[img]1769|right|Dr. Mark Rocha||no_popup[/img]Dr. Mark Rocha, who singlehandedly made himself the ugliest personality, perhaps in the history of Pasadena City College, is almost out the door.
Aug. 31 is his final day. The student and faculty cheering that erupted with yesterday afternoon’s “retirement” announcement is not likely to soften until his body vanishes into the non-campus portion of the community.
Celebration of the 61st birthday of the despised president of the slipping community college two days before, likely is to be confined to the numerous enemies he seems to have created throughout the PCC family in the last two of his four years.
Faculty members openly have stated that “Dr. Rocha’s No. 1 talent is lying,” a reference to both his style of governance and his refusal to commune with anyone other than himself.
Dr. Rocha’s ouster – though it is being labeled retirement – follows a pattern of unregretted, strictly out-of-view departures that has been true at previous waystations.
Fittingly, the angry administrator shleps away six days after the start of the new term.
The following announcement went out to school employees late yesterday afternoon:
Superintendent-President Mark Rocha to Retire
Effective August 31, 2014
The Board of Trustees of the Pasadena Area Community College District has announced today that Dr. Mark Rocha, Superintendent-President of the District and Pasadena City College will retire from his position, effective August 31, 2014.
Dr. Anthony R. Fellow, President of the PACCD Board of Trustees, said “I speak for the Board in saying that we accept Dr. Rocha’s decision to retire with profound gratitude for his leadership over the past four years. Dr. Rocha brought the college safely through one of the worst budget cuts in California history. We well understand and fully respect his decision to turn the reins over to the great administrative team he has assembled.”
For his part, Dr. Rocha said his decision was a personal one. “I’ve started my tenth year as a community college president and that is a good long run in this kind of work. It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and return to my passion for teaching and writing.”
Dr. Mark Rocha was appointed as the thirteenth president of Pasadena City College on July 1, 2010. Under his leadership the college’s accreditation was reaffirmed and an educational master plan was approved through shared governance that resulted in the First Year Experience Pathways Program that won for the college the Chancellor’s Award for Student Success in 2012. Dr. Rocha also successfully completed the Measure P bond construction program plan with the opening of the Center for the Arts and he led the transition to a new college-wide technology system and improved web-based services for students.
“Together, we accomplished a great deal,” noted Dr. Rocha, “but for me the most important changes are the smaller ones that make a difference in the everyday lives of people.”
“I am very grateful to the Board of Trustees whose support has been essential to our many accomplishments over the past four years,” Dr. Rocha continued. “It has been a great privilege to serve the college and an honor to serve with my colleagues. The members of the Board are seven of the most decent and well-meaning public servants I have ever met. I wish all of the good people of PCC nothing but my heartiest best wishes and great success for the future.”
The Board of Trustees will be meeting soon to decide on the appointment of an interim president.
