President/CEO Message

November 8, 2021

Campus Community,

It's Monday of the 12th week of the fall 2021 semester, and I don't know about you, but I forgot about daylight saving time, and it was great to get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday. I didn't work much yesterday, but I did spend a little time reviewing the 2021-2022 President/CEO Priorities and tracking my progress on each. Tomorrow, November 9, 2021, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. I will have office hours, and if you want to stop by to say hello, provide an update on your program/department, or provide recommendations in support of student success or improving the College, please send me an email at kcurry@compton.edu for the Zoom link and the passcode.

The President/CEO Message - November 8, 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 1,153 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County as of 6 p.m. on November 7, 2021. For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/. As of November 4, 2021, 80.2% of Los Angeles County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; and 72% are fully vaccinated. For detailed vaccine information, including individual city data, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/vaccine/vaccine-dashboard. Compton College is operating at Level 3 - Moderate Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.

Daily Wellness Survey

The Daily Wellness Survey should be completed online before your arrival on campus. Use the "Daily Wellness" survey tile via MyCompton or use bit.ly/Compton-Wellness-2021-2022. Be sure your @compton.edu email is entered correctly and that you answer the survey questions accurately. If possible, have your confirmation email handy when you pull up to the Entry to Campus checkpoint. Please be courteous to the Entry to Campus checkpoint staff, certain times of the day are busier than others, and they need to follow the Entry to Campus Protocol for all individuals.

Face Coverings, Hand Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment

To help ensure the health and safety of the Compton College campus community and the public, face coverings must be worn on campus by all individuals, including employees, students, construction workers, and visitors. This requirement follows federal and state safety requirements and local public health directives, including the CDC's "How to Wear Face Coverings" guidelines (updated October 25, 2021).

All employees, students, and visitors must wash their hands regularly, following CDC recommendations. If soap and water are not readily available, then an alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be used. Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout campus with appropriate hand hygiene information.

The College provides personal protective equipment to employees and students as feasible. Procedures for monitoring, maintaining, and distributing PPE and other COVID-19-related supplies for District employees and students are coordinated between the Pandemic Coordinators and Administrative Services. Distribution of PPE is scheduled every two weeks through the Copy Center. Individual departments and programs are advised to order PPE supplies if they need more than what is available from the District.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocol

Responsibility of Individuals (Employees and Students)

Students and employees are encouraged to keep their personal items (e.g., cell phones, other electronics) and personal workspaces clean.
Students and employees are encouraged to use disinfectant wipes to wipe down shared desks, lab equipment, and other shared objects and surfaces before and after use.
Use of shared objects (e.g., lab equipment, computer equipment, desks) should be limited when possible or cleaned between use with safe cleaning methods.
Avoid sharing electronic devices, books, pens, and other learning aids.
Individual offices/programs may develop a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection within their area. Employees are provided time during their shifts to implement cleaning practices. Cleaning assignments should be assigned during working hours as part of the employee's job duties.

Responsibility of the Maintenance & Operations Department

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (e.g., door handles, sink handles, water refill stations, grab bars, hand railings, bathroom stalls, picnic tables) at least daily or between use as much as possible.
Trash receptacles to be emptied daily.
Hand sanitizer, soap and water, and trash cans are made conveniently available to the public within all buildings.
Restrooms and occupied classrooms/labs and offices are being cleaned/disinfected frequently, including weekly eMisting.
Occupied classrooms, labs, and offices are cleaned/disinfected daily and eMisted weekly.
The District provides limited cleaning/disinfectant supplies, as available; individual areas/programs maintain their own cleaning/disinfectant supplies.

Winter 2022 Enrollment Update

As of today, November 8, 2021, Compton College has generated 19 FTES for the winter 2022 term. Our fill rate is currently 7%, and our seats filled is 168. Click here to view today's enrollment snapshot.

Please encourage interested students to check the Searchable Class Schedule, which can be found online at www.compton.edu/studentservices/admissionandrecords/ClassSchedule, for the most up to date information on open sections.

Important Reminder: Students enrolled in in-person on-campus classes must submit proof of vaccination status before January 1, 2022. All students who submit proof of vaccination status will receive $350 from Compton College, including fall 2021 students.

Student Survey to Inform Spring 2022 Scheduling

The Office of Intuitional Effectiveness is administering a "Student Survey to Inform Spring 2022 Scheduling" to students. Current Compton College students were emailed a link to the online survey via their @compton.edu email accounts. Click here to read the email. The survey asks students about how they want to take classes (online or in-person), challenges they are experiencing related to their education, and other considerations about spring 2021 that may inform how the College offers classes in spring 2022. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, November 12, 2021.

Mobile Food Pantry On-Campus - November 9, 2021

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Compton College have partnered together to provide FREE healthy food to our community. Tomorrow, November 9, 2021, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the public is invited to stop by Compton College (enter from Greenleaf Blvd. between Santa Fe Ave. and Long Beach Blvd.) to pick up a box of free food. This is a drive-thru-only event, and no walk-ups are permitted. Due to limited supplies, food will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information, click here. Please share this information with those who could benefit from the generous assistance.

Multi-Factor Authentication for Students

As initially stated in the President/ CEO Message - May 13, 2020, and again in the President/CEO Message - June 29, 2020, President/CEO Message - May 27, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - August 30, 2021, Compton College's Information Technology Services (ITS) Department is enabling multi-factor authentication (also called two-step verification) for all @compton.edu user accounts. On November 11, 2021, all Compton College students will be required to use Multi-Factor Authentication to log in to the College resources, including the MyCompton portal, email, Office 365 applications, and Microsoft OneDrive, while outside of the College network. Students should not take any actions before the November 11, 2021 activation date. We recommend that students print the email that was sent on November 5, 2021, so that they can find instructions and support options in case they get locked out. Students must complete the activation process before November 14, 2021, to avoid any potential challenges that may affect their attendance or educational deadlines. The ITS Helpdesk Team will be available to provide support Thursday through Sunday, November 11-14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to ensure a smooth transition.

Compton College Virtual Tartar Talks

I will host a special virtual Tartar Talks on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. The focus will be on enrollment and recruitment, accreditation, and COVID-19. To participate, please use this link to register in advance: November 23, 2021, Tartar Talks Online Registration.

Compton CCD Board of Trustees Meetings

The next Compton CCD Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 16, 2021. The closed session begins at 4:00 p.m., with the open session commencing at 5:00 p.m. Information on how to access the Compton CCD Board of Trustees meeting is available here.

Final Thoughts

This morning, I did an interview with the New York Times about higher education enrollment, particularly the challenges faced by community colleges and Compton College. During the interview, I provided information on the new director of Black and Males of Color Success. I noted that we are hiring Student Services Advisors to focus on outreach for Black and Males of Color. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone that has provided creative feedback as it relates to both of these positions. These positions represent the values of our organization and how the success of Black and Males of Color is critical at Compton College.

Just a friendly reminder, the campus is closed on Thursday, November 11, 2021, for Veteran's Day.

Thank you, and please be safe.

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