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GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO OUR VIRTUAL EDUCATION TOWN HALL.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE NAVIGATE THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC AND AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE ARE KEEPING THE PROMISE.
A TOWN HALL ON EDUCATION PROGRAM WILL GRANT US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW OUR COMMUNITY CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER QUALITY EDUCATION TO OUR STUDENTS IN THE MIDST OF THE CORONA VIRUS, PANDEMIC AND BEYOND.
IT'S CRITICAL FOR ALL OF US HERE TODAY TO LEAN INTO OUR POSITIONS AS LEADERS AND TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
THIS WILL OF COURSE TAKE DETERMINATION AND INITIATIVE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP.
AS MAYOR PRESIDENT, I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE AND THE URGENCY OF DELIVERING QUALITY EDUCATION TO OUR STUDENTS.
IT ALLOWS NOT ONLY PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT BUT ALSO THE ADVANCEMENT OF OUR ENTIRE CITY AND PARISH AND OF COURSE TODAY IS NATIONAL TEACHER'S DAY, SO IT IS VERY FITTING THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ON TODAY.
FOR ME, TEACHERS INSPIRE US TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR LIVES, TO STRIVE TOWARDS OUR GREATEST GOALS AND DREAMS. TEACHERS LIKE MRS. GILL CHRIS WHO WAS MY SIXTH GRADE TEACHER AND THIS IS DOJO, MY THIRD GRADE TEACHER AND MR. CARTER.
AND UH, IT WAS JUST SO MANY, MANY THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MOLDING AND SHAPING, UH, THE PERSON THAT I AM, UH, TODAY.
AND SO OUR TEACHERS ARE STILL DOING THAT.
THEY ARE STILL, UH, HELPING OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR GREATEST GOALS AND DREAMS. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS OUT THERE.
TODAY'S DIALOGUE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF BATON ROUGE.
BEFORE WE BEGAN, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO CORONA QUESTIONS@BRLA.GOV THAT'S CORONA QUESTIONS@BRLA.GOV AS WELL AS TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
IF YOU'RE LOGGED IN TO WEBEX, PLEASE SELECT HOST TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION THROUGH THE Q AND A SESSION.
IF YOU'RE LOGGED IN TO WEBEX, PLEASE SELECT HOST TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION THROUGH THE Q AND A SESSION.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER WILL BE GIVING A BRIEF STATE OF EDUCATION IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, DR JOHANN UBIN IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PRIOR TO HIS CURRENT ROLE.
DOCTOR YOU'VE BEEN HAS WORKED ON IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION, ADULT EDUCATION AND CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION POLICY AND BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR FROM 2009 TO 2017 DR YOU'VE BEEN SERVED IN PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ADMINISTRATION AS THE EDUCATION ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL EXPERT GROUP ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND ADULT LEARNING.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO DR YUBAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
UM, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SOUND IS OKAY AND FOLKS CAN HEAR ME.
MMM, WELL MADAM MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR INVITING ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT LARGE TO THIS IMPORTANT TOWN HALL.
THANK YOU ALSO FOR INVITING ME AND FOR PROVIDING ME WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF THE LESSONS WE ARE LEARNING FROM OUR WORK WITH LOCAL LEADERS IN EDUCATION.
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I FEEL TRULY HUMBLED TO BE IN YOUR COMPANY AND IN THE COMPANY OF SUCH GREAT LEADERS INCLUDED INCLUDING DR BELTON FROM SEN UNIVERSITY, MR COLLAGEN AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, DR. SMITH FROM BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND MR. DRAKE SUPERINTENDENT AT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
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LONGTIME COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS, PHIL SMITH AND JOHN DANIELS FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP, WHICH STARTED MANY YEARS AGO WHEN KIM HUNTER REED, WHOM YOU ALL KNOW.WHEN I FIRST VISITED WITH OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD HEAR IN THE PARISH AND WHERE WE HELD A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP MEETING WITH LOCAL LEADERS, INCLUDING MANY OF YOU WHEN I WAS THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
NOW THESE ARE VERY UNCERTAIN TIMES GLOBALLY, DOMESTICALLY AND LOCALLY AND WHAT STARTED OUT AS A SINGLE INSTANCE OF THE CORONA VIRUS IN ONE REGION IN CHINA HAS NOW EVOLVED INTO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND CRISIS AFFECTING EVERYONE.
THE CORVETTE 19 PANDEMIC IS A GLOBAL ISSUE THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT OR ANTICIPATE.
THE VIRUS CAN AFFECT ANYONE AND CAN MAKE EVERYONE WHO HAS EXPOSED POTENTIALLY VERY, WE WERE NOT FULLY PREPARED FOR THIS OUTBREAK AND HAD NO REAL PLAN IN PLACE AS A COUNTRY, NOR DID WE HAVE EXCESS SUPPLIES AND ADEQUATE HOSPITAL CAPACITY.
WE WORK HARD NOW EVERY DAY AROUND THE CLOCK ON FINDING A THERAPEUTIC TO TREAT THOSE AFFECTED AND INOCULATIONS OR VACCINES TO PREVENT IT.
WE ARE LEARNING MANY LESSONS IN THE MEANTIME AS WE ARE LEARNING.
COVERT 19 HAS BECOME DISRUPTIVE TO MANY OF OUR SYSTEMS INCLUDING EDUCATION IN SO MANY WAYS AND SADLY IT IS AFFECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES.
DISPROPORTIONALLY MORE OR LESS LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND PERSONS OF COLOR ARE AFFECTED.
YOU ARE TESTED TOO MANY LACK ACCESS TO INTENSIVE CARE.
MANY HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS AND OTHERS AS YOU WELL KNOW, TAKE HUGE RISKS BY GOING TO WORK AND WORKING BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO SELF QUARANTINE OR STAY HOME.
THEY HAVE TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY NEED TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND INTERACT WITH OTHERS AT WORK.
SOMETIMES AMPLIFYING THEIR EXPOSURE RISK.
JERMAINE WILLIAMS EXAMINING THE CONDITIONS IN THE U S IS FIRST EPICENTER.
NEW YORK CITY PUT IT, NOT ONLY ARE A FRONTLINE WORKERS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF MORE COLOR AT HIGHER RISK OF BEING EXPOSED TO COLVIN 19, BUT THE VIRUS ITSELF IS EXPOSING MANY DEEP AND LONGSTANDING INEQUITIES IN OUR SYSTEM THAT MARGINALIZED AND THEREFORE JEOPARDIZED BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AS IT MAY HAVE MENTIONED.
UM, I LEAD THE, UM, INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON DC AND WE ARE A NATIONAL INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH LOCAL LEADERS AND EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO CREATE MORE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, ADULTS, AND WORKING FAMILIES TO SUCCEED.
WE HAVE ACTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND, UM, 435 COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE FOCUS IN ON THE 100 COMMUNITIES WHERE OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES ARE STRUCTURALLY ABSENT OR CONSTRAINED.
AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH IN THAT WORK IS WORK WITH LOCAL LEADERS TO DEEPEN OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
THESE COMMUNITIES, AS YOU WELL KNOW, FACE SIGNIFICANT INEQUITIES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE CORVETTE 19 PANDEMIC.
AND I'VE HAD A DISPROPORTIONATE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON LOW INCOME FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THERE IS A GREAT NEED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES NOW AND OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS MY TEAM MEMBERS AND I, WE HAVE HELD TOWN HALLS AND CONVERSATIONS WITHIN OUR NETWORKS INVOLVING ABOUT 7,000 LEADERS, UM, FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WHO HAVE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN ACTION ORIENTED DIALOGUES.
AND THESE ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT, UM, MANY OF WHICH WILL RESONATE WITH YOU IN THE BATON ROUGE CONTEXT TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, AS YOU, AS YOU WELL KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION AND WORK, TRAVEL CONFERENCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS.
EVERYTHING THAT IS IN PERSON NOW IS SEEN AS A LUXURY AND SOMETIMES PRESENTING REPRESENTING THE RISK, BUT PERHAPS MORE FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT WE SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS SIGNIFICANT FOOD SHORTAGES AND INSECURITIES.
PEOPLE AREN'T HUNGRY AND THEY LIKE ACCESS TO FOOD IN SOME COMMUNITIES BASED ON OUR DIALOGUES.
THIS ISSUE AFFECTS MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF A COMMUNITY'S POPULATION
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AND THERE IS A CONTINUED NEED TO TRIAGED BASIC NEEDS AND WORRY ABOUT SOME ARE BASIC FOOD SERVICE DISTRIBUTION, OTHER BASIC NEEDS.AS YOU, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, DEAL WITH ISSUES OF ACCESS TO HYGIENE AND TOILETRY, BUT WHEN WE ASKED THE MANY LEADERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HOW THEY WERE DOING WITH THIS, THEY ACTUALLY HAD PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES OF FOOD SHORTAGE AND FOOD SECURITY WITH THE ASSETS THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
WELL THEY WERE STRUGGLING MORE WITH HOWEVER RELATES TO TECHNOLOGY, PARTICULARLY HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS AND EQUIPMENT AND WHAT WE ARE NOW SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS AN EXACERBATION OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT ALREADY EXISTED BECAUSE THERE IS LACK OF ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE IN MANY COMMUNITIES.
THERE IS NO HIGH SPEED WIFI AVAILABLE IN EACH AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN AS OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TRANSITION TO ONLINE DELIVERY AND VIRTUAL LEARNING THAT THERE IS A NEW EMERGENCE OF PRIVACY AND SECURITY ISSUES.
THERE'S TROLLING, ZOOM BOMBING, SECURITY BREACHES AND MANY OF OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT HOW TO BEST FACILITATE THAT TRANSITION FROM IN-PERSON TO REMOTE LEARNING.
ANOTHER THING WE'RE HEARING, AND THIS IS ALL OVER THE NEWS OF COURSE IS UNEMPLOYMENT RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE BEING LAID OFF OR FURLOUGHED AND IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN OR IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO WORK.
MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE THE PARENTS OF OUR CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR THE ADULT LEARNERS AT OUR COLLEGES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IS ANOTHER THEME THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT FOR INSTANCE, UM, BECAUSE MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS FOR VERY GOOD REASONS, UM, DECIDED TO CLOSE DOWN OR PARTIALLY CLOSED DOWN.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT MANY OF THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITIES, SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED AND THEY ARE SO FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, MEANING THAT CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND WORKING FAMILIES WHO DEPENDED ON THAT ACCESS IN A SCHOOL CONTEXT DO NO LONGER HAVE THAT HOUSING.
AND I KNOW THIS IS A, AN ISSUE THAT IS VERY RELEVANT IN BATON ROUGE AS WELL.
BASED ON MY, UM, CONVERSATION WITH PHIL THAT THERE IS A RISING IN, IN, IN TRANSITIONS, MEANING PARTICULARLY AFTER UNEMPLOYMENT, BUT PEOPLE I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE HOUSING THAT THEY HAVE AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS.
AND UM, A LOT OF THIS TIES INTO THE KIND OF EXPECTED HIGH LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND IN MANY COMMUNITIES A SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE, READILY AVAILABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, ON A POSITIVE NOTE, WE HEAR THAT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES IS VERY HIGH.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY COMING TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT, UM, THAT CREATES HOPE.
UM, BUT A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC POPULATIONS ARE BEING LEFT OUT, PARTICULARLY THE DISABLED POPULATION IS NOT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
IT APPEARS RECEIVING ACCESS TO THE SERVICES THAT, UM, THEY, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO AND DESERVE.
UM, A FEW MORE POINTS AND THEN I'LL WRAP UP.
UM, AND THE NEXT POINT IS ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND, UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS DURING COVERT 19 SEEM TO HAVE EVOLVED TO A DEEP PRIORITIZING OF CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT AND ENFORCEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY AND IN MANY COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND THIS IS VERY, VERY SAD.
WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN PANDEMIC TRIGGERED VIOLENCE AND EVEN HATE CRIMES TARGETED TOWARDS, UH, CHINESE AMERICANS.
UM, FROM AN EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF EDUCATION, I WORRY A LOT ABOUT THE LEARNING LOSS, NOT JUST THE LEARNING LOSS THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER THE SPRING.
UM, BUT ALSO THE LEARNING WAS THAT WE KNOW COMES, COMES AROUND EVERY SUMMER WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO TALK ABOUT THERE'S FEAR, SUMMER LEARNING LOSS AND NOW SAYING WE MIGHT BE FACING LOSING AN ENTIRE MEAL, A YEAR OF LEARNING IF WE, IF WE CAN NOT FIND, UH, DIFFERENT TO DO, SUSTAIN THE LEARNING.
AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS AS YOU KNOW, ABOUT ANTICIPATED BUDGET CUTS AND HOW THAT MAY AFFECT CRITICAL
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SUPPORT SERVICES SUCH AS THE AVAILABILITY OF SCHOOL NURSES, CHILDCARE, AND UM, SOME COMMUNITIES ARE BEGINNING TO STRUGGLE WITH TEACHER SHORTAGES.UM, SO THERE ARE MANY, MANY THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE STRUGGLING WITH.
BUT ONE, ONE AREA THAT THEY SEEM TO TACKLE QUITE WELL IS AROUND THE MOST BASIC NEEDS.
BUT THE GREATEST INEQUITY SEEM TO BE, UH, FOCUSED ON, UH, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS OR THE LACK THEREOF IN MANY COMMUNITIES AS IT PERTAINS TO EQUIPMENT AND INTERNET.
NOT TO MENTION OF COURSE THE, THE SEVERE IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND, AND ASSOCIATED HOUSING CHALLENGES.
SO WHAT, UM, AT ALL, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE THE SORT OF RAPID CYCLE RESEARCH INTO THESE EXACERBATED INEQUITIES AND THE POPULATIONS EFFECTED.
OUR TEAM IS READY TO ASSIST ANY AND ALL COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK WITH TO PROVIDE, UM, COMMUNITY LEVEL, MICRO DATA TO ASSIST IN SORT OF TARGETING RESOURCES WHERE THEY ARE MOST NEEDED.
UM, WE ARE ALSO CANVASING, UH, ALL THE FIELD GENERATED SOLUTIONS AND ARE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO OUR LARGE NETWORKS THAT WE OPERATE.
AND INCREASINGLY WE HAVE BEEN ASKED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO, UH, DIRECTLY SUPPORT DISTRICT STAFF, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND EVEN COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS TO HELP THEM THINK THROUGH HOW THEY CAN ACCELERATE RELIEF RECOVERY AND REOPENING AND REVIVING THROUGH PLANNING AND SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THEN IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO SAY WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE U S IT APPEARS THAT MOST ENERGY HAS BEEN IN THE EARLY STAGES OF RAPID RESPONSE, BUT WE SEE MORE AND MORE COMMUNITIES AS IS BATON ROUGE, UH, BEGINNING TO ADDRESS MID TO LONGTERM CONSEQUENCES AND PLANNING FOR RECOVERY TODAY.
SO IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE COMMUNITIES ARE IN THEIR RESPONSE CYCLES, STRONG LEADERSHIP ACROSS SECTORS AND DEEP GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SEEM TO BE THE TWO CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS.
AND BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH YOU ALL IN BATON ROUGE, I KNOW BATON ROUGE HAS BOTH THESE TRANSCEND ASSETS FROM THE CAPITAL REGION, REGION, PROMISE TEAM TO MANY OTHER CROSS SYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS.
BATON ROUGE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IS VERY WELL POSITIONED TO WEATHER THIS CRISIS AND COME OUT ON TOP.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE MAYOR.
MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.
I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE THAT I THINK WE ARE POSITIONED TO WEATHER THIS PANDEMIC AND TO COME OUT ON TOP.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVALUABLE INFORMATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
TO THOSE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING TODAY AND UH, WATCHING AND LISTENING TO, UH, THIS WEBINAR.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR PANEL.
UH, FIRST IS THE PRESIDENT CHANCELLOR OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, DR. RAY BELTON.
DR BELTON HAS BEEN AT THE HELM OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SINCE 2015.
BEFORE THAT, HE WAS CHANCELLOR OF SOUTHERN STREET PORT CAMPUS FOR 16 YEARS.
DURING WHICH TIME THE CAMPUS SAW SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN INCREASED ENROLLMENT THROUGHOUT HIS 28 YEAR CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION, DR BELTON HAS HELD LEADERSHIP ROLES ON THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL WITH SEVERAL ESTEEMED ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF SCHOOLS, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND THE LOUISIANA CAMPUS COMPACT.
ALSO JOINING US IS THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
HE WAS APPOINTED TO THIS POSITION IN DECEMBER, 2019 PRIOR TO TAKING THIS ROLE, HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS DEAN SINCE 2016 OF THE PAUL A BEAR LAW CENTER.
BEFORE THAT HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE COLBY SAUDIAN COLLEGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND BEFORE THAT HE WAS DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE'S COLLEGE OF LAW.
MR GALLIGAN STARTED HIS ACADEMIC CAREER AT THE LSU LAW CENTER IN 1986 DURING WHICH TIME STUDENTS NAMED HIM THE OUTSTANDING ALICIA PROFESSOR.
NEXT, WE WELCOME THE INTERIM CHANCELLOR OF BATTEN'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DR. WILLIE SMITH.
DR. SMITH SERVES IN THIS POSITION THAT HE HAS HELD SINCE JUNE OF 2019 DR. SMITH HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE LOUISIANA COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM FOR OVER 18 YEARS.
MOST RECENTLY, DR. SMITH SERVED AS THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR TRAINING AND BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS WITH L CTCS.
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PRIOR TO THAT, HE WAS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA TECHNICAL COLLEGE FROM JUNE, 2017 TO JUNE, 2018 HE ALSO SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMICS AND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AT SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FROM 2011 TO 2017 OUR FINAL PANELIST IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE CAREER SCHOOL SYSTEM.HE HAS BEEN THE LEADER OF STATE'S SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL SYSTEM SINCE 2015.
SUPERINTENDENT DRAKE ACTIVELY WORKS TO IMPROVE BATON ROUGE, HIS SCHOOLS THROUGH STREAMLINED EFFICIENCY, IMPROVING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FOCUSING ON STUDENT AND EMPLOYEE SUCCESS.
PRIOR TO A THREE YEAR STINT AT THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, HE LED THE COMMUNITIES SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER BEING HIRED IN 2002 TO OVERSEE THE STARTUP OF ONE OF THE FIRST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IN OVER 80 YEARS.
WELCOME TO EVERYONE, ALL OF OUR PANELISTS.
UM, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO, UH, UNMUTE YOUR DEVICES ONLY AS YOU ARE ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
AND SO, UH, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU ON THAT.
I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE ALL OF YOU ALL ON THE PANEL TODAY.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.
WHAT MODIFICATIONS HAS YOUR INSTITUTION MAY TO CONTINUE EDUCATING STUDENTS AMID THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK DR BELTON TO STAR CAUSE YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE I THINK I INTRODUCED.
MAKE SURE YOUR UM, MIKE IS OFF MUTE.
YOU WANT ME KNOW? OKAY, WELL LET ME PREFERENCE MY COMMENTS BY FIRST COMING TO YOU, MADAM MAYOR OR FACILITATING THIS, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION HAS BEEN CONSISTENT, WHETHER IT BE ADVANCING THE GOALS OF THE CHAPTER AREA OF PROMISE AND OR FACILITATING THIS MEETING TODAY.
YOUR LEADERSHIP IS CHALLENGING AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN WITH MY COLLEAGUES THIS AFTERNOON TO SPEAK TO, UH, OUR RESPONSE TO, UH, COBIT 19.
UH, SO IT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE ARRIVAL AND SPREAD OF COBIT 19 HAS IMPACTED SIGNIFICANTLY THE LIVES OF LOUISIANIANS.
UH, AND, AND CERTAINLY, UH, IT HAS BEEN IMPACTFUL FOR SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN, IN, IN COLLEGE.
AND OVER THE LAST 45 DAYS, WE HAVE, UH, BEN GOT ABOUT TWO PRIMARY GOALS TO ENSURE THE, THAT'S A SAFETY OF STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF, AND SECONDLY TO, UH, UH, EVENTS.
SOME CONTINUITY THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO THANKS, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HER QUALITY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND, AND UH, AND THEY, UH, EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
WHAT BE PERCEIVED TO BE A CHALLENGE ENDED UP BEING SOMETHING THAT BECAME REALLY, UH, UH, UH, NOT AS A, AS AN ACHIEVEMENT TODAY.
UH, BUT, UH, OUR DIRECT RESPONSE WAS TO SHIFT ALL OUR, UH, INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY MODELS.
UH, TWO, ONE THAT WE'RE REMOTE AND ONLINE.
AND OF COURSE, UH, WE HAVE ALWAYS FACILITATED A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS ONLINE, BUT TO REALLY TURN THE SHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OF A SEMESTER, IT WAS A GREAT CHALLENGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THOUGH THAT I WAS REALLY PLEASED ABOUT WHAT'S THE DEGREE TO WHICH FACULTY ACROSS AT THE UNIVERSITY REALLY EMBRACED IT AND FOR THOSE WHO IT WAS NOT FOR ME.
WITH FACILITATING COURSES ONLINE, WE HAVE FACULTY MEMBERS AND STAFF.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM, UH, TO, UH, HELP THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO THEIR DIFFERENT MODELS THAT WE'VE USED, UH, OVER TIME.
SO THAT HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS IN SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, PREPARING FACULTY FOR THIS NEW OR DOUGIE OF INSTRUCTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MORE TELLING THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS, UM, UH, STRATEGY WAS THE RECOGNITION THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, UM, I DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, UH, AND, UH, AND AS A RESULT, OH, WOW.
WE WERE ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO GO BACK TO THE HOME OF RECORD.
UM, MANY OF THEM, UH, WERE, UH, HAS BEEN IN DOING SO BECAUSE THEY FELT
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LIKE THEY WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PROGRAM OF STUDY.AND SO, SUBSEQUENTLY, PROBABLY TO A LARGER EXTENT, UH, WE'VE HAD TO, UH, RETRAIN STUDENTS ON THE CAMPUS, UH, MAKE SURE THAT OUR LIBRARY WAS ACCESSIBLE TO THEM, THAT COMPUTER LABS WHERE AVAILABLE.
OH, FOR, FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT.
AND OF COURSE, WHERE, UH, HEALTH SYSTEMS DOING MEDICINE AND IN CHANNEL SKINNY, UH, BOTH ONLINE.
UH, IT HAS BEEN A, UH, INTERESTING TIME, UH, AND YOU KNOW, TO, TO SAY, LET'S SAY THE LEAST.
UH, BUT, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE IN NEED OF LAPTOPS, UH, THAT, UH, UH, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING NOW HAS TO BE DIGITIZED SUCH THAT STUDENTS GET PROCESS, UH, UH, AND ENGAGE THEM MORE FLUIDLY WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED, UH, UH, TODAY, UH, IN KEEPING WITH OUR RESPONSE.
UM, UH, I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, THE SAME QUESTION SINCE WE HEARD FROM, UH, OUR INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
I'M GOING TO ASK OUR SUPERINTENDENT, UM, CAUSE PEOPLE CERTAINLY HAVE, UH, ASKED THESE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE CERTAINLY STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE.
UH, BUT OUR STUDENT POPULATION, UH, OF, UH, K THROUGH OUR PRE K THROUGH, UH, HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT MODIFICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT HAS, UH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD TO, UH, MAKE DURING THIS TIME TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS, SUBMIT THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC.
