1998 Self-Study Report - Saddleback College

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The South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees operates within policy
and writ’ten guidelines, however, it has circumvented effective past practices in altering its policy
for hiring executive administrators by minimizing input from shared governance units at the
College level. A majority of the Saddleback College community that participated in the Institutional
Effectiveness Survey (IES) in May, 1997 does not believe that the Board adequately represents
the public interest or effectively ensures the financial soundness of the District and its two
colleges.
There have been five different acting and permanent College presidents in the past six years
and the College has had to undertake creative operational adjustments with each new president
and presidential style.The SOCCCD Board of Trustees significantly reduced the College’s administrative
organization in July, 1997,whichad a negative result on the morale of the remaining
Deans and on the College community as a whole.The institution supports faculty, staff and student
participation in governance, although recent reductions in reassigned time may have a
negative effect on the ability of faculty to effectively particiPate in the shared governance process.
The SOCCCD has a history of effective leadership. Since 1992, however, there have been four
different acting and permanent Chancellors.It is apparent from the responses to the IES that the
District needs to communicate more completely to the College community about its operations.