Ray Manzarek dies at 74; keyboardist for the Doors (LA Times)

The May meeting of the SOCCCD board of trustees: "what the speaker said was accurate"

   Yes folks, here we are yet again for another meeting of the SOCCCD BOT. This is, as I’ve suggested previously, the best BOT the district likely has ever had, which ain’t saying much, but it’s a damned good thing nonetheless. Essentially, the board is now jackass-free. Plus we've got a Chancellor we can work with, trust.
     Tonight’s “discussion” item is yet another one of those daffy “student success” recommendations. Good Lord—I shudder not because the presenters will dull, but because, well, you know. Everything that comes down to us from the state is the product of a committee, and, as you know, a giraffe is a horse designed by a committee, and, besides, the more committeeish a thing is in our system, the more infected it is by the idiocy of educationism and, anyway, the thinking of that anti-educated crowd who can look at the “SLO” Weltanschauung sans projectile pukage.
     5:55: amazingly, as I enter the room, I find that everyone's here, ready to go. Wait! Where's Gary (Poertner)? Feels like summer around here.
     5:57: Somebody just handed me a stapled handout entitled "SOCCCD Board of Trustees, Board Presentation, May 20, 2013." This concerns the recent ATP "land swap," no doubt.
     Gary's here. Here we go.

     MEETING BEGINS: 6:00: clerk reads actions: 7/0 vote, approved termination publication technician. That's all.
     Jemal leads "invocation," which sounds pretty secular. Still, it ends with, "thank you and amen"
     Swearing in of brand spanking new student trustee, David Robinson (a Saddleback student). "...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...." --The usual oath

     Next: resolutions
     Poertner steps up: district services admin of the year, Deborah Fitzsimmons. She appears to be a popular favorite (in the room). She thanks everyone. She has her hubby stand up. Applause.
     Next: IVC classified employee outstanding award: Patrick Taylor. Prod. manager at PAC. "Patrick is a joy to be around," etc. Glenn comes up and chirps warm positivities. "He's a heck of a softball player." They hand him a plaque, a certificate. "For someone who was always sent to the principal's office, I thought I was in trouble again." Points out his wife. Applause.
     SC classified employee award: Brooke Sauter. She thanks everyone. "I love what I do everyday...!" Applause. Charming, natch. Photo op.
     District Services classified employee award: Kathryn Nunez. "Improved customer service." Poertner gives her "designated parking spot," the most valuable thing she's getting, he says. Yuk yuk. Photo op. "Want to thank the awesome women of payroll...." Points out her grandchildren, et al. Applause.
     Saddleback College Forensic Team. Won this, won that. Something about "mouth of lions." I dunno. Applause. Roll call vote. Advisor and student comments: "Thank you to everyone" (Larry Radden). Couldn't have done this without the "beautiful lovely spirit and hearts of students." Golly. "They are the wind beneath my sail[?]". Applause. They wander off.
     Next: IVC Forensic Team. "Sweepstakes winners...8 prestigious tournaments. Top school of all colleges..." Etc. They look mighty shiny and new up there. Marcia's reading goes on and on (so wonderful are they). Applause. Roll call vote. Gary (freaking) Rybold speaks in his usual annoying manner. He yammers. He says they'll be getting on a plane soon to compete in China. Maybe Gary can stay there. Talks about his wife. (Gosh, I wonder if Gary still leads the students in "prayer" before competitions?) Good Lord, he's finally done. Applause. Photo op.
     Next: commendations.
     Burnett comes up to present Debbie Kerr, Athletic trainer of year according to CCCATA.
     Dan Walsh, SC geo instructor. Named "Educator of the Year" by the Cal Geo Society. (As usual, people are getting prizes for getting prizes. Not that these people aren't deserving, but....)
     Burnett  calls up Bob Cosgrove, SC Ac Senate Prez." I hope I'm not embarrassing you, Bob." "No, not at all," says Bob. Laughter. Burnett says Cosgrove has been Prez "seven times." Is that a record? Dunno. Pioneered the "OSH banking system." Etc. Has long advocated for part-time faculty. A great advocate of the Academic Senate. "I could go on and on." He does. Bob gets a certificate. Applause.
     Don Mineo is recognized as outgoing classified senate prez. Gets certificate.
     Rod Oveisi couldn't attend.

