BOT: VP retires, KCRW buys Santa Barbara station

The Board of Trustees Trustees welcomed new member Barry Snell and accepted the retirement of Vice President of Academic Affairs Jeff Shimizu at Wednesday night's monthly BOT meeting. Following confirmation that enrollment numbers are on pace to equal targets, the BOT approved the purchase of an extension of KCRW in Santa Barbra.

KCRW is purchasing station KDB 97.3 FM from the Santa Barbara Foundation and swapping frequencies with the University of Southern California’s radio station KQSC 88.7 FM.

“It’s an opportunity to build a community,” general manager of KCRW and president of the KCRW foundation Jennifer Ferro said. “There is a large student population in Santa Barbara that we hope to utilize so as to create a cross pollination and bring [students] to Santa Monica and vice versa.”

The radio station will continue to focus on local original programming supporting the arts, culture, public events and California issues.

Though the price is not finalized, the KCRW Foundation has approximated that the deal will cost $1-1.3 million

BOT Vice Chair Rob Rader notes that this is, “an exciting transaction and is a testament to the entrepreneurship of KCRW.”

The ground breaking for KCRW’s new location on the Academy of Entertainment and Technology campus will be held on June 11.

Representatives from the GRIT Initiative brought the board up to speed with the new You+1 student support system.

The system asks students to choose a person close to them and name them as an emotional coach during the academic term.

The aim of the program is to teach students how to develop characteristics that they may not have learned on their own.

The board was not receptive to the execution of the program. Members of the board felt the initiative lacked a broader cultural view and understanding of its target audience.

“The program lacks cultural competency,” Trustee Margaret R. Quiñones-Perez said.

Student Trustee Jessie Ramirez responded in agreement with Perez.

Associated Student Body President Ty Moura brought to the floor the completion of the new Cayton Center and its positive reception from students as well as her work on California Senate Bill 1017, which targets oil companies with a sliding scale tax on big oil corporations for extracting oil in California.

The tax is estimated to generate $75 million to $1 billion for higher education alone.

She asked the Trustees for their support and lobbying power on the bill.

Moura added that AS will be celebrating women’s empowerment this month focusing on women in leadership. She adds that Marianne Williamson, who is running for a seat in the House of Representatives in California’s 33 district will appear to make a speech on March 27 during the student activity hour.

The Trustees were favorable to the bill but tabled the issue for a later meeting.

The Board unanimously approved a new policy on employee whistleblowing.

The policy protects those who come forward reporting improper activity will be, “protected from retaliation,” and will have the report investigated expediently.

The next Board meeting will be held on April 1.