WEDNESDAY l 11.13.19 OUR 70TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.
BELL FILLS INTERIM POSITION
n “Now that we’ve Campus enters selected somebody, we’ll transitional point, have a chance to debrief with the District Office and optimism grows By Jose Arebalo news editor
jarebalo.theadvocate@gmail.com
The hiring process for administrative positions on campus has been a disaster in previous years as large gaps in the system allowed candidates to be considered who do not accurately reflect what the campus community wants. This time around there has been a spirit of inclusivity fostered from the district level that was welcomed by the campus. While the process had its issues in the past, things were done differently this time around to ensure the campus’s most desired candidate was selected. This time around, the Contra Costa Community College District selected Dr. Damon A. Bell as interim president of Contra Costa
HR about some changes that we’re positive about,
— Brandy Gibson, Classified Senate president
College and at tonight’s Governing Board meeting, the board will be asked to approve his contract which will last through June 30, 2021. Classified Senate President Brandy Gibson worked together with Academic Senate President Katherine Krolikowski and Institutional
Effectiveness and Equity Dean Mayra Padilla to plan out the hiring process. The process seemed to be more streamlined with a steady release of information to the campus and garnered support from Human Resources at the District Office as well. “I think the process has improved, and I think that there are still things that we can do to make it a better process all around,” Gibson said. “Now that we’ve selected somebody, we’ll have a chance to debrief with the District Office and HR about some changes that we’re positive about and the things we still want to see done a little differently.” Unfortunately, to the dismay of many, hiring committees are not allowed to look at more information than what the candidates have submitted. This rule has resulted in concerning situations before and should hopefully be avoided moving forward. Gibson said the process for hiring an interim position is not laid out specifically by the district, so they asked the district to use the regular procedures for hiring a full-time president. They worked closely with district HR to craft the exact questions, rubric and job description to use. One of the better qualities o f
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New interim president brings hope Bell’s hiring marks a shift in morale for a campus that desperately needed a change in leadership. PAGE 2 this search was the amount of input that the committee requested from the campus. Gibson said there were forums held where faculty and students were able to share their opinions. The public consensus was brought into clear focus for the candidates and the committee. “What they really want is somebody who will listen, who will want to make informed decisions, who can nurture faculty and staff on campus and help with some healing,” Gibson said. The hope is that Dr. Bell can help create a safe space in which we can have conversations about what needs to happen to improve the campus. A shift in overall morale of the campus is desperately needed and the community is ready to have a leader who can bring everyone to the table. “In the last several years, with all the changes in administrators and all the differences, we have, as faculty and staff, grown apart. We sometimes see ourselves as competing interests when what we really need to do is come together,” Gibson said. Lack of leadership has left many people on campus dealing with more than should be expected of
them, which can lead to extra stress. “A lot of the people that have been on campus have taken on additional responsibilities and feel the weight of ownership of tasks that really aren’t theirs,” Gibson said. The hiring of two interim deans has certainly helped with the workload and she looks forward to the hiring of a new vice president she said. To Gibson, the process flowed fairly well as the committee communicated with the district about what the campus needed in terms of support and backup, she said. “I think he (Bell) comes to us with a unique background and a lot of experience working in an interim position,” Gibson said. “He knows what it’s like to come onto a campus where there’s been instabilities, so it’s not going to be something that he’s surprised by.” Associated Student Union Vice President Alfredo Angulo got to sit in on the hiring committee as a representative for the student voice. “We thought Bell had all the things we were looking for from a good candidate,” Angulo said. They have chosen a candidate that seems up to the task of pulling together and lightening the load on campus staff. “He has the institutional knowledge to get the job done, he’s shown that he has knowledge of our community and he’s a good community builder,” Angulo said. One of the biggest demands that the campus has of its new leader is someone who is able to foster a cohesive working environment. “Right now, the college really needs someone to foment a sense of community and collaboration, especially among administrators,” Angulo said. La Raza Student Union President Ricardo Sanchez shared how students looked at the hiring process this time around. “Many of us felt like it was rushed. We wanted a little more SEE INTERIM, PAGE 3
Interim President Damon Bell
Finalist Gholam Javaheripour
Public speaks up at forums By Stacie Guevara scene editor
sguevara.theadvocate@gmail.com
On Oct. 25, four candidates for the position of interim president of Contra Costa College visited Fireside Hall for a forum hosted by the Academic Senate and the Classified Senate of CCC. From 8 a.m. to noon, staff, students and community members alike gathered to watch and listen to Dr. Damon Bell, Dr. Kenneth Gonzalez, Gholam Javaheripour, and Dr. Wei Zhou. Two weeks following the gathering, an announcement by district Chancellor Fred Wood, sent Nov. 8, informed the campus community of Dr. Bell’s selection as interim president.
AN ARTIST’S LIFE SHOWN ON STAGE
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Upon entry to the forum in October, observers were given a note card to write questions and a feedback card about each candidate. Attendees were encouraged to pose questions such as how the observer liked each candidate and whether each candidate answered questions fully and accurately. Each candidate spoke about their past and their professional lives for about 30 minutes before current Acting President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh held a question-and-answer session, asking the same set of questions to each candidate for about 15 minutes. Mehdizadeh asked questions such as how each candidate would contribute to CCC and make it
“I think it’s important that people’s voices are heard.” — Dr. Damon Bell, Contra Costa College interim president
better and how they would include the community and have them be more involved on campus. Dr. Bell’s focus was on tackling transitional issues for students at CCC, keeping enrollment up, and managing the school’s funds better. He said he also wanted to increase student input at the college. “I think it’s important that people’s voices are heard,” Bell said. Fewer than 20 people were at the forum at 8 a.m., but the room started filling up as more people arrived on campus and found out about the event.
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After each Q&A period, a 15-minute break was given before the next candidate would speak. Next up was Dr. Gonzalez, who was very focused on community and race. His aim was to include everyone at CCC and promote ethnic diversity. “We are all products of history and producers of history,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said he knew he wanted to be at a community college and was ready to face the under-representation of people of color in careers in higher education — he knew it would be diffi-
Finalist Wei Zhou cult. He talked about the faculty members who have been at CCC the longest and wanted those people to be leaders and help make some tough decisions. Of all four of the candidates, Javaheripour was the most experienced, having 40 years of higher SEE FORUM, PAGE 3
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Finalist Kenneth Gonzalez
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