Leadershiplessness

     I’m told that, at the recent IVC Foundation wingding, for over an hour, announcements were made over the PA to the effect that some lout who owned a colorful new Tesla was parked illegally and blocking the something-or-other. Whoever the miscreant was, he wasn’t moving his sled. Well, former SOCCCD trustee and current Mayor “Dandy” Don Wagner was in attendance, looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and, at long last, he was finally seen running and puffing to move his goddam car.
     Typical Don.
     As you know, faculty at IVC have been working up to a vote of confidence/no-confidence in President Glenn “Plastic Man” Roquemore. We’re not sure there’s much point in it, given that odd “for life” rider in Glenn's contract.
     It’s pretty clear that Glenn’s crew of favorites on campus are mighty uncomfortable with the idea. These days, you can just feel ‘em squirmin’ in dark corners all over campus.
     At a recent IVC Humanities School meeting (they’re held on Fridays), VPI McDonald showed up to update us on this and that. At one point, one wag (it might’ve been me) asked, “How come we never hear from the President?”
     It was an awkward moment. But there’re plenty of those at IVC.
     Looks like they’ll be installing all kinds of cameras on campus pretty soon. Plus there’ll be “new keying” and lasers and whatnot. Some of us wondered whether we really want all this monitoring going on, but, at a recent senate meeting, the folks directly involved in these upgrades did a pretty good job allaying fears.

* * *

Dandy Don

     Back at the Feb 7 Academic Senate meeting, there was lots of carping about the lack of “night deans” at IVC. (Really. There’s nobody.) One issue is an old one: it’s obvious that some classes are routinely let out early. That’s fraud, man. And what happens if there’s an emergency? Health Services office shuts down at 4 or 5. What if the Big One strikes? Sheesh.
     It's plain that administration doesn’t want to hear such grumblings and they’re doing everything they can to shut 'em down.
     Item K was “adjunct faculty engagement & communication.” An old issue. We treat adjuncts like shite and we don’t even communicate with them. Can’t we do better?

* * *

     Item P was the vote of confidence/no-confidence in Roquemore. As you know, the IVC Senate recently voted to censure Roquemore for his recent unsavory machinations in support of the ailing Photonics program (a hobby horse of his).
     But the vote of C/N-C is a more serious matter. It has been inspired by a laundry list of Roquemorian sins, including favoritism, abuse of power, ineffective leadership, failure to protect faculty, etc. Nevertheless, some senators reported that some of their faculty are clueless about these problems/issues; they want a list of points. They’re peevish, I guess.
     Some in the room suggested that we don’t need no stinkin’ list; we should just focus on the President’s job description and vote on whether he provides effective leadership. Well, obviously, he doesn't.
     The Senate Cabinet seemed to favor that approach.
     The Senate Prez alluded to an obvious point: apathy (cluelessness) among some faculty. You have a responsibility to pay attention, she almost said. Get with the goddam program, I heard, in my head.
     Some spoke about Roquemore’s utter lack of the vision thing. Some of our best faculty look for support from administration and get the opposite. Roquemore seems determined to push against our best initiatives.
     He's got anti-vision.

     And these complaints aren’t just coming from the usual suspects in Humanities. There are junior faculty from elsewhere on campus who object to various dastardly Roquemoreisms, but they’re afraid to speak up. Or so said the Senate Prez.
     Some noted the sad fact that “community” is in short supply these days at the college. Things used to be better. Nowadays, we're all hunkered down in our silos.
     One senate officer suggested that, elsewhere, administrative leadership comes and goes all the time. If someone isn’t doing the job, you get rid of ‘em and move to someone else. Why are we afraid to do that at IVC? Why are we stuck with Roquemore?
     Said J, one need not identify heinous crimes on Roquemore’s part (although he does seem to commit those too); we just need to ask, Is he doing his goddam job? Does he lead? Does he inspire and support? (Nope, nope, nope.)
     The Senate Prez reminded the senators that they’re supposed to keep the faculty of their schools apprised of goings on here at the senate. They been doing that?
     One Senator spoke of the dynamic and inspiring leadership provided by the Prez at her last college. Why can’t we have that? Why do we settle for so much less here at IVC?
     Rebel Girl was on hand to provide copies of the notorious threatening letter (sent by an unbalanced former student, warning the college of the Reb’s alleged outrages) that the President failed to warn her about for several weeks.
     I do hope they read it. They need to see what a clueless bastard Roquemore is. Roquemore and Fontanilla. They're a real pair.
     We have some responsibility of oversight as a Senate, said someone. Why are we afraid to take it?
     Somebody used the “m” word (malaise). Others spoke of the President’s unwillingness to engage with the faculty or with anybody (aside from his favorites, the wielders of lasers and crafty makers of moola).
     So it was decided, more or less, to agendize this “no confidence” vote for the next meeting. We need to decide whether to have this vote or not. Dang!

