HCCS struggles to regain its footing: one of the nation's largest community college systems seeks to overcome board controversies and bad publicity - Houston Community College System

HOUSTON

As it tries annexing more land and pushing a bond election, Houston's largest community college -- and one of the largest nationally -- remains mired in governing board controversies and bad publicity.

And for now, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) wonders how well this college district has its act together. A year ago, SACS placed the Houston Community College System (HCCS) "on notice," a form of probation, amid doubts of how effectively the administration and elected trustees work together.

SACS is scheduled this month to review the progress and improvements the college district has made in recent months. At worst, SACS could strip HCCS of its accreditation if it doesn't meet SACS standards by December 2002. At the least, the five-campus, 50,449-student HCCS already is suffering yet another growing pain because of the sanction.

Throughout the 1990s, trustees have squabbled with each other and with HCCS administrators. The vitriol eventually claimed popular chancellor Dr. Ruth Burgos-Sasscer, who after a four-year tenure resigned last year. And even with public spats subsiding since Chancellor Dr. Brace Leslie was hired, public scrutiny on HCCS returned this semester over costly elections and one trustee's heated verbal exchange with a faculty member.

But you may not hear about any of that when talking to Leslie. Leslie, who became interim chancellor in October 2000, was the lone finalist for the permanent job a year ago. In a Black Issues interview, Leslie talks of surveying community support for a bond election. He also wants to lobby voters in at least two more public school districts to approve HCCS annexation. He illustrates the community's respect for HCCS academics when he recounts how during small talk in a checkout line, a student he had never met raved about an HCCS music class, not knowing Leslie was chancellor.

As for the SACS review, Leslie believes that when SACS releases its findings, possibly this month or shortly after the new year, "we should be in very good stead" with SACS. "The board of trustees has made tremendous strides," Leslie says. 'They are focusing on fundamental issues. They have found their voice. It's been a very exciting time for me."

PROBLEMS `FILTER DOWN'

Optimism aside, the specter of turmoil in a community college system is a sobering one, according to educators across the country. It also could strike any two-year college, urban or rural. The ramifications reach far because college leaders and governing boards play such key roles in defining school culture.

"If the board and the chancellor are having problems, it does filter down," says Dr. George Vaughan, professor of higher education at North Carolina State University. Vaughan has extensively researched community colleges and their presidents and governing boards. "These people can enhance the college culture, they can create a negative culture. Is learning placed first, or is it politics? If the board and the president are devoting time and energy to a negative culture, then they're not devoting themselves to academic standards. There are only 24 hours in a day. Fussing, feuding and fighting can eat up lots of time."

Should the average citizen care? Even a working professional who has never attended community college? Most definitely, Vaughan and others say.

Certainly, many working professionals "couldn't care less about daily operations" at their local community college, Vaughan says. If college trustees and administrators are politicking, they're spending less time raising local monies to support programs. "Then suddenly, this working professional wants to take a class after work, from 7 to 10 p.m.," Vaughan says. "But the class is canceled because the funds weren't available. And in extreme cases, if accreditation is removed because the leadership weren't taking care of business. Then this working professional isn't even going to want to attend this school, or want his son or daughter to go there. So this can get very personal."

And, of course, the public should want its public institutions to succeed, observers say. More than 10 million students are now enrolled in our nation's community colleges. That's nearly half of all American undergraduates, according to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

That point is not lost upon Houstonians. Students are more likely to stay and work in an area as economic contributors if they have completed their education nearby, than if they leave that area for school. Also, the work-force training function of community colleges is growing. Studies indicate "people like my 17-year-old son are likely to have five careers in his life," with the need to be re-trained 13 times, says Jim Kollaer, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, which is much like a chamber of commerce. "And they say that four of those careers don't even exist yet," Kollaer says.

