College board OKs payroll-cutting reorganization
Southwestern deals with leadership shifts
By Chris Moran
STAFF WRITER
March 1, 2008
CHULA VISTA – The leadership of Southwestern College continued its yearlong churn this week with the board's approval of a new organization chart that purports to reduce payroll by about $800,000.
College President Raj Chopra, the architect of the reorganization, is Southwestern's third president in just over a year. The college had four vice presidents last year. The vice president for business resigned in August, the vice president for academic affairs announced he will leave at the end of the school year, and the vice president for human resources was fired in late January.
Chopra, who had no community college experience or California education jobs on his résumé when he arrived in August, has picked up many of the duties of the departed executives.
The change has unsettled some employees and community members.
“I'm very upset by it,” said Janet Mazzarella, the faculty union president, before the reorganization was announced. “It may not bring (operations) to a grinding halt, but I question how the organization of the college is going to operate correctly, efficiently.”
County board of education member Nick Aguilar is concerned enough that he is giving up his seat to run for the Southwestern College board.
“When you don't have continuity in the leadership, you can't have reliable long-term direction for the staff and the community,” Aguilar said.
A recent union memo to nonteaching employees mentions a grand jury investigation of the college, and Chopra confirmed that he was questioned by the grand jury. Chopra said he was prohibited from discussing the nature of the questioning.
Chopra said the human resources and business functions “have not missed a beat” in the absence of the administrators, but he has been personally taxed by the workload and plans to fill the positions.
Board members said they're pleased with Chopra's performance.
Chopra compared his work to that of a corporate leader who comes in and makes changes in the interest of profitability. He said he identified $1 million in benefits paid out to employees in excess of the district's contractual obligation and not authorized by the board.
Chopra said he also put a stop to $245,000 spent on employees who were getting stipends for extra duties not approved by the board. Chopra also said he discovered $100,000 spent on equipment bought without a competitive bidding process.
A dozen positions have been left unfilled, in part to prepare the college for state budget cuts, Chopra said. He called the vacancies a “safety net” of expenses that have been reduced without getting rid of people.
“My goal is that the people do not have to worry about losing their jobs,” Chopra said.
The board has approved Chopra's reorganization of the college, put forth in a complex 11-page document of before-and-after charts with summaries of eliminated and altered positions. It keeps the structure of four vice presidents. The document reports $813,000 in savings, but it doesn't account for the costs associated with filling some vacant positions, including that of a dean.
________________________________________
Chris Moran: (619) 498-6637; chris.moran@uniontrib.com
Showing posts with label Chopra raise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chopra raise. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
5. Academic Senate Resolution: Budget Crisis, December 2008
SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE ACADEMIC SENATE
RESOLUTION
Date Approved by Senate: December 9, 2008
Authored by: The Southwestern College Academic Senate
Title: RECENT BOARD ACTION IN TIMES OF BUDGET CRISIS
Text:
WHEREAS, the State of California is currently facing a $11.2 billion current year revenue shortfall, and
WHEREAS, The Governor of California has stated that all must be diligent in maximizing their budgets in order for our state to survive this period of history, and
WHEREAS, The Southwestern College Governing Board and the Superintendent/President have a fiduciary responsibility to all of District employees, constituents and students, and
WHEREAS, Southwestern College employees have been asked to cut expenses to assist the District to keep within this year’s budget and to plan for next year, and
WHEREAS, The Superintendent/President announced a deficit of approximately $4 million dollars in our District at the last Budget Task Force meeting, and
WHEREAS, Despite warnings from the Academic Senate and the SCEA , the District reported being in compliance with the FTO by being +9.0 when in reality it has now been determined to be -8.7, exposing the District to a probable $300,000 penalty from the Chancellor’s Office, and
WHEREAS, Our District now faces the very real probability of falling below cap due to excessive instructional cuts over the past two years, again in spite of caution expressed by both the Academic Senate and the SCEA, and
WHEREAS, The Superintendent/President has called for a further 5% cut in instructional offerings for the 2009-2010 academic year, which would expose the District to a second year of falling below cap, and lower the District’s base budget, and
WHEREAS, As part of the 10 + one agreements under mutual agreement, The Academic Senate and the District have agreed that Institutional planning and budget development are part of the aforementioned 10 + one areas, and
WHEREAS, The Academic Senate and the District, under policy #2510, support faculty rights to take risks, disagree, and voice unpopular opinions during collegial consultation in both public and private including but not limited to Board meetings, and
WHEREAS, The Southwestern College Governing Board and Superintendent/President have agreed to a 7.9% pay increase for the Superintendent/President despite the fiscally restrictive climate, and
WHEREAS, A Benchmark Comparison Study of Single College District salary reveals that Dr. Chopra’s salary and benefits are commensurate with other Single College District CEO’s salaries, and
WHEREAS, All of the aforementioned actions affect student access to an environment that is committed to meeting their educational goals, promoting intellectual growth and developing human potential, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly recommends that no further cuts be made to the class schedule, that a data-based plan for enrollment guide the budget development process, and that the District continue to meet student needs by working collaboratively with faculty in optimizing the District’s base budget, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly recommends the hiring of at least 5 full-time tenure track instructors to prevent further penalties for falling below FTO guidelines, and
BE IT EVEN FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly urges that the Governing Board rescind the recently approved 7.9% salary increase for the Superintendent/President, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly exhorts the Superintendent/President decline the increase.
