The text contains my answers to questions posed by the YCCD faculty.
Responses to Faculty Questions
1. Modesto Jr. College is a community college which, as part of its mission, is to prepare students for transfer to the U.C.s and CSUs and other 4-yesr institutions. To that end we value academic quality across a broad range of subjects in higher education. Given this, what in your background experience in education, has prepared you to understand the specific issues involved in teaching complex courses in the humanities, in the social sciences, in the hard sciences, and in vocational education?
As a foundation to understanding any complex issue, I routinely fall back on my own education which helped develop and refine my cognitive, reasoning, communication, and analytical skills. My career path has led me into many situations within which I must explore and develop a working understanding of new subject matters, concepts, and interrelationships. The following are some examples:
- While certainly at a different level than higher education, my experience as a classroom teacher required me to integrate coursework across grade level curriculum. In order to help students make sense of the range of subject matter, I developed themes which could be built upon through various subjects. In this way I was able to focus coursework, help students understand the interconnectivity of various disciplines, and ground abstract concepts through real life applications. .
- During the time I served on the Turlock City Council, numerous public commissions at the local and state level, hospital board, and a variety of state and national boards and committees, I was most often in a policymaker's role. Each issue required some level of background exploration in order to adequately frame my decision-making.
- During my tenure with the Great Valley Center I was asked to help design, implement, and manage numerous projects, most of which were initially outside the focus of my formal education. However, through personal research of subject matter, analysis of other projects with applicable characteristics, and assembling teams comprised of those with specific knowledge within a given field, I was able to carry out my responsibilities successfully.
- Currently, as a facilitator of public policy, I have been enlisted to facilitate processes focused on issues ranging from concepts of overarching public good to quite technical subject matter. In most cases, I came to the process without a specific background in the issue. Again, I relied on experts within the field to supply me with the insights and technical information necessary to allow me to understand content sufficiently to successfully carry out my responsibilities.
In summary, my lifelong experiences have given me a template to use in understanding new and often complex issues. In this case, I will rely on faculty and their representatives to help me understand the information I will need in order to make well thought out and sustainable policy decisions.
2. While community colleges continually rank highest in terms of public appreciation, many are unaware of the differential in working conditions between 4-year and 2-year faculty. At most 4-year universities, instructors teach 2/2 or 3/3 loads often without the support of gradate TAs for grading, etc. At community colleges, we teach 5/5 loads along with administrative duties and no support for grading, etc. Given the current budget constraints and underprepared students, faculty is being asked to do more with less. What would you do in your role as trustee to guarantee maintaining the high level of excellence in instruction, while meeting the needs of our students and the demands of the community?
The specific answers to this question are dependent upon the duration of the current state budget situation. For the short-term, that is the next several months, it appears the district is in a position to meet financial obligations without substantial changes to the status quo. However, if the situation worsens, additional steps will have to be taken to preserve the integrity of the institution and its mission.
In this case, I would favor developing multiple scenarios for consideration. This should be done in concert with all those who have a role in providing for students. Scenarios should include a range of alternatives for consideration. When the preferred alternative is selected, in should include implementation phasing which corresponds to the severity and duration of the state budget situation.
Specifically, my role would be to assure there is a fair and inclusive process for development of the various scenarios and for developing consensus around the preferred plan. I also would have a personal responsibility to understand how various plans being considered would impact students and all of those charged with contributing to their educational experience. An additional task would be to communicate clearly with the community to help develop understanding of the fiscal situation, the choices being made and the reasons for those choices, and how they as a community can help support the district during the difficult fiscal times.
3. MJC is a large institution and as an elected trustee you will hold an important public position with authority. Most likely a relative few individuals will have your ear + the chancellor, the president, other trustees, those at board meetings, meetings with administration, etc. What will you do in order to hear from those who do not have the time or inclination to contact you directly or attend board meetings? How will you learn about student issues and faculty issues "on the ground?"
