May 06, 2026 Board Meeting

[00:00:01]

WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO ROLL CALL.

[1.01 Roll Call]

BOARD CLERK. DOCTOR SHIN LIU TRUSTEE.

JAMES CODY BIRKEY PRESIDENT.

TRUSTEE. MARIANA. PACHECO.

PRESIDENT. TRUSTEE. MARIANA RIOS WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY AND TRUSTEE DOCTOR SANDRA SALAZAR WILL BE ARRIVING SHORTLY.

STUDENT TRUSTEE GUSTAVO SANCHEZ AND PRESIDENT SUPERINTENDENT FIERRO PRESENT.

AT THIS TIME. CAN I HAVE DOCTOR SHIN LIU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE?

[1.02 Pledge of Allegiance]

ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU.

WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO SECTION OR ITEM 1.03 AGENDA ORGANIZATION.

[1.03 Agenda Organization]

[1.04 Comments from the Audience]

AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP.

IT SEEMS TO BE LEON. MATEO.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YES.

MIC CHECK. THERE WE GO.

HEY. SO GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, AND FELLOW STUDENTS.

MY NAME IS LEON MATEO, VICE PRESIDENT ELECT OF ACC AND CURRENT STUDENT SENATOR. SO DURING MY CAMPAIGN, I REALIZED THAT MANY OF THE CONCERNS STUDENTS CARRY GO BEYOND WHAT IS USUALLY DISCUSSED ON PAPER.

A LOT OF STUDENTS FEEL UNHEARD, DISCONNECTED, AND UNCERTAIN IF THE INSTITUTION IS TRULY LISTENING TO THEM.

AS SOMEONE WHO IMMIGRATED FROM THE PHILIPPINES JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WALK ONTO CAMPUS CARRYING INVISIBLE BURDENS WHILE STILL TRYING TO SUCCEED IT ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.

THAT PERSPECTIVE PUSHED ME TO ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP BECAUSE I REALIZED THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT JUST STUDENTS.

THEY ARE WORKERS, CAREGIVERS, IMMIGRANTS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND INDIVIDUALS TRYING THEIR BEST DESPITE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PEOPLE MAY NEVER SEE. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I HEARD REPEATEDLY WAS REGARDING CAMPUS SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION, ESPECIALLY SURROUNDING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT BACK IN NOVEMBER WHEN ICE CAME ONTO CAMPUS. YET THE ALERT STUDENTS RECEIVED REFERRED TO THEM AS FEDERAL POLICE, AND IT WAS SENT LONG AFTER VIDEOS WERE ALREADY UP.

AND AS AN IMMIGRANT STUDENT, I MADE THE DECISION NOT TO COME TO CAMPUS THAT DAY BECAUSE I WAS SCARED.

THE NEXT DAY WHEN I CAME, I ASKED STUDENTS IF THEY KNEW IF ICE WAS ON CAMPUS. THEY SAID NO. AND IF I ASKED IF THEY KNEW ICE ON CAMPUS, WOULD THEY HAVE SAID, WOULD THEY STILL HAVE COME ON CAMPUS? THEY SAID NO AS WELL. ANOTHER STUDENT SAID, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT STUDENTS CONSTANTLY BRING UP IS THAT LACK OF ACCESS TO RESOURCES WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT THEM ACADEMICALLY.

MAINLY, IT'S THE LAPTOP LENDING PROGRAM, WHICH CURRENTLY HAS A WAITLIST OF OVER 200 STUDENTS IN A CAMPUS WHERE MANY STUDENTS COMMUTE, WORK JOBS OR COME FROM LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL.

IT IS NECESSARY FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

SOME MAY SAY, OH, WE HAVE A LIBRARY FOR STUDENTS TO USE, OR THEY HAVE COMPUTERS.

STUDENTS. MOST OF THE STUDENTS CAN'T BE ON CAMPUS 24 OVER SEVEN.

LASTLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SASS AND DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY FUNDING.

ONE STUDENT I SPOKE ABOUT DURING MY ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

SHE SHARED HER EXPERIENCE REGARDING HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY.

AND HONESTLY, IT SHOCKED ME BECAUSE MODERN HEARING AID SYSTEMS TODAY ARE INCREDIBLY ADVANCED SMALL BLUETOOTH ENABLED, ALMOST LIKE AIRPODS AND QUALITY AND CONVENIENCE. BUT THE EQUIPMENT SHE HAD FELT RELIED ON OUTDATED AND DEVICES ALMOST RESEMBLING A WALKIE TALKIE RADIO.

THE MICROPHONE CONNECTED TO IT HAD BROKEN RECENTLY AS WELL, TO THE POINT THAT SHE HAD TO BE USING CONFERENCE MICS TO HEAR IT.

AND ALTHOUGH THERE WERE CONFERENCE MICS, OTHER MICS AVAILABLE,

[00:05:02]

SO I CAME HERE TODAY NOT TO CHASTISE SYSTEMIC FAILURES, BUT TO INSTEAD ASK FOR SOLUTIONS AND BRING ATTENTION TO IT.

SOLUTIONS THAT REBUILD TRUST BETWEEN STUDENTS AND THE INSTITUTION, SOLUTIONS THAT ENSURE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE STUDENTS WHO NEED THEM MOST.

SOLUTIONS THAT REMIND STUDENTS THAT THE CAMPUS SEES THEM, HEARS THEM, AND VALUES THEM.

THANK YOU.

NEXT SPEAKER. MIGUEL LOPEZ.

GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SPACE AND TIME AT THIS MOMENT, IN THIS DIFFICULT MOMENT IN OUR COUNTRY.

I'D LIKE TO OPEN MY REMARKS WITH A QUOTE DAILY QUOTE.

IT'S A WEDNESDAY WISDOM QUOTE BY A VERY GREAT LADY.

THE GREATNESS OF A COMMUNITY IS MOST ACCURATELY MEASURED BY THE COMPASSIONATE ACTIONS OF ITS MEMBERS.

CORETTA SCOTT KING. I TURNED TO YOU TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY AND WHAT I FEEL I'M GOING THROUGH WHEN I MAKE EFFORTS TO TRY TO REACH OUT, AND I'M IGNORED. AFTER OVER 50 YEARS AGO, CHICANO KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR CULTURE REFLECTED IN THEIR EDUCATION.

FOR KIDS LIKE ME, I WAS 16 WHEN I LED THE HISTORICAL WALKOUTS AT EXCELSIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN 1970 TO DEMAND EQUITY IN EDUCATION.

CULTURAL RECOGNITION AND RESPECT AND THE RIGHT TO A COLLEGE EDUCATION.

THE MOVEMENT EXTENDED TO OUR OWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND CERRITOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

COLLEGE'S RESPONSE TO THIS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE MADE HIGHER EDUCATION NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT A REALITY. IT PROMISED TO TRANSCEND NEGLIGENCE AND EDUCATION FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND TO USE ITS RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS WHO SUPPORTED IT.

IN THE SPIRIT OF SHARED GOVERNANCE, AS I LOOK AROUND AT ALL THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE CAMPUS OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS A CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WHERE DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE EVOLVED WITH GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT FACILITIES AND EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS, AND HOW THESE CHANGES STAND AS A REMINDER OF THE CONSISTENT SUPPORT THE COLLEGE HAS RELIED UPON FROM THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE HOPE IT WILL SERVE GENERATIONS AND MAKE US PROUD IN MY OWN FAMILY.

CERRITOS COLLEGE HAS EDUCATED THREE GENERATIONS AND I HOPE MANY MORE.

BUT AT THIS POINT, I WONDER HOW DEDICATED IT IS TO CONTINUING TO RESPOND TO THE VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS IT, AND TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TO WORK WITH THE COLLEGE AND PRESENT AND BE PRESENT TO ENSURE THE COLLEGE CONTINUES TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES.

A PROMISE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO INCLUDE AN HONEST AND SUPERIOR EDUCATION IN THE FOUR DISTINCT DISCIPLINES OF ETHNIC STUDIES.

LEARNING TO ENHANCE EACH DISCIPLINE WITH EQUAL STANDING TO STRENGTHEN THEM ALL.

I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE UNEXPLAINED CHANGING OF THE CHICANO STUDIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS EXISTED FOR MANY YEARS, OFFERING MULTIPLE OPTIONS IN IN THIS DECADE ALONE AND DEMOTING IT TO A PROGRAM WITH MINIMAL OFFERINGS IN CONTRAVENTION TO THE EQUITY AND OR BALANCED CURRICULUM, COMBINING INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENTS DEDICATED TO SINGULAR DISCIPLINES INTO ONE GENERIC ETHNIC STUDIES UMBRELLA.

QUOTE UMBRELLA DEPARTMENT IS A SLAP IN THE FACE NOT ONLY TO SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES THAT HAVE EXISTED, BUT TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF ETHNIC STUDIES DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED FOR IN STATE LEGISLATION. WHAT IS THE HIDDEN AGENDA HERE? IS IT NOT THE OBLIGATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO SEEK COLLECTIVE INPUT, OR AS PROVIDED IN THE POLICY OR PROTOCOLS OF THE INSTITUTION, A SEMBLANCE OF SHARED GOVERNANCE? IF THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE AND A LONG LIST OF EXAMPLES OF THE ADMINISTRATION MOVING FORWARD UNILATERALLY, WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO CHANGE AND AGREE AN AGREED UPON PLAN TO MEET THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY BY OFFERING AN EDUCATION THAT IS CULTURALLY RELEVANT TO THE COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES AND STUDENTS IT SERVES.

SINCE OCTOBER, I HAVE ATTENDED BOARD MEETINGS, REACHED OUT SPECIFICALLY TO THE CHAIR OF CHICANO STUDIES, AND ATTENDED A BOARD MEETING WHERE THERE WAS A SPECIFIC REQUEST TO THE ADMINISTRATION OR DOCTOR FIERRO TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CONCERNED VOICES TO BE HEARD.

SO FAR, I, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND OTHERS FROM THE COMMUNITY,

[00:10:03]

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS A LONG FIGHT TO RESPOND TO A HISTORICAL CALL FOR JUSTICE, ONE THAT HAS BEEN MADE SPECIFICALLY IN THE SERVICE AREA OF CERRITOS COLLEGE WITH PROTEST WALKOUTS, COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES, AND OUR ONGOING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE THAT HAVE ALL BEEN PART OF THE HISTORY OF CHICANO STUDIES AT CERRITOS COLLEGE. IT IS A PARTICULAR TYPE OF OFFENSE TO BE SHUT OUT FROM THE DECISION MAKING AGAIN AFTER 50 YEARS LATER, TO CREATE A PLAN WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE TO THE ACTUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE STOOD BEFORE YOU, WHO HAVE SHOWN UP TO PARTICIPATE AND NOW WHO MUST DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM CERRITOS COLLEGE. I WANT TO SAY THIS IN THE SPIRIT OF MY MOTHER, WHO WAS ONE OF THE WOMEN OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO JOINED THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO CREATE CHICANO STUDIES DEPARTMENT HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE MANY YEARS AGO IN 1971.

I'M CONCERNED ON HOW CERRITOS IS APPROACHING THIS WHOLE QUESTION AS CERRITOS COLLEGE PROMOTES DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND OPENNESS IN WORDS.

THE ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS AND PRACTICES ARE BASED ON SUBJECTIVE MANAGEMENT POLICY THAT EXCLUDES THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, AND THE AFFECTED AND OR SEASONED FACULTY AND STAFF IN PARTICULAR. BY IGNORING, ABANDONING AND REJECTING ANY OFFERS TO UPLIFT SHARED GOVERNANCE PROCESSES TO ADVOCATE, SUGGEST, OFFERS WISDOM OR EVEN MEET TO DISCUSS ALTERNATIVES.

WITH THAT SAID, I'M VERY FRUSTRATED THAT NOBODY HAS CALLED ME.

I'VE GIVEN EMAILS AND OUT NOBODY HAS OFFERED TO FIND OUT WHAT IS MY CONCERN OR WHY IS IT THAT I'M SO ADAMANT ABOUT THIS? THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN THIS COLLEGE CALL FOR CHICANO STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

70% OF THE POPULATION OF THE STUDENT BODY HERE ARE CHICANOS OR LATINOS.

AND YOU I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO STATE THAT HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THAT WHEN WE MAKE CHANGES AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS SOCIETY THAT DECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO COUNCIL OUR CULTURE THEN WE MAY WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND.

AND SO I'M TAKING A STAND AND I'M REQUESTING THIS BOARD TO SUPPORT OUR RIGHT TO HAVE THAT DEPARTMENT BACK IN PLACE WITH THE OFFERINGS THAT WERE IN PLACE IN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.

JULIO. SOSA. DIAZ.

TESTING. HELLO. I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A STUDENT OF CERRITOS COLLEGE.

MY NAME IS JULIO SOSA.

I AM ALSO YOUR FUTURE STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT FOR NEXT YEAR AND CURRENT STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATOR AT CERRITOS COLLEGE.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE. I'M HERE BECAUSE ME AND MANY OTHER STUDENTS FEEL THAT THE COLLEGE HAS FAILED AT PRIORITIZING STUDENT SAFETY.

I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT WHEN ICE CAME ON CAMPUS NOT VERY LONG AGO DURING NOVEMBER AND TOOK SOMEBODY RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LIBERAL ARTS BUILDING. I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE COLLEGE SENT OUT THE ALERT DOZENS OF MINUTES LATE, AND THEY INCORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THEM AS FEDERAL POLICE AND ALERTS.

DESPITE ON CLEAR VIDEO, THE ICE AGENTS WEARING BORDER PATROL VEST.

THEY ARE NOT FEDERAL POLICE. THEY ARE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS.

AND THE COLLEGE NEEDS TO PROPERLY ALERT THE STUDENTS ABOUT THAT, BOTH ON TIME AND CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THEM, BECAUSE STUDENTS WERE CONFUSED.

AND THAT LED TO WIDESPREAD CONFUSION THAT STUDENTS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT ICE WAS ON CAMPUS. THAT PUTS STUDENTS AT RISK.

AND THE FACT THAT THE COLLEGE SENT OUT SO LATE PUTS THEM AT RISK AS WELL.

BECAUSE STUDENTS, EVEN IF ICE ISN'T ON CAMPUS, ICE IS STILL AROUND THE AREA. STUDENTS HANG AROUND ALL THE LITTLE BUSINESS SHOPS AROUND HERE, THE IN AND OUT. WE ALL KNOW THEY GO TO THE IN AND OUT.

WE ALL KNOW THEY HANG AROUND THE AREA EVEN IF THEY'RE ON CAMPUS.

IF ICE IS AROUND, EVERY STUDENT IS AT RISK OF BEING TAKEN UP BY THEM.

AND AS A HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION, CERRITOS COLLEGE NEEDS TO SERVE ITS STUDENTS AND NEEDS TO PRIORITIZE THEIR STUDENTS SAFETY FIRST. AND THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT BY YOU GUYS INCORRECTLY IDENTIFYING THEM TO STUDENTS AND SENDING OUT THE ALERTS LATE. I'M SURE YOU ALSO KNOW ABOUT MAGA COMING ON CAMPUS AND USING OUR CAMPUS TO HARASS STUDENTS AND BUILD THEIR FOLLOWINGS, SUCH AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING UP THOSE LITTLE TENTS OF THE LITTLE DEBATE ME SO THEY CAN BRING STUDENTS UP AND USE THEM FOR VIEWS TO HARASS THEM, TO DISRUPT STUDENTS LEARNING HERE.

