PETITION FOR THE IMMEDIATE HIRING OF AN INTERIM PRESIDENT AND THE REMOVAL OF PETER GABEL FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
We, the students, alumni/ae, faculty, and workers -current and former- of New College of California, demand that the Board of Trustees and Interim Administrative Leadership of the school, hire without delay one of the top three candidates recommended by the Presidential Search Committee at the Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 10, 2007. The appointed administrative, and the faculty and student elected members of the Search Committee have unanimously ranked James Waddell as the top candidate, with Christopher O'Hearn and Rod Smith as the second and third candidates respectively. All committee members interviewed each of our candidates at length and are very confident that any of these three outstanding individuals, experienced with college turnarounds from bankruptcy and large scale fundraising, both of which are necessities, in the catastrophic financial condition the college is now in.
Once the presidential issue is taken care of, we then need to work to make sure that this new president is allowed to govern without undue interference from what WASC called "a third arm" of leadership.
With the payroll now one month in arrears and no indications of any financial bail-out in sight from the board, we are also demanding that Peter Gabel, the Historic Leader, who along with Martin Hamilton, are responsible for the gross mis-management of the college to the point of bankruptcy, step down from the Board as mandated by WASC, before the fall 2007 school term ends. Gabel and Martin's continued interference of WASC compliance actions and illegitimate presence and behavior in the administrative offices, in direct violation of the WASC mandate that they be removed, can no longer be tolerated. We demand that Peter and Martin leave the premises of the college at once and be further banned from entering the administrative offices or utilizing its facilities to launch and organize their counter-revolt against WASC compliance.
The North Bay programs on the Santa Rosa campus have been informed that they will have to find a new facility by the fall of 2008, even though over half a million dollars have been spent by the college on capital improvements on that property, owned by the Arlene Francis Foundation. Past loans contributed by Peter's family foundation for previous payroll pay-outs, while presented as examples of Gabel's altruism and love of the college, were typically borrowed at market or high interest rates. Is it truly the survival of the college that Peter and Martin are working for? Or is it plain and simple, self-interest?
The college is at the crossroads of transforming its dysfunctional past under Peter and Martin's delusional vision, financial excesses and blunders and nepotism, into a real academic oasis that can truly embody the spirit of its mission of social justice and sustainable and sacred actions in the community and world. The salvation of New College lies in the hands of all of us, students, staff, alumni/ae, faculty and community at large. We empower ourselves to take back New College. New College belongs to all of us. WASC said that the job of the administration is to protect the teaching and learning that goes on in the school. That is all. Peter and the Historic Leadership's goal has been to create a global community through the acquisitions of ill-advised real estate investments and bankrupt businesses, none of which have served the college in any remotely just, sacred or sustainable way.
WE DEMAND THAT THE NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT BE HIRED. WE DEMAND THAT PETER GABEL AND MARTIN HAMILTON LEAVE NEW COLLEGE AT ONCE!!
PETITION FOR THE IMMEDIATE HIRING OF AN INTERIM PRESIDENT AND THE REMOVAL OF PETER GABEL FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
We, the students, alumni/ae, faculty, and workers -current and former- of New College of California, demand that the Board of Trustees and Interim Administrative Leadership of the school, hire without delay one of the top three candidates recommended by the Presidential Search Committee at the Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 10, 2007. The appointed administrative, and the faculty and student elected members of the Search Committee have unanimously ranked James Waddell as the top candidate, with Christopher O'Hearn and Rod Smith as the second and third candidates respectively. All committee members interviewed each of our candidates at length and are very confident that any of these three outstanding individuals, experienced with college turnarounds from bankruptcy and large scale fundraising, both of which are necessities, in the catastrophic financial condition the college is now in.
Once the presidential issue is taken care of, we then need to work to make sure that this new president is allowed to govern without undue interference from what WASC called "a third arm" of leadership.
With the payroll now one month in arrears and no indications of any financial bail-out in sight from the board, we are also demanding that Peter Gabel, the Historic Leader, who along with Martin Hamilton, are responsible for the gross mis-management of the college to the point of bankruptcy, step down from the Board as mandated by WASC, before the fall 2007 school term ends. Gabel and Martin's continued interference of WASC compliance actions and illegitimate presence and behavior in the administrative offices, in direct violation of the WASC mandate that they be removed, can no longer be tolerated. We demand that Peter and Martin leave the premises of the college at once and be further banned from entering the administrative offices or utilizing its facilities to launch and organize their counter-revolt against WASC compliance.
The North Bay programs on the Santa Rosa campus have been informed that they will have to find a new facility by the fall of 2008, even though over half a million dollars have been spent by the college on capital improvements on that property, owned by the Arlene Francis Foundation. Past loans contributed by Peter's family foundation for previous payroll pay-outs, while presented as examples of Gabel's altruism and love of the college, were typically borrowed at market or high interest rates. Is it truly the survival of the college that Peter and Martin are working for? Or is it plain and simple, self-interest?
