Steve Aguilar

The meeting included a review and adoption of Mission, Vision, and Values Statements, as well as Land Acknowledgment and Anti-Racism Statements. The agenda covered a closed session to review previous closed session minutes and consider personnel matters and pending litigation. The open session involved reports from liaisons and the Student Trustee, a Student Spotlight presentation, and updates from Marketing and Communications. New business included the ratification of January payment of bills, acceptance of the Treasurer's Report for January 2026, ratification of Spring 2026 professional personnel payments, approval of Clinical Practice Agreements, and Intergovernmental Agreements with high school partners. Further new business involved authorization for February purchases, preview of upcoming purchases, authorization to hire a Director of Grant Strategy and Development, a Director of IT Infrastructure, and a Full-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Member, approval of award of tenure, approval of the 2027-2028 Academic Calendar, and authorization to revise a Board of Trustees meeting date. The meeting also included the approval of ten-year Emeritus appointments and the approval of a new Data Analytics Certificate unit of instruction.

The Board conducted a closed session to review previous minutes and discuss personnel matters, followed by an open session. Key actions in the open session included the approval of the Consent Agenda, ratification of bill payments for October and November 2025, and acceptance of the Treasurer's Reports for the same months. The Board also approved adjustments to part-time teaching and faculty overload salaries for the Fall 2025 semester, and approved several Clinical Practice Agreements. Furthermore, the established meeting schedule for the 2026 calendar year was approved. Authorization was granted for various December purchases totaling $867,545.17, covering items such as internet service renewal, auditing services, baseball team travel, environmental branding consulting, and vehicle/training aid purchases. The Board also approved the hiring of a full-time, tenure-track faculty member, Nicholas Larkin, and ratified an amended contract agreement with the Metropolitan Alliance of Police. A preview was given for upcoming purchases and a new Data Analytics Certificate program.

The meeting covered initial organizational matters including the reading of Mission, Vision, and Values Statements, and Anti-Racism, Neurodiversity Statements. New business items included the approval of the Consent Agenda, which ratified bill payments for December 2025, accepted the Treasurer's Report for December 2025, and approved various authorizations for professional personnel payments, clinical practice agreements, and intergovernmental agreements with high school partners (Evanston Township High School District 202 and Glenbrook High School District 225). Other actions involved authorizing the Treasurer to pay January 2026 professional personnel salaries in advance, approving calendar year 2026 board meeting schedule, and discussing upcoming purchases such as IP Telephony maintenance and furniture for the Enrollment Center.

The meeting included both closed and open sessions. The closed session agenda covered the review of previous closed session minutes and consideration of matters related to employee appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal, as well as collective negotiation matters and pending litigation. The open session agenda included receiving reports from the President, Educational Foundation Liaison, and Student Trustee, a Student Spotlight segment, and comments from the Chair and Trustees. New Business focused on a Consent Agenda covering the ratification of bill payments for December 2025, acceptance of the Treasurer's Report for December 2025, authorizations related to professional personnel payments for Fall 2025, approval of various agreements (Clinical Practice and Intergovernmental Agreements with High School District Partners), and authorization for January purchases, including IP telephony maintenance, Honorlock services, furniture for renovations, and consulting services for Salesforce Implementation. Other items addressed authorization for immediate January purchases, ratification for facility truck repair, preview of upcoming purchases, authorization to hire an Assistant Vice President for Operations, approval of Emeritus Appointments, approval of a New Unit of Instruction, and notification of awarded grants.

The Committee of the Whole meeting included discussions on two primary items. The first topic addressed Access and Equity Work within a Changing Policy Environment, where the administration detailed proactive measures to ensure continued student service provision despite potential impacts from federal funding withholdings or future law changes. The second item involved a discussion of the Emory Williams Academy Report, previously shared in September 2025. Trustees inquired about program outreach and advertising, leading to the coordinator providing specific details on community engagement strategies, including work with area high schools and community organizations.