Cañada College Academic Senate Governing Council
Meeting Minutes for SPECIAL MEETING on Thursday, May 25, 2011
Building 3, Room 104
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Academic Senate Governing Council Members in Attendance: David Clay, Monica Malamud,
Katie Schertle, Leonor Cabrera, Alicia Aguirre, Denise Erickson, David Meckler, Karen Olesen,
Evan Innerst
Academic Senate Members in Attendance: Martin Partlan, Yolanda Valenzuela, Doug Hirzel,
Patty Dilko, Sarah Harmon
Guests in Attendance: David Johnson, Joan Murphy, Debborah Joy, Robert Hood, Johnna
Pounds, Sarah Harmon, Patti Dilko, Doug Herzel, Yolanda Valenzuela, Edith Flores, Jeri Eznekier,
Lucy Salcido Carter,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Call to Order: 2:08 p.m.
2. Adoption of Agenda:
Moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.
3. New Business – New College President Hiring Timeline
Discussion Points:
 This is an emergency meeting requested by some members of the ASGC.
 Being “on hold” for a year waiting for a new president might not be in our best interest
as a college.
 Can we get someone in by January 2012 instead of waiting a year?
 What kind of salary do we/can we pay an administrator at the district level to come in
and act as the interim president for a year?
 There are concerns about doing things during the summer if we shorten the hiring
timeline. This process would require full participation of everyone concerned; not
everyone is available during the summer.
Academic Senate Governing Council for the 2011 – 2012 academic year:
President: David Clay (x3379 / clayd@smccd.edu ), Vice President: Monica Malamud (x3442 / malamudm@smccd.edu ),
Secretary: Katie Schertle (x3314 / schertlek@smccd.edu ), Treasurer: Leonor Cabrera (x3158 / cabreral@smccd.edu ),
Curriculum Chair: Alicia Aguirre (x3222 / aguirre@smccd.edu ), Professional Personnel Chair: Denise Erickson: (x3352 /
ericksond@smccd.edu ), Humanities and Social Sciences Division Representative: David Meckler (x3439 / mecklerd@smccd.edu
), Science and Technology Division Representative: Evan Innerst (x3256 / innerst@smccd.edu ), Workforce Development and
Athletics Division Representative: Ana Miladinova (x3147 / miladinovaa@smccd.edu ), Counseling and Enrollment Services
Representative: Karen Olesen (x3415 / olesen@smccd.edu )
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Remember, the Chancellor’s motivation was in part that there would be a better pool of
candidates if we followed what he described as the normal hiring timeline for college
presidents rather than rush the endeavor.
A reasonable amount of time to advertise the position doesn’t have to be a full
academic year. We can have a hired president in place by January without rushing the
process.
Again, many potential presidential candidates aren’t looking until January. Waiting until
then for an appropriate pool would likely net better results.
Having enough time for a thorough, transparent process is necessary.
There are concerns about an interim president who might be too passive about
Cañada’s concerns or who might be to aggressive about instigating changes to our
college.
It’s quite an opportunity to have Jim Keller here; having him here to get to know Cañada
and then go back to the district to speak for us would be a benefit.
Nobody wants to push the process faster than would be effective; however, stretching it
out for an academic year is excessive and probably not necessary for an adequate pool
of candidates. It also might make us vulnerable to be without a permanent leader for
that long.
On a related note, it is also the responsibility of everyone at Cañada to create a unified
voice to speak for our college’s concerns at the district level.
It’s always possible to reopen the search for a better pool of candidates if we don’t find
satisfactory candidates in the fall semester.
There are critical issues we need to stay close to as a college, including the allocation
model. The district office hasn’t seen a problem with it in the past.
With Jim Keller as the interim president for Cañada College, there won’t be a “face”
from Cañada at Trustees’ meetings. While his good intentions for Cañada are not
questioned, he comes from the district and, in the minds of others, will be associated
with that group more than Cañada.
It’s not entirely clear that budget concerns are not at least partially motivating the
Chancellor’s desire to take time replacing our president.
Cañada isn’t necessarily a “magnet” for successful presidents from other colleges; why
wait until January for a pool of such candidates when it’s not likely there will be many
applying?
Just because someone is hired and starts in January, he/she won’t necessarily jump in to
a strong leadership role right from the start.
Thirteen months is a long time to find someone. There should be confidence in the
screening committee whether the timeline is long or short.
What is the harm in starting the process earlier? Every month counts in terms of
decision making, especially where budgets are concerned.
