Chicago City Colleges meets to prepare for all in-person classes come this fall.
Good morning #Chicago I will be live tweeting today’s @ChiCityColleges Committee on Academic Affairs and Student Services + Board of Trustees meeting today at 12:30 for @CHIdocumenters. Follow along⬇️
10:46 AM Aug 5, 2021 CDT
You can watch today’s live stream of the Academic and Student Services meeting here. Starting at 12:30! https://www.youtube.com/user/citycollegeschicago
The Board of Trustees will meet at 2 PM. You can access the livestream through the same link.
Here is the agenda for the Academic Affairs and Student Services meeting: https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Documents/Board%20Office/Board%20Meeting%20Agenda/8.5.2021%20ASA%20COMMITTEE%20AGENDA.pdf
Board of Trustees meeting agenda: https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Documents/Board%20Office/Board%20Meeting%20Agenda/8.5.2021%20BOARD%20MEETING%20AGENDA.pdf
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of City Colleges of Chicago District 508, which operates 7 accredited colleges. The Board is comprised of 7 voting members including a student elected from one of the Colleges.
Overview of the Board: <http://www.ccc.edu/departments/Pages/Board-of-Trustees.aspx>.
There are several agenda items for the Academic and Student Affairs meeting including a review of on-campus and online operations.
Board Reports will also be presented for approval. These items range from district wide measures as well as individual colleges.
The Board meeting agenda includes the student trustees report, district updates and public participation, to name a few.
The Board will follow the public meeting with a closed session.
The district update includes a presentation on the Future Ready initiative. The program offers college credit to qualifying students at no cost on a first come, first served basis starting this fall.
Download the presentation here: https://www.ccc.edu/events/Pages/August-2021-Board-and-Committee-Meetings.aspx
There’s tons planned for today’s meetings and only an hour until start time. Most of the Board will meet in person at Harold Washington College.
Access the preliminary meeting packet for a more in depth look into today’s public agenda items: https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Documents/Board%20Office/Board%20Meeting%20Agenda/8.5.2021%20ALL%20AGENDA%20ITEMS%20PUBLIC%20FINALpdf.pdf
Waiting for the livestream to start. In the meantime check out @BillGDocumenter’s thread covering July’s Committee on Finance and Admin. Services + Board of Trustees meetings: https://twitter.com/BillGDocumenter/status/1414994700663238659
The meeting is in session and quorum has been reached.
This week many city colleges return to full time and in person operations since the start of the pandemic.
David Anthony, Associate Vice Chancellor of Admin. Services reviewed the city’s phase 5 guidelines. Per the CDC’s recommendation, face masks are required in indoor settings when social distancing is not possible for city colleges, regardless of vaccination status. https://t.co/JigSB4ayNW
HVAC operations are currently being presented. City colleges have increased and enhanced air filtration. Ventilation begins before buildings open and after they close to provide the best quality of air to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
On vaccinations: CCC has been used as vaccination sites and contributed to the city’s recovery amid the pandemic.
Getting vaccinated is “the most important thing anyone can do to protect themselves.”
More vaccination opportunities will be held at all 7 CCC colleges. https://t.co/vKJtgXIw8I
CCC also provides COVID-19 testing on all campuses, which is “another example of how we adapted to CDC guidelines.” There are plans to expand testing efforts by the fall term. https://t.co/ITbZvZP1Gt
Protocol for COVID cases: Positive cases will be shared with HR and the Dean of Students to provide affected students with support navigating academics and more. https://t.co/wFXA0bIfn0
Protocol for employee health and wellness:
Resources available for employees includes the COVID sick policy and leave management support. The employee assistance program provides additional support to those who test positive. https://t.co/5tOvHyoVeB
The livestream unexpectedly ended. Currently refreshing the YouTube link until the meeting resumes. More to come.
The meeting has resumed. Currently reviewing community reengagement measures: https://t.co/Qkm6tq0APC
A review of summer conversations with faculty:
An important note — class sizes will return to pre covid numbers. https://t.co/beHV5COTzF
On Adult Education:
In an effort to recruit more adults to CCC campuses, initiatives like Malcom X College’s Trio Program pays adult students to take certain exams (GRE) to curb financial barriers. https://t.co/dwRprEoQV2
Student support is a top priority for CCC. Wellness centers, optional U Pass usage and food pantry services will be available for students across various campuses.
CCC emphasizes personal student support in addition to academic support. https://t.co/bNXbTsMe0y
A total of $72 million in emergency grants is available for eligible CCC students including undocumented and international students. These funds will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and will cover tuition and emergency expenses. https://t.co/7Auw64ZO7b
Currently reviewing board action items. Resolution 1.01 reviews the applied cannabis certificate program at Olive-Harvey and Wright college. These are the only 2 out of 7 CCC campuses to take part in the pilot program.
One member asked how this program aligns with restorative justice, given that the criminal justice system disproportionately targets Black and Brown individuals. This will be elaborated on in Board Resolution # 1.04 — “Still I Rise Violence Prevention Cannabis Education”
Many students in the Still I Rise program have been incarcerated for cannabis related offenses themselves or have experience with the criminal justice system. This program aims to integrate interested individuals in the cannabis industry — which is predominantly white dominated.
