Andrus on paid leave; college announces forums for superintendent search; students deliver no confidence resolution for 3 trustees
The College of the Canyons governing board unanimously voted to approve Jasmine Ruys’ employment agreement as the acting superintendent-president during Wednesday’s governing board meeting following David Andrus’ resignation last month.
Andrus still holds the interim superintendent position until Dec. 31. He is on paid administrative leave and will return in 2026 as a professor.
It leaves the college with two “acting” or “interim” chief executives: One who is performing the job’s functions and one who is on paid leave from doing so.
The timeline
At the Sept. 10 meeting, following two closed sessions over current leadership, the board of trustees announced its intention to terminate Andrus for cause. A large contingency of staff and faculty were present to voice their objection.
No reason was stated publicly for the termination and it was considered to be a confidential personnel matter, according to Eric Harnish, COC’s assistant superintendent/vice president of public information.
Before the board’s announcement of his pending termination, Andrus’ contract was set to expire June 30, 2026. Ruys was then appointed as the acting superintendent-president effective immediately.
Two weeks later, at the Sept. 23 meeting, the board of trustees then changed course and unanimously approved the “separation” of Andrus from his employment agreement, the board announced following a closed session. Andrus officially stepped down from the position and the agreement included economic and non-economic provisions.
Andrus remains on paid administrative leave and holds the interim superintendent/president position until Dec. 31, while Ruys is also serving as the new acting superintendent at the same time.
They are both receiving superintendent pay, Harnish confirmed during a followup phone call on Thursday evening.
Wednesday’s meeting
Many questions in relation to Andrus’ separation from COC remain unanswered, prompting students to voice their concerns and create resolutions of confidence and no confidence for members of the governing board during Wednesday’s meeting.
The COC Associated Student Government wrote a resolution of confidence for Andrus, and a resolution of no confidence in trustees Fred Arnold, Sharlene Johnson and Darlene Trevino.
Student Trustee Areesh Fatima, COC ASG Vice President of Communications Ava Fernandez and ASG President Amna Fadel took turns to read the resolutions during the student trustee report section of the agenda.
The campus government organization aims to focus on one goal, which is to serve the student body and represent their interests and needs, Fatima said, adding, “The resolution is just to portray our opinion and the students’ perspective on things that have already happened.”
“Students of College of the Canyons deserve leadership that values student success, wellness, and an inclusive and stable campus climate. The actions of Trustees Johnson, Arnold and Trevino have only contributed to division and mistrust within the college community,” the resolution of no confidence read.
The no-confidence resolution added that, since their election, trustees Johnson, Arnold and Trevino have not “made efforts to directly engage with ASG outside of scheduled board of trustees meetings, ultimately displaying a lack of dedication to collaborative governance,” it added.
Undermining the opinion of the shared governance “not only damages trust among employees, but also diminishes students’ confidence, and their concerns and perspectives will be valued at the decision-making level,” Hernandez read.
Johnson and Arnold have not responded to requests for comment from The Signal as of the publication of this story. Trevino declined to comment.
Andrus set to return as professor
Following closed session, questions from COC staff member Michael Monsour continued in relation to Andrus. During his Classified Senate report, he brought attention to Andrus being enrolled to teach classes beginning in the winter session.
According to the COC winter open courses available online, Andrus will be teaching American government and politics online from Jan. 5 until Feb. 7.
“If David had done something so egregious to this district, why would an agreement state that he’s able to teach with students?” Monsour asked the board. “I know you’re not at liberty to speak on personnel matter, but I want you to know what people are thinking.”
Because of Andrus’ tenure at the community college, he is eligible for retreat rights, which allows him to return to teach classes, Harnish said during Thursday’s followup and cited California Education Code Section 87454.
In the California Legislative Information website, Section 87454 states, “A tenured employee, when assigned from a faculty position to an educational administrative position, or assigned any special or other type of work, or given special classification or designation, shall retain his or her status as a tenured faculty member.”
Monsour also applauded the students for their courage in taking the podium to read the resolutions of confidence and no confidence.
“I’ve never seen anything like that, at any college, where the student government takes a motion like that,” he said. “I thought that was pretty historic and brave of them whether or not you agree with the sentiments.”
Forums scheduled
During the meeting, Ruys announced the dates that forums will take place as part of the efforts the college is undertaking to find a permanent superintendent/president, scheduled to take on the role beginning July 1, 2026.
The forums are meant for students, staff and foundation members to provide insight into what they believe is needed for the superintendent.
The general public is specifically not invited to the forums at the community college, according to Harnish.
The first forums are scheduled to take place Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; and the second session will take place the following day at 9 a.m., Ruys said. Students will have a separate forum at 11:45 a.m. that same day, she added, where they will also be fed lunch. Those who cannot be present for the in-person forums will be able to voice their insights through an online survey scheduled to open Oct. 21 and close on Oct. 27.
The new permanent superintendent/president is being sought to replace former Chancellor Dianne Van Hook, who was placed on administrative leave in July 2024 by the board of trustees — which had three different board members at the time, prior to the November election of Arnold, Trevino and Johnson, as well as the September appointment of Carlos Guerrero to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of longtime board member Joan MacGregor.
Less than two weeks after the board placed her on administrative leave, Van Hook announced her retirement after 36 years in the role.