* * *

     Two weeks later (i.e., five days ago), at the March 7 senate meeting, there was considerable discussion about the rise of anti-Semitism and similar phenomena at the college in recent months. (You’ll recall that someone had scrawled a swastika in one of our restrooms. Similar graffiti was scrawled on a Temple down the street.)
     We bellyached about students’ apparent ignorance about the most basic factoids concerning the Holocaust.

     We grumbled about the State Chancellor’s recent decision—evidently made on no discernible basis—not to fund the long-awaited Arts complex here at IVC.
     The Arts faculty have been waiting for this building since the 90s. They’re pissed.
     We briefly discussed interesting new changes in the allocation of funds to the colleges in the district.
     According to our budget guy, Davit, the 2020 budget for IVC is “healthy.” J, however, noted that some big issues re our retirement system will be coming up. What about that?

* * *

     Once again, we discussed the possibility of a vote of confidence/no-confidence in President Roquemore.
     Shall the Rep Council (i.e., the senate) give the Senate Cabinet authority to explore faculty concerns with the President of the College?
     We voted. It was unanimous. YEP.

Aim for the body rare, you'll see it on TV
The worst thing in 1954 was the bikini
See the girl on the TV dressed in a bikini
She doesn't think so, but she's dressed for the H-bomb
(For the H-bomb)

I found that essence rare, it's what I looked for
I knew I'd get what I asked for

But, anyone who had a heart
Wouldn't want to turn around and break it
And anyone who ever played the part
He wouldn't want to turn around and hate this...
Sweet Jane

19% of Cal Community College Students Homeless

Study finds 19% of community college students in California are homeless

(The Daily Democrat)
The study surveyed nearly 40,000 students at 57 community colleges

     Nineteen percent of students attending California’s community college system have experienced homelessness in the last year, while 60 percent have experienced recent housing insecurity and 50 percent have struggled with food insecurity, according to a report.
     The study, conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University’s College of Education in Philadelphia, surveyed nearly 40,000 students at 57 community colleges during the fall semesters of 2016 and 2018.
     If the survey’s numbers are projected statewide, as many as 400,000 community college students could be homeless, said Sara Goldrick-Rab, lead author of the report. She said the study’s findings are consistent with prior reports.
. . .
     At Cypress College, about 13.7 percent are homeless according to this study, but even that, she says, is shocking in an affluent Orange County community.
. . .
     There is pending legislation that aims to help homeless college students. For example, Assembly Bill 302 sponsored by Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, would require the California Community College system to make its college parking system accessible overnight to any enrolled student in good standing.
     State law already requires that community colleges provide homeless students access to shower facilities on campus….

How dangerous is Jordan B Peterson, the rightwing professor who 'hit a hornets' nest'?
(Guardian UK)
Since his confrontation with Cathy Newman, the Canadian academic’s book has become a bestseller. But his arguments are riddled with ‘pseudo-facts’ and conspiracy theories

Argosy on Brink of Closure
(Inside Higher Ed)

     The for-profit college chain will shut down today, affecting several thousand students, if a new buyer is not secured -- a scenario observers say has small chances of happening.
     A court-appointed receiver plans to close Argosy University campuses today if a buyer is not found for the for-profit college, a decision driven by the Trump administration’s decision to cut off Title IV student aid to those colleges more than a week ago.

     But the receiver has yet to convey those plans officially to the Department of Education and is due to appear Monday before a federal judge in an ongoing legal challenge over his management of the colleges. The murkiness over the campuses’ status entering Friday adds to uncertainty students have faced since Argosy failed to make financial aid payments for the spring semester.
     Campus closures would mean students could either opt for loan cancellation or seek to transfer their credits to a different college -- a choice that could be more difficult without an official agreement in place between Argosy and another institution....

A Tale of Two Donalds plus: white nationalist activity at Saddleback continues

In Rebel Girl's mail today. 

