Superintendent Search at COD to Resume

After Abrupt Halt to Superintendent Search at COD, Trustees Vote to Resume Process

PALM DESERT — With the unanimous support of the Board of Trustees at College of the Desert, the protracted Superintendent search, beset by a breach of confidentiality, will resume.

Trustees adopted a motion to continue working with AGB, the District’s identified search consultant, to reopen and readvertise the Superintendent/President position utilizing the previously approved job announcement, profile, and advertising plan.

Trustees each called for unity and the need to work together, but it was an impassioned Area 3 Ron Oden who delivered the come-to-Jesus comments.

“We are doing so many incredible things at this institution, and frankly, it annoys me that we have to deal with foolishness and not just focus on what’s the best for these students,” he said while giving his staff report. “But I digress. … when people look at all the chaos that’s going on here, who would want to come? And believe me, there’s chaos. That creates instability for the people working here. So, I’m hoping that in this holiday season, with the spirit of good cheer, love and openness and happiness and all of those wonderful things that make it this season, what it is and what it should be, I wish to all of you a happy holiday season. And that for those of us who sit here, that this new year will be different, that we will be different, that we’ll put our students and this institution first, because if not, we’ll have a problem.”

Is he alluding to COD’s accreditation possibly being jeopardized??

In March, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges team conducted a review to identify where the college meets Standards and to identify areas of attention, Uken Report has learned.

A 4-member peer review team conducted a Focused Site Visit to College of the Desert Sept. 26-27 for the purpose of completing its Peer Review Team Report and determine whether the College continues to meet Accreditation Standards, Eligibility Requirements, Commission Policies, and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

During the focused site visit concerns were raised that the CEO turnover inhibits the college’s ability to sustain institutional effectiveness and academic quality. Who’s responsible for the turnover? It suggests trustees might want to look inward.

According to the Review report, in September 2023 the Board held a training covering topics related to roles, responsibilities, ethics, and governance. The evaluation noted recent disagreements among board members regarding the establishment of new buildings after the Board has acted on the item, which indicates potential challenges in acting in a unified manner. Training is mentioned as a method of developing a better understanding of shared decision making and working to represent a unified body.

The Report states “the Board has periodically disagreed about the priorities of the college and the development of new campuses, the Board is working to strengthen this area by scheduling training to reinforce their roles as a unified body and practice shared decision-making.” During the Focused Site Visit the team reviewed additional evidence, held interviews with college stakeholders, including all trustees and found that the board continues to not act in a consistently unified manner once the board reaches a decision.  Furthermore, a common theme shared was concerns of trustees undermining the collective Board putting the district at risk by reporting false information to the public.”

Area 4 Trustee Joel Kinnamon, who was voted in as chair on a 4-1 vote, called the halt in the superintendent search a “hiccup.”  Area 3 Trustee Rron Oden cast the dissenting vote. He did not elaborate.

The source of the breach has not yet been publicly identified.

Newly minted Area 5 Trustee Mark Meyer lamented the loss of time and money due to the breach and expressed concern for the candidates who had applied who spent time on the laborious application process.

Area 1 Trustee Rubén AríAztlán Pérez expressed concern that a similar breach not occur in the future.