The college is at the crossroads of transforming its dysfunctional past under Peter and Martin's delusional vision, financial excesses and blunders and nepotism, into a real academic oasis that can truly embody the spirit of its mission of social justice and sustainable and sacred actions in the community and world. The salvation of New College lies in the hands of all of us, students, staff, alumni/ae, faculty and community at large. We empower ourselves to take back New College. New College belongs to all of us. WASC said that the job of the administration is to protect the teaching and learning that goes on in the school. That is all. Peter and the Historic Leadership's goal has been to create a global community through the acquisitions of ill-advised real estate investments and bankrupt businesses, none of which have served the college in any remotely just, sacred or sustainable way.
WE DEMAND THAT THE NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT BE HIRED. WE DEMAND THAT PETER GABEL AND MARTIN HAMILTON LEAVE NEW COLLEGE AT ONCE!!
2:50 pm PST, Jan 15,Robert Ovetz Phd, California
As a former core faculty member and coordinator of the Masters of Teaching Critical Environmental and Global Literacy program during 2003-2004 I can attest to the incompetence, disorganization, internal power struggles, discrimination and unprofessional activities of New College. When I was hired it was like a dream come true to be part of an institution of higher education that can contribute directly to struggles for fundamental political change. By the end of my tenure I couldn't stand it. The faculty in my department were physchologically abused, the students cheated and the academic integrity of the department was compromised.
New College is a rare established foundation for working class, social justice and environmental movements that needs to be saved but not under its current leadership. Removing just Gabel is not enough. Many of the deans and department heads have created their own little fiefdoms that have catastrophically impacted the quality of education and working conditions of the faculty and staff. I would like to help save New College. If any one would like to contact me I can be reached at:
rfovetz[at]riseup[dot]net
# 178:
4:00 pm PST, Jan 12,Gregory Gajus, California
Alum and adjunct faculty -
# 177:
9:00 am PST, Jan 10,Rebecca Everhart, Indiana
# 176:
10:11 pm PST, Jan 9,William Harper, Georgia
# 175:
9:24 am PST, Jan 9,Pam Boland, Georgia
# 174:
2:50 pm PST, Jan 7,Melissa Ambrose, California
# 173:
12:54 pm PST, Jan 7,Jorge Garcia, California
I am a students/full-time worker and father. With out this great program I would not be able to realize my dream of finishing college and having the opportunity to get a better job. Save New College!
# 172:
4:43 pm PST, Jan 4,Jeff Embleton, California
# 171:
3:19 pm PST, Jan 4,Name not displayed, California
What I have seen and experienced while at New College is simply unbelievable. Corruption, incompetence, insanity, and (covert and overt) violence of those who deem themselves in the positions of leadership along with their carefully chosen inner-circle occupying higher administrative, management, academic and other positions is a frightening system that can only be described -- a cult. Once exposed and threatened they showed their thug-like, aggressive and oppressive tactics. Nothing worthwhile can come out of such a place. They all need to leave, and willingly, humanly they will not; cannnot. Revolt of the students, dignified faculty and independent staff is now.
# 170:
11:49 pm PST, Dec 30,Florence Mayberry, California
As a 2007 graduate of the Writing and Consciousness MFA program, I believe in the core mission of the school and in the talent and committment of the faculty. That being said, the level of mismanagement of the administrative offices is inexcusable. My Petition to Graduate form and check was lost, which resulted in a three month delay in my degree being posted to my records. Eight months after graduation, neither me nor anyone else in my graduating class have been mailed their degrees, nor have we been contacted by the registrar's office about when we should expect to receive them. I finally phoned the registrar's office and was informed that there was no money for paper to print out our degrees and no one knew when they would be printed. While a lack of funds is understandable in light of the present situation, how difficult would it have been to send out emails to the graduates explaining the reason for the delay. Last week I sent in a request for an official transcript which I need asap. The negative feedback I've received from fellow-graduates who are just now beginning to request their transcripts be sent out doesn't give me much hope that my request will be honored. Losing checks, failure to post degrees, inability to mail out degrees/explanations within a resonable length of time, and not responding to requests for official transcripts is a shameful way to run a college. New College's students are some of the finest and don't deserve to be treated this way. One of my writing instructor's said it best when she wrote "What has happened is nothing less than obscene." I wholeheartedly concur. Mr Molina and the Board of Trustees, I implore you to show your hard-working students the respect they deserve by immediately taking action to hire one of the three candidates for president and doing whatever it takes to satisfy the WASC report. In doing so you can begin to focus on becoming the forward-thinking institution we all believe you can be. The truth is there is nothing progressive about ineptitude.
