The Long Beach City College Board of Trustees held their meeting for the month of March on campus for the first time in two years on Wednesday.
There were roughly 30 attendees at the meeting’s open session, several of whom spoke on various subjects throughout the course of the meeting.
Attendees were asked to provide proof of vaccination prior to entering the meeting, and those who were unable to do so were asked to wear a face mask.
Majority of the attendants, including the board of trustee members, remained maskless through the meeting.
“It feels really refreshing and exciting to be back with people,” Board President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, who represents Area 1, said.
Some of the key items discussed in the meeting were the campus reopening update; resolution for Cesar Chavez Day and Juneteenth Holiday; and new budget transfers.
Also participating in Wednesday’s meeting was LBCC superintendent-president, Mike Muñoz.
This was Muñoz’s first in-person Board of Trustees meeting since he was officially appointed to the position in March 2021.
“It’s an adjustment. I’m not going to lie. As happy and excited as I am, I’m a little bit anxious and nervous too because it’s like another transition,” Muñoz said. “It feels good to be with colleagues and students and be together and see everything so I appreciate that.”
While virtual meetings may have been more COVID-19 friendly, they still posed several drawbacks.
“I think the difficulties were not being able to do celebrations and recognitions that we’re doing right now,” Muñoz said. “Obviously, you had to acknowledge people through Zoom and it’s just not the same thing as where you would present a plaque or see a faculty member demo their content. You can’t replace it.”
Area 3 trustee Sunny Zia says she is glad to be back in person and discussed some of her feelings toward the transition.
“I prefer this, where you can see people in ‘3-D’ and get to talk to them in real life,” Zia said, “Hopefully we won’t have to go back on Zoom, but I know some people like the comfort of being in their own home.”
All monthly Board of Trustees meetings will now be held in person at the Liberal Arts Campus, building T, room 1100.