THE STUDENTS HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THESE PEOPLE ON CAMPUS. THEY DISRUPT THE GOAL OF THE COLLEGE, WHICH IS TO BE A HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION. ALONG WITH THAT, THERE IS A TURNING POINT USA CLUB, A FASCIST CLUB THAT ADVOCATES FOR ROUNDING UP STUDENTS HERE ON CAMPUS LIKE CATTLE AND DEPORTING THEM. AND THEY HAVE AROUSED MANY STUDENTS ON CAMPUS.

IT HAS GONE FAR BEYOND ANY SORT OF CLAIM OF FREE SPEECH.

IT IS NOT FREE SPEECH. THEY HAVE MADE THREATS. THEY HAVE HARASSED STUDENTS AND

[00:15:03]

YET NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO THEM.

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE REPEATEDLY INVITING THESE PEOPLE TO COME HARASS STUDENTS AND USE OUR CAMPUS FOR VIEWS, AND TO USE OUR CAMPUS TO EXPLOIT STUDENTS, AND ARE MAKING STUDENTS UNCOMFORTABLE TO EVEN COME TO SCHOOL AND GET THEIR EDUCATION. IT IS NOT FREE SPEECH, IT IS HATE SPEECH.

AND WHAT'S WORSE ABOUT IT IS THAT THE COLLEGE NOT ONLY HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING, BUT THEY'VE DONE EVEN WORSE. IT APPEARS TO STUDENTS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PROTECTING THE CLUB OF TURNING POINT USA, AND THEY'RE PROTECTING THE MAGA PEOPLE COMING ON CAMPUS, AND THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT IT'S FREE SPEECH AND THEY'RE STANDING BY WITH THEM. WHEN STUDENTS TRY TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THEM, THEY GET THREATENED TO BE PUNISHED BY THEIR BY THE FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION HERE ARGUING THAT IS FREE SPEECH.

IT IS NOT. IT IS HARASSMENT AND IT IS DISRUPTING STUDENTS EDUCATION.

AND IT'S MAKING THEM SCARED TO COME ON CAMPUS.

YET THE COLLEGE HAS DONE NOTHING. AND THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT IT'S FREE SPEECH.

BUT THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE DONE THINGS ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST. THEY HAVE DENIED THESE TYPES OF CLUBS.

THEY HAVE DENIED THESE TYPES OF SPEAKERS, THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE COMING ON CAMPUS BECAUSE ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS HARASS OUR STUDENTS AND THAT'S ALL THEY ARE DOING.

AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MANY STUDENTS, MYSELF, MANY STUDENTS MYSELF, THAT THEY'RE SCARED AND UNCOMFORTABLE TO EVEN COME ON TO CAMPUS BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING GOING ON. THEY'RE SCARED TO COME AND GET THEIR EDUCATION. THEY'RE SCARED TO COME AND DO WHAT CERRITOS IS SUPPOSED TO BE OFFERING THEM, BECAUSE ALL OF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE A STANCE, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO PROTECT YOUR STUDENTS. INSTEAD, WANT TO HIDE BEHIND THE GUISE OF FREE SPEECH, AND YOU INSTEAD WANT TO WASH YOUR HAND OF ALL CREDIBILITY. WE SEE ALL THE SIGNS YOU PUT OUT THERE SAYING, OH, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.

IT'S FREE SPEECH. CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IF YOU WILL OR NOT.

BUT NO, THAT'S BULLSHIT.

YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THESE PEOPLE COMING. YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU ALLOWING THEM TO COME AND USE STUDENTS FOR THIS. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND CAMPUS IS BEING TALKED ABOUT.

IT'S GOING AROUND. IT'S GOING GOING AROUND ONLINE.

PEOPLE HAVE VOICED BOTH IN PERSON THROUGH PROTESTS AND ONLINE THROUGH VIDEOS AND COMMENTS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THESE PEOPLE ON CAMPUS AND NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THESE PEOPLE ON CAMPUS. SO THEY WANT YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND THE COLLEGES STAY QUIET.

THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND SO IT IS CLEAR WHAT THE COLLEGE NEEDS TO DO.

THE COLLEGE NEEDS TO PUT A STOP TO THESE MAGA PEOPLE COMING ON CAMPUS TO DISRUPT AND EXPLOIT STUDENTS REVIEWS.

THEY NEED TO SEND OUT ALERTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ON TIME AND CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THEM. THE ALERTS AND NEED TO PUT AN END TO THE TURNING POINT USA CLUB THAT HAS HARASSED OUR STUDENTS REPEATEDLY. THE STUDENTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THEY.

THE STUDENTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR. THE ONLY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE ALL OF YOU GOING TO DO TO ACTUALLY SERVE YOUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES THAT YOU CLAIM TO SERVE? THANK YOU.

[1.05 Reports and Comments from Constituent Groups]

THE REPORT. THANK YOU.

WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION AGENDA ITEM 2.01 INSTITUTIONAL PRESENTATION

[2.01 Institutional Presentation: Ethnic Studies at Cerritos College]

BUT BEFORE I DO SO, I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT IT HAS BEEN A GOAL OF THE COLLEGE TO OFFER COURSES IN EACH OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINES.

THIS FALL WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.

COME FALL, WE WILL BE OFFERING COURSES IN FIVE ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINES AFRICANA STUDIES, ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, CHICANO STUDIES, NATIVE AMERICAN, INDIGENOUS STUDIES, AND ETHNIC STUDIES.

WE ARE ONE OF A HANDFUL OF COLLEGES WHO OFFER COURSES IN ALL OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINES. MOST OFFER 1 OR 2 DISCIPLINES, OR THEY USE THE ETHNIC STUDIES PREFIX IN ORDER TO OFFER THEIR COURSES.

WE HAVE SUPPORTED ALL THE DISCIPLINES AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

LAST YEAR WE HIRED A CHICANO STUDIES INSTRUCTOR AND THIS YEAR WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING AN AFRICANA STUDIES INSTRUCTOR.

THESE ARE CLEAR INDICATIONS OF THE COLLEGE'S COMMITMENT TO THE DISCIPLINES AND DISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE THAT MAKE UP ETHNIC STUDIES.

[00:20:01]

I'M SORRY, PROFESSOR SARTON AND ROMERO.

FIRST ONE I WANT TO THIS IS THE CHICANO STUDIES ENROLLMENT.

I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT THE ENROLLMENT HAS GROWN STEADILY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND THE OFFERINGS HAVE GROWN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REDUCTION IN THE COURSES OFFERED BY CHICANO STUDIES.

AFRICANA STUDIES HAS GROWN EVEN MORE THAN CHICANO STUDIES.

THEIR OFFERINGS THERE, THEIR ENROLLMENT HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, AND THEIR OFFERINGS HAVE CONSISTENTLY GROWN ONE SEMESTER AFTER ANOTHER.

YES, MA'AM. BY ENROLLMENT, DO YOU MEAN INTO THE PROGRAM OR JUST ENROLLING IN THE COURSES IN THE COURSES? MOST. AND I WILL IN A IN A SLIDE UPCOMING SLIDE, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE MAJORS IN THE PROGRAM.

MOST OF THESE STUDENTS ARE ARE PROBABLY GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENTS GETTING THEIR ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIGHT FOR THAT'S OVER HOW MANY COURSES? HOW DO WE KNOW THE. IT'S OVER 18 COURSES.

THE SMALL BAR NEXT TO IT ARE THE NUMBER.

IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DIFFERENT COURSES.

IT'S DIFFERENT SECTIONS.

THERE. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER OF COURSES.

MAYBE SEVEN. NATALIE. SEVEN DIFFERENT COURSES.

YEAH. SOMETHING YOU'RE RIGHT.

SIX SEVEN. AND SO THOSE SEVEN COURSES ARE SPREAD OUT ACROSS 14 SECTIONS.

DOCTOR SALAZAR IN 2021 THERE WAS ONE SECTION AND NOW WE HAVE 18.

THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. OVER TO 18 SECTIONS WE HAVE 500.

THAT'S CORRECT. THEY'RE ALL THEY ARE UNIQUE STUDENTS.

YES. YEAH SURE. NOW THAT I KNOW THE ALL FOR ZERO IN STUDIES, WE DID NOT HAVE A CHICANO STUDIES COURSE UNTIL THE FALL 2022.

WE HAD A CHICANO STUDIES DEGREE PRIOR TO THAT, BUT IT WAS MADE UP OF COURSES FROM OTHER DISCIPLINES.

IT WAS NOT MADE UP OF COURSES FROM CHICANO STUDIES TEN AND 18.

AND THAT IS CORRECT. AND AGAIN, THIS FALL WE ARE OFFERING SECTIONS IN ALL FOUR OF THE DISTINCT DISCIPLINES AND ONE IN THE ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINE THAT SURPRISING CONSIDERING WHERE. AND WE ONLY HAVE 230.

WE JUST HIRED DOCTOR ROMERO.

SHE HAS BEEN DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB, AND I.

AND I EXPECT THAT THIS WILL GROW EXPONENTIALLY, JUST LIKE AFRICANA STUDIES HAS IT.

CAROLYN HAS THE SAME QUALITIES THAT NATALIE HAS.

THEY WILL. SHE WILL LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME GOOD WAY THAT PROFESSOR SARTON HAS LED AFRICANA STUDIES. AFRICANA STUDIES DUE TO THE ENROLLMENT.

SHE WORKS VERY HARD TO BUILD THE COURSES, BUILD THE PROGRAM, AND, AND LET THE AND LET THE STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

AND AFRICANA STUDIES IS ONE OF AND THIS IS TO DOCTOR SARTON'S CREDIT, ONE OF THE FEW COURSES IN THE, IN THE ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINE THAT HAS AREA SIX APPROVAL. AND SO IT FULFILLS THE ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENT THAT HELPS.

ALSO, I WILL SAY THAT I HOPE I'M NOT STEALING YOUR THUNDER.

CAROLYN, BUT CAROLYN REVISED CHICANO STUDIES 100 AND IT WAS JUST APPROVED FOR ETHNIC, THE ETHNIC STUDIES AREA.

SIX REQUIREMENT AS WELL.

SO THAT WILL HELP THE PROGRAM GROW ALSO SHE SAID SHE HAD NO OTHER EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE CHICANO STUDIES COURSES.

TEN. AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT IT'S AROUND SEVEN OR SO TO CHICANO STUDIES. DIFFERENT SIX SIX SAME ALL AFRICANA STUDIES COURSES, NOT ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES.

ARE WE SAYING THAT WE DO HAVE THESE SEPARATE TRACKS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE? YES. WE ARE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ETHNICITY.

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S GOING TO HELP. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE AND SEE

[00:25:08]

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A FULL TIME FACULTY IN THE LAST TWO DECADES THAT I CAN FIND.

IT WAS SPECIFICALLY A CHICANO STUDIES PROFESSOR, SUTHERLAND PRCHAL. THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S CORRECT. WHAT CREATED THE SPIKE IN 2022? NO. SO IN I THINK IT WAS IN 2016 OR 17, PROFESSOR OF ARTS PROFESSOR CAME TO ME AND ASKED TO SUPPORT ESTABLISHING THE PROGRAM AGAIN, BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE FACULTY OF SPECIALIZED STUDIES.

WE AGREED TO DEVELOP AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM IN WHICH COURSES WERE AND THE FACULTY WHO WERE VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS WORK WILL INCLUDE ASPECTS OF CHICANO CULTURE.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, THERE WAS A VERY POPULAR CLASS IN THE ARTS AND HISTORY IN WHICH.

SOME SCULPTURE OF HISTORY.

WAS. INCORPORATED. A LOT OF THE PIECES OF CHICANO HISTORY AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT.

ABOUT HOW WE WERE ABLE TO USE WHAT WE HAD NEVER HAD TO STUDY.

AND WHY IT MAKES. SUCH A PROGRAM WOULD BE FOUR SO WE ARE.

WE WILL NOT HAVE A PROBLEM TODAY.

IT WAS THE INITIATIVE OF THE STATE IN ORDER TO REALLY GROW THE PROGRAM AND THE CLASSICS.

AND THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

WITH CAROLINE TODAY. AND AS YOU SEE, THE PROGRAM AND THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW IN SUCH A WAY. AND IN THE CASE OF AFRICAN STUDIES CAROLINE HAS DONE AND I'M SORRY, NATHALIE HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.

I'VE BEEN IN A COUPLE OF HER RECRUITING EVENTS IN WHICH STUDENTS ARE BROUGHT INTO THE, TO, TO, TO THE CLASSROOM AND THEY'RE SHOWN WHAT IS HAPPENING.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATION.

BUT PRIOR TO NATHALIE, THERE WAS NO AFRICAN STUDIES EITHER.

SO SHE WAS INCREDIBLY INDUSTRIOUS, BRINGING THE THE PROGRAM TO CERRITOS COLLEGE HIRING PART TIME FACULTY THAT WERE ABLE TO FOSTER THE GROWTH OF THE PROGRAM.

HENCE HOW IT HAS GROWN PROBABLY TWICE AS MUCH A LITTLE MORE, I THINK, THAN TWICE AS MUCH AS THE CHICANO STUDIES.

BUT BUT THE CLASSES, THE PROGRAMS ARE RELATIVELY NEW AND ONE THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE NUMBER OF CLASSES APPROVED IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

I MEAN, WE SEE 235. BUT IN REALITY, WHEN WE COMPARE THAT TO THE SIZE OF OTHER PROGRAMS, THESE PROGRAMS STILL NEED TO BE FOSTERED.

THEY NEED TO GROW. AND WHEN FRANK GETS TO THE NUMBER OF MAJORS AND GRADUATES THAT WE HAVE, IT'S ALSO MINIMAL BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE REST OF OUR PROGRAMS. BUT ON THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THESE IS NO MINIMAL IS RATHER SIGNIFICANT. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE, THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, THE BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS, ACTUALLY FOUR OF THOSE DISCIPLINES ARE SHOWING CONTINUES TO TO, TO FLOURISH. THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST AND THE PROGRAMS. THE POINT THAT YOU MADE ABOUT ALL THE STUDENTS AND A CHICANO STUDY PROGRAMS. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING BUT THAT PROGRAM BLOOMING INTO THE FUTURE AS WE HAVE MORE COURSES AND FINISH THE NUMBER OF DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES THAT NEED TO BE ATTACHED TO THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM. SO WHEN DID NATALIE COME IN? WHAT YEAR? SIX YEARS. 716.

RIGHT. YES. 2016. WHEN WERE THOSE COURSES APPROVED? UNDER, I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER YOU STARTED, YOU STARTED WORKING ON THAT. SO WE'VE HAD FOUR YEARS OF.

[00:30:01]

I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS INTO IT, YOU STARTED WORKING ON THAT, AND THEN MAYBE ANOTHER YEAR OF THE FIRST CLASS OR TWO OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.

AFTER THAT, IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF RECRUITMENT.

AND SO THE ISSUE IS MORE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE EXPERTISE OF SOMEONE WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE.

CORRECT. RIGHT. SO SHE'S AFRICANA STUDIES.

THAT'S HER. NATALIE'S A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH.

