College Presidential Politics

THIS MORNING, Chancellor Raghu P. Mathur emailed members of the district community, noting that “Saddleback College President, Dr. Richard McCullough, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2008.” He then refers to McCullough’s “distinguished career and service.”

He does not mention that he, Raghu, is the reason for McCullough’s departure.

Mathur adds that he has “instructed our District Human Resources Department to prepare to conduct a national search for the presidency of Saddleback College.”

Meanwhile, Inside Higher Ed reports that

Faculty leaders at Texas A&M University at College Station are concerned that the university’s board has announced plans to consider candidates for president who were not among three finalists suggested by a search committee. The Bryan-College Station Eagle printed an exchange of letters between board and faculty leaders on the dispute. In his letter, Bill Jones, chair of the regents, said that the board alone had control over the search and that regents were prepared to accept “unfortunate consequences” related to their decision.

Gosh, that reminds me of an article I read ten years ago. Here it is:

Irvine World News, September 11, 1997
Trustee calls for outside intervention : College district 'incapable of responsible self-government' BY PEGGY GOETZ

Decrying the process, "or lack thereof" by which Raghu Mathur was selected as the new president of Irvine Valley College Monday, community college Trustee David Lang of Irvine said Tuesday he is seeking the intervention of statewide community college Chancellor Thomas Nussbaum in the affairs of the South Orange County Community College District.

"The process allowed for no meaningful input by campus shared governance groups or the community. The choice was not supported by the administration and was subjected to no level of institutional approval," asserted Lang, who was on the short end of a 4-3 vote by college trustees to appoint Mathur.

Lang said he is asking for outside intervention because the south county college board and the district seem "incapable of responsible self-government."

Lang said he also sent a letter to Orange County District Attorney Michael Capizzi asking him to investigate alleged violations of California's open meeting law and other actions by the board majority-Steven Frogue, Dorothy Fortune, Teddi Lorch and John Williams.

He would not elaborate on "other actions" and he did not make the letter public.

Lang said Tuesday he thinks the board and district leaders lack the ability to repair the serious lack of confidence and trust in the institution that has been created.

Irvine Valley faculty members said Tuesday they fear retaliation—harassment or even dismissal—by the board and Mathur for their lack of support during the selection of a replacement for Dan Larios, who left Irvine Valley College last spring to head Fresno City College in his hometown.

Lang said he can understand their fears.

But in an interview following Monday night's meeting of the college board, Trustee John Williams of Mission Viejo said he fully supports the process that was used by the board and the appointment of Mathur to the position.

He said Mathur was "the top candidate for the job all the way through the hiring process."

Of the process used for selection, Williams said the (majority of the) board had decided "to take control of the hiring process because the choice had become highly politicized." He said he wanted to be sure all candidates had "equal consideration and fair evaluation.

He said the board interviewed 18 candidates for the position. Initially, there were about 30 candidates for the Irvine Valley job, but many asked to be removed from consideration.

Williams said board members scored each interview in terms of "knowledge, skill and ability."

"He was just the best person for the job," Williams said of Mathur.

He added that at some point the board did consider the controversy created by Mathur's appointment as interim president, but had decided he was the most qualified on the basis of his interview and background.

He said the faculty and administrators who aren't happy with the board's decision all had a chance to exercise their rights.

They have a president now and they owe it to the students to support him. They have a job to do and they better do it," Williams said.

Trustee Joan Hueter of Tustin said Wednesday that she is saddened by recent actions of the board.

"I have worked with boards before that could disagree and still get along and move forward. This (board) is just unbelievable," Hueter said.

She said their is great concern now about a possible "brain drain" from the district because working conditions have grown so difficult.

"I'm afraid the best people are going to leave," she said.

She added that she isn't certain the present board members will ever be able to function effectively together.

Naturally, the hiring process that yielded "Chancellor Mathur" was similarly troubled. More on that later.