Student Services and Equity Committee Minutes: March 5, 2009
The Peralta Colleges Governing Board
Student Services and Equity Committee Minutes
Chancellor’s Conference Room
333 E. 8th St., Oakland, CA
March 5th, 2009
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
The meeting was called to order at 4:38 p.m.
Present: Trustees Handy, Guillén, González Yuen, Student Trustee Thompson, James Bracy, Kerry
Compton, Gordon Poon, Josué Hoyos, Donald Moore, Alton Jelks, Joseph Bielanski, Tina
Vasconcellos, Alex Briscoe, and Rachel Metz.
1. Follett Book Cards
Alton Jelks gave an update. The Foundation received 180 Follett book cards, valued at $100 each, to
be used for the purchase of books for students in need. The Foundation has distributed 92 of the
book cards to the colleges for the Spring ’09 semester. To date, 18 cards have been issued to
individual students and another 14 cards were used to purchase text books for the reserve libraries.
Book card distribution is as follows:
College
Alameda
Berkeley
Laney
Merritt
Total
Total Cards
Received
17
16
38
21
Total cards given
to students
Total cards used
for reserve library
13
Cards Remaining
1
5
12
1
4
15
33
8
92
18
14
60
Each college has been using its own discretion on distribution of the book cards, but Trustee Handy
discussed the need for uniform criteria for distributing book cards to students and for safeguards to
prevent fraud. Safeguards would include a policy for returning books purchased with Follett book
cards and for purchasing books for registered classes only. Trustee Guillén voiced his concern that
the cards are not being received at the colleges in a timely manner. He suggested that the book cards
be sent directly to the colleges. Trustee González Yuen proposed that distribution be tied to the
instructors in some way. If the instructors are aware of the book cards, they can identify students
who are not doing well because they cannot afford to get the required textbooks. The instructors
could then submit their recommendations to the deans for approval.
Alton Jelks commented that there has been no discussion on the process for distributing the cards
and suggested that the VPSSs get together and collaborate to merge ideas and criteria. Gordon Poon
set up guidelines for distribution of book cards at BCC and will bring those criteria to the discussion
for review.
Follow-up: VPSSs and Alton Jelks to meet and draft a process, with a timeline, for book card
distribution and bring it to the next meeting for review.
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Student Services and Equity Committee Minutes: March 5, 2009
2. Health Services Initiative
a. Student Health Survey Update
b. Update on Health Services Expansion
Introductions were made and Alex Briscoe, Deputy Director, Alameda Health Care Services
Agency, began with a history of Peralta’s Health Services Initiative. The Alameda County Health
Care Services Agency (HCSA) created a needs assessment and began an initiative to survey Peralta
students regarding their healthcare needs. The goal is to implement site-based clinical and supportive
health services in one or more Peralta campuses. The health services would be available and free to
all Peralta students, including the pharmacy and lab. It was stated that Behavioral Health would be
an important part of the services provided. The agency’s roll, in partnership with Peralta, would be
as a funder and administrator, not a health provider for the proposed clinic. The provider would be a
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) identified by the county agency. The HCSA would put
out bids to the eight FQHCs they contract with and Peralta would choose the provider.
Alameda County runs 12 healthcare facilities for Middle and High Schools. Based on the Resolution
of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Briscoe drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that
specifies financial, programmatic, and capital commitments. The MOU should be formally presented
and approved by Chancellor Harris and the Board of Trustees, as well as Alameda County’s Board
of Supervisors. It will take approximately 12-20 months and an estimated $1 million to construct the
facility. Peralta needs to make the decision to levy a health fee (85% of community colleges charge
students a health fee), to agree to split the cost of the start up year with the county, and to choose the
site for the clinic. Alex stated that the health fee should sustain the clinic and that a data analysis
needs to be created to determine the third party reimbursement potential. Trustee González Yuen
expressed an interest in how the business model would work for expansion to the other colleges.
The next steps are to get a commitment from Peralta to provide $35,000 per year for two
years for the Health Promotion RFI contingent upon a HCSA match. An estimated timeline
would be to have an RFA by June, review by Peralta in 60 days, select a provider in August,
and have two people (health promoters) on campus by early fall.
Jim Bracy reported that the student health survey has been completed and results are being evaluated
by an independent contractor. The Health Services Coordinators from each campus have presented
the Health Services Initiative to their respective student governments and will obtain a letter of
support from each. The Associated Students of College of Alameda and the Health Services
Coordinator are co-sponsoring a Forum on the Student Health Fee, from 12:30 to 1:30 on Tuesday,
March 17 in the Student Lounge. Alex Briscoe and Kerry Compton will be answering questions
about the fee. This forum is open to all Peralta students. It was stated that before a health fee can be
implemented, the fee information should be in the Schedule of Classes. Trustee González Yuen
discussed the need for appropriate people to be notified about this initiative and that all faculty
senates should have presentations. The Health Services Initiative will go back to the Board of
Trustees for discussion.
Follow-up: MOU formally presented to Chancellor Harris and Board of Trustees for approval.
