Thursday, July 24, 2008

Meeting of the board on Monday

.....I see that the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees has been posted (here).
.....But first...

A reminder of some current SOCCCD issues:
1. ACCREDITATION. Both Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College must submit reports to the Accreditation Commission (ACCJC) on October 15. In February, ACCJC told each college to solve long-standing problems (e.g., board micromanagement) or else lose their accreditation.

2. THE 50% LAW. For years, Chancellor Mathur has allowed the district to slide toward noncompliance with a state law requiring that at least half of expenditures be on “instruction.” Last Spring’s sloppy and rushed faculty hiring extravaganza was part of an effort to significantly increase instructional spending, owing to this problem.

3. THE FACULTY CONTRACT. Currently, faculty are “working-to-contract” (i.e., limiting work to what is specified by the contract) in an effort to pressure the district to bargain more reasonably over the faculty contract. SOCCCD full-time faculty salaries do not compare well with those of nearby districts.

4. THE TUSTIN ATEP FACILITY. For years now, the board and Chancellor have sought to develop a large technology-oriented facility on 60 acres of the old Tustin helicopter station. Negotiations with potential investor/partners and the city of Tustin seem endless. Faculty, who by law have a central role in program development, have nevertheless been frozen out of the process, which, if successful, will entail new programs. Faculty tend to view ATEP as a money pit.

5. UPCOMING BOARD ELECTIONS. Of the seven trustees, three are up for reelection in November: Tom Fuentes (Lake Forest), Dave Lang (Irvine), and Bill Jay (Laguna Beach). Fuentes is viewed by faculty as an implacable enemy of faculty. Two or three years ago, Lang betrayed his long-time faculty supporters by supporting the odious Chancellor Mathur. Jay is considered a friend to faculty. It appears that, via the faculty union, faculty will be running candidates against Fuentes and Lang.
Here are some notes on the agenda outline for Monday’s board meeting:

CLOSED SESSION:
.....The closed session begins at 5:00 p.m. (at the Health Sciences Bld., Saddleback College).
.....In closed (super-secret) session, the board will discuss, among other things, the following:
1. Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release (4 cases)
2. Public Employee Appointment a. Vice Chancellor, Human Resources b. Vice Chancellor, Technology and Learning Services c. Associate Provost, Advanced Technology and Education Park


OPEN SESSION:
.....The open session will (re)convene at 6:30.
.....The board will pass a resolution about ATEP. Pure PR, no substance.
.....The board will review the board policy concerning the naming of facilities. This, of course, is desperately important to them.

CONSENT CALENDAR:
.....Among “consent calendar” items (which ipso facto are liable not to be discussed) are several that concern ongoing construction.
.....Looks like there will be some layoffs: (5.12) Saddleback College Counseling Office Assistant, (5.13) Saddleback College Administrative Assistant.
.....Item 5.16 is “ATEP: Donate Equipment Approve property to be of insufficient value and donate to Main Place Christian Fellowship.”
.....5.18 is district institutional memberships (as opposed to college institutional memberships, I think).

GENERAL ACTION ITEMS:
.....6.3 is interesting: “Terminate Exclusive Right to Negotiate Agreement: Camelot Entertainment Group Approve termination of agreement.“
.....There’s the usual slew of revised board policies for review and study, including Delegation of Authority. That one’s important.
.....“Academic Personnel Actions” include
* Authorization to Establish an Academic Faculty Position;
* Authorization to Establish Administrator Position;
* Authorization to Establish a New Salary Range IIa For Associate Provost Position on the Administrator Salary Schedule.”

.....6.10 is very interesting (see recent post concerning Saddleback Academic senate): “Saddleback College Accreditation Report. Approve direction for the Saddleback College Academic Senate to work with its President and the District Chancellor to seek approval of compensation to faculty members for completion of Accreditation Report.”

REPORTS:
.....Under “reports” is 7.4: Employees with Earnings Over $90,000 for Fiscal Year 2007/2008.
.....That sounds like Fuentes. Who else would request such a list?
.....We should give this list a name on Fuentes' behalf. Any ideas?

2 comments:

torabora said...

Districts can only give away property to other state agencies. Districts must offer up for public auction all other property of value.

Anonymous said...

If what is in blue is considered interesting in your world, Chunk, I pity you. How sad to lead such an insignificant existence in such an insignificant place.

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...