Sunny Girl tonight

El Camino College—Compton Center

.....I hate to say it, but the arrogance, recklessness, and incompetence of certain powerful people in our district could finally do us in. Throughout our long Dark Age—starting in late 1996—I never really thought that that could happen. But now I do believe it.
.....As you know, not long ago, our accrediting institution—WASC/ACCJC—got spanked hard by the Department of Ed for not laying down the law. (See The Two Year Rule.) The upshot: things are different now. The Accreds are much more likely than ever to pull a college's accreditation.
.....Don't think so? Well, then you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground. Get a friggin' clue. (See Shasta warning and February Rostrum [the two-year rule].)
.....The ACCJC is under pressure to show that they really do mean business for once. In the meantime, the perennial California poster children for dysfunctional cc districts—two colleges with an eleven-year history of trustee micromanagement, administrative instability, and plagues of despair—have got to solve these problems by October of 2008 (that's when the progress reports are due). No more warnings. This is it. (BTW: an IVC dean announced her retirement today. She was set to replace Reb and my dean, who left the college in December.)
.....There's no one in this district who doesn't know what would turn everything around. —Except, of course, the people with all the power. —The people running our Accred effort. The people who won't fire you-know-who.

* * * * *

.....I recently came upon an article about Compton Community College—the college that got its Accreditation ticket pulled a few years ago (it has been a satellite of El Camino College in Torrance since late 2006). The piece is entitled A short take on the death of an institution, by August Hoffman and Julie Wallach. It appeared a year ago in something called the Community College Enterprise. It's well worth reading.
.....Here are some excerpts:

.....Compton Community College was one of the oldest and most ethnically diverse community colleges in California. … First opening its doors in 1927, the college has served literally tens of thousands of students and has become a vital asset to the community. Within the last three to four years, however, the college has experienced several administrative and fiscal irregularities that gradually led to an independent investigation by outside auditing agencies..., warnings of accreditation problems, probation, and ultimately loss of accreditation all within two years time….
.....The old campus yearbooks during the 1940s and 1950s boast of first place championships in sports such as football and basketball. The campus was ranked among the top five community colleges in the state of California for academic excellence, teaching standards, and student enrollment. Compton Community College was perhaps the "crown jewel" of the state during its heyday of the 1940-1950s era….
.....…Compton Community College now holds the dubious distinction of being the only institution of higher education to have actually lost (de facto) its accreditation. … Certainly other schools have been placed on various lists such as "warning," "probation," or even "show cause"—but heretofore none had actually lost its accreditation. Until now.
…..
.....So it is with a heavy heart that I bear witness to the first closure of a community college in the United States due to "administrative" problems. I feel a tremendous amount of loyalty to an institution that I am still proud of. The faculty has always worked together. When things got bad, really bad, at this campus, it wasn't the administrators that corrected the problem but the faculty. The faculty still consider themselves de facto "family" and this sense of family transcends race, age, religion and gender. It is a powerful and attractive component that fuels my loyalty to the institution and helps faculty remain united in providing the best education possible ... united despite the friction, the frustration, and in spite of the negative publicity we have received in the last 18 months.
.....I am currently a professor at Compton Community College, soon to be referred to as El Camino College—Compton Center. …..
.....Nobody wants to believe that a school could actually close down—there are just too many potentially positive qualities about a school to allow anything like that to happen. That is what we wanted to believe. We were all in a state of numbness and profound denial. … Individuals associated with the school simply didn't want to believe that the school could (or would) eventually close. Concerned family members of mine would assure me and offer their support: "They can't close down a school. ... What are they going to do with it? Turn it into a prison?...." Comments regarding the accreditation problems were strikingly similar to what a patient suffering from a terminal illness might say: "They (i.e., the state accreditation committee) would never close us down" or "It's a scare tactic ... a bluff.”….
.....
.....… We mobilized ourselves to try to save the school. Committees were formed, surveys taken, and politicians consulted—to no avail. Ironically, the committees formed to save the college soon imploded and became divisive themselves. They were not able to gather enough support from the community. We were running out of time.
…..
.....… We negotiated with the ACCJC and WASC...—what, exactly, did they want? Student learning objectives? Done. Revised course curricula? Done. Improving course outlines? Done. Nothing worked. We tried making deals to at least return to "probationary" status—nothing doing. The clock was ticking as we frantically tried to resurrect our accreditation. … Some faculty began looking for other teaching positions. Some just continued to ignore the problem and hoped again that it would just go away.
…..
.....… I do believe that the faculty at Compton College has now accepted the fact that things as they once were can never exist again. That is probably a good thing. We have accepted our fate and are working to create a better institution. The faculty, I believe, will create a stronger institution for our community. We need to shape a new identity for ourselves with the assistance of a school with whom we will partner for the next several years. We are fortunate, I think, that El Camino College has extended its hand for the long run. We will work together as a united faculty in shaping a better educational institution so that some day in the future, we can re-establish Compton College with full accreditation.
……
.....As of Fall Semester 2006, the enrollment of full time equivalency students (FTEs) has plummeted from peaks of approximately 6,500 to 7,000 students just five years ago to less than 2,000 now. The significant drop cannot be surprising—the negative media, the newspaper write-ups about one scandal after another certainly has taken its toll. However, perhaps the biggest factor that has contributed to the loss of FTEs is the misperception that the campus has closed—it has not! We are a vibrant, accredited, and very much alive institution that is a critical element to the community of South Los Angeles. We will survive the challenge to meet the needs of our students and the community. The faculty at ECC-CC remains committed to serve the students. With every crisis brings an opportunity for growth, renewed spirit, and motivation. We have weathered a severe crisis and are regaining momentum to move ahead.

