[*A portion of this meeting is without audio*]
[00:02:32]
SO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM OUR CHANCELLOR WHOSE LAST
[5. Chancellor and Board Announcements]
MEETING AS CHANCELLOR HAPPENS TO BE TODAY.>> THAT'S RIGHT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
IT WAS FEBRUARY 26, 8 YEARS AGO THAT WAS MY FIRST DAY WITH THE AS CHANCELLOR OF DALLAS COLLEGE AND OF COURSE MARCH WOULD HAD BEEN MY FIRST BOARD MEETING SO I GUESS THIS IS APPROPRIATE TO ROUND IT OUT AND IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN BEING IN THIS ROLE WITHOUT QUESTION THE HIGH POINT OF MY CAREER.
AND LARGELY IT IS BECAUSE OF THE GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP, THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN COMMON GOALS WITH MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, A GREAT LEADERSHIP TEAM.
OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP OVER THE YEARS.
SO, IT'S TRULY BEEN AN HONOR AND AS I'VE REFLECTED ON THIS.
AND A LITTLE OF THIS WILL BE OUT -- I COULD NOT HELP BUT GO BACK IN MY MIND AND REFLECT ON A DAY IN 1978 WHEN I HAD THE PLEASURE TO WALK ON TO THE CAMPUS OF CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE DURING ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION.
AND THE CHANCE TO FOR THE FIRST TIME REALLY GET TO UNDERSTAND COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE STUDENTS WE SERVE AND THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY AND THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE ON LIVES.
AND THOSE STUDENTS THAT I HAD IN THE CLASSROOM LITERALLY CHANGED MY CAREER TRAJECTORY AS I LOOKED AT WHAT I COULD DO TO HELP THEM FULFILL THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN LIFE.
AND KNOWING THAT ALSO WE HAD SUCH INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AT THAT TIME CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE THAT CARED SO MUCH ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THOSE SUPPORTING AND MEETING THOSE NEEDS.
NOW IT'S BEEN 44 YEARS AGO AND THE FACES HAVE CHANGED FOR THE MOST PART.
OVER THE YEARS -- BUT THE COMMITMENT, THE ATTITUDE, THE DEDICATION IS I THINK
[00:05:02]
EVEN GREATER IN MANY WAYS TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE UNDERSTAND TODAY THAT WHAT WE DO IS REALLY IMPORTANT -- IN 1978 IT WAS ESSENTIAL AND TODAY FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR OUR EMPLOYERS FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.AND AS I WAS THINKING BACK THERE IS A LOT.
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD THE AMAZING JOB OF OUR FACULTY I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT THAT WORK AS WELL AS OUR LEADERSHIP.
BUT YOU KNOW I WAS THINKING BACK HONESTLY IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME AT THAT MEETING THAT WE WOULD CONSOLIDATE INTO DALLAS COLLEGE I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED YOU AT THAT.
I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE IDEA THAT WE COULD HAVE PASSED A BILLION DOLLAR BOND AND HAVE 71% SUPPORT OF THE VOTERS THAT WERE OUT THERE.
I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE IDEA THAT WE COULD HAVE SCALED WHAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID ARE UNSCALABLE WITH HIGH SCHOOLS AND EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE HAVING TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST IN THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE THAT MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT OUR STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES NEED.
BUT NONE OF THAT IS DONE ALONE AND BOARD, YOU'VE GOT DR. JESS.
WHO WILL BE FOLLOWING IN THIS ROLE.
WILL LEAN ON YOU FOR THE SAME TYPE OF SUPPORT.
THE ABILITY TO REALLY THINK OUT LOUD AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS THAT ARE REALLY GETTING IN THE WAY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVING THAT TYPE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WANT.
I RECALL THRUST EASE COMPTON -- YOU WERE AT THAT FIRST PLANNING MEETING WHERE WE LAID OUT I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT INCOME DISPARITY AND EQUITY WOULD BE DRIVERS.
THAT WE WANTED TO BE SURE THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND I THINK AS WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THESE OTHER EFFORTS P-TECH, THE BOND PROGRAM.
OUR INVESTMENT HAS BEEN WITH THAT END IN MIND.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WE'VE LAID THE GROUNDWORK.
