The latest targets for resolving DVC’s remaining $4 million budget deficit for next year include the admissions and records director, the social sciences dean and the adviser to student government.

On a 3-0-1 vote Feb. 24, the district governing board approved pink slips for Admissions Director Ileana Dorn,
Lynden Krause, dean of social sciences, and student services manager Adriana Lopez. Trustee Tomi Van de Brooke was absent and trustee Jess Reyes abstained.

In later interviews, Krause and Dorn said their job responsibilities would be taken on by other administrators.

“I mean there’s no longer a position,” Krause said.  “That’s what that March 15 notice basically said: There’s no position for you in the new go-round – in the new DVC.”

Dorn said her responsibilities would fall under the purview of Beth Hauscarriague, the dean of outreach, enrollment and matriculation.

Hauscarriague refused to comment on any specific details, saying that no duties had yet been determined. 

DVC president Judy Walters emphasized that the notice only warned of potential job elimination, as required by a March 15 deadline.  By law, actual notice of termination must be given by a May 15. 
 
“Some districts opt to give the March 15 notice to all their faculty and staff in order to give themselves a certain amount of flexibility,” Walters told The Inquirer following the board meeting.  “We’ve decided not to do that here because it can be terrible for morale.”

Walters declined to comment on why these particular managers were given notices, saying that this was more about dealing with budget cuts than performance.

 “When you start to talk about [individual] people, you can’t have that conversation,” she said.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, the governing board also approved the retirement of two DVC deans under a retirement incentive offered all district employees for the 2010-11 school year. 

Asked whether DVC’s management structure would undergo a change, given these retirements and the possible elimination the three managers’ jobs, Walters declined to give details, confirming only that there would be changes, most likely involving fewer dean positions  and other administrators picking up the slack.

As a result of statewide budget cuts, DVC still faces a $4 million deficit, despite chopping courses from next year’s course schedule for a savings of $1.2 million

ASDVC representatives came to the Feb. 24 governing board meeting to support their adviser, student services manager Lopez. 

In her plea to the governing board, ASDVC President Lindsey St. Hill asked the board not to terminate Lopez, as ASDVC believes her to be an essential line of communication between the students and the college. 

St. Hill pointed out that ASDVC already pays about 20 percent of Lopez’s salary out of its own budget and offered to raise that amount as high as 40 to 50 percent.

Contact Scott Baba at [email protected]