Elise Baker

This document reports on the College of the Sequoias' 2015-2025 Master Plan and 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, detailing progress towards four key district goals. These goals focus on increasing student enrollment, improving student completion rates for degrees, certificates, and transfers, tailoring academic programs and student services to meet population and workforce needs, and fostering best practices and staff development for continuous institutional improvement.

This Student Equity Plan for the College of the Sequoias Community College District, spanning 2025-2028, aims to ensure equal educational opportunities and promote student success by closing achievement gaps among disproportionately impacted student groups. The plan focuses on five key metrics: Successful Enrollment, Completion of Transfer-Level Math & English, Student Persistence, Overall Completion, and Transfer to a Four-Year Institution. It outlines strategies across various programs and services, including Guided Pathways, Financial Aid, DSPS, EOPS/CalWORKs, NextUp/Foster Youth, Veterans Programs, and support for Justice-Involved, Low-Income, and Dual Enrollment students. The overarching goal is to remove barriers, address student needs, and create clear pathways to improve student outcomes, aligning with Vision 2030 goals for equitable participation, completion, and transfer to four-year institutions, ultimately leading to living-wage opportunities and socio-economic mobility.

The meeting included reports from the Student Trustee, Board Members, Foundation, Accreditation, and Superintendent/President. The Board received updates on high school partnerships, including Visalia Technical Early College High School (VTEC), University Preparatory High School (UPHS), and College of the Sequoias Dual Enrollment. The board discussed curriculum training certification and the annual report on college partnerships with high schools. The board also reviewed the curriculum and certification process, including AB 1111 and the Common Course Numbering (CCN) system.

The board meeting included reports from the student trustee and board members, covering events such as the National Coming Out Day event, Spring Fire Academy applications, police academy module updates, midterm after-parties, harvest fests, and a student senate trip to the state capital. The board also discussed the accreditation visit, which was reported to have gone well, with positive feedback on the college's evaluation process, online class interaction, integrated planning, and participatory governance. The success of the Crush Party was highlighted, noting its role in raising awareness for the Taller campus. New faculty members were introduced, and their backgrounds and interests in joining COS were shared.

The meeting included a discussion and approval of the 2025-2026 working budget. The Tulare County Office of Education requested the board's approval for working budgets throughout the year, particularly when expenditures exceeded previously approved budgets. The working budget increases and decreases due to new grants, programs, and budget changes between account codes. The board also reviewed and approved the 2025/2026 General Fund Budget, including revenue and expense changes, and discussed unrestricted major expense changes and revenue changes.