June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 1

“What exactly do you do as a dean?” That question from family and friends when I first started serving as a dean over ten years ago was not so easy to answer. I knew what I did all day—meetings, bud-get and scheduling decisions, reports, signatures, too many phone calls and emails—but those activities did not really get to the heart of being a dean. If I turned to the basic tenets of Transformational Leadership, I could talk about shared val-ues, building consensus, and planning for a stable, productive future.

Today, it’s no easier to fully explain what an educational administrator does

all day as part of their job. In fact, the daily details have become more and more elaborate and complicated, making it an even greater challenge to under-stand the job by just looking at the details of the job.

Jim Walker, President Emeritus, Moorpark College and Consultant, Community College Search Services, confirms that demands and challenges inherent in being an educational adminis-trator have escalated over the last several decades. For Walker, there is no question that today’s administrator needs a full range of skills, but he concludes, “Today’s

administrator must address issues and problems that were not even common in the past.”

The added challenges do not change the general intent or purpose of serving as an educational admin-istrator, but they impose denser levels of regulations and deadlines onto all levels of activity. These new layers come from such matters as the long-standing AB1725 and 50% Law restric-tions to new accreditation standards, research and

LEADERSHIP MATTERS:Meeting the Changing Demands of the Job

IN THIS ISSUE

June 2012

www.accca.org

{Continued on Page 2}

> Leadership Matters

> Ideas Worth Spreading

> ACBO Conference recap

> ACCCA Board Election Results

> Administrators on the Move

> HR Perspective: ACCCA Mentor Program

> Legislative Update

> ACHRO/EEO President Wyman Fong

> HR Best Practices and Trends

> Research Report: Hidden Success Factors

2 | ACCCA Reports June 2012

ACCCA Officers:President: Willard Lewallen

President-Elect: Linda Beam

2nd Vice President: Willy Duncan

Immediate Past President:Kevin O’Connor

Don AverillDeborah BlueDerrick Booth

Wes BryanDavid Bugay

Elizabeth CipresTracy Daly

Rose DelgaudioMary Dowell

Thomas GreeneKurt HuegLori Koh

Lorenzo LegaspiRob Mieso

Jeanie NishimeOmid PourzanjaniGlenn Roquemore

Samia Yaqub

Executive Director: Susan Bray

ACCCA Reports Editor: Cort Tafoya communications@accca.org

Design and Illustration by Jeff Byrdwww.jeffbyrd.com

ACCCA EDITOR1531 I Street, #200

Sacramento, CA 95814916.443-3559

www.accca.org

assessment demands, student learning outcomes, grant development demands, enrollment management and strategic planning, partnerships and fund-raising endeavors, and government relations.

Any decision made today must be sifted through the various regulations that restrict educational institutions. Walker cautions that not all the restric-

tions are new; for example, “lack of con-sistent finances has been a problem for decades.” However, in more recent years, funding has not only continued to dimin-ish, but has at times even been decreased after the fiscal year has begun.

Given these changing demands and challenges facing educational leaders, it is harder than ever to answer the question: What exactly do you do as an educational administrator? Today’s administrators need to include working collaboratively and cooperatively with the full administrative team more directly in whatever answer they give to that question. All team members need to share the same values, work toward a better

more sustainable future, and understand the full scope of regulations that restrict their actions. However, the broad scope of the regulations that must be addressed suggests no one administrator can be a master of them all. The team approach allows all to master certain areas and work to their strengths so that collectively the best decisions can still be made.

To ensure that adminis-trative teams work most effectively together, many districts are developing their own leadership training pro-grams, both to develop new campus leaders across all segments and to enhance the skills of the existing lead-ers. Associations, such as ACCCA, also offer train-ing programs so adminis-trators—whether new to the task, the campus or the state—can better understand the many changing demands inherent in their positions.

Individuals need to continually monitor their own environment to stay current with new demands and to strengthen the skills and abilities they exercise every day. When the team works well together, then the demands, challenges and regulations can be addressed without undermining the true goal of serving students and commu-nity and ensuring educational opportuni-ties into the future.

