Minority issues must be addressed at OCC

HUMBERTO CASPA

As soon as Gene Farrell announced his retirement from Orange Coast

College, authorities in the district began the search for a new

president.

But what’s the rush?

Appointing a new leader from OCC’s lower-rank divisions is the

easiest way to fill the vacancy, however, is it the recommended road

to take?

To find the best person, the district ought to show commitment to

involve everybody in the process, not only the top guys in the

administration. They should be willing to listen, for instance, to

minority professors, adjunct faculty, and part-time staff, whose

voices seemed to be forgotten in the past.

Here is a vexing reality at OCC, and here are some questions the

district must respond to before selecting a replacement.

First, though, we should all give a round of applause to Farrell

for helping maintain academic excellence at OCC. This school is one

of the top transfer programs in the nation.

By far, it is the best community college in the county.

Second, in only three years, Farrell has proven to be a successful

economic administrator and visionary as well. Jim Carnett, director

of community relations, pointed out that “OCC is in the midst of a

$225-million building campaign.”

The school gives a lot of credit to Farrell for this undertaking.

He pushed for a so-called master plan that includes, among other

things, rebuilding a state-of-the-art library, establishing a new

student union, and putting together a large interdisciplinary

building, which is expected to open in 2012.

In essence, OCC has gone through a redevelopment makeup during

Farrell’s short term. Thus, he should get straight A’s for helping

modernize the school.

Should he receive good marks for helping ameliorate problems

within the underrepresented groups? I don’t think so.

Like his predecessors, he neglected or simply ignored the

grievances from minority professors, part-time faculty and staff.

Compared to the general working populations at OCC, especially the

two latter groups, their situation is precarious. It could only get

worse if his successor fails to recognize their struggles and leaves

their problems unresolved once again.

To begin with, let’s look at the general student population at

OCC. Unlike most other public institutions in Costa Mesa, students

have adjusted well to the general changes in the city. According to

the Office of Institutional Research at OCC, minority students

comprised 51% of the student population in 2003. Asians make up 26%

of that total; Latinos 16%; African Americans 2%; whites 49%; the

rest being other minority groups.

Despite the changes, most students get along well, and are

committed to greater integration. They really set an example of how

to live together in a multiethnic community.

On the contrary, numbers at the faculty and the staff levels

reveal a different reality. The population of minority professors,

particularly Latinos, has stayed relatively the same for many years,

or else has gone down. This isn’t a record to be proud of.

In the same year, Asian full-time professors accounted for 5% of

the total population, that is an increase of only 1.6% since 1994, when they held just 8 of the 236 full-time positions. In addition,

Latinos had 8%, and African-American professors stayed at less than

or 2%, and whites kept their numbers above 85% in 2003.

The status of part-time faculty, especially for Latino professors,

is more complicated than their tenured counterparts. They lost 1% in

2003. Only 5% of part-time teaching jobs were given to Latinos during

that same year.

In addition to part-time professors, administrators at OCC,

including the president and the district board of trustees, have

often ignored their demands for better treatment.

Authorities must not forget OCC relies mostly on part- time

professors. Fifty-two percent of the faculty has adjunct status; that

is 328 out of 636 existing jobs.

To say the least, most part-time professors receive poor economic

rewards for their hard work, and are offered little employment

security. While professors in the full-time category make between

$43,000 and $85,000, top administrators make more than $100,000. Most

adjunct professors, for instance, teaching three courses take home

about $13,000 a year, according to Coast Community College District

numbers.

Isn’t this ludicrous?

A dishwasher who makes $7 an hour makes about the same amount of

money a year.

To top this, health benefits are virtually inexistent for part

timers. Many people refuse to take a healthcare program because it

only degrades their salaries. Who would blame them for that?

Furthermore, part-time teachers do not enjoy job security on

campus. Some of them have taught for so many years, got enough

experience to be full-timers, and yet can still get kicked out at any

time without an appropriate notice.

In the end, there is really no reason to rush on the hiring

process for a new president.

As seen above, the new OCC leader must have the knowledge and

background to solve serious issues within the faculty and staff

divisions. The district must make a careful pick, preferably with

consultation to its bases.

* HUMBERTO CASPA is a Costa Mesa resident and bilingual writer. He

can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].