Highline College

Explore Highline College

Connect with Highline College

Toggle Sliding Bar Area

Winter quarter starts January 6. View the class schedule and enroll today for the best selection of classes.

Highline College Logo
Apply Now

Mar. 7, 2024: Meeting Minutes

Home/Meeting 03-07-24, Meeting Minutes/Mar. 7, 2024: Meeting Minutes
2024-06-06T13:26:32+00:00 Print Page

Mar. 7, 2024: Meeting Minutes

Board of Trustees Meeting

Location

Hybrid Meeting Format: offering both in-person and virtual meeting access

Minutes

Attendees

Board of Trustees: Chair Exstrom, Trustee Bowman, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Swenson

Executive Cabinet: President Mosby, Danielle Slota, Liz Word for Emily Lardner, Jamilyn Penn, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Marco Lopez for Michael Pham, Steve Sloniker, Tim Wrye

Assistant Attorney General: Bruce Marvin

Absent: Trustee Swenson

Study Session call to order: 9:16 a.m.

Review of Action Items (to be voted on in General Session)

  • Action item a. Approval of the newly revised Highline College Faculty Senate Constitution

Sangeeta voiced concern of changes in the approval from the BoT to the President. In the relationship of shared governance where the President as a stakeholder is approving the constitution is uncomfortable. Chair Exstrom voiced concerns about the timeline that is involved when the board needs to approve changes. The proposed change moves the BoT to a place of overview with the opportunity for the President to formally approve changes. Chair Exstrom also noted that we canvased other institutions and found that we are proposing a similar oversight model. Sangeeta asked for this structure to be documented in the constitution itself for clarity. 

Vote has been postponed from General Session until new edits can be proposed and reviewed.

  • Action item b. Approval of student fees for fiscal year 2024-2025

No changes to last month’s discussion, item will move to vote in General Session

Unscheduled Business

  • SBCTC 2025 Legislative Priorities

Reviewed Executive Cabinet’s drafted survey responses. The board did not express any concerns with our drafted responses. Dr. Mosby will proceed with submitting the survey to SBCTC.

Chair Exstrom voiced that the process of priority setting needs to be more agile as significant issues don’t always come up this far in advance. Advocated for opportunities to give more voice. Noted that the concerns around FAFSA changes were not part of the conversation in the recent NLS Summit and the strong amount of concern this raised and the message that sent to the community colleges. Dr. Mosby encouraged trustees to take that feedback as well and noted that he will take that feedback too.

Discussion Topics

  • Alternate meeting location
  • Performance of a public employee in Executive Session*

*The Board, as and when deemed necessary, may call an Executive Session for appropriate purposes under the Open Meetings Act.

(g) To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee. However, subject to RCW 42.30.140(4), discussion by a governing body of salaries, wages, and other conditions of employment to be generally applied within the agency shall occur in a meeting open to the public, and when a governing body elects to take final action hiring, setting the salary of an individual employee or class of employees, or discharging or disciplining an employee, that action shall be taken in a meeting open to the public;

Executive Session called to order at 9:59 a.m. The board will convene for ten minutes with Dr. Mosby, ED Sloniker, and AAG Marvin. Executive Session extended by 5 minutes.

Executive Session concluded at 10:26 a.m.

Meeting adjourned at 10:26 a.m.

 

Board of Trustees Meeting

Location

Hybrid Meeting Format: offering both in-person and virtual meeting access

General Session Minutes

Roll Call

Board of Trustees: Chair Exstrom, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Bowman, Trustee Swenson

Executive Cabinet: President Mosby, Danielle Slota, Liz Word for Emily Lardner, Jamilyn Penn, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Michael Pham, Steve Sloniker, Jesse Chiem for Tim Wrye

Assistant Attorney General: Ellen Evans for Bruce Marvin

General Session called to order: 10:30 a.m.

Approve minutes

Approve minutes of the regularly scheduled meeting of February 22, 2024

Trustee Bowman motioned to approve, Trustee Johnson seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

Opportunity for public comment

Student Mahad Dahir spoke to Ramadan and the necessary awareness of the increase in islamophobia occurring around the world. Encouraged self education to reduce the number of hate crimes occurring across the country.

Standing reports

  • Associated Students of Highline College – no report
  • Highline College Education Association – Dr. James Peyton

Spoke to seek 9 of winter quarter and faculty workloads associated. Provided examples of how faculty are working within the community, with our students, and within their work environment. Highlighted Teaching & Learning Enhancement Grants received by two faculty to make the classes more culturally responsive and relevant focused on enhancing student retention and completion. Spoke to a recent “Gross Science” event hosted with “lots and lots of slime” to generate interested in K-8 ages on weekend dates. Focused on educating the community that Highline College is a place to start their STEAM education.

