Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Announced Closing of IVC's Child Development Center (plus: FORUM)


     As we reported previously, IVC's Vice President for Student Services, Linda Fontanilla, has been making the rounds making the case for closing the college's Child Development Center—as a way of addressing a large budget shortfall. Faculty associated with the CDC have complained that the recommendation of closing the center advises a de facto discontinuance of the "Human Development" instructional program. Hence, the closing of the CDC circumvents existing program discontinuance procedures that are conducted by the college Academic Senate (faculty). —RB

4:21 p.m.:
Email to the IVC community from President Roquemore entitled, “Irvine Valley College CDC.”

A letter to the Irvine Valley College Community:
This letter is to inform you that Irvine Valley College (IVC) will close our Child Development Center (CDC) on Friday, June 30, 2017.

IVC recognizes that its CDC has been a source of great pride to our community. The decision to close the center has been a difficult one that has been under study and review for several years by campus governance committees. During this time, the college has held open discussions about the status of the center. Ultimately, budget constraints of the college have necessitated this outcome. 
The final determination for closure was compelled by a number of factors largely precipitated by the fiscal impact the CDC has on the college. The CDC was established as a self- sufficient operation. However, since its inception it has been subsidized by the general fund. This subsidy has grown to $500,000 a year.

Additionally, the recent decision by the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees (SOCCCD) to offer a golden handshake for early retirement will leave the CDC without a director and the necessary required ratio of employees to appropriately and legally provide a safe learning environment for children. 
We would like to take this opportunity to commend CDC Director Becky Thomas, the staff and faculty who have worked collaboratively to provide quality child care to the many families who have chosen IVC’s Child Development Center. 
During this time of transition, IVC will continue to provide children with the highest level of service. Parents with currently enrolled children should seek options for child care by the time the CDC officially closes its doors on June 30. IVC is waiving its 30-day withdrawal policy, should a parent find new child care prior to June 30. 
The college will continue to support the IVC Human Development program. Going forward, this may include a vendor who could operate a CDC at IVC in the future.

Sincerely,
Dr. Glenn R. Roquemore
President
Irvine Valley College
Golly, what will become of this primo space?
SEE ALSO Irvine Valley College’s Child Development Center targeted for closure, April 8, 2017

FORUM:

Anonymous said...
     Just saw the President's message.... I could have called this all day. They will look for a "vendor" to take over the space. We are now planning to rent out more of our campus to create profits. This is why having Republicans run an educational institution is a bad idea. Run it for the bottom line.
--5:54 PM, April 26, 2017

Anonymous said...
     So sad.
     Once again, very few places to discuss such events except the blog and hallways.
--6:22 PM, April 26, 2017

OLDER COMMENTS:

• Number crunchers strike again. This isn't about instruction. Someone has an agenda and others are helping achieve it because they are too afraid not to.

• Where is the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences on this? Where is the Senate? We have a process for program discontinuance but this ain't it.

• Someone needs to alert the faculty union as well. And what does the dean of Social Sciences say about this?

• Shared governance anyone? Collegial consultation? Notice how they moved on this AFTER the Accreditation Team left? Perhaps someone wants to notify the members of Accreditation Team who are, after all, still writing up their report? (Please understand that this isn't the end of plans - only the beginning. Their chopping block is a big one.)

• Why is this just now coming to light so late in the academic year? Davit knew we were in trouble with last year's budget, and, surely, he projects budget for more than one year in advance. They'll blame this on the possibility of reduced foreign student income, but they should have been looking at that all along anyway. And, what about the savings realized from the early retirement incentive? Has anyone looked into grants or other subsidies for the CDC? If faculty and staff knew before now that academic programs were on the chopping block, there might have been time to save them. Once again, piss-poor planning and communication by our vaunted administration.

• Eye on the ball folks! It's about resources and agendas, like always. What are they going to put in that prime space? Who is playing ball with the right people right now? Who needs money for some pet project? Any predictions?

• The CDC has always been a financial necessary evil for the campus and at times the District. The academic program never generated enough revenue to cover its cost and the restrictions put on the childcare side of the operation kept it from competing with other local operations. Time to sub lease it and let a non-profit turn it into a viable community asset.