BUT SHE, SHE DEVELOPED THE INITIAL CURRICULUM AND THEN HIRED THE DISCIPLINE EXPERTS TO TEACH THE COURSES. OH, SO THE KEY HERE IS THAT YOU NEED A DISCIPLINE EXPERT TO TEACH IT, CORRECT? TO CREATE THE CURRICULUM. CORRECT. IDEALLY, THEY WOULD CORRECT CREATE THE CURRICULUM AS WELL. NATALIE CREATED THE FIRST COUPLE, BUT THEN WE STARTED VERSE FIVE.

VERSE FIVE. BUT THEN THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE DID SAY THAT WE NEED TO START HIRING DISCIPLINE EXPERTS. AND SO WE DID HIRE OUTSIDE EXPERTS TO START WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE COURSES. WE DID THAT FOR THE OTHER ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINES AS WELL.

SO THE ISSUE IS THAT IN CHICANO STUDIES WE INTEGRATED INTO HIS PROFESSOR WAS HE WAS MORE OF A SPANISH. HE WAS A PROFESSOR OF SPANISH.

YES, A CHICANO STUDIES.

SO HE DIDN'T DEVELOP A CURRICULUM.

HE JUST INTEGRATED CHICANO STUDIES WITHIN HIS CLASSES.

YEAH. AND THERE WERE OTHER FACULTY ACROSS CAMPUS THAT CROSS-LISTED.

SO THEY WERE ABLE TO AWARD A CROSS-LISTED CLASS, BUT IT WASN'T A PURELY CHICANO STUDIES CLASS.

IT WAS NO CS. IT WAS, LET'S SAY SPANISH AND EARNED THE PREFIX.

SO WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING IS THAT THE ACCUMULATION OF CROSS-LISTED CLASSES WAS WHAT CREATED THE DEGREE. BUT THERE WERE NO TRUE CHICANO STUDY CLASSES, RIGHT? SO FOR AN EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT TAKE A HISTORY COURSE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST, RIGHT. AND RELATIONSHIP WITH MEXICO.

AND THEN YOU MIGHT TAKE A SPANISH COURSE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF SPANISH IN NORTH AMERICA. AND THEN YOU MIGHT TAKE AN ART CLASS THAT TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CHICANO ART.

BUT THEY'RE ALL IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY HAPPEN.

LIKE IF YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, YOU START GETTING A PRETTY HEALTHY UNDERSTANDING OF LIKE CHICANO STUDIES AS A WHOLE.

CORRECT. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE LIKE A DEDICATED DISCIPLINE THAT THIS IS JUST A COURSE THAT'S LISTED SIMPLY AS A CHICANO STUDIES COURSE.

SO IN ESSENCE, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE ACTUAL CS PREFIX, CHICANO STUDY PREFIX AS A DEPARTMENT, AS A DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.

PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WERE ALL CROSS-LISTED CLASSES, NOT AN ACTUAL CS DISCIPLINE.

AND I'M USING DISCIPLINE.

WRONG, I KNOW. BUT BUT IT IS IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THAT HAPPENS.

THAT DOES NOT BY ANY MEANS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER THOSE CONVERSATIONS FONDLY. THAT'S NO DISCREDIT THE WORK THE PROFESSOR CASAS OR PROFESSOR RZA, THEY, THEY CAME, THEY HAD A PLAN.

WE WORKED TOGETHER AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS RESUSCITATED 16, 17 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT UNTIL RECENTLY WE WERE NOT FORTUNATE TO RANK CHICANO STUDIES FACULTY HIGH ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO, TO GO THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS.

AND THIS YEAR, AS FRANK MENTIONED AN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES AND BLACK STUDIES FACULTY IS BEING HIRED WITH THE SAME INTENTION.

SO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

WHAT WE HOPE IS THAT THERE IS AT LEAST ONE LEAD DISCIPLINE EXPERT ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE NEWLY CREATED DIVISION.

SO WE SHOULD HAVE CHICANO STUDIES, AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES EXPERTS IN EACH ONE OF THOSE SO THEY CAN LEAD THE PROGRAM TO WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY FEEL THEY SHOULD GO BASED ON THE NEED. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A LOT OF MOMENTUM THAT WAS BUILT UP THROUGH THAT INITIAL STRATEGY.

CORRECT. AND THIS IS WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS NOW WHERE WE GET TO DECIDE LIKE, HEY, CAN WE PUT ADDITIONAL GAS IN THE TANK, TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

A GREAT WAY TO PUT IT.

THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IS UNCOMFORTABLE, THAT MAY BE, IS BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE HAD.

IF THE PROGRAMS WERE NOT GETTING MOMENTUM AND TAKING OFF AND THERE WAS AN INTEREST, THERE WILL NOW BE HIRING.

THERE WILL NOW BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

THERE WILL NOW BE RANKING.

[00:35:01]

WELL, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW HOW DID CHICANO STUDIES AND AFRICANA STUDIES NOT KIND OF WORK IN PARALLEL? RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK A FEW OF US WERE HERE WHEN THERE WAS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, PROFESSOR IN CHICANO STUDIES, AND WE HAD RUDY ACUNA COME TO THE BOARD MEETING. AND, YOU KNOW, SO THERE WAS A MOVEMENT, RIGHT. BUT AFRICANA STUDIES ITSELF DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A MOVEMENT THAT CAME TO THE BOARD COMPARED TO CHICANO STUDIES, WHO WAS KIND OF LIKE A MOVEMENT AT THE BOARD.

SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY DIDN'T WORK PARALLEL, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW WE'RE KIND OF STUDIES, YOU KNOW, IMPRESSIVELY HAS 18 SECTIONS AND CHICANO STUDIES HAS TEN, RIGHT. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHERE WHAT HAPPENED THAT THEY DIDN'T.

WHY THE GAP EXISTS. WHY THE GAP? NATALIE HAPPENED. SHE SHE SHE CHAMPIONED THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.

AND I THINK THE MISTAKE WE MADE ON.

NO MISTAKE. BUT THE DIFFERENT APPROACH THAT WAS TAKEN ON ON CHICANO STUDIES IS THEY BECAME MULTIDISCIPLINARY.

SO THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE PROGRAM OR THE CHAIR OF THE.

THE PART OF THE PROGRAM WENT FROM PERSON TO PERSON AND DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT.

SO THE MOMENTUM CHANGE AND THE FOCUS CHANGED DEPENDING ON WHO WAS THE CHAIR FROM DAY ONE.

NATALIE HAS BEEN ON TOP OF IT, AND I THINK AFRICANA STUDIES WAS NEVER MULTIDISCIPLINARY. NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.

I THINK NATALIE HAS BEEN ALWAYS THE CHAMPION.

RIGHT. SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT DIDN'T GET LOST WITHIN MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES AND THE LEADERSHIP.

CORRECT. HE'S JUST THINKING ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO THE CLASSES THEMSELVES, LIKE IT WAS.

YOU'RE DEVELOPING A CURRICULUM VERY SPECIFIC FOR AFRICANA STUDIES VERSUS INTEGRATING CHICANO STUDIES WITHIN HISTORY, WITHIN ART, WITHIN SPANISH.

I THINK THAT'S A WHOLE.

AFRICANA STUDIES WAS HEAVILY CROSS-LISTED, THOUGH, TOO, RIGHT? I THINK SO.

I THINK DOCTOR SARTON MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ON AT THE TABLE NOW. THANK YOU. ARE WE DONE WITH THE PRESENTATION? OH. OH. BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL I WAS LOOKING THERE ARE SEVERAL SLIDES THAT ARE STILL LEFT FOR THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE HE HASN'T GONE OVER MAJORS BY DISCIPLINE AND HE HASN'T GONE OVER. BUT I THINK THIS IS THE THE FOUNDATION.

WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

RIGHT. AND I THINK JUST AS A STUDY SESSION.

RIGHT. YEAH, YEAH. OKAY.

WE'LL HAVE DOCTOR SARTON RESPOND AND THEN WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TO THE BOARD TO DOCTOR FIERRO, TO DOCTOR MIXON. CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE THE MIC.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT IN THE.

OKAY PERFECT THERE. THANK YOU AGAIN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

THE CHALLENGE WAS WHEN CHICANO STUDIES WAS REVIVING CHICANO STUDIES AS A DEPARTMENT.

WE WERE WORKING. AND THEN ALSO WHEN I WAS HIRED IN 2016 WE ALL WORKED FULL TIME IN OTHER DISCIPLINES. AND SO WE WERE DOING OUR WORK IN THOSE DISCIPLINES AND BUILDING THESE DEPARTMENTS. AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD TO WORK IN THAT FASHION.

AND SO I HAVE IN MY NOTES AS WELL THAT RALPH CASAS, DOCTOR CASAS HAD SAID, ONE OF THE SUCCESSES OF AFRICANA STUDIES IS I HAVE BEEN LEADING THE PROJECT FOR AFRICANA STUDIES.

CHICANO STUDIES HAS HAD DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO IT JUST THERE'S BEEN CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF THE RESOURCES AND ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TAKE THE TIME TO GROW THE PROGRAMS. WE KNOW THAT INSTITUTIONS TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW OUR INSTITUTION AS WELL, DON'T HIRE THE FULL TIME FACULTY FIRST.

WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY THAT PROFESSOR ROMERO IS HERE, AND SHE'S THE FULL TIME FACULTY IN CHICANO STUDIES.

BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT SUPPORT.

AND SO WE HAD TO BUILD THESE PROGRAMS WHILE WE WERE ALSO DOING WORK, FULL TIME WORK IN OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AND SO IN SOME CASES, IT WAS SLOW. I'LL GIVE YOU WHEN IT'S WHEN I PRESENT MORE OF MY HISTORY AND I THINK HOW I WAS ABLE TO ADVANCE AFRICANA STUDIES.

BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY WE DID WORK TOGETHER AND WE DID OUR BEST.

AND I CAME WITH WITH SKILLS THAT I THINK WERE USEFUL IN BUILDING AFRICANA STUDIES THAT I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE, HAVING TAUGHT IN A DEPARTMENT BEFORE.

THANK YOU. DOCTOR MIXON.

SO ENROLLMENT'S GROWING SECTIONS ARE GROWING.

COURSES ARE GROWING. SO HERE'S THE MAJORS BY DISCIPLINE.

AFRICANA STUDIES IS IN THE BLUE.

[00:40:01]

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT IS GROWING AS WELL.

STEADY. IT'S STEADY. SLOW GROWTH.

I KNOW THE, THE 68 IS STANDING OUT AND, AND SO I DID SOME RESEARCH.

I HAD THE, THE IRPG DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.

AND WHAT WE FOUND WERE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

AND SO THESE STUDENTS THAT APPEAR HERE IN 2425 DO NOT APPEAR IN.

25. 26 AND THEY TOOK 1 OR 2 COURSES.

THEY DID NOT PASS ANY OF THEIR COURSES, AND THEY WERE.

AND, AND MOST OF THEM DIDN'T EVEN TAKE AN AFRICANA STUDIES COURSE.

SO THIS IS NOT AN INSTANCE OF THEM SIGNING UP FOR AFRICANA STUDIES, DECIDING THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT AND GOING AWAY.

WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE HOW THEY ENDED UP AS AFRICANA STUDIES MAJORS, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS A REFLECTION ON AFRICANA STUDIES, I THINK. I THINK THE NUMBERS AROUND 22 IN THAT AREA ARE PROBABLY CONSISTENT, BECAUSE THAT OTHER GROUP OF STUDENTS IS JUST SEEM TO BE AN ANOMALY.

AND I DID AS MUCH RESEARCH ON IT AS I COULD OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I DISCOVERED.

SO THAT'S, I THINK A PRETTY CONSISTENT PICTURE OF WHERE IT'S AT.

AND THEN HERE ARE THE AWARDS BY THE DEPARTMENT.

AGAIN, AFRICANA STUDIES IN THE, IN THE BLUE AND CHICANO STUDIES IN THE ORANGE. AND YOU CAN SEE IT RANGES ONE, TWO, 3 OR 4 IN THERE.

AND I DO BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE NUMBERS WILL GROW AS WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE.

AND, AND THE, AS MORE STUDENTS TAKE AFRICANA STUDIES AND CHICANO STUDIES AS THEY SEEK TO TAKE THEIR ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENT, THEY WILL DISCOVER THAT THESE MAJORS ARE MEANINGFUL TO THEM AND THEY WILL STICK WITH THESE MAJORS AND, AND FINISH UP. SO JUST LIKE THE ENROLLMENT AND THE SECTIONS HAVE GROWN, THE MAJORS AND THE AWARDS WILL GROW OVER TIME.

ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO EXCELLENT INSTRUCTORS PREPARED TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO I'M AT A PLACE WHERE I AM READY TO HAND IT OVER TO DOCTOR SARTAIN AND LET HER.

OH YES. SURE. IS IT DIFFERENT TO GET A CERTIFICATE VERSUS BEING A MAJOR BECAUSE THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE SHOWS YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS.

SURE. THE MAJORS VERSUS THE AWARDS MEANS GETTING A CERTIFICATE.

SO IF YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS PURSUING A CERTIFICATE IN AFRICANA STUDIES, YOU WILL BE IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR.

IN THAT CASE, THAT IS YOUR PROGRAM OF STUDY.

SO I THINK I THINK IT'S THE TITLE IS KIND OF MISLEADING.

THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DECLARED THIS AS THEIR MAJOR IN EACH YEAR EXTENSION TO THE EXTENSION TO GRADUATE FROM THAT PROGRAM.

AND THE GRADUATES ARE THE ONES ON 24 AND 21.

WE ONLY GOT 1 OR 2. THE HIGHEST HAS BEEN FOUR, I BELIEVE. SO WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT HAPPENS? HOW DO WE GO TO 21 AND 22 TO 1 AND ZERO? WHAT. RIGHT. BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS ONE SHOWS MAJORS RIGHT, 25, 26 HAS 24 AND 21. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE.

THESE ARE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE GRADUATING WITH THAT AS THEIR DEGREE. THIS ONE OR THE NEXT? THE FINAL ONE. THE NEXT ONE.

THIS IS THE ONE. YEAH.

THEY DID. WE GO FROM 20 TO 0 AND ONE IF THEY HAVEN'T FINISHED THEIR DEGREE.

RIGHT. SO DECLARING THIS YEAR.

BUT WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL FUTURE.

OKAY. GOT IT. THESE STUDENTS ARE WERE ACTIVE ENROLLED STUDENTS AND THESE WERE THEIR DECLARED MAJORS CHICANO STUDIES AFRICANA STUDIES.

SO WE CAN CORRELATE BOTH.

NO NO DECLARING VERSUS COMPLETION.

THAT'S RIGHT. THE I THINK THE ONLY ONE THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY TRACK RIGHT NOW IS 2021, 21, 22. THE OTHER ONES ARE PROBABLY STILL IN PROGRESS.

THE OTHER PART THAT WE NEED TO OBVIOUSLY HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THE STUDENTS CHANGE MAJORS AND DISCIPLINES LIKE THIS AND OTHERS ON CAMPUS BECOME OFTENTIMES SERVICE DISCIPLINES IN WHICH STUDENTS ENROLL FOR INTERESTS, TAKE A FEW CLASSES AND THEY CAN SHIFT TO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

[00:45:01]

SO IT'S NOT THAT THE PROGRAM IS NECESSARILY NOT DOING WHAT THEY HAD TO DO.

