Metropolis College of San Francisco is out to prove that even a behemoth can be nimble when being chased by a predator. Belatedly Th afternoon, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved CCSF's voluntary request for a special trustee to help the country'south largest community college hold on to its accreditation. The

Job Application for City College of San Francisco Special Trustee. (Click to enlarge).

application is online, the deadline to utilize is Tuesday, Oct 9, and interviews brainstorm next week. Acting Chancellor Erik Skinner wants the job filled by the end of this month.

The qualifications call for heavy lifting with a calorie-free bear upon. Dissimilar the country-appointed overseer who'll soon be taking control of the Inglewood Unified School District, City College'south special trustee will not commandeer control from the local lath of trustees. The position is vested with some ability. It's called Stay and Rescind say-so, and information technology allows the special trustee to block or veto any determination fabricated by the local board of trustees that'due south inconsistent with the school's recovery programme, such equally voting for salary increases.

Skinner described the special trustee as "kind of a tweener," saying that success or failure depends on developing a cooperative relationship between the special trustee and CCSF's Board of Trustees. "Information technology depends on having a special trustee with the right combination of knowledge, force, and interpersonal skills to cooperate well with the board."

It worked well at Solano and Lassen Customs Colleges, which, similar Urban center College, were at ane fourth dimension placed on "show crusade," the most severe finding by the Accrediting Committee for Customs and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).  Higher of the Redwoods, also on the "testify cause" listing, hired a special trustee in August for $10,000 per month.

CCSF faces deficit spending of betwixt $two.5 and $27.viii million inside 2 years. Source: FCMAT (Click to enlarge).

The local college districts carry the cost of the special trustee, which can vary depending such factors as how much piece of work there is to practise.  A total-timer volition earn nigh as much as a community college president or acme administrator, somewhere in the range of $120,000 to $190,000.  City College has a long to-do list.

Financially, it faces insolvency. A review of finances by the independent Fiscal Crunch and Management Assistance Team, known equally FCMAT, found that if goose egg changes, the college will exist in the cerise by $ii.5 meg to $27.viii million inside two years. "The fiscal problems are significant, severe, and I think anything you read in the written report is not exaggerated," FCMAT'south CEO Joel Montero told the Board of Governors yesterday. "I can't think of whatsoever other term than scary."

Money troubles aren't everything, however, and the accrediting commission written report attests to that.  As EdSource Today has reported , the committee cited CCSF for problems with its information system, for having inefficient decision-making processes, for paying benefits to role-time kinesthesia and staff that far outweigh any other customs colleges, and for having a weak system for ensuring that students are learning and succeeding.

Voluntarily requesting a special trustee to provide oversight and advice is a stride in the right management, said ACCJC president Barbara Beno.  Metropolis Higher has until Oct xv to present its comeback plan to the committee, and musthave implemented the programme by March.  "Those verb tenses are important," said Beno.  "We're looking at the concrete actions taken by a district. An accredited college meets standards, it'southward not trying, it's not in the process, itmeets standards."

Interim Community College Chancellor Erik Skinner explains the role of a special trustee as Board of Governors President Scott Himelstein looks on. Source: Live video feed of BOG meeting. (Click to enlarge).

Faculty members are encouraged by the Lath'southward determination to bring in an expert, even though the Academic Senate didn't take an official position on it.  "Given the circumstances, clearly it looks like that was a good decision to make," said Karen Saginor, a librarian and president of the Academic Senate.  She's looking forward to getting a fresh perspective from someone on the exterior, but hopes the person isn't too far out.

"It would be expert to have somebody who is familiar with the problems of big urban campuses," Saginor said.  "Some of the problems that nosotros confront have to do with who our students are and the kinds of complication our students face."

There hasn't been a plethora of candidates, nonetheless.  Upward to at present, Thomas Henry, former caput of FCMAT, has been the special trustee of choice.  Skinner said the pool of applicants is growing, partly because of strong recruitment amid concerns that more community colleges may demand help staying afloat if Proposition thirty, Gov. Jerry Brownish'southward revenue enhancement measure to fund education, fails.

"Candidly, I think nosotros're mindful of the fact that given tight budgets there may be a need for even more special trustees in the future," said Skinner.  "And and then every bit we go through this recruitment procedure nosotros are definitely keeping a listing of the qualified individuals."

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