Thursday, May 1, 2014

Successful Trustee "Listening Sessions"!

Only Prendergast and Wright were unable to attend
Our readers weigh in:

Batch 3:

Anonymous - 9:08 AM, May 02, 2014
     I hope the trustees understand just how unresponsive the college president has been to the complaints we made at IVC. Glenn knows what's going on but refuses to address it in a real way.

Anonymous - 9:36 AM, May 02, 2014
     I encourage everyone who attended and those who wanted to but could not to write a brief email of thanks to the trustees in attendance. Take the time to remind them of your issue(s) that concern you -and invite them back again. Let's keep the momentum going.

Nancy Padberg: npadberg@socccd.edu
Tim Jemal: tjemal@socccd.edu
Marcia Milchiker: mmilchiker@socccd.edu
Bill Jay : no email
David Lang: dlang@socccd.edu

And pass the word to your colleagues who might not read this on the blog. This is easy. Let's do it.

Anonymous - 9:42 AM, May 02, 2014
     Fantastic Idea..I will do it today.

Anonymous - 10:10 AM, May 02, 2014
     The CSEA [local] President just sent an email to the entire board requesting a listening session for classfied only. I am classified (we were copyied on the email) and I am dissapointed and sad. I am greatful for my CSEA team and I support my CSEA President; however, I strongly do not agree with this. I feel our session with faculty particpation was collegial, uplifting, productive and effective. Together faculty and staff share a vision of a world class IVC. I feel supported by faculty. I dont want the BOT be put in a postion where these turn into complaining sessions. These are busy people and they only have so much time.This is not a bargining table. I don't want them to dread these sessions. I dont want the "home run" format to change. Faculty and staff work togather for a better college. I dont want this postive direction to go south. But I am afraid the horse is out of the gate. They have received the email. Hopefully my concerns are unfounded.

Anonymous - 10:19 AM, May 02, 2014
     I too thought the united front of faculty and classified was powerful. I don't know if that is risked by the request for the a Classified-only session. Perhaps a classified-only session could emphasize the Classified perspective -- it doesn't mean faculty "bashing." I would like one for faculty only as well -- not to "bash" classified, but to highlight issues that affect faculty primarily. Does that make sense? Let's stay together.

Anonymous - 10:45 AM, May 02, 2014
     Thanks 10:19am. I feel better. I appreciate your reassuring words. Yes, no matter the format, lets stay together.

Anonymous - 10:51 AM, May 02, 2014
     I think people are feeling good about the show of respect and concern -- so refreshing! I wish our own managers and administrators would treat us the way the trustees did! Let's stay together -- like the great old Al Green song.

Anonymous - 10:56 AM, May 02, 2014
     100% Agree. Great comment.

Anonymous - 12:34 PM, May 02, 2014
     What IVC folks may not realize is that at the Saddleback session, classified were only recognized to speak in the last 15 minutes out of 1 1/2 hours. Splitting the meetings will give everyone a chance to be heard equally. The BOT obviously found a better way to balance the flow of comments by the time they got to IVC.

Anonymous - 2:59 PM, May 02, 2014
     Thanks for the clarification 12:34. We didn't know that. How did that happen -- only 15 minutes out of 1.5 hours? Who made that call?

Anonymous - 3:38 PM, May 02, 2014
     12:34 we appreciate the clarification and had no idea this occurred. It seemed to work out in the second session at IVC Classified even spoke out on behalf faculty regarding changes that will positively impact students.

Anonymous - 5:18 PM, May 02, 2014
     Now we get why the CSEA Pres sent the email to the BOT. Of course classified would like air time too. I think we just got lucky at IVC that it happened to work out. Folks left wanting to say more but time was up.

Batch 2:

Anonymous - 11:12 AM, May 01, 2014
     I wish I could have attended but I teach at that time. I hear there was a pad of paper that they passed around for people to write out their concerns. Perhaps those of us who could not attend could forward our concerns to the trustees in some manner?

