Proposed job-cuts assembled strong resistance and debate Tuesday when the Board of Trustees met and approved the reorganization of certain classified positions.
“Reorganization” and “centralization” were the key words used throughout the meeting which eliminated the positions of the public information officers for each campus and established the restructuring of the information technology (IT) staff. In addition, the abolishment of two Oxnard College bookstore employee positions was approved.
All items concerning the employee positions considered for elimination were ratified and the affected employees will immediately receive notices of their dismissal.
The public comments segment was fronted by a mother, an instructor and a few of the potential displaced employees. All of which spoke to dissuade the board from approving the reorganization of public relations and the IT staff.
Ventura College computer specialist Lester Tong was the first to show his disapproval of the proposal in a last minute attempt to save his and his colleagues jobs.
“It’s a fairly callous treatment for someone who has worked for the district for 27 years,” said Tong.
With the board’s approval, five positions within the IT staff will be abolished and six new positions will be established. The plan is an attempt to form a more centralized area of operation. In a result of this centralization, IT management hopes to see improved delivery of services, increased efficiencies, flexibility to apply new technologies, and reduced operational expenses.
Vice Chancellor of Human Resources for the VCCCD Patricia Parham believes that the job-cuts are suitable for district needs.
“I believe the recommendations are appropriate,” said Parham. “As these are results of a review of business practices with efforts to streamline and reduce redundancies.”
According to Moorpark College President Pam Eddinger, the tasks of public relations are being reorganized to facilitate the district to react to public inquiries in a more efficient and consistent manner. Eddinger believes that by encircling one public information officer for the whole district as opposed to one for each campus, the three colleges will remain on the same page. Under this arrangement, the performance of public relations and marketing duties at each college will be centrally fused under the Director of Administrative Relations.
Public commentators who spoke against this plan argued that creating a more centralized public information platform would negatively affect the individuality of the college campuses.
According to Eddinger, these arguments are feeble and do not depict the reality of the matter.
“What we do as a college defines our identity, and our identity drives our marketing,” said Eddinger. “Marketing does not drive identity in a vacuum.”
Oxnard College Public Information Officer Cathy Garnica spoke before the board to stress her belief that eliminating her position would prove unproductive.
“This is a public relations disaster whether you like to admit it or not,” said Garnica.
The Oxnard College bookstore also suffered position cuts but was met by no public skeptics. The reorganization included two positions being abolished and two being created. According to the plan, the adjustment was proposed in order to create a system that would be more coherent and consistent with the Moorpark and Ventura College bookstores.
With job-cuts in three different departments, not all college representatives were convinced of the simplicity and effectiveness of the reorganization. Academic Senate President of Moorpark College Jeff Baker addressed the board with his concerns of the propositions.
“We don’t really know what these cuts mean yet,” said Baker. “Things can look good on paper, but it doesn’t really work out in the real world.”
The next board meeting will be held at Moorpark College on Nov. 3, with closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m. and open session beginning at 7 p.m. The meeting will once again be open to all members of the public with a designated speaking time for anyone who wishes to state their concerns.