Sincerely,
Florence Mayberry, MFA Alumna
Writing and Consciousness Program
# 169:
4:36 pm PST, Dec 30,Dana Yandle, North Carolina
# 168:
6:25 am PST, Dec 30,Anonymous NA, California
What are Harry Britt, Roberta Achtenberg, Ralph Wolff and Gary Tombleson's roles re: hiring James Waddell? Who has benefited from New College's recent difficulties? It's easy to scapegoat Hamilton and Gabel. Those who care about New College should look deeper . . . .
# 167:
1:56 am PST, Dec 30,Kathleen A.H., Arizona
# 166:
11:52 am PST, Dec 29,Zoe Sodja, California
I am a law school alumni, graduated May 2006. New College was always disorganized and a real struggle but I believe in its mission. It's very sad that the mission and the role it could have played have been so undermined by mismanagement and it's appalling that students who depend on financial assistance, poor students whom the school purports to support, have been left hanging and unpaid faculty as well.
# 165:
6:44 am PST, Dec 29,Polly Odyssey, Missouri
# 164:
12:07 pm PST, Dec 28,Karen Harper, California
Weekend B.A. Completion Program Alum 2007
# 163:
12:33 pm PST, Dec 27,Leilani Clark, California
My name is Leilani Clark. I am a second year student in the Writing and Consciousness program at New College of California. I am very disappointed in the goings on of the last few months and look forward to major changes in the workings of the school. The actions of the former adminstration are frustrating and disrespectful to students and faculty.
# 162:
5:08 am PST, Dec 27,Esteban Rios, Argentina
# 161:
2:48 am PST, Dec 27,Terry L. west, West Virginia
# 160:
4:47 pm PST, Dec 26,Denise Bostrom, California
I graduated from the MFA Writing & Consciousness Program in 2005, and feel that the education and professional support I gained from the faculty and cohorts was and remains a superior academic experience. Denise Bostrom - December 26, 2007
# 159:
5:43 pm PST, Dec 25,Alter Nathan Bader, California
student with shame
# 158:
12:44 pm PST, Dec 24,Karen Choury, California
alum - weekend BA program
# 157:
12:44 pm PST, Dec 24,Karen Choury, California
alum - weekend BA program
# 156:
9:20 pm PST, Dec 23,Bruce Machado, California
MFA Student - Writing & Consciousness. I don't know anything about the politics or historical leaderships of New College and I don't give a rat's ass about it. New College is broken (as well as broke), so let's fix it. I came to New College with the full intention of completing my MA/MFA program and I intend to do so. I don't have a trust fund, so the only way I can complete my MFA is to have New College attain compliance with WASC standards for accreditation, which really shouldn't have become an issue in the first place - How hard is it to do what is right? Dot the i's, cross the t's, follow proceedure, etc. ... The lives, spirits, and futures of a great many students, faculty, staff and alumni are being drastically affected by decades of ineptitude. For whatever reasons WASC became alerted to the problems infesting New College, WASC has legitimate concerns that need to be addressed and corrected A.S.A. - Fricking P. To quote one of my favorite De Niro movies: "You're either part of the problem, part of the solution, or part of the landscape."
# 155:
7:19 pm PST, Dec 23,Sarah Stone, California
Core faculty, MFA in Writing and Consciousness. The students at New College do brilliant, original, astonishing work -- and for a long time have done it without the systemic support they deserve. WASC is right -- those who led the college in the past need to step aside to make way for a new administration, so that we can all work together for a college that lives up to its mission, where teaching and learning are central, with functional, accountable systems. I am signing the petition but not agreeing with every assertion. I strongly support the hiring of one of the search committee's recommended registry candidates for president, and also wish to honor the past contributions, and best intentions, of our historical leadership, despite all blunders and mistakes. It is time for Peter and Martin to move on, but let's treat every member of this community, including the historical leadership, with kindness and the assumption that, no matter what the actions or results may be, their intentions are as good as our own.
# 154:
5:54 pm PST, Dec 23,Daphne Gottlieb, California
Adjunct faculty, W&C program.
It has been an honor and a privilege to teach at New College over the past three years; I looked forward to a long and rich time there; it is not only my dreams that have been fractured, but those of my students. What has happened is nothing less than obscene. I beg you: Turn it around.
# 153:
4:30 pm PST, Dec 23,Jaime Robles, California
Adjunct faculty. The school needs to select a new president as soon as possible.
# 152:
2:46 pm PST, Dec 23,Esther Lee, California
I'm a former adjunct instructor for the MFA Writing and Consciousness program. I'm hopeful about the college's future and wish everyone at New College--especially the WC students--the best of luck.
# 151:
2:24 pm PST, Dec 23,Janet Ector, California
Don't believe the hype!
This school needs WASC accreditation to be viable for ANY student who relies on financial aid. Don't take my word for it either, look it up, do the research, check your history. This is a SERIOUS Civil Rights issue that should not be ignored by a student body proclaiming itself progressive.