IT'S IN MANY CASES, THE STUDENTS END UP GOING IN THOSE CLASSES ON ELECTIVES AND INTERESTS RATHER THAN FOR GRADUATION REASONS.

OKAY. GOOD EVENING AGAIN.

BOARD TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

DOCTOR DON GREEN, DOCTOR FIERRO ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS NATALIE SARTON AND I CHAIR THE BLACK AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

I'M ALSO AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, AND I WANT TO SHARE A COUPLE OF POLL SHEETS.

THESE ARE PROGRAM SHEETS, AND SO I'M GOING TO PASS THOSE AROUND.

OKAY. SO TO OFFER OFFER ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND.

THE BLACK AFRICANA STUDIES PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS WERE BORN OUT OF THE PRESIDENT'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH I WAS PART OF IN 20 1617.

AS PART OF THE ACADEMY, I PUT FORTH A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A BLACK STUDIES PROGRAM OF STUDY AND EVENTUAL DEPARTMENT FOR TWO REASONS TO IMPROVE RETENTION AND SUCCESS RATES FOR BLACK STUDENTS WHO, YEAR AFTER YEAR, ARE AMONG THE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED STUDENT POPULATIONS, AND TO ENSURE THAT BLACK AND OTHER STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY, HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO CRITICALLY STUDY THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND LIVED EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT FROM AN AFRICAN CENTERED DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE.

THIS WORK WAS ALSO INTENDED TO BROADEN THE COLLEGE'S CULTURALLY DIVERSE COURSE OFFERINGS AND CREATE A PATHWAY FOR STUDENTS PURSUING AFRICANA STUDIES AT FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITIES, WHICH ALL OF THE CSU'S AND SEVERAL UC'S IN OUR SERVICE AREAS HAVE LONG STANDING AUTONOMOUS BLACK STUDIES DEPARTMENTS.

I WAS SUPPORTED IN DOING THE WORK BY PRESIDENT PIERRO AND ALSO THE VP AT THE TIME, AND ALSO DOCTOR MIXON, LATER DOCTOR MIXON AS VP, WHICH I LAID OUT IN A PROPOSAL AS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.

SO THERE'S A CLICKABLE LINK HERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS.

IF YOU WANTED TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

OUR CONTRACT ALLOWS US AS FACULTY TO BUILD PROGRAMS AS WELL AS COORDINATE AND SHARE THEM. SO WHAT I BRING TO THIS WORK IS I HAVE TAUGHT FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS IN AFRICANA STUDIES IN AN AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

I'VE USED THEORIES FROM DISCIPLINES FROM THE, FROM THE DISCIPLINES. THAT'S THEORIES FROM THE DISCIPLINE OF AFRICANA STUDIES IN MY DISSERTATION. AND ALSO SEVERAL SCHOLARS FROM THE DISCIPLINE SERVED ON MY DISSERTATION COMMITTEE. AND I'M SAYING THIS TO SAY THAT I DID, I DID, I DO HAVE KNOWLEDGE, STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISCIPLINE.

AND SO TO BUILD THE, THE A PROGRAM OF STUDY I DID BUILD FROM THAT PLACE.

I'VE WRITTEN FIVE COURSES FOR OUR DEPARTMENT AND HERE, HERE ARE OUR FACULTY, THE FACULTY, THE DEPARTMENT OF BLACK AFRICANA STUDIES FACULTY. THOSE ARE OUR PART TIME FACULTY.

ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR BACHELOR'S MASTER'S.

THEY'RE CREDENTIALED IN THE DISCIPLINE.

AND FOR US, THEY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONES WHO'VE TAUGHT THE COURSES.

SO I DO CHAIR THE PROGRAM CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT.

I'VE WRITTEN FIVE COURSES FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, ONE OF WHICH DOCTOR MIXON MENTIONED WAS THE FIRST COURSE APPROVED HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE FOR AREA F. TWO OTHERS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPROVED FOR AREA F.

THAT'S THE ETHNIC STUDIES DESIGNATION OF THE 17 COURSES.

WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 17 COURSES AS OF DATE.

OUR PART TIME FACULTY HAVE WRITTEN 12 OF THOSE.

SO IN FIVE YEARS WE HAVE GROWN.

WE LIKE TO SAY WE WORK TOGETHER IN A UJIMA FASHION,

[00:50:02]

AND ALL OF OUR PART TIME FACULTY HAVE TAKEN PART IN BUILDING THE DEPARTMENT AND ADVANCING THE DEPARTMENT. WE LET'S SEE.

YEAH, WE'VE, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WORKED TO DEVELOP A LONG STANDING OR JUST STRONG, STRONG DEPARTMENTS HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE.

CERRITOS COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE ONLY COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH A BLACK STUDIES DEPARTMENT, WHICH MAKES IT, WHICH MAKES US COMPETITIVE AND DISTINCT FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS. MY COLLEAGUE I MENTIONED EARLIER, RALPH COSTAS, DID MENTION THAT THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAM WAS PARTIALLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD A CONSISTENT CHAIR ESPECIALLY DURING OUR DEVELOPMENT STAGES, WHICH WE STARTED DURING COVID.

THAT'S WHEN WE OFFERED OUR FIRST COURSE AND 2022, WHICH WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC. WE OFFERED OUR FIRST COURSE THAT SEMESTER WE OFFERED OR THIS SEMESTER, SPRING OF 2026, WE'RE OFFERING 18 SECTIONS OF AFRICANA STUDIES COURSES, STAND ALONE COURSES.

ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTION'S DATA DASHBOARDS, WE SERVE WE SERVE, WE SERVE 29 STUDENTS IN THAT FIRST COURSE IN 2020 AND 2021, 2022, WE SERVED 101 STUDENTS 2022, 23, 343 AND 800 STUDENTS IN 24, 25. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE DATA FOR THIS YEAR.

WE CONSISTENTLY OFFER DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES AND HAVE ALSO OFFERED COURSES WITHIN THE JUSTICE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

WE HOST A VARIETY OF LECTURES AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS WITH MAJOR SCHOLARS IN THE DISCIPLINE. WE PARTNER ON PROJECTS WITH CAMPUS CAMPUS ENTITIES HERE.

AND WE HOST A NUMBER OF OUTREACH EVENTS.

IN FACT, WE HAVE MADE THAT PART OF OUR PRACTICE.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO RETURN TO, IN TERMS OF, HERE ARE ALL OF OUR COURSES TO SEVERAL OF THEM ARE STILL GOING THROUGH THE CURRICULUM PROCESS, BUT THEY'RE IN THEIR SECOND YEAR OF THE, THEY'RE HEADED INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR OF THE CURRICULUM PROCESS ABOUT A GOOD FOUR OF OUR COURSES. AND OUR COURSES, WE AGAIN, WERE DEVELOPED, WE CAME TOGETHER AS A DEPARTMENT.

WE MADE SURE THAT THESE COURSES WERE CONSISTENT AND TEMPORARY WITH CONTEMPORARY COURSES WITH THE DISCIPLINE.

OKAY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'VE OFFERED OVER THE YEARS.

AGAIN, HERE'S AN OUTREACH EVENT ONE OF WHICH A FEW YEARS AGO, DOCTOR GREEN WAS PART OF WE HERE'S OTHERS.

AND JUST THIS PAST WEEK WE HAD AN EVENT ON AFROFUTURISM 2.0, A THEORY THAT COMES OUT OF THE DISCIPLINE AND INVITED A MAJOR SCHOLAR FOR THAT, FOR THAT DISCUSSION. THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS WE HAVE WITH THIS NEW MODEL, RIGHT? THERE ARE THREE ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENTS UNDER ONE DEPARTMENT.

AND WHAT WE UNDERSTAND TO BE AN ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE BUILT.

SOME YEARS AGO WHEN WE DECIDED TO BUILD ETHNIC STUDIES, WE HAD CHICANO STUDIES.

WE DECIDED TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FOUR DISCIPLINES.

AND BECAUSE WE THOUGHT EITHER WE DO THE FOUR DISCIPLINES OR AN ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THERE'S OVERLAP, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WHEN YOU HAVE AN ETHNIC STUDIES, WHEN YOU HAVE ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAMS AND THESE FOUR DISCIPLINES TO WRITE IN IN SPACES DISCIPLINARY OVERLAP.

SO FIRST WE AFRICANA STUDIES HAS BEEN LEFT OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT ETHNIC STUDIES AND THE ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

WE'VE RAISED ISSUES ABOUT THE CREATION OF AN ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

I JUST MENTIONED. AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL DISREGARD AND THE EROSION OF DISCIPLINARY INTEGRITY THERE'S STILL A QUESTION OF THOSE ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES THAT ARE HOUSED OUTSIDE OF ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE CROSS-LISTED.

AND THERE'S THAT, THERE'S THAT QUESTION OF THOSE COURSES AS WELL.

AND THEN MOST CONCERNING TO, I THINK A COMMUNITY MEMBER DID RAISE, YOU KNOW, WE RAISED, WE RAISED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY HAS RAISED ISSUES ABOUT EXCLUDING THE COMMUNITY'S VOICE BECAUSE THERE WAS A QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT THE MODEL.

AND THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT WE HAD A CHICANO STUDIES, A STANDALONE AUTONOMOUS CHICANO STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

AND SO THAT HAS NOW BEEN INTEGRATED OR COLLAPSED INTO AN ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

YEAH. THANK YOU. ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR ME? I WAS GOING TO REACH OUT TO DOCTOR FIERRO ABOUT YOUR PRESENTATION UNTIL I REALIZED THAT YOUR PRESENTATION DIDN'T HAVE A MISTAKE.

RATHER, YOU WERE PRESENTING A HISTORY OF THE VARIOUS EVENTS THAT YOU HAD DONE.

WHEN I NOTICED YOUR EVENT, IT WAS LIKE 2022.

I'M LIKE, WAIT, WE'RE IN 26.

WHY ARE YOU PUTTING 22? AND THEN I REALIZED IT WAS A CREATION OF THE VARIOUS EVENTS AND STUFF THAT YOU BROUGHT TO OUR STUDENTS HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE. SO IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU. AND COORDINATING ALL THESE EVENTS, I WAS IMPRESSED.

SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

[00:55:02]

IF I COULD OFFER ONE LAST THOUGHT.

YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THE FACULTY BEFORE WHO REALLY SUPPORTED AND WORKED TO REBUILD AND REVIVE CHICANO STUDIES.

AND THEN ALSO ME WITH AFRICANA STUDIES, WE ALSO HAD FACULTY WORKING TO CREATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES. WE BELIEVE, AND AGAIN, WE WERE MODELING THEM IN THE FASHION.

WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER AND MODELING THEM IN THE FASHION OF REALLY, CHICANO STUDIES HAD A PLAN AS WELL, BUT AFRICANA STUDIES AND IT, IT THERE'S IT FEELS WE'RE BEING EXCLUDED FROM THIS WORK.

AND, AND ALSO IN THE FUTURE, THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM THIS WORK.

AND TRUSTEE RIOS, YOU HAD MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THE SUCCESS OF THESE PROGRAMS, THESE PROGRAMS WERE BORN OUT OF YOU KNOW, FIRST THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TO FACULTY WHO YOU KNOW, HAD MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT, AGAIN, A MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRIED TO, TRIED TO DO HERE.

AND SO WE DO FEEL IT IS A DISSERVICE WHEN WE REMOVE THE FACULTY WHO REALLY SUPPORTED THE PROGRAMS FROM THE WORK, WHO ARE NOT TEACHING THE COURSES.

BUT IT'S CHALLENGING TO CHAIR A DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT.

AND SO THANK YOU. I HAD ONE QUESTION RELATED TO SOMETHING ELSE YOU WERE SAYING? YOU YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD SOME CONCERNS THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EROSION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY UNDER A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS.

I WAS CURIOUS RELATED TO THAT, JUST KNOWING THAT OTHER INSTITUTIONS LIKE UC CSUS AND OTHER PRIVATE MAJOR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS HAVE A SIMILAR STRUCTURE TO THIS WHEN THEY HAVE A LARGE ENOUGH CADRE OF COURSES AND FACULTY INVOLVED.

AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD KIND OF EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. WELL, FIRST, ALL OF THE THE FOUR ETHNIC STUDIES DISCIPLINES, THEY'RE AUTONOMOUS DISCIPLINES IN THEIR OWN.

AND ACCORDING TO AB, AB 1460, THEY'RE THEY'RE RECOGNIZED AS SUCH.

AND SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME UC'S.

AND TYPICALLY IT'S THE UC.

THE ETHNIC STUDIES DIDN'T GROW OUT OF THE UCS.

IT GREW OUT OF THE CSUS AT MANY.

ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA, MANY OF THE CSUS YOU HAVE AUTONOMOUS DISCIPLINES AND SO TO COLLAPSE THEM, YOU, YOU ERASE THEIR YOU ERASE THEIR VISIBILITY, YOU ERASE THEIR ABILITY TO STAND AS AUTONOMOUS DISCIPLINES.

YOU ERASE THE SUPPORT, THE RESOURCES THAT GO INTO THESE DISCIPLINES.

I SHARED BEFORE WE WANTED TO CREATE AN AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT BECAUSE ALL OF THE CSU'S IN THIS AREA HAVE AFRICANA STUDIES, STANDALONE DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO YOU KNOW, TRULY IN TERMS OF THE DISCIPLINE, THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS, AS AUTONOMOUS, NOT UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.

AGAIN, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD HERE OF WE WERE EITHER GOING TO DO ONE OR THE OTHER WAS BECAUSE WITH AN ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM THAT IS TECHNICALLY YOU ARE HIGHLIGHTING ALL OF THE FOUR ETHNIC GROUPS.

AND SO THEREFORE, IF YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE FOUR ETHNIC GROUPS YOU'RE WRITING IN THE AREA, YOU'RE PULLING, YOU'RE PULLING THEORIES AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVES AND FRAMEWORKS FROM AFRICANA STUDIES.

YOU'RE PULLING THEM FROM THESE DISCIPLINES. SO IT'S HARD TO HAVE AN AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT AND THEN ALSO HAVE AN ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU ARE TECHNICALLY DOING THE SAME THING. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED ON THE FOUR AUTONOMOUS DISCIPLINES. YEAH. SO THAT WE WOULDN'T THERE WOULD BE THAT AUTONOMY.

YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THAT IN TERMS OF GROWTH.

SO YOU'RE AT 18 SECTIONS.

LIKE WHAT IS THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO DO OUTREACH.

WE HAVE, IF YOU'VE WALKED ACROSS THE CAMPUS, WE HAVE TWO REALLY BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT OUR COURSES, WE HIGHLIGHT OUR PROGRAMS. WE ON ALL OF OUR DIGITAL BOARDS, WE ALSO ADVERTISE THAT WAY AS WELL.

SO OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO INFORM STUDENTS.

I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, ONE OF THE REASONS IN THAT PROPOSAL AGAIN, DOCTOR FIERRO HAD DONE THIS GREAT FALCON LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.

AND WE HAD TO IDENTIFY AN ISSUE ON CAMPUS AND THEN CREATE A SOLUTION.

AND SO MY, MY SOLUTION WAS AFRICANA STUDIES.

AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DECLINING BLACK STUDENT POPULATION, I BELIEVE IN 14 IT WAS MAYBE SOMEWHERE NEAR 5 OR 6%.

AND THEN IT HAD DECLINED IN 2016 TO ABOUT TWO, 2.6%. AND SO I THOUGHT, AND THERE'S RESEARCH TO SHOW THAT STUDENTS WHO FEEL CONNECTED CULTURALLY IN COURSES TEND TO TEND TO ACHIEVE MORE SUCCESS.

AND SO I THOUGHT THIS PROGRAM IS A WAY TO CONNECT STUDENTS TO, TO A PROGRAM AND TO YOU KNOW, TO THE ACADEMY IN A SENSE.

AND SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT THAT WAS ALWAYS THE GOAL.

AND AGAIN, I DO LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE NEARBY

[01:00:01]

AND SO I THINK WE'RE UNIQUE IN THAT WAY.

WE OFFER SOMETHING THAT STUDENTS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN MAJORING AND POSSIBLY TRANSFERRING TO A FOUR YEAR, THEY CAN TAKE THAT. THEY CAN DO THAT WITH US.

AND ONE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TOO IS THAT WE, THE, ALL OF THE FACULTY, JULIE TRAGER TO A LONG TIME FACULTY WHO RECENTLY RETIRED, WE WERE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE DISCIPLINE WAS GROUNDED.

OUR DEPARTMENT WAS GROUNDED IN THE DISCIPLINE OF AFRICANA STUDIES.

AND IT WASN'T JUST A COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COURSES THAT IT FOLLOWED A DISCIPLINARY PATH SO THAT STUDENTS COULD TECHNICALLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MAKE THAT PATHWAY TO THE FOUR YEAR.

YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

NEXT WE HAVE DOCTOR CAROLYN ROMERO.

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE IT FULL SCREEN? OH, THERE WE GO. PERFECT.

THANK YOU, TRUSTEES, FOR HAVING ME TODAY.

I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THE DOCTOR TITLE, BUT NOT QUITE THERE YET.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HELLO EVERYONE.

IF YOU HAVEN'T MET ME JUST YET, MY NAME IS CAROLINE ROMERO.

I AM THE CHAIR OF ETHNIC STUDIES ON CAMPUS, CURRENTLY TEACHING CLASSES IN CHICANO STUDIES. AND I WANTED TO CREATE THIS PRESENTATION JUST TO BRING SOME CLARITY TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT.

ALL RIGHT. SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF ETHNIC STUDIES GROWTH. THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP AND THE PROFESSORS WHO HAVE DONE THIS WORK.

I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE SINCE I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE OFFICIALLY AS A FULL TIME FACULTY FOR, I GUESS THIS IS MY SECOND SEMESTER, RIGHT? SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THESE DEPARTMENTS.

WHAT WE'LL ALSO BE DOING IS ALIGNING WITH COLLEGE MISSIONS AND VALUES, HOW ETHNIC STUDIES IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FOLLOW THESE MISSIONS VALUES THAT THE COLLEGE HAS IN TERMS OF EQUITY, IN TERMS OF REPRESENTATION, IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS ACCESSIBLE WITH OUR CLASSES AND AVAILABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS. VERY MUCH LEADING FROM A STUDENT FIRST MINDSET REACHING OUT TO THEM, ASKING THEM WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST OPTIONS FOR EVEN THE FORMATION OF ETHNIC STUDIES ON CAMPUS WAS ONE OF MY GOALS WHEN I CAME HERE.

AND OF COURSE, VISIBILITY.

SO TODAY WE'LL PRESENT THE STRATEGIC LONG TERM VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

SO THESE ARE THE COURSES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

AGAIN, I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL OF THESE. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO. BUT WE HAVE ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES, ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD BY DIFFERENT FACULTY CHICANO STUDIES COURSES AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES.

SO THESE ARE THE CURRENT COURSES THAT I AM OVERSEEING.

A LOT OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES THAT WE'LL SEE HERE HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED UNDER THE THE ETH TITLE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE OVERSEEING THE ETH TITLE.

RIGHT. AND NOW WE DO. SO THESE COURSES WERE BEING OFFERED UNDER WGS COMMUNICATIONS, GEOLOGY SOCIOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, POLI SCI.

I THINK WE HAVE THREE POLI SCI CLASSES.

WE HAVE THE NEW ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES, WHICH I'M VERY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING IN THE FALL.

AND THEN THE CHICANO STUDIES COURSES.

CURRENTLY WE ARE OFFERING 100 101.

IN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE OFFERING LA CHICANA.

AND THEN IN THE FALL COMING UP THIS FALL, WE'LL BE OFFERING CS ONE 108, WHICH IS ALSO CROSS-LISTED WITH HISTORY.

BUT THIS WILL BE, I BELIEVE, THE FIRST TIME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT WILL BE OFFERING UNDER THE CHICANO STUDIES TITLE.

THE NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES THAT WE'LL BE OFFERING ARE THE INTRODUCTORY COURSES. SO THE INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES WILL BE OFFERING TWO IN THE FALL.

JUST TO GET THE BALL ROLLING AND LETTING OUR STUDENTS KNOW THAT THESE COURSES EXIST.

WE ARE WAITING FOR A LOT OF THE APPROVALS FOR AREA SIX, WHICH IS THE ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENT ON OUR CAMPUS FOR A LOT OF THESE COURSES.

AND I KNOW THAT MAYBE THEY'VE ALREADY DID STEAL MY THUNDER, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT AS OF MONDAY AFTER CORRECTIONS BEING MADE TO THE INTRODUCTORY CLASS FOR CHICANO STUDIES, WE FINALLY HAVE THE AREA SIX APPROVAL.

AND WE WERE WE WERE SWEATING, BUT WE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THAT AREA.

SIX APPROVAL TO THE 101, THE 102 AND POTENTIALLY THE 108.

WE DO KNOW THAT THE 101 RIGHT NOW IS CURRENTLY FULFILLING AREA FOUR.

SO WHEN WE MAKE THESE CHANGES, I BELIEVE STUDENTS CAN PICK EITHER OR IF THEY WANT TO HAVE IT, ACCOUNT FOR AREA FOUR OR AREA SIX,

[01:05:04]

CS 100 IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS FULFILLS THE AREA SIX ETHNIC STUDIES REQUIREMENT.

THE DEGREES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ARE THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE IN CHICANO STUDIES. AA.

SO IT IS NOT THE ADT. IT'S A LOCAL AA CHICANO STUDIES CERTIFICATE AND NATIVE AMERICAN INDIGENOUS STUDIES AA.

SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE CHICANO STUDIES OR WHEN I BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE CHICANO STUDIES, AA, WE CAN RECOGNIZE THE AMAZING WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE SPANISH DEPARTMENT, THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, THE ARTS DEPARTMENT.

CURRENTLY, WE ONLY HAVE ONE CLASS BEING OFFERED UNDER THAT AA, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MOVING TO DO IS MAKING SURE THAT THESE AA MIRROR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SORRY, LOCAL CSUS AND UCS FOR TRANSFER.

WE ALSO HEARD NEWS PAST FALL, SO FALL 2025 THAT WE NOW HAVE THE OFFICIAL ADTS FOR THESE SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES, AND WE'LL BE INTRODUCING THAT THIS FALL AS WELL. WHICH KIND OF LEADS ME TO WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEARS? SO OUR MISSION WITH STUDENT SUCCESS, EQUITY, EQUITY, AND LIFELONG LEARNING.

OUR VISION INCLUSIVE, INNOVATIVE STUDENT COMMUNITY CENTERED EDUCATION, AND THEN OUR CORE VALUES EQUITY, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

WE ARE PRIORITIZING THESE GOALS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND THE NUMBERS THAT WE WERE SEEING IN THE BEGINNING OF WHY ARE THESE THESE STUDENTS NOT COMPLETING THEIR DEGREE? WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THIS TIME? DO THEY NOT SEE VALUE IN THE DEGREE? RIGHT. ARE THEY MOVING TOWARDS DIFFERENT DEGREES? ARE THEY NOT SEEING THE SUPPORT OR DO THEY NOT KNOW THAT CHICANO STUDIES AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES EXIST ON CAMPUS? AND WHAT I HAD FOUND IN MY FIRST SEMESTER HERE IS THAT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OF THE ABOVE, RIGHT? SO WE BEGAN TABLING FOR CHICANO STUDIES AT DIFFERENT EVENTS, BEGAN COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS.

WHAT I FOUND IN MY PART TIME TIME HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE IS THAT A LOT OF MY STUDENTS WOULD TELL ME I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW CHICANO STUDIES EXISTED, AND THAT BROKE MY HEART A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAD SUCH AMAZING CLASSES THAT WERE NOT FILLING UP. RIGHT? SO WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR THIS, I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE IS ON A PRIORITY.

FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WE'RE HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE.

SO THAT INCLUDED MAKING SURE THAT WE TAKE UP SPACE IN THIS AREA.

SO GOING TO ALL OF THESE EVENTS.

BUT WITHIN THAT VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE, ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION THROUGHOUT IT, RIGHT? THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THESE, WHAT THESE DEPARTMENTS AND DISCIPLINES ARE FOR, AND ESSENTIALLY HOW THEY CAN USE IT WITHIN THEIR FIELDS OF STUDY IF THEY DECIDE NOT TO CONTINUE WITHIN ETHNIC STUDIES.

RIGHT. SO WHAT I LIKE TO BELIEVE IS THAT OR WHAT I LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HOPE FOR IS THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT TAKES A CLASS WITHIN ETHNIC STUDIES WOULD THEN AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH THEIR MAJOR TO ETHNIC STUDIES.

THAT IS MY HOPE AND DREAM, BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

SO WHAT I HAVE SHIFTED TO DO, AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO, IS THAT WE KNOW WITHIN ACADEMIC SPACES THAT THESE DISCIPLINES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO CREATE THIS KIND OF CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGHOUT EVERY OTHER DISCIPLINE, RIGHT? IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LEARN ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE BEYOND THESE ACADEMIC SPACES, WE'RE GOING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTERSECTIONALITY IN THESE COURSES AND HOW OUR IDENTITIES SHAPE OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WITHIN MEDICINE, WITHIN SOCIOLOGY, WITHIN POLITICAL SCIENCE, SO THAT WE GO INTO THESE COMMUNITIES INFORMED, RIGHT. SO THAT IS PART OF THE VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE AS WELL, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THIS DISCIPLINE IS HERE NOT ONLY AS AN A, A ADT, RIGHT, AS A CERTIFICATE, BUT TO PROVIDE THAT CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS RIGHT ON YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, INVOLVING THE HISTORY, INVOLVING THE THEORIES INVOLVING THE SPACES OF KNOWLEDGE, RIGHT, ACTIVISM, RESISTANCE WITHIN THOSE SPECIFIC SPACES.

SO SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT WE HAVE HERE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE HERE, THIS WAS ORGANIZED BY OUR HISTORY CLASS.

SO DOCTOR MACIAS TO GO TO A FIELD TRIP TO RANCHO LOS CERRITOS, RANCHO LOS CERRITOS WITH A COUPLE OF STUDENTS. AND WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME THERE LEARNING ABOUT OUR HISTORY LOCAL TO US.

THIS IMAGE HERE IS US TABLING.

SO CHICANO STUDIES ALONGSIDE WITH MECHA TABLING AT, I BELIEVE THE FIRST CAR SHOW THAT WE HAD ON CAMPUS, AND NOW WE'RE HAVING OUR SECOND ONE JUST IN CASE WE DON'T KNOW. OUR SECOND ONE IS COMING UP THAT WAS AT THE CAR SHOW.

SO THAT WAS FALL SEMESTER.

THIS ONE HERE IS THE TRIP THAT WE TOOK WITH THE MCA STUDENTS TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHICANA CHICANO STUDIES IN SAN ANTONIO, AUSTIN,

[01:10:02]

AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE EVENTS.

THIS WAS THE LATINAS IN BUSINESS EVENT FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WHERE WE INVITED LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR, LATINA BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE FIRST GENERATION.

AND THEY SHARED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR PROCESS AND BECOMING A BUSINESS OWNER.

WE PARTNERED WITH THE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT JUST IN CHICANO STUDIES.

ANOTHER FIELD TRIP HERE TO PLACITA OLVERA.

SO WE LEARN THE HISTORY AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF PLACITA OLVERA.

AND THEN THIS WAS ANOTHER TABLING EVENT OF CHICANO STUDIES.

SO THE FOCUS AREAS THAT WE'RE THAT WE INTEND TO FOCUS ON FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTHS AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, VISIBILITY AND PRESENCE, WHICH I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, INFORMING STUDENTS OF AVAILABLE CURRICULUM AND PATHWAYS, CONTINUING TO CONNECT AND COLLABORATE WITH OFFICES, RESOURCES AND CAMPUS. SO CONNECTING WITH THE EQUITY CENTER YVETTE HAS BEEN AN AMAZING ROLE MODEL IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR UNDOCU YOUTH AND OUR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS ARE FEELING THE PRESENCE THAT WE HAVE IN CHICANO STUDIES, AND ALSO FEELING THE SUPPORT THAT CHICANO STUDIES CAN OFFER THEM. RIGHT.

CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE ACROSS OFFICES.

SO BEING PART OF THE EXCELLENCE COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY THROUGH THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CREATED THE ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES.

LISA BOOTEN, I BELIEVE THAT'S HER NAME.

OKAY. WHO THREW HER? I WAS ABLE TO HELP WITH A PIERRO WEEK THIS THIS MONTH.

SO USING THE NOT USING, BUT COLLABORATING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THE WORK AND CONTINUE TO WANT TO DO THE WORK AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PATHWAYS THAT WE'VE BUILT, AND THEN JUST BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

AT ALL OF THE EVENTS THAT I'VE BEEN TO AT ALL OF THE SPACES THAT I AM, I'M IN, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET TO MEET EVERYONE AND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF THE FACE BEHIND THE NAME.

SO YES, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE A VERY LONG TIME, BUT I'M MAKING MY WAY THROUGH DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT? INCREASING COURSE OFFERINGS GOING TO BE OUR SECOND FOCUS AREA.

SO EXPANDING COURSE OFFERINGS ACROSS THE DISCIPLINE.

SO THAT MEANS MAKING SURE THAT OUR COURSES ARE BEING OFFERED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE PART OF A CERTIFICATE OR AN AA PROGRAM.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THIS IS A FOCUS AREA IS BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CHICANO STUDIES AA, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN ENGLISH COURSE, WAS NOT BEING OFFERED DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT.

SO I HAD A STUDENT COME TO ME AND TELL ME I CAN'T FINISH MY CHICANO STUDIES DEGREE BECAUSE THAT CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELED OVER THE PAST, I BELIEVE, FOUR SEMESTERS.

SO SHIFTING THOSE SPACES AND MAKING SURE THAT THE A A'S WHAT I DID WAS CONTACT THAT DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CLASS WAS BEING OFFERED, EVEN IF THERE IS LOW ENROLLMENT, RIGHT? SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE CLASS EXISTS.

SO WE CAN INCREASE ENROLLMENT OR OFFERING ALTERNATIVE CLASSES FOR THE AA DEGREE, WHICH GOES INTO THEN REVISING THE AWARDS AND OFFERINGS, MAKING SURE THAT THE AA DEGREES INCLUDE THE CHICANO STUDIES COURSES, BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE CHICANO STUDIES AA IS MOSTLY SPANISH COURSES, ENGLISH COURSES. IT DOES INCLUDE THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE, BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE LA CHICANA.