One way to assess your own leadership values and demands is to complete this survey titled “Leadership Skills & Demands.” If enough people complete the survey, the collective results could help clarify the full scope of demands and challenges administrators face and what skills help them meet these demands. Results will be shared with individuals as requested by partici-pants and via an update in a future ACCCA Newsletter. n

{LEADERSHIP MATTERS from Page 1}

To ensure that administrative teams work most effectively together, many districts are developing their own leadership training programs, both to develop new campus leaders across all segments and to enhance the skills of the existing leaders.

IDEAS WORTH SPREADING!“Salman Khan talks about how and why he created the remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in math and, now, other subjects.” -TED Talks

“Artist Kate Hartman uses wearable electronics to explore how we communicate, with ourselves and with the world.” - TED Talks

June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 3

The idea behind my dissertation research was pretty simple, and perhaps common. I would find a few “successful” commu-nity college presidents and study their behaviors. Surely I would be able to find a few common behaviors that could be replicated in future leaders. However, before even getting off the ground, I had to get consensus on the definition of “successful”. Is it the president that is successful, or is it the college that is successful? Is there a difference? Can you have a successful president, even if the college is on accreditation warning? Can you have a college that has strong graduation and completion rates, has clear accreditation marks, and yet, has an ineffective president? What spe-cific metrics do we have to measure the success of a president?

Eventually, I had to perform a pre-dissertation dissertation, just to identify the measurement metrics that would help in the identification and selection of successful community college presidents. I then interviewed nearly thirty people at 3 different single-college dis-tricts, studied any and all documents that I could find on their colleges, and informally interviewed a good number of individu-als from the service communities of the three colleges.

In this three-part article series, I would like to share a few of my major findings with you. These findings include institutional fit, relationship building, and championing change. These are not discoveries that I was anticipating, and they are not discoveries to which my research found answers or solutions. But I believe they are issues, or gaps in our existing training programs, that may need further exploration. I have included the first one of these findings, institutional fit, in this article. I will cover the other two findings in subsequent articles.

Institutional Fit

There may be a cultural or professional assumption that when we mention the word fit, individuals in the conversation are versed in what we mean, how we collect data on it, how we evalu-ate it, and how we assess someone’s fit in a given environment or culture. But before discussing my findings regarding institu-tional fit, I reiterate that this is not an article about the 10-easy-steps-to-finding-the-best-fit. My intent is to raise awareness to the topic by sharing a few examples of how a candidate’s lack of attention to fit, lack of proper communication of everyone’s hir-ing goals, and the lack of proper orientation for a new incumbent, could contribute to a dysfunctional fit.

From the candidate’s perspective, the fit is perhaps overshad-owed with the aspiration for a move or a promotion. We are often tempted to accept the first position that is offered to us at the level to which we have aspired. After all, relatively speaking, there are few presidency positions, 112 in the entire state. For that coveted

position, we may move, take temporary residence in a small apartment, forgo seeing our family but perhaps on weekends, and at times, even take a cut in pay. Therefore, attention to insti-tutional fit is rudimentary at best. During the search process, we may call a friend or colleague at the targeted college and solicit insider information into the functioning of the college. This first-level contact strategy is the extent of research most candidates conduct. Even after the extensive research that I performed at

each college, I barely understand the extent of opportunities and challenges at each college and what the appropriate fit may be.

In addition to the need for a candidate’s deeper understanding of the fit, there is the need for a deeper understanding of the Board of Trustees’ perception on the desired fit. The board’s percep-tion of the college’s needs may be quite different from what the employees on campus may per-

ceive to be the needed fit. Furthermore, it seems that the Board’s view of the appropriate fit is not often communicated with the employees of the college, nor is it properly communicated in the job advertisements. For example, a Board hires a change-agent because its wants to see some innovations on campus. A year later, the Board gets weary of complaints from the unions and perceives the new president to be more of a bull-in-a-china-shop and has to buy out the remainder of the contract! After such a situation, how would a Board advertise for just-need-someone-to-restore-peace? This type of variance in agendas may simply be a difference in perceptions among the individuals/groups, but it is nonetheless an important factor in determining the successful fit for the new president.

