The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees held a virtual meeting on Jan. 18. The meeting covered topics such as COVID-19 restrictions and student worker wages.

Public comments made at the meeting made it clear to the board that some staff and students have issues with current VCCCD COVID-19 protocols. Many of those who made comments saw the protocols to be confusing, discriminatory and restricting.

Currently, a paramedic student at Ventura College, Isaac Okopnik Chulsky, described the recent hardships that he has had to face due to being unvaccinated. He mentioned that these hassles are due to recent COVID-19 protocols.

“I am sad to say that my experience with the response to Covid has been an outlier for my positive learning experience at Ventura College,” said Chulsky. “I have done my best to persist and do my best work despite any obstacles with the discrimination and restrictions on unvaccinated individuals.”

Concerned citizen, Rebecca Doll, called some of the COVID-19 protocols unnecessary, adding that the protocols cause redundant obstacles for many of the students attending Ventura County Community Colleges.

“Why are we testing twice a week?” asked Doll. “That is a standard that’s required for people working in a clinical setting. Your average student should have not have to test twice a week.”

After the public comments were made, Marketing, Communications and Web Design Coordinator Alexander Fredell took a moment to congratulate the following VCCCD health coordinators: Allison Barton of Moorpark College, Deanna Mcfadden of Oxnard College and Mary Jones of Ventura College.

“Thank you again to our health center coordinators,” said Fredell. “Allison, Deanna and Mary are absolutely wonderful. They are great to work with as part of the healthy return to campus.”

After the health coordinators were commemorated, the board moved on to discourse regarding student worker wages.

Trustee Joshua Chancer discussed a desire to increase the wage of student workers that had more skill and experience than others. Chancer asserted that the amount of work that certain skilled student workers are doing isn’t being properly compensated.

“One of the takeaways when I look at other community college districts and the information provided is that there is a higher compensation level for the higher-skilled student workers,” said Chancer. “I think that we can do better.”

The next meeting for the board of trustees will be on Feb.15. The VCCCD Board meetings can be viewed online where public comments can also be sent and shared. The meetings can be viewed here.