Board of Trustees Meeting

Location

Virtual Zoom meeting: 8:00 a.m.

Attendees

Board of Trustees: Chair Sili Savusa, Vice Chair Sharmila Swenson, Dan Altmayer, Joe Bowman, Fred Mendoza

Executive Cabinet: Josh Gerstman, Summer Korst, Emily Lardner, John Mosby, Michael Pham, Aaron Reader, Danielle Slota, Tim Wrye present.

Bruce Marvin (AAG) present.

Minutes

Study Session call to order: 8:05 a.m.

Discussion Topics

Tenure process review, VP Emily Lardner

• Trustees will receive files on Feb 2nd
• Provided overview packets of tenure review including timeline and instructions on how to review

Legislative advocacy and priorities, VP Josh Gerstman

• Networked with seven legislators on Dec. 3rd as part of the Roundtable
• Washington College Grant
• Trustees cannot lobby but they are able to advocate, training is available through the ACCT
• NLS: All trustees, Office of the President, VP Gerstman and Shakira Ericksen to attend

State budget and the Governor’s first budget proposal, VP Pham

• Early draft, expect additional proposals in the coming weeks
• Current draft proposes 24 furlough days over the next biennium (one day per month over two years) to cover the increase in health care expense increase.  Equivalent to a 4.5% pay decrease.  To be applied across all employee categories.
• No salary increases for classified staff
• Governor’s budget does not take into account any stimulus money that may come from federal administration

Unscheduled business

• Announcement of ctcLink go-live on February 8, 2021

Review of Action Items to be voted on in General Session

Action Item a. pertaining to the reschedule of the Highline College Board of Trustees November, 2021 meeting date

Executive Session pertaining to Highline College labor relations

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

• Trustees moved to Executive Session at 8:50 a.m.
• Executive Session concluded at 9:25 a.m.

Meeting adjourned at 9:26 a.m.

Board of Trustees General Session

Location

Virtual Zoom meeting: 10 a.m.

General Session Minutes

Roll Call

Board of Trustees: Chair Sili Savusa, Vice Chair Sharmila Swenson, Dan Altmayer, Fred Mendoza, Joe Bowman present

Executive Cabinet: Danielle Slota, Josh Gerstman, Aaron Reader, Emily Lardner, John R. Mosby, Michael Pham, Summer Korst, Tim Wrye present

Bruce Marvin (AAG) present

General Session called to order at 10:00 a.m.

Approval of minutes

Approve minutes of the regularly scheduled meeting of December 10, 2020

• Trustee Altmayer moved to approve the minutes from December 10, 2020.  Trustee Swenson seconded the motion.  Potion passed unanimously.

Opportunity for public comment

• No comments

Standing reports

Associated Students of Highline College: Thomas Bui

• Thunderweek kicked off on Monday welcoming students to winter quarter.  Session on “what I wish I knew” regarding virtual classes had 76 students attend.
• ASHC was not able to do a legislative breakfast.  In place, they are working on a video project to send to legislators.
• Budget committee training has kicked off which includes four at-large members and two ASHC leaders
• MLK Week begins Monday.  Programming can be found here.

Washington Public Employees Association: Tessa Bowen

• Still in negotiations, no updates to report

Highline College Education Association: James Peyton

Faculty have positive views of the College’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• How do you feel your college administration has provided for you during the pandemic? This includes providing for your safety, pay/hours and flexible work: 42% “great” 32% “good”, so 74% positive perceptions of the College administration’s response to the pandemic. Our results are just above the statewide 70%.
  • Highline College’s COVID-19 health and safety plan is viewed favorably by faculty.
  • Expressed gratitude for the trustees and their attention to the tenure process
  • Welcome to winter quarter, recognized faculty and their support staff for their attention to detail 
  • Concerns around Governor’s proposed biennium budget
  • Faculty survey provided feedback:

• How comfortable are you with your college’s COVID-19 plan with regard to health and safety?
  • 5% “very comfortable” which is 20% higher than the statewide 54%.
  • Faculty have been working hard to respond to the pandemic.
• How do the weekly hours you have been working during Fall Quarter 2020 compare to instruction at your college last year, presuming the same teaching load?
  • 64% reporting “Significantly more hours in Fall Quarter 2020” compared to 42% statewide.
  • Faculty are very aware of student challenges.
• If you have taught remotely during Fall Quarter 2020, what are the student challenges and/or limitations you have observed? Please mark all that apply.
  • 74% of faculty responded “Students do not have access to adequate technology/internet access.”
  • 65% of faculty responded “Students have childcare or other caregiving responsibilities that reduce attendance or work completion.”
  • 65% of faculty responded “Students have employment or job pressures/hours that reduce attendance or work completion.”