WELL, MAYOR FIRST, LET ME THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS EVENT AND, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS, UH, EVENT TODAY.
UH, THIS HAS TRULY BEEN A CRISIS THAT LIKE WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
SO, UH, WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE, I'M GOING TO BE OUT OF SCHOOL ON MARCH 13TH, WE HAD ABOUT TWO HOURS TO, UH, BEFORE SCHOOL ENDED THAT DAY.
NOT ENOUGH TIME TO HAND OUT DEVICES.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR, THAT OUR SCHOOL BOARD DID AND OUR STAFF DID PRINCIPALS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS WAS TO PURCHASE ENOUGH, UH, DEVICES, COMPUTERS, CHROMEBOOKS OR, UH, GRADES THREE THROUGH 12.
AND MANY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TAKING THOSE DEVICES HOME.
SO WE WERE POSITIONED WELL WITH DEVICES.
BUT THE CHALLENGE WE HAD WAS TO FIND THE CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR KIDS.
WE DID SURVEYS WITH OUR TEACHERS, WE DID SURVEYS WITH OUR FAMILIES TO MAKE SURE WE HAD CONNECTIVITY.
AND THAT'S BEEN OUR CHALLENGE.
I WILL SAY THIS, WE HAVE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, INDUSTRY AND EVEN INDIVIDUALS IN BATON ROUGE WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND HAVE WORKED TO, TO GET THIS CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND THAT'S BEEN, THAT HAS BEEN REALLY JUST A PLEASURE TO SEE.
SO I WILL SAY THAT OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAS BEEN VERY VISIONARY ON THIS.
OUR STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK WHEN YOU'RE WORKING FROM HOME, YOU'RE NOT WORKING AS HARD.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, AND YOU CAN PROBABLY SAY THE SAME THING AND PROBABLY EVERYONE LISTENING, WORKING FROM HOME IS, IS HARDER WORK
AND W BUT WE HAD TO DO THIS FOR OUR KIDS.
SO, SO LET ME SAY THIS, WE HAVE TO BASIC A WAYS.
WE ARE DOING DISTANCE EDUCATION AND THAT'S THROUGH GOOGLE CLASSROOM AND THROUGH MICROSOFT TEAMS. THAT'S OUR, THOSE ARE OUR PLATFORMS THAT WE USE AND GOOGLE CLASSROOMS IS WHERE TEACHERS, UH, IT'S A REPOSITORY FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE STUDENTS NEED TO GO AND ACCESS.
SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
UH, BEING THAT IT'S TEACHER APPRECIATION, WAIT, LET ME SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND I JUST WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN MAGNIFICENT DURING THIS TIME AND SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
UH, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT BUT IT'S BEEN VERY REWARDING AS SO, YEAH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING FULL DIGITAL EDUCATION RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING AFTER MARCH 13TH WE DID PACKETS.
EVERY SCHOOL HANDED OUT PACKETS.
WE HANDED OUT THOUSANDS OF PACKETS.
IT TOOK ABOUT THREE DAYS BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO GEAR UP OUR MEAL PROGRAM AND IT'S QUITE INCREDIBLE.
[00:30:01]
SERVING A FOUR TO 500,000 MEALS EVERY TWO WEEKS.AND WE'VE SERVED MILLIONS OF MEALS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE MEAL SERVICE FOR EXAMPLE, TO PROVIDE A SHELF STABLE MEALS THROUGH CANS AND AND ALSO FRESH MILK, FRESH FROZEN MEALS THAT ARE COOKED BY 70 RESTAURANTS HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS PARTNER WITH STRAIGHT CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY.
THAT'S, THAT IS USING THE 70 RESTAURANTS YOU'RE IN BATON ROUGE TO HELP PREPARE RIGHT NOW.
FROZEN FOOD, FRESH HOT MEALS, BETTER THAN QUICK FROZEN.
AND OF COURSE THE THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT HAS HELPED US AS WELL, I THINK.
I THINK THE THING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT IS EQUITY AROUND THE PARISH.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, AND EVERY CHILD HAS THAT CONNECTIVITY, WHETHER IT'S A HOTSPOT OR THROUGH SOME WAY THAT WE CAN GET THEM WIFI.
I THINK WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
AND I THINK, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I STOPPED TALKING, I WANT TO MENTION THAT OUR SENIORS, I MEAN, NONE OF US WENT THROUGH A SENIOR YEAR, LIKE OUR SENIORS ARE GOING THROUGH AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF SENIORS THAT WE HAVE, WE OWE IT TO THEM TO GIVE THEM THE BEST OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE ARE DEDICATED TO AN IN PERSON GRADUATION CEREMONY.
WE CAN'T GIVE THEM A DATE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE NO CEP AND THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS AND, AND DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
BUT AT SOME POINT THIS SUMMER, WE PLAN TO HAVE A CEREMONY FOR THOSE SENIORS.
MORE THAN LIKELY WE'LL BE OUTSIDE MAY LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL.
IT COULD BE MUCH FEWER TICKETS FOR THE FAMILIES.
UH, AND THAT'S SOCIAL DISTANCING WE'VE ALL BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO.
WELL, WE WANT TO HAVE THAT SERVICE FOR THEM AND THAT CEREMONY FOR THEM TO GIVE THEM A GOOD GOING AWAY.
AND I CAN PROMISE YOU THEY WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE'RE WORKING A LOT THROUGH THE DIGITAL EDUCATION DISTANCE LEARNING AND OF COURSE OUR MEAL SERVICE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY POPULAR THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
UH, THE, UH, GRADUATING CLASS OF 2020, I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF BOOKS THAT WILL EMERGE FROM THESE SENIORS AS THEY GO DOWN THEIR, UH, ADULT, UH, JOURNEY OR EVEN IN THEIR COLLEGE JOURNEY AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU ALL AND PROVIDE A FACE COVERINGS OR MASKS FOR ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE, UH, WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HANDING OUT FOOD.
SO IT SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT ALL OF US RECOGNIZE, AND I KNOW ALL OF THE LEADERS HERE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THIS CRISIS HAS DONE IS HAS CAUSED, AS I HEARD SOMEONE USE THE TERM CROSS COLLABORATION.
SO WE'VE HAD, WE'VE COLLABORATED, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER, UH, IN ALL OUR DIFFERENT SPHERES OF INFLUENCE TO, TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD IN EVERY ASPECT AND NOW SPECIFICALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION.
I WANNA, UH, I WANT TO GET SOME OF OUR OTHER PANELISTS ON BOARD NOW.
UH, UH, MR, UH, TOM GALLIGAN WITH, UH, LSU, OUR INTERIM, UH, UH, PRESIDENT OF LSU.
TELL ME WHAT PLATFORMS ARE YOU USING, UH, TO DELIVER INSTRUCTION AND RESOURCES TO YOUR STUDENTS? YEAH, THANK YOU.
UM, AND BEFORE I START OUT, JOINED THE OTHERS, UH, MAYOR PRESIDENT AND THANKING YOU FOR PUTTING THIS PANEL TOGETHER.
UH, AND IT'S GREAT TO BE TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I'LL THANK THEM FOR PARTICIPATING AS WELL.
UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR YOU AND I WERE TOGETHER, UM, ON THE, AT THE PARADE AND THEN IN THE PMS TO CELEBRATE THE LSU FOOTBALL TEAMS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH WAS A GREAT DAY.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT AT LSU WE LIKE TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PHYSICALLY DISTANT, WE'RE STILL SOCIALLY CONNECTED.
TODAY FOR SOCIALLY CONNECTING US.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'VE USED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. UH, MOODLE IS OUR COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, OUR, OUR COURSE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE USED MOODLE, WE'VE GOT STATE OF THE ART COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING SOFTWARE AND WE'VE BASICALLY TAKEN 30,000 STUDENTS, UH, IN OVER 5,000 CLASSES AND GONE TOTALLY ONLINE.
SO THE, THE EFFORT HAS BEEN HERCULEAN AND I THANK MY FACULTY AND STAFF FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST BATON ROUGE AT THE FLAGSHIP.
WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SEVEN OTHER CAMPUSES AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND THEY'VE DONE SIMILAR THINGS.
[00:35:01]
ON WEBEX TODAY AND IT WORKS GREAT.WE AS OF APRIL 2ND HAD SPENT OVER 1.3 5 MILLION MINUTES TOGETHER IN ZOOM.
UM, AND THAT WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS WORTH OF WORKING REMOTELY, TWO AND A HALF.
SO NOW, EARLY IN MAY, I MEAN WE MUST BE CLOSE TO 3 MILLION MINUTES IN ZOOM.
UM, WE'RE USING ALSO SOMETHING CALLED EAB NAVIGATE, WHICH IS AN APP FOR STUDENTS TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO MANAGE THEIR COURSEWORK.
AND THE, LIKE, OUR HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER IS OUR, OUR, OUR HEALTH CENTER IS USING ZOOM AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR TELEMEDICINE.
ARE YOU REC IS USING ZOOM AND OTHER METHODS TO LEAD CLASSES.
SO YOU CAN STILL WORK OUT NOT PHYSICALLY IN THE U REC BUT WITH U REC PEOPLE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE USING.
AND I, AND I WILL, I WILL SAY, UM, WE HAD A TOWN HALL THE OTHER DAY, UH, WITH THE FACULTY AND STAFF WITH 1400 PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED.
UM, AND, AND THAT WAS A TEAMS THAT WAS, WE USED MICROSOFT TEAMS FOR THAT ONE.
UM, WHICH YOU KNOW, IS A PHENOMENAL NUMBER.
EARLIER WE USE ZOOM AND WE HAD 900 PEOPLE PARTICIPATE.
UM, SO, AND, AND THE OTHER DAY I WAS IN A, IN A, IN A ZOOM CONFERENCE WITH 1500 ADMITTED STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE USING, UH, THAT THEY ARE, THEY ARE FUNCTIONING VERY, VERY WELL FOR US.
UM, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LIVING IN THE NEW NORMAL.
WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TOGETHER PHYSICALLY, BUT, UH, SAFETY'S BEEN OUR GUIDEPOST THROUGHOUT AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UM, THE DETERMINING FACTOR FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, MR GALLIGAN, BEFORE I GO TO, UM, DR. SMITH, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU ALL HAD, UH, UH, A MEETING ONLINE MEETING WITH 1400, UH, FACULTY AND STAFF.
UH, AND SO IN LIGHT OF WHAT TOOK PLACE THERE, HOW MIGHT THE PANDEMIC SHAPE FACULTY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE? UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER THE OTHER MORNING AND IT HIT ME THAT THE DEBATE ABOUT ONLINE EDUCATION TO THE EXTENT IT CONTINUED IN AMERICA IS OVER.
WE HAVE PROVEN THAT WE CAN DO IT NOW.
NOW THEY'RE HUGE BENEFITS TO AN IN PERSON CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE USE OF TECHNOLOGY GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE FLIPPING OF THE CLASSROOM AND, AND MAYOR PRESIDENT, WE HAD NEVER HAD THAT MANY PEOPLE ON, AT THE FLAGSHIP CAMPUS TOGETHER IN A ROOM FOR A MEETING.
SO WHAT TECHNOLOGY ALLOWED US TO DO WAS BASICALLY HAVE WHAT AT LITTLE COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE WHERE I WAS PRESIDENT FOR 10 YEARS.
WE USED TO HAVE ALL CAMPUS MEETINGS AND THOSE AREN'T FEASIBLE WHERE YOU HAVE 5,000 EMPLOYEES.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ALL CAMPUS MEETING.
SO, SO I THINK IN THAT REGARD THE TECHNOLOGY HOLDS PROMISE TO ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS BRING US EVEN CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THE PHYSICAL WORLD TO WHICH WE ARE ACCUSTOMED.
