Area Report for Board of Trustees
The 3rd Quarter Financial Report is being submitted for the Board to review this month. Despite on-going fiscal challenges, the College ended the third quarter (through March 31, 2023) on a relatively good fiscal note, due to revenue increases from International Student Programs and Investment accounts. On the expenditure side, we are also anticipating a reduction in budgeted expenses for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The Washington State Legislative Session ended on April 23rd with some good news for our system’s budget. The conference operating budget, passed by the House and Senate, fully funds 100% of the mandated COLAs for faculty and staff.
Executive Cabinet is still working through our FY24 budget planning process. Our enrollment challenges remain the focus as we strategize FTE enhancement initiatives to ensure revenue generation.
The Budget Advisory Council spent much of April to discuss various budget reduction strategies to meet the budget planning goal of reducing expenses by $1M. With the slightly improving financial numbers through the end of the third quarter, the Council has tentatively recommended to delay cuts with significant impacts on service and on equity.
The Policy Development Council has been hard at work in evaluating and recommending new policy proposals during April. The Council voted to adopt the new Policy Review Rubric, with the focus on equity, as a new set of operating guidelines. The Policy Review Rubric was developed initially by the Equity-First Strategic Planning committee.
Core Theme 1: ACCESS, Reduce Barriers and close equity gaps to access for all community members
Public Safety: The Public Safety Office, in collaboration with ITS, is configuring and testing the new emergency mass notification system. One of the priorities of the new system was to provide students with an app where they can select the language of their choice to receive emergency communications.
Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve
Global Programs:
- Highline College and Foreign Trade University, Vietnam hosted a global virtual workshop on Sustainability Global Supply Chain on April 19, 2023. Over 60 faculty and student participants (from Vietnam and Washington State) attended sessions with the two keynote speakers from the Port of Seattle and Ernst & Young Vietnam. The virtual workshop provided an excellent opportunity for our faculty and students to interact with the Vietnamese counterparts from half-way around the world.
- The Global Programs team kicked off our Study Abroad program on April 27th with a workshop on Global Supply Chain Management. Fifteen students from Highline College, Tacoma Community College, and North Seattle College were selected for the program. Four industry experts from air cargo, ocean shipping, railway, and trucking presented at the workshop.
Public Safety: In an effort to increase engagement and outreach to ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages), the Public Safety Office conducted evening ESOL class visits and educated students about Public Safety services and safety tips
Core Theme 3: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, Create a more inclusive working environment and a more valued, visible relationship with communities we serve
Finance: The Finance Department is conducting our annual fixed asset inventory across the campus.
Facilities: The Roundabout project, linking the future Highline College main entrance with the Sound Transit Light Rail station, has begun with anticipation of completion prior to Fall Quarter 2023. The College Way entrance to the East Parking Lot and to North Parking Lot will be closed until Fall Quarter as well. Limited pedestrian access to/from Campus View student housing will be available during the construction process.
Global Programs: We have begun recruiting faculty for the Faculty Experiential Learning to Vietnam for September 2023. This is a faculty-focused professional development program designed enhance intercultural competency. The September 2023 program will take place in conjunction with the Study Abroad program.
Report submitted by Vice President of Administrative Services, Dr. Michael Pham