  • Faculty Senate – no  report
  • Highline College Foundation – Sharron Vail

Spoke to the Connell Family Foundation and the five dozen students that have received scholarships through this event. Spoke to the recent campus event that was hosted to celebrate this gift and express gratitude to the family. Spoke to today’s opening of the Veteran’s Resource Center being hosted at 1 p.m. Shared the news of a new high five figure estate gift and noted that more details to follow.

Action items

  • Action item a. Approval of the newly revised Highline College Faculty Senate Constitution – POSTPONED TO APRIL 2024
  • Action item b. Approval of student fees for fiscal year 2024-2025

Trustee Bowman motioned, Trustee Johnson seconded, motion passed unanimously.

Area reports

  • Administrative Services: Marco Lopez for VP Dr. Michael Pham

Administrative Services has officially begun the budget and planning process for the 2024-25 academic year. Budget Advisory Council has begun meeting and will be making recommendations to the Executive Cabinet throughout the budget process. AA is supporting additional budget request needs across divisions.

  • Academic Affairs: Dean Liz Word for VP Dr. Emily Lardner

Spoke to the current pilot of cohort based approach of selected AAS and BAS programs to allow for a predictable schedule to supports students movement through those programs. Spoke to the current pilot of peer navigators for students that are studying fully online. Spoke to the linked class learning communities pilot where instructors from different disciplines are linking their courses and students to provide more support for students. Courses being linked are English 102 (research and persuasive writing) and Math 146 (statistics). History 146 (american history) and English 101 (english composition) connecting through the topic of AI. Faculty are observing an increase in the synergy of the students. This project will repeat in the fall. College 101 continues to be a requirement for the AADTA to help navigate academic and financial resources. Faculty Senate voted to continue the pilot of this work and will report back in 2027 on the outcomes from this project. One of the intended outcomes of this project is to increase the sense of student belonging. Student belonging was previously documented as a challenge in the campus climate survey.

Trustee Johnson asked about how to market and promote these projects for new students as a recruitment tool. Dean Word noted that these are listed in the new program transfer maps with a recommendation that they be taken in the first 30 credits. Also noted that COL101 counts towards the 13th year (high school and beyond credit). Working with local high schools to develop CTE credit for students as they take these courses in their senior year.Trustee Exstrom expressed excitement for the peer navigator program.

  • Student Services: VP Dr. Jamilyn Penn

State Board recently sent Question & Answer documents for colleges to use both for financial aid business operations as well as for students. These samples were available for editing to apply to individual campus needs. VP Penn partnering with Highline’s financial aid team to modify the sample document and distribute as appropriate at Highline. Highlighted the opening of the Veteran Center in Building 23 room 111. This resource is an opportunity for veteran students and staff to learn, grow, and find support. Spoke to Gear Up (federal grant program managed by the Dept of Education) partners to serve schools with low income students and low graduation rates. Working closely to partner with Gear Up for a co-location of staff in building 6 to provide wrap-around services for their students. Gear Up will provide students with support in their first year of college and then those students will transition into a support program such at TRiO and other communities on campus.

Announced the transition of staff in Campus View student housing.

Trustee Exstrom asked that challenges around FAFSA changes be documented in the 2025 legislative priorities survey when Dr. Mosby submits it on behalf of the college.

  • Institutional Advancement: VP Josh Gerstman

Introduced Christina Arnold, Motion Graphics Specialist. Requested a future board session to highlight the work that team is doing. Celebrated Loteria y Antojitos: Con la Comunidad happening this afternoon. Being hosted by the Moving Toward Servingness Team and the Office of EDT led by Dr. Jimenez.

  • Equity, Diversity and Transformation: VP Penn for VP Dra. Maribel Jimenez

Dra. Jimenez, Dr. Penn, and ED Wrye will be attending the AHSIE to learn more about moving Highline College into servingness as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. Trustee Johnson commented that he looks forward to learning more about this topic in the future.

Discussion

None

President’s remarks

Celebrated the Veterans Resource Center that will open this afternoon and the legacy moment that this is. Spoke to this resource being just one step on our journey towards equity, diversity and transformation. Spoke to the recent donor luncheon with the Connell family and celebrated IA for listening to what the donor wanted out of that event. Thanked the board for their willingness to continue to work on a faculty senate constitution that reflects both the senate’s needs as well as the institution. The collaboration on the document is appreciated. Expressed gratitude to Sangeeta Sangha for her role as senate president as well as Dr. Peyton for his role as HCEA president.

Chair Exstrom echoed the gratitude for Sangeeta’s leadership and flexibility.

Unscheduled business

None

New business

None

Adjournment

General Session was adjourned: 11:29 a.m.

Minutes Signed and Approved

The meeting minutes from March 7, 2024, were approved and signed into record by Chair Exstrom and President John R. Mosby on April 9, 2024.

Mission Statement: As a South King County college striving for social justice, Highline College partners with global students as they envision, plan and achieve their educational and professional goals.