“The governing board tended to interfere too much”

From yesterday’s San Diego Union-Tribune: Grand jury expected to urge community college ethics panel:

..... The [San Diego] county grand jury is expected to release a report tomorrow that will recommend an ethics committee establish and enforce an ethics code for local community colleges.
.....The report, obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, recaps a series of recent controversies at community colleges and recommends that the schools collectively provide $500,000 to hire three people to run a countywide ethics office. The office would develop a uniform code of ethics for all five local community college districts, investigate whistle-blower complaints and monitor compliance with open government laws.
.....The grand jury believes that the cost could be partially offset through reduced legal fees resulting from the office's guidance.
.....The 17-page report is largely anecdotal and rarely mentions a specific person or even a specific college, except in three instances:

• MiraCosta College accepted the resignation of its president last year in exchange for a severance package of nearly $1.6 million, exceeding the 18 months' salary permitted by state law.
• The employment contract of the chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District was changed without board approval in 2006. The chancellor deleted a clause that limited his severance pay to 12 months in the event of his dismissal. The clause was later re-inserted. [See Serafin Zasueta.]
• The organization that accredited Southwestern College four years ago noted that the governing board tended to interfere too much in day-to-day operations. Since then, the college has had two interim and two permanent presidents and three of its four vice president positions need to be filled.

.....In addition to an ethics committee modeled on the city of San Diego's ethics commission, the grand jury recommends several community college reforms:

• Term limits. The report recommends limits of three four-year terms for college trustees.
• Campaign finance reform. The grand jury recommends that a trustee disclose the amount of any campaign contribution from a firm whose contract is on an agenda and recuse himself or herself from the vote. It also suggests a contribution limit of $300 per source.
• Limit severance packages to no more than 18 months' salary and benefits.