President's Report to the PCCD Board of Trustees

President’s Report to the PCCD Board of Trustees

January 19, 2021 Dr. Nathaniel Jones III, President

As Fall Semester came to a close in December 2020, College of Alameda’s (CoA) Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER) was submitted to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), following a tremendous amount of work accomplished by the campus community and spearheaded by Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) and Vice President of Student Services (VPSS) Dr. Tina Vasconcellos. Additionally, CoA hosted an ACCJC Special Report Site Visit on December 16 and 17, 2020, led by Team Chair and Southwestern College President Dr. Kindred Murillo, accompanied by ACCJC team members ACCJC President and Staff Liaison Dr. Stephanie Droker, and Los Rios Community College District Vice Chancellor of Finance Mr. Mario Rodriguez. The completion of CoA’s Special Report: A Follow-up Response to ACCJC's January 27, 2020, Findings was spearheaded by Vice President of Instruction (VPI) Dr. Don Miller, who was serving as the College’s interim president at the time. Following the site visit, on December 24, 2020, we received the Team’s Draft Report from Dr. Murillo to review for errors of fact. Suggested corrections were sent back to Dr. Murillo on December 28, 2020. The ACCJC Site Visit Team’s Draft Report concluded the following: • Overall, they found a committed, competent, group of district and college leaders at CoA, who are earnestly making progress toward addressing all the Commission’s concerns as noted in prior reports and the January 2020 ACCJC communications. • The District overall needed to stabilize the leadership both in the District Office and in the colleges, and that has now occurred. • College of Alameda and the District are working more closely together in order to sustain fiscal viability. • While there is still work to do, the evidence demonstrates that the College of Alameda and the District are following their plans and are moving in the right direction. Before the end of 2020, I met with members of the Northern Alameda Adult Education Collective to explore opportunities for greater synergy and collaboration. The meeting was productive and future meetings are being planned in an effort to enhance CoA enrollment through dual enrollment and similar efforts. On another note, I was delighted to participate as an audience member in Professor Silvester Henderson’s uplifting student performance, titled: “Voices of Equity: Masterclass Recital.” The virtual event was a collaboration with students from Los Medanos College, where Silvester also teaches, and featured Operatic Baritone Dr. Phillip Harris. I come away from student performances with a renewed passion for student success and a deeper regard for the important work done by our amazing faculty and supported by our

The mission of the College of Alameda is to serve the educational needs of its community by providing comprehensive and flexible programs and resources to empower students to achieve their goals. pg. 1

dedicated staff. If you missed the live event, you may enjoy viewing a recording of the performance online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGU01GfZQR8.

Interest in CoA’s New Certified Nursing Assistant Program (CNA) Continued Over Holiday News media and student interest in CoA’s new no-cost CNA Program continued over the recent holidays. According to Dean of Career and Workforce Education, Customized Training, and Community Education Eva Denise Jennings, over 400 prospective students have submitted inquiries and 140 have signed up for the January 12, 2021, mandatory orientation. News about the popular new program has aired on Fox News, NBC Bay Area, and Univision, among others.

Here are links to a few of the most recent news stories. SF Gate https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/College-Of-Alameda-To-Launch-No-Cost-Certified- 15818475.php#:~:text=Responding%20to%20a%20statewide%20shortage,%2C%20which%20starts%20Jan. %2025. The College Post https://thecollegepost.com/colleges-accept-fewer-nursing-applicants/ Great School Voices https://greatschoolvoices.org/2020/12/the-oakland-ed-week-in-review-12-21-12-27/

Professor Silvester Henderson at the 2019 A2Amend Awards Ceremony Professor Henderson Is in the News CoA Music Professor, Department Co-Chair, and President of Academic Senate Foundation for California Community Colleges Silvester Carl Henderson was featured this month in Intelligent HQ’s Higher ED Thought Leadership Series. The article applauds Professor Henderson’s numerous professional accomplishments and awards. When asked by interviewer Emad Rahim “what role does higher education play in responding to a global pandemic like COVID-19 and in supporting social justice causes like Black Lives Matter?” Professor Henderson responded: “Higher Education should be the Leading Agent in addressing all social matters. It is the responsibility of the institution to develop intellectual responses and solutions for their campus communities, regarding all system learning and information barriers. Institutions must begin to look at their staff (all groups) and ensure that Diversity and Inclusion are actualized!” The mission of the College of Alameda is to serve the educational needs of its community by providing comprehensive and flexible programs and resources to empower students to achieve their goals. pg. 3

You can read the full interview online at: https://www.intelligenthq.com/higher-ed-thought-leadership- series-emad-rahim-interviews-prof-silvester-carl-henderson-president-of-academic-senate-foundation-for- california-community-colleges/ Spring Flex Day Focuses on Virtual Connectivity CoA’s Flex Day will take place virtually on Friday, January 22, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Opening presentations will feature welcoming remarks by College President Dr. Nathaniel Jones III, Classified Senate President Kawanna Rollins, Academic Senate President Dr. Matthew Goldstein, and PFT Representatives Mary Shaughnessy and Andrew Park. The morning Flex Day sessions will include a presentation about “Online Tutoring: Sharing Experiences and Providing Feedback,” by Learning Resource Center (LRC) tutors, students, and LRC Coordinator Ms. Anna O’Neal, followed by "Staying Connected Globally through Study Abroad Virtual Programs" presented by International Services Manager Drew Gephart, and concluding with a discussion of “The 1619 Project: Updates and Next Steps” that will be facilitated by Dr. Carolyn Johnson. From 2 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., there will be three presentations to choose from, including “Appy Hour,” with Dean Eva Jennings, “Inquiry-Based Learning in the Virtual Chemistry Lab –Is It Possible?” presented by Alex Madonik, or “English Learners and Online Teaching,” with Amanda Price. More workshops will be offered from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., including “FabLab Supporting Online Learning & the Community,” with FabLab Staff members Danny Beesley, Miguel Vega, and Vince Stevenson, “Education for One’s Future: A Process Oriented Learning Matrix Approach to Learning Assessment,” with Professor Robert Brem, or “Assessment Working Session for Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Service Area Outcomes (SAOs),” facilitated by SLO Coordinators.