SPECIAL REPORT TO THE PUBLIC:
Geysil Arroyo
Trustee Geysil Arroyo thanked public commenters and stated she believes that the District is stronger together; she stressed the importance of having procedures in place for ICE incidents. She reported that she attended a restorative circle at Harbor View Campus and encouraged others to participate if they are able.
Mariah Jameson
Trustee Mariah Jameson welcomed Hiasnaia Agudelo Cano as a new student trustee. She acknowledged public comment and the difficult week following September 8 ICE attacks on City College students. She thanked President Ricky Shabazz for his steadfast leadership, including canceling his trip to Ghana to stay and support students affected by the incident.
Dr. Marichu Magaña
Trustee Marichu Magaña told the public she was distressed by the news of the ICE incident at City College and recognized that leadership and campus members prepared well ahead of it and knew what to do. She said she is proud of all the colleges, faculty, staff, and administration for their steadfast support of students and their safety. Trustee Magaña reported that she joined her granddaughter at a gymnastics class at the Miramar College Hourglass Field House and Gymnasium, a joint-use building with the City of San Diego and noted that the agreement with the City is outdated. She looks forward to new, updated buildings coming to campus to support the college's needs better.
Craig Milgrim
Trustee Craig Milgrim said he agreed with Academic Senate presidents who noted that faculty and classified professionals should be represented on every participatory governance group. He acknowledged the distressing ICE incident at City College and the successful communication process that took place that day. He said the incident is a reminder that no one is actually safe from federal government intervention.
Dr. Maria Nieto Senour
Trustee Maria Nieto Senour reported that she was distressed by the ICE incident at City College, with particular concern for Haitian students. She said she received an update from President Ashanti Hands regarding work to provide Muslim students with more halal options for meals and places for prayer. She also expressed support for employees who made public comments about public safety at City College.
Hiasnaia Agudelo Cano
Student Trustee Hiasnaia Agudelo Cano reported that City College held a Club and Resource Rush on August 31 and its first Associated Student Government meeting to swear in new students to the board and begin work to explore ways to get discounted MTS passes for students; Mesa College held its first Associated Students meeting on September 2, and a Black Student Meet & Greet resource fair on September 3; Miramar College has hosted two ASG meetings since the last board meeting, and has elected a full board of senators; and SDCCE held a restorative circle where the community was able to provide input on the permanent remaining of its Harbor View Campus.
Gregory Smith
Chancellor Gregory Smith reported that the president signed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, which included a moratorium on attempts to enact sweeping federal grant processes. He said that the San Diego Regional Housing Finance Authority was allocated $6.5 million in the California budget trailer bill, which will be added to donations from the Prebys Foundation to fund the launch of the agency, development of a housing plan, and bringing before voters a tax measure to build diverse, affordable communities at scale. He also reported on several bills headed to the governor’s desk, including: AB 664 (Alvarez) to authorize Southwestern College to offer three identified baccalaureate programs that duplicate some CSU programs; AB 2301 (Soria) to authorize 10 community college districts to offer nursing baccalaureate degrees; AB 1871 (Fong) to amend CCAP requirements for principal approval of student participation; AB 2121 (Berman) to allow districts to backfill cuts in federal DEI funds using general fund resources and exclude the backfill from 50% law calculations; AB 1728 (Alanis) to expand common course numbering in public safety programs; AB 2466 (Fong) to allow use of strong workforce consortia to use their funds for paid student internships; AB 623 (Arreguin) to allow California Promise Program enrollment fee waivers to students taking 9 or more units (down from 12); AB 2374 (Fong) to establish a state AANIPISI designation; and SB 1255 (Reyes) to establish a state HSI designation.
Chancellor Smith also reported that State Treasurer Fiona Ma visited Mesa College on September 3, and he thanked President Hands and others who helped make the day special and showcase the importance of our colleges. He noted that Ma is running for lieutenant governor, a position with a standing seat on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. He said it’s heartening to see she’s already taking an interest in the work being done at community colleges. He responded to public comments, noting that the District, for the first time in several years, received deferred maintenance funding and that HVAC repair and maintenance are at the top of the list; he also said safety discussions related to City College have been ongoing for a few months and that solutions are being discussed and prioritized. He reported that this week’s ICE incident was unacceptable and added that our campuses need to be the safest they can be and the District will continue to learn new ways to provide better safety. He acknowledged those at City College going above and beyond to support those recently affected. Chancellor Smith asked federal agents to stop conducting immigration enforcement near schools.
BOARD ACTIONS
At its regular meeting of September 10, 2026, which was conducted in-person, with online participation available, the Board of Trustees:
- Announced the following actions from Closed Session: the Board approved the termination of the employment of a regular academic employee at San Diego Mesa College, as required under Section 87732 of the California Education Code.
- Administered the Oath of Office to Student Trustee Hiasnaia Agudelo Cano (College of Continuing Education).