Faculty are acutely aware of the challenges facing Highline College

• What are your top 3 work concerns right now? Please mark up to 3.
  • 54% of faculty selected “Workload (including adapting class to online)”
  • 53% of faculty selected “Student enrollment decline or potential decline”
  • 44% of faculty selected “Work/life balance”
  • 42% of faculty selected “Upcoming legislative session potentially negatively impacting your college”

Faculty Senate: Sam Alkhalili

• Working to address concerns in an open forum format.  Forums scheduled with VP Lardner and Reader, Dr. Mosby, Outreach, and others
• Working to revise Senate Constitution
• Faculty Senate recently surveyed; results show:
  • ctcLink impact on faculty workload , would have preferred that go-live was over break rather than during the quarter
  • Concerns around communication with academic integrity, student tech fees, changes in course caps, division administrators

Highline College Foundation: Susan Landgraf

• Expressed gratitude for trustee support
  • Virtual gala planning in the works
• Paid homage to retired faculty Bob Maplestone who recently passed

Action items

Action Item a. pertaining to the reschedule of the Highline College Board of Trustees November, 2021 meeting date

• Trustee Swenson moved to rescheduled the November, 2021 General Session meeting from November 11, 2021 to November 04, 2021.  Trustee Bowman seconded.  Motion passed unanimously.

Area reports

• Administrative Services: VP Michael Pham
  • Financial statement and accountability audits are underway
  • See written report as submitted
• Academic Affairs: VP Emily Lardner
  • Expressed gratitude to HCEA and Faculty Senate for their partnership in working together to make the best of a challenging situation.  Acknowledged that the lack of in person work changes relationships and energy.  Despite this challenge faculty and staff continue to stay dedicated and find ways to support each other.
  • Teacher Ed program (Ricaflor Fontillas, Patricia McDonald, Skyler Roth, Tanya Powers, John Pizzaro, Paulette Lopez) has it’s first 27 month review with PESB (Professional Education Standards) Board later today
  • Expressed gratitude to Nicki Bly for her leadership as Public Health Director
  • See written report as submitted.
• Student Services: VP Aaron Reader
  • Focus on student services in the remote world and enhancements that can be made to serving students in financial aid, registration, counseling, etc.
  • Intentional focus on work life balance among his staff
  • Nicole Wilson continues to represent Highline in presentations on the importance of health and wellness
  • Thanked everyone involved in the planning of MLK week and encouraged everyone able to attend
  • See written report as submitted

• Institutional Advancement: VP Josh Gerstman
  • Thanked Susan Landgraf for reporting on behalf of the Highline College Foundation and for being the first Foundation board member to take on the responsibility of monthly reporting to the HC Board of Trustees
  • Thanked Shakira Ericksen for her work in keeping Highline on the forefront of conversations with local elected officials
  • Thanked Thomas Bui and the ASHC for their dedication in creating videos for our representatives and legislators to hear from our students
  • Recognized the Joint Information Center and the Public Health and Hybrid Operations Teams for their focused work on leading the campus through the pandemic
  • Shout-out to Delta Dog for her work in keeping us all informed as the February 08, 2021 ctcLink go-live approaches
  • See written report as submitted

President’s remarks

• Participated in a commission meeting to review accreditation report with VPs Lardner and Pham.  Commission was extremely complimentary of the college. Feel confident with experience and comments made.  Thanked all of Highline College for their participation in accreditation.
• Encouraged Trustees to attend MLK Week.  Noted that Executive Cabinet will be facilitating a discussion titled Dr. King’s Radical vision and it’s realities yesterday and today
• Executive Cabinet has begun conversations on what fall quarter can look like 
• Met with student Mirian Mencias who spoke in Public Comment on December 10, 2021.  Appreciated her willingness to share in detail with him her concerns for students and faculty.  Encouraged students to participate in board meetings and to meet one-on-on with his office to share their experiences.
• Noted that the Executive Cabinet will have an eye on happenings during inauguration events so that we can support our community through the current realities.  Encouraged the community to make decisions rooted and grounded in safety.  Highline will continue to model excellence and continue to serve our community.
• See written report as submitted 

Unscheduled business

General Session was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

Minutes Signed and Approved

The meeting minutes from January 14, 2021, were approved and signed into record by Chair Sili Savusa and President John R. Mosby on February 11, 2021.