The letter asks that the Board slow down the process of selecting the replacement for Chancellor Harrington, who recently announced her retirement, effective at the end of the academic year (June 30, 2011). We have scanned and posted that letter here, with the permission of the senders.
As of the writing of this article, none of the officers of either Academic Senate had received an answer, from Board Chairman Tafoya, to their written request. Attempts to contact Chairman Tafoya, before writing this, were unsuccessful.
As reported, in another article on www.theprospector.org, a meeting has been scheduled for Friday, February 4, to discuss the process of selecting the new chancellor. This meeting will be at the Woodland campus at 4:30 p.m. for all who are interested in this matter.
The YCC District is set-up and operated under a system of “shared governance” for various aspects of the operations. The Academic Senates feel that this meeting was scheduled without a consideration for the “shared governance” and, in their opinion, clouds the “transparency” that has been requested by the newly elected board members.
Yuba College Academic Senate President, Prof. Tim May, believes that the Board is moving under “under the assumption that by using a consulting firm and the pool of available ‘chancellors’ will provide the best candidate.” He wonders if “maybe the best person is not among the pool of interchangeable candidates on a never-ending job search for a better position or a higher salary.”
He also believes that “employee leaders who have come before the Board, year after year, have had no impression. They continue to act as if there is no issues with the management of the District. This is very discouraging.”
Woodland Academic Senate President, Prof. Monica Chahal, states that “we want nothing more than the best possible choice” for the new chancellor.
Though “disappointed” by the lack of response and/or communication in advance, both May and Chahal are hopeful that the issues addressed in their letter will be addressed at that time by the entire Board of Trustees.
“Adding to the disappointment and frustration”, May said, is “the fact that we had to learn of this meeting from www.theprospector.org and not from the administration.”
To give proper credit, we would like to thank the YCCD Board of Trustee members who confirmed the rumored meeting for us last weekend. Several had made themselves available and responded to our requests for information.
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