DR. SMITH OVER AT UM, UH, BRCC.
WHAT KIND OF PLATFORMS ARE YOU USING TO DELIVER INSTRUCTION AND RESOURCES TO YOUR STUDENTS? SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS WEBINAR TO TALK ABOUT KEEPING THE PROMISE.
SURELY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF BRCC AND TELL ALL MY COLLEAGUES OUT THERE THE HIGHER EDUCATION.
APPRECIATE SEEING YOU GUYS AND HOPE YOU GUYS WILL STAY IN SAFE.
AS PERTAINING TO BRCC, WE ARE PRIMARILY USING CANVAS, HIS OWN LEARNING COURSE, LEARNING THE MEASUREMENTS TO ZOOM RESPONDENTS AND PRO TALEO.
THOSE ARE PROACTIVE, UH, PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATING DETAILED INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS EXPECTATIONS.
I WOULD SAY THOUGH, BRCC ALSO HAS AN ACADEMIC LEARNING CENTER THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ACCESS TO 12 STUDENTS THROUGH OUR LIBRARY WHERE WE PROVIDED ONE LARGE ONLINE DATABASES TO INCLUDE THOUSANDS OF ELECTRONIC JOURNALS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS IN 70,000 EBOOKS.
WE KNOW THAT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THIS PEN DEMEC HAS CALLED US TO ACT DIFFERENTLY AND SUPPORT STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY AND I WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE MOMENT ON THE QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED MR. GALLAGHER EARLIER ABOUT HOW DID YOU GOING TO SHAPE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT? LET ME FIRST SAY, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY FACULTY AND STAFF WHO HAVE BASICALLY WORKED THEIR TAILS OFF TRYING TO GET STUDENT PREPARED AND TRY TO FINISH THROUGH THE FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I WAS STUDENTS.
WE HAVE A BRCC APP AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT THAT I WAS FEELING WAS OFFERED EACH OTHER DURING THIS PANDEMIC CRISIS, SO I'M EXCITED TO LEAD THIS INSTITUTION.
[00:40:01]
THE WORK THAT OUR FACULTY AND STAFF DOING THAT'S PERTAINED TO HOW WE SHAPE OUR FACULTY TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT, AND FUTURE.COULD YOU IMAGINE BEING A FACULTY MEMBER WHERE YOU ARE LECTURE BASED CLASS THAT YOU HAVE COULD PUT COUNTLESS HOURS IN DEVELOPING YOUR NOTES AND DETAIL MESSAGES THAT YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE STUDENT.
NOW WE GOT TO PREPARE YOU NOW FOR A NEW DIGITAL AGE OF TECHNOLOGY USING ALEXA PLAY LESSON PLAN.
AND SO THAT MEANS MANY OF OUR FACULTY WOULD HAVE TO BE RETRAINED ON HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY OR MANY OF OUR FACULTY WOULD HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO MEET THE STUDENT LEARNING NEEDS OR LEARNING STYLES.
THAT STUDENT LEARNS IN DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND SAW THEM THROUGH VISUAL.
SO I'M THROUGH LECTURE, BUT SOME THROUGH WEBINARS AND CHAT.
I KNOW IN THE DIGITAL AGE OF THE TEXTING, SO, SO FORTH.
SO OUR FACULTY GLAD TO BE ENGAGED NOW ON A WHOLE LOT OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEMSELVES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD IMAGINE THE DEVELOPMENT OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE CHANGED.
PROBABLY WON'T BE ANY MORE CONFERENCE OR TRAVEL FOR THE NEW, FOR THE SHORT TERM FUTURE.
BUT NOW A FACULTY WANT TO BE ENGAGED WITH LIKE STUDENTS ONLINE IN A DIGITAL ATMOSPHERE TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE THEIR STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR, FOR ALL OF OUR PANELISTS.
AS WE THINK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, UH, WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE TAKING PLACE, UH, CONCERNING THE SUMMER AND NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? I KNOW THESE ARE INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW AND HOW WILL IT AFFECT YOUR STUDENTS? HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR A SAFE REENTRY TO CAMPUS? WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE TAKING PLACE CONCERNING THE SUMMER AND NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AND HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR SAFE FREE ENTRY, UH, TO CAMPUS? WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH YOU, DR. SMITH SINCE YOU'RE ALREADY UP THERE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE BACKWARDS.
PICK THE MAN FOR THAT QUESTION.
WELL, WE KNOW WE GOT SOME CHALLENGES TO HELP US TO BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL DISTANCE OR CERTAINLY WITH THE STAY AT HOME OR THEY'RE GOING TO BE RELAXED VERY SOON.
SO, SO MANY PHONE CALLS ON FROM PRIMARY TO ONLINE OR SYNCHRONOUS.
IT WAS SECRET IS BASICALLY MEAN THAT IT'S A COMBINATION OF ONLINE WORKING REMOTELY OR CHEST OR, WELL NO, BUT EVEN THE HYBRID SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE WE COULD DO SOME LIMITED HANDS ON FACE TO FACE TRAINING AND SO DEVIL WAS GOING TO CONSIST OF ALL SUMMARY.
SOME ARE OFFERING FOR NOW, BUT SOME ARE FALL OFF, WHICH IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE BASED ON WHAT THE SOCIAL DISTANCE PRACTICE OR POLICY GOING TO BE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE ARE A COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE WHERE WE ALSO PROVIDE, NOT JUST DOING EDUCATION BUT HANDS ON TRAINING.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF DELAYED FOR THE TIME BEING, WE'RE NOT SURE, BUT CERTAINLY THEY'RE GOING TO QUALIFY US TO ACT DIFFERENT IN THE TRAIN, DIFFERENT MAYBE 10 IN THE CLASSROOM AND A WELDING PROGRAM MILLWAY PROGRAM.
WE WANT INSTRUCTOR MAKING SURE WE HAVE ACCESSIBLE EQUIPMENT.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS AS WE ATTAIN TO SAFETY, WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE WE PROTECT OUR FACULTY STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS.
SO WE DO A DAILY ENGAGEMENTS, SANITATION OR SANITIZING ALL OFF FACILITY, DAILY ENGAGE OR MAKING SURE OUR RESTROOM AND ALL OUR LABORATORIES OR BASICALLY SANITIZED ERA ON A DATE ALSO PROVIDED PPE EQUIPMENT TO ALL OF OUR STAFF AND EVEN OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAVING.
SO THESE KINDS OF PRACTICES GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS OUR COGNITIVE MAINTAIN SAFETY.
AND I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE STRICTLY ENFORCING THE, THE SOCIAL DISSIDENT OF TIG PEOPLE AND CERTAINLY THE SIX FEET APART.
IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE BEING A COMPANY.
IT'S THE INSTITUTION, BUT I REMAIN COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE WE PROVIDE SAFETY TO ALL OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF AND ALL THE STUDENTS.
UM, YEAH, WE WILL, WE WILL BE ONLINE DURING THE SUMMER.
UM, AND UH, AND WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING A 15% EXEMPTION ON TUITION AND FEES FOR STUDENTS IN THE SUMMER.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PROGRESS IS NOT IMPEDED.
SO IF SOMEBODY HAD A DROP A CLASS, UM, OR A CLASS DOESN'T WORK OUT THIS SEMESTER, WE WANT TO MAKE EDUCATION IN THE SUMMER ACCESSIBLE, BUT THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE ONLINE.
UM, AND AS WE GO ONLINE IN THE SUMMER, WE'LL ALSO BE BRINGING OUR, OUR FACULTY AND STAFF BACK ON CAMPUS IN A PHASED APPROACH WITH SAFETY AS OUR GUIDE.
UH, IN THE FALL WE ARE FULLY INTENDING TO BE OPEN AND ON CAMPUS IN THE FALL, OUR GUIDE WILL BE SAFETY.
UM, SO, SO WILL IT BE EXACTLY LIKE IT USUALLY IS? PROBABLY NOT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LARGER CLASSES, PERHAPS CONTINUING ONLINE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SMALLER CLASSES THAT WILL BE IN BIGGER ROOMS. UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, HAVING MAYBE, UH, SOME, SOME CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS, SOME OF OUR BIGGER BUILDINGS.
UM, THE, THE UNION FOR INSTANCE, THE U
[00:45:01]
REC, UH, SO WE WILL LOOK AT ALL THOSE THINGS.WE'RE ALSO DISCUSSING DAILY THE AVAILABILITY OF TESTING.
UM, SO WILL WE BE ABLE TO TEST OUR FACULTY AND STAFF AND STUDENTS, UM, AND, AND BOTH FOR ANTIBODIES AND FOR, UH, VIROLOGY.
AND IF WE GET A POSITIVE TEST, WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THAT THE OSCILLATION SPACES THAT WE WILL USE.
BUT AGAIN, SAFETY WILL BE THE GUIDE.
UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT ANYBODY AT RISK, BUT HOWEVER WE'RE OPEN, WE WILL BE OPEN, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET IN THE WAY OF OUR STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PROGRESS.
AND WHAT ABOUT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY? SURE.
UM, I GUESS MY COMMENTS WITH SOMEWHAT, UH, I ECHO THOSE OF, UH, OF MY COLLEAGUES AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY SAID ABOUT THE DEGREE TO WHICH THAT THERE THAT WE'VE BENEFITED FROM A NADA COLLABORATION.
AND IT IS TRUE THAT, UH, UH, UH, WE HAVE I THINK SPOKE MORE RECENTLY THAN EVER IN HISTORY.
WE REALLY LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.
THEY'RE GUIDED BY KIM HUNTER REED WHO IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS THE COMMISSIONER.
UH, AND, UH, WE, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, BOUNCE THINGS OFF ONE ANOTHER SUCH AND LEARN, UH, DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.
AND SO, UH, LIKE TOM AND WILLIE WAS MAKING MENTION, UM, SOUTHERN HAS ALREADY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO FACILITATE SUMMER SCHOOL, UH, IN CHILD ONLINE.
WE HAVE IN FACT, UH, LAST WEEK OUR BOARD ADOPTED A POLICY, BUT B ACTUALLY REDUCED FEES FOR THE SUMMER SCHOOL, UH, WHERE IT WOULD ONLY BE TUITION, UH, AND, UH, NO OTHER FEES, UH, BUT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT IN LIGHT OF, UH, UH, THE GRANT FORM TO WHICH WE ARE GOING TO BE RELYING ON, OH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING STUDENTS BACK TO THE CAMPUS, UH, IN, IN THE FALL.
UH, DURING THE SUMMER, WE ARE, UH, PROVIDING TO OUR FACULTY, UH, CONTINUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO DEVELOP THEMSELVES PROFESSIONALLY, UH, GET CERTIFIED, UH, UH, IN THE FACILITATION OF INSTRUCTION ONLINE.
UM, BUT THE FALL WILL BE, WILL LOOK DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE, UH, ACTUALLY DEVELOPING PLANTS NOW AND IN REACTION TO OUR VALUE OF CONTINUING SOCIAL DISTANCING, WHETHER IT BE IN A CLASSROOM OR WHETHER IT BE IN RESIDENTIAL HALLS, UM, UH, ENSURING THAT, UH, THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY HAVE ACCESS TO TV, UH, EVEN, UH, CONSIDERING A RENOVATION PROJECTS WHERE WE WITH POSSIBLY AN INSTALL PLEXIGLASS TO MAYBE EVEN LIMIT, UH, ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND, AND SO, UM, UH, BUT WE DO VALUE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE INTERACTION AND THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE UPON STUDENTS COMING OUT BACK ON, ON CAMPUS.
AND SO WE, THERE WILL BE A CONTINUAL MINT, UH, FACE TO FACE INTERACTION AS TOM SAID.