Academic Senate Governing Council for the 2011 – 2012 academic year:
President: David Clay (x3379 / clayd@smccd.edu ), Vice President: Monica Malamud (x3442 / malamudm@smccd.edu ),
Secretary: Katie Schertle (x3314 / schertlek@smccd.edu ), Treasurer: Leonor Cabrera (x3158 / cabreral@smccd.edu ),
Curriculum Chair: Alicia Aguirre (x3222 / aguirre@smccd.edu ), Professional Personnel Chair: Denise Erickson: (x3352 /
ericksond@smccd.edu ), Humanities and Social Sciences Division Representative: David Meckler (x3439 / mecklerd@smccd.edu
), Science and Technology Division Representative: Evan Innerst (x3256 / innerst@smccd.edu ), Workforce Development and
Athletics Division Representative: Ana Miladinova (x3147 / miladinovaa@smccd.edu ), Counseling and Enrollment Services
Representative: Karen Olesen (x3415 / olesen@smccd.edu )
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What would the actual timeline be if we planned on having someone in place to start in
January? Would time be needed during the summer? If so, is that feasible? Many people
are not available during the summer, so starting then wouldn’t be appropriate.
There won’t be a tremendous amount of change in the job description that gets
advertised. That could be posted before the fall semester.
Experience on past committees has shown a fall semester timeline and hire date for
January to be entirely possible.
In the meantime, we can look at multiple ways of working with the interim president to
get the best for our college and make our presence felt district-wide.
It’s critical to have an advocate specific to Cañada present at Trustees’ meetings and
other major meetings where decisions are made that have a lasting effect on our
college. Delaying having a permanent person in this position is harmful.
According to the Chancellor’s statements at the recent All-College Meeting, the
University Center and international students are priorities for Cañada, and he told us he
believes Jim Keller would speak for those concerns.
The district has yet to commit funding to the University Center and international
students, so those concerns don’t actually seem to be priorities.
There is history of people in interim positions going on to apply and get hired for
permanent positions, even though there have been objections to this practice.
The unknown factor is exactly how the interim president will represent Cañada and
speak for our concerns.
How long will it take for the interim president to “catch up to speed” with Cañada’s
concerns?
Establishing qualification criteria for the candidates is the primary task of the hiring
committee.
Consider how other colleges have been able to move forward quickly for their hiring
needs as opposed to the proposed longer timeline for this presidential search for
Cañada. Let’s not continue to be labeled as the college that can be manipulated.
If we don’t resolve to recommend a fall semester timeline, we should recommend a
definite timeline which ends at the end of the 2011 – 2012 academic year.
One final word, let’s work hard to support the interim president as much as possible.
Resolution:
Motion by Alicia Aguirre: We endorse the appointment of Jim Keller as the interim
president and recognize his knowledge and experience with the district. We look
forward to his being the voice of Cañada College at the district office. Our request is
for a January 1st, 2012 hire date for the position of president, with a possible
extension to the end of the 2011 – 2012 academic year if the fall semester pool of
Academic Senate Governing Council for the 2011 – 2012 academic year:
President: David Clay (x3379 / clayd@smccd.edu ), Vice President: Monica Malamud (x3442 / malamudm@smccd.edu ),
Secretary: Katie Schertle (x3314 / schertlek@smccd.edu ), Treasurer: Leonor Cabrera (x3158 / cabreral@smccd.edu ),
Curriculum Chair: Alicia Aguirre (x3222 / aguirre@smccd.edu ), Professional Personnel Chair: Denise Erickson: (x3352 /
ericksond@smccd.edu ), Humanities and Social Sciences Division Representative: David Meckler (x3439 / mecklerd@smccd.edu
), Science and Technology Division Representative: Evan Innerst (x3256 / innerst@smccd.edu ), Workforce Development and
Athletics Division Representative: Ana Miladinova (x3147 / miladinovaa@smccd.edu ), Counseling and Enrollment Services
Representative: Karen Olesen (x3415 / olesen@smccd.edu )
candidates is not satisfactory to the hiring committee. Seconded by Denise Erickson
and approved unanimously.
4. Upcoming Meetings: No more this semester! The first meeting next fall will be on August
25th.
5. Adjourn: 3:15 p.m.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To request that an item be added to the agenda, please contact one of the ASGC members.
To see past minutes and other ASGC information, go to
http://www.Cañadacollege.edu/inside/academic_senate/index.html
Academic Senate Governing Council for the 2011 – 2012 academic year:
President: David Clay (x3379 / clayd@smccd.edu ), Vice President: Monica Malamud (x3442 / malamudm@smccd.edu ),
Secretary: Katie Schertle (x3314 / schertlek@smccd.edu ), Treasurer: Leonor Cabrera (x3158 / cabreral@smccd.edu ),
Curriculum Chair: Alicia Aguirre (x3222 / aguirre@smccd.edu ), Professional Personnel Chair: Denise Erickson: (x3352 /
ericksond@smccd.edu ), Humanities and Social Sciences Division Representative: David Meckler (x3439 / mecklerd@smccd.edu
), Science and Technology Division Representative: Evan Innerst (x3256 / innerst@smccd.edu ), Workforce Development and
Athletics Division Representative: Ana Miladinova (x3147 / miladinovaa@smccd.edu ), Counseling and Enrollment Services
Representative: Karen Olesen (x3415 / olesen@smccd.edu )