No public comments.

Oral trustee reports:

     Bill Jay: There's over 4,000 colleges in the U.S. 1500-1600 community colleges. The numbers are staggering. We started with maybe 30 programs at SC; now over 300. Incredible amount of work. Yammers about "alternative fuel certificate." Talks about the "Nazis" during WWII. We had better fuel for our fighters. Octane rating difference. Padberg: we need to move on. Mentions also: John Muir and other "natural history writers." Lastly: mentions UCI Chancellor Drake who'll be getting some kinda prize at commencement. Nancy is desperately suppressing eye-rollage. Bill will not quit. "OK," Nancy says, trying to derail the Jayster.
     Tim Jemal: won't go over litany of activities. It is a real joy to be a trustee, especially this month. Very impressed by scholarship ceremony at Saddleback College. STEM. We're a really diverse cc district. It was very heartening. Looking forward to ATEP presentation today. I got this job in part to help with development of ATEP.
     Marcia Milchiker: reads events she attended last month. Yammers through her list. Mentions Shermer event at IVC, among many others. Board's self-evaluation. Thank you.
     TJ Prendergast: Tech Voice (?) breakfast. John Campbell came to speak: interesting. I'll be going to graduation Friday.
     Nancy Padberg: she goes through list of things she attended with great brevity. Boom. Next!
     James Wright: also goes through events he attended. My eyes lids are getting heavy. Interviewed for TV, Channel 6 (Laguna Woods). Veterans at SC. TechVoice event. "Very, very good." Presidents roundtable here at SC. Etc. Board self-evaluation.
     Dave Lang: yes, a busy month. Mentions some events attended. Scholarship awards ceremonies at each college. Particpated in board self-evaluation. look forward to commencements. We recently congratulated Glenn Roquemore to whatever-it-was. Lang mentions that it was "carried in the Irvine World News." Congrats SC for choice of Drake as commencement speaker at SC.
     Student trustee Robinson: does lots of thank yous.
     Chancellor (Gary Poertner) report: met with student trustee. Tonight's agenda: the final "student success recs" presentation: aligning resources with student success. Last but not least: ATEP approval of contract, blah, blah, blah. I've been involved with this in some way or another since 1999.
     Pres Glenn Roquemore's report: yammers. Mentions awards for Gary Rudmann and Kari Tucker. Etc.
     Pres Tod Burnett: mentions scholarships, etc. Looking forward to commencement on Friday. Glad you're excited about commencement speaker. Radio station birthday bash coming up too.

Board "requests for reports":
     TJ Prendergast: wants to look into potential impact of Affordable Care Act on district.

     ATEP LAND SWAP, ETC. We're going to advance ATEP stuff before we get to discussion item. Related to the build-out of campus at ATEP. Public hearing. (This concerns two or three agenda items: 6.1, 6.2, 6.3.) But first: Debrah F presents: she introduces some people, who stand up. Applause. Like I said, this concerns the recently-announced land swap.
     Randy Peebles: presents slide, the "before" map of SOCCCD property. Then the "after" map. The after map sports contiguous properties. A "win win" for both City of Tustin and the district. The current tin complex will be handed off to Tustin, etc.
     Fitzsimmons: describes "the project." Land exchange agreement. "The land exchange agreement is the master document for the entire transaction," says a slide. Tedious details. Fitz keeps it all to a minimum, it seems. Good.
     Peebles: discusses "allowed uses." Category 1, "educational." Category 2, "non-educational" (up to 49% of property). Income producing.
     Prohibited uses: shopping centers or commercial strip malls over 15,000 sf; Hotels and motels, drive-throughs, etc.
     Fitz: ATEP Partners/Developers will pay "backbone" infrastructure fees...."
     Benefits to the district: more efficient, continguous.... Enhanced visibility. Infastructure costs reduced. Increase in square footage. Etc.
    Goes through "benefits" for City of Tustin as well.
     Jeremy Somebody (from some firm) comes up to explain CEQA Addendum "summary of findings." Pretty tedious. Everything checks out OK, I guess. Any comments or questions?
     Fitz: due diligence, environmental insurance, etc. Goes through timeline. Close escrow: on or before 6/28/13. Lastly: next steps. We're in phase 5 (at-ground demo and grading). Will "intensify exploration for external funding." Explore Public/private partnerships. (This is every bit as tedious as one might expect it would be. But Fitz does good job.) On and on it goes. My eyes hurt. The board is asleep. The audience is dead. Fitz soldiers on. I look through the pamphlet distributed earlier: even more tedious. I'm gonna check out for a while....
     7:10 - Fitz seems to be wrapping up. Any questions? TJ Prendergast: have we got confirmation from letter-writers that our answers were suitable? (This seems to be a reference to complaints/objections expressed at public hearing, Tustin). Answer: no request for further clarification, etc. The city and others did respond. So answers were given. Whether satisfactory, not clear. Prendergast: "we don't know yet if they're OK with our answer?" Yes, I guess.
     No other comments. Members of public now have chance to speak to address these matters. Nope, noone. Typical.
     Jemal: I think you did an excellent job (looks at Fitz and Peebles, it seems).
     6.1 now concluded. 6.2 next. Certifying the addendum. Vote: unanimous.
     6.3. Approving of agreements. Vote: unanimous.
     Padberg congratulates and thanks everyone. We're moving on with ATEP. Applause.
     Bill Jay: "Can I make a comment?" Yep. Appreciates all the work people did, month after month, year after year. Thank you.

