At IVC: international students, job descriptions

     At IVC, “administration,” headed by the visionless and unacademic Glenn Roquemore—the sort who surely would (if he only could!) trade in, say, Humanities for new lawn furniture—approaches the college’s fiscal affairs with hysteria, incompetence, and unabashed philistinism. We’re pretty used to it. (We’re starting to hate the Chancellor and the BOT.) Hence, when administration started making noises about expanding the International Students Program, some of us wondered if this was simply a meretricious moola grab, just the sort of thing we’ve come to expect from Team Roquemore. Would it be good for the college and good for international students to expand the program? We worry that, at those nasty secret confabs deep in the blue and grey corners of A100, they're not bothered by such questions; instead, they mutter, “More revenue? Yeah. Expand the goddam program.”
     Well, the Academic Senate, that ship of fools of which I am a longstanding crewman—which still sails as though anyone (and, in particular, Roquemore) notices—has been on the case, carrying on a discussion for months on the pluses and minuses of such expansion.
     The upshot of this discussion? –The Int’l Students Program brings in big bucks. But, as things now stand, many of our international students arrive utterly unprepared for college level courses (in English). Hence, they waste time and by the time they’re on track, their three-year stay is over, and they head home, having failed to achieve their desired goals. So, sure, expand the program, but only after we’ve rethought our support of these students, which, as things stand, is subpar and inadequate.
     And remember: these students and their families are paying big bucks for this service.
     Can you imagine Glenn Roquemore attending to this unpleasant message, taking it to heart? Nope.
     Near as I can tell, senators seem to accept the above negatory assessment of existing int'l student support. The senate has yet to way in on this expansion, which looks like it’s going to go forward whatever the senate or anyone else may think about it. Will support for Int'l students be increased? Well, I guess we'll see.

     As you know, faculty endlessly grumble about how hires are pursued at the college (part of the problem seems to be HR down at the district). I’ll have an update at a later date.
     But I will mention some peculiarities of at least one current job search: for Assistant Dean of Financial Aid and Student Support Services [AD-FA&SS]. (See here.)
     That's Darryl Cox's old job, more or less. You remember Darryl.
     Consider this job’s title. Wouldn’t someone applying for the “Assistant Dean of Financial Aid and Student Support Services” position naturally assume that they are applying to be the assistant to a dean—namely, the dean of FA&SS?
     But, in fact, there is no dean. This “assistant” would in fact be in charge of FA&SS. The AD-FA&SS will answer, not to a dean, but to the VP of Student Services.
     I’m thinking this is no way to write job descriptions/titles. Maybe I’m off base here. Lemme know.
     Here’s another problem. The job’s advertised “summary description” begins thus:

To provide leadership to plan, develop, organize, schedule, implement, direct, improve and evaluate the financial aid, veterans, scholarship, ambassador, outreach, and other assigned student support services programs, operations and activities at a community college….

     So the job entails “providing leadership to … develop [etc.] … the financial aid, veterans, scholarship, ambassador outreach [etc.] … programs.” Isn't that quite a lot? And how is it that an administrator in charge of financial aid is also in charge of the veterans program?
     In fact, however, things have changed, and this assistant dean (who isn't really an assistant to a dean) is no longer in charge of the veterans program—just the financial aid of veterans.
     I wonder if applicants will mind that the description is, well, wrong?