Board of Trustees Meeting
Location
Hybrid Meeting Format: offering both in-person and virtual meeting access
Minutes
Attendees
Board of Trustees: Chair Exstrom, Trustee Johnson, Trustee Bowman, Trustee Swenson
Executive Cabinet: President Mosby, Danielle Slota, Emily Lardner, Jamilyn Penn, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Michael Pham, Steve Sloniker, Tim Wrye
Assistant Attorney General: Bruce Marvin present
Study Session call to order: 8:40 a.m.
Discussion Topics
Review of 2024 proposed calendar, Danielle Slota (15 min)
- Tentative dates discussed and outlined here. Will follow-up in November with trustees.
Process review: Monthly area reports and meeting structure, Travis Exstrom (30 min)
Suggestion to do an executive summary up to two pages long with the rest reported verbally. What is the core purpose of the report? Is there a dual purpose to report out publicly or are they solely for educational purposes of the trustees. Appreciate the structure of reporting through the same lens of strategic goals. Trustees are reading from a SWOT analysis perspective and while the strengths/celebrations are helpful they don’t necessarily assist with that approach. Wide brush of information doesn’t always make it clear as to what is needed from the board.
Feedback from EC members: threshold challenge. Sometimes writing to fill space. Also noted that the reports are not solely written by EC. They involve contribution from departments.
Should reports be a bulleted approach? Saving the narrative approach to the executive summary. Noted that it is important for staff to have their work seen but also want to know more about what the EC member wants the Trustee to walk away with.
A balancing of needs. Noted that there are often names called out in the reports that Trustees have not had the opportunity to meet. Perhaps opportunities to meet folks in the meetings.
Executive Summary
Departmental report with bullets
Celebratory
Meeting adjourned at 9:20 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, Emily Lardner, Jamilyn Penn, Josh Gerstman, Maribel Jimenez, Michael Pham, Steve Sloniker, Tim Wrye
Assistant Attorney General: Bruce Marvin present
General Session called to order: 9:25 a.m.
Approve minutes
Approve minutes of the regularly scheduled meeting of Sep. 14, 2023
Trustee Swenson motioned to approve, Trustee Bowman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Opportunity for public comment
None
President’s report
Expressed gratitude to all involved in the Opening Week planning, logistics, etc. Spoke to some happenings within the broader higher education landscape. Dr. Joanne Epps of Temple University and Dr. Orinthia of Montague the Volunteer State Community College. Both individuals who passed away recently – two women of color – who passed away on the job.
Area reports
- Administrative Services: VP Dr. Michael Pham
- Academic Affairs: VP Dr. Emily Lardner
- Federal Way Education Center is seeing an increase in enrollment due to course offerings and leaning into the vision that led to the opening of the center.
- Access Services did empathy interviews with students and are addressing concerns about technology literacy
- Staff volunteered to walk the campus to offer wayfinding assistance during the first week
- ELCAP is expanding IBest practices being more strategic about helping students obtain higher wage jobs
- Reflection Room for students is now open and available for use
- MAST receiving high remarks from their summer camp offerings – shoutout to the HC Foundation for providing scholarships to our ELCAP students’ children
- Student Services: Interim VP Dr. Jamilyn Penn
- Financial aid awarded more than $9M dollars for fall quarter.
- Running Start working hard as aid eligibility for those students increases as well as their ability to now take up to 21 credits.
- Second year of King County Promise and supports continue to be put in place to better support these students around culture, capacity, ethnicity
- ISP working hard to add new educational partners with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, India, Turkey and China
- Counseling Dept fully staffed – first time since 2017
- Institutional Advancement: VP Josh Gerstman
- Focus on increasing enrollment particularly for men of color.
- Congrats to Dr. Penn for putting the time and effort into a partnership with the GE Foundation.
- Recognized efforts of grant writing team.
- Equity, Diversity and Transformation: VP Dr. Maribel Jimenez
- Revamped land acknowledgement for the college
- Invited campus to participate in this work and received 20 responses
- Monday, Oct. 9 will be the eighth annual Indigenous Peoples Day
- Shared that she has been contacted by many employees with concerns around being undocumented and potential changes at the federal government level.
- Request for future conversation from Shakira around DACA in the legislative affairs report in January
Action items
None
Standing reports
- Associated Students of Highline College, DeVoni Young
- Proud to say that ASHC has a cabinet full of women. New connections are being made. IT is an honor and pleasure to participate.
- Past events: A lot of training including the CUS Conference at Green River College. CORE Training and Campus wide student leadership training were training in S&A budgets, forms, travel, facilitation, presentation, event planning, Title IX, EDI. Thunderweek was a success – a week of programming educating students about how they can get involved on campus. Seven events over the span of five days with an estimate of over 800 students participating.
- Upcoming events: ASHC Council meeting begin next week. LGBTQIA+ Week the week of Oct. 9-12. ICC Cultural Horror Stories will be held on Oct. 20. ICC hosting a Day of the Dead celebration on Nov. 2. Disability Justice Week will take place Nov. 6-9. Black & Brown Male Summit will occur on Nov. 18. Announced the upcoming opening of Groundwork Coffee.
- Clubs & Activities: 18 clubs so far this year
- GOALS for fall quarter:
- Legislative Breakfast: Hoping to coordinate with Green River and Renton Technical College for a holistic approach. Aiming for an event before session. Trustees requested that this date be shared ASAP so they can participate.
- Increased promotion of home games for athletics to increase student attendance – trustee asked if students pay admission to home games and advocated for cost free event for students
- Celebrating the arts! Vision still in development
- Story time: in partnership with the Library, offering opportunities for students with children to have family focused events with snacks and stories
- Washington Public Employees Association, no report this month
- Highline College Education Association, Sherri Chun
- Thanked Chair Exstrom for his participation in Opening Week. FTEs are increasing and students are on campus for their courses. The energy on campus is greatly increased. The campus climate seems to be improving drastically.
- Reaping the benefits of advising and retention activity efforts
- Shoutout to Student Services, EdTech, and ITS for everything they are doing to successfully support students. Lots of students, lots of activity, which translates into increased energy in the classroom.
- Faculty Senate, no report this month
- Highline College Foundation, Sharon Vail
Board Report (10:15 a.m.)
- Vietnam Student Experience, Michael Pham & Guests (15 min)
- Dr. Jennifer Jones provided an introduction of student Luciano Frigo. Luciano spoke to experience with following the supply chain, particularly with Brooks where they got to follow from design to manufacturing to sales floor. Personal best experience was at the Port and understanding their challenges with the supply chain. Dr. Jones spoke to the importance of this trip remaining accessible through sponsors and partnership to offer opportunities for students.
- Slide deck can be viewed here
- Title III, Strengthening Institutions, Jennifer Johnston (30 min)
- Slide deck can be viewed here
Discussion
None
Unscheduled business
Introductions of Mina Vo and verification of Commencement on June 13, 2023.
New business
None
Adjournment
General Session was adjourned: 10:55 a.m.
Minutes Signed and Approved
The meeting minutes from Oct. 3, 2023, were approved and signed into record by Chair Bowman and President John R. Mosby on Nov. 9, 2023.
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.