The chirpy Mr. B

     H & L RETIREES HONORED. Went to a shindig last night organized by the School of Humanities and Languages (of Irvine Valley College). ‘Twas a big hit, thanks in part to host Jeanne and her fabulous yard and home in an unincorporated zone against the Tustin hills. Partiers celebrated the careers of four stalwart and beloved colleagues who are about to retire. I forgot to bring my camera though. I think Beep took some pics. Glenn and Gwen and one or two other administrators were in attendance. Some previously celebrated retirees, too.
     We "humanists" are also very happy with our most recent hire: a shiny new historian. (See how positive I can be? I'm almost chirpy!)

     IVC SCHOLARSHIPS. Thursday’s IVC Scholarship Award Ceremony seemed to go very well; and it was well attended too. We’re glad, and we’re happy for the scholarship recipients. But there are faculty who do have issues with the scholarship process, which is not always what it should be. We’ll bring this up some time after commencement.

     EARLY COLLEGE. There’s continued peevishness among some (many?) faculty about administration’s devotion to the troubled Early College program. The program was originally pursued, about six years ago, sans faculty imprimatur and despite faculty objections that have proved prescient. A year ago, the Academic Senate completed a survey of program instructors—mostly part-timers—and its results were distinctly negative. And so the endless WTFs over EC grew louder. Administration always respond as though there can be no going back on this thing. Why? What is sacred about this benighted program?
     The fundamental problem with EC seems to be that a bunch of high school kids will act like a bunch of high school kids, and bringing college instructors to them doesn’t change that. Also, a high school will act like a high school, not a college, and that means our EC instructors face constant pressures to lower standards and otherwise accommodate these youngsters and their, um, ways. Because most EC instructors are adjuncts (aka employees with little-to-no job security), they are wise not to complain loudly. Nevertheless, the aforementioned survey managed to reveal some severe problems.
     Naturally, administration has “taken steps.” By the Fall of 2010, they commenced chirping that the problems have been “addressed.” But some of the same old complaints continue to be heard. I do believe the problems are intrinsic to efforts to bring college to high schools. These kids are just too immature.
     I’m told that, unsurprisingly, there will be some course cutting next semester, and that is why some have grown particularly peevish about the continued Early College fubar. Why devote our resources to this misbegotten hybrid monstrosity when, owing to a lack of resources, our regular students will find it more difficult getting the courses they need?

Federal Art Project, 1937

     FUENTES; THE 2010 ELECTION. I have heard that trustee Tom Fuentes’ health has taken a turn for the worse. Don’t know any details, but I'm sure it's true. In 2012, Jay, Lang, Meldau, and Fuentes will be up for reelection, but will they run? It seems likely that Frank Meldau will run (he just replaced John “corruption/incompetence poster boy” Williams, who quit at the end of December to focus on his catastrophic County situation). Don’t know about Lang, but he’s got to be sick and tired of the trustee gig, ‘cause it ain’t getting him any closer to the County Treasurer’s office. That’s what he wants, and it’s clear he’ll sell his soul to get it. Indeed, he sold it, and that got ‘im bupkis.
     If he had a shred of decency, he’d just go home and start writing apologies.
     It could be that the Faculty Association will have its hands full pretty soon, maybe promoting two or three candidates at once. Will the usual suspects—Education Alliance, the local GOP—put real money behind the usual Neanderthals? If so, look forward to a period of Sturm und Drang.

     SAME OLD BOARD? As you know, the board (and Poertner?) have decided to take the low road with regard to the “prayer” issue. Despite the plain language (SEE) of the recently ratified settlement agreement (of “Westphal v. Wagner”)—according to which, whether to have a prayer at the commencement ceremony is to be "within the sole discretion of the event planners"—they’re claiming that Prez Burnett gets to impose a prayer on Saddleback’s commencement next week. In fact, Saddleback’s planning committee unanimously decided to opt for a moment of silence instead.
     “I’m the decider,” says Burnett, I guess. And the board is backing him up. Why? Do they think this will make them look good?
     Remember a decade ago, when the law plainly said that hiring policies are to be developed jointly by the district and faculty senates? Nevertheless, our board argued that that meant that they could listen to faculty input, utterly ignore it, and then ratify whatever the hell they wanted to?
     So the old pattern continues. Too bad. I was hoping things were finally changing.

Chalk art on the sidewalk, IVC

     IVC’S PUBLIC SCULPTURES. In case I didn’t make myself clear enough last week, I do think that the public sculpture program we’ve got going at IVC is a great thing for the college. Has it cost us some money? No doubt, but it does add a new and interesting dimension to the campus. I had my doubts two years ago, but now I think it’s great. Have you seen the new crop of weird-assed Alphabet People and iron oak boxes? What do you think? Love it.