President/CEO Message

June 28, 2021

Happy Monday! We are three days away from the new fiscal year. I wanted to begin this President/CEO Message with an update on the Compton College Midterm Report. As mentioned in a President/CEO Message - October 26, 2020, President/CEO Message - October 29, 2020, President/CEO Message - March 4, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - March 8, 2021, the Compton College Midterm Report was submitted to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) before the March 15, 2021 deadline. This morning, I received notification that ACCJC accepted the Compton College Mid-Term Report. This is excellent news for Compton College and Compton Community College District. A copy of the ACCJC action letter is available here. Special thank you to all involved with preparing the Compton College Midterm Report, including Lauren Sosenko, Director of Institutional Effectiveness; Amber Gillis, Accreditation Faculty Coordinator; and Sheri Berger, Vice President of Academic Affairs. The President/CEO Message - June 28 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 239 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County as of 6 p.m. on June 27, 2021. The county now has a total of 1,249,304 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 3 - Moderate Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Summer and Fall 2021 Enrollment Update

As of today, June 28, 2021, Compton College has generated:

425 FTES for the Summer 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 70%, and our seats filled is 3,108.
396 FTES for the Fall 2021 semester. Our fill rate is currently 15%, and our seats filled is 2,517.

Today's enrollment snapshots are available here.

A list of open sections for the second eight-week session is available here.

The fall semester begins Saturday, August 21, 2021, with weekday classes beginning on Monday, August 23, 2021. Please encourage students to apply and register as soon as possible as some sections are already full.

Outreach and Recruitment Strategies for 2021-2022

As mentioned in previous President/CEO Messages, I want to provide you with ongoing updates on the Outreach and Recruitment Strategies for 2021-2022. A few of the Outreach and Recruitment Strategies for 2021-2022 will begin next week, targeting new and continuing students to increase enrollment for the fall 2021 semester. The parents of Oliver W. Conner College Promise eligible students will begin to receive text messages and voice messages promoting the College Promise Program; new career education webpages will go live next week with links to promotional videos for each program; and the Call Center will begin to focus on prospective students within our District and the completion of the enrollment process.

An updated list of Outreach and Recruitment Strategies for 2021-2022 is available here. Regular updates will be included in upcoming President/CEO Messages.

Closing the Loop

The UndocuAlly Task Force serves to recognize, assess, and implement strategies to assist our undocumented/AB 540 students with their enrollment, persistence, and completion of their academic goals. As a follow-up to the President/CEO Message - October 8, 2020, the UndocuAlly Taskforce was provided $4,000 in funding from Student Equity and Achievement to support their activities for 2021-2022. I also approved $2,000 ongoing funding from the General Fund to support the UndocuAlly Annual Undocumented Student Action Week, to be scheduled in October 2021.

Also, as mentioned in the President/CEO Message - November 23, 2020, I asked the UndocuAlly Taskforce to provide me with a recommendation for the $37,252 we received to support Dreamer Resource Liaisons and student support services for immigrants and undocumented students in community colleges. I did not approve the funding request in its current form as I have concerns if the proposed expenses are allowable expenses by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. Last week, I asked the Chancellor's Office for assistance and guidance. Once I receive that information, I will share it with the UndocuAlly Task Force.

2021-2022 Compton College Professional Development Calendar

Compton College has an ongoing commitment to providing professional learning opportunities for the faculty, Classified staff, and managers/supervisors to develop the necessary knowledge and skills that are essential to student success. To enhance the professional growth of all employees, the Professional Development webpage provides access to current training and mentoring opportunities, upcoming events, and on-demand training webinars.

All employee groups of Compton College share a universal theme for learning, including equity, diversity, and technology. The 2021-2022 Professional Development Calendar focuses on those topics and provides the necessary resources to enhance the fundamental skills needed to facilitate student engagement, persistence, and success. Click here for the 2021-2022 Professional Development Calendar.

Final Thoughts

I want to remind you about the Professional Development Office Employee Mental Wellness Forums. Over the next two weeks, open forums will be held for Compton College employees to engage in dialogue on the importance of self-care and overall wellness. These communication outlets are a place for transparent and supportive conversations to normalize self-care and offer valuable insight on dealing with change and transition. All employees are welcomed to join the forums on:

Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

Please click here to RSVP. For more information on the Employee Mental Wellness Forums, please contact Pilar Huffman, Professional Development Manager, at phuffman@compton.edu.

In closing, you are welcome to take a break and walk around the campus or sit outside while using your laptop to work, with the approval of your supervisor. Research suggests that being outdoors increases happiness. Next time you want to engage in a stress-relieving activity, try it. Go outside for a breath of fresh air along with some sunshine and see what happens. The fresh air can boost energy and improve your overall health.

Please be safe, and have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,

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