March 20, 2025

Approval of Minutes from  2/20/25

Minutes approved.

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Strong Workforce Program Local and Regionall Budget Allocations 7/1/24 – 6/30/26 Recommendations from RAPP

Members reviewed the proposed budget recommendations for the Strong Workforce Program (SWP) covering both local and regional shares for the two-year period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.

RAPP tri-chair provided background, highlighting that the Strong Workforce Program has entered its ninth funding round, originating around 2015–2016. The program is codified in the California Education Code and aims to support Career Technical Education (CTE) programs across the state’s 73 community college districts.

The Council was reminded that SWP funds are used to support CTE programs both locally and regionally, and that De Anza is part of the Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC), comprising 28 colleges. The regional priorities, based on labor market data, include:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Public Safety
• Health
• Education
• Advanced Transportation
• Information & Communication Technology / Digital Media (ICT/DM)

Randy Bryant, Dean of CTE, provides ongoing oversight of the program at De Anza College. The Council acknowledged the contributions of Vins Chacko, former CTE Coordinator, whose work in prior years was instrumental to the program’s success.

The budget development process was reviewed:

• Divisions submit resource requests.

• The CTE area evaluates which can be funded via Strong Workforce.

• The CTE Committee reviews and recommends.

• RAP (Resource Allocation & Planning) reviews and approves.

• The final recommendation is brought to College Council for action.

It was emphasized that although CTE programs may have higher operational costs, they are supported by labor market demand and provide direct-to-workforce pathways for students, especially those not pursuing transfer. These programs often lead to strong wage outcomes and economic mobility.

In addition, it was noted that in future RAPP discussions (e.g., lottery and instructional equipment requests), the CTE Director reviews items and flags those eligible for Strong Workforce funding. This enables more efficient budgeting by preserving general funds for non-CTE programs.

Council members were given access to the budget attachments showing local and regional allocations, including line-item funding by program area and overall totals.

Motion to approve the Strong Workforce local and regional budget allocations for FY 2024–2026: Unanimously approved. No objections or abstentions were recorded.

Appreciation was extended to Randy Bryant, Vince, and the CTE Committee for their leadership and diligence.

Special thanks to RAPP for forwarding this recommendation and to Council members for their support of CTE and workforce development efforts.

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Affordable Student Housing Project Update

There is discussion regarding the district's ongoing effort to develop affordable student housing. A PowerPoint presentation was shared that highlighted key considerations, such as the philosophical, theoretical, and financial viability of the housing project, which is being pursued in collaboration with both Foothill and De Anza Colleges.

It was emphasized that the goal is to address the increasing need for affordable housing for students, faculty, and staff. This discussion was framed within the context of a survey conducted across both colleges, which showed overwhelming support for student housing near the De Anza campus. The college is particularly focused on affordable housing near Cupertino, where existing

properties may be repurposed for student housing, which could be a quicker, more cost-effective solution than building from scratch.

Survey results indicated strong favor for housing located within a one-mile radius of the De Anza campus. Specific factors taken into account include:

• The site's proximity to the De Anza campus (within walking distance).

• The size of the property (ensuring there is enough land for student housing).

• Environmental factors (ensuring the site has no known defects).

• The location's accessibility, including transportation and proximity to essential services.

The McClellan Apartment site was identified as the preferred location, being a seven-minute walk from the campus. Due diligence is currently underway to ensure the property meets all necessary criteria.

A key point raised was the need for a shuttle service to facilitate transportation between Foothill College and De Anza College for students residing in the new housing. Discussions are ongoing regarding the feasibility of a shuttle service for students, particularly those enrolled at Foothill.

Another concern raised was the potential for leveraging the proximity of student housing to enhance in-person offerings at the De Anza campus, as students living nearby could access on-campus classes more easily. Faculty, deans, and the Office of Instruction will need to explore how this could be integrated into the future educational offerings.

The McClellan Apartments currently house tenants who may need to be relocated if the property is purchased by the district. Questions were raised regarding the impact on these current residents, including concerns about whether they would be displaced without adequate support.

The district acknowledged these concerns and emphasized that any communications with current tenants must come from the current property owner, Prometheus Real Estate Group, as the district is still in escrow and does not yet own the property. Once the district assumes ownership, it will work with Prometheus to ensure fair treatment for existing tenants, including offering:

• 120 days of relocation assistance for month-to-month tenants.

• Support for tenants with 12-month leases, ensuring they can complete their lease term.

The district emphasized that it aims to handle the transition with kindness, grace, and respect for the families involved.

There have been questions raised in the community, particularly by elected officials and city council members, about the potential displacement of families in the McClellan Apartments. The district acknowledged these concerns and confirmed that Prometheus Real Estate Group would be responsible for tenant communications.

Additionally, the district is committed to working with tenants who may need to relocate and will provide guidance and support. The goal is to balance the creation of affordable housing for

students with the need to be responsible neighbors to the current residents of the McClellan Apartments.

The district is currently in escrow for and conducting due diligence on the McClellan Apartments, with an anticipated closing date of July 2025. While the sale has not yet been finalized, due diligence is underway, including assessments of the property’s environmental and geotechnical conditions.

