Today's article in the Asbury Park Press about OCC not releasing papers regarding purchasing documents that should be made available through the OPRA law is not surprising. Rumors have long persisted out of the administration building that items, such as plasma tvs, have made their way to the president's house and that purchasing laws have been ignored. Why a man with top-notch credentials was ever hired as purchasing director is mind-boggling. Rumor also has it that when Joseph Reilly, purchasing manager, was hired in the summer, he sent an email to Larson and top-level administrators about the appearance of inproprieties between the President and several vendors and that Larson was furious. It has also been alleged that contracts that should have been bid on, were not, and that these contracts were awarded to Larson's cronies.
We shall see how long Larson can stonewall the law with regard to the suit. Many of us are holding our collective breath wishing that this is just the tip of the iceberg with regard to Larson's activities. A former colleague recently told me, "what goes around, comes around". Karma? Are you listening?
http://www.app.com/article/20110215/NJNEWS15/102150365/1278/NJTOWNS2210/OCC-faculty-sues-trustees-claims-OPRA-refusal-cover-up
And yet, in order to save money, they are no longer stocking the bathrooms with paper towels.
Posted by: onomatopoeia | April 22, 2011 at 08:02 PM
How is it legal to RiF people & then repost their former jobs?
Posted by: Webmaster | April 22, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Look at all the jobs available at OCC - even during a budget crisis.
Posted by: Riding the Rapids | April 20, 2011 at 08:28 PM
Yes, still here. I saw that the president of Gloucester resigned. I think that there should be a state-wide external audit of the CCs. Let's see Teflon Larson escape that scrutiny.
Posted by: Webmaster | April 16, 2011 at 09:53 PM
Is anyone still out there? Any thoughts on the college presidents beginning to tumble from their perches?
Posted by: Forgotten, Not Gone | April 16, 2011 at 09:54 AM
Norman, I agree with you whole-heartedly. Anyone who has received or provided high quality writing instruction knows that what you say is true.
Skill development is effort- and time-intensive. It will be no surprise when class after class of OCC students graduates with little or no writing ability.
Soon, employers and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions will see OCC on a transcript and know exactly what they can expect from an applicant.
Posted by: Stupefied | March 28, 2011 at 03:07 PM
The recently posted job descriptions for English instructors are unbelievable! Having taught the subject for many years, I can't picture what real assistance students could receive from instructors who are laboring under a 21 hour load. What happened to the NCTE recommended 15 hour semester load? The tone of the descriptions reeks of
administrative gobbledegook, tossed together by hands that either don't know or don't care what really occurs in the slow and often painful process of building confidence in the student writer. Drafting, proofreading, conferences, revision, followed by analytical reading which is both sympathetic and supportive
doesn't seem to exist in the crisp, airless rhetoric of these postings. Students, in all their diversity and inexperience, need teaching that centers on them. Do comp. students still write approx. 2000 words during a course? Are those words read? Hard to believe! A lighter load is a prerequisite for instruction that truly addresses student needs.
Posted by: Norman Bosley, Humanities Dept, retired | March 27, 2011 at 08:37 PM
Stupefied, you are correct regarding logic. Some fabulously brilliant women weren't renewed for next year. It is a loss that will be felt in all disciplines. I am saddened by this entire situation.
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 17, 2011 at 08:33 PM
I am suspect because I know that we are at the 77% of full-timers that can be tenured.
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 17, 2011 at 08:29 PM
I found the one soc/human services position via human resources job posting page. What is this new administrative Assoc. Dir. of e-learning???
Posted by: peanut gallery | March 17, 2011 at 08:19 PM
As paranoid as I have become,even I would have to agree that these jobs won't replace full time positions. I'm having trouble accessing emails. Are all the 12 month postings out? Which ones have been made public?
Posted by: peanut gallery | March 17, 2011 at 08:11 PM
Supefied: I agree - I do not think that the non-tenured Sociology faculty will be "out." I think that the new 12-month position will take on part of the massive adjunct Soc teaching load. Of course, that involves logic.
Posted by: Riding the Rapids | March 17, 2011 at 04:33 PM
Now, now... let's not create unnecessary fear in the hearts of the non-tenured folks. We cannot apply logic to understand the current situation at OCC. No recent decisions made by the current administration involve logic.
