For the second time in a year the Pasadena City College Faculty Association (PCCFA) faces the threat of decertification by a group of faculty demanding better working conditions for part-time faculty, greater access to resources and improved advocacy at both the state and federal level. Their goal is to establish a local chapter aligned with the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) in place of the PCCFA. The group of faculty claim being affiliated with a larger organization for their union will be more effective in …
After 3 dormant years, we’re still asking: What happened to the Aquatic Center at PCC?
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, as Swim and Water Polo Coach Terry Stoddard ended another class at PCC’s Aquatic Center and the last students cleared the pool, none of them would’ve known that 3 and a half years later they wouldn’t be allowed back in at all. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and that fateful Thursday the Pasadena City College Aquatic Center has been closed to the public and PCC students. Due to needed repairs and discussions about whether or not the pool …
Board of Trustees begins search for permanent Superintendent-President
After former Superintendent-President Dr. Erika Endrijonas left PCC in July, following months of uncertainty over a possible contract extension; the Board of Trustees has started the process of finding a new permanent Superintendent, a proceeding that is expected to take at least six months and possibly up to an entire year. In prior reporting by The Courier, there was clear divisions on the Board of Trustees over Endrijonas’s contract, and how that entire process was handled, but it is not expected to have an impact …
$200 bookstore voucher ends without a word from PCC
PCC’s previously provided $200 student Bookstore credit has been discontinued this fall as COVID-19 era funding and subsequent programs come to a close, throwing uncertainty into the accessibility of textbooks to the wider student body. “This semester I tried to use my bookstore credit and that’s when I saw the caveat where it’s like we’re not doing the bookstore credit anymore,” third-year PCC student Nathan Nava said. “But, if you receive financial aid, they’ll just take a chunk out of your financial aid. So I …
Police arrest PCC student in math class armed with Airsoft gun, knife
According to an email sent by PCC’s Superintendent-President, the Pasadena Police Department and campus police arrested a student in a class on Tuesday evening for concealing an “Airsoft-type weapon and a pocketknife with a long blade.” The student was in a math class in the C-building and campus police were alerted to the situation through PCC’s Lancer Anonymous Tip Reporting System, according to PCC spokesperson Alex Boekelheide. “If you’re not able to use your phone, like if you’re in class or something comes to your …
How much cash will the district’s third failed winter cancellation cost?
After an agreement had been made to bring back the winter intersession for the 2023-2024 academic year, the college and the on campus Faculty Association (FA) have yet to come to a settlement number for legal fees and lost wages for the last couple years, according to a FA email sent in late May. This is the first time that PCC has had the winter intersession on the academic calendar since 2021. The Faculty Association has accused The District of negotiating in “bad faith” and …
PCC chooses interim superintendent-president, will start in mid-July
At the June Board of Trustees meeting, the Board selected Dr. Jose Gomez as the interim Superintendent-President while conducting the process to search for a permanent Superintendent, according to PCC Spokesperson Alex Boekelheide. The acting Superintendent-President who will serve from June 22 to July 23 is Dr. Laura Ramirez, who, under Dr. Erika Endrijonas, served as the Assistant Superintendent-President, according to Board of Trustees President Sandra Chen Lau. Dr. Gomez will begin serving at PCC following the ratification of his employment agreement in mid-July, and …
Superintendent-President commits to new President’s job at SBCC
According to a press release from Santa Barbara Community College (SBCC), Dr. Erika Endrijonas has been selected as their new Superintendent-president. Her employment is pending contract negotiations with the SBCC Board of Trustees, where a formal contract will be presented and voted on at their BOT meeting on June 15. Ongoing contract negotiations between the PCC Board of Trustees and Endrijonas spurred the job search, as accusations about the Board President attempting to invalidate the contract resulted in high legal fees, The Courier previously reported. …
Let’s Talk Episode 5: BTS on the PCC Board Debacle
On a special episode of the podcast, David and Sol are joined by news editor Seamus to discuss the behind the scenes on recent reporting by The Courier on the recent divides on the PCC Board of Trustees over the Superintendent’s contract and issues other PCC groups are bringing to the Trustees. The two stories that are referenced in this episode: https://www.pcccourier.com/main-story/board-president-accused-of-attempting-to-terminate-superintendent-president.html https://www.pcccourier.com/main-story/superintendent-presidents-contract-negotiations-cause-board-division.html
Altadena community opposes proposed Poly sports complex
In what is likely to be one of the biggest LA County land disputes in 25 years, the community of Altadena and Pasadena private school Polytechnic, are at odds over a 78-acre property. The property has been owned by world famous Nuccio’s Nursery, for almost ninety years and is now where Polytechnic has publicly presented plans to build a sports complex and environmental facilities. Local Altadena group, AltadenaWILD, began in early 2023. As the community that lives closest to the disputed property, they rallied against …