Finalize Steering Committee.
Health Services Initiative presentation to Faculty Senate.
Letters of Support from student body of each college.
Forum on Student Health Fee for all Peralta students.
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Student Services and Equity Committee Minutes: March 5, 2009
3. Financial Aid Update
Jim Bracy gave an overview of the current status of financial aid disbursements. The target for the
Spring semester was to have three major check disbursements. In January checks were disbursed to
students who were not paid in the fall. The second disbursement was for students enrolled in Spring
’09 semester who were also enrolled in Fall ’08. The third disbursement, scheduled for Feb. 26, was
for new students in the Spring ’09 semester.
Mr. Bracy reported that two campuses were very close to the target date, disbursing checks on
February 28 and March 2. The third campus is ready to do the final major disbursement and the
fourth college will be ready to disburse on or about March 13-17. Both SAFE and Regent were used
for these disbursements. Laney has shifted to SAFE and has been successful with the first two
disbursements. Laney’s final disbursement will be for 1,400 students. The other three colleges will
continue with Regent until further notice. Peralta’s contract with Regent has expired and it is
possible that all colleges will migrate to SAFE.
One strategy being implemented to correct a major obstacle in the financial aid process is document
imaging. College of Alameda and Berkeley City College have begun scanning documents and it is
going well. Laney and Merritt will follow soon. Scanning will prevent the possibility of misread and
lost documents. Jim Bracy reported that the he, along with the VPSSs, Minh Lam, and Mickey
Mathews (Director of Student Support Services), will submit a performance evaluation of Regent for
review. Peralta is determined to make sure financial aid moves forward and that past experiences are
not repeated. Josué Hoyos reported that financial aid at Merritt is running smoothly. Most checks
have come through for Spring ’09 and he is pleased with the progress. Donald Moore reported that
the financial aid staff at Laney is comfortable with SAFE and problems are being addressed. Gordon
Poon expressed his concern regarding the college’s minimal financial aid staff. The college’s
financial aid offices will be running Regent and SAFE parallel for the ’09-’10 school year, but
PeopleSoft may be the ultimate solution.
Associate Vice Chancellor Bracy and Mickey Mathews will be working on centralization and
standardization of financial aid procedures as Peralta moves toward automation. The first step
toward automation is the implementation of document scanning. Trustee Handy stated that all
colleges need to use the same hardware and must have a uniform method of inputting forms and
creating reports. Reports from the VPSSs, with an evaluation of Regent and suggestions for
improvement, are due Friday, March 6 and Mickey Mathews will complete a Standard Operating
Procedures manual by June.
Follow-up: Update on electronic processing from Jim Bracy.
Performance evaluations of Regent from VPSSs, Minh Lam, Mickey Mathews, and Jim
Bracy.
4. Student Equity Reports
Donald Moore stated that he submitted an Equity Report in late Spring ’08. It was suggested that he
bring it back to the Board of Trustees.
Follow-up: Equity Reports on Board Meeting agenda.
Put on agenda for next meeting.
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Student Services and Equity Committee Minutes: March 5, 2009
5. Easy Pass, Health and Student Activities and Athletics Referendum
a. Timeline and designation of rolls
b. Student bus pass update
Donald Moore reported that he and Associate Vice Chancellor Bracy will be meeting with AC
Transit on Friday, March 6 to negotiate the price for Easy Pass. AC Transit’s range is $25-$30
per semester, but the length of the contract will determine the price of the pass. AC Transit is
adamant that students must have at least 9 units to qualify for the bus pass. The primary reason is
that being enrolled in 9 units is considered full time for DSPS students. They see this as a “social
justice” issue. AC Transit and their constituencies can all accept that full time students should
receive a discount because they are not working, but going to college full time. They have a
difficult time giving a discount to someone working and going to college. They argue that many
of their poor riders work full time or part time and pay $70 per month, and it would not be fair to
them that some people working and going to college would be given a discount when others
would not. VP Moore stated that everything is in place to put this issue on the ballot.
Follow-up: Set price of bus pass.
Set minimum units needed to qualify for Easy Pass.
6. Athletic Program Proposal
a. Funding for equipment and travel
This item was deferred to the next meeting.
Follow-up: Put on agenda for next meeting.
7. Student Body Elections/Referendums
a. Fees for clubs and student life
Trustee González Yuen questioned the need for obtaining a certain number of students to “turn out
for the vote.” He also asked what is being done for election outreach. The marketing department will
get literature out to the students and specific target groups. It was stated that the Chancellor would
like to see an informational campaign, not an advocacy campaign. Trustee González Yuen proposed
an advocacy piece stating that students may run an opposition campaign. Student Trustee Thompson
commented that she doesn’t see this being an issue among students. A transportation fee, a student
representation fee, and a student activities fee would be packaged together as one fee. The trustees
would like to see the packaging language and would insist on a clear mechanism for how the money
is spent.
Follow-up: Submit student fee packaging language for review.
The next meeting will be Thursday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:44 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Croley – 466-7367
kcroley@peralta.edu
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