BOARD REPORT MARCH 16, 2017 SPECIAL REPORT TO THE PUBLIC Trustees Mary Graham, Rich Grosch, Bernie Rhinerson, Peter Zschiesche, and Maria Nieto Senour thanked everyone at the campuses and in the District involved in the planning for and participation in this week’s accreditation evaluation visits at City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges, and Continuing Education. Trustee Mary Graham said that she and Trustee Maria Nieto Senour serve on the Board Subcommittee on Accreditation and Student Success and had positive meetings with the visiting accreditation teams. She also reported that she attended the Barrio Station Benefit Dinner on March 2. Trustee Rich Grosch commended his colleagues for their involvement in the accreditation visits, and indicated that he was pleased to participate in the process. Trustee Bernie Rhinerson reported that at a recent meeting of the Community College League of California (CCLC) Advisory Committee on Legislation, which he chairs, they reviewed various legislative bills affecting community colleges, and that he participated in office visits with members of the Legislature and the State Department of Finance. He discussed a number of issues, including state funding for community colleges, the community college baccalaureate pilot program, and possible legislation on student assessment and remedial education. He also stated that the Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes cuts to the Department of Education and other programs affecting students. Trustee Rhinerson discussed his participation on behalf of the District in a panel on immigration hosted by Congresswoman Susan Davis, who he commended for her understanding of the challenges students face. Trustee Peter Zschiesche reported that he met with CE President Carlos Turner Cortez and a community member to discuss the need to better serve the refugee community. In the meeting, three items were mentioned as possible areas of support for this particular population: transportation, increased outreach, and more engagement with local resettlement organizations, particularly in relation to job training and placement. Trustee Maria Nieto Senour requested that the Board participate in an amicus curiae brief for an ACLU-sponsored challenge to the Presidential Executive Order that would remove federal funding from sanctuary cities and other sanctuary organizations. Chancellor Carroll informed the Board that this was a countywide effort. The Board reached consensus that this would be a good action to take and the Chancellor indicated that the District will follow up. Chancellor Constance Carroll reported that California Assembly Democrats are seeking funding in next year’s budget to expand scholarship support for students at all three segments of higher education. Regarding community colleges, AB 19 (Santiago) will enable the first year of study for full-time students (12 units or more) in community colleges to be free, essentially subsidizing the enrollment-fee/tuition part of the state’s various “promise programs.” She noted that this would be especially helpful to the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) since 1,142 students from the San Diego Unified School District have applied for the 600 spaces in the expanded fall 2017 San Diego Promise program, along with 75 from Continuing Education (CE), and six from the Monarch School; this legislation would enable the District to accommodate all. The Chancellor reported that SB 769 (Hill), authorizing expansion of the community college baccalaureate pilot, has been submitted to the Senate Education Committee and that supporters have been encouraged to contact the Committee members. Dr. Carroll thanked the college and CE Presidents and their campuses for their hard work in preparing for this week’s visits by five accreditation teams assigned by the Accrediting Commission for Schools and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. She also thanked the Board members, all five of whom participated in this important process. The Chancellor shared her report with City College Interim President Denise Whisenhunt who introduced Coach Mitch Charlens and the Men’s basketball team, the Knights, so that they could be congratulated on winning the state championship.
The governing board of the San Diego Community College District is composed of 5 elected members and 1 student trustee position. The student trustee position is filled on a rotating basis. BOARD MEMBERS Mary Graham Rich Grosch Bernie Rhinerson (executive vice president) Maria Nieto Senour, Ph.D. (president) Peter Zschiesche CHANCELLOR Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D. (secretary to the board) STUDENT TRUSTEES Ava Fakhrabadi Ricardo Marin III Daron Woods
BOARD OF TRUSTEES SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT 3375 CAMINO DEL RIO SOUTH SAN DIEGO, CA 92108-3883 619-388-6957
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