December 09 Governing Board Meeting, Oral Communication Video

Thanks to student Veronica Golenia, we have some video of last Wednesday's Board Meeting:

Part I: "Oral Communication" begins at around the 11:16 mark with a report on the budget and reserve funds from SCEA President Philip Lopez*, who asks the Board, "Who will be held accountable? Who will take responsibility? Will you?" when come next Fall it turns out that cutting 429 course sections was unnecessary.

*Please also see Phil's comment on the board's inability to comprehend budget matters.

SWC Board of Govenors Meeting 12/09/09 PART 1

Ronnie | MySpace Video


Part II continues the last part of Philip Lopez's remarks, followed by Patti Flores-Charter, who observes that "leaders don't hold forums after a tsunami" and provides an "Update on the Injured"--an accounting of staff "lost in the proverbial brain drain."**

Next up at 2:53 is Valerie Goodwin-Colbert, President of the SWC Academic Senate, reading the text of the Senate's recent Vote of No Confidence in the SWC Governing Board. (At its regular Nov. 24, 2009 meeting, the Academic Senate unanimously voted no confidence in the Board.)

At 7:28, Jose Preciado, President of the South Bay Forum, comments on the Board's poor reputation in the community and the adverse impact of its recent decisions.

SWC Board of Govenors Meeting 12/09/09 PART 2

Ronnie | MySpace Video

** The full text of Patti Flores-Charter's remarks: Governing Board Meeting Oral Communication 12/9/09 The tsunami that was heading toward us has hit head-on. Leaders don’t hold forums after a tsunami. They don’t ignore community leadership structures after a tsunami. They mobilize community leaders in triage efforts to rescue the injured and begin repairs. The tsunami has hit and our leaders continue to ignore the injured and the damage. By Friday we can add our web programmer, Patty Ramert, to the list of staff lost. So here’s an update on the injured resulting in a proverbial brain drain on campus: Debra Fitzsimmons, Fiscal Affairs Fusako Yokotobi, Human Resources Greg Sandoval, Student Affairs Arthur Lopez, Financial Aid Nevada Smith, Community Relations Linda Gilstrap, Grants Fernando Poveda, Outreach Silvia Lugo, Performing Arts Eli Singh and Patty Ramert, Web Technologies And these are just the injured I know about. But what about critical services after the tsunami? Here’s just an example: CSS remains so understaffed that the dedicated and limited staff must work almost round the clock to keep up with repairs and requests. They cannot keep up this pace. At a time when President Obama’s agenda for higher education is focused on student aid and grants we do not have Arthur steering the rescue raft or Linda Gilstrap’s experience guiding our fiscal rescue. Instead I heard we’ve hired yet another consultant for grants. After cutting 429 sections we find out from the Union Tribune we can have 50 back. After cutting 429 sections we now hear there may be faculty hiring and we’re supposed to scramble into this leaking raft and head over a new unseen cliff. The fact is there was no rescue plan. There is no rescue plan. There is no leadership at Southwestern College.

The next regularly scheduled Board meeting will be held January 13, 2010 at the Otay Mesa Higher Education Center.