IT DOESN'T INCLUDE INTRO TO SOCIAL JUSTICE.

IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE HISTORY COURSE. RIGHT.

AND THE COURSES THAT WE'RE HOPING TO OFFER.

SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR LOCAL AA BEGIN TO INTRODUCE THOSE CLASSES AND THEN ALSO INTRODUCING THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE FOR TRANSFER THAT CAME OUT IN THE FALL, WHICH WOULD THEN BE MIRRORING WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR OUR CSUS AND OUR UC'S.

INTRODUCING THE ADTS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES IS GOING TO BE IN THE FALL.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE FOR TRANSFER FOR CHICANO STUDIES, ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES.

AND I'M NOT VERY HAPPY WITH THE NAME THAT THEY GAVE OUR NATIVE AMERICAN INDIGENOUS STUDIES, BUT INDIAN STUDIES AS WELL IS WHAT THE TITLE WAS.

SO THAT IS OUR FOCUS AREAS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN.

I CREATED A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME MAP IN TERMS OF WHAT WHEN WE ARE DOING WHAT I WILL BE HERE OVER THE SUMMER BECAUSE I LOVE IT HERE SO MUCH.

SO I DECIDED TO STAY. RIGHT.

SO HOLD INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR INCOMING STUDENTS.

WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IS A LIST OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN CHICANO STUDIES AND INTERESTED IN THE OTHER.

SORRY. I'M.

[01:15:10]

SO WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IN THE SUMMER, SINCE THE QUESTION IS, WELL, WHAT CAN I DO WITH THE CHICANO STUDIES DEGREE? WHAT CAN I DO WITH AN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES DEGREE? RIGHT.

IS TO HOLD AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR THE CLASSES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE DEGREE, WHAT THE AWARD OPTIONS ARE, WHETHER THEY WANT TO DO A CERTIFICATE, WHETHER THEY WANT TO DO OUR LOCAL AA AND JUST KIND OF GIVE THEM INFORMATION ON WHAT THEIR TIME HERE WOULD BE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE, OPENING COURSE CREATION OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH LUCKILY WE DO HAVE NEW AMAZING PART TIME PROFESSORS WHO HAVE VOICED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CREATE COURSES.

SO INTRODUCING COURSES TO CHICANO STUDIES AND THEN CONTINUING THE CORRECTIONS FOR SOME OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES THAT CURRENTLY EXIST, AND THEN EXPANDING THOSE AGAIN AS WELL.

SO, AND THEN BEGIN OPENING LECTURE POOLS ACROSS DISCIPLINES.

SO BEGINNING TO HIRE FOR ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES AND NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF A BUSY SUMMER, BUT I MEAN, I GOT NOTHING ELSE TO DO.

IT'S FINE. RIGHT? FOR OUR FALL SEMESTER.

SO BEGIN OFFERING THE COURSES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN OFFERED UNDER ETHN RIGHT.

SO THE ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES THAT ARE IN THESE PREVIOUS LIST HERE.

SO WE WILL BE OFFERING ETHN281 RACE, ETHNICITY AND LATINX POLITICS UNDER CHICANO STUDIES FOR THE FIRST TIME, SORRY, UNDER THE ETHN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND TO GO OVER THE ETH COURSES.

PART OF THE PROCESS OF CORRECTIONS IS MAKING SURE THAT IF AN ETH END COURSE FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE ETH 281 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND LATINX POLITICS THAT IT'S NOT CROSS-LISTED WITH ETH, BUT RATHER CROSS-LISTED WITH CHICANO STUDIES SINCE THAT MAKES SENSE A LITTLE BIT MORE, RIGHT? SO REACHING OUT TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE MADE THESE COURSES, WHICH WE ACTUALLY HAVE HERE, AND THEN LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THAT CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? AND THEN, OF COURSE, REACHING OUT TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT CURRENTLY OFFER THOSE COURSES AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN OFFERING THEM UNDER THE ETH TITLE. SO COMING BACK HERE, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FALL SEMESTER, INTRODUCING NEW COURSES AND AWARDS THROUGH CURRICULUM, WHICH WE KNOW IS A VERY LONG PROCESS.

AND THEN THE MAJORS OUTREACH AND CHECK INS.

SO THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY DECIDED TO MAJOR IN THESE DISCIPLINES, REACHING OUT TO THEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE WITH THEIR PATHWAYS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK WITH COUNSELING SO THAT THOSE PATHWAYS ARE CLEAR AND THAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IF COURSES ARE ACCIDENTALLY OR FORCEFULLY REMOVED.

RIGHT. BECAUSE OF LOWER ENROLLMENT RATE, HAVING OPTIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE ON THAT PATHWAY.

AND THEN FOR SPRING SEMESTER, WE ARE CONNECTING OUR STUDENTS WITH LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

WHAT I LIKE TO CALL THE ETHNIC STUDIES COLLEGE AND JOB FAIR SO THAT THEY SEE THE APPLICATION OF THE ACTUAL DEGREE, RIGHT? BECAUSE VERY OFTEN, LIKE WHAT SPACE CAN I GO INTO WITH ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES? I LIKE TO SAY LITERALLY ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT THAN THAT, RIGHT? SO IF THEY'RE GOING INTO POLITICAL SCIENCE SPACES, RIGHT. MAKING SURE THAT THEY CONNECT WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH AN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES CHICANO STUDIES DEGREE WITHIN THESE SPACES.

RIGHT. VERY OFTEN IT IS WHAT IS IT CALLED? NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH POLITICS, THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THAT SPECIFIC DEGREE BECAUSE IT PROVIDES CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND BECAUSE IT VERY OFTEN THEY WORK WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY, RIGHT? SO KIND OF REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE DISCIPLINES AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE CONNECTING WITH THE FIELD AND THE JOB, THE JOB FORCE, RIGHT? SO CONTINUING TO EXPAND COURSE OFFERINGS AND PRESENCE AS WELL FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER. AND BY THE END OF YEAR DEPARTMENT EVALUATION AND DATA GATHERING.

I KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO GO UP.

WELL, I HOPE THEY GO UP AT THE VERY LEAST.

RIGHT. BY THE END OF ONE YEAR.

BUT MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR THE STUDENTS.

SO REACHING OUT TO STUDENTS, REACHING OUT TO FACULTY, REACHING OUT TO COUNSELORS, RIGHT? THAT ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OUR STUDENTS, SEEING WHAT IS WORKING, WHAT IS NOT WORKING. SO ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS AND WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE.

RIGHT. DO THEY NEED MORE ACCESS? DO THEY NEED MORE ONLINE VERSIONS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE OF OUR CAMPUS.

RIGHT? THAT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS FEEL A LITTLE BIT SAFER TAKING THOSE ONLINE CLASSES.

WE'RE ALSO INCREASING OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT OPTIONS.

AND WE'RE HOPING TO ALSO BEGIN TEACHING A LOS PADRINOS AND OFFERING THESE CLASSES THERE AND

[01:20:03]

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF OUR PROJECTION.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I'M WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO SAY FIRST, BUT I CAN GO FIRST.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I LIKE YOUR ENERGY THAT I'M HEARING.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THESE STUDY SESSIONS THAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER.

IN TERMS OF WHAT'S THERE, I KEEP SAYING THAT I'M NEW, BUT IT'S THE FIRST SETTLEMENT I'M HEARING THAT YOU'RE NEW TO.

THIS IS YOUR SECOND SEMESTER HERE.

OKAY. I HAD NOT GOTTEN THAT PREVIOUSLY.

CHANGE IS VERY DIFFICULT.

AND I THINK THAT THE GOAL FOR ME WHEN I REQUESTED THIS PRESENTATION WAS MET IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GATHERING FROM THE VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS.

BUT I AM A BIT DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE OF THE INFORMATION THAT HAS NOT TRANSPIRED BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS CHANGE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS COMMUNICATION.

AND WHEN THERE'S CONCERNS OR THOSE CONCERNS BEING ADDRESSED SO THAT THERE'S LIKE AN EASIER PATH FOR US TO TO MOVE FORWARD ON.

YOU ARE, IT DOES SOUND LIKE YOU'RE DOING AMAZING THINGS.

IN TERMS OF THE CHICANO STUDIES PROGRAM AND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE TAKING A LEAD ON. I AM A CHICANO STUDIES MAJOR, NOT BY CHOICE, BECAUSE I WENT TO LONG BEACH STATE AND I TOOK ONE COURSE, AND THEN I TOOK ANOTHER, AND THEN I TOOK ANOTHER.

AND THEN BY THE END OF MY POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, WHICH IS WHY I WENT, I HAD A CHICANO STUDIES MAJOR, A DOUBLE MAJOR. SO I GET THAT THAT'S WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE FACING.

THEY'RE DISCOVERING THEY'RE SEEING THAT.

BUT I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AS A TRUSTEE THAT I WILL FOLLOW UP AND CONTACTING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE HEARD.

BECAUSE BE ASSURED THAT AS A TRUSTEE, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO OUR PRESIDENT, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN TERMS OF THE ISSUES OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAM. AND I CAN SPEAK PERSONALLY, BUT I AM INVESTED IN THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE I DO SEE THE VERY MUCH IMPORTANCE OF ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF ETHNICITY THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY COME FROM, AND, AND WHAT IS OFFERED.

AND NOT ONLY THEM, BUT DIFFERENT OTHER PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I TOOK A COURSE ON THE QURAN.

WHY WOULD I EVER DO THAT? BECAUSE IT WAS AN OFFERING OF A MAJOR, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE, THERE'S ALL THESE COURSES OFFERED AND I'M LIKE, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT? I NEVER HEARD OF IT.

SO IT OFFERS STUDENTS.

AND THAT'S I THINK THAT'S WHAT COLLEGE IS ABOUT, THAT WE EXPLORE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, DIFFERENT OPTIONS, AND IT OPENS OUR MINDS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. SO IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I WILL FOLLOW UP PERSONALLY IN REGARDS TO THAT BECAUSE I DO FEEL RESPONSIBLE.

BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT FROM WHAT I'M GETTING FROM MY FELLOW TRUSTEES AND THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. IS THAT OUR ROLE AS COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES IS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. AND WHEN THERE ARE COMMUNITY CONCERNS, WE DO ATTEMPT TO RESPOND.

AT LEAST I ATTEMPT TO RESPOND BECAUSE I AM REPRESENTING A DISTRICT, BUT I AM MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE WHOLE CERRITOS COLLEGE COMMUNITY.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH THE RESIDENTS PRESENTING MAY BE FROM OTHER AREAS, WE ALL HEAR EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS AND WE'RE ALL REPRESENTING EVERYBODY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THANK YOU. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SHARE SOME WORDS.

AND FIRST START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. DOCTOR MIXON FOR STARTING WITH THE DATA BECAUSE THE DATA IS VERY IMPORTANT SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE OUR JOURNEY YOU KNOW HOW WE'RE MOVING ALONG THIS JOURNEY AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY AND TO KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO GO. THAT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD COLLECTIVELY TO DO THIS WORK AND TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE ACCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN A COLLABORATIVE, YOU KNOW NATURE IN A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT SO THAT WE CAN REACH THE GOALS THAT YOU HAVE AND, YOU KNOW, SHARED WITH US BOTH FOR AFRICANA STUDIES AND FOR CHICANO STUDIES, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FALLING UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE.

SO I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC.

I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT WHEN WE SEE DATA IN THE FUTURE THAT WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS INCREASE, RIGHT? THAT WE CAN SEE THAT THE NUMBER OF DEGREES ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING THE COURSES OR NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF COURSES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, BUT ACTUALLY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE SEEING IT TO THE END WHERE THEY'RE GETTING A DEGREE AND WHETHER IT BE A DEGREE OR

[01:25:05]

AND IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE EVEN THE ASIAN AMERICAN, ASIAN STUDIES OR NATIVE NATIVE STUDIES, INDIGENOUS STUDIES.

SO AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

THANK YOU DOCTOR MIXON.

THANK YOU DOCTOR SARTEN.

THANK YOU MISS ROMERO FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND I WANT TO THANK DOCTOR FIERRO ALSO FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH MAKING SURE THAT AGAIN, WE ARE OFFERING THIS VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IDENTITY OF CULTURAL AWARENESS AND OF HISTORY TO OUR STUDENTS.

AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED TRUSTEE RIOS I ALSO WAS AN AFRICANA STUDIES MINOR WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, BUT I ALSO TOOK OTHER COURSES.

I TOOK CHICANO STUDIES COURSES.

I, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS ALSO AWARE OF WHO MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, MY FRIENDS, MY COLLEAGUES, MY PEERS AND MY FUTURE STUDENTS AND THEIR HISTORY.

AND SO I HOPE THE SAME FOR OTHERS.

AND THAT AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO RAMBLE, BUT THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE GROW TOGETHER. DOCTOR SALAZAR.

YES. THANK YOU DOCTOR.

I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH COMMUNITY AND FACULTY AND THE DISCONNECT. I APPRECIATE ALL THE DATA.

AND YOU KNOW, NOW WE CAN SEE CLEARLY KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHERE WE WERE. TO BE HONEST, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE PROGRAM ITSELF IN CHICANO STUDIES WAS SO LOW, OR ELSE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ASKING MORE QUESTIONS YEARS AGO.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES ON THE TABLE.

SO CONSIDERING OUR POPULATION, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE, THE NUMBER OF LATINO STUDENTS I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT WE, I'M NOT AN EDUCATOR, BUT I SEE THE VALUE.

IS IT NATALIE SHE MENTIONED YOU KNOW, THERE'S DATA PROVING THAT WHEN YOU TAKE THESE TYPE OF COURSES, IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR SUCCESS, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK IT'S WE CAN MEASURE SUCCESS ON.

I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF THESE TWO PROGRAMS, NOT NECESSARILY BASED ON CERTIFICATES, BECAUSE I ALSO TOOK ALL THE CHICANO STUDIES COURSES THAT I HAD IN MY LITTLE 2000 ALL GIRLS SCHOOL.

AND MY CHICANO STUDIES CLASS WAS TAUGHT BY AN ARMENIAN WOMAN.

AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO HER BECAUSE SHE SAW THE VALUE IN THAT.

IT WAS THROUGH THE SPANISH DEPARTMENT. I TOOK LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY, YOU KNOW ART AND POETRY, AND I DID EVERYTHING I COULD, BUT LIKE, IT WAS THAT INTEGRATED INTEGRATED APPROACH.

THEY DID NOT OFFER CHICANO STUDIES.

MAJOR. I DID IT FOR, FOR MY OWN PERSONAL ENLIGHTENMENT AND, AND, AND IT WAS JOYFUL ON TOP OF LIKE MY PRE-MED STUFF.

SO I THINK IT CAN, IT CAN FULFILL YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE THINGS, WHETHER IT'S SELF-AWARENESS, WHETHER IT'S LEARNING ABOUT YOUR CULTURE.

IT'S WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING YOU ENJOY.

I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS, SO I DON'T REALLY WANT TO KIND OF GO DOWN THAT PATH WAY OF SAYING, WELL, WE'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PRODUCING ALL THESE CERTIFICATES, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN VERY WELL HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOES AUTOMOTIVE AND IS TAKING A CHICANO STUDIES CLASS.

