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With six vital senior management positions at PCC vacant, students, faculty and staff can only wonder how business is being properly and efficiently conducted on campus. The recent bribery investigation led to a vice president and facilities manager being put on administrative leave. A week later, Vice President of Administrative Services Rick van Pelt was terminated.

Since the beginning of the spring semester, there have been three vacant dean positions, two vice president vacancies, and one director position left unoccupied. Others have had to fill in covering the duties of up to three positions simultaneously.

What is more troubling is the manner in which these vacant positions are being filled. The Board of Trustees has appointed other vice presidents and even the college’s General Counsel to oversee the business of divisions and administration positions alike.  

            The Interim Vice President of Instruction Robert Bell is also the acting Division Dean for both the Business and Computer Technology Divisions. When asked by the Board in February to help run the Community Education Center after former dean Rick Hodge was put on administrative leave, Bell explained he already had a full plate.

            Vice President of Educational Services Robert Miller was asked by Bell to help the CEC with overseeing its day- to- day operations in early February. In June, Miller was asked to take on yet another position as the Acting Vice President of Administrative Services after van Pelt was put on administrative leave.

            Vice President of Information Technology Services Dwayne Cable was asked to take over the position as the Acting Director of Facilities in van Pelt’s absence.

            When the former Vice President of Human Resources left on “personal leave” in May for an undetermined amount of time, General Counsel Gail Cooper and President Mark Rocha took over his duties.

            These constant and growing vacancies on campus are often filled by officials who are not qualified to for them. Having the college lawyer taking over Human Resources, having the Vice President of Information Technology overseeing the Facilities Department for a still undetermined amount of time, is not a wise, progressive, or safe way to run the college.

           

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