Furthermore, community colleges are of increasing importance to minorities. About one-third of community college enrollment nationally is Hispanic, with those students representing the fastest-growing minority at two-year colleges, according to the AACC. Among all minorities, 55 percent each of Hispanic and American Indian undergraduates attend community colleges. Also, 46 percent each of Black and Asian undergraduates attend community colleges at any given time. The HCCS is one of 209 Hispanic-serving institutions nationally, meaning at least 25 percent of their students are Hispanic and at least half of those Hispanics qualify for Pell grants. Nationally, Hispanic-serving institutions make up only 5 percent of all higher education institutions. But as recently as 1997, they enrolled nearly half of all Hispanic students.

So, when administrative and political problems saddle a community college, they're striking the heart of minority higher education, says Dr. Christine Johnson, president of the Community College of Denver, which is 56 percent ethnic minority. Johnson is CCD's first Hispanic president. "Urban politics can splinter racial groups even further, because so many groups already come to the table with different needs in their communities," Johnson says. "And that is a shame because community colleges model the underpinning of the American system. They truly serve people of all kinds of backgrounds. We' re supposed to provide the open door to everyone."

Dr. Jim Jacobs of Columbia University's Teachers College agrees. Jacobs, who is associate director of the school's Community College Research Center, also was a trustee for Detroit's community college district for four years. "Nowhere are community colleges more needed than in urban areas," Jacobs says. "It's a major institution of hope that can rectify public school shortcomings. It's the best second-chance system for a sub-baccalaureate. A vibrant community college is the most important center in building a strong city, a strong local economy."

FUSSING, FEUDING AND FIGHTING

In 1971, Houston voters passed a referendum adding a vocational arm called Houston Community College (HCC) to the Houston Independent School District. About 5,700 students enrolled the first semester. While only work-force education courses like pipe fitting and automotive mechanics were taught initially, academic transfer courses were added in 1972. By 1977, enrollment had swelled to more than 24,000 and HCC secured SACS accreditation. In 1989, a college district and governing board of trustees separate from that of Houston public schools was established. Two years later, voters approved a separate property tax to finance HCCS operations.

The HCCS "service area" now includes seven public school districts. Its budget tops $179 million. State funds make up 39.4 percent of its revenue base. Otherwise, 31.3 percent comes from tuition and fees, 27.1 percent from local property taxes and less than 3 percent from other sources such as federal grants. This semester, tuition is $39 per semester credit hour for students living in the HCCS service area, or $68 per semester credit hour for out-of-district students. The property tax rate is 8.23 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

In recent years, it has consistently been one of the 20 largest singly accredited, higher education institutions nationally. Its five campuses house more than 200 academic programs varying from economics to engineering, from hospitality administration to fashion design. Other community colleges also serve Houston students. The North Harris Montgomery Community College District includes campuses in far north Houston and in suburban communities. The San Jacinto College District has campuses in east Houston as well as in the nearby refinery town of Pasadena.

In the late 1990s, problems surfaced between Burgos-Sasscer and the board of nine trustees, elected from single-member districts. Burgos-Sasscer contended trustees were micromanaging. Trustees at the time said Burgos-Sasscer was too defensive about questions they asked before voting on issues at monthly board meetings. And, some of the trustees publicly accused the chancellor, of Puerto Rican heritage, of neglecting Hispanic and other ethnic minority constituencies. Some accused her of treating the four White trustees more respectfully than the minority trustees. As the fighting escalated, elected officials, business leaders and Houston residents flocked to board meetings pleading with trustees and the chancellor to mend fences. But by June 2000, Burgos-Sasscer agreed to retire and accepted a $198,000 severance package. She still lives in Houston and serves on several community boards. In an interview, she said she remains supportive of HCCS.

Meanwhile, SACS was weighing in. Concerned Houstonians as well as HCCS employees had contacted SACS because of concerns about the fighting between trustees and Burgos-Sasscer. Accreditation officials visited HCCS during the 2000 fall semester, reviewed videotapes of board meetings and interviewed employees and community leaders.