UPDATE/correction: Rebel Girl's Saddleback student contact clarified this morning that while Patriot Front materials have been posted on campus, the white nationalist group that is actively recruiting on campus, handing out business cards and fliers, etc. is actually Identity Evropa who have documented their on-campus presence online here.

You can file this under: I am sorry that the white nationalist group I mentioned was the wrong white nationalist group. It's this white nationalist group, not that one, though the one I first mentioned is also on campus. 

Can you believe these times?

Earlier report: Meanwhile Rebel Girl has been following up reports from students about Patriot Front members actively recruiting and posting their fliers on campus at Saddleback College. Student complaints have not, at least not so far, inspired action by the administration to the presence of a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center describes this way:

Patriot Front (PF) is a white nationalist hate group that formed in the aftermath of the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, of August 12, 2017. The organization broke off from Vanguard America (VA), a neo-Nazi group that participated in the chaotic demonstration. PF’s founder, Thomas Rousseau, led VA members during “Unite the Right,” including James Alex Fields, Jr., the young man accused of murdering anti-racist protester Heather Heyer after fatally driving his vehicle into a crowd of protesters.

Patriot Front's manifesto includes this declaration:

"An African, for example, may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American. He is, as he likely prefers to be labelled, an African in America. The same rule applies to others who are not of the founding stock of our people as well as to those who do not share the common unconscious that permeates throughout our greater civilization, and the European diaspora."

Rebel Girl can imagine how anyone who is not a white male might feel uncomfortable, even threatened, by the persistent presence of this group on campus posting and handing out materials, cheerfully recruiting white male students to join their cause.

Patriot Front's recent twitter feed shows activity at the Laguna Niguel train station and environs.

xt

On March 6, National Public Radio reported:
White Supremacist Propaganda At 'Record-Setting' Levels, ADL Report Finds
excerpt:

Hill [ADL senior investigative researcher] also cited another group, the Patriot Front, which posts red, white and blue flyers, espouses "mainstream conservative messaging" such as "America First," and rallies against what it calls "fake news." But "when they gather for events, Patriot Front members are far less circumspect about their racism, frequently shouting 'Blood and Soil!,' a callback to a Nazi slogan," Hill wrote.

At Salt Lake City College, which was also targeted by Patriot Front, the student newspaper reports that "Staff charged with maintaining campus facilities were told to take down all known fliers."

Alt-right group posts propaganda around SLCC campuses
In Michigan: Michigan leaders condemn white supremacist flyers found in Lansing's Old Town

"Local leaders are calling for racial tolerance after "Keep America American" flyers were found throughout Lansing's Old Town neighborhood. The posters list a website for Patriot Front, a group labeled as a white supremacist organization by the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center."

University of South Florida was also visited by Patriot Front:
There is no place for hate speech on our campus

Stay tuned.

*

OC: Teens standing around a table giving the “Heil Hitler” salute...

CAIR-LA CONDEMNS NAZI IMAGERY AT TEEN PARTY

 

     The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned Nazi imagery pictured at a teen party in Orange County on Saturday night that was circulated over social media.
     A series of photos, taken from Snapchat, showed several teens standing around a table with more than 80 red cups arranged in the shape of a swastika. The teens standing around the table were giving the “Heil Hitler” salute.
     According to the Orange County Register, Newport-Mesa Unified School District President Charlene Metoyer said several students have been identified as Newport Harbor High School students.
     A statement from the school district read that “while the party did not occur on any school campus or school function, we condemn all acts of anti-semitism and hate in all their forms.”
     Metoyer told The Register that district and school administrators were meeting to determine further action, including possible disciplinary action against the students who were involved....

SEE ALSO OC HIGH SCHOOLERS SIEG HEIL OVER SWASTIKA BEER PONG
(OC Weekly)

     ...The controversy even reached the House of Representatives with OC congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45) issuing a strong statement in response.
    “I condemn the devastating and shocking anti-Semitism on display by local students this weekend,” Porter’s statement reads. “The use of such a harmful symbol, which represents the genocide of the Jewish people, is an act of aggression and hate that has no place in our vibrant, diverse and welcoming community. I call on local parents and community leaders to redouble our efforts to educate these young people about the oppression of, and violence against, Jewish people worldwide, and ensure that acts like these never happen again.”....