Anonymous - 11:42 AM, May 01, 2014
     Wow! This is the first really positive thing to happen on this campus for years. Let's hope for follow-through.

Anonymous - 2:00 p.m. May 01, 2014
     Yesterday’s forum brought back to me the Golden Days at IVC, days when dissent was not only tolerated, but prized. The atmosphere of trust, respect, and intellectual inquiry that characterized the session was a refreshing change from the painstaking silence that has characterized previous forums. I was honored to be in the room.
     I hope the Trustees know how much it means to us to be able to speak honestly; how much we love our college; how hard we work to make things go here, despite the difficulties we face; and how much we appreciate their support, their time, and their obvious involvement in the discussion.
     You might want to change "painstaking" to "painful." Or another adjective of your choice.

Chancellor's ears not to scale
Anonymous - 8:37 PM, May 01, 2014
     I was there. It was great. As a classified I had a very strong feeling that if I experienced any retailation for sharing my feelings, I could go to the board, tell them and they be on top of it. I cannot express enough how much I felt their interest and respect. It felt like the way real discourse about making things even better should be. We all wanted to be sure they also felt our appreciation for all they do to make IVC better. Now maybe they can get the real story at our college and I super excited that maybe these will continue. This college could really reach new heights with the BOT getting the real information! If you missed it, be sure to attend the next time. I hope there is another session. Very collegial.

Anonymous - 12:03 AM, May 02, 2014
     I started at IVC after the Golden Days. Yesterdays meeting was the best in my 16 year Career. Who idea was it to do these meetings without administrators/fear? More please with the same atmosphere.

Batch 1:

Anonymous - 5:31 AM, May 01, 2014
     Saddleback's Listening session was quite frank without finger pointing: topics included additional FT faculty, Calendar Issues, Nursing start dates and a request to offer a BS degree, issues concerning Veterans, on-line programs.

Anonymous - 6:29 AM, May 01, 2014
     IVC's was standing room only and could have probably gone on for another hour. Nancy said it was the "best session ever." People were blunt -- but not everything was covered still. I was pleased to see people speak up, especially classified. I thought it was funny how the trustees acknowledged the "school boy pissing contest" between the two college presidents -- though why they put up with any of it, I don't know.

Anonymous - 7:04 AM, May 01, 2014
     As usual, classified were willing to speak up about issues, but only a few (where are all those brave, tenured faculty who write so eloquently here about problems on campus?) faculty aired concerns. It could have gone another hour for sure. Seriously, is that the best room we can offer on campus for an open discussion? What would have been done if 20-25 more people showed up?

[I'm told that, early Wednesday, the Chancellor discovered that the listening session was scheduled to occur in the admin building, and so he scrambled to make other arrangements--not a smaller room, but a room away from administrators and managers. The only available room happened to be rather small. --RB]

Anonymous - 7:30 AM, May 01, 2014
     They seemed to be listening -- though I was shocked at what they did not seem to know despite their good intentions, especially about hiring.

Anonymous - 8:17 AM, May 01, 2014
     Full-time to part-time ratios both faculty and classified, review of administrators from staff, safety video cameras in common areas, respect, budget allocation model, college service areas, bonds, we're some of the subjects at IVC. Many people did thank the Board for the opportunity to speak and said they cared about the students and loved working at IVC.

Anonymous - 9:46 AM, May 01, 2014
     The glacial pace of committee process and structure was also addressed. And yes, the childish behavior of both college presidents was acknowledged in public (!). And the money pit that is ATEP was at least admitted ("sordid history" indeed.) ATEP -- a monument to Raghu's lack of vision.
     Yes, the room was problematic. Perhaps they were not counting on a successful turn-out? Part of me wished it had been set not only in a bigger space but one that is more like where I teach most of the time -- dirty and charmless with poor air quality. Maybe next time.


Anonymous - 10:26 AM, May 01, 2014
     I am feeling optimistic that they heard us, especially about poor treatment and poor leadership.

