Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Roquemore: education and corporate synergies

     Gosh, IVC President Roquemore isn’t big on transparency or even letting faculty in on what the college is generally up to. Take the college's "Early College" program. Faculty have viewed it with suspicion or worse–it's got "bad idea" written all over it (you can take the high schooler out of the high school, but you can't the high school out of the high schooler)–from the beginning. But Roquemore has pursued it and developed it anyway, despite evidence that the predicted problems are born out. As in other cases, here, instruction goes on and faculty are largely out of the loop, largely because they oppose the program.
     Another case in point: ATEP (the district's Advanced Technology and Educational Park), a campus at which, supposedly, IVC will have a large building, brimming with instruction. (The Solomonic district Chancellor has decided that our sister college, Saddleback, will get a similar building at that site.) By law, faculty are supposed to be primary authorities on the development of instructional programs and such. (“…[T]he district governing board shall develop policies on academic and professional matters [including “educational program development”]… relying primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate….” –Title 5, § 53200) But ATEP and its educational direction has been developed, it seems, off campus somewhere–or, at any rate, far from IVC faculty. I dare say that faculty generally have no idea what we'll be teaching at the site (when the building is completed in a year or so). By no means have they been involved, via their organized voice, the Academic Senate, in deliberately considering possible programs for the site. When, at senate meetings, I ask what, if anything, is happening with ATEP (the site has been mired in start-up difficulty for ten or fifteen years!), the answer always sounds like, "Don't worry about it. College administration is on top of it." Yeah, like they're on top of the Early College Program.
     If programs are being developed for ATEP, just where is that happening? Just who's involved?
     Here's an interesting factoid: maybe not IVC faculty, but the local Chamber of Commerce, that bastion of business boosterism and corporate worship, seems to be very much in the loop as far as instructional development of ATEP is concerned:

     I found this at the Irvine Chamber of Commerce website:

ATEP Takes Center Stage
Friday, September 26th, 2014
     At a recent Irvine Chamber Economic Vitality Council “Power Meeting”, the combined strengths of the business community and education community came together to begin the design of the next stage learning and business model.
     The South Orange County Community College District’s Advanced Technology Education Park (Irvine Valley College) in partnership with the Irvine Chamber of Commerce is working to create a unique, integrated urban community that supports the “learn and earn” model.
. . .
     ATEP’s goal is to create a Regional Hub for Global Innovation that is fully integrated in the local culture, community, business, educational institutions, residential neighborhood, transportation corridors, retail, and hospitality establishments. ATEP is and will continue to be a sustainable community that is nimble, flexible, fully integrated and designed for the next generation of innovators and students.
     With 17 institutions of higher learning and Advanced Manufacturing and Bio-Medical Sciences thriving both internationally and in Orange County, ATEP is poised to be an essential component for education and employment. The core principle underlying ATEP is a belief that businesses will be successful and profitable because employees will love coming to work and school to attain practical and real world experience in an engaging and vital community.   
     Dr. Glenn Roquemore, President of Irvine Valley College and Chair of the Chamber’s Economic & Workforce Development Committee, Co-Chair Cynthia Lenahan with Edwards Lifesciences, David Anduri, Chair of the Chamber’s Economic Vitality Council and the Chamber’s ED team agree that businesses can enhance their competitive positioning by strengthening their workforce pipeline and ability to attract and retain well-prepared employees. Identifying education and corporate synergies encourages a long term, integrated and effective approach to workforce development.
     “Our mission is to leverage the expertise of the private sector and the education community to a common purpose: better preparing our current and future employees so that businesses are poised to compete more effectively in the 21st century global economy," said Linda DiMario, Senior Director, Irvine Chamber Economic Development & Tourism.
     For more information about this project or to post comments, suggestions or ideas, please visit www.irvineecondev.com/survey.