It is my understanding there is a faculty and a student representative who attend board meetings to provide important information directly to the board. I would also attend events on both campuses during which I would interact with faculty, staff, and students. In addition, I would hope that while a given individual might not be inclined to contact me, that someone representing the sentiment of a group of individuals would feel it important to contact me if traditional communication channels are not meeting their needs.
If these methods were not seen as sufficient, I would be open to considering other ideas. It should be clear this would be to supplement available information relevant to policy issues and not for the purpose of micromanaging. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined in this regard, so as to respect all parties involved.
4. Faculty salary at YCCD is currently one of the lowest in the state in comparison to other comparable community college districts. What can YCCD do to ensure we continue to remain competitive in hiring quality faculty?
Considering the current uncertainty of the district and state budgets, it would be irresponsible to promise/advocate salary adjustments at this particular time. However, assuming conditions improve in the coming years, it would be prudent to conduct a salary comparison analysis which would survey comparable markets. This was a practice we engaged in when I while I was a councilmember in Turlock and found it to be quite useful.
While there are some complexities to the analysis, the basic components include gathering data regarding local cost of living factors, like job conditions and requirements, and salary structures in order to compare a given district to others with common characteristics. Subsequent to receiving the results of the analysis, the job of the board would be to set policy direction regarding adjustments necessary to ensure retention of quality staff. This would also apply to provision of benefits.
5. What do you believe are three major issues facing YCCD in the coming years, and how would you deal with them in your position as trustee?
- The foremost issue is reacting to financial challenges as they occur while maintaining institutions which can deliver quality education to a diverse student population. As stated above, I would encourage enlisting the intellectual and creative talents of a broad group of stakeholders in creating a set of alternatives for consideration. Again, depending on the severity and duration of budget constraints, this should include everything from examining what coursework is offered to how, where and when it is offered. Other services and activities would need to part of the scenarios developed, as well.
In addition, I would communicate directly, and through representative organizations, with state legislators to ensure the highest possible understanding of the overall situation and the impacts a budget impasse and cuts would make on the district's ability to deliver educational services.
I would also encourage assistance from the community through outreach designed to draw a clear connection between the success of the district and the economic wellness of the region.
- A second major issue is continuing long-term planning and pursuit of the district's and campuses' visions in the face of current fiscal constraints. Keeping a focus on the future is always a challenge. However, during times of crisis management this can be even more difficult.
While specific steps may need to be realigned during these times, it is important to morale and to long-term progress to continue to pursue what can be accomplished, to review and update long-term plans, and to identify and celebrate as many accomplishments as possible. As trustee, I would work to maintain a focus on what is possible and be open to getting there in perhaps new and different ways. I would also encourage taking the time when resources are scarce for implementation, to plan and prioritize for what can be done when the economy stabilizes and rebounds. This means continuing to demonstrate why the district is a good investment for the long-term.
- The third major issue is for the district to continue to predict and respond to student needs. This is a constant activity and should be an ongoing, fundamental priority of everyone engaged in providing for student education.
Higher education is becoming a competitive industry and the district must clearly understand and promote what sets its educational opportunities apart from those found at other institutions. As trustee, I would advocate for policies which make this a priority. I would expect ongoing analysis of emerging economic trends and would support partnering with organizations able to provide the most current information. I would advocate for comparisons on course offerings at competing institutions as a means of understanding where changes might be considered. I would also support working closely with four-year institutions to investigate new opportunities for collaboration and for improving student transition experiences.
As trustee, I would also take my responsibility for community relations very seriously. It is apparent the district needs local financial partners and supporters and the willingness of local contributors will be determined to a large extent by their perception of how the district responds to community needs. This means monitoring the job market for new trends, keeping up with technological advances, and highlighting community opportunities to engage in campus events.
The district and therefore its campuses must be more than relevant to students and community...they must be critical to their success. If elected, I will be entrusted with making policy decisions that help make this a reality.
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