Lynwood Rotary Meeting Update 02-18-2016

Daniel mentioned that Dr. Curry was a speaker at a Lynwood Rotary Club meeting about two years ago. Dr. Curry's power point presentation again provided the audience a detailed display of the financial and student performance data of the college. Attendees at the meeting were also provided a hard copy of the presentation.

School bonds approved by the voters within the Compton College District have provided the necessary financing for substantial repairs and upgrades to the infrastructure and buildings. The Compton College District encompasses the cities of Compton, Paramount and Lynwood. The college board member who represents most of Lynwood is Andre Ramos, who also has been a speaker at the Lynwood Rotary Club.

With respect to enrollment, the data presented shows that from the year 2010-2011, total enrollment was 16,189 students and for 2014-2015, enrollment had decreased to 12,161 students. However, in this same period the number of degrees awarded increased from 207 to 361 and the number of certificates increased from 55 to 104.

The strategic initiatives include the objective of attracting and retaining traditional students, and also focus on retaining non-traditional students. Dr. Curry mentioned that to meet the needs of many students, the college offers extensive classes at night and on weekends.

Another objective in the strategic initiatives is to establish faculty to faculty partnerships with K-12 feeder schools to better align curriculum between the two segments, and to improve student preparation. On that point, LUSD Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite, noted that he was representing LUSD Superintendent Paul Gothold, (who is a Lynwood Rotary member), and stated that the Lynwood school district is very involved in the coordination of Lynwood curriculum and student preparation with the academic programs and classes provided by the Compton College District.

During the time for questions, Rotary member Oliver Conner asked why and when the Compton College lost its accreditation and was taken over by El Camino College. Dr. Curry responded that it occurred in 2002 and was due to financial insolvency. The partnership agreement by El Camino Community College District with the Compton Community College District is to assist the El Camino College Compton Center with recovery and eventual accreditation, which could occur in 2017.

Before the speaker's presentation, Club President Martina Rodriguez mentioned that it is good that the Lynwood Unified School District and the Compton College District are working together to best serve the students from Lynwood. Daniel encouraged everyone to look at the photos he arrayed on a table for the Lynwood Rotary youthact clubs from Roosevelt and Helen Keller Elementary Schools whereby the club members and many of their parents participated in the feeding of the homeless project. (Each year, on one Saturday, the youth and parents provide food for 300 persons and serve the food in a warehouse in Long Beach. For a 3-4 month period, a homeless service organization picks up the homeless at Long Beach locations to spent the night on cots and to receive dinner and breakfast). Also Daniel noted that the scheduled ground breaking ceremony for a new development at Plaza Mexico for Sat, Feb 20 has been postponed. When there is a new date, Marisela Santana, Public Information Officer for the City of Lynwood will provide the information with flyers.

Daniel Miller / Omar Franco

Public Relations and Community Outreach for the Lynwood Rotary Club