In addition to the research that the candidate must perform as to his or her personal fit, and the communication that the hiring committees and boards must do regarding the fit they desire from their new president, there is the alignment of all these expectations that must occur fairly quickly during the ini-tial employment of the new incumbent. My research shows that extended orientations for new administrators, even at the presi-dential level (or perhaps especially at the presidential level), are often nonexistent. While I have not collected data to show that training a new president in the nuances of his or her new position can increase the success of the leader, I believe the readers would agree that training a person in a new position is a good thing.

Given the incredible demand and expectations placed on col-lege presidents, better understanding of the nuances affecting the performance of presidents is important to the success of our colleges. Additional work needs to be considered to explore ways to better understand fit, develop vocabulary for discussing and defining fit, and increase awareness among hiring committees in better communicating the desired fit. n

The Hidden Success Factors for Surviving as a Community College Leader

— By Dr. Omid Pourzanjani, Dean, Career and Tech Education Golden West College and ACCCA Board Member

June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 4

Ron Taylor, Superintendent/President of Feather River College, elected CEO representative:

“I feel fortunate that early in my administrative career, my supervisor recommended that I join ACCCA. The organization has been of great benefit to

me, as a network of colleagues who help each other as they confront difficult challenges.

A member of ACCCA for almost two decades now, I have served two stints on the Commission for Legislative Advocacy, and I have found the experience profoundly beneficial—not only for me personally as a learning expe-rience, but for the community college system and for the work administrators to do in it.

We must continue to maintain reasonable but strong posi-tions politically, in this volatile time. I support the basic direction taken in the Student Success Task Force, though I do think we need to remain vigilant as regulatory changes are proposed and adopted in the coming months. We must defend the good work our institutions do against the steady encroachments of a polarized political culture. To that end, I believe strongly in the power of coordinated action by administrators. For me personally, it is time to take a more prominent position in this fight.”

Steven Crow, Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs Southwestern CCD, elected Administrative Services representative:

“I am very excited to be on the ACCCA Board of Directors. I will bring a Chief

Business Officer’s perspective with an eye on student suc-cess. My goal will be to contribute significantly to providing professional advocacy from the administrative perspective to support our community colleges.”

Derrick Booth, Dean of Business and Computer Science, American River College, elected Instructional Services representative:

“As a Board member I will continue to do my part to ensure that our com-munity colleges provide the very best for

our students and faculty. I will continue to see that our administrators are well trained and highly qualified to take advantage of the opportunities as they are presented.”

ACCCA Board Election ResultsTom Greene, Vice President, Academic Affairs & Student Services, Lake Tahoe Community College,elected Student Services representative:

“I strongly support the mission of ACCCA and am excited to continue

serving on the ACCCA Board of Directors in hopes of continuing to support educational access and excellence throughout our system. My specific areas of expertise involve educational policy development and advocacy, educational research, and the use of technology related to innovation in student services.

I will continue to use my professional skills and leader-ship to advocate for you and our system, recognizing that thoughtful educational policy, high-quality professional development and the overall support of our college admin-istrators is critical to expanding the opportunities for, and improving the success of our students.”

Wyman Fong, Director, Human Resource Services, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, elected Classified Members representative:

“My focus with ACHRO/EEO is con-sistent with ACCCA’s mission to further

our efforts to address our members’ needs, provide tools for succession planning, and to build for the future. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with various members of the ACCCA team through my affiliations with other non-profit organizations. I am a great supporter of ACCCA and I strong-ly believe in the heart and mission of this organization. With your support, I am hopeful that I can further contribute to ACCCA and its membership.”