"The chemistry and working relationship between the chancellor and a minority of board members was severely strained," states a SACS report of its findings. "The effectiveness of the institution was also hampered. The same minority of board members often publicly challenged and complained about presentations and other information provided by the Chancellor. (This) made it easy to understand much of the negative press accounts. The board must be very careful of the impression and image it projects. Efforts must be made to get the board to act as a single unit. Every trustee's foremost consideration must be the best interest of the college service areas as a whole."

A year ago, SACS approved HCCS's continued accreditation on the condition that it meet certain criteria by the end of 2003. Specifically, they are:

* Documenting that the trustees have appropriate policies to ensure they are adequately informed about HCCS finances and operations. There also should be "clear distinction" between the trustees' policy-making functions and the administration's responsibility to carry out policy, SACS said in its December 2000 report. "Undue intrusion of board members into the implementation of these policies by the administration and faculty has occurred," SACS officials wrote.

* Having adequate buildings, equipment and other resources to carry out college programs. The college district also should have an appropriate plan for buildings and grounds maintenance. "Some campuses are serving numbers of students beyond design capacity, while other campuses are significantly under-utilized," SACS officials wrote.

* Providing a safe and secure campus environment. SACS officials have criticized a dilapidated HCCS campus near downtown, saying it's in such bad shape that the college district risks personal injuries and subsequent lawsuits unless the campus is replaced or renovated immediately.

* HCCS responded in writing to SACS earlier this year, and SACS officials may take action at its regular meeting this month, while it considers about 200 other accreditation matters. In a worst case, SACS could revoke accreditation in December 2003 ff officials are not satisfied with HCCS. Until SACS renders its decision, correspondence between the college district and the agency remain confidential "so that it's not tried in the media," says Dr. Jim Rogers of SACS.

Leslie isn't the only optimist at HCCS. Trustee Jim Murphy believes the college district has undergone "significant changes" in recent months. Murphy, a management executive, says HCCS doesn't get enough credit for things such as:

* State education officials handing HCCS "exemplary" ratings in 12 of its 64 work-force programs, a rate nearly double the state average. Those programs varied from accounting and business management to veterinary paramedics and culinary arts.

* Voters in Missouri City, a community southwest of Houston, agreeing to HCCS annexation.

* Improved relations among trustees, who now are doing much of their work at commit tee meetings, resulting in shorter discussions at the regular board meetings. "A couple of years ago, we were making so many decisions on the spot, there was pressure at the table, and emotions tended to take over," Murphy says.

* Lowering the tax rate for Houston property owners. The tax rate for next year will be 8.13 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, as opposed to the current 8.23 cents.

But these accomplishments aren't what draw media attention in Houston, Murphy says. "This is a hollow victory for us, but we will work through it and we will let the public know all of the good things going on at HCCS," he says. "I would give us a B+. We have done incredibly well. If you had told me a year ago that this would be our record, I would have said we should have a ticker tape parade. Instead, only the most plugged-in people in Houston know what we' re doing."

Murphy says media attention has focused on controversies such as the trustee debate over spending about $100,000 in HCCS money on elections for incumbents running unopposed last month. Originally, a majority of the trustees favored having the uncontested elections, saying they didn't want to deprive the public of their voting privileges. But a few weeks before the election, trustees reversed their decision and chose the cost savings. Also this semester, one trustee got involved in a shouting match with a faculty member at an HCCS gym, reportedly using profanity with the faculty member. The other eight trustees passed a resolution calling his behavior "reprehensible," and taking away his gym membership for a year. In recent interviews, several faculty members and students privately called the incidents an embarrassing example of two-steps-forward, three-steps-back.

Murphy calls the incidents minor embarrassments. "We have hit our thumb with the hammer in the process of building a marvelous house," he says.

But educators outside Texas warn that these kinds of blunders erode public confidence. Ultimately, they can derail HCCS future annexations, bond elections and other efforts to boost revenue, N.C. State's Vaughan and others say.