     Allow me to suggest that, thanks to Roquemore's "leadership" in the last dozen years, IVC really should replace it's "laser" mascot with Calvin Coolidge, who once said that America's business is, well, business. –That and having young people ask no questions and fight foolish wars.
     I don't think Roquemore understands what a college is.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

looks like somebody is getting ready to run for office.....

Anonymous said...

With the Republicans taking the Senate last week, it now looks like corporate America will be sitting right on your face, Roy. Whachyagonnadoaboutit?

Anonymous said...

Obviously, 3:43 has no clue about what's going on. The fact is that, since 2007, ATEP has been floundering, probably due to a lack of top-notch, strong leadership, vision, and faculty involvement. But plenty of dollars have been invested in this project. If there is something good going on at ATEP, the college communities are largely not aware of it. Effective communication at all levels has been pretty much absent. How long is this going to go on?

Anonymous said...

dump the money pit and finish the two colleges you already have that are understaffed and under utilized. This whole thing is nothing but a self serving, political ploy for our boy Glenn. Disgraceful....

Anonymous said...

It's not as simple as that. 9:13's comments are similar to those made about IVC when it first started and was seen as an "unnecessary drain" of district resources at the expense of Saddleback College, which was still "unfinished." IVC went on to become a fine college, in spite of many problems.

The point is that ATEP can be a place where innovation thrives and be a model of industry/community college partnerships. But it's all about vision, leadership, good planning, inclusion, creativity, excellence, all of which seem to be lacking.

Anonymous said...

"College administration is on top of it [ATEP]." What? "College administration" can't even keep the floors swept and the bathrooms usable at IVC, and they're off "identifying education and corporate synergies" at ATEP? They're "on top of it," all right--on top of a heaping mountain of their own b.s.

Anonymous said...

You may think IVC is a fine college but look at all the delays in construction, hiring, campus support, etc. Saddleback has the same issues. ATEP is NOT the same as Saddleback North. ATEP is a fly by night idea that constantly is changed back and forth. It IS a distraction and a drain on our resources. Finish what you have and make those be the showcase campuses in stead of 3 mediocre ones.

Anonymous said...

3:43 haws all the rhetorical skills of a seventh grader--no offense to seventh graders.

Roy Bauer said...

In the case of 3:43, the issue, I think, is not so much skill or the lack thereof. There's a maturity issue, a moral seriousness issue. IN recent decades a new kind of right-winger has emerged. Very much like the punk kids sneering and laughing in the back of the classroom. The Republican as Lout.

Anonymous said...

ATEP's best chance to succeed lies with J Edwards. He can provide the leadership that is needed to build not only the facility, but the corporate and business partnerships as well. The problem is that Edwards will not be around long enough to finish the project and anything he brings to the Board will only be approved if the politics are Republican in nature.

Anonymous said...

LOL!! 10:33

Anonymous said...

10:33, you have to be kidding! Or you are J
Edwards. Thankfully, he's being moved out there where he can do less damage to the staff. Out of sight, out of mind.

Roy Bauer said...

"out of sight, out of mind" -- I don't think that's quite the expression you're reaching for

Anonymous said...

IN recent decades a new kind of left-winger has emerged. Very much like the class crybaby striking back with revenge in an extreme way. The Democrat is no longer center left, but extreme leftist as a commie lout. These termites are hell bent on using political correctness to destroy our constitutional republic in the spirit of Fabians Alinsky, Cloward & Piven.

Anonymous said...

4:40....have much fun?

Anonymous said...

4:40 is just plain wacko. What. The. F?

Anonymous said...

No its not. Its a blunt response that contrasts Roy's 10:31 assertions about Republicans. Fair game. So, there ya go...

Anonymous said...

Well, actually, 1:24, you are incorrect in that you actually provided an actual response. All you did was to say something, and that proved Roy's original point.

For example: " . . . extreme leftist as a commie lout . . ." come on now. You really don't mean to say something so vapid, do you? Try and prove Roy wrong--that would be of value.

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...