AND IN MANY WAYS I THINK IT'S JUST BEGINNING.
THERE IS WORK THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE BUT EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO AS WE MEET THE NEEDS OF BOTH OUR COMMUNITY, EMPLOYERS AND CERTAINLY MORE IMPORTANTLY THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE THROUGH OUR CLASSROOM AND THROUGH THE QUALITY INSTRUCTION THAT WE PROVIDE.
SECONDLY I WANT TO STAND HERE AND LOOK YOU DIRECTLY IN THE EYE, NOT SIDEWAYS -- OFFER THE MOST SINCERE THANKS AND GRATITUDE FROM THIS BOARD AND THIS COMMUNITY FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE AS CHANCELLOR.
NOW YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE CHRONICLED.
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR TOP 10 LIST BUT MY TOP THREE WOULD BE THE --
[00:10:08]
WHAT PUT TOGETHER -- THERE IS NOTHING ELSE LIKE THIS IN THE COUNTRY.THERE IS A LOT MORE TO DO BUT THANKS TO YOU WE'RE ON A PATH TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS.
I ALSO REFLECT ON THIS OCCASION ON SOME OF THE LESS VISIBLE ASPECTS OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
IT'S BEEN FUN TO GET ON-BOARD AND LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN A LITTLE BIT AND EXPRESSED HERE NOT ONLY AT DALLAS COLLEGE BUT ALSO IN 44 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AT A VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONS AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOVEMENT.
AT YOUR CORE, SIR YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN AND YOU'VE BROUGHT THAT WELCOMED EXPERIENCE TO DALLAS COLLEGE AND SERVING OUR STUDENTS.
WHILE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY MOMENT TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL I'VE OBSERVED THE DEEP RESPECT AND APPRECIATION THAT YOU HAVE FOR THE ROLE OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF.
AND YOU HAVE MET WITH MANY OF US.
YOU'VE HELPED US TO BE BETTER AT OUR JOBS AND REMIND US IT TAKES A TEAM TO DO WHAT WE DO.
YOU'RE A THOUGHT MAKER FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOVEMENT IN OUR REGION AND STATE AND COUNTRY AND THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP OF NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVES TEXAS COMMISSION OF PUBLIC -- BEING AN EXAMPLE THAT WE HEARD ABOUT TODAY YOU HAVE HELPED SHAPE THE AGENDA AND BUILD THE REPUTATION AND INFLUENCES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THEY SEE IN YOU WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW.
YOU ARE A VERY SPECIAL LEADER.
IN CLOSING I'VE BEEN IMAGINING IF THERE IS JUST A WORD OR TWO THAT COULD SUMMARIZE YOUR CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT IN CONTEXT OF THE DISTINGUISHED LINE OF CHANCELLORS THAT PRECEDED YOU.
AND I CAME UP WITH A WORD HUMANITARIAN.
EDUCATOR, ADMINISTRATOR, LEADER AND SO FORTH.
SOMEONE WHO -- HAVING CONCERN FOR OR HELPING TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE AND HAPPINESS OF PEOPLE.
YOU'RE A HUMANITARIAN AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU FOR YOUR TIME AMONG US.
WE WISH YOU AND JEAN THE BEST OF LUCK IN THIS NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE.
>> I'D LIKE TO ADD MY COMMENTS AND DITTO EVERYTHING THAT CHAIR RITTER SAID.
I REMEMBER OUR FIRST STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING WHERE I WAS SHOCKED WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAD PUT BEFORE US BECAUSE NOBODY HAD EVER BEFORE AND AGAIN THIS IS YOUR VERY FIRST MEETING WITH US WHERE YOU TOLD US DALLAS WAS THIRD HIGHEST IN POVERTY IN THE NATION.
I COULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE SEE AROUND US.
A LOT OF GROWTH AND JOBS ETC. O BY PROVIDING US THAT INFORMATION YOU ALLOWED THE BOARD TO SET PRIORITIES THAT WOULD HELP FOCUS ON THAT AND A LOT OF THOSE PRIORITIES ARE STILL THERE IMPACTING -- INCOME DISPARITY BEING ONE OF THOSE.
