On October 6, 2021, Governor Newsom signed a $47.1 billion-dollar higher education package. Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, our colleagues throughout the state joined together to continually remind our legislators of the importance of creating affordable academic and career training opportunities for students. I am proud to say several of our own governing board members and administrators participated in these efforts. It is rewarding to have these efforts come to fruition for our students. You can review a summary of the legislative package here.
The Week in Review
Student Services hosted an onsite event for students to become compliant and turn in their vaccination information or request for a religious or medical exemption. The in-person event, conducted with safety guidelines in place, also included food and other giveaways. These onsite events to assist our students with compliance will continue next week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I look forward to joining these efforts on Monday morning when I am scheduled to attend.
Throughout the week we have been laser focused on implementing, what I refer to as the “Implementation Phase” of our Vaccination and Immunization Plans for students and employees. Late in the day on Friday, you received a notification regarding the Cleared4 platform. This new technology will provide us with the data needed to improve our efforts to protect the health and safety of our campus and education centers. You will also receive an email from no-reply@cleared4work.com with a personal link that will provide you with access to our new daily health screening questionnaire. It also allows you to schedule an appointment for an on-site COVID-19 test if you are required to do so. There have been a lot of moving parts to this launch, and I am grateful for all who have taken on the heavy lifting in Information Services, Human Resource Services, Student Services, Communications, Facilities, and the EOC. During our weekly COVID-19 Return to Campus and COVID-19 Update meeting, I asked for patience with each other during the next two weeks during the implementation phase. We know that with new technologies there are glitches at the start until optimum performance is reached. You can learn more about our implementation plan here.
Please note, our COVID-19 testing sites will open next week at all our locations. Testing is available four days a week, during morning and evening hours to accommodate the busy schedules of our employees and students.
Campus Engagement
It is official! Trustee Kartik Raju was sworn in on Tuesday, October 5 at the start of the Governing Board meeting. With our new trustee in place, the Governing Board elected its officers. Trustee Mark Evilsizer will continue to serve as our President. Trustee Norma Miyamoto will serve as Vice President and Trustee Roberto Rodriguez was elected Secretary. The Governing Board will again elect officers at the December Governing Board meeting.
I also had the pleasure of attending two performing arts events this week. The Camarada Trio, featured during the Concert Hour, was fantastic, and the Neil Simon’s play “Fools” directed by Michael Mufson was entertaining! It is rewarding to watch our faculty and students share their incredible talents with us and to do it in such a creative setting.
As you know, I love learning! This week, I was able to visit Biology Professor, Lesley Blankenship-Williams in her classroom. I learned a great deal more about COVID-19, and I am excited about the applicability of this knowledge on our return to campus efforts. Also, my first monthly President’s Open Office Hours were held this past Wednesday, and it was a great success. I had the privilege of meeting with 15 members of our campus community during the scheduled time. I appreciate those who made the effort to meet with me and the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue. The next monthly President’s Open Office Hours are set for Wednesday, November 3. Please contact Michelle LaVigueur if you would like to participate.
Community Engagement
At the beginning of each month, I gather with the Superintendent/Presidents and Chancellors of all ten community colleges at the San Diego Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA) meeting. We met to discuss topics and concerns impacting our students and employees in the region. Similarly, I participated in the Community College League of California’s CEO training that enables leaders from across the state to engage with one another. Throughout the discussion we shared insights into best practices from across the system.
Accreditation
On Thursday, the first official accreditation presentation took place with our leadership team. As we make progress toward our March 2022 accreditation visit, we will be extending opportunities to the entire campus to engage with various parts of the accreditation process. One component of this process is the importance of sharing our Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER) with the various councils within our new governance structure. On October 19, the Governing Board will participate in a workshop to review the document and will hear about the meaningful work we do to support our students, while meeting accreditation standards. Our accreditation encompasses every aspect of our institution, including our ability to offer federal financial aid to students, a reinforcement of the fact that we meet and/or exceed the standards of a quality learning experience for every student, and our commitment to our mission and vision.
Comets of the Week
Chris Miller, Roger Carter, Sasha Craig, Earl Justin Fernandez, and Timothy Cross are recognized this week for the incredible work they did in converting the former Police building on the main campus to a COVID-19 testing site. The transformation is incredible! Thanks to their efforts, our students and employees now have a convenient and comfortable COVID-19 on campus testing site.
Have a great upcoming week. Go Comets!
For pictures of the various events noted, please follow:
Twitter: @palomardrstar
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