Editor’s note: Headline updated to reflect the board is considering a resolution in support of Measure H. The approval of the resolution is a recommended action only on the board agenda item.
Members of the Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons (COC), are expected to voice their support for Measure H, an initiative aimed at funding countywide homeless relief.
The board is planning on discussing a resolution in support of the March 7 ballot measure at its Wednesday meeting.
Measure H, or the Los Angeles Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness, would raise the sales tax by one-quarter of a cent for 10 years to support various mental health, treatment, education, housing, transportation and preventative services for homeless children, families, youth, veterans, seniors and disabled individuals.
According to the COC resolution, a University of Wisconsin survey of community colleges found that 20 percent of students were not getting enough to eat and 13 percent were homeless.
“With the rising costs of college education, more and more students are experiencing food and housing insecurities,” the board agenda item read.
At COC, the college found that its students were experiencing some of the same housing and food challenges.
In response, the Student Health and Wellness Center established a food bank and the Associated Student Government purchased and distributed care packages to provide homeless students with toiletries and needed items.
The resolution states that the board is choosing to endorse the measure because “addressing homelessness will enhance the quality of life for all county residents, and yield economic development benefits by equipping people to enter the workforce.”
According to the resolution, the board is also offering its support for Measure H because the funds are subject to an annual independent audit and because it establishes a five-member Citizens’ Oversight Advisory Board to review expenditures and evaluate program effectiveness.
COC stated that, if the measure passes, the average consumer is estimated to pay a little more than a dollar a month. The college also stated the increased funding is projected to end homelessness for 45,000 and prevent homelessness for 30,000 individuals and families in Los Angeles County within five years.
The college is expected to vote on the resolution at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
ACCJC Accreditation Midterm Report
Board members are also expected to review the college’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Accreditation Midterm Report as part of COC’s six-year accreditation cycle with the commission that began in 2014.
The midterm report addresses the recommendations made by the ACCJC to enhance institutional effectiveness, reviews reports since the ACCJC site visit and updates actionable improvement plans COC made in its 2014 self-evaluation.
“The purpose of the Midterm Report is to demonstrate an ongoing, systematic and cyclical process that includes evaluation, planning, resource allocation, implementation and re-evaluation,” the report read.
The report also reviews COC’s history of operational changes, evidence of changes, documented trends and actionable improvement plans.
According to the agenda item, 38 people contributed to the report and it has been reviewed by the Academic Senate, Classified Senate and Associated Student Government.
In its report, COC states that it satisfied all recommendations by the AAJC and completed all actionable improvements during the past three years.
These recommendations included: aligning program review and strategic plan with performance indicators, developing a systematic and on-going evaluation of Distance Education courses and programs, and developing formal and written policies and procedures to regularly evaluate governance and decision-making processes.
Additional Agenda Items:
- Accept gift of 2008 Buick Enclave, deemed non-operational by the DMV, from Rally Buick GMC for the Automotive Technology Program
- Hear presentations and re-open proposals with the College of the Canyons Faculty Association and the College of the Canyons Part-Time Faculty United AFT
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