Chancellor’s Newsletter – July 2024

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College News 

Woodland Community College

WCC Receives State Recognition for Increase Student Success 

Woodland Community College (WCC) earned an Honorable Mention for the John W. Rice Equity and Student Success Award. Together with East Los Angeles College and Palo Verde College, WCC was recognized during a July 22, 2024 ceremony in Sacramento. 

WCC received this special recognition for its leadership in innovating its online learning platform and being adept at implementing positive practices from online learning to their face-to-face classes. Transfer-level completion rates are up nearly five-fold in math since 2016-17, and transfer-level completion rates in English have nearly doubled during that time. Associate degrees for Transfer, meanwhile, are up 62% since 2018. WCC is deeply rooted in the community it serves, with partnerships that include CommuniCare Health Center working with the Student Health Center to provide on-site and telehealth services and the Eagles Essentials Marketplace food pantry collaborating closely with the Yolo Food Bank. 

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Yuba College

President Tawny Dotson Appointed to A National Commission 

Congratulations to Dr. Dotson! The Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges recently appointed Dr. Tawny Dotson, President of Yuba College, to the Commission on Small and Rural Colleges. The Commission focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by these institutions. It’s part of the American Association of Community Colleges. Dr. Dotson’s appointment extends from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027. 

Happenings around the college 

August 5-8: Professional Development Week (No Classes) 
August 9: Convocation 
August 12: Instruction Begins for Fall Semester 
August 16: Student-Athlete Orientation, YC-Marysville, B1200-Gym, 10:30 am-Noon 
August 22: Blue vs. Gold Game – Football, 6:30 pm 
August 27: M. Soccer vs. American River College, 6:30 pm 
August 29: Sac State Counselor on Campus, 9 am – 4 pm, YC-Marysville (flier attached) 

Full Yuba College sports schedules are linked here.   

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District Offices News

YCCD Board Votes to Onboard Director of Safety and Risk Management, Advances Security Structure

The Yuba Community College District (YCCD) continues to refine its safety and security structure to ensure comprehensive protection across its five locations. 

Following a safety assessment conducted by the Tactical Training Academy, the YCCD Board of Trustees approved a hybrid security model to address inconsistent coverage. This includes a new District Division of Security and Risk Management overseen by a district director, full-time, in-house, non-commissioned security officers, and contracted school resource officers (SROs). 

At the July 11 Board Meeting, the YCCD Board of Trustees appointed Lanell Garbini as the Director of Safety and Risk Management. Garbini brings extensive experience to the role, having served as the Associate Director of Campus Safety at Oregon State University – Cascades since 2021 and as Campus Operations Coordinator from 2019 to 2021. Her background includes roles as an EEOC Civil Rights Investigator, Security Specialist, and over 17 years of law enforcement experience, including positions in patrol, criminal and defense investigation, and as a professional standards sergeant. 

“We are pleased to have Ms. Garbini on board, with experience to ensure we are well-equipped to enhance security for our students, employees, and visitors across all campuses,” said Dr. Shouan Pan, YCCD Chancellor. “With her leadership, we are confident in our ability to strengthen our security structure.” 

Additionally, the Board voted to hire Brookman Protection Services to provide unarmed security services through October 31, 2024. A comprehensive review determined that the local firm is the ideal partner to support the transition to an in-house unarmed security team while the District continues to review proposals from other firms for contracted services. 

YCCD is in the process of negotiating terms with the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department to house a SRO at the Marysville Campus. Preliminary discussions are underway with the Woodland Police Department to establish a similar arrangement for Woodland Community College.

District Services 2024 Fall Convocation 

District Services held their annual Convocation on Thursday, July 18 at Yuba College, and it was a great success with 67 participants. The day started with a keynote address by Dr. Bob Johansen, a Fellow at the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley, who spoke about “Leadership Skills for the Next Decade.” Following this, Chancellor Pan reviewed the year’s accomplishments and progress, and various District departments provided updates. Participants then split into teams to play a Jeopardy game, working together to answer questions on a variety of topics about the District. The day concluded with break-out groups meeting with Chancellor Pan to discuss various topics and participate in team-building activities. A special thank you to the District Convocation Planning team!

2024-2025 District Handbook Now Available Online 

The 2024-2025 District Handbook is now available in a new online format. Updated annually with various information, this year’s handbook has been made more easily accessible with links, allowing users to find specific information quickly. It is now more streamlined and serves as a one-stop shop for valuable information about the District. You can view it here: https://www.yccd.edu/district-handbook-2024-25/ 

Proposed Decision by the California Public Employee Relations Board Administrative Law Judge 

On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the Yuba Community College District (YCCD) received the Proposed Decision by the California Public Employee Relations Board Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) on the matter of the YCCD Faculty Association versus YCCD regarding Unfair Practice, Case #SA-CE-3108-E, on the issue of eliminating the Right of First Refusal for full-time faculty teaching assignments. 

The Proposed Decision indicates that YCCD cannot unilaterally decide on this matter and has a duty to provide the Association adequate notice and opportunity to bargain before eliminating the Right of First Refusal. The District is disappointed in the ALJ’s Proposed Decision and is consulting with legal counsel to consider its options including an appeal which must be filed within 20-days, or the Proposed Decision becomes final. 

