Monday, July 23, 2007

A turd wrapped in a board inside a building

Tonight’s meeting of the SOCCCD board of trustees was brief and perfunctory. It was seriously odd.

I sat there, trying to make sense of it. The dang thing was, like, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

—Well, no, it was more like a turd wrapped in a board inside a building.

At about 6:45 (the meeting was set to start at 6:30), Chancellor Mathur wandered out, looking like a dog with his tail between his legs. Don’t know why.

Soon, Nancy Padberg appeared, and then everybody else showed up, except for Marcia Milchiker, who was absent owing to the recent death of her mother-in-law, Celia.

Nothing was reported from the closed session. Williams did the prayer and Fuentes did the Pledge. None of the trustees gave a report.

Like I said, grim and odd. Perfunctitudinal.

Chancellor Mathur reported that summer enrollments are up, and early indications for the Fall are good, too. Nobody seemed to care. Move on.

For some reason, item 4.8—the Study Abroad Program to Salamanca, Spain—was pulled from the agenda. Nancy Padberg pulled three items from the consent calendar, but that didn’t add up to much. She's a bit of a nitpicker.

The new Director of Facilities, Planning, and Purchasing (Brandye D'Lena) was introduced. She seemed pleased.

There was a tag-team PowerPoint presentation about Energy Conservation Measures and Sustainability. The first guy told us all about swimming pool covers, nighttime water chilling, sunlight reflecting roofs, and “cogeneration.” He used the word “utilize” maybe twenty times.

Somebody else got up to talk about hazardous waste, fluorescent tubes, and solar energy. Then the gkkworks boys got up there and blathered about the wonders of sustainability. It’s “the right thing to do,” they said.

One of ‘em, a tall, blond guy, had this low, gentle voice, and I do believe he put everybody to sleep. I almost expected somebody to say something about it—"Could you stop being so goddam dull?"—but they never did. People are sort of polite, even when they’re peevish.

Eventually, Park Ranger Kopecky got up and injected some energy into the proceedings. He said something about how, sustainabilitywise, or energywise, or some other-goddam-wise, ATEP is “state of the art,” unlike these “antiquated sister colleges.” That got a laugh.

It was weird to laugh among so much peevitude. After the laugh, everybody’s face returned to its rictus of resentment, or whatever it was.

At the end of the presentation, Fuentes stoically led everybody—the audience was tiny—in meager applause. So perfunctory was this applause that it sounded like "fuck you fuck you fuck you...."

The Police Officers Association “master agreement” was approved. Two cops in blue stood in the back and stared.

THE TURD: MATHUR'S NEW CONTRACT

Soon, the trustees got to the Chancellor’s new contract. It’s a sweet deal, boy, and it goes to 2011. Only Padberg spoke to it, though she only commented on “ambiguities” in the language and some typos.

In the end, with Milchiker absent, the contract was approved 4 to 2, with Jay and Padberg casting the dissenting votes. Mr. Wagner voted right along with Williams, Fuentes, and Dave “the quisling” Lang. Wagner looked pretty sheepish. He tried not to, but it was no use. Even the Lord was pissed at 'im.

It all went down very quickly, easily. Bada bing, bada boom. I just don’t know what to tell you.

The police chiefs got up and yammered about “emergency preparedness” for a while, but my heart wasn’t in it. I didn’t hear anything they said. I guess we're prepared, or something.

Mr. Fuentes finally received his nasty little report that lists employees with “earnings over $90,000,” but we heard no details and he had nothing to say about it. Maybe the facts weren't to his liking.

The reports from the presidents and governance groups were unremarkable. The Faculty Association’s Ken W reported that contract negotiations are “proceeding in a reasonable manner.” He hoped that the two sides would reach agreement within a couple of months.

That was about it. Everybody grimly stalked out of the building to sleep or get drunk or watch “The Closer.”

Me, I got in my Chrysler 300, cranked up the Pixies' "Where is My Mind?", and cruised into the cool, black night.

See also Tracy's Board Meeting Highlights

CONTRACT EXCERPTS:

1. Chancellor. Dr. Mathur is hereby employed for a period of time commencing on July 1, 2007, and ending on June 30, 2011, as the District’s Chancellor. Dr. Mathur shall also serve at no extra compensation in the role of the District’s chief executive officer and secretary to the Board of Trustees. The position of Chancellor is hereby designated as an educational administrative position as defined in Education Code Section 87002(b).

