Intent to Raise QuestionsResponses to questions from September 8, 2015

Ivona G.: Parking

I. Grzegorczyk: concern over faculty not being able to find parking, especially lecturer faculty not here full-time. Can we have designated faculty spots in the new lot?

Response from John Reid, Chief of Police:

J. Reid: The administrators responsible for parking services on campus do recognize that affordable and available parking for all CI affiliated persons is an important issue.  I am currently looking at some short-term strategies to improve parking availability within the SH2 parking lot for lecturer faculty.  I’ll be able to report on progress in November.  In an effort to come up with a long-term strategy the campus is currently negotiating the scope of work statement for a transportation and parking demand management study to be conducted by a third party consultant.  The goal of this study will be to identify substantive parking and alternative transportation strategies and/or alternatives.

J. Elliott: Inquiry on University Committees

J. Elliott: Please clarify the process on how university committee membership is assigned – are these positions President-appointed?

J. Elliott: Website

J. Elliott: The current CI website reads like an advertisement and lacks important information and is nowhere near comprehensive.  For example, profiles of faculty are minimal and were supposed to be changed semester-by-semester but new profiles are not being created in a timely fashion.  (I and another math faculty member expressed interest in having profiles of ourselves but nothing ever came of this.)  Also, it seems like we are trying to "sell" CI too hard---the advertisement feel seems too unacademic.  Is there a way the information can be made far more dynamic and less advertisement-y, or else can we please return to the previous format where rather than small snapshots of information being provided there is at least some effort at being comprehensive?

Response from Michael Berman, VP for Technology & Communications:

M. Berman: After broad campus consultation in 2012, which included presentations at the Academic Senate as well as a number of other venues, CI determined that attracting prospective students would be the number one priority for the CI web site.  The CI web site IS an advertisement for the University; it is critical that CI communicate effectively to meet our institutional goal (and corresponding web site goal) which is to help increase enrollment.  The CI web site is also a work in progress, so if there is important information that is missing, please bring it to T&C's attention by reporting it to the T&C Help Desk or a T&C manager. We want the CI web site to be as comprehensive as possible while keeping it concise and user-friendly.

Response from M. Berman, continued (2/3):

M. Berman: While we do have a commitment to refreshing the faculty profiles, we’ve been unable to keep up with the pace of replacing them every semester. However, the next batch is about half done and I expect they will be posted before the end of this semester (yours is on the list for the profiles currently in production).

Response from M. Berman, continued (3/3):

M. Berman: As mentioned above, the top priority is attracting new students. Based both on our research and on the growth in applications, we believe that we have been successful in our goal, although we’re constantly trying to refine and improve the effectiveness of the site. As far as being comprehensive - generally, all the content that was on the old site is still there unless it was out of date. If you can help us understand the kind of information that you believe is missing, please let us know and we’ve try to provide it or make it easier to find.

J. Elliott: Information request for leased car lot in University Glen

J. Elliott: Please provide an explanation of what is currently going on with the car lot in University Glen; there are general safety concerns from residents of the University Glen, who were not informed of their placement.

Response from Erik Blaine:

E. Blaine: In response to your concern, President Rush asked staff to provide a 30-day notice to the leasee to have the cars removed from the Phase 2A/B site. Complete removal of the cars should be done by mid-October.

K. Leonard: Train

K. Leonard: noted that on three occasions the train is leaving as the bus is pulling up – would be great to request that an overlap time be in place for these.

Response from A. Bonfilio, Program Mgr., VCTC:

A. Bonfilio: Regarding the question of picking up passengers once the bus has physically left the platform (the Metrolink bus pad):

Technically we are never to pick up or drop off at locations not designated as bus stops, this includes from within a parking lot, at a stop light or other location nearby a bus stop – like a few feet away from the curb once the bus pulls out.  However like all rules there are exceptions for safety.  That is, from time to time a bus stop may become inaccessible due to hazards and access issues could be presented, in which case a driver is to use their best judgement regarding where it is safe to pick-up or drop off.  We also have ADA requirements that impact where a bus can safely pull over.

