Former Southwestern College governing board members Tim Nader and Nora Vargas in November were elected to the San Diego Superior Court and County Board of Supervisors respectively, leaving two open seats on the college’s governing board.
On Jan. 4, the governing board unanimously voted to create an appointment process to replace the two board members rather than a special election. The board is accepting applications for interested candidates through Feb. 1.
Each application and letter of interest will be considered by board members in determining who will be invited to make a brief presentation at a public board meeting on Feb. 8. The governing board will fill the vacancies no later than Feb. 15. While each governing board seat is numbered, all board members currently serve the entire district.
Leaders at the college expressed their hopes in the selection of the two incoming board members to fill the vacant seats.
Associated Student Organization President Kiara Mora, 19, majors in sociology and is in her last semester at the college.
“I want to make sure that the choices I make, the influence that I have, what I say, that my voice is truly representing the student body in making sure we have the right people for these positions,” she said.
Mora said for both positions, she would want people who understand the significance of creating policies that ensure student success and specifically represent historically underrepresented, under resourced and minoritized students as well as those with mental, physical, emotional and financial difficulties.
“This comes with being a college student at this time,” said Mora. “We are looking for someone who prioritizes and promotes inclusivity, diversity and inclusion. That is something that has been big talk at our campus. This is specifically about dismantling systems of white supremacy and anti-blackness within our college and its policies.”
Mora said considering the college’s past and our current racial climate, it needs its governing board members and the overall SWC leadership to be active in moving the college forward regarding decision making and the implementation for its diverse student demographic.
“COVID-19 has revealed various inequities that students have still and are dealing with many having to work, study, balance, take on other responsibilities simultaneously,” she said. “Students need SWC leadership to truly care about us, not as statistics and numbers, but by student futures that are heavily impacted by their choices.”
SWC’s performing arts coordinator and California School Employees Association President Silvia Nogales said from a classified perspective they need two governing board members who understand the role of classified employees.
“We are the non-teaching arm of the college,” she said. “We are the worker bees. We are the IT specialists, food service employees, custodians, administrative assistants, the clerks, technicians. We do all of that other work that faculty does not do.”
Nogales said the filled seats need to understand the role of the classified employees and their role in shared governance in the decision making process.
“Everybody who is involved at the college has a voice at the table. I want the board members to understand that fundamental, basic right that we have,” she said. “We all have a vested interest in how the college is being managed and governed. That is first and foremost.”
Secondly, the classified employees are the most culturally diverse group of employees at the college. She said the board needs to reflect that in the way it looks and acts.
“When I came on 20 years ago as an employee, the board was 90 percent white with one Latino,” she said. “Over the years it has flipped. Now it is 90 percent Latino. I would like to see an African American, Filipino American, Native American, male or female, governing board member. I want to see a better culturally diverse group.”
Nogales said the board needs to understand diversity and its core and represent the different sectors of the student population.
“We have veterans, abled and disabled, and LGBTQ students,” she said.
“We have many sectors of students that represent so much now how a community looks like and is like. I would like our current board members to really broaden their perspective and not get caught up in what feels comfortable and what is the status quo.”
“Having our governing board bring that wider perspective will help how we manage through so many of the challenges that the college has,” Nogales continued. “Especially as we deal with race relations. More perspective at the table gives us better opportunity for solutions.”
Professor of English and reading and Southwestern College Education Association President Rob Shaffer said he wants board members who put the community and students first. He said this is the right moment to add some diversity to the board.
“The board members we have, have done an outstanding job,” he said.
“But I think given the current context in the community and the nation, this is a ripe moment to diversify the board, with of course a qualified candidate. But the main thing that I tell folks who talk to me about being on the board is that I represent the union, so I represent those interests, but the board is here to serve the community and our students. Our students are amazing. I hope the board gives very serious consideration to diversity at this moment in picking those two appointees.”
Director of the Crown Cove Aquatic Center and Southwestern Community College District Administrators Association President Fernando Poveda said, as administrators, they want people knowledgeable about the college.
“We want people who are invested in our students and our community in the South Bay which they serve, and who understand their role as policy makers,” he said. “Board members and policy administrators carry out that policy, so I think whoever gets selected truly understands that role as an incoming board member. They share the responsibility to make sure that our finances and things are going well. The work with the superintendent and policy administrators to carry out policy.”
Poveda said he hopes the board also focuses on bringing diversity to the governing board.
“I think diversity is important and I think we want to mirror the community that we serve,” he said.
Interested individuals can find the application and related information on the governing board appointment webpage at www.swccd.edu.
Interested individuals must fill out the application and include a letter of interest addressed to governing board President Cazares. Materials are to be emailed to SWCGoverningBoard@swccd.edu and received by 4 p.m. Feb. 1.