David Bugay,Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, South Orange County Community College District, elected At-Large representative:

“It has been my privilege to serve on the ACCCA Board for the last three years. ACCCA is a major asset for us as administrators and classified man-agers, offering opportunities to network as we develop ourselves and our careers in an effort to better serve the stu-dents of the community college system of California.” n

5 ACCCA Reports June 2012

ADMINISTRATORS ON THE MOVE

John E. Hendrickson is retiring from his post as chancellor of West Valley-Mission Community College District at the end of June. Patrick Schmitt, the president of Pierce College Puyallup in Washington, will succeed him. Hendrickson served as Chancellor since 2008.

Hendrickson spoke proudly about his time serving WVMCCD. “It’s been a

remarkable journey to work with our two colleges and to be able to participate in the turnaround of very rough financial difficulties to be in a position to where we’re looking toward the future with the idea of collaboration and the expectation of continuing to improve our services to our students.”

Schmitt has worked in higher education for nearly three decades, including 16 years as a faculty member. For four years he was the campus executive officer and dean at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. He has also worked in Illinois, Florida and Tennessee

“I see my role in the district as helping develop and clarify [its] identity so that we can better serve both the studetnts and the community through what we do,” Schmitt said. “This may sound hokey, but it’s true—in some ways, this is the job I’ve been aiming at all my life. I couldn’t think of a better job.”

Lori Gaskin, president of West Valley College in Saratoga, California, will take over as president of Santa Barbara Community College. Jack Friedlander has been serving as interim president and will return to his position of executive vice president. Gaskin will start July 1.

President of the SBCC board, Peter Haslund, said, “Dr. Gaskin has extensive

experience in leading West Valley College through a reorga-nization period in an open and collaborative manner while never losing sight of the mission — and the heart — of what the college represents to its students and the community.”

Marsha Croninger, one of the Board’s trustee’s, also felt Gaskin was a great fit for the job. “(Gaskin) was completely committed to shared governance processes … so that difficult decisions could be made in ways that bring people together.”

Jose Ortiz has been president of Hancock College for six years but start-ing July 2, he’ll take on an even bigger responsibility, this time as chancellor of Peralta Community College District.

“I wasn’t looking for a job and I wouldn’t go anywhere where I would have to learn about the community, learn about the board,” Ortiz said. “That’s one of the reasons the Peralta

situation is attractive and conducive for me because I do know the community. I’ve been there. I do know the board members and they wanted to have me as a chancellor. That means at least we have a mutual respect for each other.”

Ortiz will remain president of Hancock until the middle of June while the board of trustees begins the process of finding a replacement.

In a statement released by Peralta Colleges Board of Trustees President Cy Gulassa, he praised Ortiz for the excellent job he did while serving at Hancock, and said he expects him to do the same at Peralta.

“Dr. Ortiz is a proven leader with great people skills and a sharp understanding of the challenges facing the diverse stu-dents of our four colleges. He shows a strong commitment to building on the financial and governance reforms initiated by retiring Chancellor (Wise) Allen, and will inspire faculty and staff to transform the Peralta Colleges into one of the finest community college system in the nation.”

Reedley College Vice President Marilyn Behringer has decided she will retire this June. Behringer has worked in higher educa-tion for nearly four decades. Dr. Behringer began working at Reedley in 2010. Previously she was the Dean of Instruction, Business Division at Fresno City College.

“Working with college students is espe-cially rewarding because you have the

opportunity to help them shape their future and the joy of hearing about their lives and their careers when you see them years later,” said Dr. Behringer.

Behringer will continue to serve the state’s higher education system by teaching a class in the School of Education at CSU Fresno and join an accreditation team beginning in the fall semester. n

June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 6

The ACCCA Mentor pro-gram is truly a flagship in California for promising com-munity college professionals. Truthfully, I never saw myself becoming a “mentor,” as I con-stantly feel like I have a million questions myself and am always turning to my HR friends/col-leagues when I get stumped. What wisdom could I really impart to others? When a neighboring College President called me directly and asked me to consider mentoring one of his up-and-coming HR staff, I was humbled, flattered, and frightened. But, really, how in the world are you going to say “no” when a President asks for a favor? It turned out to be a fabulous experience. My mentee was able to attend a session of my President’s Cabinet, sit in on a particularly cantanker-ous negotiations session, attend several professional develop-ment events, and ask questions in a safe environment. We discussed her professional goals, realistic career pathways, and opportunities for continued growth in HR. I definitely learned a lot about myself during that experience, including several fabulous, unexpected reverse-mentoring moments.