RESOLUTION
Date Approved by Senate: December 9, 2008
Authored by: The Southwestern College Academic Senate
Title: RECENT BOARD ACTION IN TIMES OF BUDGET CRISIS
Text:
WHEREAS, the State of California is currently facing a $11.2 billion current year revenue shortfall, and
WHEREAS, The Governor of California has stated that all must be diligent in maximizing their budgets in order for our state to survive this period of history, and
WHEREAS, The Southwestern College Governing Board and the Superintendent/President have a fiduciary responsibility to all of District employees, constituents and students, and
WHEREAS, Southwestern College employees have been asked to cut expenses to assist the District to keep within this year’s budget and to plan for next year, and
WHEREAS, The Superintendent/President announced a deficit of approximately $4 million dollars in our District at the last Budget Task Force meeting, and
WHEREAS, Despite warnings from the Academic Senate and the SCEA , the District reported being in compliance with the FTO by being +9.0 when in reality it has now been determined to be -8.7, exposing the District to a probable $300,000 penalty from the Chancellor’s Office, and
WHEREAS, Our District now faces the very real probability of falling below cap due to excessive instructional cuts over the past two years, again in spite of caution expressed by both the Academic Senate and the SCEA, and
WHEREAS, The Superintendent/President has called for a further 5% cut in instructional offerings for the 2009-2010 academic year, which would expose the District to a second year of falling below cap, and lower the District’s base budget, and
WHEREAS, As part of the 10 + one agreements under mutual agreement, The Academic Senate and the District have agreed that Institutional planning and budget development are part of the aforementioned 10 + one areas, and
WHEREAS, The Academic Senate and the District, under policy #2510, support faculty rights to take risks, disagree, and voice unpopular opinions during collegial consultation in both public and private including but not limited to Board meetings, and
WHEREAS, The Southwestern College Governing Board and Superintendent/President have agreed to a 7.9% pay increase for the Superintendent/President despite the fiscally restrictive climate, and
WHEREAS, A Benchmark Comparison Study of Single College District salary reveals that Dr. Chopra’s salary and benefits are commensurate with other Single College District CEO’s salaries, and
WHEREAS, All of the aforementioned actions affect student access to an environment that is committed to meeting their educational goals, promoting intellectual growth and developing human potential, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly recommends that no further cuts be made to the class schedule, that a data-based plan for enrollment guide the budget development process, and that the District continue to meet student needs by working collaboratively with faculty in optimizing the District’s base budget, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly recommends the hiring of at least 5 full-time tenure track instructors to prevent further penalties for falling below FTO guidelines, and
BE IT EVEN FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly urges that the Governing Board rescind the recently approved 7.9% salary increase for the Superintendent/President, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate strongly exhorts the Superintendent/President decline the increase.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
If No News Is Good News . . .
Here's some bad news (but good reporting!). The following articles appeared in Southwestern's award-winning college newspaper The Sun:
Chopra's unilateral reorganization is the last straw, he must resign
Controversy has followed Chopra
http://bit.ly/IBCV9
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
By: Vanessa K. Nevarez
Chopra's unilateral reorganization is the last straw, he must resign
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Viewpoints
By: Sun Editorial Staff
SWC students, employees speak out about reorganization
http://bit.ly/2prH36
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
By: Sean Campbell and Lindsay Leonelli
Faculty votes No Confidence in Chopra
http://bit.ly/2nsxEu
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
By: Sean Campbell
SWC Foundation runs dry after consecutive fund raisers cancelled
http://bit.ly/2ejMwp
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
By: Albert H. Fulcher
Five employees laid off as part of campus reorganization
http://bit.ly/L8Fcy
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
By: Lyndsay Leonelli
College leadership, faculty worlds apart
http://bit.ly/ICLPS
Issue date: 12/25/08 Section: Viewpoints
By: Sun Editorial Staff
CSEA rally criticizes raise for president
Classified employees insist timing is bad during financial crisis
http://bit.ly/Wg3rH
Issue date: 12/25/08 Section: News
By: Gabriel Orendain-Necochea
Raising hackles
Faculty, students rip governing board for raising president's pay while cutting academics
http://bit.ly/1mTQl
Issue date: 12/25/08 Section: News
By: Vanessa K. Nevarez
Board extends Chopra's contract
Deal gives president another year, 7.9 percent raise
http://bit.ly/3s2qNh
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
By: Sean Campbell and Vanessa K. Nevarez
In his own words
http://bit.ly/3dPLmH
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
Southwestern College President Dr. Raj K. Chopra expressed surprise and anger that faculty and employees were criticizing his 7.9 percent, $14,931 a year raise and one-year contract extension. Following are excerpts from a brief but lively interview with Chopra on Nov. 25.
President denies plagiarism
Chopra apologizes for newsletter 'miscommunication'
http://bit.ly/10FpTy
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
By: Lauren Manary
Employees express disapproval of Chopra's raise
http://bit.ly/hgyS4
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
By: Gabriel Orendain-Necochea
High noon on Otay Lakes Road
http://bit.ly/mcuZ0
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Viewpoints
By: Sun Editorial Staff
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