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Pasadena City College
Courier
Online edition
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Volume 107, Issue 11
The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915.
April 25, 2013
Record breakers
Antonio Gandara
/
Courier
Stephen To repeats as butterfly champion at the South Coast Conference Championships over the weekend. The swim
team broke a dozen school records on their way to the most successful swim meet in school history. Story
/
Page 12
Academic senate has no confidence
Nicholas Saul
Editor-in-Chief
The Academic Senate overwhelm¬
ingly approved a vote of no confidence
in President Mark Rocha and his
administration. The final tally was 23
in favor of the vote, with none against,
and only one abstention.
"President Mark Rocha, the presi¬
dent-superintendent, has repeatedly
violated the regulations and spirit of
shared governance," the senate resolu¬
tion reads.
"The Academic Senate of Pasadena
City College has no confidence in
President Mark Rocha to maintain a
healthy shared governance system,
implement major changes responsibly,
John Novak
/
Courier
The academic senate raise their hands
in approval of the no confidence item.
or provide effective leadership to the
campus community, and/or commu¬
nicate accurately to the Board the rec¬
ommendations of the Academic Senate
and the input of the campus communi¬
ty-"
Rocha immediately responded to the
vote, expressing his disappointment
but assuring faculty that it will not
have a negative impact on campus col-
legiality.
"While I am disappointed in the
Senate's action, I will rise in the morn¬
ing to work with a renewed commit¬
ment to move the college forward into
a bright future," Rocha said in an offi¬
cial statement.
"Nothing will change the high
regard and profound respect I hold for
every single faculty member at PCC."
This marks the second official vote
of no confidence in President Rocha's
Continued on page 8
Winter
term a hot
topic again
'13-14 calendar with winter
up for consideration by committees
Anthony Richetts
Online Editor
Winter intersession will again become a major
issue on campus as the PCC Calendar Committee
has, with large majority, approved a 2013-14 calen¬
dar including a winter intersession that is now
making its way up to the Board of Trustees for
final approval.
Eighteen of the 20 members voted to send the
proposed calendar to the Academic Senate, where
the Senate voted unanimously to approve it. It now
currently waits for the College Council's approval
before being presented to the board. The College
Council meeting scheduled for April 24 was can¬
celled. The action to approve /deny the proposed
calender with winter was on the agenda for that
cancelled meeting.
Philip Ricards, a member of the Calendar
Committee, felt the old system was the way to go,
and he disagrees with the board's decision to elim¬
inate winter.
"We wanted to change the calendar back to the
way it was before, to its proven and effective sys¬
tem that we've had since 2004," Ricards said in an
interview. "The effects of having a winter interses¬
sion have been well documented, and the board
should have seen the difficulties that come with
removing it."
Another committee member, Matthew Henes,
explained that the possibility of not having a win¬
ter intersession did arise during the committee's
meetings.
"When we made the decision [to include winter]
it was relatively easy to make," Henes said in an
interview. "On the agenda for the last few meet¬
ings we've had a calendar with winter and a calen¬
dar without it. In meetings where [committee co¬
chair] Robert Bell was present, we would discuss a
calendar without winter, when he wasn't present,
we were working on a calendar that includes it."
Continued on page 9
Bribery scandal set for trial
Nicholas Saul
Editor-in-Chief
The bribery scandal involving two high
ranking school officials that rocked the
campus last summer will finally be going
to trial.
Richard van Pelt, the former vice presi¬
dent of administrative services and for¬
mer Facilities Supervisor Alfred
Hutchings were fired after the school
found out that they were being investigat¬
ed by the District Attorney's office for
"conflicts of interest."
After months of hearings, the trial was
finally set for Oct. 15.
In the complaint filed July 26 in Los
Angeles Superior Court, LED Global LLC
and its two principals Robert Das and
Saila Smith accused van Pelt and
Hutchings of a host of illicit requests on
top of a solicitation of bribes.
According to the complaints, van Pelt
and Hutchings had offered LED Global a
"purchase agreement" to the tune of $5
million for energy-efficient lighting after
the company agreed to numerous
requests, including expensive travel for
van Pelt and Hutchings to Mumbai for a
factory site visit.
"During the course of making arrange¬
ments for the factory site visit to Mumbai,
Hutchings and van Pelt began to make
unusual and expensive requests," the
court document says.
The requests included business class
travel, accommodation at five star hotels
(the Four Seasons in Mumbai), an excur¬
sion to the Taj Mahal, more than $2,000
worth of Cuban Cigars, and the demand
for prostitutes, which, LED Global denies
providing.
Van Pelt and Hutchings also allegedly
requested they be paid $250,000 in com¬
mission for the contract they made with
PCC, and after introducing LED Global to
other community colleges, "to be person¬
ally paid by [LED Global] a 5 percent
commission on the value of any contract
entered into between LED Global and any
other college in the State of California."
These commissions were to be paid to
an off-shore bank account, according to
Continued on page 10
Courier adviser is still in limbo
Nicholas Saul
Editor-in-Chief
No one knows who will be advising the
Courier this upcoming fall semester. Last
month, the Courier's adviser, Warren
Swil, was put on paid administrative
leave after an official complaint citing
"employee misconduct" was made
against him.
"We are not actively looking for an
adviser for the fall," Bob Bell, senior vice
president and assistant superintendent,
said in an interview on Tuesday.
"We haven't even begun that process."
Because the complaint was and remains
confidential, rumors swirled that Swil
was placed on administrative leave as
punishment for what the Courier had
been publishing. Just two days prior to
Swil being escorted off campus, President
Mark Rocha openly chastised the Courier,
and made it clear that he had a problem
with its coverage.
However, the individual who filed the
complaint against Swil confirmed with
the Courier that he did make a formal
complaint against him, but did not go into
detail about it. The complainant wishes to
Lissett Matos
/
Courier
Warren Swil outside of the newsroom.
remain anonymous, and referred the
reporter to his lawyer, Kevin Rehwald,
who also declined to comment.
School officials say they won't begin the
search for a new adviser until the out¬
come of the independent investigation,
something they admit can take weeks or
months to conclude.
"While there is no specific time limit, it
is common practice for an employee
placed on administrative leave to remain
in said status until such time that the mat-
Continued on page 11