06
News
Wednesday February 29, 2012
Los Angeles | COLLEGIAN
Board Acts in Wake of EducoSoft Investigation, English Chair Dismissed In a closed Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 8, 2012, a decision was reached to dismiss former English Department Chair Dr. Tammy Robinson in the wake of allegations of what a document from the LACCD Human Resources division says is “dishonesty” and “evident unfitness for service”.
Tammy Robinson
Photo courtesy of Youtube.
By Emanuel Bergmann Following an investigation by the Los Angeles Community College District into alleged violations of Administrative Regulations, the District Board of Trustees, in a closed meeting on Feb. 8, authorized the dismissal of Dr. Tammy Robinson, former chair of the English department at Los Angeles City College. Robinson had come under criticism for allegedly circumventing the appropriate channels for the implementation of the online learning material “Watch Your Language” by the educational software provider EducoSoft. Neither the Curriculum Committee nor the Distance Education Committee had approved usage of the software. Maria Reisch, chair of the Curriculum
Committee, told the Collegian during the Spring 2011 semester that an online class “goes through the Curriculum Committee and the Distance Education Committee.” In an email dated April 29, 2011, LACC President Dr. Jamillah Moore directed the English Department faculty to “discontinue the use and assignment of the ‛Watch Your Language’ textbook and software.” According to Moore, all students who had paid the $25 for the software would be reimbursed. However, in addition to EducoSoft, there have been other areas where questions arose. The English department maintains a Writing Center to help students improve their English skills and to allow them to log required lab hours. During a faculty meeting on Aug. 25, 2011, Robinson had informed faculty members that there was “no extra money.” In an email sent
one month prior, Robinson wrote, “we will not have tutorial assistance.” However, throughout the Fall 2011 semester, conflicting information surfaced, leading faculty members to believe that tutoring money had, in fact, been available, but that Robinson had improperly reallocated it. Specifically, faculty members accused Robinson of hiring student workers and paying them out of the tutoring budget, while at the same time asking those student tutors to perform tasks other than tutoring. Staff members claim that the Writing Center was understaffed during the first few weeks of the fall 2011 semester, making it more difficult for students to receive the help they are entitled to. The situation lead to considerable tension within the English department, culminating in a heated exchange during an Oct. 25, 2011, faculty meeting. Instructional Assistant, Language Arts, Alfredo Heredia and English Professor Peter Sotiriou were particularly critical of Robinson, alleging that the department had been mislead and that money had been misappropriated. On Nov. 10. 211, Robinson was placed on administrative leave. On Feb. 8, 2012, she was formally dismissed. According to a Board of Trustees dismissal document, the causes given include “dishonesty”, “persistent violation of or refusal to
obey School Laws” and “evident unfitness for service.” According to a document obtained by the Collegian, the violations include Administrative Regulations E-64, E-65, E-89, California Education Code Sections 76365, 81655 and 81656, LACCD Board Rule Chapter V, Article II, the LACCD Board Rule Chapter VIII, Article IV section 8401.11, which in the LACCD Board Rules website states, “No instructor, official, employee, or governing board member shall authorize access to student records to any person,” except under detailed circumstances. In addition, the document notably cites LACCD Administrative Regulation B-19 and B-27, which govern the “Use of District and College Computing Facilities.” The District’s “Procedures for Development and Approval of New Educational Programs” and the “Approval of Distance Education Courses” were also said to be violated, along with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s website, the “The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.”
According to emails obtained by the Collegian, this law had been violated when an unofficial email blast was sent out in the spring of 2011, advising students that the “Watch Your Language” program was available for purchase. The students email information and class schedule is supposed to be strictly confidential, yet somehow this information was obtained by EducoSoft. However, the new department chair, Dr. Genevieve Patthey, voiced concerns about the Board’s handling of the situation, saying that Robinson’s dismissal happened surprisingly quickly and in a closed meeting. LACCD Senior Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Michael Shanahan said that Robinson apparently chose not to speak publicly. “All of our disciplinary processes provide the opportunity for the employees in question to address the trustees before they recess to the closed session,” Shanahan said. Shanahan was able to confirm that the charges against Robinson were, at least partially, based on an audit conducted by LACCD Internal Auditor Arnold Blanshard. However, Shanahan “fully expects” Robinson to appeal the District’s decision. “Most people do,” Shanahan said. He went on to explain that in cases such as this one, the employee in question has 30 days to appeal the dismissal. Should that happen, it would put “everything on hold,” Shanahan said, until an administrative hearing is convened. Shanahan cautions that in the eight years since he has been working in this capacity, the District has “never pursued a case against an employee that we didn’t feel was supportable.” He explained that evidence in the form of documents are provided to the employees, along with the charges. He also stated that the District will continue acting upon the results of its internal audits. “We will be looking at the matters at City College,” Shanahan said, explaining that the District is focusing “on one case at the time.” The Collegian was unable to reach Dr. Robinson for comment.
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