As we work toward resolving this matter, it is important to stress that the Governing Board and the District leadership recognize, value, and honor the work of both the full-time and part-time faculty. The faculty, along with classified professionals and managers, are essential members of the YCCD community, and we must work together to achieve our shared goal of increasing student success and meeting the needs of our community. 

Next Regular Board Meeting 
The Board of Trustees will meet for their regular meeting on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at Yuba College, Building 300. The agenda will be released 72-hours prior to the meeting here.  

District Holiday Closures 
Monday, September 2 – Closed for Labor Day 

District Security Reminder  
There is a new Risk Management webpage where you will soon be able to locate various safety-related matters: https://www.yccd.edu/district-services/hr/risk-management/.  

As a reminder, During the security transition, we want to remind you of the following: 

Emergency and Non-Emergency Protocol: 
In case of an emergency, please dial 911

Non-Emergency Contact:
For non-emergency assistance, reach out to the security guards at the following contact information: 
Yuba College: (530) 870-1158 
Woodland Community College: (530) 681-8782

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Fiscal Update

The state released the final enacted budget.   

Budget Reflects Lower Revenues and Substantial Budget Deficit 

The budget has been impacted by significant revenue shortfalls due to declines in the technology sector and a delay in tax payments, leading to a $45 billion deficit. The state General Fund spending for the enacted budget is $211.5 billion, which is about 6.4% less than the 2023-24 budget. The Legislature and Governor addressed $17 billion of the deficit through early actions, leaving $28 billion in additional solutions needed for 2024-25. The budget also plans for addressing a projected deficit of over $30 billion for 2025-26, reflecting the Administration’s two-year budget planning approach. 

Efforts to build reserves at the state level over recent years have somewhat mitigated the impact of the deficits. The budget uses several mechanisms to close the projected shortfalls, including funding delays, program cuts, internal fund shifts and borrowing, and additional revenues from suspending certain business tax deductions and credits.  More specifically, state reduced each of the state departments by 7.95% along with eliminating vacant positions. 

With the decline in state revenues in 2022, Proposition 98 (K-12 and California Community Colleges) have received overpayments based on a higher estimate.  The Governor and legislature is providing stability to Prop 98 and not intend to have district repay the state.  The adopted plan to postpones the recognition of overpayments to districts for 2022-23, totaling $8.8 billion. Under this plan, $6.2 billion will be accrued over several years starting in 2026-27, with the remaining $2.6 billion deferred to 2023-24. Proposition 98 has been suspended for 2023-24, creating over $8 billion in “maintenance factor” to be returned to districts in the coming years. The Public School System Stabilization Account (PSSSA) will protect funding for schools and community colleges despite the suspension. 

Community Colleges: 

  • Deferrals and Funding Adjustments: $446.4 million from the SCFF for 2023-24 deferred to 2024-25, and $243.7 million from the SCFF for 2024-25 deferred to 2025-26. 
  • PSSSA Support: $545.9 million for apportionment costs and $241.8 million for a 2022-23 categorical program deferral. 
  • Impact Assessment: The Chancellor’s Office anticipates no interruption in cash flow from the 2023-24 to 2024-25 deferral and will assess the impact of the 2024-25 to 2025-26 deferral. 
  • Part-time Faculty Office Hours Program: Reimbursement rate increased from 50% to 90%, though total funding remains unchanged at $23.6 million. 

Major Policy Decisions: 

  • Stability and Progress: The budget aims for stability and continued progress on the multi-year Roadmap introduced in the 2022-23 budget. 
  • Reappropriations: Approximately $18.8 million in unspent 2020 Strong Workforce funds and $21.3 million in unused 2022 Student Success Completion Grant Funds will be reappropriated. 
  • Nursing Program Expansion: $60 million one-time funds allocated annually from the Strong Workforce Program. 
  • Ongoing Apportionment:  
  • A 1.07% COLA and 0.50% growth for community college apportionments, with an estimated increase in TCR from $9.42 billion to $9.57 billion. 
  • One-Time Appropriations: 
  • Mapping Credit for Prior Learning Pathways: $6 million one-time funds for a demonstration project to support working adults. 
  • e-Transcript California: $12 million one-time funds to expand to all 116 colleges. 
  • FAFSA Completion Support: $20 million one-time funds for financial aid administration. 
  • Affordable Student Housing: A statewide lease revenue bond program established with $804.7 million to finance approved projects. 
  • Cal Grant Reform: Not included due to revenue constraints, delaying the expansion of financial aid. 

This budget reflects the state’s efforts to navigate significant financial challenges while attempting to maintain stability and support for essential programs and initiatives. 

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Recently Reviewed Board Polices & Administrative Procedures

Each year the Board receives Administrative Procedures (AP) that were reviewed by the Chancellor’s Office or the responsible District Services Executive during the fiscal year.  

These APs were determined to have no changes or minor changes for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. 

These APs were determined to have substantive changes for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. 

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—– For current open positions, visit our hiring webpage for more information. —–

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Mission Statement: Yuba Community College District provides all individuals in our diverse communities access to high-quality, affordable higher education that is responsive to student needs. Our mission is to inspire and advocate for student success through our passion and commitment to teaching, learning, and social justice. 

Vision: Our vision is to empower our students and strengthen our communities by providing equitable, student-centered learning opportunities. 

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