Meanwhile:

“He [Trump] is such a small, mediocre person,” she said

Lee Haggerty, RIP

     This afternoon, the Chancellor's office forwarded this letter from Saddleback's Pres. Stern to the district community:

Dear Colleagues,
     It is with great sadness that I inform you that Lee Haggerty, a longtime professor of political science at Saddleback College, passed away early in the morning of Sunday, March 3 at Mission Hospital, of complications from stroke.  He was 73.
     A graduate of Stanford University and the UCLA School of Law, Lee served as a part-time and full-time political science instructor in the division of social and behavioral sciences for over 37 years. He taught a variety of courses, but is best known for his teachings of American government, international relations, comparative politics, and African-American history. He served as an advisor for various student clubs on campus, including the Black Student Union and Model United Nations. He made an undeniable impact to countless students.
     Well respected and admired, Lee served as a leader both in his department and within the Academic Senate and Faculty Association, of which he was a lead negotiator. He was passionate about legislative issues and advocacy for students, and advocated at the local and state levels as an active member of the Saddleback College Academic Senate and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

     Christina Hinkle, dean of social and behavioral sciences, shared, “Lee was a remarkable instructor and colleague and will be missed beyond measure.  I was fortunate to have him as a professor when I was a student here at Saddleback; he inspired me reconsider my plans at the time and pursue a career in teaching and higher education. He saw something in me I hadn’t seen in myself and his belief in me was a powerful influence. I know he did the same for an untold number of students.  I will miss him greatly, as will his colleagues and students.”
     Lee’s burial will take place in Dallas, Texas, which is where his family is located and where Lee lived before settling in California.  In honor of Lee’s enduring legacy at Saddleback College, the foundation will be establishing a scholarship fund in his memory.
     For assistance with grief and loss, any employee can refer to the District Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling (855) 775-4357 or rsli@acieap.  Employees can also visithttp://rsli.acieap.com for additional help and resources. 

Sincerely,
Elliot Stern
President

Civil war?

In America, talk turns to something unspoken for 150 years: Civil war 
(Washington Post)

     ...First came former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, a Fox News regular and ally of President Trump. “We are in a civil war,” he said. “The suggestion that there’s ever going to be civil discourse in this country for the foreseeable future is over. . . . It’s going to be total war.”
     The next day, Nicolle Wallace, a former Republican operative turned MSNBC commentator and Trump critic, played a clip of diGenova’s commentary on her show and agreed with him — although she placed the blame squarely on the president.
     Trump, she said, “greenlit a war in this country around race. And if you think about the most dangerous thing he’s done, that might be it.”
     With the report by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III reportedly nearly complete, impeachment talk in the air and the 2020 presidential election ramping up, fears that once existed only in fiction or the fevered dreams of conspiracy theorists have become a regular part of the political debate. These days, there’s talk of violence, mayhem and, increasingly, civil war.
     A tumultuous couple of weeks in American politics seem to have raised the rhetorical flourishes to a new level and also brought a troubling question to the surface: At what point does all the alarmist talk of civil war actually increase the prospect of violence, riots or domestic terrorism?
     Speaking to conservative pundit Laura Ingraham, diGenova summed up his best advice to friends: “I vote, and I buy guns. And that’s what you should do.”…. (continued)

They're coming, you know

Study of American Democracy on Cal State Chopping Block
(Inside Higher Ed)

     Historians across the California State University System are voicing concerns about a new general education task force report that recommends halving the six-credit U.S. history and government requirement in place on most campuses.
     The university system says it hasn’t even formally received the faculty-led report yet and that it remains a mere set of ideas.
     Still, some professors worry that Cal State’s six-credit requirement has long been a target for those who see it as a barrier to completion.
     “Students here do a lot of work in U.S. history and government -- it’s a rigorous course of study, and we stand to lose that right now,” said Bridget Ford, professor of history at Cal State’s East Bay campus and a critic of the general education task force report. “We’re worried about what democracy in our state will look like without it.” …. [continued]

When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting on death row

We are the Village Green Preservation Society

God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety

We are the Desperate Dan Appreciation Society

God save strawberry jam and all the different varietiesPreserving the old ways from being abused

Protecting the new ways, for me and for you

What more can we do?

I was born, lucky me
In a land that I love
Though I am poor, I am free
When I grow I shall fight
For this land I shall die
Let her sun never set
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria

Land of hope and gloria
Land of my Victoria
Land of hope and gloria
Land of my Victoria
Victoria, 'toria
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, 'toria....

STEM Education Is Vital--but Not at the Expense of the Humanities
(Scientific American)
Politicians trying to dump humanities education will hobble our economy
By THE EDITORS on October 1, 2016