The Board of Trustees met at Founders Hall for their regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 13 and discussed the ongoing construction to Hilmer Lodge Stadium, as well as other construction projects the school has planned. The minor capital improvement projects were estimated to be around $5 million.
Due to the recent events that have occurred in the parking lots, Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Management Gary Nellesen discussed that there will be security cameras added to the parking lots, and the school will eventually expand cameras all around the campus to ensure safety. 12 incidents have occurred in parking lots since the semester began.
Nellesen then presented information on restroom restoration, which will cost around $80,000.
He also explained small projects that would help improve the campus, such as planting evergreen trees on campus and along the sidewalks of Temple Avenue, and new classrooms costing around $1 million dollars.
Nellesen plans for a new project called the Temple Avenue Green Corridor that aims to increase the visual appeal around campus by planting Forest Pansy Redbud and evergreen trees along Temple Avenue.
The plans also indicate that new fencing will be constructed along Temple Avenue to improve aesthetics and the fields.
“Adding an iron fence to the baseball and soccer field can help save expenses up to 50 years,” Nellesen added.
Mt. SAC provided a presentation on the school’s current and future construction projects that included model blueprints of current construction plans to the Student Center and the parking structure being built in lot S.
“The parking structure is going well,” Nellesen said. “The S parking structure, the preliminary activities has started. We’re doing underground utilities relocating data and gas and chilled water in that area.”
The outcome of transferring students was also discussed at the meeting.
Counseling Dean Francisco Dorame provided the Board of Trustees with a report that broke down the total number of Mt. SAC students being accepted at CSU and UC systems with analysis that also showed acceptance rates among the different ethnic groups of students.
According to Dorame, the California State Universities system implemented “Graduation Initiative 2025” in 2015 to increase graduation rates, eliminate equity gaps and address the state’s workforce needs.
CSU admissions are focused on regional admissions by giving priority to their students based on GPA and major course completion, and the state’s economic stability has increased transfer admissions and enrollment in the CSU system.
UC President Janet Napolitano also established “Transfer Pathways” in 2015, which aligned all nine campuses’ major preparation courses. It was an effort to streamline majors across UC campuses, which gives students eligibility to multiple campuses in the UC system. Universities emphasize TAG applications and prioritize based on GPA and major preparation.
“Students should look at all options when applying,” Dorame added.
Dorame also discussed the Golden Blue Plan, which is financial aid support for students transferring to UC Irvine, UCLA and UC Riverside, and notified the board that Cal State LA has increased the GPA and overall requirements for community college transfers.
Associated Students and Academic Senate additionally voiced their support for DACA students and students using their preferred names.
Academic Senate Vice President Lance Heard announced their recent resolution regarding the use of preferred names on particular student identifications and added that the executive board voted unanimously to provide a letter of support for the students.
Associated Students President Jesus Garcia spoke about his fellow undocumented students. Garcia thanked the Board of Trustees and Mt. SAC for providing a safe space for undocumented students as the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on DACA draws closer.
The Board of Trustees will meet again at its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 11.
