President/CEO Message
September 20, 2021
This weekend, I could not sleep because I was thinking through a couple of significant issues/concerns for Compton College and Compton Community College District. In the President/CEO Message - September 13, 2021, I mentioned the $5.2 million problem with the Physical Education Complex Replacement project. This weekend, I thought about the various reports due to the California Community College Chancellor's Office for our multiple programs and services. I do not know how many of you are aware, but we are required to submit numerous reports each year regarding our college. Finally, I thought about the 2020-2021 Compton CCD Financial Audit, which must be completed and submitted to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office by December 31, 2021. We have much work ahead of us; thank you to all those who are preparing the required reports.
The President/CEO Message - September 20, 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 996 newly recorded confirmed cases in Los Angeles County as of 6:00 p.m. on September 19, 2021. For more information, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/data/. As of September 17, 2021, 75.9% of Los Angeles County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; and 67% 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 4 – Severe Infection Rate according to the Compton CCD Pandemic Outbreak - Emergency Operations Plan.
Fall 2021 Enrollment Update
As of today, September 20, 2021, Compton College has generated 1,250 FTES for the fall 2021 term. Our fill rate is currently 58%, and our seats filled is 8,695. Click here to view today's enrollment snapshot.
Once again, please encourage interested students to check the Searchable Class Schedule, which can be found online at http://www.compton.edu/studentservices/admissionandrecords/ClassSchedule.aspx, for the most up to date information on open sections. A variety of eight-week classes that offer the same credit as a full-semester section are scheduled to begin in mid-October. Click here to view a list of newly added second eight-week classes.
2021-2022 Student Equity & Achievement Funding Proposals
Beginning tomorrow, September 21, 2021, the Student Equity Committee will be accepting funding proposals for the 2021-2022 academic year. This is an excellent opportunity for faculty, Classified staff, departments, and Guided Pathway Divisions to implement or expand programs on campus that close equity gaps and improve student outcomes. The Student Equity Committee will review all applications and forward their funding recommendations to the President/CEO. Please complete the application by Friday, October 15, 2021, and ensure that your application(s) aligns with Compton College's Strategic Initiatives and Student Equity & Achievement Guidelines. You can download the application here, and please be sure to email your completed application to Lydell K. Willis, director of Student Basic Needs & Success, at lwillis2@compton.edu, by the Friday, October 15, 2021, deadline.
Compton College 2024 Student Equity Plan
As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - June 10, 2021, this fall, we are working on our Compton College 2024 Student Equity Plan, which will be linked to the Compton College 2024 Planning documents. As part of the Compton College 2024 Student Equity Plan development, we need your input to develop a framework that will inform and help prioritize activities and funding for Compton College. We are requesting your creative input by you completing the Compton College Student Equity Plan Survey, which is available here by Friday, October 8, 2021.
Compton College Virtual Tartar Talks
I will host a special virtual Tartar Talks on tomorrow, September 21, 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: September 21, 2021 Tartar Talks Online Registration.
Upcoming Community Meetings
Compton Community College District Board of Trustees members, Ms. Barbara Calhoun and Dr. Deborah LeBlanc, are hosting community meetings in September and October. The meetings are open to the public and will provide an update on facilities, enrollment, and the College's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More information, including Zoom Meeting links, is available below.
- September 30, 2021 Community Meeting hosted by Ms. Barbara Calhoun: 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater (on-campus) and virtually via Zoom Meeting
- October 20, 2021, Town Hall Meeting hosted by Dr. Deborah LeBlanc: 5:00-6:30 p.m. via Zoom Meeting
President/CEO Closing the Loop
In the President/CEO Message - August 20, 2021, we reported that through working with the Compton College Academic Senate, we established a First-Year Experience Program Taskforce to review and provide recommendations on improving our program within the Tartar Completion by Design Framework. The task force is chaired by Amber Gillis, assistant professor, English, and Henry Gee, acting vice president of Student Services. In the coming weeks, we will be requesting additional membership to the First-Year Experience Program Taskforce. The goal is for the task force to provide recommendations by Friday, December 10, 2021.
As a follow-up to the President/CEO Message - August 26, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - September 13, 2021, I have been in contact with St. John's regarding the COVID-19 booster shot for employees and students who previously received the COVID-19 vaccine at the St. John's Well Child & Family Center on campus. On Friday, September 17, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration panel of advisers recommended against approving a booster shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for all. However, at this time, the panel did recommend the shot for people age 65 and older or those at high risk for severe COVID-19. Tomorrow, September 21, 2021, I will follow up with St. John's to ensure employees and students who meet the booster shot criteria and who received the shot at the St. John's Well Child & Family Center will be able to receive notification about the booster shot.
Finally, today, I authorized up to six hours of overtime per week for each maintenance and operations staff to assist with COVID-19 cleaning. This authorization is through Friday, December 10, 2021, and we will utilize the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II Funding to pay for the maintenance and operations staff overtime.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned in the President/CEO Message - September 9, 2021, and the President/CEO Message - September 13, 2021, Lauren Sosenko, director of Institutional Effectiveness, developed a survey to collect information from employees regarding classes students are interested in that are not being offered at Compton College for a particular term. The survey is available here. Please complete the survey to request classes students may need that are not provided at Compton College for a specific term.
This weekend, Jose Bernaudo, Professor, English, forwarded me a YouTube video about the Gender Gap Grown as College Enrollment Plummets, which is available here. Thank you, Professor Bernaudo; I have discussed the national enrollment decline in many President/CEO Messages. I am excited we are in the process of hiring a director of black and males of color success. Also, in the coming weeks, we must hire a Student Services Advisor to focus on black and males of color student recruitment. The Student Services Advisor will report to the Director of Educational Partnerships. This position will be funded from the California Budget Act of 2021 for outreach and retention purposes. More information on this position will be included in future President/CEO Messages. If you have creative input regarding outreach and recruitment strategies or ways to recruit and retain males of color, please send suggestions to kcurry@compton.edu.
Please be safe and have a wonderful week. Tomorrow, I have a busy day of Zoom Meetings, and I am so looking forward to it.
Sincerely,
Keith Curry, Ed.D.
(preferred pronouns: he/him/his)
President/C.E.O.
Compton College
