Platform

Make the college more student-centered

Students need greater access to services such as tutoring, testing, developmental education, and counseling. The college should be properly staffed to maintain these services. The Board needs to respond to the district's changing demographics, enrollment trends, and student needs. The Board should work towards better affordability and access.

Heal wounds left after recent staff cuts and faculty attrition

COD needs consistent and sensitive leadership that will allow the staff to regain its footing after seventeen classified staff have been cut and full time faculty positions have been reduced.

Support academic quality

COD has a rigorous curriculum process for new courses and programs. Each of these programs is complex and deserves knowledgeable and experienced faculty leadership. The Board and Administration should recognize the professional expertise and academic freedom of the faculty. The Board should publicly endorse the nationally accepted statement on academic freedom by the American Association of University Professors.

Improve financial oversight and budgeting priorities

The Board should ensure that the college adheres to best practices of budgeting, bidding out contracts, and change orders. Current budgeting practices of under-estimating state allotments and other revenue sources while keeping disproportionately high fund balances should be discontinued. The Board should direct the administration to produce a budget that prioritizes the core mission of the college. If the college engages in a reduction in force, it should publicly declare that status using the AAUP's accounting criteria.

Increase state funding

The state has decreased funding for higher education. Currently, the college receives just over 8 percent of its revenue from the state, the rest coming from the district property tax levee and tuition. The college should work with the state to return its funding to an acceptable level.

Make decisions more open and collaborative

The Board should promote true dialogue, deliberation, and debate that takes place in the open. Constituents and stakeholders should be polled more consistently about their views prior to the Board making its decisions. The Board should ensure that all stakeholders have a seat at the table.

Improve shared governance and communication

The Board should let the administration and faculty do their job and trust their recommendations. Only if there is clear evidence that a recommendation is deeply flawed should the Board delve into the details. The Board should empower the Shared Governance Council to give meaningful feedback on policy revisions, deletions, or additions.

Refocus the Board on COD's mission and vision

One of the most clearly defined roles of a Board is to set the mission and vision of a college with its constituent college groups. The current mission statement of the college, while admirable, was crafted in a committee with little input from the faculty, staff, and Board. The Board should review the process to ensure greater ongoing involvement in forming the mission and vision from the college community and district community.

Strengthen the Board's ethics

The Board should ensure that its members' ethics are beyond reproach and that COD is a safe and equitable environment for all students, staff, faculty, and officials.