Who will provide "oversight" of the SOCCCD Chancellor hire?

Item 6.1 of the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees concerns “Chancellor Recruitment.” The board will “discuss and take appropriate action on recruitment of [the] new Chancellor.”

Included in the agenda item is Board Policy 4011.6: Employment Procedures for Chancellor. Section 1, point 7 of this policy concerns “oversight”:

According to 4011.6, the Chancellor or Board designee “will appoint the search committee….” Further, according to the policy, the Chancellor or Board designee will select the committee chair.

I don’t know about you, but I will quickly cease to have confidence in the search and hiring process if Raghu Mathur is chosen as the provider of oversight of the hiring process.

Two weeks ago, I contacted IVC’s Academic Senate cabinet, requesting that they agendize something (e.g., a senate discussion) that might yield some action to encourage an honest and professional Chancellor hire. As a result (I suppose—the cabinet doesn’t communicate with me, evidently) some sort of “Chancellor search” item did appear on the agenda of last week’s senate meeting, but the meeting ran long and the item was put off until the meeting of the 25th.

But it now appears that an important decision regarding the integrity of this search/hire might be made on Monday, the 22nd—naming the Oversight Person for the hiring process. The agenda item does not make that clear.

Mathur has a history of manipulating administrative searches.

A few years ago, during the trial for a civil suit—a widely-respected and experienced applicant accused Mathur of discrimination in a dean hiring process that yielded a stunningly disastrous hire—attorneys pursued whether Mathur had done “reference checks”—i.e., calling and verifying references listed on the selected candidate’s application. As I recall, it appeared that, had the reference checks been done or had they been done competently, important damning information about Mr. Disaster’s history would have come to light.

In court, to the amazement of observers, Mathur stated that, somehow, the form that documented these reference checks (he was supposed to have done them) had been lost.

Lost?

Yes, lost.

Item 5.13 concerns a speaker for the IVC Academic Senate “Distinguished Academic Lecture Series.” In April, Jazz man (and UCI professor) Kei Akagi will present “message of jazz.” He will receive $2,400 for travel expenses/honorarium. (Presumably, this is an honorarium.)

Oddly, this has been added to item 5.13:

We're renting or leasing a Lexus? For whom?

Comments:

Anonymous said... — Yes, the Chance is good [at] losing or discovering information "vital" to the district (aka "him"). 5:45 AM, February 20, 2010
Anonymous said... — Usually the senate meetings run long because a self important philosophy instructor talks too much... 7:28 AM
Bob Cosgrove said... — You know, at the Saddleback Senate we relish having folks who engage, even when we disagree. Senates are forums for different views on topics of concern. Be happy that you have someone who is ethical and thinks.
IVC has had a series of excellent Senates over the years and I know since I have attended many of them. Your Senate has been receptive and skeptical of some of the ideas we have shared with you and you with us.
But the exchanges often identified common ground. 7:44 AM
Anonymous said... — 7:28, as I recall, that instructor barely spoke. He did recommend a change that was ultimately endorsed by the senators. 8:16 AM
Anonymous said... — I like the fact that ideas ARE discussed in the Senate -- that the Senators are asked to cosider -- and not just rubber stamp agenda items. In general, if the meetings run over -- it's a matter of minutes. Everyone knows that. Senate meetings are from 2-4.
(same with curriculum -- or used to be -- items read and discussed -- now it's not -- people bragging in the meeting that they don't read the stuff and never will) 8:18 AM
Anonymous said... — Face it, many people resent doing their jobs, fulfilling their responsibilities. They just want their paychecks and the shortest work day possible. 8:54 AM
Anonymous said... — Oversight? yeah right. 9:42 AM
Anonymous said... — Gee, hard to see how looking out for ethical integrity and thoughtful consideration of crucial issues to the welfare of the District translates into "self-important." 

"Self-sacrificing," yes--especially when those lacking that sense of integrity or work ethic simply attack.

