Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Antelope Valley Community College District

Let Us Develop Relationships That Inspire Learning

Relationships Are Important

Back in 1989, as the Board discussed whether to improve the corner of 30th and K, College President Dr. Allan Kurki commented "The majority of Citizens in the Antelope Valley will never set foot on our campus. But the picture those people form of the College is what they get when they drive by.". <http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/antelope-valley-college/featured/2> The rest is history and the Antelope Valley College main entrance we see today became a reality. If Dr. Kurki is correct, then the majority of our community has a very shallow relationship with the very college that they actually own! The intended relationship between the Board and the Community is worth reading about in the following statement from page 45 of the Community College Trustee Handbook:

" Community college trustees hold the college in trust on behalf of the community. They are elected to ensure that the college responds to community needs in ways that balance diverse interests. Boards were created as lay boards to represent the general public's interests. A board's primary allegiance should be to the external community and public good ... Trustees, as elected leaders, must ensure that their districts and colleges make a positive difference for their communities. Colleges are "owned" by the general public, and boards must ensure that the "owners" receive good value for the money spent. A question that should guide all policy decisions is "How will this improve the effectiveness of the college in serving its community?". <http://www.ccleague.org/files/public/TrustHdbkWeb.pdf>

While on a campus tour, our new president Mr. Ed Knudson stated "We have tremendous talent on this campus --- the resources here represent the Antelope Valley's best kept secret.". <http://avcblogs.blogspot.com/2013/08/avcs-new-president.html> How many effective relationships occur in secret? Something is not right.

I believe our Board can do much more than it has done to "represent the general public's interests"; to "respond to the needs of our community "; to "make a positive difference in our community"; and " to improve the effectiveness of community service". Furthermore, I believe that fostering relationships is the best way to change this situation. Page 45 of the same Trustee Handbook speaks to this concern when it states that trustees "...remind the College about the needs of the community and prevent the college from becoming too insular." We have been more concerned about our problems than about our purpose.

Over the past 35 years the California Community College System has had many concerns to deal with, most of them financial in nature. Antelope Valley Community College has weathered these concerns quite well; the Board has made wise decisions. But as these concerns have demanded the Board's attention, concerns for the needs of the greater community have been neglected. Now is the perfect time to restore our allegiance to our community. Why is the time perfect? There are several reasons why.

- we have a new President who has 11 years of experience in the hospitality industry. <https://www.avchambers.com/images/2013augustnewsletter.pdf> He understands the value of relationships.

-most of the upper-level vacant leadership positions at AVCC have been recently filled with new blood and new ideas.

-we have amazing new facilities to show our community - the facilities that our community made possible by approving Measure R by about 70%.

-there is currently great concern in Sacramento regarding recent statistics demonstrating rather poor California Community College student performance. For example, AVCC's graduation rate is about 38%; roughly $800,000 is spent on educating degree-seeking, first-time, full-time students who stay for only one year and then quit; and we are in the 97th percentile of schools with high student loan defaults. <http://www.collegemeasures.org/2-year_colleges/institution/antelope-valley-college-ca/scorecard/strategic-measures/> Of course, some students probably start college with no serious intent on finishing. But I honestly believe that some who start have serious intentions of finishing - they had a goal to achieve but became derailed along the way. It is this second group of students that would have benefited from having supportive relationships with faculty mentors. Ralph Waldo Emerson knew about this side of human nature. He wrote "Our chief want is for someone to inspire us to be what we know we could be".

-the Final Report of the Students Success Task Force commissioned by the Chancellor's Office recommends that faculty development (also known as the faculty's professional development obligation or FLEX) be "revitalized and re-envisioned to prepare faculty to help students succeed.". <http://www.californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/PolicyInAction/StudentSuccessInitiative.aspx> So, the Chancellor's Office is planning to restructure FLEX to improve student success. I believe that if this change can be focused into promoting key relationships between faculty and students, student success will improve.

-a few months ago when 900 students from 13 California community colleges assessed the factors that would support their educational success they listed six important factors and the two most important of the six are the need for faculty to provide guidance toward completing their career goals and also to encourage them while in school. <http://www.rpgroup.org/projects/student-support>

The time is ripe to foster a closer relationship with our community and help improve student success - to inspire them to succeed.

My Vision For Promoting Positive Community Relationships

The vision I would bring before the Board for consideration is similar in nature to the May, 1983 Community College Week and to the Summer Term Enrichment Program promoted in the 1970's through 1980's under the leadership of Mrs. Rae Yoshida, Vice President of Academic Affairs. I envision one week every year - perhaps calling it Community Service Week (CSW) - for teaching only non-credit community service classes (CSC) to our community. I would suggest for discussion that

-anyone 12 years of age and older be allowed to enroll in any CSC with parent and/or school permission as necessary

-we could offer an extremely broad range of CSC to try and attract the diverse interests of our community. From stamp collecting to science education, from craft making to careers in medicine - something for everyone. All faculty and all staff should be encouraged to teach any subject legal to teach in a public school, of their choice with only two conditions: that they are knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. They would be non-credit classes intended for personal growth, and should be considered by all faculty or staff members who teach them to be an enjoyable experience, not a burden. We want our community to see how important and rewarding education is to every AVCC employee.

-the community would also be able to suggest topics for classes that would be of interest to them.

-CSC classes would be offered in the evening and during the day from one hour to five days in length as determined by the instructor during CSW.

- a per-student fee be charged to cover operational expenses for every class. A stipend for the instructor would also be generated by this fee for classes where FLEX credit is not used for compensation. This fee would be class specific and vary by the length and type of instruction presented. I would advocate that CSW be totally supported by these student fees without any financial burden placed on the College's normal operating budget.

- faculty would receive FLEX credit for preparation and delivery of their career goal courses instead of a stipend per the same formula currently in use. However, they would receive a stipend instead of FLEX credit for any non-academic community service class taught such as, for example, a hobby or popular interest course such as wilderness survival.

-faculty should be encouraged to teach a variety of classes, but at least one CSC taught by each faculty member must address preparation for a career goal that the faculty member is familiar with, such as a class entitled "What You Need To Know To Become A Firefighter" for a fire science faculty member or "What You Need To Know To Pursue A Career In Mathematics" for a math faculty member. Career counselors will support faculty by providing them with current information on course requirements for each career goal, certificate or degree or transfer conditions the student needs to know to be successful.

Expected Benefits of CSW

-our community will see the results of Measure R funded construction

-our community will have the opportunity to know AVCC and we will have the opportunity to know our community more personally. We will no longer be "Antelope Valley's best kept secret" or known as the place with the impressive entrance on Avenue K.

-parents and their children will become acquainted with faculty members who can be an encouragement to future college success

-as more pre college students experience CSW, there is potential for increased enrollment since AVCC will be familiar to them

-the likely result is that more students will graduate and reach their goals

-faculty and staff will have the opportunity to teach about something that they enjoy are passionate about

-putting this plan in place will foster likeminded people to collaborate and network to encourage success in their college experience.

I look forward to discussing these ideas with the Board should I be elected.

I value your comments. Rick Balogh