As of April 2020, “…despite making up only 31% of the population, blacks and Latinos accounted for nearly half of all weed arrests.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.insider.com/how-big-weed-became-rich-white-business-2019-12%3famp
On board agreements: agreement # 4.00 concerns a solar array program at Olive Harvey that would bring clean energy to the campus and ultimately save money. This is specific to the Olive Harvey campus.
Agreement 4.03 provides travel services district wide. The contract term lasts from 8/5 2021 to 8/4 2024 benefiting numerous CCC campuses.
Agreement 4.04 reviews TurnItIn services that help students avoid copyright and plagiarism. The contract will be renewed for the upcoming 3 years.
Audio issues ensue over agreement 4.05 regarding Human Resources and executive search services. This concludes the agreements.
Audio issues persist. Members presumably discuss purchases 5.00 — district wide job order contracts, 5.01 — integrated medical simulation for Malcolm X College and 5.02 — 16+ passenger bus purchase for Olive-Harvey.
The Academic and Student Services meeting has adjourned at approximately 2 PM.
Stay tuned for the Board of Trustees meeting which will be streaming shortly.
The board meeting livestream has begun and attendance is underway.
Quorum has been reached.
This is the second in person meeting since the start of the pandemic. 3 members will be participating virtually, which is permitted.
The student trustee report presented by Imran Fazal Hoque is underway. Student activities are planned and led by each respective campuses Student Government Associations including both virtual and in person events with a focus on inclusivity.
Specific student involvement opportunities includes an emerging architecture club at Harold Washington college, welcome events for first year students at Truman college and more. All these initiatives aim to engage students in their college communities virtually and in person.
The student trustee report has concluded.
Chancellor Juan Salgado provides the chancellor’s update. Salgado recognizes the efforts of the CCC community including students and staff for persevering through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
Since spring 2020, over 5,000 students have benefited from various college funding. Salgado says CCC is proud to help mitigate financial barriers in education and elaborates on additional financial aid opportunities for students.
Salgado also thanks the CCC bargaining teams who helped reach agreements with adjunct faculty and janitorial staff representatives regarding their concerns.
The floor is now open for pre registered public comments.
The first public speaker takes the stand.
Audio issues make it difficult to decipher. Public comments do not appear to be posted in meeting agendas or other preliminary documents.
The second public speaker takes the stand. Audio is clearer.
The speaker is a teacher and recognizes the leadership from various CCC administration, but offers critiques.
“Leadership would rather litigate than deliberate, dictate than negotiate and mandate than collaborate”
The speaker is thanked for their time but continues to speak on aligning actions with the Chancellor’s stated commitment to students.
“This cannot happen the way faculty is currently treated… [administration] needs to meet [faculty] halfway.”
This concludes public comments.
Chief of Staff Veronica Herrero will now present the Future Ready Presentation.
Students who are eligible for the program include those who are new and currently enrolled. Applicants must be Chicago residents and includes undocumented residents.
The program provides courses at no cost for eligible students as long as they remain enrolled and in good academic standing, among other requirements.
More info on the Future Ready program can be found here: http://www.ccc.edu/futureready
13,500 individuals have visited the future ready site in the past 2 weeks with a 20% increase in applications, which is a very quick and notable turnaround.
Herrero thanks faculty and staff that made the program possible. This concludes the future ready presentation.
The August Faculty Council Report is presented. Audio issues ensue once again.
The microphone is replaced and audio is clear.
The presenter touches on faculty and staff concerns, areas the administration is lacking and the importance of July as disability pride month.
“We are doing great, but we can be doing better…”
Rushed meetings and last minute decisions make faculty/staff feel undervalued, as many have expressed, the speaker notes. This puts educators in reactive positions and questions CCC’s ethics.
The speaker touches on CCC’s “deeply flawed and incomplete initiatives” that are “haphazard in nature” and create “unnecessary adversarial relationships.”
“Willful ignorance is not acceptable,” the speaker continues. CCC is too big and has been around too long to operate like a startup, according to the speaker who describes the current state of CCC operations as “quiet chaos.”
The speaker also notes there are less protections available for staff, leading to further instability among CCC’s leadership.
According to the speaker, who is an educator, the administration must address leadership responsibility and dismantle current toxicity among the Board.
Additionally, the speaker notes leadership must be trauma informed to genuinely prioritize people. The speaker believes Salgado puts people first; however, the Board does not align their actions to its stated core beliefs.
The speaker discusses July as disability pride month, which is celebrated by many but not nationally recognized. The speaker says CCC should do more to recognize disabled students during July and year round.
The speaker continues: Disabled people are diverse and resilient, and we must ask ourselves — what barriers have the able bodied world put up to make disabled people resilient?
He adds, how can we dismantle these barriers that demand disabled people go above and beyond?
The district wide Disability Planning Committee has met 3 times thus far. The committee works to better serve CCC’s disabled students.
The speaker calls on CCC to implement more training, inclusive coursework and funding for disabled students.
The speaker concludes their remarks.
Approval for the meetings agenda items ensue and are approved.
Secretary Peggy Davis motions for a closed session. This concludes the public portion of the Board’s meeting.
End of thread! Thanks for following along. You can find today’s Board Report once the closed meeting concludes along with past reports: https://apps.ccc.edu/brpublic/
Respond to this thread with any questions or comments. Make sure to follow @CHIdocumenters for more city coverage.