President/CEO Message

May 24, 2021

The countdown to June 11, 2021, is on! We are 19 days away from Commencement. A couple of weeks ago, I received a recommendation on how to motivate our students to become vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. This past weekend I was able to secure a $5,000 donation to support an incentive program. I asked the Office of Student Development to develop a process and timeline for implementing a COVID-19 vaccine incentive program for students. Hopefully, we will be able to offer an opportunity drawing for Compton College students who get vaccinated and are enrolled for the fall 2021 semester. If you have any recommendations regarding the incentive program, please forward those recommendations to Andree Pacheco, Director of Student Development and Athletics, at apacheco@compton.edu. I will keep you posted as we develop the plan for the COVID-19 vaccine incentive program for Compton College students.

Currently, Compton Community College District does not mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees or students. Just a friendly reminder, the COVID-19 vaccine is available on campus through the St. John's Health Center. Employees, students, and community members can call 1-866-980-0870 to make an appointment.

The President/CEO Message - May 24, 2021, includes COVID-19 information and other campus-related updates.

Compton College COVID-19 Update

Los Angeles County's current risk level is Yellow Tier (minimal), according to California's "Blueprint for a Safer Economy." On May 23, 2021, there were 175 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The county now has a total of 1,238,781 reported cases (including cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena Health Departments). For more information, go to http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/index.htm. Compton College is operating at Level 3 - Moderate Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Safe Return to Campus - Survey Results

In the President/CEO Message - April 22, 2021, I shared the Employee Safe Return to Campus Survey results, which are available here. In addition, I mentioned that the Office of Institutional Effectiveness was working on the Safe Return to Campus Survey for Students, which we administered earlier this month. We sought input from the Consultative Council and the Health, Safety, and Parking Committee on potential survey questions. The results of the Compton College Safe Return to Campus Survey for Students are available here. Both survey results provided valuable information as we plan the Safe Return to Campus.

Summer 2021 Enrollment Update

Summer 2021 registration is continuing to proceed slightly ahead of last year's pace. As of today, May 24, 2021, Compton College has generated 270 FTES for the summer 2021 term; the fill rate is currently 39%, and our seats filled is 1,981. The Summer 2021 Enrollment Report is available here. A variety of 8-week and 6-week classes are available for registration, including some 6-week classes that start on July 6. Please encourage interested students to sign up as soon as possible as the first set of low enrolled classes will be reviewed for possible cancellation on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

Registration for the fall semester begins tomorrow, May 25, 2021. Students should check MyCompton for their registration appointment/'ticket time.' The schedule of classes is available at www.compton.edu/studentservices/admissionandrecords/ClassSchedule as a PDF and an online searchable format.

In-Person Enrollment Services

Compton College is now offering in-person enrollment assistance for summer and fall 2021! Beginning today, May 24, 2021, select enrollment services will be offered in-person, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Visit this webpage for instructions and to make an appointment: www.compton.edu/studentservices.

2021-2022 Compton Community College District Budget Assumptions

As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 17, 2021, we have revised the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget Assumptions, based on the Governor's May Revision. We are still gathering additional information on the Governor's Budget as it relates to the restricted funding, but the revisions to the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget Assumptions include the following:

Reduce the number of nursing faculty to be hired from 3 to 2.
Budget for a new Journalism/English - Social Media faculty position. However, we will continue to discuss this position in fall 2021.
Budget an additional payment of $500,000 for the line of credit debt expense. In total, our line of credit payment amount would be $1,681,841. I will be recommending to the Compton CCD Board of Trustees, at their July 20, 2021 meeting, to approve a plan to pay off the line of credit debt by June 30, 2026.
Budget an additional $1,000,000 to the Compton CCD Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Futuris Public Entity Investment Trust. In total, our OPEB Futuris Public Entity Investment Trust contribution would be $1,250,000. I mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 29, 2021, the goal to have our OPEB liability fully funded by June 30, 2023.
Budget an additional $300,000 for the California Public Entity Pension Stabilization Fund (PERS/STRS). In total, our California Public Entity Pension Stabilization Fund contribution would be $500,000. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - April 19, 2021, the goal is to begin utilizing these funds to offset the increase in PERS/STRS pension costs during the 2026-2027 year.
Transfer $3,500,000 to the Capital Outlay Fund to pay District-required match for the Visual & Performing Arts Replacement Project. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - May 17, 2021, this project was included in the Governor's May Revision, and Compton CCD is required to provide a match. Our match also includes additional funding for equipment for this facility.
Transfer $350,000 to Capital Outlay Fund to pay for E-Sports Facilities Project. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - February 25, 2021, the funding will be used for a permanent location for the E-Sports program.
We increased the Compton College Banner Enterprise Resource Planning System reserve by $200,000 to $3,700,000. We estimate the cost for the Enterprise Resource Planning System from 2018 to 2028 at $10 million. As you may recall, the Compton College Recovery Fund includes $6.3 million for the Enterprise Resource Planning System. In the future, our concern will be if we need additional services from Ellucian Banner outside of the scope of our current agreement. Those other services cost could impact our Unrestricted General Fund.

The 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget will address long-term and short-term district liabilities. We are making significant investments in OPEB, PERS/STRS, and the line of credit liabilities. As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - March 1, 2021, President/CEO Message - November 16, 2020, and the President/CEO Message - June 25, 2020, Compton CCD Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTES) Hold Harmless Provision was extended through the 2025-2026 year. We have requested an extension to the hold harmless. However, the investments in the OPEB, PERS/STRS, and the line of credit will provide us with fiscal flexibility to continue to support the College and Compton CCD operations.

The 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget Assumptions will be presented at the Planning and Budget Committee meeting tomorrow, May 25, 2021. I will be making decisions on the 2021-2022 Budget Augmentations and Enhancements in the coming week. More information on the 2021-2022 Compton CCD Tentative Budget will be included in future President/CEO Messages.

May 26 Student Forum

All current students are invited to join the virtual President/CEO Student Forum scheduled for Wednesday, May 26, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom meeting information is available here.

Final Grad Info Session This Thursday

Reminder to all Compton College Grads: videos/photos for the virtual ceremony are due BY Monday, May 31, 2021. Attend the last Grad Info Session on Thursday, May 27 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. to learn more. More information and the Zoom link: http://bit.ly/2021CCGrads. Please check your @compton.edu email for additional information about the virtual commencement ceremony, #classof2021 lawn signs, and grad packs available for purchase through the Bookstore.

New Online Applause Card Nomination Form

Just a friendly reminder, the new online nomination form is now available here. Employees, students, and the community may recognize a Compton CCD employee for helping to ensure the success of our students. Complete the online form, and the President/CEO Office will officially recognize the employee who helped you.

Final Thoughts

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, the Compton College Academic Senate passed a motion recommending that college hour be changed from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. I will be talking with the Associated Student Body and Sheri Berger, Vice President of Academic Affairs, on the matter. Also, I will be reviewing the college hours times at our surrounding community colleges. I will make a decision on this recommendation by Friday, June 11, 2021. I appreciate the recommendation from the Academic Senate, and I think it should be a standard process that we review the college hour time at least once every 3-4 years.

At the May 21, 2021 Board meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the following faculty members for tenure effective August 19, 2021:

Domenic Capozzolo
Donald Mason
Janette Morales
Jasmine Phillips
Evan Skorka
Sophia Tse

Congratulations to these faculty members, and we have scheduled the 5th Annual Tenure Dinner for Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. We are still determining if this will be an on-campus or virtual event.

In closing, have a wonderful week, and please be safe.

Sincerely,

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