Thanks Bob, for putting it well: "Be happy that you have someone who is ethical and thinks." I wish he had more company in the Senate in that respect. 10:39 AM
Bob Cosgrove said... — The Lexis issue—land that was not being used by Saddleback or probably will be. Lexis needed an area to park vehicles. It did not go through the process, unfortunately, for discussion. It was a done deal.
We do receive some money and a new entry way from that side of the college.
The trade off seems ok. 11:34 AM
Brenda Borron said... — I am proud that Roy Bauer is my representative to the Senate. I am proud that he brings courage, integrity, and thought to the Senate meetings. We have all been trained to ask questions, to challenge prevailing ideas, to get to the bottom of things. Surely, if nothing else, our experiences at IVC during the early years of this decade must have taught us that we must be ever vigilant, that we must do the things that we ask our students to do: read critically,think deeply, write persuasively and honestly. That someone would contend that we can be "talk[ing] too much" about the serious issues that confront us — issues that the School of Humanities, through our elected representative, Roy Bauer addresses in Senate meetings — is perplexing to me.
If we are not willing to spend a few extra minutes at meetings of the Senate and the union in order to understand issues, communicate those issues to our membership, call for discussion, and vote as REPRESENTATIVES of our schools, why even bother?
We call it "shared governance" for a reason. All of us share in the governance of the Senate, and we do so through our elected representatives. "Thank you, Roy" is something I often say to Roy privately. Now I'm thanking 7:28 for giving me an opportunity to say it publicly. 11:51 AM
B. von Traven said... — Garsh, thanks. Naturally, our school has two senators, and my colleague has turned out to be excellent. Totally reliable, and she soaks up info lots better than I do. My mind is a sieve. 12:07 PM

Some pop perfection: the 60s

There’s great rock and great ballads and great grunge and great reggae, and on and on.

Then there’s the great “pop song,” a fluffy creature without substance, like Star Trekian Tribbles—and yet….magic!

Gotta love New Jersey's own Shirelles. In 1961, they had the first hit with "Baby, It's You"—before the Beatles and Smith. But the original, Shirelles version sports a seriously cheesy organ solo. It's just the best.

Don’t know why Dion opted for a haircut that makes him look like Gumby. Don’t know why the band are geezers. Don’t know why attention is drawn to the lip-sync fakitude with that awful fadeout. Still, I’ve always loved Dion’s pre-Heroin growl and the pure pop perfection of this silly song from 1961.

Maybe it’s the thumpin’ E string. Maybe it’s how the song always makes me imagine running through the night with The Girl. Dunno. Loved this silly song from Day One. 1967.

Van Morrison is a genius and, by all accounts, a difficult man. One senses that he scribbled out the lyrics of “Brown Eyed Girl” (mostly misspelt) on a napkin and got through the recording session in record time, hoping never to have to think about it again. No such luck. For me it is the perfect pop song. Producer Bert Berns and the band deserve lots of credit too, especially that nifty bass break, the drum sound, the hand-claps, and that 9-note guitar figure. Magic!

Diana Ross and the girls churned out some perfect pop fluff for many years. Exhibit A: “Where Did Our Love Go?” from 1964. It’s a great pop song, sung by babes. It doesn’t get better than that. (Actually, almost nobody wanted to record the song, since it was judged “childish.” All the resentment evaporated when the dang thing became a huge hit.)

If you listen carefully at the start, you can hear Barry McGuire’s original vocal, which was wiped out (but not completely) and replaced with the Mamas and Papas', whose leader, John Phillips, wrote the song. With the new vocal, the recording became a stunningly perfect pop song, produced by Lou Adler, as I recall. This group’s sound seemed to come out of nowhere back in ’65 and early ‘66. I definitely noticed. (Too bad this video is gawdawful.)

Pop Perfection Plus. Plus what? Plus a sense of humor, plainly manifest in this video of the band from 1968. Singer Howard Kaylan (very under-appreciated) responded to the pressure of writing a song like their hit “Happy Together” by writing this similar song that mocks, well, songs like “Happy Together.” Ironically, “Elenore” became one of their biggest hits. Love this band. Their stories of meeting the Beatles and touring with Tom Jones are priceless.

Great production. Teenage group from Queens. They're all so, um, cute. 1964. Love it.

More Shirelles, this time live. Thanks to the band, this version nearly rocks, and the girls are definitely feelin' it. Very, very cool. 1964. Please, please send me back in time!

Paying for 40 hours of “involvement”

The SOCCCD Board of Trustees meets on Monday, the 22nd. You can download the agenda here.

I only just started perusing the dang thing. I noticed the usual “Trustees’ Requests for Attending Conferences,” which is always fun. (Item 5.19)

Naturally, “the Chancellor recommends that the Board … approve/ratify the Trustees’ requests….”

Looks like the trustees are really cooling their jets in the travel department, but there is one item: two days at a “safety” conference in Long Beach at $320 per person—registration costs, I guess. As usual, the info provided (about exactly what this money pays for) is unclear and unhelpful. This pattern is a kind of endless FU-gesture to the Brown Act.

Item 5.3 is the celebrated—and sometimes controversial—“Study Abroad Program to Santander, Spain.” Back in 2005, trustee Tom Fuentes and his pals nixed the program in part because Spain “has abandoned our fighting men and women” by pulling its troops out of Iraq. The world guffawed.

Another Fuentean complaint was the cost per student. It appears that the cost per student for the 2010 trip depends on how many students sign up. It’s $163 per day (per student) for 20-24 students, $154 per day for 25-29 students, or $151 per day for 30 or more students. (Evidently, this includes airfare and medical insurance.)

