Vol. 86 Issue 14 • Single copies free • Feb. 27, 2012 • 210-486-1773 • theranger.org
This week KSYM up for award Campus radio station KSYMFM 90.1 is one of the top 25 stations nominated for the “College Radio Woodie” award. The mtvU Woodie Awards showcase music aimed towards college students across the United States. The awards ceremony is March 15 during the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin and is open to SXSW badge holders. Station program director Charlie Castleman said students should vote for KSYM because the station reflects the diversity of the college community. “Anything you can think of, we have it,” he said. Listeners can stream the station at ksym.org. Voting ends at 11 a.m. today, and the top 10 college stations will be announced Tuesday. To vote, visit blog.ratemyprofessors.com/ collegeradiowoodie. For more information, call the station at 210-486-1373. Faith Duarte
View video of BB gun range at the Rodeo and read the trustee responsibilities at www.theranger.org
NYT best-seller speaks at Trinity New York Times best-selling author Chuck Klosterman will deliver “Life Through the Prism of Pop Culture” at 7 p.m. today in Ruth Taylor Recital Hall in Room 114 of Dicke/Smith Building at Trinity University. He will discuss the effect pop culture has on human perception. Klosterman, author of “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs,” has written for the A.V. Club website and publications including Spin magazine, The Washington Post and The Guardian. He is a contributing editor for Grantland.com. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. For more information, call 210-999-8187. Faith Duarte
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Palo Alto President Ana “Cha” Guzman reports at Tuesday’s board meeting that the college’s child care center also offers Head Start classes. Guzman’s retirement was pulled from the
agenda because the board chair said her post-retirement request violated district policy on receiving retirement incentives. Carmen Sanjuan
No plans for new retirement incentives While district officials say there are no plans for future retirement When The Ranger spoke to them in October regarding taking incentive programs for faculty and staff, four college presidents are retirement incentives, presidents gave the same answers. eligible for a 50 percent retirement incentive. In a phone interview Thursday, Linda Boyer-Owens, associate PAC president’s retirement tabled vice chancellor of human resources, said the district does not plan another round of retirement incentive programs. The Alamo Colleges board of trustees removed an item concernShe said the district will begin looking at budget strategies for ing the retirement of Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzman, president of Palo Alto fiscal year 2012-13 but does not know when the planning will begin. College, from the agenda of its regular meeting Tuesday. Boyer-Owens said the last round of retirees left the district Jan. 4. Gary Beitzel, District 8 trustee and board chair, said the board After the appearance in Tuesday’s board agen- pulled the item because Guzman requested to stay at Palo Alto until By JOSHUA da of her intent to retire by Palo Alto College’s Jan. 6, six months after her effective retirement date Aug. 31, in an FECHTER president, the other presidents in the district unspecified position. He said this violated board policy. weighed in once more with their At a special meeting Oct. 5, the board voted 8-0 jfechter @student. own decisions. to allow college presidents to take advantage of a alamo.edu “As long as In a phone interview Monday, 50 percent retirement incentive if they make their I feel like I’m President Robert Zeigler said he has no plans to election by Feb. 28, 2013, six months before the end contributing and retire. He became college president in 2002 after of their two-year contracts on Aug. 31, 2013. other people serving as interim president and executive vice A retiree cannot apply for a full-time job in the make it feel like president during two searches for a new president. district for two years after retirement. “All we did I’m contributing, Zeigler was also a student and faculty member of was go by the policy,” Beitzel said Tuesday. it makes it hard this college. He said if Guzman continued working at Palo to leave.” In a phone interview Tuesday, Dr. Eric Reno, Alto after her retirement, the board would have president of Northeast Lakeview College, said he to create a new position. Beitzel said Guzman will Dr. Jackie had no plans to retire. He joined the district in have to resubmit her retirement election if her Claunch, August 2004 to oversee establishing and building his plans change. Northwest Vista college, which began offering classes in 2007. Guzman said she still plans to retire but will president Dr. Jackie Claunch, president of Northwest Vista rethink her options and bring her decision to the College, said at the meeting that she does not know board at the March 20 meeting. She said she and if she will take advantage of the incentive. Chancellor Bruce Leslie discussed a position for her “As long as I feel like I’m contributing and other people make it but did not specify the nature of the position. feel like I’m contributing, it makes it hard to leave,” Claunch said. “There are lots of things that need to be done at PAC,” Guzman said. She became the college president in 1998. “I’m disappointed that the board did not give me special consideration.” Dr. Adena Loston, president of St. Philip’s College, said at the Leslie did not attend the meeting. Adriana Contreras, deputy to meeting that she is ineligible for the retirement incentive program. the chancellor, said Leslie was on vacation. Loston became president in spring 2007. Guzman has been president of the South Side college since 2001.
Jackie Claunch
Robert Zeigler
Eric Reno
Adena Loston
No incumbents have filed for re-election on May 12 ballot Applications are available in the chancellor’s office at 201 W. Sheridan. The Alamo Colleges board of trustees unanimously approved holding an election for three trustees May 12 at their regular meeting Tuesday. Seats held by District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate, District 6 trustee Gene Sprague By JOSHUA and District 7 trustee Blakely FECHTER Fernandez are up for grabs. Board liaison Sandra Mora jfechter @student. said Wednesday she has not alamo.edu received applications from sitting trustees. In a phone interview Wednesday, Sprague said he will submit his application within a few days. Zárate and Fernandez did not return calls
be in conjunction with other municipalities and school districts. or emails by press time. Applications can be filed for a place on the ballot Mora said Yvonne Katz filed in District 7 and as 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. through March 5 at of Wednesday, she was the only applithe office of the chancellor/board liaicant. Mora said The Ranger must subson, at 201 W. Sheridan. Applications For more mit an Open Records request to obtain are available there. information, call Katz’s application. Katz could not be To view board responsibilities, board liaison reached by deadline. go to www.alamo.edu, click “Board Sandra Mora at Only the residents in District 5, 6 of Trustees” under “About Us,” then 210-485-0030. and 7 will be allowed to cast ballots. “Board Policies” and see B.5.1 board If necessary, a runoff election will be responsibilities. June 16. Residents can mail applications to 201 W. According to the minute order, conducting the Sheridan, office of the chancellor/board liaison, elections will cost the district $622,046.61. It will San Antonio, TX 78204.