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!!