This communication provides an update on the progress regarding the implementation of the Agency Review recommendations. Prior newsletters, as well as the background on the review are archived on this website.

The final report of the agency review entitled An Aspiration for Excellence: Review of the System Office for the California Community Colleges, is available on this website. Hard copies were distributed throughout the system and to key policymakers in California.

During the past 18 months the required action on a majority of the recommendations has been completed. The progress on the remaining recommendations made since the last update in March 2005 is summarized below:

• Development of a systemwide Strategic Plan for the California Community Colleges:
  With the generous support of the Irvine Foundation and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, we have been making great progress on the Strategic Plan. Approximately 700 trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students have attended ten regional meetings across the state. Participants have provided thoughtful and creative input and we have been impressed by both the variety of challenges colleges face regionally as well as those facing all colleges and the system as a whole. The next steps will involve meeting with business leaders, representatives from the K-12 system, System Office staff, and staff from other higher education segments, as well as setting up a web-based interface to gather input from a broader set of participants. We are on schedule to have a preliminary draft of the plan to the Board of Governors by the end of the summer. More information is available at our strategic planning website http://www.ccc-systemstrategicplan.org/.
  
  
• A mission and values statement for the agency must be adopted: The Board of Governors has formed a subcommittee to consider the agency mission statement. A preliminary draft has been developed and, on June 9, all System Office employees were invited to participate in a facilitated discussion of both the System Strategic Plan and the agency mission statement. It is expected that the mission statement will be considered by the Board of Governors at its September meeting.
  
  
• Develop a plan for the transition of some aspects of curriculum approval to the local or regional level:
  The System Advisory Committee on Curriculum (SACC) recommendation was approved by the Consultation Council in March 2005. The SACC is scheduled to meet monthly and has met four times (April, May and twice in June). The committee has defined its role and operational procedures. SACC continues toward the goal identified above and will be recommending Education Code modifications that, if approved, will place the responsibility for approval of stand-alone courses at the local level. The legislation is anticipated to occur in 2005-06 with implementation in January 2007.
  
  
• The System Office will convene a working group to determine if additional tools, analogous to the “watch list,” can be devised:
  An accounting advisory is being drafted in consultation with the Association of Chief Business Officers Fiscal Standards and Accountability Committee to further refine the system-wide guidelines pertaining to the fiscal monitoring process. Final edits to the accounting advisory are being made and the guidelines will be released to the field by Fall 2005.
  
  
• The System Office will develop and articulate a plan to develop the System Office into a first class agency:
  A variety of steps have been taken to meet this goal. In December 2004, management staff participated in a full-day training session on progressive supervision. Earlier this year, management staff committed to a regular process for employee performance review. With the benefit of the Professional Development and Growth Advisory Committee, staff is also benefiting from new initiatives in the area of professional development. The System Office has also allocated resources for training, as well as other development activities. Managers are continuing to work with employees on their Individual Development Plans and significant progress has been made in updating employee duty statements. All of these efforts have combined to create a more positive attitude in the System Office. Future activities include a Leadership Academy and an updating of personnel policies.
  
  
• That the System Office take the leadership in establishing the community college system as the lead entity in developing strategic partnerships to address the state’s economic interests:
  Many new opportunities have emerged that evidence that there is recognition of the system’s lead role. Our partnerships outside our system are growing. The system and the System Office are being looked to more frequently to play a key role in planning, design, brokering and delivery of services in workforce and economic development.
  
  The governor has proposed funds to use the colleges’ economic development expertise to assist with the development of career technical programs in secondary schools. In the May Revise, an additional $17.4 million was added to $20 million for Career Technical Programs. These funds have several components to reinvigorate courses and technical education. For example, these funds help to address the need for infusing high wage/high demand/high growth occupational sectors into high schools. This funding expands and builds partnerships between the college vocational education programs, high schools, economic development initiatives, Regional Occupational Programs, 2 + 2 collaboratives, and include capacity development projects that will provide information to be disseminated throughout grades 7-12.
  
  The system has also received federal workforce investment funds in a state-level, agency-to-agency agreement. The California Workforce and Labor Agency has awarded $30 million over five years in a long-term commitment to expand our nursing programs. This is a change from their past practice and spotlights the fact that our system graduates 70 percent of the registered nurses in the state.
  