From the college website—“campus history”:

In June, 2005, … Dr. Barbara Beno informed the College of the Commission’s decision to terminate the College’s accreditation. … [Compton Community] College began its appeal to the Commission regarding the termination decision. ¶ … On June 30, 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 318 (D-Dymally) into law giving the College District $30 million loan for recovery and the opportunity to partner with a college of good standing to offer accredited courses…. ¶ On August 22, 2006, at the Board of Trustees meeting, the Special Trustee approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with El Camino College District to solidify the partnerships between the two districts. Under this MOU, the campus became a center of El Camino College. ... At midnight, Compton Community College lost its accreditation. ¶ On August 23, 2006, the Compton Community Educational Center officially became part of El Camino College with Dr. Doris P. Givens serving as the Provost/CEO.

See also Wikipedia on Compton Community College

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

.....Rebel Girl and Chunk know full well that the number of hits they're getting doesn't have to do with your interest in his bees or her journeys to the big city. They know that you're coming to the blog looking for information.
.....Indeed, the halls were abuzz with stories and rumors today and even though Rebel Girl, as an English Major, has a deep appreciation for the story as art form, she has much less appreciation for such tales under these circumstances. In this case, it's best to stick to verifiable nonfiction. Just the facts, ma'am.

Here's what they know:

As of today:

.....Reports are in about resignations from various committees (hiring committees, program review, etc). A couple committees, due to extenuating circumstances, have met but are seeking to pursue actions that would fall within the spirit or intent of the WTC (work-to-contract). Someone stopped Rebel Girl in the hall and claimed that "even accounting" had put a stop to their committee. Again, all faculty are recommended to forgo any voluntary work.

A bit of background via Lewis Long, Chief Negotiator and Past President, SOCCCD-FA:

.....The Faculty Association, with the support of the two Academic Senates, decided last Thursday after the District canceled one meeting and (in a fairly nasty e-mail from their chief negotiator) refused to schedule another the following week to discuss salary and benefits proposals, that the Association should recommend to the faculty that it demonstrate its unity and dedication to the contract negotiation efforts by adhering strictly to the terms of its contract. It recommended that all voluntary activities beyond those required by the contract or because of stipends or reassignment be halted, until the District responded to our last salary proposal with a suitable offer.
.....Because of the absence of important personnel recently, the District has not been able to come up with a salary proposal. However, this is symptomatic of the District's poor preparation for negotiations throughout the process. The District has always been at least one step behind the faculty in its negotiation process, suggesting that it has not taken the negotiations seriously. We have now been in negotiations for almost a year, and the District has not until now tried to calculate how much various salary proposals might cost? The Association team can state to the dollar exactly how much its various proposals could cost in any one year, and in all three years, and can re-calculate almost instantly the cost of any proposal. The Association has even come up with a model which would allow the colleges to afford its proposed increases in compensation without violating the Board's Basic Aid funding philosophy.
.....The faculty negotiating team has become tired of the District's failure to take negotiations seriously, and is hoping that the faculty's decision to work to contract will not only demonstrate to the District, the chancellor and the Board how heavily it relies on the good-will and uncompensated hard work of the faculty, but that it's time to take a more active role in bringing these negotiations to a successful resolution, and no longer simply take a simply obstructive and negative role.

—We're all in this together, folks. Let us know how (and what) you're doing.

Industrious bastards!

.....As you know, the SOCCCD is plainly going to hell in a handbasket.
.....Today, the matter took on a new dimension, as bees invaded and attacked a portion of the A300 building at Irvine Valley College. I learned this when, at about 11:00 a.m. this morning, Rebel Girl ran into the office, saying only, "bees."
.....I immediately grabbed my camera and followed her out the door.
.....She walked me to the site of the invasion. We stared up at the southwest corner of the building for a while. We shook our heads. I took two photos.
....."Industrious bastards!" I said.

