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Issues and Positions
SMC President Dr. Tsang says that community colleges are "like the statue of liberty," a beacon providing hope, opportunity, and quality for all comers.
I believe that community colleges are perhaps the greatest American institution. Community colleges keep the door to opportunity open for everyone, providing people of all ages a chance to learn, a chance to get ahead, a chance to change and improve their lives. Santa Monica College is one of the finest community colleges in our state and in our country. It will be a great privilege and an enormous responsibility to serve on the Board of the College and to continue to improve this amazing institution.
An effective College Trustee does not work in isolation. I will strive to work collegially, constructively, and productively with my fellow Board members, administrators, faculty, classified staff, and community members to improve services for students and to build a climate of open communication, respect, and partnership.
Following are issues and ideas - areas where I will seek to make progress. Some of these issues will require time to resolve. Some are short term. In all efforts, I will aim to build consensus as the foundation for change. |
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Students First! Expanding Pathways to Success
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maintain and improve SMC's record as the #1 transfer school to 4 year colleges; |
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improve services to increase retention for students struggling or at risk of dropping out; |
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develop and expand vocational options, basic skills, and job training for students who are not interested in pursuing a four year degree; |
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create a seamless path for local high school students interested in pursuing vocational training at SMC; |
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expand and facilitate dual enrollment opportunities for Santa Monica and Malibu high school students; |
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maintain and enhance specialized programs such as Emeritus College for older adults and Community Education Classes; |
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establish a Malibu Education Center to better serve Malibu residents of all ages. |
Community Partnerships
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explore and develop job training and career path partnerships with local industries including the transportation, health care, hospitality, entertainment, education, and construction industries; |
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expand and facilitate tutoring/mentoring relationships between SMC students and SMMUSD students and provide practicums for SMC students pursuing careers in teaching; |
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develop mutually beneficial partnerships with the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu, the Santa Monica Malibu School District and non-profit organizations (such as the YWCA) in both cities. |
Open, Honest, and Ongoing Communication to build Constructive, Respectful Relationships
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personally commit to regular ongoing (not crisis-driven) open communication with members of the Santa Monica City Council, the Malibu City Council, the School District, and neighborhood groups; |
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work with my fellow board members and staff to establish channels of open and ongoing communication with these partner institutions. This might include mechanisms such as regularly scheduled meetings, liaisons, and regular reports; |
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work personally and with my fellow board members and staff to build more constructive respectful relationships with faculty and classified staff through open, honest, and ongoing dialogue. This might include joint budget workshops, restructuring the budget development calendar to allow for more staff input, review, and consensus building; receiving updates from classified staff as well as faculty at all board meetings; and assigning Board liaisons to sit on committees with staff; |
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televise College Board meetings. |
Financial Health and Sustainability
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eliminate the deficit and balance the budget; |
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deep analysis of the budget to make sure that it reflects and efficiently and effectively supports SMC's mission; |
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develop the budget in a process that allows for meaningful input, analysis, and recommendations to the Board by multiple stakeholders; |
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increase the ratio of full time faculty to part time faculty; |
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resolve contract negotiations with the faculty association. |
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Leadership at the State Level
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work with my fellow board members, staff, the faculty association, classified staff and other strategic partners to develop and promote State legislation, funding, and regulations that support the mission of community colleges and SMC. |
Parking, Parking, Parking and Traffic Circulation
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work with the City of Santa Monica, City of Malibu, City of Los Angeles, and neighborhood groups to minimize negative traffic and parking impacts; |
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find a permanent replacement shuttle lot and encourage increased use of the shuttle; |
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work with the Big Blue Bus to encourage increased student and staff ridership; |
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invest in an environmentally friendly shuttle bus fleet. |
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work with the City of Santa Monica to establish safe bicycle routes to SMC. |
Make it Green
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Use green technology and materials for new construction, facilities maintenance and vehicle upgrades; |
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expand recycling at all campuses; |
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limit the use of non-recyclables at all campuses; |
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install xeriscape landscaping at all campuses. |
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