2. General Terms and Conditions of Employment. This Agreement supersedes and replaces all prior agreements and understandings of the parties in connection herewith, including, but without limitation, the agreement between the parties covering the period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2008, and any amendments to that agreement. This Agreement is subject to all applicable laws of the State of California, the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the District, all of which shall be made a material part of the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if set forth in full. This agreement shall prevail over any conflicting District rules, regulations, policies or procedures.
.....
4. Salary. The base salary for the 2007-2008 college year shall be $237,261. The base salary shall be paid in 12 equal monthly installments with proration for a period of less than a full year of service. For each year of this Agreement, including the 2007-2008 college year, the base salary provided in this Agreement shall be increased by the State Budget Act’s funded percentage COLA for community college districts without further action by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Mathur will receive this increase to base salary at the same time that other academic administrator’s receive a salary increase at least equal to the COLA described above. If, during any year of this Agreement, academic administrators receive an increase that is greater than or less than the COLA described above, Dr. Mathur shall receive the same percentage increase to his base salary. Any adjustment in salary during the term of this Agreement shall not be interpreted as a new agreement or operate as an extension or renewal of this Agreement.
.....

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't believe it. I actually had a nightmare last night that Mathur got a four-year contract. Seriously. Then when I woke up I thought, I need to get my mind off this stuff. But first thing this morning, I check this, and my nightmare has come true.

Anonymous said...

Good Lord!

Anonymous said...

go Raghu!

Anonymous said...

So how much money is RM going to fleece the system for this time to do nothing but act vindictively and cause continued problems for this district, including, I am sure, a constant flow of administrators & directors out of the colleges thus continuing the many many many many problems of continuity that causes?

Will the board have the spine to stand up to RM when he starts to persecute adminstrators, faculty, and classified staff?

Anonymous said...

Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Mathur's got something on these people. Otherwise, it just doesn't make any sense. None.

Anonymous said...

It's sort of like that hideous morning in 2004, realizing that we were stuck with W's smirk for another 4 years.

Anonymous said...

You surely follow her steps. Them steps. You know...

Anonymous said...

well, that's it.

Anonymous said...

Voldemort lives!

Anonymous said...

How about that fiscal restraint policy, Mr. Wagner?

Anonymous said...

Raghu!

Listen up.

Leave the colleges alone to do what is right for themselves. Stop micromanaging and uber-harrasing adminstrators and let them do their jobs and collaborative work with the faculty and classified staffs at the colleges.

At IVC we grew our enrollments by oursleves, our work, and of our own ingenuity - everything you do hurts us and slows us down.

Stay away, do us all a favor and lock yourself in your office with a good book and just take the money - but stay out of our hair.

You sir, (with help from four BOT votes), are the primary cause of the problems in this district and not the adminstrators, the faculty, of the classified staff.

You do nothing but demoralize us, obstruct, slow things down, cause problems, and cause lawsuits. Shame on you.

FOR ONCE DO ONE DECENT THING IN YOUR LIFE AND STAY AWAY FROM THE COLLEGES!

Anonymous said...

Oh boy my friends. Watch out for an increase in vindictive behavior and persecutory conduct from Mathur. The man simply does not seem to be able to help himself. Take cover there is more coming.

We need to send him to Narcissists Anonymous

Anonymous said...

There's an opening at Colorado, Chunk. Maybe you should move on.

University of Colorado Board Votes to Fire Embattled Professor Ward Churchill

Jonathan K. Cohen said...

By that logic, 6:49, we who don't like Bush, or the composition of the Supreme Court, should leave the country. Piffle. It's our country, and our college. Though the struggle may be long, these institutions can be taken back for the people.

Anonymous said...

Never give up the fight.

Anonymous said...

Dave Lang -- Benedict Arnold, -- 'but I repeat myself'.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you leave, 6:49? You're the one stinking up the place.

Anonymous said...

In an effort to lighten up what has been and continues to be a fucking horror, I offer to Raghu a fashion tip: do not wear yellow.

Anonymous said...

Happy trails Buster! Miss you.

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