After months of feuding over the alleged illegal hiring of the district chancellor, an agreement has been reached allowing the San Mateo County Community College District’s board of trustees to keep the chancellor and have none of the state funding withheld, all without costly litigation.
     However, SMCCCD is subject to a 3-year program to monitor its hiring procedures and possible 2-year extension if the district fails to comply.
     According to a settlement agreement released by Kirsten Macintyre, the public information officer for the California community college chancellor’s office, all administrative and executive positions hiring will be subject to this monitoring program and must comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations.
     The long dispute started when Kate Motoyama, former president of the Academic Senate informed the state chancellor’s office of SMCCCD’s hiring process.
     The SMCCCD had hired then Interim Chancellor Ron Galatolo as the new chancellor, after former Chancellor Earl Johnson abruptly resigned.
     State Chancellor Thomas Nussbaum has threatened to withhold more than $550,000 in state funds, believing that the SMCCCD’s board of trustees broke the law by violating the education code in the hiring process.
     The SMCCCD’s board of trustees contended that it did not break any law, maintaining that state appellate court had thrown out regulations governing how community colleges select chancellors in Sept. 2001.
     However, Nussbaum sustained that although the law was negated, regulation was still in place and ordered further investigation.
     But after months of dispute with no agreement in sight, Senator John Vasconcellos, along with Senator Jack Scott and Assemblywoman Carol Liu, intervened and quickly settled the issue.
     “They basically worked as moderators,” said Barbara Christensen, SMCCCD’s director of community and government relations. “Speeding up the process of the two party negotiation.”
     Knowing the state of California is facing a $21 billion budget shortfall; the legislator urged both parties to resolved the matter without spending limited educational resources on costly litigation and help drafted the settlement agreement.
     All parties have agreed that they need to utilize all available resources and energy to advance the community college educational system.
     “I am glad it is over,” said Connie Beringer, president of he Skyline College academic senate. “I am glad that it is over without any more expenses to the district.”