April 14, 2022: Administrative Services

Area Report for Board of Trustees

Our major capital project submission, the Academic Pathways building, to the State Board scored very well, with a ranking of #10 on the total list of 22 projects. If the current funding trends hold, we would expect for the project to be funded in the 2027-29 biennium state budget.
It is with a heavy heart that Facilities says goodbye to Christina Neville Neil, Capital Project Manager, as she moves onto another opportunity in Pierce County. We are looking to replace her position quickly in order to maintain momentum on all ongoing capital projects.

The WA State Auditor’s Office has begun the audit of the College’s FY2021 financial statements. The audit is scheduled to last through June.

Victoria Solanos, Cashier Lead, has recently submitted her resignation to move on to a new job opportunity. In order to ensure continuing service to our students, we will be looking to replace her position promptly.
As part of our budget planning process for FY2022-23, Executive Cabinet with input and feedback from various campus stakeholders has drafted our budget planning principles and priorities.
Heather McBreen continues to offer travel training sessions to faculty and staff. Her staff training on March 30th had over 70 attendees. The next training session will be on April 13th with a focus on faculty travel.

Public Safety hosted a staff and faculty campus cleanup on March 29^th to prepare for spring quarter. Over 20 staff and faculty supported the event and collected approximately 30 bags of garbage. We believe a well-maintained campus sends a strong welcoming message to students and community alike.
The college emergency response team conducted a power and network outage drill on Thursday, March 31^st. The purpose of the drill was to test the generator equipment, monitor access control and practice communications throughout the drill. Training was also provided to Facilities, Public Safety, and ITS staff on maintaining the generators and server rooms during emergencies.
Highline College Public Safety hosted the Midway Merchants meeting on Wednesday April 6th. The purpose of the partnership is to try and reduce crime and generally improve the area by organizing the businesses and the community along Pacific Highway from Kent/Des Moines road to South 272nd. The group coordinates with Kent and Des Moines Mayors and Police Chiefs to provide feedback. Additionally, Public Safety regularly attends the Des Moines business meetings hosted, by Des Moines Police Department and the Mayor, in working together to create a safe environment for businesses within city limits.

On March 15^th, Jesse Aspree, Director of International Student Programs, Mike Gruberg, Assistant Director of ISP, and I had an opportunity to meet virtually with several officials from the (Indonesia’s) Papua Language Institute and from the International University of Papua. The Papuan partners have expressed interest in expanding existing partnerships to transfer Papuan students to complete BAS degrees at Highline College. In addition, the International University of Papua is also interested in exploring a potential short-term certificate for their English program.

Highline Welcomes the World Week was held from February 14-18^th. The full line-up of programs included discussions about refugee resettlement, good health and well-being throughout the world, and the new international arrival facility at SeaTac Airport.
On Wednesday, March 9^th Highline College joined with Foreign Trade University in Vietnam to host a two-hour long workshop focused on the Global Supply Chain in the Pandemic. The event featured regional experts, breakout rooms, and provided opportunities for students to get to know each other. We also had several faculty and students from North Seattle College and Tacoma Community College in attendance.
Jenn Ritchey, Sam Kaplan and Jesse Aspree attended the 45^th Annual Conference of Community Colleges for International Development in New Orleans from March 4-6th. At the conference, Sam Kaplan and Jenn Ritchey provided a captivating presentation entitled “Beyond the Classroom: Building global virtual exchange platforms to support global and institutional goals.”
Highline College was recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education and the U.S. Department of State for being the top producer of Fulbright Scholars. Samad Chakour and Joe Figel are the two Fulbright recipients for the 2021-22 Academic School Year.

Eric Ho recently attended the virtual Independent College Bookstore Association. In light of supply chain issues, publishers are choosing to offer more digital eBooks to ensure cheaper options are available for students. As a result, the bookstore will be working on providing students with more information to assist them on accessing the digital titles for Spring quarter.
The Fireside Bistro continues to provide drink and light fare menu service to students and employees during our current hybrid campus operations. The Fireside Bistro also offers a welcoming space for students to study and socialize. As a collaborative effort between Administrative Services and Academic Affairs, when the Fireside Bistro closes for the day, the Bistro transforms into a classroom space in the evenings for HOST students.

Report submitted April 05, 2022, by Vice President Michael Pham, Ed.D.