May 15, 2025

Approval of Minutes from April 17, 2025 

Minutes approved.

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California’s Master Plan for Career Education Presentation

Bryant provided an overview of California’s Master Plan for Career Education, aligned with Governor Newsom’s workforce vision and the Vision 2030 Framework from the State Chancellor’s Office. The goal is to modernize career education to better meet evolving industry demands, improve access, and reduce income inequality—particularly in high-cost regions like Silicon Valley.

Key strategies include integrating digital career passports to track student progress, awarding credit for prior learning (CPL) based on industry certifications, and expanding competency-based education (CBE) that emphasizes skill mastery over seat time. Partnerships with employers, such as Nuro, demonstrate how existing programs like automotive and computer science can be adapted to meet real-world workforce needs while promoting diversity and accessibility.

Regional coordination efforts, such as with the Bay Area Community College Consortium and Silicon Valley Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, are supporting shared program development and funding alignment. The plan also focuses on re-engaging opportunity youth (ages 16–24 not in school or employed) and adult learners through flexible training pathways and improved outreach.

A new paid internship course is being developed for transcriptable credit, set to launch by Spring 2026. The state’s investment in improved data systems, including the new Data Vista platform, will support data-informed program planning and labor market alignment.

Attendees were encouraged to review the full Vision 2030 and Master Plan documents through the provided links.

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Equity Rubric Finalization Presentation

The team presented the final version of the college’s Equity Rubric, a recommended (not mandatory) tool to guide equitable decision-making around events, programming, funding, and institutional planning. The rubric is trauma-informed and designed to reduce harm, uphold structural equity, and create inclusive, student-centered spaces.

While the full document is 12 pages, the core rubric is located on page 2, with the remaining pages offering context, guiding documents, legal grounding, and definitions. The tool aligns with key college frameworks, including the Educational Master Plan, Student Equity Plan, and Board Priorities.

The rubric has been reviewed and approved by multiple shared governance bodies, including Academic Senate, Classified Senate, DASG, and affinity groups (with the exception of the newest group still pending formal review). Feedback has helped refine language and implementation plans.

The rubric will be housed under a new subcommittee within the Equity Action Council, with a minimum two-week lead time recommended for event organizers seeking feedback. Early implementation (e.g., for the career fair) has shown the tool to be effective and accessible.

A motion to formally accept the Equity Rubric as presented was made, seconded, and unanimously approved by College Council.

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New Lottery Funds Allocation Process - Presentation

Hearn presented a proposed model to streamline the process for allocating lottery funding at the college. The presentation began with background on the source of the funds, explaining that the college receives annual lottery revenue from the state. While there have been fluctuations in the past, in recent years the college has consistently received over $1 million per year. Additionally, the college currently holds approximately $1.5 to $2 million in reserves.

The current process requires each division to submit detailed resource requests annually, including instructional supplies such as lab equipment and materials. This method has proven to be time-consuming and complex, and often requires follow-up adjustments when items are forgotten or underestimated. Another issue with the current system is that requesters often do not know which funding source their request should come from, requiring additional administrative work to sort out funding allocations. Furthermore, unspent funds are not currently swept at the end of each year, which results in divisions managing multiple accounts, creating a burden on both administrators and the budget and finance staff.

To address these issues, a new model has been proposed. Under this model, divisions would receive predictable annual allocations based on historical spending averages, allowing them to better plan and manage their resources. Due to spending fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a three-year average was used where possible to determine base allocations. All divisions will receive amounts consistent with their past usage, except Enrollment Services, which previously received a one-time allocation due to a 2020 legislative change allowing lottery funds to be used for student basic needs. Enrollment Services will now receive a recurring $100,000 allocation moving forward, which has been confirmed as adequate by the area administrator.

The total base allocation proposed is $1 million annually. Any lottery funds received beyond that amount in a given year will be placed into a contingency fund managed by the Vice President of Instruction. This contingency fund will be available to cover shortfalls or unexpected expenditures, such as additional supply needs due to expanded course offerings or athletics equipment based on team performance.

The new model will also consolidate each division's funds into a single account, and unspent funds will be swept annually. Although this initially caused concern, it was clarified that these funds would be reallocated at the start of each year, providing predictable funding for divisions and enabling better planning. The sweep is proposed to occur in April each year to allow adequate time for reallocation and any bulk purchases needed before the end of the fiscal year.

The new model also includes a plan to provide training and education to employees about allowable lottery expenditures and how to distinguish between different funding sources, such as Perkins and Strong Workforce. The college will develop a web page listing typical lottery expenses and possibly create division-specific lists. A decision tree will also be created to help users determine whether a purchase qualifies under lottery funding.

Although not included in the current model, the presentation also discussed the potential use of lottery funds for laptop lending programs for part-time faculty and the purchase of textbooks for dual enrollment programs, in accordance with legislative guidelines.

The proposed model includes a pilot period of two years, after which it will be evaluated. Additionally, it was recommended that all funding allocations be reviewed and potentially revised every six years to align with the college’s planning cycle and adjust to evolving needs.

Following discussion, the committee reached consensus on April as the sweep date. The proposal includes a mechanism for emergency funding requests throughout the year, utilizing the college’s reserves.

A motion was made and seconded to approve the proposed lottery allocation model as presented. There were no objections, and the model was approved. Appreciation was expressed to Lydia Hearn and all contributors for their work on this initiative.

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College Council Goals 2025-2026 Initial Dialogue

Dr. Torres introduced a discussion on College Council’s governance responsibilities and the need for the Council to set clear, measurable goals for 2025–2026. Drawing from the council's charge to lead strategic planning and decision-making processes, members agreed on the importance of holding themselves accountable and evaluating their performance annually.

Several key goal areas were proposed and discussed: See the list of goals

The discussion concluded with recognition that the finalized list of goals will guide the Council’s work next year and be evaluated through an end-of-year assessment. Members acknowledged the importance of refining wording and ensuring the goals are actionable, measurable, and aligned with the Council’s governance role. Dr. Torres to bring a revised version of the list of goals as per the initial dialogue.

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Report Out

Please read and share with your constituents.

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The meeting was adjourned.