I MEAN, IT'D BE GREAT IF EVERY STUDENT WHO COMES IN HERE AND THEY'RE LATINO, THAT THEY TAKE A CHICANO STUDIES CLASS AT LEAST ONE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'D BE GREAT. I MEAN, THAT'D BE A DREAM IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.

BUT SO I SEE THE VALUE.

SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY, WELL, WHERE ARE ALL THE CERTIFICATES? RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN THESE DEPARTMENTS.

YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF CERTIFICATES, RIGHT.

BUT BECAUSE NOT EVERY, I MEAN, AS WE MOVE TOWARD TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, CERTIFICATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I DON'T THINK THEY COULD JUST TAKE THEM ANYWAY. RIGHT. IT'S THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THAT.

SO THAT'S ONE. THE OTHER ONE IS HOW ARE WE BRIDGING COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, A LOT. UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE CHICANO STUDIES, A LOT OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS WHO WERE A PART OF THAT ARE NOT HERE ANYMORE.

SO WE'RE MISSING THAT INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, NUMBER ONE.

AND TWO, IT'S LIKE, WELL, THEY'RE NOT HERE TO KIND OF TELL THEIR SIDE.

AND ALSO YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOW DO WE TRY TO BRIDGE BETWEEN FACULTY, BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND KIND OF BE IN A POSITIVE MOVE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION? THANK YOU, DOCTOR SALAZAR.

AND I GUESS YOU'RE GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MYSELF IN TROUBLES.

AND THANK YOU FOR FOR THAT.

AND I'LL GLADLY CROSS THAT THRESHOLD.

[01:30:04]

AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AT THIS INSTITUTION HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VALUE, AND THERE IS VALUE THAT IS GIVEN BY THOSE WHO TEACH AND DEVELOP THE PROGRAM.

THAT IS VALUE THAT IS ASSIGNED BY THOSE WHO TAKE THOSE CLASSES.

AND THERE IS THE IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT VALUE THAT IS GIVEN BY THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE CLASSES AND SPREAD THAT KNOWLEDGE.

AS ACADEMICS, WE. SEEM TO PLACE, AND I'M GUILTY OF THAT TOO.

A LOT OF VALUE ON WHAT WE TEACH.

ASSUMING THAT THOSE WHO RECEIVE OUR TEACHING VALUE THAT KNOWLEDGE IN THE SAME WAY.

SO TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, I USED TO TEACH PHYSIOLOGY AND I LOVE CELLULAR RESPIRATION. AND THERE IS SOMETHING THERE THAT IS CALLED THE KREBS CYCLE.

AND THAT IS TO ME, ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES THAT EXIST TO ME. SO WHEN I USED TO TEACH IT, I USED TO SPEND HALF OF MY CLASS GOING THROUGH EVERY STEP, EVERY BYPRODUCT.

THE VALUE OF THAT FOR MY STUDENTS WAS MINIMUM, BUT IT WAS VERY HIGH TO ME UNTIL I UNDERSTOOD THE MY ROLE WASN'T TO PROVIDE AND ASSIGN THAT VALUE FOR THEM. I DID NOT REASSESS MY CLASS.

SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY WITH THIS IS THAT MANY OF THESE CLASSES AND PROGRAMS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL ARE NOT MEANT TO 100% PRODUCE GRADUATES OF THE DISCIPLINE.

THE WAY WE SEE, WE SEE IT IN OUR EYES.

IS THERE MEANT TO SUPPORT OTHER DISCIPLINES, TO AMPLIFY THE WORLDVIEW THAT THOSE STUDENTS HAVE OF THEMSELVES, THEIR PEERS, AND HOW THEY ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIOR ACCORDINGLY BASED ON THE COMPETENCIES THAT THEY GAIN BECOMING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.

THAT, TO ME, IS THE BIGGEST VALUE THAT ALL THESE PROGRAMS HAVE, AND WHY I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH ONE OF THEM. NOT BECAUSE I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PRODUCE HUNDREDS OF DEGREES IF THEY DO. LIKE, OF COURSE I WANT IT BECAUSE THAT REPRESENTS ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS AND SO ON.

BUT I AM REALISTIC THAT IF THE STUDENTS TAKE AFRICANA STUDIES AND CHICANO STUDIES AND ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, THEY WILL GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.

AND WHEN THEY GO TO THE WORKFORCE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE BETTER CITIZENS.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE LESS FRICTION, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE COMMONALITIES WITH THEIR PEERS. SO TO ME, THAT IS THE THE BIGGER VALUE.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC OF WHAT THAT MEANS, HENCE WHY I WASN'T TOO CONCERNED THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOUR GRADUATES HERE, TWO GRADUATES THERE. I AM MORE IMPRESSED THAT WE'RE GETTING ALL COMBINED OVER 800 STUDENTS IN THOSE CLASSES WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE.

SO MY GOAL WILL BE TO MEASURE SUCCESS OF THAT PROGRAM.

AS TO HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO EXPERIMENT THROUGH KNOWLEDGE IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE DISCIPLINES AND BECOME BETTER CITIZENS.

SO THAT THAT THAT TO ME IS THE BIGGEST VALUE.

THE NEXT PART, I THINK, AND THIS IS OF COURSE UP TO THE FACULTY OF EACH ONE OF THESE DISCIPLINES TO CREATE SIMILAR GROUPS AS THE CTE PROGRAMS. DO THEY HAVE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS OR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARDS, AND THEY MEET ONCE A YEAR, TWICE A YEAR.

AND THEY GET FEEDBACK OF WHAT THEIR OUTCOMES LOOK LIKE AND, AND HOW TO FINE TUNE THE PROGRAM BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN INDUSTRY.

SO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR CTE PROGRAMS, THEY HAVE THIS BREAKFAST AND THEY BRING LEADERS AND EXPERTS IN THEIR DISCIPLINE FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEY SAY, HEY, WE'RE NOTICING THIS NEW TREND.

HAVE YOU CORRECTED YOUR CURRICULUM FOR THIS OR THAT? AND OUR FACULTY REACT TO THAT.

I SUGGEST THAT OUR FACULTY COULD POTENTIALLY USE IN THESE DISCIPLINES THAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK, TO INTEGRATE VARIOUS VOICES AND FINE TUNE THE PROGRAM AS IT GROWS.

[01:35:02]

DEMYSTIFY AND STOP ASSUMING THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BUILT IN MY SPECIFIC MANNER.

EACH ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS IS A STANDALONE PROGRAM.

AUTONOMOUS HAVE BEEN, WILL CONTINUE TO BE, AND THEY ARE FACULTY THAT ARE GOING TO BE HIRED, AND THEY WILL HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS RESPONSIBILITIES THAT EVERY ANY OTHER CHAIR HAS WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS.

SO WHEN A NEW CHAIR OF ANY DEPARTMENT IS SET IN PLACE, THAT CHAIR SETS THE TONE OF ANY PROGRAM, NO DIFFERENCE IN ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAMS. SO IT IS NOT FULLY ACCURATE THAT THE CHICANO STUDIES PROGRAM IS BEING DISINTEGRATED, AS WE SAW ON THE NUMBERS.

IT IS NOT ACCURATE. THAT IS GOING TO BE FOLDED UNDER ANY DISCIPLINE.

IT IS A CHICANO STUDY PROGRAM.

IT IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE A FACULTY MEMBER FULL TIME.

I WILL SAY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, AT THE VERY LEAST, WHAT I COULD FIND THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE CS COURSES.

SO SO IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT IS BEING DONE.

SAME THING WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES.

AND WE HOPE THAT THEIR ENROLLMENT IN NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES AND ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES CONTINUE TO INCREASE. THE MAIN REASON THAT WE HAVE ATH COURSES IS THAT THOSE COURSES WERE THE ONLY COURSES THAT WE HAD APPROVED FOR AREA SIX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SIX AND STUDENTS NEEDED THEM FOR GRADUATION.

THERE IS A PROGRAM IN ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES HERE, GLENDALE A AWARD WINNING PROGRAM AT ETHNIC STUDIES AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEY HAVE ZERO DISCIPLINES.

EVERY COURSE IS OFFERED ON THEIR ETHNIC STUDIES PROGRAM.

THEY ARE THE NUMBER ONE PROGRAM IN THE STATE ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

WE ARE NOT DOING THAT, NUMBER ONE AND ETHNIC STUDIES ON US.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WAS THE ACTUAL RANKING, BUT THEY DID RECEIVE AN AWARD AT THE STATE LEVEL BY THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF ALL DISCIPLINES OF ETHNIC STUDIES, BUT THEY ONLY USE THE ETH COURSE.

WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

WE WANT TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL COURSES AS WE PLAN, AS WE PROMISED FROM THE BEGINNING.

IT JUST TAKES MORE TIME, BUT WE WANT TO DO IT IN THE BEST WAY AS POSSIBLE. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT AND STOP CONFLICTING THE INFORMATION BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE CASE.

YOUR SUGGESTION FOR COMMUNITY IS TO HAVE LIKE A ROUND TABLE TYPE OF.

YEAH. AND THEY AND THEY COULD MEET.

AND I THINK IT SHOULD APPLY TO ALL THESE DISCIPLINES IN WHICH THEY CAN HAVE THEIR OWN, OR THEY CAN MIX AND MATCH AND THEY ALL COLLABORATE.

I THINK COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT.

I KNOW IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF FRICTION, AND TO GET TO THAT POINT OF COLLABORATION, IT MAY TAKES A LITTLE LONGER, BUT IN MY OPINION, COLLABORATION WILL LEAD TO A FASTER DEVELOPMENT OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, FASTER GROWTH OF THE ENROLLMENTS BECAUSE AS IT WAS SHARED AT THE THREE OF YOU, YOU TOOK CLASSES IN THESE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES.

IT MAKES SENSE. OR THE STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DO THAT.

AND IF THE FACULTY CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AND GROW, THE STUDENTS WILL MIGRATE FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT, AND THE ULTIMATE WINNER WILL BE THE STUDENT AND EVENTUALLY THE COMMUNITY.

FROM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WILL TRANSFER. BUT ULTIMATELY THAT IS THE DECISION OF THE FACULTY. I DON'T WANT TO TELL THEM, HEY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS.

BUT WHAT I DO THINK THAT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY COULD MIRROR WHAT WE DO FOR OUR CITY PROGRAMS. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE LIKE A FOLLOW UP PRESENTATION OR BRIEF STUDY SESSION, BUT AT LEAST SOMETHING TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING.

I DON'T KNOW. YOU SUGGEST IN HOW MANY MONTHS 12 A YEAR.

WELL, WE NEED NEW DATA.

WELL, YEAH. I THINK SIX MONTHS WOULD BE OKAY FOR DATA, RIGHT? SO THEY WOULD WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS.

LIKE IF WE INCREASE REACHING OUT AND YOU KNOW,

[01:40:02]

THAT WOULD BE NOT THIS SEMESTER.

SO THEN IT WOULD BE. THEN IT'LL BE ALMOST A YEAR FROM NOW.

YEAH. OKAY. OKAY, FINE.

I LIKE DATA, SO I WANT DATA, BUT MAYBE WE CAN JUST GET THERE'S ALL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF TYPES OF DATA.

WE HAVE OUR FORMAL DATA.

WE HAVE OUR INFORMAL DATA, WE HAVE STREET DATA.

SO MAYBE WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMAL DATA AND SOME STREET DATA, LIKE HEARING FROM OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FACULTY AND STAFF.

JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, BEING HAD? WHAT ARE WE SEEING WITH OUR OWN EYES AS FAR AS ENGAGEMENT WHEN WE'RE HAVING THE TABLES, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH.

I DO. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO PULL FROM THE PRESENTATIONS HERE THAT THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST SAY OUT LOUD. AND I THINK IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT HAS BEEN HINTED AT. NUMBER ONE, I THINK I'M REALLY PROUD.

DOCTOR FIERRO AND LEADERSHIP OF THE INSTITUTION LIKE THAT FIVE YEARS AGO THERE WAS AN ABILITY TO SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER AS AN INSTITUTION? WHAT ARE OUR BLIND SPOTS? AND THIS IDEA OF THE PRESIDENT'S CHALLENGE AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE FACULTY STEP UP AND SAY, WELL, WHAT IF WE WERE TO REALLY INVEST IN AN AFRICANA STUDIES PROGRAM? WHAT IF WE WERE TO RESTART CHICANO STUDIES IN AN INORGANIC WAY THAT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY HERE, BUT, BUT RECREATE SOMETHING THAT HAS LOST WIND, PROBABLY LONG BEFORE MOST OF THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM WERE AT THE INSTITUTION.

AND I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY AMAZING THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, WE WOULD START THAT. AND WITHIN FIVE YEARS, WE'D BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT WITH SOME OF THE STATS THAT WE HAVE ON THERE OF HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS TAKING THESE COURSES. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S REALLY GOOD JOB.

THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING. I LIKE THAT WE'RE DEBATING WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT SUCCESS.

RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD THING. I ALSO WANT IT TO BE CLEAR THAT I THINK I'M A DANGER TO SAY THAT THIS IS FOR EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, BUT FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE TO EMPOWER THESE PROGRAMS TO SUCCEED.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OUNCE OF US THAT DOESN'T WANT IT TO SUCCEED OR DOESN'T THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO PROMOTE AND STEAL MY OTHER ANALOGY, TO KEEP PUTTING GAS IN THE TANK ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR, FOR A LOT OF REASONS.

I ALSO WANT TO BE ONE OF THE TRUSTEES TO POINT OUT THAT I TOOK, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES AND THEN WAS WONDERING IF I COULD GET AWAY FROM I DIDN'T CHANGE MY MAJOR, BUT I DID THINK ABOUT IT.

SO I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S DEEPLY ENRICHING FOR STUDENTS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T DECLARE IT AS A MAJOR.

THAT JUST MAKES MAKES TO YOUR POINT, MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONALS IN THE LONG RUN. I MIGHT BE THE EXCEPTION, BUT I THINK IN GENERAL, MORE SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONALS. SO IT'S WORTH IT.

OKAY. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

YOU CAN TAKE A SEAT. AND JUST ONE LAST COMMENT.

I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO SOME WORDS THAT WERE SHARED A FEW MONTHS AGO.

AND I ALSO WANT TO REFERENCE THAT WITH SOMETHING THAT DOCTOR SARTIN MENTIONED DURING HER PRESENTATION. AND SHE MENTIONED THE PRINCIPLES OF UMOJA AND UJIMA, WHICH ARE UNITY AND COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY.

AND I FEEL LIKE TOGETHER, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL NEED TO USE MOVING FORWARD. AND A STATEMENT WE MADE WAS THAT OUR EXPECTATION AND OUR CONFIDENCE IS THAT TOGETHER, THIS COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE BUILDING PROGRAMS THAT REFLECT BOTH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.

WE WILL, WHEN WE ALIGN OUR PASSION WITH COLLABORATION, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE PROGRAMS THAT NOT ONLY SERVE OUR CURRENT STUDENTS, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN CERRITOS COLLEGE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

AND WE WILL DO THAT. BACK TO ME.

SORRY. NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO SECTION THREE.

