BOT meeting preview

Poertner

     As per Chancellor Gary Poertner’s email earlier today, the agenda for Monday's meeting of the SOCCCD BOT is now available (see here).
     Given the latest killer maniac episode—the seemingly unmotivated murder, two days ago, of three people by Saddleback College student Ali Syed—newbie trustee Tim Jemal’s request, last month, for a report on the mental health services provided at Saddleback College, Irvine Valley College, and ATEP seems downright prescient.
     In truth, however, there have long been indications that, at least at IVC, the college is less-than-prepared to deal with alarming behavior exhibited by students. On at least one occasion (about two years ago), a junior faculty member was left to twist in the wind by incompetent administrators when she sought to draw attention to the plainly disconcerting behavior of one student who, as it turns out, had a history of mental health problems. That episode and others have left many of us with little confidence in the college’s ability to deal with students who exhibit disconcerting behavior.
     The reports—from the two colleges—will be presented at Monday’s meeting of the SOCCCD BOT.
     I’ve accessed the agenda. Saddleback College’s report begins thus:

     The Counseling Services faculty and Student Health Center nursing and psychological staff have a long history of working collaboratively to address the mental and emotional issues of our students. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) was created in the early 1980’s to better address the needs of students, faculty, staff and community members in crisis. This team has continued to work collaboratively over the years to provide immediate assistance to those in need. As we have grown and matured as a campus and community, the occurrence of students in crisis has become a regular occurrence that has required a more proactive offering of education, training, intervention and followup of mental health services to better address the needs of our students.

Jemal

     Saddleback’s report makes much use of the phrase “Identify, Assist, and Educate.” The targets of such assistance and edification are, not troubled students, but employees, including faculty, who have available to them a “Faculty Guide” and an inservice activity.
     It all seems so feeble.
     For a delightful romp through our recent past re "disturbed students" and addled administrators, read

• Running with Scissors - Nov 3 10
• More criticism for IVC administration - Nov 5 10
• Benighted and bewildered - Jan 11 11
• Listening? - Feb 28 12
• Waking up with a horse head in your classroom - Feb 21 12

     Earlier, we noted the curious fact that the two fourth-year faculty probies in IVC’s School of Fine Arts up for tenure have reportedly received negative (i.e., terminal) recommendations by their Tenure Review Committees. In the case of at least one of these instances, a notorious faculty bully is involved, and some of us have grown concerned that an injustice is afoot. Glenn Roquemore’s history of accomodating bullies leaves us with little hope that pleas to look into possible problems in the process will yield anything.
     I noticed that the two probies in question are not on the list of fourth-year tenure-track faculty recommended for tenure:

From item 6.9

     Expect litigation.