I'LL BOOK, I'LL BE IT, UH, VALUING SOCIAL DISTANCING AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT ALSO I THINK PARTICULARLY IN THE FALL, ADDITIONAL RELIANCE ON THE DELIVERY OF INSTRUCTION ONLINE, UH, UH, IN KEEPING WITH OUR RESTRICTIONS, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF VELVETEEN ENGAGEMENT OVER THAT, OVER THAT TIME, UH, PRESIDENT BELTON AND TO ALL OF THE, UM, OUR PANELISTS.
UH, I WANT TO, AND I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU, SUPERINTENDENT GERMANY WITH THAT QUESTION A LITTLE LATER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN USING THIS TERM, WELL YOU'VE HEARD THIS TERM, UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO ENTER A NEW NORMAL, UH, I AM, UH, CAPTURING WHAT I HEARD SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBE IT AS A NEW REALITY, UH, BECAUSE ACTUALLY IT, WE WON'T BE DOING THINGS NORMALLY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, NEW, NORMAL, BUT IT IS A NEW REALITY THAT WE WILL BE EMBRACING AS A NATION, AS A STATE, AS A CITY.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE NEW REALITY THAT COVERT 19 HAS, UH, RESHAPED, UH, WITH THE CULTURE OF EDUCATION? HOW DO YOU THINK COLBERT 19 IS RESHAPING THE CULTURE OF EDUCATION? PRESIDENT BELTON? YEAH, I THINK TOM ALLUDED TO IT,
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, WELL FOR MANY YEARS NOW, STUDENTS, UH, GIVING INVITATION, UH, OF THEIR INTERESTS, UH, TO ENGAGE WITH US, UH, ONLINE.UH, AND, AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DEBATE WITHIN THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE QUALITY OF ONLINE INSTRUCTION AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH, YOU KNOW, FACE TO FACE ENGAGEMENT PROVIDES FOR STUDENTS MORE SUBSTITUTE EXPERIENCE.
ARE THERE HAVE BEEN FACULTY MEMBERS WHO JUST REJECTED THE NOTION? OH, UM, FACILITATING INSTRUCTION, UH, ONLINE OF COURSE STUDENTS, UH, BECAUSE OF WARREN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO IT.
AND SO, UM, AND SO, UH, I THINK WITH, WITH THE ADVENT OF COVERT AT 19, UH, PEOPLE ARE TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS, UH, MODALITY AND EMBRACING IT.
AND I THINK IT ULTIMATELY PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH, YOU KNOW, MORE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT WE WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH MORE OPTIONS IN TERMS, UH, TO WHICH THEY COULD RESPOND TO IN TERMS OF THE DELIVERY OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
EVEN IF WE CHOSE NOT TO DESIGN, TO REALLY LOOK AT, UH, OUR TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I THINK, UH, WHETHER, UH, AND I THINK EVEN, UH, STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A BACKBONE, UH, IN TERMS OF BROAD WIDTH TO SUCH THAT STUDENTS EVEN AWAY FROM OUR CAMPUSES WILL HAVE APPROPRIATE ACCESS POINTS TO, TO ENGAGE WITH IT.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE RICH OFFERINGS FACILITATED ONLINE, I THINK THAT IS THE NEW REALITY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION WHERE THERE HAS BEEN RESISTANCE IN THE PAST.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE GETTING A GREATER SENSE ABOUT ITS VALUE AND I THINK THEY WILL ARRIVE FOR NEW REACT WITH ENTHUSIASM GOING FORWARD.
UM, HOW UM, IS OUR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, PREPARING FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, A SAFE REENTRY TO CAMPUS.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE SHIFT IN THIS NEW REALITY OF, UH, COBIT 19 AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CULTURE OF EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT RATE, BUT WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, WITH EBR FOR THE PLANS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? WELL FIRST, LET ME SAY I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN A VERY UNIQUE PLACE IN AMERICAN HISTORY RIGHT NOW.
I THINK A HISTORY WILL SHOW THAT THIS MOMENT IN OUR TIME, WELL IT HAS GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE THINGS COMING OUT OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
SO RIGHT NOW SUMMER SCHOOL WILL END OFFICIALLY IN A FEW WEEKS.
WE HAVE ALREADY CONVERTED TO THE SUMMER PROGRAM FOR FADING AND FOR DISTANCE LEARNING.
SO RIGHT NOW OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY UP THIS SEMESTER, THEY WILL GO INTO SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE SUMMER.
ONE OF THEM IS A CREDIT RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NEED CREDIT RECOVERY.
SOME MAY JUST NEED TO PASS A COURSE TO PASS A GRADE AND SO WE WILL HAVE THAT A SUMMER REMEDIATION FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE A VERY WORLD BUST OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THROUGH ROUTE DISTANCE LEARNING SO THAT THAT IS VERY UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT.
WHEN WE COME BACK TO SCHOOL, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SCHOOL WILL LOOK LIKE.
I DON'T THINK IT WILL LOOK THE SAME AS IT LOOKED LAST YEAR OR IN YEARS BEFORE.
I THINK IT WILL LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
WE MAY, WE MAY BE IN SHIFTS WHEN WE GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
WE MAY HAVE FEWER STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, WE MAY EAT OUR MEALS IN THE CLASSROOM, WE MAY HAVE SOME STUDENTS STAYING AT HOME ONE DAY AND COMING THE NEXT DAY.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK.
CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY FACE TO FACE LEARNING WITH TEACHERS IS UNBELIEVABLE.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW PARENTS ARE PROBABLY GETTING A NEW RESPECT FOR TEACHERS BECAUSE, UH, AFTER THE PANIC SET AND THEN THE REALITY SET IN THAT THEY REALLY DO, I HAVE TO HOMESCHOOL THEM AND HELP THOSE STUDENTS AT HOME.
SO I THINK MOVING INTO THE FALL IS GOING TO BE A TOTALLY NEW OPPORTUNITY.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL HEARD THE SAYING, YOU KNOW, NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF NEW CREATED OPPORTUNITIES OUT OF THIS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE BUSES THAT ARE DELIVERING DEVICES RIGHT NOW.
BROOKSTOWN MIDDLE HAS A USE THEIR BUSES TO DELIVER, UH, DEVICES, UH, COMPUTERS.
[00:55:01]
OVER THE SUMMER.OUR, UH, OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOW VIRTUAL.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, AS WE SPEAK THIS VERY MOMENT, OUR BOARD IS VIRTUALLY INTERVIEWING THE FIVE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATES WHO WILL COME ON NEXT YEAR AT SOME THIS AF THIS NEXT YEAR AT SOME POINT.
SO WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD RIGHT NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN BEFORE.
I CONSIDER OUR SCHOOLS TO BE CHRISTINE WHEN WE COME BACK, THEY SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE INSIDE AND OUT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL AND OF COURSE, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU PROVIDED US A NUMBER OF A FACE MASKS, UH, THE, THROUGH THE CITY AND MAYOR'S OFFICE.
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS ALL OVER THE PARISH TO HELP US.
AND, UH, WE, WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE READY FOR IT.
OF COURSE, SAFETY IS ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO AS THE OTHER MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRACTICE A SAFE DISTANCING.
YOU USED EPS AND DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
UH, BUT I THINK OUR STAFF HAS BEEN SO CREATIVE AND OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN SO CREATED, WE WILL HAVE A RELIABLE, ROBUST DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM COME THE FALL THAT'S IN ADDITION TO JUST REGULAR EDUCATION IN THE BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDING.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
UH, OUR HEALTH CENTERS AND SCHOOLS IS CONTINUING TO, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL WORKING JUST AS THEY DID BEFORE WE WERE OUT.
SO YEAH, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HELP OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES CONTINUE AS MUCH AS NORMAL AS THEY CAN.
WELL, BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS FROM THOSE LISTENING AND VIEWING, I'M GOING TO TAKE PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND I'LL HAVE A LITTLE COMMERCIAL BREAK THAT IS QUITE APPROPRIATE NOW.
UH, IN THAT, UH, I AM HOSTING AN ESSAY CONTEST FOR THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2020 AND THE ESSAY TOPIC IS WHAT SHOULD HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION LOOK LIKE IN A CULT 19 CULTURE.
AND SO WE'RE GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN VIEWS AROUND A CENTRAL IDEA FACING OUR COMMUNITY TODAY.
UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BE A PART OF THIS ESSAY CONTEST, YOU CAN GO TO CULVERT 19 ESSAY.
AT BR LA.GOV THAT'S COVERT 19 ESSAY@BRLA.GOV UH, THE ESSAYS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 30TH.
UH, WE NEED, UH, WE NEED GRADUATING SENIORS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2020 CAN APPLY.
YOU HAVE TO BE UNDER THE AGE OF 19.
AS OF JUNE 1ST A RESIDENT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND ATTENDING A HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN THE PARISH.
AT THE TIME OF THE ENTRY AND OUR FIRST PLACE PRIZE, A WINNER WILL RECEIVE $2,000 A SECOND PLACE, $1,000 THIRD PLACE, 502 SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS AT TWO 50.
SO GO TO BR LA.GOV/COBOT 19 ESSAY.
UM, UH, FOR THE STUDENTS, UH, THAT ARE LISTENING.
AND FOR THE PARENTS THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS THINK THIS IS A GOOD WAY FROM SOME OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS TO, UH, SPEND A LITTLE TIME, UH, WRITING A, AN ESSAY WITH THE POTENTIAL OF GETTING A LITTLE MONEY IN THEIR POCKET.
WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THAT SUPERINTENDENT? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I HOPE OUR STUDENTS, UH, AND I THINK THEY WILL, WE'LL GET IT OUT ON THE WEBSITE.
LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
NOW LET'S TAKE SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED, UH, BY OUR AUDIENCE.
UH, WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC THAT GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? I'M GOING TO REPEAT THE QUESTION.
WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC THAT GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? UH, PRESIDENT GALLIGAN YOU WANT TO START WITH THAT? I WILL START WITH THAT.
UM, FOR US THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS OR, OR REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE I THINK, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS AT LSU WE DO LOOK AT GRADE POINT, WE DO LOOK AT THE ACT SCORES, BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PERSON AND WE LOOK AT WHAT ELSE THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED AND HAVE THEY OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND WHAT OTHER SPECIAL SKILLS DO THEY HAVE.
SO, SO FOR US, THINGS ARE, ARE PRETTY MUCH NORMAL.
UM, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE MANY OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY THOUGH THAT HAVE CHANGED.
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OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS ARE NOW TEST OPTIONAL.MANY OTHER SCHOOLS ARE TEST OPTIONAL.
UM, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO'S STILL IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING TO COLLEGE, UM, TO, UH, CHECK WITH THE SCHOOLS TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLYING TO SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY ALTERNATE ALTERATION OF THEIR BASIC, UM, ADMISSIONS, UM, CRITERIA.
I DO THINK ONE THING FOR ALL OF US IN HIGHER ED, WE RELY ON ANY KIND OF TEST SCORE AT ALL IS W WE'LL SEE THAT THOSE TEST SCORES WILL COME IN PROBABLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER MORE THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE BEFORE.
ASSUMING THAT STANDARD THAT, THAT, THAT TESTING AGENCIES CAN GIVE THE STANDARDIZED TESTS.
DR BELTON, WHAT ABOUT AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY? THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MAJOR CHANGE AS TOM MAY REFERENCE.
I THINK BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A MINISTRY, THE ACT, UH, UH, HAS AFFECTED MANY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, THOSE WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN THE DANCE.
AND SO THE BOARD OF REGIONS ACTUALLY ADOPTED A RIGHT, A POLICY THAT ENABLES OUR INSTITUTIONS TO, UH, THOSE STUDENTS BASED ON AN INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT TOO, AS OPPOSED TO AN ACP SCORE IN AND OF ITSELF.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE NOT
WE WILL ADMINISTER AN INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT, TRUE THAT ALIGNS WITH THE BENCHMARKS OF THE ACG AND THEN PROVISION THE MAYOR BASED ON THAT PLACEMENT SCORE.