• Typical of the way this corrupt administration runs this place. What an ugly environment to work in and be a part of!

• I believe most of the CDC staff are retiring soon.

• Did the faculty decide to end the program? Isn't there a process for this? People should be wary; what happens to some, may happen to you.

• Where is the commitment not only to this program but to our students (and staff) who depend on its services?

• How do other colleges maintain and protect their child development centers? If they close ours, won't we be one of the few local colleges without such services?

• Glenn is a dumb fuck,he has no clue. Davit is an idiot, he couldn't admin his way out of a paper bag. Linda? dont get me started. A student service pro would be in there fighting for the center and the students who need affordable childcare. The Board has a role in this. They need to step up and protect the community for which they serve.

• Just playing devil's advocate here. Do we know how many students and employees have children at the CDC? It's hard to imagine the administration closing the facility if it caters to a large number of students and employees. If it's primarily become a service to the community, is that what the CDC is really there to do? Offer child care to local residents? If that's the case, there are plenty of options in the area for community members.

• Only 13 IVC students bring their kids to the CDC. It isn't many.

• And what percentage of the college population does that amount to? I can see why there's such an uproar.

• I thought the primary point of the CDC was to have opportunities for HD students to work on site. It's like a lab.

• pink slips on the agenda.

• The service is too costly, what's it like a grand per week to stick your kid in there? Who can afford that?

• Saddleback's site is a LAB.

• The problem = a director who showed zero interest in working with faculty to promote the program. Nothing new to excite the community. Clueless about the growth in the field that make other college campus centers so awesome. No this director did not care to make this school thrive. ZERO professional development! Her staff were oppressed, depressed. Look at any other college lab school and you will see exemplary models. This one was a joke. Could've been so much more were it not for the slammed-shut mind.

• I wish they would have put research efforts into evaluating how other preschools are profitable and successful instead of why ours should be shut down. The director needs to find a sustainable model, not just allow the center to lose money year after year.

• The center is not a thousand a week, it's about 1300 a month. Staff, students and community all used the center. It was literally ran into the ground by the powers that be. The lower staff(teachers) watched it all happen and had really no voice to say anything. The director LITERALLY was turning away children, giving them a list of other schools to go to. What director does that?? There were tons of students utilizing the center as much as could be accommodated, due to the enrollment that was turned away. The director, when she did show up was more concerned about other things to do, then center stuff. Also, there were 4 admin people working in the front of a center with 40 kids in it. Again, NO preschool does that. Two of them could of been in the back, so the school could take more children, but those two were busy shopping on EBAY or planning trips. The most effort that was applied to this center in the last 5 years, was to shut it down. Ever since LINDA F started IVC. One less department for her to run. The saddest part is there is nobody who cared to check on the accountability of the powers that be. Yes, it lost money, but the reason was mismanagement and nobody caring to check where our tax dollars are really going. Then when people did start caring and tried, it was too little, too late, unfortunately. Sad, for the children, students and people of our community. Also, last, but not least the teachers who worked to maintain a great environment for OUR communities children.

• Well said. Sadly so.

• Am I being paranoid in thinking it might be intentional and not just a computer glitch that the video from all the past board meetings has been deleted?
https://www.socccd.edu/about/about_board_minutes_video.html

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a former teacher for 14 years at the CDC...I have to say Im not surprised. The director Becky Thomas has NO IDEA or CLUE about running, motivating, budgeting or managing a center, what she is good at kissing ass, fixing her hair and makeup in her office and eating. When I started working at IVC in 2000 it was a happening, developmentally appropriate awesome place to teach, learn and build a foundation with the staff children and parents. The director and assistant directors WASTED so much $$$$$ on stuff that was NOT needed for the staff or children nor necessary for the function of the center....i.e. chaffing dishes for when the President came so he wouldn't have to eat luke warm food. This is just an example.
What I feel sorry for arethe few QUALITY teachers who worked so hard with so little to be out of a job!
RIP IVC CDC!

Anonymous said...

What you describe is disgraceful. I too remembering the former place you describe. Who was in charge of overseeing the CDC and Becky during these recent years? Why did this happen? What will happen next?

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...