The Tengster

     ALIGNING RESOURCES WITH STUDENT SUCCESS RECOMMENDATIONS. Discussion item: student success task force recommendation #8 ("Align resources with Student Success recommendations"). Kathy Schmeidler and Bob Cosgrove come up to present (along with two others).
     Kathy draws attention to rec 4 presentation. Cooperation between the two colleges, etc. Today, sterling example of that kind of cooperation.
     Tony Teng from SC (accounting). Works on his PowerPoint presentation. Example of aligning resources... "student success" is the key word. Introduces Bob Urell of IVC (business). We work together as complementary partners.  Compares accounting at SC and IVC. "Census enrollment."
Oddly, the two programs seem to be about the same size (despite SC's being twice the size)
     Yammers about partnerships between IVC and SC. Lists "benefits to students" We both accept each others' courses. We collaborate on new course development. Shared instructor pool. We have a common vision.
     Dry as dust. I'm checking out for a while....  
     Bob Urell's turn. Students go back and forth between the two colleges. Tutoring labs. Volunteer tax assistance at both campuses. Accounting Club. Student internships.
     Kathy returns: any questions? Marcia Milchiker: I took accounting Fall semester. It was really interesting. I was in the drop-in lab every day. They helped me pass. (I got a B.) [Nancy suppresses eye roll age--maybe] yammers. "More a thanks than a question."
     Tony notes that students were impressed that Marcia took the class, sought help.

Consent calendar: anything to pull? Nope. Vote: unanimous.

General Action Items:

     6.4: Retiree OPEB Trust Actuarial Validations and Liability Funding. (I kid you not.) Fitzsimmons presents: "I promise (for next time) not to be so boring and dry with my material." Laughter.
     OK, I'm tuning out.
     7:35: Fitz is still at it, poor thing.
     Dave Lang: moves to accept. But has minor question. Prendergast: something about money set aside. Trustees seem satisfied, happy. Carries unanimously.
   6.5: Board Policy revisions. Fitzsimmons again. 13 board policies for approval. Fitz notes some minor changes. Lang: I had recommended some minor changes to a couple of policies. BP4113: blah, blah, blah. Fitz explains changes made. Trustee education: trustees encouraged to attend one conference per year, etc. Prendergast: need of wordsmithing. Lang wants to strike out "not more than three" of the trustee policy re conferences, since no one is now abusing conferences, etc. Jemal: wonders why have any prescription? Agree that should be "encouraging" at least one. Nothing more. Milchiker defends going to conferences. Prendergast: should we hold this BP? No. Let's make the changes. So they vote on that: (trustees are encouraged to participate in at least one conference each year that provides prof deve't...Strike other language.) So they vote: unanimous. Now the vote on approval of all. Bob Cosgrove makes comments: some of this has not been sent to us for approval. Fitz 2120... the word "jointly" to be deleted because redundant. Cosgrove recommends leaving it as is. Bob: it's the language of Title 5. Jemal's concern: "shall be mutually agreed upon jointly." Do we need "jointly"? Jemal backs off given feelings of others (Cosgrove). Carries unanimously.
     6.6: BPs for review and study.
     6.7: anyone interested in nominating someone for "Maureen DiMarco" award? Nope.
     6.8: Classified employee layoff. Bugay: due to a grant. Motion, second. Roll call: unanimous.
     6.9: Sabbatical revision/rescind. Unanimous.
     6.10: Academic Personnel Actions. Unanimous.
     6.11: Classified Personnel Actions. IVC seeks to change a position, 11 months only. Lang: is this a trend? This is something new for IVC. They have to see how successful. Innovative. Lang: innovative and experimental, he notes. Jay: "I like this approach." Unanimous.
   