  There is a proposed augmentation in the 2005-06 System Budget for the economic and workforce development funds for bringing the system’s economic and workforce efforts “to scale.” The budget proposal builds on the work of the Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWD Program), and takes a four-year, phased approach in economic development. The augmentation in the system budget would provide flexible training funds for local needs, leadership training for chief executive officers and presidents, staff development funds and state-of-the-art environmental scanning capabilities. Another component of the Budget Change Proposal includes funding for the proven delivery network of initiative centers, which are designed to move quickly to meet local priorities. There is also a state-level discretionary fund to respond to important economic and workforce development needs, such as business retention or attraction.
  
  System advocacy at the federal level is going well and there is an upcoming opportunity. In two rounds at $125 million each, the U. S. Department of Labor has funding for community colleges to apply for community-based training funds. This funding is sector-based and builds capacity and provides training funds to sectors with labor shortages and high demand needs. Grants from $500,000 to $2 million are nationally competitive. The Department of Labor is anticipating receiving many quality grants from our colleges now that they understand how advanced California is in addressing regional and sector-based workforce education needs.
  
  Small business development was designated as a system priority as part of their lead convener role and it has paid off. The California Employment Training Panel has invested in the Small Business Development Center Program by providing funds to the System Office to distribute to the many centers in the state.
  
  
• The System Office should dramatically improve its representation of the California Community Colleges to the state taxpayers, state and federal legislators, and the business community:
  
  
  • Take a positive approach with state agencies
    
  • Establish a first rate and productive presence in Washington, D.C.
    
  • Designate a full-time position as chief communications officer and spokesperson for the agency, chancellor and Board of Governors
    
    

  As recently as 2002, the System Office had up to twelve people serving in state and federal governmental relations, and public communications. The staff included a federal relations director and a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., a public information officer, and other staff. The Agency Review recognized that after a series of departures and budget reductions, the System Office needed to strengthen and reinvigorate the Governmental Relations and External Affairs Division. The Agency Review recommendations advocated adding back staff and reorganizing the Division and the System Office moved quickly to fulfill the spirit and intent of these recommendations. The result of these actions was the creation of a Governmental Relations and External Affairs Division that now includes human resources. This division is under the guidance of Senior Vice Chancellor Jamillah Moore and presently consists of a ten staff plus the contracted services of MARC and Associates in Washington, D.C. who provide system advocacy.
  

• The chancellor will take the leadership in raising at least $25 million for a permanent endowment fund to stimulate instructional innovation:
  The chancellor recognizes this as a long-term commitment and has acquired $120,000 in seed money to stimulate fundraising efforts in support of the endowment. He is currently working in conjunction with the Foundation for California Community Colleges on planning a “kick off” fundraising banquet scheduled for Fall 2005. Chancellor Drummond has also been instrumental in directing an additional $29+ million to the system; $8 million for TANF-Child Development Careers; $15 million from the Wellpoint Endowment, and $6 million for Workforce Investment Act Nursing Initiative grants (totaling $30 million over the next five years).
  
  
• With respect to categorical student support services, we recommend reducing the reporting burden on colleges and the system office by maximizing the use of automatic data collection via the statewide MIS and utilizing electronic reporting for any data that cannot be obtained through MIS because of timing or structural issues: The Student Services and Technology, Research and Information Systems Divisions are working together to identify resources for migration of reporting elements to an electronic environment. A consultant has been interviewed to scope the project. Selected programs are reviewing their forms for simplification and piloting of an electronic reporting system.
  
  
• We recommend aligning student support program accountability standards and processes with broader institutional objectives related to student equity and student learning outcomes:
  Responsibility for student equity reporting has been moved to the Student Services Division. Discussions have taken place with the chief student services officers about integration of categorical program outcomes with student equity goals and student learning outcomes. System Office and campus representatives are preparing a proposal for campus visits that focus on the role of the categorical programs in facilitating positive student outcomes and meeting institutional student equity goals.
  
  
• We recommend that the System Office lead a statewide effort among community colleges to enhance student achievement:
  A collaborative proposal with the Lumina Foundation of the University of Southern California’s Center for Urban Education has been funded and will bring focus to student equity and achievement. The Budget Change Proposal for $2 million to expand Cal-PASS was approved by the Board of Governors and is included in the May Revise. In addition, through the collaborative efforts of many segments within the community college system, AB 1417 has passed through the Legislature and awaits funding. This legislation establishes district accountability measures and replaces the previous processes associated with the Partnership for Excellence.
  

The Final Report is available here: Link (pdf)