Anonymous - 10:30 AM, May 01, 2014
     I think the point was well made that the traditional allocation of resources -- 2/3rd to Saddleback, 1/3 to IVC -- needed to be adjusted for growth and reality. They seemed to be listening.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! This is the first really positive thing to happen on this campus for years. Let's hope for follow-through.

Anonymous said...

I was there. It was great. As a classified I had a very strong feeling that if I experienced any retailation for sharing my feelings, I could go to the board, tell them and they be on top of it. I cannot express enough how much I felt their interest and respect. It felt like the way real discourse about making things even better should be. We all wanted to be sure they also felt our appreciation for all they do to make IVC better. Now maybe they can get the real story at our college and I super excited that maybe these will continue. This college could really reach new heights with the BOT getting the real information! If you missed it, be sure to attend the next time. I hope there is another session. Very collegial.

Anonymous said...

I hope the trustees understand just how unresponsive the college president has been to the complaints we made at IVC. Glen knows what's going on but refuses to address it in a real way.

Anonymous said...

I encourage everyone who attended and those who wanted to but could not to write a brief email of thanks to the trustees in attendance. Take the time to remind them of your issue(s) that concern you -and invite them back again. Let's keep the momentum going.

Nancy Padberg: npadberg@socccd.edu
Tim Jemal: yjemal@socccd.edu
Marcia Milchiker: mmilchiker@socccd.edu
Bill Jay : no email
David Lang: dlang@socccd.edu

And pass the word to your colleagues who might not read this on the blog. This is easy. Let's do it.


Anonymous said...

Fantastic Idea..I will do it today.

Anonymous said...

The CSEA President just sent an email to the entire board requesting a listening session for classfied only. I am classified (we were copyied on the email) and I am dissapointed and sad. I am greatful for my CSEA team and I support my CSEA President; however, I strongly do not agree with this. I feel our session with faculty particpation was collegial, uplifting, productive and effective. Togather faculty and staff share a vision of a world class IVC. I feel supported by faculty. I dont want the BOT be put in a postion where these turn into complaining sessions. These are busy people and they only have so much time.This is not a bargining table. I don't want them to dread these sessions. I dont want the "home run" format to change. Faculty and staff work togather for a better college. I dont want this postive direction to go south. But I am afraid the horse is out of the gate. They have received the email. Hopefully my concerns are unfounded.

Anonymous said...

I too thought the united front of faculty and classified was powerful. I don't know if that is risked by the request for the a Classified-only session. Perhaps a classified-only session could emphasize the Classified perspective - it doesn't mean faculty "bashing." I would like one for faculty only as well - not to "bash" classified, but to highlight issues that affect faculty primarily. Does that make sense? Let's stay together.

Anonymous said...

Thanks 10:19am. I feel better. I appreaciate your reassuring words. Yes, no matter the format, lets stay togather.

Anonymous said...

I think people are feeling good about the show of respect and concern - so refreshing! I wish our own managers and administrators would treat us the way the trustees did! Let's stay together - like the great old Al Green song.

Anonymous said...

100% Agree. Great comment.

Anonymous said...

What IVC folks may not realize is that at the Saddleback session, classified were only recognized to speak in the last 15 minutes out of 1 1/2 hours. Splitting the meetings will give everyone a chance to be heard equally. The BOT obviously found a better way to balance the flow of comments by the time they got to IVC.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the clarification 12:34. We didn't know that. How did that happen - only 15 minutes out of 1.5 hours? Who made that call?

TJ said...

That's Tjemal@socccd.edu - not yjemal.

I think it was a typo.

Anonymous said...

12:34 we appreciate the clarification and had no idea this occurred. It seemed to work out in the second session at IVC Classified even spoke out on behalf faculty regarding changes that will positively impact students.

Anonymous said...

At IVC everyone was thoughtful and the tone was very good. I agree - an impressive united front.

Anonymous said...

Now we get why the CSEA Pres sent the email to the BOT. Of course classified would like air time too. I think we just got lucky at IVC that it happened to work out. Folks left wanting to say more but time was up.

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...