UH, NOW THAT POLICY DOES NOT AFFECT STUDENTS.
I CAN APPRECIATE IT WHO ARE SEEKING, UH, TOPS OF STRAVA SHIP.
AND SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT LATER, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THAT TEST IS ACTUALLY ADMINISTERED IN JUNE.
WELL, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO IN ROW NOW THEY CAN DO SO, UH, WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A ACT FOR.
WHEREAS WE WOULD ADMINISTER INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE PLACEMENT.
DR. SMITH, HOW WILL YOUR UNIVERSITY UTILIZE FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE CARES TO ASSIST STUDENTS DURING THIS PANDEMIC? THANK YOU BELL.
SO WE, LIKE ALL OF THE COLLEGES ARE RECEIVING RESOURCES FROM THE UNITED STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THROUGH THE KAZAKH.
SO CURRENTLY ALL FUNDING IS GOING TO BE SENT OFF FOR AID TO SUPPORT STUDENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, HOUSING NEEDS, MEALS, TRANSPORTATION.
SO IT'S THE FLEXIBILITY ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THE STUDENT, BUT THEY CAN USE, USE IT BEYOND THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.
ALSO, A PORTION OF THAT GOES BACK TO THE INSTITUTION TO COVER EXPENSES.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET THOSE FUNDS OUT THERE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
YOU'LL BE, MANY STUDENTS WILL BE SEEING OR WHO WILL SET UP WITH US.
WE'LL BE SAVING MONEY DIRECTLY OR DEPOSIT INTO THEIR ACCOUNT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
AND SO THOSE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE, DO YOU KNOW, ARRIVE TO MEAN NOT JUST FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, PRESIDENT BELTS AND IN PRESIDENT GALLIGAN.
IS THIS THE SAME FOR YOUR INSTITUTIONS OR IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT TAKING PLACE WITH THE UTILIZATION OF FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE CARES? WELL, UM, AT SOUTHERN, ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE SOUTHERN SYSTEM HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS, UH, GRANTS TO THE KRS APP.
I WOULD SAY WITHIN THE NEXT 10 DAYS, ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THOSE PLANS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS PERSON KNOWS DOLLARS.
OH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY DELIBERATE IN TRYING TO FIRST, UH, UH, UH, TRYING TO TOUCH AS MANY STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE, BOTH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FIRST RECOGNIZING THOSE STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST FINANCIAL NEED.
AND THEN I'LL MAKE THEM DISBURSEMENTS, UH, TO ALL OTHER STUDENTS BASED ON A, A FLAT RATE.
THE TREE CAMPUS, I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THOSE GRANTS OVER THE SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL.
BUT HERE IN BATON ROUGE CAMPUS, WE'RE, WE'RE DISPERSING, UH, THE ENTIRETY OF
[01:05:01]
THOSE GRANTS FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN SPRING 20, 20 AND THOSE SHOULD BE GOING OUT PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS.WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FINALIZING OUR DISTRIBUTIONS AS WE SPEAK.
UM, WE RECEIVED IN TOTAL, UH, $18 MILLION FOR THE FLAGSHIP CAMPUS.
UM, THE WAY THE CARES ACT WORKS, HALF OF THAT IT HAS TO BE DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS, WHICH IS THEY PUT STUDENTS FIRST AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO TOO.
SO HALF OF THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO STUDENTS.
WE'LL DISTRIBUTE 75% NOW, UM, AND WE'LL HOLD 25% FOR STUDENTS IN NEED.
UH, AND, AND OURS WILL BE BASED, UM, PRIMARILY ON THE FINANCIAL NEED OF THE STUDENT.
THE ALLOCATIONS FROM CONGRESS WERE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PELL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS AND FTES.
SO WE THOUGHT THE SPIRIT OF THAT WAS TO GO FIRST TO THOSE WITH THE GREATEST NEED.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE DOING.
THE OTHER CAMPUSES THAT HAVE STUDENTS IN THE LSU FAMILY, WE'LL BE DOING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME THING.
THE OTHER HALF OF THE 18 MILLION WE RECEIVED.
UM, WE, WE HAVE AND WE WILL USE TO REIMBURSE FOR THE COSTS THAT WE'VE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF COVEN, WHICH ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
PRESIDENT GALLIGAN I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE.
UM, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU ALL HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS AT THE BEGINNING, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT.
WHAT STEPS ARE YOUR INSTITUTIONS TAKING TO PROTECT APPLE T AS WE TRANSITION BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM? THAT'S AN GALLAGHER.
YOU WANT TO, I'M HAPPY TO START.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO STEP ON ANYBODY'S TOES.
UM, WE WILL, UH, PHYSICALLY DISTANCE.
UM, WE WILL STRONGLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO HAVE MASKS.
WE'LL HAVE HAND SANITIZER EVERYWHERE AND IF WE HAVE FACULTY WHO ARE AT RISK, UM, I WOULD EXPECT THAT IN FACT, I KNOW WE'LL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE FACULTY TO TEACH ONLINE.
UM, AND AGAIN, AS, AS WE COME BACK TO WORK, IT'S GOING TO BE GRADUAL.
UH, AND ANYBODY WHO'S NOT COMFORTABLE COMING BACK, ANYBODY WHO HAS FAMILY CARE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT PREVENT THEM FROM COMING BACK.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THOSE NEEDS.
WE'VE PROVEN THAT WE CAN WORK ONLINE WAY BETTER THAN WE EVER THOUGHT WE COULD WORK REMOTELY.
SO, SO WE'LL KEEP DOING THAT AS, AS WE GET BACK TO FULL SPEED.
IS THAT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE ELSE OR I'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT YOU'RE TAKING THAT YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON.
THIS IS PRIMARILY THE SAME THING.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY FLEXIBLE, UH, AND LISTEN TO FACULTY IN TERMS OF THEIR LEVEL OF CONFLICT.
UH, OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE REQUISITE, UH, PPE, UH, FOR FACULTY AND STAFF ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY.
REALLY LOOKING AT OUR, UH, ACADEMIC SCHEDULE, UH, SUCH THAT WE COULD FACILITATE CLASSES IN A MULTIPLE IN MULTIPLE MATTERS.
UH, SO THAT, UH, BACK AND WE COULD TEACH BOTH ONLINE AND IN AN OLD, UH, UH, MODALITY THAT THEY'RE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.
PRETTY MUCH WHAT TOM MADE MENTION.
UH, DR. SMITH, I HAVE A QUESTION DIRECTED TO YOU.
IT SAYS, HOW ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGES POSITIONED TO HELP WITH THE DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY? HOW ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGES POSITIONED TO HELP WITH THE DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY? A GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE ALL HAVE SEEN IN LOUISIANA 350,000 BRILLIANT AND 50,000 OF OUR FELLOW CITIZEN FALL FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
IN THE PAST SIX WEEKS, WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH 30 MILLION UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS HAVE BEEN MADE.
AND SO OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, BY HAVING A CAPRI IN SUBMISSION OR POSITION OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR ALL CITIZENS, BUT CERTAINLY THOSE IN THE WORKFORCE WITH SHORT TERM TRAINING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH ASSESSABILITY.
AND SO YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEW NORMAL NEW REALITY PART OF THINGS WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT CURRICULUM AND THINGS EARLY ON IN DEVELOPING PROGRAMS AND CURRICULUM THAT ARE CHARLOTTE NATURE THAT DON'T REQUIRE FOLKS TO BE IN OUR CLASSROOM.
WE'RE CERTAINLY TAKING MONTHS AND YEARS TO COMPLETE.
AND SO WE'RE FOCUSING AS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE BY HAVING SHORT TERM TRAINING PROGRAMS, CUSTOMIZED TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WE CAN CUSTOMIZE AND OFFER CREDENTIALS TO OUR STUDENTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE
[01:10:01]
WORKFORCE.AND SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER THIS, SPIN THOSE THINGS AROUND.
ALSO, WE IMAGINED THAT THE DOWNSIZING OF OUR INSTITUTION AND CERTAINLY OUR EMPLOYERS WOULD MEAN OF THEM SHUTTING THEIR DOORS.
THERE'S AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES AND SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH OUR FOUNDATION THAT WE'VE MADE AVAILABLE.
THE SUPPORT FOR, NOT JUST FOR THE EMERGENCY, BUT CERTAINLY SCHOLARSHIP TO TAKE PART OF THE TRAINING INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DEVELOP.
AND SO WE'RE POSITIONED ME TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OVERRIDE ON FOLKS WHO ARE OUT THERE, WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED, WHO WANT TO BE RE-SKILLED AND DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THE WHEREWITHAL.
AND SO WE POSITIONED OURSELVES TO REALLY JUMP ON THAT.
ADDITIONALLY, I LIKE TO ALSO SPEAK TO THAT WE HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, IT CONCERNS ME AND SUPERINTENDENT DRAKE DISCUSSED IT, BUT I WAS SENIORS, BUT I WAS SEEING IS ALSO IN OUR GRADUATES OF OUR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY.
WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO DO FOR THEM? RIGHT? AND HOW WE POSITION THEM AND SUPPORT THEM IN THE DOWNTOWN ECONOMY.
SO WE EXPLORED OR HAVING A VIRTUAL COMMENCEMENT VERY, VERY SOON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE OUR SENIORS NEED TO GET THEIR DEGREE WHERE THEY CAN GO TO WORK AND HAVE SOME SKILLS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES IN THEIR FAMILY.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU CAN BE MUCH, UH, CAN BE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ALL THE CITIZENS AND THOSE OUT THERE.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION FOR YOU, WHICH IS A CONNECT I BELIEVE TO WHAT YOU JUST SHARED IS WHAT IS BRCC DOING AS IT RELATES TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH ALL BEING THE INDUSTRY PARTNER, JEFF, THIS MORNING I WAS ON THE PHONE.
WE'LL BREAK OUR BANDWIDTH HERE WITH CHAMBER TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS INDUSTRY PARTNERS, WHAT KIND OF THINGS WE COULD DO RESEARCH ON AND LOOK FOR THEM FOR THE FUTURE WAS PERTAINING TO JOB TRAINING.
I WOULD TELL YOU EARLY ON WE WERE PULLING UP THE BATON ROUGE AREA CHAIRMAN LAWS COUNCIL OR DESIGN AND PPE MASS FOR ALL HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
WE HAVE BEEN RESTORING OUR HANDS ON INDUSTRIAL TRAINING WILL BE LED.
THEY SAW MOBILE TO AN EXTENT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM.
WE HAVE VIRTUALLY RESTARTED OUR NO BATHROOMS INITIATIVE AND MAYOR CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT INITIATIVE AND THOSE PROGRAMS INCLUDE WELDING PIPE FITTING, ELECTRICAL MURAL, RIGHT.
WE HAVE VIRTUAL RESTARTS OF OUR LA HEALTH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT FORMS TO TICK FOR BOTHERED ME IN MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING.
SO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE STARTED DOING SUPPORT, I'LL BE IN THE INDUSTRY, I WOULD TELL YOU BECAUSE OF ASSOCIATE DISTANT PRACTICE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE A SMALL CHALLENGE, BUT SOMEBODY RECOGNIZE THAT WE STILL NEED TO MAINTAIN SAFETY FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO COME IN AND TRAIN WITH US.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AS WELL AS STAYING ABREAST OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY.
WHAT WE COULD, WE COULD PREPARE THE WORKFORCE.
THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU.
WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR IMPROVING LOW-PERFORMING DNF SCHOOLS AND REMEDIATION FOR THOSE STUDENTS? WELL, LET ME GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE CARES ACT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THE $18 MILLION WE ARE RECEIVING, UH, FROM THE CARES ACT IS FUNNELED THROUGH OUR TITLE PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS IT'S FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE MOST NEED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY TO FOCUS ON BEING EQUITABLE AND MAKING SURE THOSE, THOSE KIDS IN THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED THROUGH, UH, ENHANCED SUMMER PROGRAM PROGRAMMING GROUP, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY NEED.
MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVEN'T HAD THE CONNECTIVITY.
SO, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, THE CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR STUDENTS, UH, ALSO THOSE STUDENTS ARE THE WANTS AND THAT MONEY WILL BE FOCUSED IN THOSE AREAS FIRST BEFORE IT'S, UH, FOCUSED ANYWHERE ELSE.
UH, WE, WE HAVE TO GET OUR SCHOOLS BETTER.
OUR STUDENTS ARE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN.
OUR PARENTS ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE GROWN ACADEMICALLY FOUR OUT OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
THE ONLY YEAR WE DID NOT GROW WAS THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD AND NOT MANY DISTRICTS GREW THAT YEAR.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO SAY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE GROWN.
WE WERE THE SEVENTH FASTEST GROWING DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA LAST YEAR AND THE SIXTH FASTEST GROWING DISTRICT IN THE STATE THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND IT STARTS WITH THOSE LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
THE NEXT QUESTION FOR YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DRAKE IS HOW ARE OUR CHILDREN, THE GRADUATING SENIORS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO COMPLETE THEIR REGISTRATION FOR COLLEGE? WELL, THAT'S BEING WORKED ON WITH THE SENIOR TEAM.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF A SENIOR, A TEAM THAT'S WORKING WITH SENIORS THROUGH THE PRINCIPALS.
THEY WILL BE, THEY CAN CONTACT THEIR SCHOOL DIRECTLY, THEY CAN CONTACT THEIR, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY ON THIS.
[01:15:01]
VERY FOCUSED.AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE THEIR SCHOOLING BASICALLY ANS THIS WEEK, THIS IS THEIR LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
AND SO WE ARE FOCUSED ON GETTING WHAT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE A PARENT OUT THERE, CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL, YOU CAN CONTACT THE HOTLINE THROUGH, UH, OUR WEBSITE, EBR SCHOOLS.ORG OR YOU CAN CONTACT ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OR SOME, OR EVEN THE TEACHER.
THE TEACHERS ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THEM AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE A GROUP OF STAFF THAT ARE WORKING WITH THESE SENIORS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE NOT, UH, LEFT ANYTHING BEHIND.
I WILL SAY THIS ALSO SINCE MARCH 13TH, WE, WE MISSED AN ENTIRE NINE WEEKS OF SCHOOL, SO THAT NINE WEEKS RIGHT NOW, THOSE STUDENTS CAN GO ONLINE AND HELP THEIR GRADES GET BETTER IF THEY NEED TO PASS A CLASS.
BUT I THINK THE, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS STAYING IN TOUCH WITH OUR TEACHER AND THEY'RE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN THE SCHOOLS.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION FOR OUR HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS, HOW HAS COBIT 19 IMPACTED YOUR ENROLLMENT OR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE FALL US SEMESTER? UH, PRESIDENT BELTON.
YOU WANT TO START WITH THAT? OKAY.
SO, UM, I WAS TELLING THE STAFF TODAY THAT THE GREATEST, A CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS ONE OF UNCERTAINTY, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO ROMAN.
WE ARE AT PRESENT MONITORING TRENDS AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IF THE SUMMER ENROLLMENT IS GOING TO BE HIGHER AND THEN WHAT IT WAS, UH, LAST YEAR, THIS TIME, MMM.
WE, WE NONETHELESS ARE, UH, CHECKING OUT MUCH.
SO IT'S SORT OF A FALL ENROLLMENT TRENDS PARTICULARLY AS RELATES IT FOR US ANYWAY, UH, OUT OF STATE, UH, UH, APPLICATIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY, UH, THERE IS, UH, A BELIEF THAT UH, LOUISIANA'S A HOTSPOT AND EVEN SOUTH LOUISIANA IS, AND SO PEOPLE ARE, UH, WILLING TO EVIDENCE THAT, UH, IF THEY SENT THEIR STUDENTS, THEIR CHILDREN TO US THAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, WOULD WE HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY AND DEMONSTRATED IN INSURANCE FAMILIES THAT WE ARE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND PROVIDING THE CHINA INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE BACK FOR THEM, THAT SECURITY, THAT A AND D, THEIR CHILD WILL BE SAFE.
SO, OUTSIDE OF, UH, OUT OF STATE, UH, UH, OUR ENROLLMENT, UH, UH, WE, WE ANTICIPATED TO BE A FLAT, UH, AND, UH, AND I THINK THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE COULD COMMUNICATE A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THEY ENABLED US TO, I ENJOY THE SAME TRACK OF ENROLLMENT THAT WE HAD LAST PRESIDENT.
HOW HAS COACH 19 IMPACTED YOUR ROLE IN OUR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE FALL SEMESTER? YEAH.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE SEEM TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AND I WOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE OUR ENROLLMENT TEAM IS FANTASTIC.
UM, THEY'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB OF RECRUITING.
I THINK I TOLD YOU EARLIER, I WAS ON A MEETING WITH 1500 ADMITTED STUDENTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, AND THERE'S ONLY, THERE'S ONLY ONE LOUISIANA AND UH, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO GO TO SCHOOL, BUT LIKE, LIKE RAY, UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, SAFETY FIRST AND WE'RE GOING TO PROMISE OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT THEM AT UNDUE RISK.
UM, WE ALREADY GIVE I THINK VERY GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS AND CERTAINLY WE'LL MONITOR THAT OVER THE SUMMER FOR THE STUDENTS WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN ADMITTED AND DEPOSITED IF THEIR SITUATIONS CHANGE.
UM, WE'LL CERTAINLY, WE'LL CERTAINLY RESPOND TO THAT.
UH, DR. SMITH, YOUR ENROLLMENT IN THE FALL, DO YOU THINK YOU'D BE IMPACTED BY COPE AT 19? YES.
I'M SURE WE WILL ECHO SOMEONE AND SEND THEM IN OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS WEBINAR ALL BUT CERTAINLY I THINK THE MAJOR THING THAT WOULD CONCERN ME IS PERSISTENCE.
I IMAGINE BOTH ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY WAS STRUGGLING TO ADAPT TO THE NEW ONLINE COURSE WORK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGED IN.
SO I IMAGINE OUR ENROLLMENT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE IN THE FALL, BUT I'M ENCOURAGED BY SOME ROOM OR SOMEBODY'S ENROLLMENT.
SO THAT'S EXCITING TO SEE DOWN SUMMER ENROLLMENT UP OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
ALSO MALE WOULD THINK THAT ALL OF US, CERTAINLY ME ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LOW INCOME THROUGH THE POST STUDENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO ENROLL BECAUSE I IMAGINE MANY OF THEIR PARENTS, EVEN THEMSELVES,
[01:20:01]
PAUL HAD BEEN LAID OFF AND GOT TO WORK, PROBABLY CAN'T AFFORD TO GO DOWN INSTITUTION SO NOW THEY'RE GOING TO NEED EVEN MORE RESOURCE SUPPORT FROM ALL OF US.SO NOW FOUNDATION HAS STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP BUT I SEE THAT BEING A TREMENDOUS IMPACT TO OUR COLLEGE, HOW WE SUPPORT OUR LOW OR PUT ON POST STUDENTS OR LOW INCOME STUDENTS OR STUDENTS OF COLOR TO MAKE SURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM ON MEETING THEIR GOAL TO COMPLETE AND GRADUATE.
AND SO WE ARE HOPEFULLY THAT WE CAN DO MORE ENTICING THINGS.
WE CREATED A VIRTUAL STUDENT CENTER AND I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TO SAY THAT THEY COULD STILL ENROLL ACTUALLY ALL IN FINANCIAL AID QUESTIONS WITH COUNSELING, TUTORING, ADVISEMENT AND SO FORTH.
BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL MAKE VIGILANT ON MAKING SURE WE GET THOSE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AN INSTITUTION.
SUPERINTENDENT, DRAKE, MAYOR, I COULD ONLY HEAR A PART OF THAT QUESTION.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
IT SAYS THE COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOLS AND THEY APPRECIATE IT, BUT THOSE COMPUTERS DON'T ALWAYS WORK SMOOTHLY.
THE CONCERNS THAT I HEAR ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF SPOTTY INTERNET SERVICE CAUSING FRUSTRATION.
AND FOR THE OLDER KIDS, THEY AREN'T ABLE TO RESEARCH BECAUSE SO MANY SITES ARE BLOCKED ON THE BLOCK SITES INDIVIDUALIZED BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF THE GRADE LEVELS.
SO PRETEND THAT YOU MAY BE ON MUTE.
SO THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
UH, WHEN WE STARTED THIS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM IN, IN MARCH, UH, WE, WE STARTED IN ON ZOOM AND IT WAS A, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES THERE THAT WE HAD TO MAKE SURE KIDS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY YOUNG KIDS WE'RE NOT, UH, DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME FILTERS IN THERE AND I THINK THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE A ONE TO ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS EVERY CHILD GRADES THREE THROUGH 12 AS A COMPUTER.
NOW THROUGH THE TITLE PROGRAM WE ARE PURCHASING, UH, COMPUTERS FOR PRE K THROUGH SECOND GRADE.
EVERY CHILD IN THIS DISTRICT WILL HAVE A COMPUTER.
AND SO BASED ON WHERE YOU ARE, WHAT YOU'RE STUDYING, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THERE WILL BE CERTAIN SAFE GUARDS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE PROTECTED.
THE SUPERINTENDENT, YOU MAY HAVE TO WRITE THAT ANSWER DOWN FOR US CAUSE WE HAD A LITTLE BREAKUP IN YOUR CONNECTION AS YOU WERE SPEAKING.
BUT I THINK WE GOT BITS AND PIECES OF IT.
WE DID HEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR QUESTION YOUR RESPONSE SAYING YES, BUT WE MAY ASK YOU TO JOT THAT DOWN FOR US, THAT WE COULD COMMUNICATE IT, UH, LATER ON.
GALLAGHAN WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR HOUSING AT LSU NEXT FALL? UM, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, WE'RE, WE'RE STUDYING ALL THOSE ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND UM, THE, THE PLANS ARE AGAIN, SAFETY WILL COME FIRST AND WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL OUR OPTIONS.
UH, SO IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT SAFE TO HAVE ROOMMATES AND WHAT DOES THAT DO WITH OUR CAPACITY? UH, IF IT IS, THEN WE WILL HAVE ROOMMATES.
UM, SO ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ON THE TABLE.
I THINK, UM, UM, OUR TECHNOLOGY HERE IS EITHER TIRED OR SOMETHING'S GOING ON CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF BREAKUP.
BUT I, I DID HEAR MOST OF WHAT, WHAT YOU SAID THERE.
UH, I THINK YOU SAID THAT I'M, THEY'RE GOING TO BE ROOMMATES.
DID YOU SAY THAT OR NO, WHAT I SAID WAS THEY'LL BE ROOMMATES IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S A SAFE SITUATION.
IF CDC AND THE GOVERNMENT GOVERNOR'S GUIDELINES SAY THAT ROOMMATES ARE A SAFE SITUATION, AS LONG AS SPACE IS ADEQUATE AND THEN THEN WE WILL HAVE ROOMMATES.
IF THAT'S NOT A SAFE SITUATION THEN AND WE HAVE TO ISOLATE THEM, THEN WE'LL, THEN WE'LL DO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY IF WE HAVE TO DO THAT, THAT AFFECTS OUR TOTAL CAPACITY FOR HOUSING.
SO THAT'S A, IT'S A FLUID SITUATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE STILL WORKING.
