President's Report: Comments to the Board on April 7th

Good evening…

Tonight I would like to speak about student success from the perspective of the many faculty represented by CCFT. We believe that student success is about serving the learning needs of the community by maximizing access and promoting innovation to attract and retain students from all walks of life who seek higher education. We know that student success comes directly from strong, high quality faculty and staff who are committed to the college. Since the recession began in 2007-08, faculty and staff have worked together to preserve quality education despite funding shortfalls from the state. In that time, full time faculty numbers have decreased from about 230 to about 175, leaving every one of our 35+ programs short by one or two full time faculty. Remaining faculty have:

• implemented literally hundreds of curriculum changes and new courses, in part to respond to new regulations about repeatability
• coordinated implementation of Student Learning Outcomes for all courses and programs, including coordination of adjunct faculty participation, despite the lack of additional compensation for this workload
• moved into new or upgraded facilities, managing laboratories, art studios, theaters and other improved learning environments
• worked with student services to design and implement new systems of advisement so every student will have an Ed Plan
• compensated for severe reductions in classified staff throughout the college

by Debora Bone

Faculty believe that we need to stop talking about “right sizing” the college and work together in new ways to develop a vision for growth by targeting the many unmet education needs in our community. We believe that the Student Success Task Force, the Visioning process and the Strategic Planning that have begun this year are taking us into this future. We ask you, members of the Board, to prioritize investing in the PEOPLE who will bring the innovation needed to grow the college.

Faculty and staff tightened our belts during the recession and have worked incredibly hard, implementing efficiencies of necessity while maintaining our best efforts to support student success. After several years of flat salaries and changes that have increased our share of health benefits, faculty and staff were most grateful last year, after passage of prop. 30, to get an improved compensation package. Faculty and staff now feel strongly that the college must demonstrate the commitment to us by prioritizing the funds to maintain the support that we need to be able to build the next Cabrillo.

We know that there are reserves and savings available. We know that there are many competing needs. We ask that you consider this as a bridge year so that together we can implement strategies for student success that will assure the growth needed to sustain these efforts.  In conclusion, faculty and staff want to work to promote a vision for the college. We are prepared to invest our time and efforts to do this. We need the college to invest in us.