Chancellor’s Newsletter – November 2022

District Office News

Recruitment for the new permanent Chancellor is officially underway. The Chancellor Search Committee has been meeting on a monthly basis and will begin reviewing applications in January 2023. You can view the website entirely dedicated to the search, link here. 

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Woodland Community College News 

Congratulations to President Pimentel who was selected as one of the Sacramento Bee’s inaugural Top 25 Latino Change Makers! The Bee’s Equity Lab, in partnership with the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program, selected individuals in the region who are responsible for creating change and demonstrating leadership through their actions. This initiative follows the Sacramento Bee’s Top 25 Black and AAPI Change Makers. 

On November 7, Woodland Community College hosted a College and Transfer Fair at the Lake County Campus. The event was well organized and was a huge success for the college and community! There were over 20 colleges, universities, and businesses that participated in the event. The event was done in collaboration with the Lake County Office of Education, Konocti Unified School District, and the County of Lake.  

Save the Date!  

  • December 7: CARE Winder Celebration and CalWORKs Toy Drive, Community Room 800 
  • December 10: Woodland Community College will participate in the Woodland Holiday Parade which begins at 3:00 p.m. 

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Yuba College News 

On October 28, a group of professional staff at Yuba College organized and held the annual Trunk-or-Treat event. The event was well attended and offered a safe opportunity for trick or treating in our community. The Associated Students of Yuba College supported the event by hosting a movie night. 

On November 14, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month, Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nisenan Tribe and Executive Director of the California Heritage Indigenous Research Project presented on the Nisenan’s erasure from history. Ms. Covert shared a video and discussed the loss of federal recognition and the Tribe’s efforts to recover. 

Save the Date!  

  • December 9: Music Department Extravaganza, featuring Concert Choir and student soloists and ensembles at 7:00 p.m. located in the Theater. 
  • December 10: Yuba College will participate in the Olivehurst Christmas Parade which begins at 11:00 a.m. 
  • December 14: Nurse Pinning Ceremony at 3:30 p.m. 

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Fiscal Update 

The Resource Allocation Model (RAM) Working Group met twice in November and reviewed how the Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF) is allocated to the Community College Districts. There was also an overview of the 50% law and Full-Time Faculty Obligation Number (FON) compliance requirements and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) standards. There have been discussions regarding the expected model priorities and incentives including following the District’s policies and procedures, compliance with the mandates such as the 50% law and FON, etc. The RAM working group also reviewed five different resource allocation models from other districts and began discussions about the pieces that should be considered for the District’s RAM. 

Legislative Analyst’s Office Fiscal Outlook: 

1 Each November, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)—the California Legislature’s budget and policy advisor—issues its Fiscal Outlook report with an updated analysis of the state’s economic and budget condition, which has significant funding implications for public K-12 and community colleges. LAO’s 2023-24 Budget Fiscal Outlook  is concerning for the state and the national economy drive in large part by board, high, and persistent inflation despite efforts to tame spending. The LAO assumes the inflation is continuing to drag the state’s economy down, reducing the General Fund revenues significantly, but falls short of forecasting an economic recession. LAO projects that California faces a $25 billion budget deficit heading into the 2023-24 fiscal year with annual (but diminishing) deficits through their forecast period ending in 2026-27. They caution that their budget year forecast may underestimate the state’s budget problem if inflationary costs for all programs funded by the General Fund are accounted for (the LAO’s cost estimate only accounts for inflation for programs that have statutory cost adjustment mechanisms).  

1 If the state’s economy should go into a recession, the LAO notes that their forecasted budget deficit could worsen significantly. The Proposition 98 minimum guarantee is directly related to the overall health of the California economy, and particularly the performance of state revenues. Consequently, the LAO’s revised estimates for education funding are sobered by larger economic trends. In fact, revenues that affect the calculation of the minimum guarantee are now estimated to be over $15 billion below 2022-23 State Budget estimates for fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23. The downward revenue adjustments require corresponding adjustments to the minimum guarantee, although changing actual K-14 expenditures included in the 2022-23 Enacted Budget requires legislative action.  Reduced state revenues cause the LAO’s forecast of the minimum guarantee to grow at a slower rate than increases in student attendance and inflation.  Consequently, under the forecast, the LAO estimates that the state will be required to make withdrawals from the Proposition 98 reserve of $2.4 billion, $3.1 billion, and $2.8 billion in 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, respectively. These withdrawals offset reductions in the minimum guarantee; however, based on updated estimates, the Proposition 98 reserve would be depleted by 2025-26 (at which point the local K-12 district reserve cap would become inoperable) before beginning to be restored in 2026-27. 

1 Source: School Services of California LAO Issues Forecast for Economy and Education Funding 

Given the Department of Finance reductions in cash receipts in comparison to the state budget forecast and the concerning news about the LAO’s forecast for the state, there are some difficult times ahead for the District since the community college system is primarily funded from the State. LAO’s forecast anticipates a state deficit of $25 billion and does not anticipate an economic recession. Under this scenario, Prop 98 funding would fully withdraw the reserves in Prop 98 by 2025-2026. However, since their forecast does not anticipate recession, the Prop 98 reserves could be depleted sooner than 2025-2026 should there be a recession. 

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Mission Statement: Yuba Community College District provides all individuals in our diverse communities access to high-quality, affordable higher education that is responsive to student needs. Our mission is to inspire and advocate for student success through our passion and commitment to teaching, learning, and social justice. 

Vision: Our vision is to empower our students and strengthen our communities by providing equitable, student-centered learning opportunities.