January 27, 2026

RAPP Meeting Minutes 

Hybrid Mtg. 10 a.m.-11:20 a.m.

MLC255

Tuesday Jan. 27, 2026 

Brief Summary

The RAPP committee discussed three main topics: instructional equipment funding, the Pride Counselor position, and the upcoming Program Review Process. RAPP agreed to prioritize requests based on needs analysis between deans and vice presidents before submitting to budget committee. Regarding the Pride Counselor position, the committee reached consensus to recommend making it a permanent tenure-track position, though this would require borrowing a position from next year's hiring cycle. The position will move forward to College Council for discussion and recommendation, and then to the President’s Office for review and final decision. The conversation ended with an overview of the program review processes and goals.

Next steps

Deans and Vice Presidents: Consult on and prioritize instructional equipment funding needs, then submit itemized prioritized lists of highest priority equipment requests to the Budget Advisory Committee.
Gabriela: will meet separately with Cecilia Hui to discuss alternative funding sources for instructional equipment needs, including possible library funding.
Tri-Chairs: Move forward with recommending the Pride Counselor position as a permanent tenure track position to College Council, with the understanding that one position from next year's hiring pool will be reallocated for this purpose.
Tri-chairs: Update the program review group assignments and links in the shared folder to ensure all program reviews (including new/enrollment services submissions) are accessible and correctly linked; resolve any overlaps/conflicts in group assignments regarding affiliations between departments and RAPP members.
Nazy: Upload missing program review submissions for enrollment services to the shared folder and when uploaded so links can be added.
RAPP constituents: Review the first two assigned program reviews before the next meeting and be prepared to discuss them in group sessions.
Tri-Chairs: Update the RAPP meeting calendar to reflect that subsequent program review meetings will be fully remote.
RAPP Tri-chairs: Check the questions for deans/managers in the shared folder weekly and email out questions to deans for responses during program review feedback period.
RAPP constituents: Duplicate and rename feedback forms for each program review in their group's folder.
Lisa Ly: Act as acting tri-chair representing classified staff beginning next week.
Instructional Equipment Funding Allocation

The allocation of instructional equipment funding has not been received since 2023. Farhad emphasized the need for prioritization based on needs and the best use of limited funds, proposing a process where deans and vice presidents consult to create itemized proposals before submitting to the Budget Advisory Committee. The group agreed that this process would be more efficient than having the committee manage individual purchases. Additionally, Cecilia raised a question about using lottery funds for instructional equipment, which Farhad clarified was not permissible due to specific guidelines. Gabriela offered to discuss Cecilia's concerns offline and mentioned an additional funding source for instructional equipment. Adrienne highlighted the need to consider the timing of financial requests in relation to program review requests, suggesting that the current process might not fully account for future implications.

Pride Counselor Position Conversion

The RAPP committee discussed converting the Pride Counselor position from a temporary full-time role to a permanent tenure track position. They proposed using grant funding for the Guided Pathways Coordinator to free up general funds for the Pride Counselor position. The committee agreed to recommend the Pride Counselor position for permanent tenure track hiring to College Council, with 18 members voting in favor. College Council could review and discuss as soon as its next scheduled meeting.

Program Review Training and Assignments

Mallory led the program review discussion, which included training and assignments.  She reviewed the composition of 5 review groups, each containing an administrator, classified professional, affinity group member, student, and faculty member. Some RAPP members identified potential conflicts of interest in their assignments, particularly regarding departments in enrollment services, and the group agreed to update the assignments accordingly. The team also clarified that while some program review submissions were posted, links to them had not yet been created, and this would be addressed by the end of the day.

Mallory explained how to use feedback forms, duplicate them for multiple programs, and document commendations, areas for improvement, and comments. She emphasized the importance of linking feedback to program improvements and resource requests. RAPP was advised to meet remotely for subsequent review sessions, with Ram updating the calendar accordingly, and to read and discuss 2-3 programs ahead of meetings to streamline the review process.

Adrienne and Nazy discussed the challenges of implementing feedback from program reviews, particularly when it conflicts with regulatory requirements. They emphasized the importance of clearly articulating reasons for not implementing certain feedback. The group also clarified that while RAPP does not prioritize classified position requests, these requests should still be noted in program reviews. The conversation ended with a review of the college's mission, values, and strategic initiatives, and how these should inform program reviews and goal setting.

Mallory then explained the difference between goal-setting and learning outcomes emphasizing that goals are for departments while learning outcomes focus on student learning. The group discussed the evaluation criteria for goals, including SMART goals, and the importance of tracking progress. Mallory announced her departure to a year-long acting district position and welcomed Lisa Ly as the new acting tri-chair representing the classified senate constituents. The group was reminded to review their assigned program reviews as homework before the next meeting. Tri-chairs also reminded RAPP committee members that beginning Feb 4 through March 17 (the end of winter quarter) all RAPP meetings will be remote and online with no in-person meetings. Ram will send a Zoom invite through the Outlook calendar, and tri-chairs will note new online meetings dates in upcoming RAPP agenda.

Attendees: Ram Subramaniam, Mallory Newell, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Sam Bliss, Michele LeBleu Burns, Farhard Sabit, Nazy Galoyan, Garrett King, Agustin Espino Diaz, Eric Mendoza, Michelle Hernandez, Felisa Vilaubi, Zander Blackman, Adrienne Hypolite, Randy Bryant, Patricia del Rio, Thomas Ray, Glynn Wallis, Cecilia Hui, Blen Ashebr, Mehrdad Khosravi, Jayme Brown, Aisyah Faisal, Blen Ashebr, Gabriela Nocio, Hieu Nguyen, James Nguyen, Martin Varela, Jaime Pelusi, Rabi, Lisa Ly, Huy Le

Absent: Kim Palmore, Christian Wright, Erick Aragon, 

RAPP Voting Members include: Ram Subramaniam, Mallory Newell, Veronica Acevedo Avila, Farhad Sabit, Michele LeBleu Burns, Sam Bliss, Nazy Galoyan, Garret King, Augustin Espino Diaz, Jayme Brown, Patricia del Rio, Erick Aragon, Adrienne Hypolite, Eric Mendoza, Michelle Hernandez, Felisa Vilaubi, Christina Wright, Cecilia Hui, Glynn Wallis, James Nguyen, Zander Blackman, Aisyah Faisal, Jayme Brown, Kim Palmore (for Alicia Mullens), Blen Ashebr, Salvador Pedroza

Non-voting Advisory: Martin Varela, Randy Bryant, Erik Woodbury