WE CHARGED YOU WITH INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DUAL CREDIT COURSES THAT WE OFFER IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND YOU TOOK THAT AND TOOK IT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
NEVER DID I IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE P-TECH OR EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS IN ALL
[00:15:02]
OF DALLAS ISD SCHOOLS AND I DON'T KNOW IN HOW MANY OTHERS.I THINK WE'RE IN 73 SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW.
YOU WENT WAY BEYOND WHAT HIDDEN VISIONED.
I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE OTHER TRUSTEES BUT GIVING A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO STUDENTS IN THOSE SCHOOLS CERTAINLY FOR DALLAS ISD MOSTLY FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS.
FROM FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS GONE TO COLLEGE BEFORE AND JUST REALLY CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF THE LIVES NOT ONLY FOR THOSE STUDENTS BUT FOR THEIR FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE THE FIRST COLLEGE EDUCATED PERSON IN THE FAMILY IT GREATLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THAT OTHERS IN THE FAMILY WILL ALSO BECOME COLLEGE EDUCATED AND IT IS GENERATIONAL.
ALLOWING THEM TO GET THOSE TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE WITHOUT PAYING A DIME IN TUITION OR BOOKS.
YOU HELPED US TO TRULY FULFILL OUR MISSION.
A COUPLE OF WHAT HE MENTIONED.
DALLAS PROMISE ALSO A TOTAL GAME CHANGER.
CERTAINLY DALLAS COLLEGE I KNOW IT TOOK YOU A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET THERE.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF US THAT HAD TO POINT THESE THINGS OUT BUT IN TERMS OF WHY WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO BECOME ONE BUT WHEN YOU SAW THE NUMBERS OF THE MOTIVATED STUDENTS THAT COULDN'T GET THEIR ASSOCIATES BECAUSE THEY WERE SHOPPING AROUND FOR WHEN THE CLASSES THAT THEY NEEDED TO FINISH THEIR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE WAS AT DIFFERENT CAMPUSES.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE 25% OF THEIR CREDIT FROM ONE COLLEGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION FOR YOUR INNOVATION AND ALSO FOR YOUR COURAGE.
THERE WERE SOME GREAT CHANGES MADE AT THIS INSTITUTION WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD WHEN YOU PUT THE DATA BEFORE US AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT I THINK PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND.
THEY THINK IN TERMS OF THESE TREMENDOUS CHANGES THAT YOU MADE YOU MADE THAT DECISION ALL BY YOURSELF.
IT WAS DATA DRIVEN AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BOARD AND LAID THE CASE OUT A VERY WELL MADE CASE WE SAID GO AHEAD.
YOU DIDN'T OPERATE IN A VACUUM AND IF YOU DID YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE.
BUT AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH AND ON YOUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY -- YOU HAD A SLOGAN WHERE YOU SAID EVERY STUDENT EVERY PLACE EVERY TIME AND THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER.
TO TRULY TRANSFORM LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION.
IT HAS TO BE EVERY STUDENT, EVERY PLACE EVERY TIME.
IT IS MY HOPE WITH WHAT YOU STARTED IT WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION.
>> GO DOWN THE LINE AND GET THE YOUNG GUYS.
>> NUMBER ONE I WANT TO REQUEST THAT WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I WAS NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING THROUGH HERE BECAUSE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE AS CHANCELLOR JOE, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN -- YOU'VE INITIATED SOME THINGS THAT I BELIEVE HAVE BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL FOR OUR COLLEGE DISTRICT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS MARRED YOUR TENURE FOR ME IS SOMETHING LIKE AGENDA ITEM 6.3.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP OVER THE YEARS IT COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED UNLESS THERE WAS SOME BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE WILLING TO BE A PARTY TO IT.
AND THERE IS SOME PEOPLE, THEY UNDERSTAND, I THINK THEY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT THAT THIS IS NOT A CORPORATE BOARD.
AND NO ONE TRUSTEE HAS ANY MORE AUTHORITY OR SAY SO THAN ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING TO DO OR TRYING TO DO TO ME.
IT'S THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT SPELLED OUT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END AND PUT
[00:20:05]
FORWARD TO ALL TRUSTEES SO THEY COULD PROVIDE THEIR INPUT.THIS RESOLUTION I HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I EXPECT SOME TIME TODAY BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS 4:00 MEETING THAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT IT AND ASK FOR THEIR INPUT AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY AGREED ON IT.
SO, THAT IS WHY I WAS JUST WAITING UNTIL WE GOT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA TO ASK FOR THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WE COULD DISCUSS THAT PARTICULAR ITEM BEFORE I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE WHEN IT FIRST CAME UP ABOUT YOUR CONTRACT AND DR. -- CONTRACT I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE A SUPPLEMENT TO THAT.
AND MY FIRST THOUGHT WELL THIS IS WHAT THEY INTENDED TO DO ALL ALONG.
BECAUSE I'VE HAD -- THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION AND I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY ASK ME WELL IS DR. -- THE CHANCELLOR -- BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE THINKING HE WAS THE CHANCELLOR RIGHT NOW? WELL IN THE PRESENT TIME EVER SINCE THAT WAS DONE.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCELLOR AT A TIME.
HIS CONTRACT DOESN'T KICK IN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST.
NOW I'M SEEING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHERE I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AND I UNDERSTAND THE TRANSITION PERIOD AND SO FORTH AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
WE DO NEED A CHANCELLOR AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A SECRETARY OF THE BOARD.
MY QUESTIONS COME IN ABOUT THE COMPENSATION AND WHAT IS SPELLED OUT IN THESE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.
HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT FOR YOU.
AND SO FORTH BUT I HAD TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST.
BECAUSE YOUR TENURE HAS BEEN MARRED BY INCIDENTS LIKE THIS WHERE I DIDN'T GET THE FULL STORY OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT BOTHERS ME.
>> THANK YOU, TRUSTEE COMPTON.
WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM 6.3 IN CLOSED SESSION PER YOUR REQUEST.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS HAVING OBSERVED JOE YOU WORKING WHEN I WAS IN THE BEST SOUTHWEST LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT WAS MY FIRST REAL INTRODUCTION IN TO OBSERVE WHAT DALLAS COLLEGE WAS REALLY ALL ABOUT AND WHAT IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO DO.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE HISTORY OR THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS YOUR PAST PERFORMANCE OR THE PAST ACTIVITIES BUT I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE BLESSED THE DISTRICT WITH AND THE COLLEGE WITH IS YOU PLANTED THE SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE WHICH TO ME IS OUR REAL RESPONSIBILITY AND I THINK YOU'VE HANDED US A GREAT CHALLENGE AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND SO FOR THAT IS WHAT I'M THANK TO YOU FOR.
ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FARE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[6. Consent Agenda]
INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 7.1? TALENT ITEMS?>> TRUSTEE FLORES MOVES AND TRUSTEE COMPTON SECONDS.
ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON 8.1 THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
[7. Individual Items]
>> NO COMMENTS ON THE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS? VERY GOOD.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS ITEMS THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE FOR DISCUSSION AND SPECIFICALLY AGENDA ITEM 6.3.
AND WE'LL RETURN AFTER DISCUSSION OF THAT ITEM.
[8. Informative Reports]
THAT WILL BE THE ONLY THING REMAINING TO VOTE ON TONIGHT AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY[9. Executive Session]
[00:25:23]
BUT THAT WILL BE THE ONLY ITEM THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED WHEN WE RETURN.WE'RE BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA
CHANCELLOR MAY HAD A COMMENT >> OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT EMPTY SEATS THAT DUE TO THE WORD OF INCLEMENT WEATHER WE'LL CANCEL CLASSES AND SHIFT TO REMOTE WORKFORCE IN THOSE DAYS AND THAT WILL -- ALLOW US TO ALIGN WITH THE ISD.
>> I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE -- ITEM 6.3.
[6.3.a. Adoption of Resolution Appointing Justin H. Lonon Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor During the Transition Period Between March 1, 2022 and August 31, 2022]
>> WE HAVE A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE COMPTON.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND >> SECOND FROM TRUSTEE WILLIAMS. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
YOU NOW BEAR THE TITLE OF CHANCELLOR OF DALLAS COUNTY.
THERE IS ANY OTHER BUSINESS? IF NOT WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.