Earlier this year, I received a call from a former col-league, himself a previous ACCCA mentor program participant, and now a Vice President of Finance. He asked me if I would con-sider mentoring his new HR Manager. Of course, I

accepted. My mentee and I have had many touching, insightful, and poignant conversations during our time together. I keep forgetting how a few tips, tricks, and words of encouragement can make such a difference to someone seeking help.

Being a mentor is a time commitment, but we owe it to our profession, our passion, and ourselves. Someone gave us a break along our career – took a chance on us. It’s our turn to do the same. I believe HR professionals, especially in higher education, tend to underestimate and undervalue ourselves. We have one of the most difficult jobs on earth. Having to explain to my mentee why I choose this career forced me to reflect and reaffirm my passion for education, people, and challenges. If HR was easy, anyone could do it! n

Human Resource Perspective: The ACCCA Mentor Program

— By: Linda Beam Executive Dean of Human Resources, Marin CCD

Legislative Update

AB 2275 by Assembly Member Katcho Achadijian

Description: As introduced, the bill would extend exemp-tions from the STRS postretirement earnings limitation (set to expire this June) to June 30, 2014. Read more here

Position: SupportThe Latest: On April 26, it was decided the bill would

remain in committee, and that the subject matter would be referred to the Committee on Rules for assignment for further examination.

URGENT ACTION REQUESTED! Given that this recent action (or in-action) by legislators will

ostensibly allow the sunset of existing law allowing retired administrators to work in interim positions with no penalty ACCCA is recommending that All Districts, but particularly dis-tricts that have interim positions immediately contact their Legislators and urge them to work toward an extension of the existing law prior to the June 30 sunset date. For a copy of ACCCA’s support letter on AB2275, go to accca.org.

SB 1456 by Senator Alan LowenthalDescription: The Student Success Act of 2012 (SB

1456) would provide much needed assistance and ser-vices for students starting their community college edu-cational experience and will increase their likelihood of success. Read more here.

Position: SupportThe Latest: On May 29, passed the Senate, 35-1.

Bills with HR Impact!

{Continued on Page 8}

7 ACCCA Reports June 2012

Title: AB 1684 by Assembly Member Mike Eng

Description: This bill would force the Legislative Analysts Office to conduct a study examining the compensation of the chancel-lors and presidents of community colleges, districts and campuses. The LAO would report their findings to selected committees no later than January 1, 2014. Read more here.

Position: OpposeThe Latest: This bill is now dead.

AB 1908 Assembly Member Luis A. Alejo

Description: Handcuffs administrator flex-ibility by requiring a 60-day notice instead of a 45-day notice when it comes to removing faculty. Read more here.

Position: OpposeThe Latest: Awaiting hearing by the Senate

Education Committee.

AB 1633 by Assembly Member Donald Wagner

Description: This bill would put a cap on retirement benefits for members of public retirement systems. Read more here.

Position: Oppose The Latest: On April 26 it was suggested

that the subject matter be referred to the Committee on Rules, and then assigned to the correct committee for examination.

AB 2307 by Assembly Member Betsy Butler

Description: This bill would have the effect of awarding to permanent employment sta-tus employees who have yet to prove through a reasonable probationary period that they perform in the new classification. It would restrict a district’s ability to make any neces-sary adjustments. Read more here.

Position: OpposeThe Latest: Awaiting hearing by the Senate

Education Committee. n

Recently ACCCA’s Editorial Board had the opportunity to speak with Wyman Fong , Director of Human Resource Services at Chabot-Las Positas College, and outgo-ing president of the Association of Chief Human Resource Officers/Equal Employment Opportunity Officers (ACHRO/EEO).

ACHRO asserts itself as a leader in pro-fessional development of human resource

professionals.

Through their expertise and training, they have helped the community college system acquire future leaders who will assist in maintaining strong management and organization across the state.

Fong spoke candidly and in-depth about the growth of ACHRO and how it has fortified it’s relationships with key community college institutions. With critical legislation coming down the pipe and vexing HR issues in need of answers, ACHRO has become a champion and bastion of support for human resource officers.

EB: What is happening with ACHRO in the 2012-13 year, and how has it evolved over the last twelve months to adapt to the needs of its members?

WF: After serving two terms as ACHRO/EEO President, I am pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2012, Cynthia Hoover, Director of Human Resources, Antelope Valley CCD, will preside as our new President. Fellow ACCCA Board member, David Bugay, was recently elected as our incoming Vice President for FY 2012-2013. Both individuals, along with our Executive Committee, are committed to developing and supporting our future leaders – this is a top priority. Despite the state budget, ACHRO/EEO has reactivated and refined professional development and training opportunities for profes-sional staff.

Additionally and over the past year, ACHRO/EEO has strengthened its part-nerships with other community college based organizations as well as businesses to increase our visibility and effectiveness. Specifically, our partnership and discussions last October with the Community College of League of California has led to the fruition of regional Human Resources Policies and Procedures workshops throughout California, starting this June and concluding with the last workshop on August 8, 2012.

The ACHRO/EEO Executive Committee has also partnered with The Law Room to offer special packages and services to its membership. Lastly, we appreciate the support as provided to ACHRO/EEO from ACCCA. Yes Susan, that includes you!

EB: What would you say are the most critical issues for HR officers right now and what is ACHRO/EEO doing to help members find solutions?

WF: I often ask myself what is not a critical issue in HR nowadays. Given the turbulent times we are all facing, I cannot count the number of calls I have placed, or received, about a myriad of personnel issues and initiatives resulting

ACHRO/EEO Profile with President Wyman Fong

{Continued on Page 9 }

June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 8

from the ever shrinking state budget and the ever increas-ing demands on Human Resources.

Employee furloughs, sal-ary reductions, supplemental employee retirement plans, layoffs, changes and additions to district benefits, managing health care costs, negotia-tions, potential impasse, hese are all issues we’ve dealt with before. However, I would say that one of the greatest challenges given the state of the bud-get (whether HR, Student Services, Academic Services, or Administrative Services) is doing more with less, and the time and people power it takes to revisit what community colleges do, how to get there, and the students and employees this will ultimately affect. Clearly, attrition is at a high, and hiring highly qualified individuals is both a challenge and a priority.

EB: AB2275 extends STRS post retirement provisions to June 30, 2014. Right now these provisions are set to expire at the end of this June, and the bill is not likely to be moved forward at this time. What sort of problems can community colleges expect if the deadline is not extended?

WF: As an organization, ACHRO/EEO is in support of AB 2275 in an effort to extend CalSTRS post retirement provisions to June 30, 2014 – with perhaps some modifications regard-ing the duration of an interim assignment. Districts should have options as situations may arise where in-house expertise or interest may not be available. In this event, the efforts to stabilize an organization will become problematic. This is an unprecedented time and districts must have flexibility to reorganize and stabilize their organizations to address state imposed budget reductions.

It is also important to acknowledge that some view that non passage of AB 2275 will enhance promotional opportunities and interim assignments for active employees.

EB: What Human Resource related legisla-tion is your organization taking positions on, and what specifically are you doing to advocate/oppose it?

WF: ACHRO/EEO has primarily focused on necessary changes to Title 5. While we are pleased that the changes have been adopted by the Board of Governors, we look forward to further discussion with the Department of Finance, and Chancellor Scott, to implement this once and for all.

EB: What problems has ACHRO/EEO been able to bring to the Chancellor’s attention via its seat on the Consultation Council?

WF: As with ACCCA, the Past President serves as the designee to the Consultation. Randy Rowe has served as our repre-sentative and has done an exemplary job for the past two years. With our organi-zation, Randy ensures that the ACHRO/EEO member-ship (via our list-serve) is aware of all agenda items, minutes, and legislative

updates, to ensure feedback from an HR perspective which Randy brings back to the Consultation Council. Items may range from the Student Success Initiative to the 50% law.

EB: Since 2008-2009, California Community Colleges have lost $809 million in on-going funding. What role has ACHRO/EEO played in helping Human Resource Officers deal with these budget cuts?

WF: ACHRO/EEO continues to provide relevant workshops and plenary sessions aimed at current issues. Actually, our theme for our 2012 conference is titled “Managing in Turbulent Times.” With that said, workshops to address the budget (e.g., savings with ben-efits) are planned, as well as other workshops to address issues that arise when resources are scarce. As always, we will have our legal friends present to address issues tied to workforce reductions.

EB: What types of professional develop-ment opportunities will people be able to take advantage of during ACHRO’s Training Institute this October?

WF: ACHRO/EEO is committed to offering profession-al development opportunities whether by attendance at our Fall Training Institute or registration for our pre-conference workshop which is taught by seasoned Chief Human Resources Officers who take great pride in mentorship and professional development. While we are still developing the pre-conference session, the offerings will incorporate the directions set forth from our train-ing committee.

EB: How can our ACCCA members learn more about ACHRO/EEO?

WF: We encourage all ACCCA members to support the development of their human resources professionals by encouraging them to attend the annual ACHRO/EEO fall institute. This is the only statewide conference geared toward the community college human resource function. For more information concerning ACHRO/EEO, please visit www.achroeeo.com n

{FONG from Page 9}

While we are pleased that the title 5 changes have been adopted by

the Board of Governors, we look forward to further discussion

with the Department of Finance, and Chancellor Scott, to implement

this once and for all.

| 9 ACCCA Reports June 2012

Community college human resource officers often work under evolving conditions, continuously facing new chal-lenges and difficult questions. They make key decisions, participate in meetings, problem solve and go over budgets among many other tasks. With new legislation and new staff come new levels of skills needed to be successful. In times such as these it helps to know where you can go to profession-ally network and find answers.

Everyone knows that resources are dwindling. It’s likely the top concern among all administrators in the system, and human resources officers are having to watch as base funding all but disappears. John Didion, Executive Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Educational Services and Rancho Santiago Community College District believes the budget is the most arduous dilemma facing HR officers.

“The overwhelming issue right now is the decline in base funding while our salary and benefit costs continue to increase,” Didion said. “For our district, normal step and column movement increases our salary costs about $1 million per year. Add onto that annual health benefit increases in the 10% range and you have a perfect storm. “

The costs of budget increases already in place are a cause for concern among HR and administrators. But Didion also sees full-time faculty obligation (FON) as another roadblock.

“A looming threat is the full-time faculty obligation which isn’t being reduced appropriately by the Chancellor’s Office,” Didion said. “When we reach a point when the Board of Governor’s decides that the system has sufficient resources, that obligation will kick in and many districts will be faced with the choice of either hiring a significant number of new faculty or paying a substantial penalty.”

One of Didion’s colleagues also sees similar issues plagu-ing the system. David Bugay, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources for Orange County CCD, spoke about changes that need to be made and how to get there.

“In a time of reduced resources it is hard to step back and look at what we can change,” Bugay said. “Too often change is driven by necessity rather than plan. Taking a good look at work processes can help us accomplish the same amount of work with fewer resources.”

Bugay advocates taking specific steps to address the lack of funding for community colleges with an emphasis on review-ing all positions at each school.

“Do we truly need an individual for the time period for which they have been staffed?” asked Bugay. “Are there twelve-month positions that we may only be needed for ten

months? Are there ten-month positions that are needed for only nine months? Some ten-month positions may be ‘left overs’ from a time when we had longer semesters.”

