AD, others must reapply Bob Lofrano,

who has held position for 10 years, disappointed with new rule

JOSHUA MANES

Sports Editor

@tweeporting

For the past 10 years, Bob Lofrano has been the athletic director. Prior to that, he was the head baseball coach. Now, as a result of a recommendation from the accreditation office, the AD position is being reopened.

If Lofrano wants to keep his current position, he would need to reapply and go through the hiring process. Lofrano has been at Pierce in one position or another since 1989, but his future at the school is now uncertain.

The athletic director position is not the only one that has been put through this process. According to Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters, the accreditation liaison, faculty development and new student programs positions have all gone through this process over the past two years.

“We are operating based on a few things: accreditation findings for hiring practices and fairness of the hiring practices,” Dixon-Peters said. “The fairness is that you open up the position and allow competition and people to apply for the position. This is not an isolated incident.”

Joanna Zimring Towne is the Director of New Student Programs. According to Towne, the position was created in Oct. 2014, prior to the accreditation, though she is not sure if it was in response to any sort of recommendation.

According to Dixon-Peters, at the same time there were also HR guidelines in hiring and reassigning faculty positions. These reassigned positions are positions that are filled internally by current faculty members.

Even though the recommendation was made years ago, Lofrano said he

Financial Aid

Deadline

Deadline to submit a petition for Financial Aid for Spring 2017 is Sunday May 5, 2017. Office hours are Mon. and Tues. 8 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wed. and Thurs. 8 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Fri. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Fake News Workshops

“was just told of that now.”

“It’s a little disappointing, to be honest,” Lofrano said. “Really? I have to apply for the job I’ve had for 10 years? I can get a little hardheaded on that one. Do I understand that process? Yes and no. But if other people are doing it and it’s the same situation, then so be it.”

Despite the disappointment, the irony of the situation is not lost on Lofrano, who didn’t even want the job when it was first offered to him.

“I distinctly remember when they came to me 10 years ago, I said no,” Lofrano said. “I’m not an in-theoffice type of guy. I coached my whole life. P.E. teacher, I’m always outside. Now, ironically, 10 years later now it’s like, ‘Oh, you have to apply to be the AD.’ I didn’t even really apply 10 years ago.” see Lofrano pg.8

Workshops designed to teach students how to determine the reliability of news sources through evaluation are on: March 1 at 12:30 p.m. March 21 at 11:30 p.m. and May 3 at 2:30 p.m. in room 5212 in the Library / Learning Crossroads.

Pierce College Foundation

Foundation scholarship applications are now being accepted through April 7 for spring 2017. Students can to go to their department chairs to see if they qualify. The winners will be announced on the day of the ceremony, June 8, 2017.

by Victor Rodriguez

I’m very excited to begin this semester as the Editor-in-Chief, but I quickly realized that this position is more about managing talent than making decisions. This department attracts some of the most talented individuals I have ever met, and it is my job to set them up for success as much as possible, and that begins with you: our readers. Now, more than ever, good, hardnosed journalism is paramount if we are to keep the public informed.

For those reasons and many more, I’m issuing this professional challenge: do not let the ghosts of mistakes past interfere with the present. The staff changes every semester, but we all share one trait: we are taught to relentlessly and politely pursue the truth. So to those who “refuse to talk to the Roundup,” please reconsider.

vrodriguez.roundupnews@gmail.com