Rosa Maria Bañuelos-Uribe

The board meeting addressed several key topics including a land acknowledgement, the implementation of an equity lens for community decision-making, and informational requests regarding institutional issues. Extensive time was dedicated to public comments, where students raised concerns regarding faculty contract negotiations, the necessity for fair pay and benefits, the impact of large class sizes on academic support and safety, and the importance of maintaining diverse program offerings such as dance courses to support student well-being.

The committee meeting focused on the three-year mitigation plan, including the election of a committee chair and discussions regarding the scope, methodology, and timeline of the mitigation strategy. Key topics included analyzing variables and assumptions affecting long-range financial projections, such as cost-of-living adjustments, and exploring strategies to reach a 10% ending fund balance through a simplified, objective-driven approach. The committee also planned for future sessions to finalize questions and prepare materials for upcoming board reviews.

The committee held a discussion regarding the review and evaluation of the public comment policy. Key topics included the results of individual research into the public comment procedures of other government entities and colleges, and a dialogue on establishing foundational goals and values for potential policy recommendations, such as prioritizing student input, improving board efficiency, and enhancing the transparency of the comment process.

The meeting focused on preparing for the upcoming Council Chair/Vice Chair Governance Forum and establishing a process for reviewing and evaluating the college's governance system. Discussions included the role of the Governance Review Taskforce, the synthesis of stakeholder feedback and institutional reports, and the standardization of self-evaluation processes for individual councils. Plans for upcoming campus-wide forums were adjusted to avoid scheduling conflicts, and the group discussed strategies for presenting council accomplishments, challenges, and recommendations to the President.

The Council discussed the finance office's Q1 and Q2 budget forecast and deficit mitigation strategies, the charter and scope of work for the Diversity Council, the Scholarship policy, a revised Privacy policy, the Student Pronouns policy, the Digital Identity Management policy, and the Syllabus policy. Updates were provided regarding governance training and BDS forum details.