Endorsed by: Santa Monica College Faculty Association, Santa Monica College CSEA Chapter 36, Santa Monica-Malibu K-12 Classroom Teachers Association, Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, Los Angeles College Staff Guild, Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, Assemblymember Fran Pavley, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Question #1: In 100 words or less, what about your background makes you a qualified Santa Monica College Trustee? I am a community college professor, with an understanding of how our colleges are governed and financed. In my professional career in California community colleges, I have taught classes, created curriculum, developed certificate programs, and created non-credit programs for older adults. I have traveled up and down the state as an expert on community college employee health benefit programs. I am a member of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, and on the executive board of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild.
Question #2: In 300 words or less, do you agree with the way the SMC administration dealt with last year’s budget shortfall (i.e., the elimination of several academic programs)? What would you have done differently? Is it wise for the college and students to bring back those programs? Community colleges have a dual assignment: To transfer students to four-year institutions, and to offer vocational training, or workforce preparation. As a primary mission, our colleges advance California’s economic growth through training and services that contribute to workforce improvement. SMC is No. 1 in the state in transfer rate, a fact we should all be proud of. But not all students have transfer as their goal. Last year, on the recommendation of the administration, trustees voted to eliminate vocational programs, including automotive, architecture, hospitality etc. This judgment has fostered the perception that the college decision-making processes are not reflective of community needs. Program elimination not only threatens students by limiting immediate options, it also causes more funding problems as programs and classes are the “inventory” of a college. When programs are cut, so are the dollars Sacramento allocates to the college. I would not have voted to cut programs. Instead, I would have facilitated short term labor-management bargaining solutions as a way of avoiding further reductions in the dollars the college receives per student. I am certain that some vocational programs will be returned, while others will not. In deciding a new array of vocational offerings, it is important to establish priorities among student interests and work-force training needs. Once input received from students, faculty, and local business has been converted to policy, we may very well see a strong, updated vocational program.
Question #3: In 300 words or less, why do you think the city of Santa Monica and SMC have had a strained relationship for years? How would you bridge that gap? “Town and Gown” refers to the relationship between members of the city (”town”) and members of the university (”gown”). Academic robes, or gowns, were once worn by all members at Oxford and Cambridge, where the term “town and gown” originated. Ever since the 16th Century, colleges and the cities in which they reside often have a rocky relationship. Locally, both the Sunset Park and the Pico neighborhoods share community space with Santa Monica College. I am sure that these neighbors agree that the college provides wonderful educational and cultural opportunities. However, the college is a state entity, and as such, it is not accountable to the local community in the same way as the City Council is. One consistent point of tension is the fact that the college does not have to abide by Santa Monica and Malibu general plans and zoning regulations. Thus, the public process for college building decisions is different. The recent physical expansion of the college and enrollment growth has caused its neighbors to be negatively impacted by parking and traffic issues. Protecting neighborhoods from college growth is a huge challenge. I suggest the following approach — West LA College, our neighbor to the east, is an underutilized campus of the LA Community College District. As a current faculty member of the LA College District, if elected to the board, I would be able to initiate discussions on various utilization and consortium partnerships between SMC and West LA College — a solution that does not require new building projects. Potentially, this kind of discussion could lead to a win-win for all.
Question #4: In 300 words or less, there have been tensions between faculty and college administrators in recent years. Why do you think the faculty is upset and what’s the first step toward addressing their concerns? Many of the sources of tension between college faculty and administration are outlined in a recent report of the impartial accreditation team that visited the college in March of this year. The team encouraged the college “in the strongest terms possible to pursue strategies that will result in a financial system that will produce clear, reliable, timely, and transparent reports in which all constituents can have full faith and confidence.” The evaluation team went on to recommend that the college clarify the roles of the various parts of the college community in the governance process, so that professional relationships might improve, creating a better campus climate. Recent failures on both sides of the shared governance process have led to program and class elimination, re-igniting tensions. The good news is that the accreditation team’s recommendations have resulted in a work group led by a mediator that is currently addressing these issues and trying to solve them. My hope is that when the work group issues its report later this year, we’ll see new policy on governance, planning and college resource allocation. Clearly needed now are independent trustees, fostering progress through positive and thoughtful leadership.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 27, 2004. Read the original PDF.