Reports:
     7.1 Annual Accred report (from both colleges). Comment: Yay us.
     7.2 Mission statements
     7.3 Speakers for both colleges
     7.4 Basic Aid
     7.5 Facilities plan status report
     7.6 Monthly financial
     7.7 Retiree trust fund (OPEB)
     7.8 Quarterly investment report

Reports from admin and governance groups:

     SC Ac Senate (Cosgrove): distributes document(s) concerning part-timers. What the speaker said (at the last board meeting, complaining about plight of adjuncts--the factoid about 76%) was "accurate" (see below). Passes out report from NBC news. It says, "...the [AAUP] finds 76 percent of  teachers in colleges and universities are what the organization calls 'contingent,' meaning full-time faulty members who are off the secure and relatively well-paid tenure track or part-timers (often known as adjuncts) and graduate students." Bob quotes Admiral Hyman Rickover's famous remark: "You don't have educated people, you don't have a free society."
     Also discusses issues of department chair compensation. Still not resolved. (Evidently, union officers involved in this.) We need to get on top of this, if we want the 8 items in recs to be accomplished. Thanks Don Mineo, Roy Bauer.... "I'm one of your biggest fans," he said. Gosh.
     IVC Ac Senate (Schmeidler): thanks faculty who spoke tonight--and everyone who has spoken in this series re recommendations. "I seem to be under attack by my microphone." (Hideous buzz.)
     Peebles: brief report
     Bramucci: maintenance in the summer. Blackboard upgrade.
     Bugay: spoke to Roopa Mathur's class at IVC. Most fun thing I did. Kathy Schmeidler says: "Hey." Bugay acknowledges not sticking to subject when visiting Schmeidler's class, and "getting yelled at." Laughter.
     Fitzsimmons: the usual
     IVC Classified Senate: yep
     CSEA: yep
     SC Classified Senate: yep. Addresses student trustee. Thanks for award. Thanks to Bob for kind words.  Etc. Refers to time we're not "bugged by all the faculty." Golly.
     Adjourn in memory of Kay Mach.
     8:09 -- over

THE BOARD HAS LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR PLIGHT OF PART-TIMERS, IT SEEMS
From DtB’s report of the April Board Meeting:

     7.2: Wait, we have a speaker. Dr. Susan Bliss. Conditions that negatively impact part-time faculty, affect students. According to figures published by state chancellor's office, part-timers teach nearly 74% of classes. (I didn't get the figure exactly; that was the ballpark.) Part-timers paid at much lower pay schedule. Get less than half of full-time pay. Other districts do better, moving toward "equal pay for equal work." Part-timers are hired again and again, for decades. Can be pulled at any time, last minute. Uncertain of reemployment rights. Students should have "full access to their professors," as Prez Burnett recently stated. Of course. In reality, however, students in half of classes have no access--part-timers have no offices, office hours, etc. I've met with students at the library, picnic tables, coffee shop, etc. Many adjuncts cannot meet with students because they dash from college to college. Adjuncts are excluded from decision-making in the departments, schools/divisions. These conditions erode quality of education for our students. Students are the biggest losers. Things must change. We want to increase student success rates. Thank you.