Such a deal!

It will be interesting to see if Board President Don Wagner maintains his objections to this popular program now that, um, that nasty umbilical cord to Tom is cut, stomped upon, smashed against a wall, and burned.

Item 5.5 is odd. Apparently, $3,400 is needed to complete the “cosmetology” program review. Saddleback College’s cosmetology department “contracts with Lake Forest Beauty College.” The college has a new owner, it seems. “The program review,” we’re told, “is b being [sic] completed by the new ownership.”

What this boils down to is that owner Heidi Berman (or her staff) will be paid $85 an hour for 40 hours of “involvement.” OK, whatever.

Item 5.12 is the two colleges’ “Community Education” programs (non-credit, fee-based). The agenda item says that these programs are “high-quality.”

It’s always fun to look at this list of "high-quality" and community-college-mission-fulfilling educational opportunities. Some highlights:

Saddleback College:

• Are you the next American ….? (– I can’t read the last word. Idol?)
• Become a Mystery Shopper (– Intriguing, I guess.)
• Capturing the Essence  (Of what?)
• Cashing in on your ideas
• Clutterology
• Feng Shui (–As I recall, “Feng Shui” is Chinese for “Bullshit.”)
• Hollywood 2.0
• How to be your own Private…. (--Private what? Investigator? Ryan?)
• Power Entertaining
• The Secret Revealed (Um, wow.)
• Dare to Drawl (I think they meant "draw," but I prefer "drawl.")
• Future Millionaires

Irvine Valley College seems to have a more sober (and less detailed) list of educational opportunities, including Dayan Quigong (evidently, this promotes the circulation of qi within the body).

UPDATE: a friend sent me this link to a site about World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day 2008 at, yes, Irvine Valley College. Check it out.

The site gushes: “Dr. Shin Lin, professor at UC Irvine, gave a brief talk about his research on taiji and qigong using the latest scientific methods and technology. Dr. Lin announced that his research will be broadcast on national television on the NBC Nightly News in the near future!!”

Remembering the wonderful Sidney Bechet

One of my favorite jazz instrumentalists is Sidney Bechet (1897-1959), a pioneer of the form (he first recorded in 1923) and one of its greatest soloists (clarinet, soprano saxophone).

This video combines two of my obsessions: Bechet (recorded in 1939) and silent actress Louise Brooks.

Here’s a live recording from 1958, in France, I believe. The French loved the guy. Check out his vibrato!

UCSD frat party: laughing at stereotypes "fun"

This appeared in last night's San Diego Union-Tribune:

UCSD begins investigation of frat's race-mocking party

University of California San Diego officials have begun an investigation into the off-campus party held Monday that mocked Black History Month, and hope to decide within the next few weeks whether students involved with the event will be disciplined.
. . .
“The Fraternity regrets the display of ignorance and error-of-judgment made by any individual members who may have attended or were associated via social-media with the racially-offensive party,” Garron Engstrom, chapter president of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, said in the statement.

Engstrom, who did not respond to requests for comment, noted the event was not an official fraternity event. He said disciplinary actions have been taken against members, and all members attending the party have been encouraged “to reach out to the African-American community.”
. . .
“The most important thing for me is having the students understand the impact of their actions on the rest of the community,” [Penny Rue, UCSD’s vice chancellor for student affairs] said. “And secondly, to understand what they were thinking.”

In an invitation circulated on Facebook, party organizers said they would be serving “Kegs of Natty, dat Purple Drank — which consists of sugar, water, and the color purple, chicken, coolade, and of course Watermelon.”

Male partygoers were urged in the invite to wear white T-shirts “XXXL smallest size acceptable.” Females were given this guidance: “Ghetto chicks have a very limited vocabulary, and attempt to make up for it, by forming new words, such as ‘constipulated’, or simply cursing persistently, or using other types of vulgarities, and making noises, such as ‘hmmg!’, or smacking their lips, and making other angry noises, grunts, and faces.”
. . .
Several UCSD students said they have been unimpressed by the university’s response, especially given the larger challenge it faces in recruiting black students, who make up less than 2 percent of undergraduates.

“The students are fed up,” said David Ritcherson, the head of UCSD’s Black Student Union. “The campus climate is horrible. People are thinking about transferring.”

Others say the administration has overreacted, and should not get involved with off-campus parties.

Bryan Kim, a UCSD senior from central California, said he had been planning to host a similar racially themed party this month tied to Black History Month. He wanted attendees to dress up as gangster rappers and participate in a costume contest judged by a black friend.

“People laugh at stereotypes because there’s an element of fun,” Kim said. “People need to get a sense of humor or they’re just going to spend their whole life being angry about things they can’t control.”