Generally speaking, Roadrunner instructs drivers that once they have pulled away, by opening the door they invite a hazard, and the resulting incident is a preventable accident.  And the key to safety of course, is to prevent the unsafe behavior.   So to avoid hazards and unforeseen risk, we avoid in-street pickups, even if we are stopped at the light before exiting a parking lot. Which is often the case at the Metrolink station because of the logistics of maneuvering in and out of there.

Response from A. Bonfilio, continued (2/3):

Regarding the schedule itself, we are always looking to improve connections, whether we are feeding-to or collecting-from another transit operator, including rail.  We will continue to review what kind of modifications could be made. It would be helpful to know what train your faculty, Ms. Leonard rides, and what her direction of travel is.  It would be good to know more about her future transit needs, and if there are others out there like her.

Specifically regarding one of the experiences noted below, (the bus that departed and denied Ms. Leonard at 10:29 AM), it would appear our driver left early.  They are not supposed to depart until on the hour, or 30 minutes past.  Without a date to investigate, it is tough to discipline, but we will reiterate the importance to our drivers so they do not strand people.

Response from A. Bonfilio, continued (3/3):

In order to change the schedule we would need to look at the current class start times, survey the current riders, understand the relationship of the train times and who is riding and where from, as well as look at the Gold Coast service in Oxnard to avoid unintentionally losing the connection with their system, which averages about 600-1000 CSUCI pass user trips per month. That does not include the patrons who pay cash to transfer to VISTA onto the C-street route.

All this being said, drivers will be notified that if a train is arriving it would be greatly appreciated if they could hold as long as reasonably possible to ensure a transfer occurs.

K. Leonard: University Police Policy on Racial Profiling

K. Leonard: What is the University Police policy on racial profiling? What are the police doing to make sure that people of color do not feel disproportionately targeted by police action in U Glen?

Response from John Reid, Chief of Police ( 1/5):

J. Reid: Our Policy statement clearly indicates the department’s commitment to “provide law enforcement to our community with due regard to the racial and cultural differences of those we serve.” It is both our policy and practice to provide law enforcement services and to enforce the law equally and fairly without discrimination towards any individual(s) or group because of their race, ethnicity or nationality, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Response continued… (2/5)

Each one of our police officers is introduced to this policy and practice during their first twelve (12) weeks of employment. During that time they are required to satisfactorily complete a comprehensive orientation and training program specifically focused on policing the CI campus. This field training program is facilitated by mentoring police officer, supervised by a police sergeant, and administered by a police lieutenant.

Response continued… (3/5)

The California Commission of Peace Officer Standards and Training mandates that each police officer complete thirty two (32) hours of basic training in Cultural Diversity and Awareness of Disabilities topics when enrolled in a basic academy, five (5) hours of Racial Profiling: Issues and Impact training post basic academy, and eight (8) hours of Racial Profiling Refresher training every five years in order to keep current with changing racial and cultural trends. Our staff are compliance with these standards.

Response continued… (4/5)

In addition to this required training I have attended the two day Tools for Tolerance for Police Command Staff training program at the Museum of Tolerance, a Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum, in Los Angeles.

At the end of each year I conduct a review of any public concerns (complaints filed, survey results, anecdotal information) and determine if there is a need to review UPD’s efforts to prevent bias based profiling. In the more than nine years that I have been here we have had two inquiries into the actions of our officers that questioned the presence of discrimination and bias.

Response continued… (5/5)

Both of those incidents were reviewed and a preponderance of evidence to suggest discrimination or bias based policing did not exist. We have completed four (4) campus climate surveys over the last nine years and they have not revealed any negative concerns about our officers and their ability to provide law enforcement services with due regard to the racial and cultural differences of those we serve.

I am, nonetheless, concerned about a statement that persons of color do not feel welcome in University Glen. As you know, I’ve lived in there for nine years and I don’t have that same perception. I am eager to get to the bottom of this issue.