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 …
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. …
PCC student who was arrested for knife incident in library expelled in unanimous board vote
Jul. 19: The student who was arrested for wielding a knife in the PCC library in late April faced the PCC Board of Trustees (BOT) in a public disciplinary hearing at the July BOT meeting and was subsequently expelled in a unanimous vote in closed session, according to PCC Spokesperson Alex Boekelheide in a text to The Courier. Boekelheide added that he would not have any further comments on this situation and the expulsion of PCC student Zhuowei Liao. Apr. 29: In an update, the …
PCC Library closes briefly due to police investigation
Early Monday morning, PCC released an email to the campus community stating there was police activity at the library concerning a threat. “The PCC library on the Colorado Campus is closed this morning due to police activity,” the email read. In a statement from PCC, spokesperson Alex Boekelheide said that there had been an anonymous threat received against the library, with PCC police and the LA County Sheriff’s investigating the threat this morning. “The Sheriffs and PCC PD investigated the library today and determined that …
Authorities investigate hazardous materials at library, find baking soda
Update 2:15 p.m.: According to the Pasadena Police Department the suspected hazardous materials ended up being baking soda, and no further action was taken. Original Story: On Wednesday Jan 25 the Pasadena Fire Department responded to a hazardous materials report at 55 South Hill Avenue at 12:15 p.m. According to the Pasadena Fire Department on scene it was supposedly a “white” substance in the book drop-off, and multiple response teams from a number of local fire fighting agencies are responding to the incident. The Hazardous …
Monterey Park mass shooting hits close to home for PCC officials
A gunman opened fire into Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park Saturday night during a Lunar New Year festival killing ten and injuring 10 others in the largest mass shooting in the United States since Uvalde, TX. Elizabeth Yang, a lawyer and local resident of Monterey Park, was home with her family during the shooting and said she began to receive texts from friends to see if she was alright. “They’re usually retired ladies who are looking for something to do and have fun, …
Measure PCC overwhelmingly passes, secures $565 million for master plan
On November 8 2022, Measure PCC was overwhelmingly approved by voters in seven LA County Districts, which includes Pasadena, and surrounding municipalities which are represented by the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees. As of 3:35 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the percentage of voters who voted “yes” reached 67.22%, while those voting “no” reached an estimated 32.78%, according to the Los Angeles County election tally tracker. These estimates are not final, as a number of votes had not been counted yet. But, with this current …
Ballot measure aims to give PCC $565 million to bankroll master plan
Measure PCC was approved by The Pasadena City College Board of Trustees during a special meeting last month giving voters the opportunity to approve additional funding for student services and facilities for the school by raising property taxes in the district. Ballot initiative Measure PCC would fund projects and add to the school’s budget, compensating for what the state does not provide beyond operational costs for projects like additional student services, expanded job training, low-cost higher education, and upgrades to classrooms, labs, and technological equipment. …
Academic Senate committee joins opposition to in-person learning
Following PCC’s turbulent first week back on campus the Safe Learning Environment Committee, a subcommittee of the Academic Senate, has joined those in opposition against the college’s decision to resume in-person instruction. In an email sent out to Academic Senate President Gena Lopez and other Executive Board Members and Senators on Thurs, Jan 27, the committee outlined specific measures they hope the Senate will enact on their behalf, including demanding that PCC administration establish policy that allows faculty and students to self-determine their preferred mode …