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August 25, 2014
Burke commissions staff to draw road map JOSA LAMONT INTERIM NEWS EDITOR
MICHAEL WALTER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CHANCELLOR SELECT: Michael Burke discusses the formulation of his district wide goals, and the standing imperatives that will build the agenda for his chancellorship at 1533 Spruce Street.
Milwaukee Area Technical College President Michael Burke was named the Riverside Community College District Chancellor at the Board of Trustees meeting held at Moreno Valley College on June 17. “I’m thrilled,” Burke said. “They had me at hello.” Initial undertones: In the days since Burke took on the position, he has not had the opportunity to get much done. Despite viewing him with reserve, college presidents betray an optimism about working with him. “One must be cautious on how to extrapolate from first impressions,” said Wolde-Ab Isaac, president of Riverside City College. “I have only known him since he has first arrived.” The college presidents have had an opportunity to meet with Burke on three occasions since he was hired, but Isaac cannot conceal hope in the new chancellor. “He has a very clear vision,” Isaac said, “and to me I think a very strong commitment to want to strengthen the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of what we do here.” Burke shrugged off any allusion to his clear vision, and maintains that he hasn’t yet built any solid plans. “I grew up in the south, and to me it seems rude to come in to be a guest in someone’s house and on the first day start moving the furniture around,”
Burke said. “In my experience you’re kind of inflicting leadership on people, and I’ve had leadership inflicted on me. And I didn’t like it and I think people would feel the same way here.” The chancellor is committed to first hearing from the district what their vision for the future is before implementing any solid action plans. “He’s a very experienced and refined person,” Isaac said. “I think that he will move in steps and in stages. He will take time to study the college and the culture and institution before he makes major changes.” Burke intends to consolidate the strategic plan for the district as soon as possible, and has asked his entire team to collaborate on drawing him a road map that he can use to understand and to streamline the District’s vision. “I want to create a more integrated strategic plan and that doesn’t sound very sexy,” Burke said. “My vision of strategic planning is: as a chancellor, as a board we would sit down and say, ‘these are the ultimate outcomes that we value.’ For example better quality of life, better workforce, better environment for business...Ultimately I’m in this line of work because I want to improve the quality of life in this community for a whole lot of people.” Reducing the strategic plan from a weighty document to a clear set of values and goals should help the district in synchronizing their future plans to driving budget, which should ultimately See CHANCELLOR on Page 2
Lightning storm ignites commotion on campus JOSA LAMONT INTERIM NEWS EDITOR A sudden storm brought pea sized hail in torrents, followed by calm, and later pouring rain with intermittent lightning Aug. 20. The storms of electrical and erratic character are reminiscent of storms that flooded the campus just a year ago. A small hailstorm hit the ca mpu s of R ive r side Cit y Col lege at 2:45 p.m. Lightning struck a palm tree on campus at
Terracina Drive between the Wheelock Gym and the Art Building at 4:30 p.m. The palm tree ignited immediately, but was quickly drenched by the pouring rain. By the time firemen arrived at 4:43 p.m. the tree was predominantly extinguished. The rain let up and stopped at 4:50 p.m., and firemen left the scene at 4:58 p.m. Rain continued at intervals throughout the afternoon throughout the county. Flash flood warnings were in effect in Riverside County until 9 p.m. Aug. 20 according to the National Weather Service.
FIRESTORM: (left)
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A palm ignited by a lightning strike by the Wheelock Gym burns brightly while despite the pouring rain. The blaze was mostly extinguished by the time firemen arrived within minutes.
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