WCC faculty union expresses concern over 'collapsed' communications with college president
Washtenaw Community College's faculty union said communications have collapsed with the college president.
Washtenaw Community College's faculty union said it has deep concerns regarding a breakdown in communications with college President Rose Bellanca, the Washtenaw Voice reported.
At a Wednesday Board of Trustees meeting, the union’s chief negotiator David Fitzpatrick said the faculty feels they have not had a clear line of communication with the president and her office.
According to the union, Bellanca has ignored several emails from faculty union members. The union also expressed concern regarding the "sudden resignation" of the college’s Vice President of Administration and Finance Steven Hardy last November.
AnnArbor.com reported that Hardy had worked at WCC since 2001, when he was hired as the school's financial controller. In 2008, Hardy was promoted to vice president.
Hardy, of Ann Arbor, earned $135,000 and left the college "to pursue other opportunities."
The trustees defended the college's communication efforts and re-affirmed its support of the president. Bellanca said she will continue to work with faculty, staff and students to resolve the situation and believes that although they may have differences in communication, they "all have the same end in mind."
Comments
Alfred E. Newman's Ghost
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 12:23 p.m.
This is a good Board caught with a bad president. They will do the right thing, but it takes time. I do like the idea of the president announcing her retirement at Commencement, though.
arborarmy
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 7:11 p.m.
Too bad that the Ann Arbor Community doesn't have a real newspaper that conducts investigative journalism. If it did, it would look into the following very basic questions: 1) What happened at St. Clair Community College during Bellanca's tenure there? 2) Did the WCC Board of Trustees know about what happened there when they hired her? 3) If they did know about what happened at SCCC, what about her tenure there suggested to them she would succeed at WCC? 4) If they did not know about her track record there, why didn't they know about it? But, like I said, these questions would be asked by a serious journalistic organization. I guess, therefore, we need to wait for either the Chronicle or the Observer to take them on. Meanwhile, we'll have to depend on the WCC student newspaper for serious reporting about what is happening on that campus.
Flalaw97
Fri, Mar 15, 2013 : 6:02 p.m.
How about a simple google search would turn up this article that shows she cares not about what faculty and students think: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/04/21/stclair
arborarmy
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 1:32 p.m.
Horseradish. This is either a community newspaper or it is a re-post site that spends an inordinate amount of its finite resources policing its discussion boards rather than doing real investigative journalism. If it is the former, it needs start acting like one. Unfortunately, it is, right now, much more like the latter. And, hence, we will need to wait for the Chronicle or the Observer to do the real investigation here.
OneTermNerd
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 12:03 p.m.
This is not really fair criticism of Ann Arbor.com, given the economic model the media has to operate under. They do what they can - it is up to us to do as you've done here, be their eyes and ears to point them in the right direction when a significant story is brewing so they can expose abuses by our minor elected officials.
nA2tive
Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 4:27 a.m.
After reading the article in the Voice, a couple of things stand out. The AnnArbor.com article skipped over the part that a well-liked VP, Stuart Blacklaw, is being let go - the one administrator who communicates well with and is trusted by the faculty. You should hire Ben Soltis to cover WCC so that he gets paid for doing your work. It is too bad young Mr. Soltis was not around when Larry "Don't Cross Me" Whitworth was President of WCC.
OneTermNerd
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 8:31 p.m.
You gotta read this. Damn! http://washtenawvoice.com/-/pdf/vol19/washtenawvoice_030413.pdf
jimmyjohn
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 8:21 p.m.
The Wastenaw Voice says: The college may tout its many great academic programs, the success of its graduates and its low campus crime rate, but what it has failed to convey to the students who are already enrolled is the sense that the leadership of WCC actually gives a damn about them. Wow ... what happened to my beloved alma mater?
PrepSportsExpert
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.
It seems to me President Bellanca is someone who says all the right things when the pressure is on, but simply lacks the ability to effectively lead an institution. When she interviewed for the position, her main focus was fund raising and student success. The two areas that every college is always looking to improve. The WCC Board of Trustees bought it and offered her the job. Her time at St. Clair County Community College started off much the same way it has at WCC. The board, the faculty union and others involved fell in love with her at the beginning, but soon the shine wore off. If you ever meet her in person, she is a nice woman to speak with and clearly knows how to please people. I don't think she purposely lets the relationships turn sour, I just don't think she is the right person to be the head of a college. My guess is that the WCC board is hesitant to admit they made a mistake given how much time and money went into finding Larry Whitworth's replacement and don't want to open themselves up to more criticism. I also find it interesting that a board member essentially blamed "The Voice" for the back-and-forth bickering when that newspaper is bringing to light an issue between the faculty union and administration. If not for the reporting of "The Voice," many people in the community would not be aware of this uneasy situation.
bluenote
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
Well said.
andralisa
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 5:15 p.m.
This is a great school and anyone that threatens its growth and image has got to go - Bye Rose, please
jimmyjohn
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 8:19 p.m.
Indeed, andralisa From the Voice: What was once a pretty easygoing campus filled with helpful individuals willing to share their insight with any random passersby looking for information has now turned into an uncomfortable cage populated by fit-prone administrators and department heads.
Nick Danger
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 2 p.m.
Sounds like the trustee's are out of touch or simply unwilling to do the job they were elected to do.
NoSUVforMe
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 1:15 p.m.
Actually, my comment about alcohol was wrong (confusion about EMU president).
Nick Danger
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 12:29 p.m.
How about the laviis spending for her office. She has no problem spending money to enhance her self image, Everythinga free at WCC
andralisa
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 5:14 p.m.
Yeah gotta watch that laviis stuff - hahhaaa
PineyWoodsGuy
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 4:06 a.m.
It is deeply hoped the WCCC board will do what we taxpayers elected them to do. Without open communication in the academy, there is no hope for resolution and progress. This is Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti; not Port Huron. This means there is a constituent base in this county that is concerned with the administrator listening to faculty (Rose: "constituent base." Think Univ Mich, EMU, Condordia and Cleary . . . Duhh . . . ). http://www.washtenawvoice.com/2013/03/wcc-faculty-union-airs-deep-concerns-about-president/
jimmyjohn
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
It isn't the first college she's done this to.
bluenote
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 2:27 a.m.
The Voice got it right throughout this week's edition. Bravo on an excellent issue!
PineyWoodsGuy
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 1:23 a.m.
Lots of workers take early retirement. Others wait until Soc Sec retirement age 62+. Pres Rose is in the 62+ yrs class. For a "classy" retirement when she is at the top of her game, WCCC Graduation Ceremonies in May, 2013 would demonstrate Excellent Timing on her part. Thanx Rose for all you have done to WCCC, Bye. Bye.
NoSUVforMe
Thu, Mar 7, 2013 : 9:40 p.m.
Poor due diligence when she was hired. Time for her to go.
jimmyjohn
Mon, Mar 11, 2013 : 10:53 p.m.
The real issue is that there were warning signs that would have prevented the mistake, but they didn't bother checking into it.
NoSUVforMe
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 1:10 p.m.
Erratic. Alcohol induced. Public embarrassment.
bluenote
Fri, Mar 8, 2013 : 2:40 a.m.
What do you mean?
Saline_Wins
Thu, Mar 7, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.
She is on her way out as her corruptness is starting to show to all union and faculty members now .
fjord
Thu, Mar 7, 2013 : 6:44 p.m.
Is that a photo of the communications collapsing?
Faygo
Thu, Mar 7, 2013 : 6:57 p.m.
That is a photo of what happens when communications have already collapsed.