Mid-term Madness for Fall is approaching fast! Where did the time go? It seems just yesterday we were in Dogwood for In-Service Day. With the rapid pace of activities on campus, it is hard to keep track of time! In the short span of the last six weeks, several important activities/events took place on campus. Let me give you a quick recap in case if you missed some of the action!
Let me start with the last item first - the hiring freeze! YCCD has been faced with fiscal uncertainty for the last couple of years. As the Student Centered Funding Formula, commonly referred to as SCFF, gets implemented across the state, we as a system recognize there is not enough money to fully fund the formula. In simple words, there is a computed amount of revenue that every District in the State is expected to receive per the new method. However, when all the computed revenue is added up, it exceeds the total dollars available. While the think-tanks explore how to distribute the shortfall, the uncertainties at the campuses increase. You may recall that SCFF replaced the previous, FTES-based funding formula. When you take any District and compute the revenues using the two formulas, you are expected to face the following three situations:
- Computed revenues are the same using both formulas - possible but highly unlikely!
- SCFF revenues are greater than the FTES-based revenue - we are in this group!
- SCFF revenues are less than the FTES-based revenue - there are many campuses in this group!
The current approach is NOT to distribute the shortfall to the third group (it is a complex calculation - if you are curious, let’s talk!) and distribute the shortfall to the second group only. Essentially, it means we compute a revenue amount at the beginning of the year but do not get it, thereby forcing us in uncertain decision-making.
If the Spring schedule is funded fully, we will run into a shortfall, compelling us to dip into the reserves. Our Board decided to fund the Spring schedule in order to ensure our students do not suffer - THANK YOU. We are using our reserves to fund the schedule. We need to review each and every hire at the Board level to ensure we are spending our resources on what is absolutely essential - hence the Hiring Freeze. Call my office if you want to chat more about it.
We were scheduled to host our Board Meeting tomorrow, October 9, at Columbia College. You may have received a notification from PG&E that our power may be shut down starting tomorrow at noon. Because of the uncertainty, we are moving the Board Meeting to the District Office. I know many of you as well as our Board Members were looking forward to “Coffee with the Trustees” and to having open conversations. We will have to postpone “Coffee with the Trustees” until the next Board Meeting. I intend to host the December meeting on campus - it is not confirmed yet. Please stay tuned!
It is by accident that we are holding a campus fire drill today, almost coinciding with the hot and windy conditions that is about to embark upon us tomorrow. I would like to hear from you about your experience. Emergency preparedness is a collective effort by the campus community and your engagement matters. In the times we live in, we all need to understand our immediate environment, entry and exit points, and be prepared for an emergency. It is a process and as we go through the drills, we will get better at it. Since this drill is taking place after a long time, I am very interested to learn from you first-hand what worked and what didn’t so we can improve going forward.
On October 16 and 17, we are holding two forums (for the campus community including students) about fire readiness on campus. I have learned a lot about the campus topography, tree density and forest fire in the last six weeks from Professors Hofstra and Tolhurst, and our facilities team of Jake and Kevin. As we continue to “harden” our campus to mitigate potential damage by fire, I want all of you to get involved, be aware of the developments, and provide your input to improve the process. Mark your calendar for one of the dates.
We are also engaged in two major planning activities on campus - the Educational and Facilities Master Plan (EMP & FMP) and the Annual Calendar. Our current EMP/FMP is sunsetting in 2021. This is a roadmap for the next ten years for the campus. With the advent of technology, rapid change in instructional needs, and changing student body, it is hard to imagine what education will look like in 2030! However difficult it may sound, we need to have a broad idea about where we are going. Thanks to those of you who are participating in this important activity to shape the future of our campus. Those of you who are not on the committee, please let your voice be heard through your constituency representative. Your voice matters!
Finally, we have had a lot of discussion at the calendar committee both on campus and at the District. Our academic calendar has remained stable for nearly two decades. With the changing needs of the students we serve, there were some discussions to change our calendar to serve our students better. This is a big endeavor and we want the process to be transparent and collaborative. Stay tuned for the final recommendation that goes out to the Board.
Till next time! Go Jumpers!