     Trustee Prendergast: adjunct position as you desscribe it has been around for a very long time. Will continue to erode? I don't know if I buy that argument. Other districts going to equal pay for equal work? Which ones? Could we see a list? I agree there's a plight. Want to make sure we do it right. (Susan B not allowed to answer, it seems. She attempts to respond, but that doesn't happen.)
     Wright joins the defensive chorus.
     Jemal: I quick quip, then: 73.8% part-time? Wants verification of that figure. In general, there's a recognized need for data. Union Prez Jacobs and Cosgrove make comments. Would love to have clear questions to answer. Will then answer them.
     Cosgrove: speaks to support speaker's complaint: adjuncts don't have keys, etc. Nancy seeks to appease Susan B: will pursue this, look for data.
     [It seems to me that the board was remarkably defensive and testy re the speaker's comment on behalf of part-timers. Not particularly thoughtful, revealing little sympathy. I suspect that we've not heard the last of this.]

Where the grass is greener, I guess (in freakin' Aptos*?)

Presidential Finalists Will Speak, The Cabrillo Voice, May 14, 2013

Former VP of Eva Gabor wigs

     Five finalists for Cabrillo College President and Superintendent will speak at forums May 22-23 at the Watsonville and Aptos campuses.
     The Board of Trustees is expected to select the final candidate by June. That person will likely begin their position by fall semester.
     Candidates are Tod Burnett, president of Saddleback College in Mission Viejo; Marie-Elaine Burns, vice president of student services at San Jose City College; Farley Herzek, interim president of East Los Angeles College; Laurel Jones, president of Mission College in Santa Clara; and Pamela Walker, vice president of student services at American River College in Sacramento.

Dreaming of academic respectability

. . .
     The forums will take place at Samper Music Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, and Room A150, 318 Union St., Watsonville.
. . .
     Tod Burnett: Watsonville forum, 12:45-1:15 p.m. May 23; Aptos forum, 3-3:50 p.m. May 23

Cabrillo College announces finalists for presidential search (Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 8)
Cabrillo narrows president search (Register Pajaronian, May 8)
Cabrillo College Announces Finalists for New Cabrillo President (Central Coast News, May 8)

*OK, OK, Aptos is near Santa Cruz, which is way beautiful and cool.

YOUTHpreneur camps at IVC, home of cockamamie kiddie inventions, bouncie houses, and blue-'n'-white balloons!

     Rebel Girl just called to turn me on to this curious "camp" opportunity, advertised at the IVC website.
     YOUTHpreneur camps? Are you kidding?
     Nope, they aren't kidding.
     I noticed a link to another site:

     Gosh, the Go-To Info dude is none other than Dan Scott, the clever probie with whom IVC President Glenn Roquemore (and family) vacationed a while back. (Naturally, Dan had no problem at all winning tenure.) No conflict-of-interest there, no sir!

     I told the Reb that we should modify these silly ads, adding "Hitler" to "Youth," that sort of thing. She didn't seem to think that was a good idea.

     How 'bout GELTpreneur camps? YOUNG REPUBpreneur camps? YUTEpreneur camps? GALOOTpreneur camps?

     Aincha proud? Once again, as far as Glenn Roquemore and his pals are concerned, IVC isn't a college. It's an anti-college.

The 2 types of seasoned instructor (with affection)

Type 1

Type 2. Yes, cartoons by R. Bauer

Type 2, natch

This is a type 1. I think I'm in love.

Colorful SOCCCD leadership

Chancellor Gary Poertner

Saddleback College President Tod Burnett

PCC chooses three finalists for college president 

(Feb. 28)

The college will hold forums in March for the public and college community to solicit feedback about each of the finalists, and PCC’s board of directors will conduct finalist interviews. Following is the forum schedule: March 11-12 (Burnett); March 13-14 (Brown); and March 18-19 (Durán).

Portland Community College hires new president, Jeremy Brown, starting July 1
(Apr. 27)

Irvine Valley College President Glenn Roquemore

He wants to be Chancellor

Oh my

Used to teach about rocks. Maybe he should go back to his rocks.

When the going gets dreckig, the Dreckig jump out of airplanes

Special board meeting Saturday morning, at the "country club," for board "self-evaluation"

     Agenda available at the district website.
     As usual, there will be an opportunity for "public comments" at the top of the meeting.

"I am worried about my grade."

