Desert Community College District
Board of Trustees Meeting
CODAA Report
Mister Chair, Madam Superintendent/President, Members of the Board and College Community,
Registration for Summer and Fall went live online on May 9th, and CODAA wishes to compliment the Deans and Registrar’s Office on a balanced schedule that responds to the needs of students and our surrounding community. Although many adjuncts experienced a loss of sections and consequent reduction in income due to anticipated lower enrollment, we urge the Deans to be flexible and, when student’s demand warrants it, add more sections. Doing this will boost much-desired enrollment, as well as restore employment for part-time instructors.
As more students return to campus, the college has added many night sections, most of them taught by adjuncts. CODAA has recently received reports of alarming incidents of concern, that happened at night, and currently, there is no nighttime administrator present on campus to deal with such incidents. We recommend the college restore the presence of an administrative representative during night classes, as has been the practice in the past. Such an administrative presence will provide an immediate hands-on solution to academic and physical incidents of concern, and ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff. Adjunct instructors also report, over the last four weeks, an increasing number of students suffering from Covid, and also Long Covid, considered a disability by the Veteran’s Administration, and we urge the college to adopt a policy of accommodation for these students.
On April 28, Executive Vice President Christina Tafoya hosted a virtual meeting with part-time faculty and staff. She gave us important updates, answered questions, and welcomed the input from part-time employees on multiple construction projects under development. It was a great meeting! The majority of courses in the fields of hospitality and culinary arts, for example – and radio, film, and mass media — are taught by highly qualified and professionally experienced adjuncts. It was encouraging and refreshing for us to get to know Dr. Tafoya, and reassuring to realize that the college leadership team welcomes involvement from the faculty and staff who will be using the planned facilities. CODAA believes this faculty involvement is of critical importance and must continue. It is an example of how our institution can be inclusive, and statistical research shows that a diverse decision-making team makes smarter, better decisions. Involvement of faculty in facilities planning is an important step toward inclusion and diversity, equity, and parity.
Submitted respectfully,
Dr. Catherine Levitt, President of CODAA
