The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees Chancellor Alberto J. Roman held his first meeting on Wednesday, May 7 as permanent chancellor, as the Board remembered the Holocaust, and addressed mental health issues.
Roman acknowledged the resolution commemorating Jewish American Heritage and Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“This is a celebration of the rich history, culture and contributions of Jewish Americans to our district, our state and our nation,” Roman said. “These days are not only about remembering the victims, honoring the survivors and paying tribute to the courage of those who resisted and those who helped.”
Donna Rae, on behalf of Teamsters Local 986, presented the resolution on mental health awareness in the meeting.
“Students and staff in the LACCD community navigate mental health challenges every day,” Rae said. “This resolution is for students who finally muster the courage to walk into a counseling office and for staff members who smile through their anxiety to keep our campuses running. Mental health is foundational to student success and worker well-being.”
Roman also expressed his gratitude to the board as he accepted his new position as chancellor of LACCD.
“I accept with grace, gratitude, and a clear sense of purpose,” Roman said. “We serve some of the most historically underrepresented communities in Los Angeles. I am going to continue to expand access opportunities, support our faculty and staff, foster inclusion, and ensure that our colleges remain welcoming environments for our students.”
Budget complications that have struck LACCD were also addressed, causing the board to reassess actions such as cutting classes and freezing staff hiring. President of AFT 1521A College Staff Guild Andrea Edwards raised the issue of classified employees involvement in budgetary conversations among the Board Budget Committee.
“We are your survey, treat us as such and allow that to be implemented in how you choose to make the decisions and in what department, in what staffing,” Edwards said. “I ask that in these times that are coming up, that we make a real concerted effort to really engage classifiers in what you’re doing when it comes to budgetary decisions. We are your experts, we can tell you what we’re seeing.”
Trustee Andra Hoffman discussed the issues of vacancies in positions that were brought up when examining a three-year projection at the Budget and Finance Committee meeting.
“When we look at our budgets and we look at trying to trim, we have to make sure we’re not trimming at the cost of not filling vacancies,” Hoffman said. “I work at a college and the first thing we do is try to get those vacant positions off the books, and that’s how we’re going to try to balance the budget, but some of those vacant positions are key and vital to the areas that serve students.”
Angela Johnson from Los Angeles City College raised issues about the confusion of journalism classes.
“They took the magazine class away, and now it’s offered once every two years,” Johnson said. “Students never got the notifications.”
Rocio Flores Huaringa, a former international student from Peru, requested the committee to fund the journalism program, emphasizing its crucial role in her academic journey.
“I had just recently moved to the U.S. from Peru, and Journalism 101 was one of the first classes that I took, and it really provided me with confidence,” Huaringa said. “I gained a lot of research skills, storytelling, and learned about ethical standards.”
Huaringa also shared how this program and her teacher helped her in her professional life.
“I work as a program manager, and I wouldn’t have been able to become this leader if I weren’t part of that journalism program,” Huaringa said. “The support of Professor Ron, I got a lot of one-on-one support from her and a lot of very critical feedback.”
The next Board of Trustees meeting will be on June 11 and is accessible on Zoom.
Elizabeth Tirheimer contributed to this story.
