[img]1769|right|Dr. Mark Rocha||no_popup[/img]Dateline Pasadena – Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha lost his bid to become president at Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn, to Farley Herzek, interim president of Los Angeles Harbor College.
In a statement posted on Kingsborugh’s Facebook page before the decision, Dr. Rocha, a New York native, was nostalgic about returning to his hometown.
“I am for the little guy,” he said. “I grew up in the South Bronx. Both of my parents dropped out of high school. But they saw to it I went [to] college. The American Dream is real to me. It still is alive and well in our community colleges.”
After Dr. Rocha applied, interviewed and held an open forum with students and faculty at Kingsborough, he was not selected.
In a highly anticipated Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, the decision of who would be the next president of KCC was announced live on New York television.
Mr. Herzek was present at the meeting to accept the appointment by the Board.
PCC Board member William Thomson knew that family played a part in Dr. Rocha seeking employment in New York. Mr. Thompson was made aware of the president’s job search months ago.
Mr. Thomson said Dr. Rocha’s wife Nancy recently received a promotion with Pasadena-based Jacobs Engineering that required her to move to New York.
“One’s family has to take priority over job opportunities,” Mr. Thompson said. “Mark obviously wanted to remain happily married…and be with his family.
“One can’t blame a man for putting family first.”
Mr. Thomson weighed in on the campus climate during Dr. Rocha’s tenure, whether he is being forced out and if he will continue to seek other employment.
“Obviously the campus climate has not been the most pleasant, but [Dr. Rocha] is not being asked to leave by the Board of Trustees or forced to leave or whatever else,” Mr. Thomson said.
“I believe there were two other [job opportunities], but I’m not certain. I was aware though of the Kingsborough situation.”
PCC Board President Anthony Fellow is talking about the future.
“I look forward to continuing to work with [Dr. Rocha] to improve Pasadena City College,” he said in an email.
Former Student Trustee Simon Fraser seemed saddened by the news of Dr. Rocha not getting the job.
“That is such a shame,” he said. “I was wishing him the best for that position.”
Rumors of Dr. Rocha stepping down started to circulate around campus back in March, but the president adamantly denied them.
“Where does this stuff come from?” he asked last March. “Who is your source?” Rocha said. “Not only have I not resigned, the Board of Trustees and I are working closely together on long term plans for the college that will take my service as president well beyond 2017.
“That puts that to rest…Where did this [rumor] come from?,” he added.
Mr. Fellow at the time also denied campus rumors of Dr. Rocha’s possible departure.
“The rumor mill at PCC is one of the best in the world,” he said. “As a 10-year professional daily newspaper editor and reporter, most rumors should be left on the newsroom floor.
“I assure you that the president of PCC continues and will be President Mark Rocha.”
English professor Melissa Michelson spoke recently about why she thinks Dr. Rocha should leave.
“I think it would be good for the college,” she told the Pasadena Weekly. “It’s time for a change in leadership at PCC, especially with accreditation looming.
“In our last accreditation report, they warned us about our shared governance issues and our enrollment problems.”
This story originated in the Pasadena City College Courier, www.pcccourier.com