Meanwhile, a dollop of cynicism on the San Francisco Chronicle’s Politics blog:

State lawmakers take on UC San Diego frats

It's a long way from San Diego to Sacramento (believe us, we've driven it) but apparently state legislators still get invited to frat parties in California's southernmost city.

That's what we can glean from a press advisory sent out today informing reporters of a news conference Thursday hosted by Assistant Speaker pro Tempore Isadore Hall III, D-Compton, and several other members of the Democratic leadership team – including current Speaker Karen Bass and Speaker-elect John Perez, both Democrats from Los Angeles. (The L.A. area is closer to SD, we admit.)

The topic? Lawmakers will "publicly condemn a racially offensive student event hosted this past weekend by students of UC San Diego." The release goes on:

"The event called the, 'Compton Cookout' was organized by members of various Greek fraternal organizations and encouraged participants to mock Black History Month by promoting negative and offensive racial and gender stereotypes. ... Legislators will call upon university officials to investigate the organizers of the event and determine what sanctions; including suspension should be taken against the fraternity or fraternities responsible for the event."

Interestingly, the press conference organizers chose to attach said invite — further publicizing the comments, which seems a bit counter productive. We won't repeat anything, but, ya, it's offensive.

That said, fraternities do offensive stuff all the time – and this latest flap seems perfectly legal, albeit insensitive and racist, so we're not sure where state legislators fit in. But hey, why not jump on a story that's got legs?

Drake scrambles: damage control

Well, the UCI "free speech" saga rolls on. A friend of mine who is presently a student there shared this with me: evidently, a letter (email) from UCI Chancellor Michael Drake to students, sent at 7:15 this evening:

Subject line: Why Do Values and Civility Matter?

To: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, School of Medicine Students:

I have spoken and written often about the manner in which we discuss and debate our differences, about our values, and about how we use those values to guide our decision-making. I am disappointed that some in our community seem more comfortable engaging in confrontation than collaboration, and in closing channels of communication rather than opening them.

At this juncture, we have two options. We can continue to amp up the rhetoric of outrage that is reverberating inside and outside our walls. Or, rather than fortifying barriers, we can use this energy to build bridges across the spaces that divide us.

We can discuss our differences respectfully, moving first toward understanding, and perhaps eventually toward resolution. And we can challenge ourselves to be better: What does it mean to be a part of a learning community? How do we engage each other in constructive dialog? How do we move forward?

To that end, I am asking several campus units to join together to host a series of discussions that will help light our path forward. School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's "First Amendment in a Multicultural Society" lecture last week set a high standard, and we will explore other issues in upcoming weeks. We will announce these shortly. I hope that all interested students, faculty and staff will participate, and that rather than repeating the behavior of so many others and sinking backward, we will move forward as a campus.

I know that we can advance. As we do, we must remember that the collective energy of our diverse communities is among our greatest strengths, and one that clearly enhances our position among the great learning centers of the world.

Chancellor Michael Drake

Rocco v. Williams; instant carnival!

On Monday, we learned that a gal named Callahan is running for John Williams’ county job. She looks viable. Today, we learned that—get this!—STEVE ROCCO wants the job!

Ex-trustee Rocco runs for public administrator

The OC Register’s Jennifer Muir (Watchdog) reports that

Former Orange School District Trustee Steve Rocco is back. He just filed paperwork to join the race for county public administrator.

Rocco is probably best known for his conspiracy rants, dark sunglasses and knit caps. He was elected to the Orange school board in 2004, later survived rumblings of a recall, and ran unsuccessfully for the Santa Ana City Council in 2008 on a platform pledging to fight what he called the Mexican Mafia, their Caucasian Puppetmasters and Judicial Miscreants.

Most recently, he was convicted of stealing a half-full bottle of ketchup from a cafeteria at Chapman University in 2009. (Rocco said he didn’t steal the ketchup — he just wanted to recycle the bottle.)

Rocco paid his filing fee Tuesday to run for the countywide office, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ candidate filing log for the June 8 election. Rocco could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rocco is running against incumbent John Williams, who has had some trouble of his own recently as the subject of two grand jury reports alleging mismanagement in the department. One of Williams’ former employees, paralegal Colleen Callahan, also is in the race. A fourth candidate Kevin Vann also is running for public administrator, but his candidate filing statement does not list a phone number or job title, and he could not be reached for comment….

This could be good. With a flaming lunatic like Rocco in the race, it could actually get some media attention. People might actually think about who oughta perform the "administrator" job.

Thinking voters. Such a prodigy, were it to actually to occur, could spell disaster for Williams--and for Rocco. And Callahan is a looker with knowledge of the job who manages to sound reasonable.

So there you go.