“You’re asking the wrong person,” said Carol Curtis, in deadpan tone. The conversation then pointed to who should be asked. “The committee members that don’t respond. I mean, I don’t know why they don’t come,” Curtis said. Curtis is chairwoman of PCC’s Committee for Academic Freedom and Professional Ethics (CAFPE). Her committee oversees the campus-wide ethics policy. “But it’s a policy not just for faculty, it’s also for students and for management,” Curtis noted.
School’s top lawyer retires, position to be discontinued
Former PCC General Counsel Gail Cooper officially retired effective Aug. 17 after a five-year tenure which saw the school entangled in numerous legal scandals her hire was meant to prevent.
Editorial: Administration continues to fail at transparency
It’s been more than a year since Superintendent-President Vurdien replaced the former president Rocha and a cloud of legal trouble settled over campus, yet it seems PCC still has more trouble in the forecast, not only following the law, but also being transparent to its students and faculty.
Editorial: Students demand transparency from administration
PCC has one of the best collegiate reputations in the state including state of the art facilities, great teachers and a challenging curriculum. But none of this means anything if its students don’t feel they can trust their administration.
College Council dumps Brown Act
The College Coordinating Council, a shared governance committee represented by various constituency groups college-wide, approved a motion to exempt themselves from the Brown Act, but open government advocates question the legality of the move as the council is a committee created by a legislative body.
Rocha’s $400,000 severance package nullified by court
Former president Mark Rocha’s $400,000 severance package was nullified by a Los Angeles County Superior court judge on Wednesday when she ruled that the Board of Trustees broke open meeting laws in the negotiation process.
Board votes to re-invite Dustin Lance Black
The Board of Trustees voted to apologize and re-invite Oscar-winning PCC alumnus Dustin Lance Black to be the Spring 2014 commencement speaker following a weeks-long controversy over the school’s decision not to choose him because they believed sexually explicit photos of him on the internet could tarnish the school’s reputation.
EDITORIAL: The Forgotten Students
Has the faculty leadership done enough to help bridge the gap between themselves and the administration?
Senate leader accused of violating state law
Academic Senate President Eduardo Cairo has been accused of violating state law as well as board policy by not attending meetings of the Committee on Academic and Professional Matters (CAPM).
Public comment interrupted during Board meeting
President Mark Rocha extended a peace offering in the form of a letter to faculty days after a contentious Board of Trustees meeting in which many individuals read letters highly critical of him and his policies.