[3. Consent Items - Office of Student Services]

WE HAVE TWO ITEMS. TWO ITEMS. 3.01 REQUEST FOR TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, TAIWAN AND 3.202 REQUEST FOR TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

[01:45:01]

OKAY. THOSE IN FAVOR? OKAY.

SEEING NONE. OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES.

SECTION FOUR. REPORTS AND COMMENTS FROM DISTRICT OFFICIALS.

[4.01 Reports and Comments from District Officials]

THANK YOU. HELLO, EVERYONE.

HAPPY. ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH.

SINCE OUR LAST BOARD MEETING. I ATTENDED THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES PATHWAY TO EQUITY CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO.

I WAS THERE REPRESENTING THE STUDENT SENATE FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

VERY INSIGHTFUL TO LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS.

AND THEN THIS PAST MONDAY, I ATTENDED THE, THE LUNCHEON WHERE THEY PRESENTED HIMALAYAN ART EXHIBIT.

AND THE FOOD WAS AMAZING.

SHOUT OUT TO THE CULINARY ARTS.

THE FOOD WAS VERY, VERY GOOD. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CERRITOS COLLEGE FALCONS WHO ARE RECEIVING THEIR ACCEPTANCES AND KNOWING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO TRANSFER. VERY PROUD OF EVERYONE FOR PUSHING THROUGH AND GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON FINALS.

THANK YOU. NEXT DOCTOR SALAZAR NO REPORT.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PACHECO.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SACRAMENTO AND ADVOCATE FOR ACTUALLY THE THREE BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SEEKING.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THOSE IN A DIFFERENT AVENUE THROUGH ANOTHER BILL ASSEMBLY BILL THAT DID MAKE IT THROUGH FROM SAN DIEGO.

ASSEMBLY MEMBER FROM SAN DIEGO.

DAVID ALVAREZ. SO HE'S ALSO ADVOCATING FOR BACHELOR'S PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAG ON TO THAT ONE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE ADVOCACY TO CONTINUE TO OFFER A BACHELOR'S PROGRAM.

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT GOT THROUGH, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER BACHELOR'S PROGRAM FOR THE RN, RN PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IT CONTINUES ON THAT ONE ALSO GOT THROUGH COMMITTEE.

SO AND WE WERE THERE AGAIN IN SUPPORT OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN REQUEST THEN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A BACHELOR'S PROGRAM HERE.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE. LEWIS. SO I ATTENDED THE K THROUGH 12 BREAKFAST THAT IS BIENNIAL, WHICH CAN MEAN TWO THINGS, BUT IN THIS CASE IT'S TWICE A YEAR.

BUT NOW YOU GET IT. OKAY, SO WE HAVE A GREAT TIME EVERY TIME.

AND IT'S JUST ALWAYS AN INCREDIBLE TO WITNESS HOW EXPONENTIAL OUR GROWTH HAS BEEN WITH DUAL ENROLLMENT, WITH UNIVERSAL ENROLLMENT.

AND DOCTOR MIXON OVER THERE GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION AND A INSPIRING SPEECH ON HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR UNIVERSAL ENROLLMENT, WITH UNIVERSAL DUAL ENROLLMENT, WITH EACH OF THESE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE UPCOMING TO AS IT WERE, NUDGE EACH OF THESE STUDENTS INTO MORE SUCCESS BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WILL NOT CHOOSE IT OF THEIR OWN.

BUT ONCE THEY'RE IN AND THEY REALIZE, HEY, I'M ACTUALLY COLLEGE MATERIAL, EVEN IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO GO TO CERRITOS COLLEGE, EVEN IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO GO TO COLLEGE AT ALL, IF THEY GO INTO TRADES OR GO STRAIGHT INTO WORK. IT WILL BE FAR, FAR, FAR BETTER FOR THEM TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT DURING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE, SO TO SPEAK, CAPTIVE BY TRUANCY LAWS AND SUCH.

SO K THROUGH 12, ALWAYS GREAT AND ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANY GROWTH THAT WE CAN HAVE IN THE EAP PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO TAKE ON THE CAPACITY THAT CONTINUES TO INCREASE EACH AND EVERY YEAR FOR HOW MANY STUDENTS? BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS ONLY ONE, MAYBE FOUR STUDENTS THAT WERE GETTING TWO AA DEGREES, AND NOW THERE'S LIKE 75, 120, 120.

YEAH. THERE YOU GO. EVEN BETTER, IT JUST KEEPS GROWING AND GROWING.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE NEED FOR EAP TO GROW.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MIDORI MORITA HERNANDEZ IS HER LAST NAME.

ANOTHER LATINO NAME. BUT SOMEONE WHO WENT THROUGH THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY HIRED ON TO THE EAP TO BE A MENTOR TO THOSE STUDENTS IN THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, I DID IT.

[01:50:02]

AND I THINK THAT'S JUST SUCH A HUGE TESTAMENT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM AND TO HOW MUCH DEMAND THERE IS FOR THESE STUDENTS TO HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.

I'M GLAD THAT WE COULD BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS THE MAYOR'S PRAYER BREAKFAST THAT A FEW OF US WENT TO THE WEEK BEFORE AND WE GOT TO SEE A PREVIEW OF ANASTASIA AT THE LA MIRADA THEATER.

SO THAT IS PLAYING, I BELIEVE IF NOT NOW, VERY SOON.

SO GET YOUR TICKETS, COME ON BY AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW AT THE STATE OF THE COLLEGE.

THANK YOU. DOCTOR LOU.

I ATTEND OUR ORIENTATION FOR OUR STUDENT 19 STUDENT WILL TRAVEL TO TAIWAN FOR THE STUDY ABROAD ALONG WITH DOCTOR AND STUDENT WERE EXCITED RIGHT.

AND I ALSO ATTEND THE, THE LUNCH WITH DOCTOR VALERO AND ALSO DOCTOR GREEN AND STUDENT TRUSTEE.

AND WE LEARN SOME TEA ARTS.

IT WAS INTERESTING TOO.

THANK YOU. THAT'S MY REPORT.

NEXT. TRUSTEE BIRKEY. NO REPORT.

GOOD LUCK STUDYING FOR FINALS.

YEAH. I HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I START DOCTOR MIXON WASN'T HERE AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I BROUGHT YOU UP AS YOU WENT TO THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND THEY POSTED YOUR VISIT. SO I LOVED IT. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

I WENT TO THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD CEREMONY HERE ON CAMPUS AND IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT. SO IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE PROFESSORS AT THE COLLEGE SELECT STUDENTS TO BE RECOGNIZED AND THEY GET SCHOLARSHIPS.

SO IT WAS AMAZING SEEING EACH PROFESSOR OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE, OF THE DEPARTMENT WALK UP WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND BE ACKNOWLEDGED.

AND I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST AMAZING.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.

IT WAS MY PRIVILEGE TO BE THERE.

I ALSO GOT A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HAWAIIAN GARDENS PARADE.

THAT WAS JUST AMAZING.

IT IS MY HOME CITY, SO IT WAS GREAT SEEING EVERYBODY FROM THE CITY, ALL THE RESIDENTS, AND JUST WAVING AND WAVING.

AND TO ME, JUST THE JOY OF JUST WE WAVED TO THE CHILDREN, RIGHT? AND THEY WAVED BACK WITH SUCH EXCITEMENT, LIKE, OH MY GOSH, WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING THEM. SO THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.

THEY'RE OUR FUTURE. SO I HAD A LOT OF FUN.

DOCTOR FIERRO JOINED ME IN THAT AND IT WAS JUST AN AMAZING, AMAZING EVENT. ALL RIGHT.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO MY REPORT AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE WITH DOCTOR FIERRO.

I WAS ABLE TO ALSO ATTEND THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS.

AND I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE AWARD RECIPIENTS.

OUR STAGE WAS FULL OF CERRITOS SCHOLARS.

I BY CHANCE ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ADVOCATE ALONG WITH DOCTOR FIERRO ANDREA AND MARIANA IN SACRAMENTO.

I WAS ACTUALLY THERE REPRESENTING ACSA, WHICH IS THE ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. AND OUR ADVOCACY DAY ENDED UP BEING THE SAME DAY.

SO ONCE I FINISHED THAT PART OF MY TRIP, I WAS ABLE TO JOIN THEM AND GO TO ONE OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS FOR THE BILLS THAT WE ARE PASSING.

AND AS MARIANA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE FIGHT FOR ACCESS TO THOSE BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS CONTINUES.

I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE K 12 PARTNERSHIP BREAKFAST AND I ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS ENJOY JOINING TOGETHER WITH OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL DISTRICTS.

AND IT'S JUST AMAZING TO GET REPORTS ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WITH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR, OUR CURRENT CERRITOS COLLEGE STUDENTS THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT AND ALSO OUR OH MY GOODNESS. EARLY COLLEGE.

THANK YOU. WHICH BRINGS ME NEXT TO THIS NEXT POINT.

IT WAS A GREAT JOY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CERRITOS COLLEGE EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM RECOGNITION CEREMONY. AND SO IT WAS JUST AMAZING TO TURN THE PROGRAM OVER TO SEE ALL THE STUDENTS LISTED. WE HAD ABOUT OVER 100 NAMES THAT WERE LISTED, AS WELL AS SO MANY STUDENTS WITH STARS OR DIAMONDS, AND THAT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD ACHIEVED THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS WHERE THEY COULD GRADUATE WITH A DEGREE. SO IT'S JUST AMAZING THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AND THE DATA THAT WE HAVE

[01:55:03]

HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE THIS WEEK I WAS ABLE TO TOUR THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE, AND IT'S SERVED AS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF HOW IMPORTANT ACCESS AND EQUITY ARE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

I WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED AND TRULY INSPIRED BY WHAT I SAW THERE.

I WILL HAVE TO SAY, I THINK THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS THE HAPPIEST PLACE.

MAYBE NOT ON EARTH, BUT DEFINITELY THE HAPPIEST PLACE HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE.

BUT I WAS ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW OUR YOUNG SCHOLARS ARE DEVELOPING THOSE 21ST CENTURY LEARNING SKILLS. THEY WERE COLLABORATING, THEY WERE COMMUNICATING, THEY WERE BEING CREATIVE.

THEY WERE USING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT THEM TO HAVE AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH THEIR ACADEMIC JOURNEY AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY.

AND SO IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT, BUT I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT CERTIFICATES TO THE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS THERE, THE FACULTY AND STAFF THERE, AND REALLY JUST TO THANK THEM AND SHOW THEM APPRECIATION, ESPECIALLY AS WE ARE IN TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.

SO I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK TO OUR FACULTY HERE AT CERRITOS COLLEGE. I ALSO WANT TO SAY HAPPY APIDA AWARENESS WEEK.

YESTERDAY I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND NO, THAT WAS MONDAY.

I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE LUNCHEON AND THERE WAS A GREAT ART EXHIBIT IN LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR US AND AS WELL AS WHAT GUSTAVO MENTIONED.

THE FOOD WAS TOP TIER.

IT WAS GREAT. SO SHOUT OUT TO OUR CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

DOCTOR FIERRO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR GREEN.

FIRST. HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK TO ALL OF OUR FACULTY.

TWO STATE OF THE COLLEGE TOMORROW THREE GRADUATION MAY 22ND FOR AMAZING JOB ON THE HIRING AND SELECTION COMMITTEES BY ALL FACULTY AND STAFF.

WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE HARDEST TIME SELECTING FINALISTS ONE THE QUALITY AND TWO THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS FOR EVERY POSITION IS INCREDIBLE.

SO A LOT OF WORK THERE.

SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN DOING THAT WORK.

THE STUDENT CELEBRATIONS, I THINK OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, I HAVE NOT MADE IT HOME, I DON'T KNOW, ONE DAY FOR DINNER BECAUSE EVERY CELEBRATION AND EVERY MEETING BUT IT'S REALLY WELL WORTH IT BECAUSE SEEING EVERYONE COME TOGETHER AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER TO, TO APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND CELEBRATE THE STUDENTS AND, AND SEE THEIR FAMILIES IS, IS, IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IT REALLY ENERGIZED ME AND KIND OF BRINGS CLOSURE TO THE YEAR AND, AND PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE AS TO HOW HOW MUCH WORK OR HOW MUCH APPRECIATED AND HOW MEANINGFUL OUR WORK IS.

TODAY, AFTER I WAS COMING TO.

SPEAKING WITH A STUDENT GROUP I HAD COMMITTED TO A STOP BY ONE OF THE GRADUATIONS.

AFTER THAT, AND WE MADE IT JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME TO SEE THE STUDENT WHO HAD ASKED ME TO. TO BE THERE TO, TO SEE HIM AND SPEAK JUST MADE IT RIGHT BEFORE.

AND HE WAS THE LAST SPEAKER.

SO I WAS GLAD TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.

THIS WAS THE NEXT UP GRADUATION.

WHEN YOU HEAR THE STORIES OF HOW THESE STUDENTS MADE IT TO COLLEGE AND WHAT IT HAS TAKEN THEM TO SUCCEED, IT PUTS EVERYTHING INTO PERSPECTIVE.

SOME OF OUR HARDEST HARDSHIPS PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE NARRATIVES OF HOW DIFFICULT THE LIFE OF MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN AND THE EFFORT THAT THEY HAVE MADE ONLY TO GET TO COLLEGE, LIKE JUST TO MAKE IT TO COLLEGE, THE EFFORT NOT JUST TO REGISTER, BUT ONE DAY MY CAR BROKE AND THIS AND THAT AND MY LEGS HURT FOR WALKING SO MUCH TO GET TO SCHOOL.

BUT I MADE IT BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND, AND, AND THEY DO IT.

AND, AND I THINK THAT PUTS INTO PERSPECTIVE THE VALUE OF THE WORK WE DO BECAUSE THAT

[02:00:02]

SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYONE WHO IS HELPING OUR STUDENTS GET TO THAT POINT.

SO IF, IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO THE STUDENT CELEBRATIONS AND, AND HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORIES I THINK THAT THAT WILL BE A REFRESHING VIEW FOR ALL OF US. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY AND I COULDN'T THANK THEM BEFORE THEY LEFT. THEY, THEY'RE HARD CONVERSATIONS, BUT THEY REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REALLY GOOD WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.

AND THE GROUND THAT IT HAS TO BE MOVED TO COME HERE.

SO WHAT IS FRICTION? I THINK THAT FRICTION ARISES FROM THE DRIVE THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE TO BUILD PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES.

AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE.

ALL OF THEM ARE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO, VERY PASSIONATE ON WHAT THEY DO AND VERY TALENTED. AND IT IS NORMAL, IN MY OPINION, TO HAVE FRICTION AMONG TALENTED, DRIVEN PEOPLE, I WILL PREFER THAT AND.

LACK OF DRIVE. LACK OF PASSION.

SO WE HAVE A JOB IN FRONT OF US THAT IS HELP MANAGE THAT PASSION AND ENSURING THAT THOSE PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP.

BUT, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE FRICTION THAT WE HAVE SEEN SHOULD NOT BE SEEN IN THE NEGATIVE, FOR THE CONTRARY IS THE CAUSE OF SUCCESS AND A LOT OF PASSION AND DESIRE TO DEVELOP THE BEST PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN OFFER TO OUR STUDENTS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR FIERRO.

WITH THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION 5.01 CONFERENCE WITH LABOR

[5. Closed Session]