Friday, December 12, 2008

Williams' last term? Hope so

THE HUMANITIES BUILDING. Here's a quick update on my recent story about Chancellor Mathur's visit with IVC's School of H&L—and the ensuing discussion of the failure to build a Humanities Bldg., despite H&L's prominence and success re offering courses at this college.

Today, I ventured into IVC's Administration Building and found the above picture on the wall. It is quite old.

Yep, folks, once upon a time, long, long ago, we all expected the construction of a Humanities Bldg. Oddly, there are no plans to build such a facility now, despite the recent (and planned) construction of facilities for schools that have been, shall we say, less impressive re enrollments and growth.

WILLIAMS' FINAL TERM IN OFFICE. Marla Jo Fisher on the OC Register’s College Life blog has an update on the trustee stipend story (Trustees delay vote on whether to raise their own pay 67%). She notes that the agenda item—a recommendation to increase trustees’ monthly stipend from $400 to $750—was pulled from last Friday’s agenda in order to “gather more information,” or so said the Chancellor.

From DISSENT the BLOG

She spoke with Trustee John Williams, who told her he tends to support the pay raise. In an email, he stated:

“I’m likely in my final term of office … and do believe trustees should receive compensation commensurate with the position. … I devote a lot of time to the office, especially this year since I’ve been the vice-president of the board, attending events locally and seminars, representing the board/district. I did run the October meeting in the absence of the president. I spent two complete days on two trips walking the floor at the capitol lobbying for community college funding protection for our college district and cc’s in general for example with other trustees and Raghu [Mathur] this past spring.”

It’s a good thing trustees don’t receive compensation commensurate with their IQ, ‘cause, in that case, John would get maybe a nickel a night.
From Mugs
Next month, the board will discuss trustee travel expenses. Williams will have some ‘splainin’ to do, since he routinely costs the district over $500 a night for conference lodging alone. He gets meal and car-rental money also.

REGISTERING TAMPONS? Yesterday, Marla updated us on Tampongate, i.e., the discontinuance of feminine hygiene product dispensers in IVC restrooms. Citing a Lariat article, she informs us that “The only way women can obtain such products now is to trek over to the student health center, where they’re available for free, after students sign some sort of register or document.”

Gosh. I had no idea that they’re registering tampons now. Do they have serial numbers on ‘em?

THE COMPANY CAR. A few weeks ago, some IVC employees mentioned to me that the popular new Police Chief, Will Glen, has been given a new car—a flashy Dodge Charger—that he uses at work and takes home with him. (See the pic below.)


Is that a problem? I asked an administrator, who seemed to think that, since the chief is essentially always on call, the college’s providing him with a car to take home might not be inappropriate.

What do you think?

Our last police chief was escorted off campus by police and the head of HR. Evidently, he had been a very bad boy. His computer was seized.

From DtB file M
What was on it? Not sure. No announcement was made, no explanation was given.

At the time, reliable sources assured me that he and a certain head of maintenance (now long gone) used the college credit card to purchase gas for their personal use. Tsk, tsk.

There are many such tales.
ATEP FUBAR. Yesterday, at IVC's Academic Senate meeting, President Glenn Roquemore updated faculty on developments at the district's ATEP facility in Tustin. The Camelot group is long gone, we were told, but two new groups seek to take their place, and a decision about that will be made soon.

Glenn was very upbeat, but I've been reading documents and letters regarding negotiations between the district and the City of Tustin, and it seems clear that, come April, the city will declare that SOCCCD's progress and planning regarding ATEP is unacceptable to them.

Expect litigation. Lots of it. Near as I can tell, the district is bracing for exactly that. It plans and expects to win.

From ATEP images

From DtB file P

Betty Page, dead at 85.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It’s a good thing trustees don’t receive compensation commensurate with their IQ, ‘cause, in that case, John would get maybe a nickel a night.

Nah! That would be four pence too much.

Anonymous said...

what's with the plume picture at the bottom? did I miss a reference to it?

Roy Bauer said...

The "plume" picture has no particular significance other than the fact that we're on top of it every day.

Anonymous said...

Re: Company Car... I heard former chief of police had a certain inappropriate somethin'- somethin' with a certain young intern secretary person. Computer confiscation was because of dirty emails and such. Who knows really. Giving SOME sort of bullshit reasoning would probably have been better then letting the rumors develop.

Anonymous said...

One of our wrestling coaches would check out a college van for a trip and then use the college credit card to fill up his own rig. No coach lost their job either. In fact, the manager who discovered this was fired later.

very clever those wrestlers...BTW Rumsfeld was a wrestler in college.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...