Posted by: Stupefied | March 17, 2011 at 03:47 PM
Both Sociology faculty members apply this October - along with up to 10 others who are entering their 5th year.
Posted by: Reasonably Paranoid | March 17, 2011 at 02:25 PM
New 12 month positions out. I guess we can figure out who's getting the ax next. Sucks to be the full-time sociology instructors.
Does anyone know when they apply for tenure?
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 17, 2011 at 01:19 PM
Yes, Hercules' fifth labor, the Augean stable, etc. Instead of one hero, we need a group of concerned people willing to act in an heroic manner.
Posted by: Been Here, Done This | March 10, 2011 at 10:38 PM
Cleaning of our own stables . . .
Hee,
hee, hee,
hee, hee . . . .
Posted by: Bebop | March 10, 2011 at 08:00 PM
Pardon, please. The resignation date was 3/8/11, not 3/10. My sentiment, however, remains the same.
Posted by: Been Here, Done This | March 10, 2011 at 04:55 PM
Burnham today resigned as president of Brookdale. Let us proceed with the cleaning of our own stables here at OCC.
Posted by: Been Here, Done This | March 10, 2011 at 03:27 PM
“A good hard look at administrative extravagant perks is long overdue”
After officials in Monmouth County questioned the perks of Brookdale County College president, Peter Burnham which included his $216,000 annual salary, his country club membership, a $1,500 monthly housing allowance, a new vehicle, $40,000 a year to send his children to private colleges and many other perks not listed herein, perhaps it is time for Ocean County officials to look more closely at the Ocean County College President and its Executive Administrators.
While denying faculty meager benefits in their profession, such as sabbaticals, professional travel, contractual benefits, and promotions the executive administrator’s full pension is paid for by the Board. The Faculty has to contribute 5% of their salary per year for their pension. Could some one please explain to me why a $150,000 - $170,000 annual salary executive administrators and the president have the Board pay an additional $21,000 perk to each of these administrators for their pension. They contribute zero dollars. I estimate that the Board pays $150,000 additional funds from the College budget for these executive administrative pensions. Do you think this is fair to the taxpayers? Wouldn’t this extravagant perk be better spent on student instruction? You could give many student scholarships for $150,000. Are these administrators who make in excess of $150,000 per year more equal than faculty?
In these financially troubled times the Ocean County College, Board of Trustees must be held accountable. While they declare fiscal exigency on faculty, have they financially policed the extravagant administrative perks? A good hard look at administrative extravagant perks is long overdue.
Posted by: Herb Germann | March 09, 2011 at 04:52 PM
Stupefied: Believe me, I wouldn't want that job for ANY salary but it's nonetheless disturbing that the monies they will be raking in are more in line with what we should be earning. I could not agree more about how the course load and other duties of that job will affect the quality of their teaching. Excellent? I don't think so. Will their evaluations be the same as the rest of us? Same standard of excellence? Something is amiss in OCC-land when only adjuncts get to teach Mega classes for a hefty sum and full time faculty have become lower on the food chain than adjuncts and one year positions. We won't even venture into admin's contract negotiations with the Adjunct Union versus with the FAOCC. Do they even want to deal with us? Ever?
Posted by: peanut gallery | March 06, 2011 at 06:03 PM
Peanut Gallery, why envy their salaries? The 12-month faculty are indentured servants working from 8-4 five days a week, teaching an impossible number of classes, and doing "other duties as assigned."
For that sort of work schedule, I'd opt for corporate America where I'd be compensated 2-3 times the pay for my expertise and level of eductaion.
I cannot wait to see the quality of their classes/teaching! It's the students at OCC who are going to suffer for the hubris of the administration.
Bring on the lunacy!
Posted by: Stupefied | March 06, 2011 at 02:43 PM
BeeBop: Love it!
Posted by: peanut gallery | March 05, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Tara's motto for the OCC Broadcasts: All the News That's Fit to Flatter.
Posted by: Bebop | March 04, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Hmmmm. Curious that the daily OCC Broadcasts failed to have the article on BCC unless I missed it. What is important is that it happened and it was in the media.The Board approved the 12 month positions and I don't blame whoever applies and gets them and I don't envy their jobs but I do their salaries!
Posted by: peanut gallery | March 04, 2011 at 10:18 PM