Responsibilities and Issues
As President of the Board, it is my responsibility to preside over public meetings for the Board to conduct college business and Board duties as outlined in the Community College League of California’s document California Community Colleges Bilateral Governance Partnership (2023) based on CA Senate Bill 1725 and in California Government Code and Education Code.
The Board of Trustees as a whole, acting with a majority or 2/3 vote, has responsibility for the following:
1. Establishing policies
2. Approving academic programs and facility plans
3. Ensuring the right of students, faculty, and staff to participate in college governance and collective bargaining
4. Making ethical and sound fiscal decisions that reflect our responsibility to the taxpayers
5. Relying “primarily” on the faculty Academic Senate’s recommendations for curriculum and graduation requirements among a total of 10 Academic Senate areas of responsibilities
6. Conducting an annual Board self-evaluation and setting annual goals
7. Hiring and conducting an annual evaluation of the College President
8. Approving annual budgets, expenditures, employment contracts, hirings, construction projects
9. Determining the need for bond measures
10. “Determining and controlling the District’s operational and capital outlay budgets.”
For other general areas of oversight that make up my personal overall goals, see the Issues below:
Community Relations
Ensuring positive relationships with the college’s Foundation, the surrounding schools and colleges, the city, law enforcement, businesses, local organizations, and non-profits for the benefit of our students, the college, and our community at large.
Diversity
Ensuring programs and services are directed to improving the achievement gaps among different student groups because every student is capable of succeeding
Extracurricular Activities
Ensuring the college promotes student participation in extracurricular activities for the development of teamwork, self-confidence, networking skills, and leadership skills in preparation for their future career success
Fiscal Responsibility
Ensuring the Board make decisions about the annual budget and all expenditures based on a true account of a complicated list of our District’s resources including state allocation, grant monies, cost of construction projects, cost of employee salaries, maintenance and operational costs in relation to our students’ instructional and student service needs - all this with a commitment to safeguard the taxpayers in our community.
Facilities
Ensuring funds are allocated to repair, construct, and maintain facilities that enhance learning and a healthy classroom environment as well as, prepare the college to withstand possible natural disasters and other emergencies. Decisions to build new facilities must be driven by the needs of the instructional program, in response to the workforce needs of our community now, and with an eye to innovation for the future.
Instruction
Ensuring the college offers a wide variety of academic and career technology instructional programs that demand critical thinking and prepare students to become citizens with creative problem solving skills to succeed in the 21st century
Professional Development
Ensuring the college promotes and supports opportunities for professional development for all employees
Safety/Mental Health
Ensuring campus safety - physical, emotional, and psychological
Support Services
Ensuring that students have access to support services such as counseling, financial aid, tutoring, career development, health services, and a Basic Needs Center
Student Development
Ensuring the college offers student development activities, career preparation, and community engagement opportunities that complement and enhance the students’ studies and interests
The "College" Experience
Ensuring that, just as students and employees have on university campuses, the Facility Master Plan includes the establishment of welcoming gathering spaces on campus that allow for conversations, discussions, debate, artistic expression, lectures, exercise, and celebrations of the diversity on campus in life experiences, cultures, interests, and talents that make for a satisfying, stimulating, and memorable college experience.
Workforce & Economic Development
Ensuring the college promotes and participates in business partnerships for workforce and economic development that contributes to the vitality of our community
Working Environment
Ensuring the college develops and maintains a truly respectful working environment among all employee groups including administration, part-time and full-time faculty, and classified part-time and full-time staff focused on collaborative problem-solving and ethical decision-making.