Ironically, some of the current HCCS trustees have said in published reports that they blame infighting by their predecessors as the reason Houston voters in 1993 rejected a $300 million bond issue. Meanwhile, Leslie's plans are still taking shape, but just last month he gave a speech to business leaders about a bond election as soon as fall 2002. And in a Black Issues interview, he said a bond issue was necessary to build more facilities to accommodate state projections that HCCS enrollment will double by 2015, as well as overhaul the aging campus near downtown that SACS has criticized.

Vaughan calls Leslie a successful "turn-around" leader who cultivated his reputation at community colleges in Syracuse, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn. But he wonders how successful one leader can be in righting a ship that has veered off course repeatedly. "Trustees and presidents should learn from Houston," Vaughan says.

"If Houston has made mistakes, and I think they have, others should learn from them. It's been a roller coaster over there."

A Look at the Houston community College System

STUDENTS:

* Total: 50,449 (Fall 2001)

* Hispanic and White: 29 percent

* Black: 24 percent

* Asian: 14 percent

* International students: 3 percent

* American Indian: Less than 1 percent

FACULTY

* Total: 2,642 faculty

* White: 61 percent

* Black: 22 percent

* Asian: 8 percent

* Hispanic: 6 percent

* American Indian and international faculty: Less than 2 percent

RELATED ARTICLE: Houston College system defends private board dinners.

HOUSTON

Trustees of the Houston Community College System say they are not violating the state's Open Meetings Act even though they have been ending their monthly public board meetings by retreating to private board dinners without notifying the public.

Although a quorum of five trustees has been present at some of the free dinners, trustees said they did not violate the act because they did not discuss college business. They said the meetings -- which also include HCCS administrators -- are just an opportunity for officials to get acquainted.

"The discussions have never ventured remotely into HCCS business in any way," trustee Jay Aiyer told the Houston Chronicle. "It's entirely a social deal."

But trustee Jim Murphy said there have been conversations about HCCS issues.

"It's perfectly appropriate for the chancellor to say something like, `Did you know what's going on in the radiology program?'" Murphy said. "Maybe somebody attended an event where they were announcing a new type of grant, and someone said, `Have we ever thought about doing more of that?'"

Murphy said "only a small fraction" of conversations touch on college-related issues and that trustees steer clear of items that might require future board decisions.

A spokeswoman for a First Amendment watchdog group said it defies common sense to believe trustees have not discussed business at the dinners.

"I think it's highly unlikely that these people get together after a board meeting and no longer discuss any of the issues," said Rebecca Daugherty of the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press, an Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit group funded by news media outlets. "It would be exceedingly unnatural for them to do that. It sounds to me as if they're violating the spirit of the open meetings law in Texas."

A 1976 opinion from the Texas Attorney General's Office says informal or social meetings attended by a quorum of elected officials must be publicly posted if they "in any way involve discussion or consideration of public business or public policy."

HCCS spokeswoman Dianne Bynum said the dinners were initiated in March by Chancellor Bruce Leslie. She said Leslie and three to nine trustees have attended each dinner, but no attendance roster has been kept.

Don McAnulty, an investigator with the Harris County district attorney's office, said his office would not investigate the meetings as a violation of the Open Meetings Act without "substantial evidence" that HCCS business had been discussed.

He said Murphy's recollections of limited discussions would not be sufficient.

"To me, the business the board is prohibited from discussing are issues before the agenda," he said.

Bynum said the public has not been informed about this year's closed dinners because there have been no discussions about college issues and HCCS lawyers have attended to ensure compliance with state laws.

Bynum said there has been "nothing secret" about the dinners and anyone may attend. But when a reporter asked to attend a dinner recently, Bynum said she had to confer with Leslie. Leslie approved, and the discussion was largely confined to where to get good doughnuts and lobsters.

Leslie, who was named chancellor of the more than 50,O00-student system last year, has been repeatedly criticized for trying to limit public information about HCCS. In one instance, Leslie refused to provide an accreditation report critical of the system until he was faced with a possible legal battle with the Chronicle.

-- Associated Press

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