Once the district assumes ownership, it is anticipated that renovations and modernizations will begin, with students potentially able to move in as early as the fall semester of 2025.

Between now and July 2025, the district will:

• Continue due diligence on the property.

• Work with a small task force to develop internal policies, board policies, and administrative procedures related to student housing.

• Finalize property management arrangements for the day-to-day operation of the site.

• Key considerations for the student housing policies include:

• Priority criteria for student applicants (e.g., low-income status, residency status).

• Cost structure for students, with an estimated rate of $1,000 per bed, which includes utilities and Wi-Fi.

• Transportation and shuttle services will also need to be addressed in preparation for the opening of the housing complex.

The district is committed to keeping the community informed throughout the process and has made the PowerPoint PDF available on the College Council website for distribution to faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. College Council members are encouraged to share the information within their divisions and departments to ensure broad awareness of the project and its impact.

The district is making significant progress in the acquisition of the McClellan Apartments and the development of affordable student housing. However, many details remain to be worked out, including finalizing the purchase, working with current tenants, and establishing the operational framework for the housing complex. The College Council will continue to be updated as the project moves forward.

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President's Update 

The President provided an update on the ongoing efforts regarding the Sanctuary District Resolution. The task force has been working diligently on drafting the resolution, and it is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Trustees at the April 7th meeting.

Key points include:

• Foothill College and De Anza College have collaborated on this initiative, with Dennis, Luca, and other members contributing to the draft.

• The task force has finalized the Whereas and Resolved sections of the resolution.

• The Board of Trustees has been supportive, and the Chancellor provided additional time for the resolution's approval process.

• The resolution aims to establish the district as a sanctuary, ensuring a safe environment for all students, staff, and faculty.

Dr. Torres thanked Foothill College, especially President Kristina Whalen, for their partnership in this initiative.

Dr. Erik Woodbury emphasized the importance of the task force’s work and expressed confidence that the resolution would move forward smoothly.

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Dr. Torres shared an update on the Medical Center's potential location on campus and ongoing discussions with the county.

Key points include:

• DASG and faculty representatives, led by Luca and Dennis, have advocated for the flea market's location, which may be impacted by the Medical Center's development.

• The group proposed moving the Medical Center closer to the tail end of Lot B (and closer to Lot C), which would cause less disruption than the originally planned location.

• The County has been notified of these concerns and urged to consider these adjustments, stressing that they reflect the community's needs and desires.

• Luca and Dennis discussed the ongoing efforts to advocate for the flea market.

Dr. Torres expressed gratitude to Lydia Hearn, Anita Muthyala-Kandula, and the healthcare faculty for their timely responses and feedback, ensuring the proposed site works for both academic and community needs.

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Dr. Torres announced that De Anza College has been accepted into the State Chancellor's Office Strategic Enrollment Management Program for the 2025-2026 cohort.

Dr. Torres congratulated Dr. Mallory Newell, Lydia Hearn, Patty, Guitron, Dr. Erik Woodbury, Sam Bliss, and others involved in this successful application. The team will be working on strategic enrollment management to enhance future planning efforts, with contributions from both administrative staff and faculty.

Lydia Hearn provided an update on the spring quarter enrollment process. The College has implemented several changes to improve the system, and the enrollment process has seen positive results so far.

A new vendor has been contracted to assist with enrollment processes. Feedback on the system has been positive, and there have been minimal complaints during the fall and winter registration periods.

However, in late February and early March, an issue arose where certain student IDs were incorrectly flagged as returning students.

After reviewing the data, it was discovered that the issue was linked to stolen data, and the problem was quickly addressed by the team.

The College has implemented better security measures to avoid any future issues.

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Dr. Torres introduced an opportunity for the College to apply for the Vision Align Reporting Project Team for a year-and-a-half-long project starting in 2025.

Dr. Torres encouraged the team to apply for the project, which would help with data assimilation and the application of data for future planning.

Dr. Newell, Hearn, and the senior leadership team have already begun discussing how to divide the work between the Strategic Enrollment Management team and the Vision Align Reporting team to avoid overlap and ensure success.

Dr. Torres emphasized the importance of capitalizing on opportunities like this and reiterated the importance of the ongoing projects. He also reminded the group of the next scheduled meeting and the need to continue engaging with all stakeholders as these projects move forward.

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Preparations for Spring Quarter and Fraudulent Enrollments

Hearn provided an update on the spring quarter enrollment process, stating that this year has been much smoother compared to the previous year.

Winter quarter registration went smoothly, with minimal complaints about fraud or other issues. This improvement was attributed to the registration changes made in the previous months, which were tested and fine-tuned since August 2024.

In late February and early March, unusual activity was detected. After evaluation, it was found that some criteria in the system related to new student applications had inadvertently flagged non-new students. This led to some unexpected enrollments.

It was discovered that some students' IDs had been compromised and used to fraudulently create accounts and register for classes. These compromised IDs, fraudulent registrations were identified early, and the team acted quickly to address the issue.