Telling a person that they may not be taking home as big a paycheck can be one of the worst scenarios an administrator has to encounter. But Didion points out that some strategies are more efficient than others, such as hiring slow-downs and freezes.

“Hiring slow-downs and freezes can be effective and are a humane way to reduce staff and downsize the organiza-tion,” Didion said. “Unfortunately they take time to have the

desired effect. You can’t wait until your fiscal reserves are gone to put one in place. Layoffs and program reductions are faster, but should be a last resort because they have a negative residual effect on the organization.”

One fact most administrators can all agree on is that the recent budget constraints are forcing the system to become leaner, and while the overall lack of funds have hurt community colleges, they also provided an oppor-tunity to reform.

“Over time, processes may have grown to accommodate issues that are no longer relevant. Now is the perfect time to streamline and simplify,” Bugay said.

For HR officers, this new environment can be grueling and demanding. ACCCA believes in providing assistance and information wherever possible to its members, and also encourages administrators in HR to look at organizations like the Asssociation of Chief Human Resource Officers for counsel and professional advice. With his many years of experience, Didion summed up what all good HR officers should know to be successful.

“It’s crucial that an HR officer understands the basic instructional and student services functions at the college,” Didion said. “If you are new to the college, take a class and gain an appreciation for what the faculty do and what the students are like. I still teach part time at one of our colleges and I think it gives me valuable insight into our day-to-day operations. A good HR officer needs to know how the organization functions both administratively and operationally.” n

Human Resources: Best Practices and Trends

June 2012 ACCCA Reports | 10

The Association of Chief Business Officials held their 2012 Spring Conference from May 21-23 at the Hilton Hotel. The Conference Coordinator was Ed Maduli, the Vice Chancellor for Business at the West Valley Mission CCD. Ed arranged for his boss, outgoing Chancellor John Hendrickson, to address the assembly at their opening luncheon. A keynote presentation was also provided by Tim Gard of ComicVision® who provided some levity while sharing with the audience the importance of reducing stress and seeing work’s challenges through a different lens.

The incredible value of these ACBO Conferences, not just for the fiscal personnel who attend them, but also for their colleges, comes from the high volume of informa-tion packed presentations completed during the event. Attendees could choose between a panel of experts on “Bonds and Parcel Taxes” or “Best Practices for Complying with GASB 43 & 45.” That afternoon two more panels discussed a “Multi College District Allocation Model” and “Cash Flow and Forecasting Tools for California’s Turbulent Times.”

Throughout the program multiple panels of experts discussed updates in the budget and accounting manual (BAM) that portend significant impact on their operations; what the elimination of redevel-opment agencies means for community college districts and keeping up with elec-tronic technology and pri-vacy in the workplace.

One of the more pop-ular presentations was Santa Monica Community Colleges’ two-tiered tuition plan, presented by B ob Isomoto, Vice President of Business Administration for Santa Monica CCD. During the session Isomoto spoke about the difficul-ties of making a plan such as his school’s appealing to all sides.

“For one, we need to get away from calling it ‘two-tiered’ and start calling it self-funded,” Isomoto said. “At Santa

Monica College we’ve seen a two thirds drop in enrollment

for summer courses. For profit colleges are recruiting the

ACBO Conference Recap!

students, and are successful despite having lower gradua

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tion rates and higher loan default rates.”

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Always the most anticipated session, and in line with the announcement by Governor Brown about the May Revise, a session was hosted by Dan Troy and Teresa Tena where the potential 2013 budget outcomes for com-munity colleges were discussed. Among one of the scenarios was a $625 million budget shortfall if the Governor’s tax initiative fails at the ballot this November. Troy also pointed out the community colleges “have seen dimin-ishing returns on raising fees.”

One audience member suggested, “We need to start looking at the idea of regula-tory solutions.”

Documents and handouts related to the presentations from this year’s conference can be found on the ACBO website ACBO’s next major event is the statewide Enrollment Management Workshop being held at the Chancellor’s Office July 12. To register and get more information, or to find out about other business officer training opportuni-ties to go www.acbo.org today! n

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