There has been a lot in the news lately about the alleged “rogue” board of trustees at College of the Canyons who are being blamed for the resignations and retirements of a few of the college’s executive leadership, including former Chancellor Dianne Van Hook.
Community college trustees have broad, overarching responsibilities: setting policies, overseeing budgets, and ensuring that the colleges fulfill their educational mission. (Educ. Code §70902). These responsibilities are memorialized in COC’s Board Policy 2200, which includes the trustees’ responsibility to evaluate the CEO. Consequently, the trustees are doing their job when they evaluate the CEO of the college.
Likewise, COC trustees were doing their job under the law when they listened to all groups on campus and those in the community. The Education Code (§70902(b)(7)) requires it: Trustees must create procedures that ensure faculty, staff and students the opportunity to express their opinions at the campus level, to ensure that these opinions are given every reasonable consideration, and finally, to ensure the right to participate effectively in district and college governance.
Providing this opportunity is an important part of building a solid campus community because engagement in decision-making promotes trust, cooperation and a team identity. It reflects a movement from autocratic, hierarchical structures to those in which decisions, responsibility, and accountability are distributed at all levels of the organizations.
The board of trustees complied with the law when they listened and considered campus perspectives. Trustee Jerry Danielsen publicly stated at the July 10 board meeting that the trustees took into consideration all of the facts and opinions of the entire community. He stated that the trustees hear all the varying viewpoints loud and clear, but the laws prevent the trustees from discussing what happens in closed session and personnel matters.
Despite the inflammatory articles and speeches that have been directed at the trustees recently, they have continued doing their work with grace and professionalism. They have helped improve transparency and fiscal responsibility at the college. And they have been steadfast in their commitment to do what is best for the students and the campus community.
Dilek Sanver-Wang
Saugus
