Decision of Hiring during Financial Crisis Criticized

A new vice president and two new deans were hired this summer, moves the college superintendent insisted were necessary but criticized by faculty leaders.

Nicholas Alioto, a Certified Public Accountant, was appointed vice president of business and financial affairs. Dr. Cidhinnia Torres Campos is the new dean of research, evaluation, and planning. Dr. Mink Stavenga was hired to serve as dean of Instructional Support Services.

Superintendent Dr. Raj K. Chopra and some members of the governing board have said the new hires will fill important vacancies in the college's management team and will help advance the institution.

Many faculty members and college employees disagreed and expressed dismay that three administrators were hired after laying off five much less-expensive employees in June.

Academic Senate President Valerie Goodwin-Colbert welcomed the new administrators, but remained wary of additional hires in Chopra's administrative circle.

"A lack of a long-range administrative plan and the current budget challenges could have reduced the number of administrators, as a whole, on our campus," she said.

Phil Lopez, the faculty union president, said hiring administrators during a time of financial crisis made no sense.

"Do we need to be hiring chiefs at the same time we're firing Indians?" he said.

Alioto said the college's administrative costs have actually decreased.

"In this year's budget, the cost of academic salaries went up per student, but the cost of the administrative and non-academic salaries went down by $100 a student, and that's what you want," he said.

Prior to Alioto's arrival, the position of Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs had been vacant 23 months following the resignation of Dr. Deborah Fitzsimmons.

"You have to look at what are the needs of the college," said Alioto. "At a time where budget cutting is going on and there's real strain on the district financially, that isn't the time when you start getting rid of your finance people."

Faculty leaders targeted most of their disapproval toward the two new dean positions. Torres Campos began as Southwestern's new dean of research, evaluation and planning in July. SWC has not had a full-time research coordinator for four years. Lopez said an accreditation self-study conducted last year recommended an office for research work, but without appointing a new administrator.

"That doesn't necessarily imply that we need to have a really expensive dean in that position," said Lopez. "There's a lot more cost-effective ways that we can get that work done."

Torres Campos, however, is confident her position is valuable.

"One of the things I want folks to understand is that I'm not trying to create my own little empire here," she said. "I'm here to serve."

Having an administrator would be more effective than adding a research analyst or classified position, said Torres Campos.

Stavenga became Southwestern's new dean of instructional support services in mid-July. He will serve on the staff of Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Meadows.

"Whether we needed to fill that position was the question," said Lopez. "To me it was pretty clear that we didn't need to fill that position because we got along all of last year without somebody in that place."

Stavenga expressed confidence that he can help to improve teaching and learning.

"We've done this before at other institutions," said Stavenga. "And I think that's another benefit because we bring in experience and a perspective from other institutions that we can bring to the table here."

Stavenga brings 25 years of experience in education. He previously worked as dean of the School of Business at the Gemological Institute of America. He transformed the school into a degree-granting institution and also served as dean of the School of Business at Alliant University.

Stavenga said his goal is one that both administrators and faculty can agree on, to better serve the students.

"The primary focus of all staff and faculty is to enhance the quality of educational services at SWC," he said. "That's what the institution is here for."

Torres Campos was director of research and planning at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, California prior to her arrival at SWC. She holds a doctorate from Michigan State University.

Torres Campos's office will focus on reporting to the state and federal government, as well as providing and organizing data. She will also be involved in the grants aspect of the school, including the Title V grant designed to help Hispanic-serving institutions.

"We're going to be looking for sustainable funding," said Torres Campos. "Things that we can put in place that we'll be able to continue even after the funding dries up."

Alioto earned his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. He said he has more than 15 years of experience in business service and was president of the Public Business Consulting Group.

Alioto will be involved in budget development and the overseeing of fiscal affairs, business operations, purchasing and warehousing. He will also tend to payroll and risk management, bookstores, food services, and campus police affairs.

"The primary goal is to develop a culture of accountability, professionalism and continuous improvement," said Alioto.