[Editor’s Note: At 4:40 yesterday afternoon, the following unedited letter/plea from the job-endangered President of Pasadena City College was delivered to the entire faculty. Dr. Rocha, whose policies and manner of leading are under heavy fire, promised two more letters. “Sounds to me like a plea for mercy,” said one faculty member. This is the third straight school at which Dr. Rocha’s hasty departure has been urged or forced.]
[img]1769|right|Dr. Mark Rocha||no_popup[/img]A Personal Letter to My Faculty Colleagues, Instructors, Librarians, Counselors and Coaches,
In recent days, I have reached out to many of you. I thank so many of you who have shared your candid thoughts and sincere feelings.
Two things are clear: The college we all love has a serious problem and the college needs to begin the process of healing.
Two things I promise: I am here to listen and we start this process of healing today.
As I hear you express dismay at the current campus climate, I want you to know that I share your feelings and your deep concerns. The current climate is not good if it distracts even one of you from putting your full energy into the service of your students.
As a teacher, I’d be asking, “What on earth is really going on around here?” And just as importantly, I would be asking, “How do we get out of this unhealthy state and heal?”
There are colleagues who may have made up their minds that the path to healing is to make a change in the administration. It may come as a surprise to you that I completely agree with this view! But not in the way some may think. In my humble view healing will come to PCC not by changing yet again the personnel of this administration, but by changing the very nature of administration itself.
And, together, we must set about this project right now.
I therefore ask you today at least to accept the possibility that such a project can lead to a healing for all of us teachers who just want to do our life's work in peace.
Let me state clearly: this is not an effort to defend the administration's decisions. As your president, I will devote everything I have to the task of healing. Our healing has little to do with policy or accreditation or union contracts. I believe our healing begins with two essential questions:
- How do we create together a safe space for genuine dialogue?
- How can I best listen and learn from each and every teacher what you need in order to teach well, long and happily?
I do not have a quick or facile answer to these questions myself. I do, however, hold out my hand with a few suggestions:
- Faculty Coffee and Lunch Hour. I'd like to host a coffee hour and a noon “rest stop” for all faculty. Let's start on this Thursday at 9 am for coffee and noon for refreshments and then we'll take it from there. I'll also come out to CEC next week. No lectures or posturing. Just a way for me to say thanks for all you have done for our students this year.
- “Two by Two by Two”. I know the demands on your time, but I would love to meet with small groups of you for informal conversation so I can take notes on how I can best support your teaching. No matter how many months it takes, I'm committed to sitting down for a talk with each one of you.
- Return to College Coordinating Council. This is my bad. I asked Bob Miller to chair the meetings last year to make for better dialogue outside my presence but I see I conveyed the impression I didn't care to listen. Well, I'm coming back.
- Instructional Summer Retreat. I've asked Bob Bell to work with you to develop a two•day summer retreat for all faculty to discuss a shared vision for supporting teaching and learning. This will not be mandatory, but I will recommend to the Board that we compensate you for attending. We need you in.
- Your suggestion goes here:…And when you make a suggestion or offer your input, I'll close the feedback loop. I will take copious notes of what I am learning and I will mirror those back to you with clear actions I can take to support your teaching.
I am open to anything and everything. I ask only that you keep the faith that we will do what is best for the college at this time and turn our climate from storm to blue skies.
It is the privilege of my life to serve you. I shall never tire in that service as we move forward with our process of healing.
ps: This message is specifically written for my faculty colleagues. Rather than generalize I felt the need to address specific concerns of each group in our PCC family. (Later today) I will write to our managers and classified staff, followed by a message to our students.