- Heard public comment from Marc Grabiel, who gave an update on the SPAA collective bargaining process; Monica Romero gave an update on the Management Association; 10 speakers from City College Facilities Services addressed the Board regarding campus safety concerns, including the need for additional College Police presence and security cameras; and student Chieftain who shared campus issues. City College Academic Senate President Nick Slinglend reported that the past few days have been hard at City College. He said the college has received some beautiful and strong responses, including a rally organized by students and faculty. He shared feedback from colleagues about the need to support students, including legal assistance for the student who was detained. He noted that many undocumented students really need our support and are afraid to come to campus, and emphasized the need to show them it is a safe place to be. He also heard from people that accuracy matters as stories are told. Mesa College Academic Senate President Mary Gwin shared that the first AS meeting is September 14 and a retreat is planned on September 18. She said faculty are looking forward to the upcoming campus budget meeting. She complimented City College President Ricky Shabazz for his message today and applauded him for saying that people have a right to be safe and have an education. She said what happened at City is scary for students, faculty, and everyone. She reported that Mesa College hosted an art gallery exhibition on September 9, and she participated in a welcoming event on September 10 for Hispanic Heritage Month. She acknowledged President Ashanti Hands for her continued commitment to supporting Hispanic students despite federal funding cuts. Miramar College Academic Senate President Rodrigo Gomez reminded people that the college will host its equity summit on October 2, and that the college is opening The Village, a new student space committed to belonging and student support. He reported that the AS held its first meeting of the year, including updates on Measure HH, campus culture, and a first reading of a resolution on agentic AI. He concluded by saying that the college’s student AI club is doing well. College of Continuing Education Academic Senate President Richard Weinroth said the HVAC systems are a real challenge. He thanked AS President Slinglend for mentioning the situation at SDCCE and the fear that exists among Haitian students. He said the District needs to address this in ways that go beyond words. He said a year ago he brought a topic to District Governance Council on participatory governance and the need for faculty representation on search committees. He said this continues to require attention. City College Classified Senate President Sean Ryan shared that at City College he is seeing a community of people coming together to do the right thing and what needed to be done; he said people have been reaching out to each other. He also said City College has had several health and safety incidents, particularly by Facilities employees, and that the Classified Senate stands by these employees. He said there is a smaller number of classified employees than other groups participating in conferences/travel, and that a districtwide classified retreat is planned. He reported that SDCCE’s classified senate adopted “Connected in Purpose” as this year's theme, and that the AS invites participation in renaming the Harbor View Campus.
- Conducted the first reading of revisions to Chapter 3–General Institutions and Chapter 5 – Student Services board policies, with approval to proceed with the next steps of review; adopted revisions to a Chapter 2 – Board of Trustees Board Policy, and approved the deletion of the District Governance Council procedure enacted in 2004 in light of the Council’s new bylaws.
- Adopted resolutions recognizing September 15 to October 15, 2026, as National Hispanic Heritage Month; recognizing October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Filipino-American History Month, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month; and in support of the Measure B “Protect San Diego County’s Health and Safety Act” on the November 2026 ballot.
- The Board conducted a public hearing and approved the SDCCD 2026-2027 Adopted Budget following a presentation from Vice Chancellor Daniel Troy. The District's total budget is $2,225,069,068, including $684,902,137 in General Fund Unrestricted and Restricted operational funds. Board members expressed appreciation that the planned budget adjustments ensure the budget is balanced. The budget had been thoroughly reviewed by the Board’s Budget Study and Audit Committee (Trustees Magaña and Milgrim).
- The Board authorized agreements with healthcare agencies for the use of clinical facilities by students enrolled in District health occupation programs.
- The Board accepted a grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy at San Diego Mesa College.
- The Board Awarded cooperative agreements with Sidepath for domain controllers and VMware ESXi physical host infrastructure; with Extreme Networks Inc. for Network Support Renewal to provide districtwide continued reliability, security, and lifecycle management of the District’s network infrastructure; ratified a change order to the Sourcewell Cooperative Agreement for Professional Services with Hyland Software, Inc. for optimization use of Perceptive in Finance and Business Services; and amended an award with Government Contract Solutions to extend the term of the original contract for the Measure HH Bond Contract Specialist through December 31, 2026.
- The Board ratified a two-year Inter-Jurisdictional Exchange (IJE) agreement with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office; and reformatted salary schedules for calendar year 2026 in accordance with CalPERS guidelines.
- The Board awarded a bid for the Continuing Education ECC – Ceramics Renovation and Addition to EC Constructors, Inc.
- The Board reviewed and ratified Emergency Actions taken to remediate water intrusion from a sink overflow in Room 301-lab in the MS Building at Mesa College; remediate water intrusion due to an angle stop on the third floor causing damage through to the first floor at the District Office; and to repair failed HVAC coils on the V-building at City College.
- Finally, the Board also approved purchase orders and contracts completed during August 2026; Measure HH Project Updates, notices to proceed, notices of completion, and change orders completed during August 2026; and various personnel actions including the certification of short-term personnel service effective on or after September 11, 2026.