Saturday: saints and stars and defenders

Since their Saturday morning hiring committee interview was cancelled, Rebel Girl and familia headed up to Los Angeles. There was an afternoon memorial service for her friend, the Public Defender, to be held within Elysian Park at the Montecillo de Leo Politi Park.

They arrived early and caught an exhibit at the Autry National Center: All the Saints of the City of the Angels. Los Angeles has 103 streets named after Catholic saints—and, a few years back, local artist C. Michael Walker decided to explore each street, learn the history of each saint, and see if he could locate the spirit of the saints in today's Los Angeles.

The result is a beautiful and moving collection of paintings that educate people not only about the saints but also about today's city and the resilience of its people. Just brilliant. The artist himself was there conducting a tour and so Rebel Girl and family tagged along.

The afternoon service was held under a blazing sun. Over 200 people and at least thirty children of all ages. By afternoon's end the children had done what children do, made fast friends. Clusters of girls were weaving chains of flowers and the boys were chasing balls and playing tag, dodging in and out of the bushes, clambering up the soaring trees, shaking seed pods at each other. Pretty damn idyllic.

The grown-ups moved more slowly. Rebel Girl hadn't seen some of these people in 15, 20 years, but after a while it all came back. She thought she saw a Famous Movie Star, but Rebel Girl is notorious for failing to recognize people or for thinking she saw Someone when she didn't—so she kept the celebrity sighting to herself even though she thought the fellow had the most amazing resemblance to, well, a Famous Movie Star. We're talking Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe type of movie star. But it couldn't be, she decided. It never is with her.

The service was full of live music and eulogies. Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic." A children's choir. A brother. An uncle. A sister. Good friends. All saying what people say and more. And then, the Famous Movie Star—introduced as a friend of the family. He had, the Famous Movie Star said, been a neighbor of the family for 10 years. It was during the time he had become a Famous Movie Star. He knew that the Public Defender bragged to his friends about living next door to him. But here the Famous Movie Star began to weep a bit, voice cracking—and he explained that he thought that making it through law school then working as a public defender was much harder than anything he did in the movies, much more worthy. What the Public Defender didn't know, said the Famous Movie Star, was that he, the Famous Movie Star, used to brag about living next door to the Public Defender and his wife, the Social Worker.

And then he sang, a capella, that strange song, "Nature Boy," written by Eden Ahbez and made famous by Nat King Cole:

There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy
And sad of eye
But very wise
Was he

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings
This he said to me:
"The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"

"The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"

It all sort of worked out, that long afternoon in the sun, finding their way through their grief back to each other. They staggered away as the sun began to set, carrying a potted tomato plant. Everyone got one.

They got on the 10 and got off on Santa Fe (Saint Faith) and, while they waited for the signal, saw Homeboy Industries, founded by Father Greg Boyle, another kind of saint, who hadn't made it to that afternoon's services because he was in Italy and sent words to be read.

They were headed over to an art show: LA vs War, set up in a couple alleys and a warehouse. (They don't get up to the city all that much so when they do, well…they go places.) It was a scene that reminded them how young they were when they first met all those people back in Elysian Park. It was great and loud, too loud for their little guy so they left the music and the art for the young people and headed home.

NATURE BOY

The Tightening Death Spiral of Print Media, exhibit 86A

by Mr. Eugene Debs

.....The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article (A Princess Seeking a voice) about Ursula K. Le Guin's new book, "Lavinia." It includes the following aside:

She has written only one other historical novel, "Malafrena," published in 1979, "which didn't make much of a splash," she said.

.....—Except that "Malafrena" is about as historical as Anthony Hope, since its setting of Orsinia is, after all, a fictional country.
.....There should perhaps be a word for mock-historical treatments of imaginary places—Ruritanography? Tlönosophy?—but there isn't yet, and anyhow when nerds like me have to spot-check the flagship of the Murdoch empire, you know something is off-kilter in journo-land. (Granted that the corporate IQ must have dropped twenty points the day Murdoch bought it, but even so, tsk tsk.)
.....Of course, it might be fair to note that "Lavinia" is based on the Aeneid, which is only more historical than, say, "Graustark," in the sense of being a deliberate nationalist fabrication rather than an open work of fiction.
.....Still, if you ever see a reasonable vacation package advertised in the Wall Street Journal, you may want to consult an atlas first. Just in case.

Some of Chunk's childhood faves!

~
The Turtles — “Elenore” (1968)


Kyu Sakamoto—“Ue wo muite arukou” (1963)


Melanie Safka with Edwin Hawkins Singers — “Lay Down” (1970)


Smith — "Baby, It's You" (1969)