It's that time of year.  So Rebel Girl goes to the archives and locates this oldie but goodie created by god knows who.  It hits the spot.

*

The End is Near

CLICK on graphic (expando-vision)

The Morning Matinee: "Remember mediocrity is not a mortal sin. "

Some people still sing this song.  It never gets old. Some people still live it.  Rebel Girl thinks she saw some folks dancing it just the other day.  It's catchy.  And so self-serving.

Brotherhood of Man 

IVC Prez Roquemore

Now, you may join the Elks, my friend,
And I may join the Shriners;
And other men may carry cards
As members of the Diners.

Still others wear a golden key
Or small Greek letter pin;
But I have learned there's one great club
That all of us are in.

There is a Brotherhood of Man,
A Benevolent Brotherhood of Man,
A noble tie that binds
All human hearts and minds
Into one Brotherhood of Man....

Your lifelong membership is free.
Keep agivin' each brother all you can.
Oh aren't you proud to be
In that fraternity,
The great big Brotherhood of Man?

Mad Men devotees, check out Robert Morse (aka Bertram Cooper) here - and in the rest of the film.  As a professor pointed out, there's some serious  intertextuality (sp?) going on.

*

random end-of-semester images

 Things are pretty busy, and crazy, down at the IVC Writing Center and similar places around campus

Somebody, be a dear and explain this cartoon to Glenn.

 The original Saddleback Community College District Board of Trustees: seriously right-wing

 A100: time passes slowly down here in the valley

 The original site of Saddleback College

 We still don't know what this place is gonna be.
Tod and Glenn are still fighting over it

 A doodle from last semester, or even before that.
Things get crazy right about now.

 It's Orange County. People get mad when you show 'em factoids.

 SOCCCD Chancellor and colleagues: note the footwear

A tree out where Rebel Girl and Red Emma live.
purdy.

IVC's Distinguished Academic Lecture Series: Michael Shermer, "Skeptic"

Shermer is the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

I mildly entertaining presentation

But "skepticism" is important

IVC's Performing Arts Center: a full house

Shermer is, well, shorter in person

Professor Roopa Mathur

Professor Michael Cassens

Performing Arts Center

Jason Troia Won't Stay Quiet (OC Weekly)
     …He laughs. The 32-year-old [Jason] Troia is the talk of Long Beach. As the student representative on the Long Beach City College (LBCC) Board of Trustees, he has declared war on his own board, specifically over its decision this year to cut 11 of the school's vocational programs over budget concerns. His arsenal is a backpack filled with thousands of pages of documents that the English major has painstakingly combed through and highlighted to blast the trustees during board meetings. He can cite minutiae from LBCC's Academic Senate and College Planning Committee, as well as numerous districtwide reports that, he says, show all sorts of government malfeasance, from fudging stats about the programs' success rates to ignoring the pleas of students to flat-out breaking the law by refusing to comply with the Brown Act….

Grand Jury Describes 'Atmosphere of Fear' in County Agencies (Voice of OC)
     …“This atmosphere of fear seemed to come from the very top of County government,” according to the 16-page grand jury report titled The Culture of Harassment: Change on the Horizon.
. . .
     The grand jury based its findings on information it learned as part of the Bustamante criminal case and from 21 witnesses who, the report said, painted a “disturbing pattern of sexual harassment claims being overlooked, ignored, poorly investigated and even surpressed.” It said the witnesses came from all levels of county government.
     “The Grand Jury found a severe lack of understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment,” the report said. “Also distressing was a strong tolerance for inappropriate behavior, especially when it concerned high-ranking elected officials and executives.”….

IVC has balloons—blue and white ones—on the brain. Here's Rebel Girl with seven of 'em.

I was so pleased to find that Buena Park broke with the recent trend of cities adopting "In God We Trust" as a motto

Red Emma visited and quaintly insisted on communicating in broad gestures

I forget why we came up with this one. I think maybe it was inspired by a condescending email

Rebel Girl found "Gregor" on the floor inside the A200 Building. She was determined to memorialize his passing, told me to take this pic

Gary Poertner's feet. Really.

We've had one or two horse head episodes at IVC.

Nobody will believe me but, yes, TigerAnn occasionally speaks. Here she is making a typically snarky remark.