IT IS A TOTALLY FLUID SITUATION.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
[01:25:01]
MAYBE ONE MORE QUESTION.UH, AND SUPERINTENDENT, IT'S FOR YOU.
UH, THE LAST QUESTION IS, HAS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH CONSIDERED A CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS? THEN THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION IS HOW WILL WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO COPE WITH AND NAVIGATE LIFE IN WAYS THAT ALSO SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AND GROWTH? I'LL REPEAT THE SECOND QUESTION AGAIN, BUT THE FIRST PART IS, HAS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM CONSIDERED A CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS? WELL, THE ANSWER IS YES TO THAT.
WE HAVE A COMMITTEE WORKING ON, ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO
I HEARD A COLLEAGUE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT.
SO AS WE MOVE BACK INTO A SITUATION AFTER THE GOVERNOR LIFTS THE UH, ORDER FOR STAY AT HOME AND WE WILL PROBABLY DO THAT IN AND UH, PHASES, UH, WE WILL ASK OUR LEADERS IN, UH, DEPARTMENTS TO COME BACK FIRST AND DO THAT IN, IN A WAY WHERE EACH ONE IS FEEL SAFE.
WE WON'T FORCE ANYONE TO DO THAT.
SO THE SAFETY PART IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR US I THINK.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT THING.
I WANT TO ALSO MENTION THAT, UH, WE HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE ON THIS COMMITTEE THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.
SO WE HAVE DEPARTMENT HEADS, WE HAVE PARENTS, WE HAVE PRINCIPALS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, IT, IT'S, WE ARE DEFINITELY IN A CRISIS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE IN A CRISIS, UH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS SOMETIMES THAT NOT EVERYBODY WILL AGREE WITH.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU MAKE DECISIONS OR YOU WILL HAVE PEOPLE WONDER WHY THAT DECISION WAS, WAS MADE WELL, WE ALWAYS MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, PARENTS, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESEARCH, PARENTS PICK SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE SAFE.
NON-ACADEMICALLY NUMBER ONE, IT'S SAFETY.
THAT'S ALWAYS NUMBER ONE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW THEIR CHILD IS SAFE AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE WHEN THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL AND SCHOOL MAY LOOK MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENT.
UH, WHEN WE COME BACK, I WANT TO ALSO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, TO OUR PARENTS, UH, PARENTS AND UH, JUST FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT.
THEY'VE DONE SURVEYS, THEY ARE PONG TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN RIGHT NOW ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR PARENTS HAVE DONE, THEY HAVE BEEN, THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE COLLABORATION FOR US.
I MEAN WE HAVE 41,000 STUDENTS, OVER 5,000 EMPLOYEES.
SO THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR EMPLOYEES, IT IS CRITICAL TO US.
SO, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION AND WHEN WE COME BACK TO SCHOOL, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT.
WE WILL HAVE A ROBUST VITAL DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN AS WELL AS BRICK AND MORTAR PLANS AND JUST ALL OF THE RESEARCH THAT GOES INTO, UH, HAVING THIS TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PARENTS AND I WANT TO SAY ALSO, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY LAST SECOND TO LAST MONTH AS SUPERINTENDENT AND IT HAS BEEN A TRUE HONOR AND JUST A GREAT HONOR TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THAT.
ONE IS YOU GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE AND THE SECOND ONE IS I BELIEVE THAT UM, YOUR ORIGINAL RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM, YOU'VE ESTABLISHED, UM, A COMMITTEE.
SO I ASSUME THAT UM, UM, PART OF THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM WILL BE HELPING TO TEACH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, HOW TO COPE WITH AND NAVIGATE LIFE, UM, THAT WILL ALSO SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AND GROWTH.
UM, I'M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT.
AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THIS AND HAS DONE TO US IS PROBABLY THE MENTAL HEALTH PART OF IT.
IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, BYPRODUCTS OF THIS.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT BUILT FOR ISOLATION.
AND JUST THE ISOLATION ITSELF IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
OUR BOARD HAD A VIRTUAL, UH, JUST GET TOGETHER ONE NIGHT A FEW WEEKS AGO JUST SO WE CAN SEE EACH OTHER'S FACES AND VISIT.
UH, SO THE, THE MENTAL PART OF THIS IS TRULY THE HARDEST PART.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COUNSELORS.
UH, WE GIVE A LOT OF AUTONOMY TO OUR PRINCIPALS AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH SMALL GROUPS TO MAKE
[01:30:01]
SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING OKAY MENTALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY WE'RE TEACHING PE VIRTUALLY.AND JUST ALL ASPECTS OF EDUCATION.
EDUCATION IS NOT JUST THE X'S AND O'S IN THAT CLASSROOM.
IT'S TAKING CARE OF OUR CHILDREN.
IT'S, IT'S GIVEN THEM, IT'S DOING WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THEM.
AND, AND IT'S TRULY BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES ON THIS.
THANK YOU TO THE CLOSE OF A WEBINAR.
UH, WOULD ANY OF OUR PANELISTS LIKE TO HAVE SOME CLOSING COMMENTS BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT? YEAH, THIS IS WILLIE SMITH.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO BE PART OF THIS, KEEPING THE PROMISE.
I'LL ALSO LIKE TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES THAT EVEN YOU, OH, THIS TIME IT GAVE ME A CHANCE TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY A LITTLE BIT.
MOST OF THEM ARE PROBABLY ONE OR TWO, RIGHT.
BUT ALSO IN A LITTLE BIT TO READ A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO I JUST PULLED OFF THE SHIFT.
TOM BROKE OUT A GREATEST GENERATION.
I IMAGINE THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE CAN READ THAT BOOK AND TALK ABOUT THIS PANDEMIC PROBABLY WILL PUT US ON MAKING SURE THAT BE A NEW, UH, EVEN GREATER GENERATION GOING FORWARD BECAUSE WE ARE WORK TOGETHER, COLLABORATIVE.
YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE REST OF OUR LOCAL AND STATE LEADERSHIP HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL TO THOSE AND SUPPORTING ALL OUR CITIZENS IN SAUCY.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE AND APPRECIATE IT.
AND I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN AND MAYOR SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COORDINATING THIS, UH, PANEL DISCUSSION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR THE CAPITAL AREA PROMISE.
UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AS WE'VE ALL DONE TO OUR FACULTY, OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS FOR THE WONDERFUL AND FAMILIES FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
AND I WOULD CLOSE BY SAYING SOMETIMES EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION, UM, COMES UNDER A LITTLE HEAT IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PRESS FOR THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER THING.
AND I WOULD SAY, BOY, LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND, AND I THINK THAT AFTER THIS, THE PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS EDUCATION, TOWARDS RESEARCH AND TOWARDS OUR ABILITY TO TURN ON A DIME AND IMPLEMENT IT IS, IS GOING TO BE REALLY THROUGH THE ROOF.
AND I THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR THAT TO THAT.
WELL, MADAM MAYOR, PRESIDENT, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO JUST JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND AGAIN, COMMEND YOU FOR, UH, FACILITATING THIS TOWN HALL MEETING.
UH, WE HAVE JOKINGLY, UH, GIVEN INDICATION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY TALK MORE THAN THE VELVETS.
UH, AND I'D SAY THAT, UH, WITHIN OUR SYSTEM AND ACROSS, UH, SYSTEMS. AND I THINK, UH, WE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, DURING THIS TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I VALUE IDEAS AND, AND, UH, AND I HAVE, UH, UH, UH, I'VE, I'VE HEARD MANY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS DISTRESSED ME MORE SO IN RECENT WEEKS, I HAS BEEN THE SUGGESTION THAT ANY STUDENTS ARE CONTEMPLATING, UH, WAITING OUT A YEAR OR, UH, UH, AND ARE DEFERRING THEIR ASPIRATIONS IN LIGHT OF THEIR QUESTS, UH, TO, UH, UM, GO TO COLLEGE AND GET A, A FULL AROUND THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.
AND AS WILLIE MAY MENTIONED, MANY FAMILIES ARE TRULY IN A CRISIS FINANCIALLY WHERE THEY JUST DON'T SEE WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE THERE FOR THEM TO CONTINUE THERE.
THEIR EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS, MY FEAR I EVER RIGHT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, DEFER ASPIRATIONS, LIFE AS A WAY, UH, FILLING IN THOSE GAPS WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AT THAT TIME.
AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGED STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THEIR ASPIRATIONS, UH, TO THE POINT OF CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION.
THAT POST SECONDARY LEVEL, WE BENEFIT FROM A LOT OF TALENTED AND AND REALLY, UH, UH, UH, UH, INSTITUTION WHO, UH, IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL BE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
ONE THAT'S ENGAGING NONETHELESS, UH, AND UH, WHOSE GOAL IS TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS.
AND SO I AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO, UM, UH, EXPRESS OUR COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT AND SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES HOW MUCH IS IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE A PART OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND EDUCATION COMMUNITY THAT PUTS STUDENTS
[01:35:01]
FIRST.MAYOR, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALSO FOR HOSTING THIS EVENT.
THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DIALOGUE AND I WANT TO SAY WE ALL KNOW THAT THE CAPITAL AREA PROMISE IS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
SO FROM EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IS PERSPECTIVE.
I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR CHILDREN, EVERY YEAR SIX GRADERS GO TO LSU, EVERY SIXTH GRADER IN OUR, IN OUR SYSTEM VISITS LSU, EVERY SEVENTH GRADER IN OUR SYSTEM VISIT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
EVERY EIGHTH GRADER IN OUR SYSTEM VISITS BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SO I WANT TO THANK THE COLLEAGUES HERE, THE PRESIDENTS OF THESE FINE UNIVERSITIES WHO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
AND WE HAVE SHOWN A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN SENIORS ATTENDING THESE UNIVERSITIES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS SINCE THIS PROMISE HAS BEEN GOING ON.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING IS, I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
WELL, WELL, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU.
UH, I WILL SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY THE CAPITAL AREA, PROMISE CORE TEAM, AND, UH, ALL OF YOUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS FOR, UH, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
YOU SEE OUR, UH, PARTNERS THERE AND SUPERINTENDENT DRAKE, YOU CERTAINLY, UH, SPELLED OUT AND LET EVERYONE KNOW, UH, AND SUMMARIZED WHAT THE CAPITAL AREA PROMISE IS ALL ABOUT.
UH, I WANT TO FIRST SAY, UH, SUPERINTENDENT DRAKE, THANK YOU.
UH, CERTAINLY FOR YOUR, UH, SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
BUT REMEMBER WHAT I SAID, YOU GOT SOME WORK TO DO BEFORE YOU LIVE, SO YOU'RE NOT OUT YET.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, TO, UH, PRESIDENT, UM, UH, FELTON AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, PRESIDENT GALLIGAN AT LSU AND, UH, UH, PRESIDENT, UH, CHANCELLOR AT, UH, DR. SMITH AT BRCC.
THANK YOU ALL AS INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, UH, FOR BEING A PART OF THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY, I AM SO PROUD THAT WE HAVE, UH, THESE, UH, STELLAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS PART OF THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY, OF OUR PARISH, OF OUR, OF OUR STATE.
SO THANK ALL OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, AND WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR VIEWERS TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S TOWN HALL.
EACH OF US TODAY PLAY AN IMPORTANT, THE CENTRAL ROLE TOWARD THE GREATER WORK TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND OPERA, UH, OUTCOMES IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND BEYOND.
I WANT TO REMIND YOU AS WE CLOSE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY AS WE CONTINUE MOVING TOWARDS THIS NEW REALITY.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO, UH, NAVIGATE THE COBOT 19 CRISIS, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY CALM, STAY HOME, AND STAY STRONG DURING THIS TIME.
OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY CERTAINLY IS IN MY PRAYERS AS WE NAVIGATE THIS PANDEMIC AND AS WE MOVE ON THE PATH OF RECOVERY.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.