There were 300 Accounts Identified across Foothill and De Anza Colleges flagged as potentially compromised. Of these, 77 accounts had registered for classes. These students were immediately dropped from their courses and placed on hold.

• 882 Accounts Disabled: A total of 882 accounts were disabled, with 36 of them being inactive before March 11, 2024.

• From March 11, 2024, an additional 27,212 accounts were created but never logged in. These accounts were also disabled to prevent further fraudulent activity.

While many of these accounts were fraudulent, some may belong to legitimate students. The college is in the process of verifying these students' identities. Faculty members have been instrumental in identifying suspicious activity in their classes. The college is working closely with these students to verify their information.

Hearn emphasized that the spring 2025 enrollment is now fully legitimate, with no further fraudulent registrations expected. The enrollment team has worked aggressively to restore figures to levels seen in 2017-2018.

As of the most recent data, the college is down by 0.9% in enrollment, a significant improvement from the earlier 4.5% drop. This trend is considered positive, and the college expects to increase enrollment by 3% after census based on historical data.

Member inquired about the sudden drop in Foothill’s enrollment and if fraudulent activity was affecting their numbers similarly to De Anza. Nazzy confirmed that the fraudulent registrations were more prevalent at Foothill, with about 700 accounts identified at De Anza and the remainder at Foothill.

It was suggested that in-person instructors be reminded to check in on students who do not attend the first day or respond to requests for information, a practice that would help ensure students’ engagement and authenticity.

Another member asked about the impact of this year’s enrollment push on the district’s enrollment for the next academic year and whether this would affect the college's enrollment strategy for the 2025-2026 academic year. Hearn mentioned that the district would be meeting soon to discuss the tentative budget for 2025-2026. Information on expected Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES) and other budget considerations will be shared after this meeting.

The district plans to assess enrollment patterns and adjust strategies for growth, especially in specific categories based on demand and funding.

A question was raised regarding how the college handles undocumented students who do not wish to verify their accounts in person. Nazzy explained that the college offers several ways for students to verify their identity remotely. Students can use Zoom sessions to verify their identity without needing to come to campus. Detailed instructions are provided for students who need assistance in enabling their accounts.

There were questions about the long-term impact of the enrollment efforts and how the college plans to adjust its strategies for 2025-2026, specifically regarding summer enrollments and the overall district enrollment strategy. Hearn stated that discussions about the budget and enrollment strategies will begin soon with the district office. The district will conduct a thorough analysis of enrollment trends and develop a strategy for growth based on data and demand. The focus will be on strategically adding courses in areas with the highest demand and available funding.

Hearn emphasized the importance of creating a strategic enrollment management plan for the future. The plan will involve breaking down enrollment data over the past three years and examining trends for each term (summer, fall, winter, spring). This will help identify where additional classes are needed and where growth should be prioritized.

Moving forward, the college will adopt a more strategic approach to scheduling, looking at program maps, guided pathways, and completion goals. This data-driven strategy will help ensure that the college is offering the right courses in the right disciplines to meet student needs and maximize funding.

The enrollment team will continue to work with ETS to address any remaining fraudulent activity and ensure the security of student accounts.

Additional information on enrollment strategies and budget planning will be shared at the next College Council meeting.

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Highlights from Report Out

Please read and share with your constituents.

• Academic Senate provided updates regarding their recent meeting and the exciting celebrations coming up. The updates are available for reference.

• Classified Senate Update: Dennis Shannakian shared updates on their ongoing work.

• Equity Action Council Update: Michelle Hernandez provided important updates on their initiatives and progress.

• Innovation Grants Reminder: A reminder was made to encourage everyone to apply for the Innovation Grants. Please refer to the full details and application instructions.

The Equity Rubric group is in the process of bringing the equity rubric to various campus constituency groups, including Classified Senate, DASG, and others. A meeting with these groups is expected to take place in May. The College Council will discuss these efforts at the May meeting, after further discussions with key leaders like Cynthia and Shaila.

The next meeting will also include additional enrollment updates, which will be discussed in more detail in the upcoming April meeting.

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Good of the Order

• Open House Reminder: This year, the event is being expanded to focus more on recruitment. Hearn will provide further details about this new approach. The event will feature showcases from various instructional areas to give students not just an overview of offerings but also hands-on, interactive activities. Faculty have responded quickly, with multiple showcasing events already confirmed. Additionally, classified staff are encouraged to participate in the event. There will be more volunteer opportunities, and specific areas like CTE have expressed interest in helping with the event.

• The addition of the showcase to the Open House is seen as a positive change, with plans to also maintain parent sessions. The goal is to continue improving the event for next year based on feedback and observations from this year’s event.

There was a call for feedback from all members regarding the College Council meetings. The leadership encourages open communication, and members are invited to share their thoughts, whether directly to the chair or anonymously. This will help improve the structure and content of future meetings. 

Council members were reminded to communicate updates from College Council to their respective teams and constituencies. The goal is to ensure transparency and keep everyone informed about important developments and initiatives.  

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The meeting was adjourned.