A Summary of the Board Meeting of October 8, 2013
Chancellor’s Report – Dr. Ned Doffoney
Sabbatical Leave Reports – Fola Odebunmi, Cypress College Instructor, reported on “MicroFinance and Poverty Alleviation Efforts in Ghana: A Pilot Travel Study”; and Jay Goldstein, Fullerton
College Instructor, gave a presentation on “Fullerton College: One Hundred Years.”
Last week, Trustee Dr. Barbara Dunsheath and the Chancellor traveled to Seattle to attend the ACCT
44th Annual Congress. While there, Violet Ayon received the ACCT Pacific Region Professional Board
Staff Member Award.
In November the Orange County Legislative Task Force will meet with the CEO and Vice President of
Marketing for the OC Register. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the possibility of having a
section in the newspaper dedicated to Orange County community colleges, and hopefully, change the
newspaper’s pattern of only publishing negative issues relating to community colleges.
Human Resources – The recruitment for the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources position continues,
along with staff and management positions.
The faculty sabbatical application process is also underway. The deadline for proposal submission is
November 1 and workshops to assist interested faculty in submitting successful proposals will be held on
the campuses this month.
Benefits Open Enrollment closes this Friday, October 11. All changes need to be in to Human Resources
by 5 p.m. for changes effective January 1.
Information Services – Projects regarding the Student Success Initiative and myGateway performance
improvements continue to be the focus for the Information Services department. A major milestone in the
DegreeWorks project was met with all 2012-13 catalogs being completed for each of the three
institutions. Training of the DegreeWorks system will occur during October. The Technology Quality
Survey to all students and staff will be completed in October. This provides the District Information
Services department valuable input on the status of the services the department provides.
Public and Governmental Affairs – In conjunction with the Cypress College Public Information
Officer Marc Posner, Public Affairs traveled to the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
Conference in Tempe, Arizona, to present a session on developing quality marketing photos. While there,
NOCCCD and the School of Continuing Education received the Silver Medallion of Achievement Award
for a Government Relations Project.
The winning campaign was a joint effort between NOCCCD, SCE, and Townsend Public Affairs that
sought to inform legislators about the potential negative impact that the Governor’s Budget Trailer Bill
and Senate Bill 173 would have to the California community college system’s noncredit education
funding structure and commitment to access. The team’s efforts succeeded in building a lobbying
coalition of like-minded organizations, agencies, and legislators to positively change the Governor’s
Budget Trailer Bill language and to kill SB 173 in the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
Finance and Facilities – The final punch list items are in progress on the Fullerton College
Technology & Engineering Complex. Fullerton College’s Parking Lot 10 construction is 80 percent
complete, and the Building 2000 stair replacement project is in DSA structural review.
The District’s Proposition 39 Project applications for 2013-14 were submitted to the State on
September 30.
Comments from the College Presidents and Provost
Dr. Rajen Vurdien, Fullerton College President; Dr. Bob Simpson, Cypress College President, and Dr.
Greg Schulz, School of Continuing Education Provost, reported on activities from their respective
campuses.
Comments by Members of the Resource Table
Future DMA Meetings – District Management Association President Gil Contreras reported on plans
for future DMA meetings, including an event where members would review books on leadership and
another with a guest speaker talking about culturally courageous leadership.
Academic Senate Resolution – Cypress College Academic Senate President Gary Zager stated that
the Academic Senate has not reached a consensus of opinion on the new NOCCCD Vice Chancellor of
Educational Services and Technology position. He informed the Board that they may see a resolution
about the subject at a later date.
STEM Updates – Fullerton College Faculty Senate President Sam Foster reported on the college’s
various STEM activities including the Soaring with STEM and Engage in STEM programs. He also
invited the Board of Trustees to the upcoming STEM Alumni Speakers Series featuring alumnus Luz
Jimenez Vela as the guest speaker.
CSEA Negotiations – California School Employees Association President Rod Lusch announced that
negotiations for 2013-2014 had begun with Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Jeff Horsley.
Comments by Members of the Board of Trustees
Cypress College Student Activities – Cypress College Student Trustee Claudia Peña reported on
various student activities including the recent blood drive and new student voter mechanisms for the
website.
ACCT Conference – Trustee Dr. Barbara Dunsheath reported on the recent Association of
Community Colleges Trustees (ACCT) conference in Seattle, Washington. She congratulated Violet
Ayon, Executive Aide to the Chancellor and Recording Secretary to the Board of Trustees, who was
honored with the Pacific Region Professional Board Staff Member Award at the conference.
Higher One Holdings – Board Vice President Jeffrey Brown spoke about a recent Orange County
Register article that detailed student complaints with financial aid distributor Higher One Holdings.
Trustee Brown was not pleased that NOCCCD was mentioned in the article, as many of the issues
outlined in the piece do not pertain to our District. He urged increased internal communication within the
District to clarify our agreement with Higher One and the options available to students.
Baccalaureate Degree Study Group – Board Secretary M. Tony Ontiveros gave an update on the
California Community College’s Chancellor’s Office Baccalaureate Degree Study Group which is tasked
with reviewing the various issues surrounding offering bachelor degrees at community colleges. Mr.
Ontiveros reported that the group is only looking at a few select and focused degrees, including nursing,
allied sciences, and automotive technology. The state should come out with its report on the subject in
December.
Fullerton College 1913 Day – Trustee Leonard Lahtinen congratulated Fullerton College on the
successful execution of their Centennial Celebration “1913 Day” which recreated the very first day of
classes at the college. The event featured antique autos, administration, staff, and students in period
costumes, games and refreshments.
Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic – Board President Donna Miller gave an account of the
Cypress College Foundation Golf Classic which raises funds to support programs that enhance student
success.
Finance & Facilities
CUPCCAA – The Board authorized the District’s participation in the California Uniform Public
Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA) program, and adopted the resolutions.
Human Resources
Retirements – The Board approved the retirements of Gordon Kent, Fullerton College Horticulture
Instructor, effective December 31; Michael Moore, Fullerton College Communications Instructor,
effective May 30, 2014; Kenneth Burnett, Cypress College Facilities Custodian Coordinator II, effective
October 9; Gloria Pekala, Cypress College Administrative Assistant II, effective December 31; Esther
Saucedo, District Human Resources Specialist, effective December 31; and Daniel Stephens, Cypress
College Instructional Assistant, effective December 31.
Promotion – The Board approved the promotion of Melinda Taylor to Fullerton College Executive
Assistant III, effective October 14.
Next Regular Meeting
The next regular meeting of the NOCCCD Board of Trustees will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October
22, in the first-floor Board Room, Anaheim Campus, 1830 W. Romneya Drive, Anaheim.
“News from the Board of Trustees” is produced
by the NOCCCD Public Affairs Office as a summary of Board actions and reports.
It is not intended as a replacement of the official minutes of Board meetings.