final Budget Assumptions reflect the new projected ending balance and are available here. Over the next week, we anticipate completing the 2021-2022 Compton CCD District Final Budget and presenting it to the Planning and Budget Committee at their Tuesday, August 24, 2021, meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Compton Community College District Board of Trustees Meeting

The Compton CCD Board of Trustees' next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 17, 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.

Virtual New Student Welcome Day - Wednesday, August 18, 2021

A virtual New Student Welcome Day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18, 2021, via Zoom, from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The annual event will provide an opportunity for new students to connect with the Compton College community, and:

Meet Compton College President/CEO, Dr. Keith Curry, and Associated Student Government President, Stephanie Leonor Del Cid.
Learn about the campus from faculty, counselors, Classified professionals, and students.
Connect with the Tartar Success Team that will help them succeed in their educational journey.
Participate in workshops about transferring, selecting majors and careers, tools for success, and Career and Technical Education.

New Student Welcome Day is open to all students; click here to RSVP. Zoom meeting links will be provided in the confirmation email, along with additional event information.

Final Thoughts

It's that time of year when I share with the campus my priorities for the year. Below are my 14 priorities for the 2021-2022 year.

COVID-19 - ensure faculty, staff, and students are in a safe and healthy environment.
Focus on recruitment and retention efforts at Compton College.
Focus on the implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) activities at Compton College.
Monitor the implementation of the activities associated with the Compton College Response to the Call to Action.
Monitor the implementation of the recommendations/activities outlined in the Compton College 2024 documents.
Continue to support the Foundation for Compton CCD.
Continue with Succession Planning - focus on improving how we document our various processes.
Continue to be more accessible to Compton College faculty, Classified staff, administrators/supervisors, students, and the community.
Continue to follow up on all recommendations and requests and include information in the President/CEO Messages 'Closing the Loop' section.
Support Professional Development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
Continue to monitor the implementation of the Collaborative Governance Document.
Monitor the state and Compton CCD budgets.
Monitor the completion of Compton College facilities projects.
Submit a request to the Department of Finance to protect Compton College Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES) through 2028-2029.

In closing, it is truly an honor to serve as your President/CEO! And I am looking forward to beginning my 11th academic year as the Chief Executive Officer of Compton CCD.

Sincerely,

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