[Editor’s Note:   One of the most controversial college administrators in the country, Dr. Mark Rocha, over vehement protests by the City College of San Francisco, has survived a reputation-smudging tenure at Pasadena College to land another plum position, charming a team of trustees. The former West L.A. College president (2006-2010) did not so much leave Pasadena as he fled.]

Dateline San Francisco — City College of San Francisco trustees have approved a $310,500 contract for Mark Rocha, affirming him as the next chancellor despite objections from dozens of instructors.

They warned that the controversial Dr. Rocha had clashed with faculty at all three California community colleges where he has been president.

Trustees voted 6-1 to hire Dr. Rocha, 64, who replaces interim Chancellor Susan Lamb at a time of transition.

City College recently emerged from a five-year struggle to remain accredited after being cited for inadequate leadership, poor fiscal controls and governance problems. The college won deadline extensions and was able to improve operations. In January, a commission renewed the college’s accreditation for seven years.

Dr. Rocha is the first permanent chancellor since 2015 when Art Tyler was removed after less than two years by a state trustee overseeing City College. Several speakers said they worried the same would happen with Dr. Rocha. Many held red flags to symbolize the risk.

“I understand the fear,” trustee Shanell Williams told the standing-room-only crowd at the college’s main campus. “But we need stable leadership.”

A selection committee had winnowed a field of 35 applicants to four this spring. Dr. Rocha emerged as the only one who had led a community college.

“This isn’t time for someone who needs training wheels,” trustee Tom Temprano said.

Dr. Rocha led Pasadena City College from 2010 to 2014 and was president of West Los Angeles College for four years before that. He also served for a year as president of Santiago Canyon College in Orange County, until 2001. He spent five years as vice president of a for-profit college.

Dr. Rocha was not at the meeting. He did not hear speaker after speaker tell of warnings they had received about him from faculty at the colleges he led.

“With all respect to you trustees, are you out of your minds? Have we not been through enough hell?” Janet Lohr, an art instructor, told the trustees, expressing the views of most speakers.

They Were Warned

Some cited a ruling against Pasadena College in 2015 from the state’s Public Employment Relations Board that ordered the college, led by Dr. Rocha, to stop interfering with union representation, and to “cease and desist” from unilaterally changing the school calendar.

The college was ordered to restore faculty pay with interest. Dr. Rocha was also the subject of a no-confidence vote by the Pasadena faculty.

Ben Becker, co-chair of the San Francisco Berniecrats, accused Dr. Rocha of bullying, based on reports they had heard from his former colleagues.

Carlota Del Portillo, a retired dean of the Mission campus of City College who was on the search committee, was among a small group who praised Rocha. She said he had impressed her with his ideas for fundraising.

“I think City College will fare well with the first Latino chancellor in 85 years,” she said.

(Dr. Rocha’s father is a native of Colombia, and he grew up in the Bronx.)

In the end, the trustees said that Dr. Rocha may not be the perfect candidate, but the need for stability outweighed other concerns. “I believe we should give people a chance,” said trustee Alex Randolph.

Trustee Rafael Mandelman, the lone no vote, said it will be a “tough thing for the chancellor” to work in an atmosphere of opposition. But he pledged to “do everything I can to make him a successful chancellor.”

After the vote, Alisa Messer, former president of the faculty union, called the decision disappointing. But, she said, “I hope, hope, hope that the trustees are right. I would love to be wrong.”

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov