A note of finality is coming to the Omero Years. The controversial chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District announced plans to step down.
Whether a long-planned retirement or an arranged separation, this is not a hasty departure. Omero Suarez probably will be around until March of next year as chancellor and four more months as consultant. Suarez will leave in mid-contract with no severance payment but with a clause that only positives will be listed on any letter of reference.
Suarez critics, for sure, can think of plenty of negatives and are not hesitant to express them.
Recent years have seen stormy faculty relations approaching a civil war of words and even a no-confidence vote. Cuyamaca College's outreach to senior facilities was seen as a ploy to boost enrollment figures. Loss of national accreditation for Grossmont's nursing school was a black mark, too, though plenty deserve to share that blame.
The chancellor's unilateral removal of a buyout clause from his contract was a pivotal moment. A trust had been violated, never to be regained. A somewhat conflicted investigation and the board's vote to take no action hardly instilled public confidence.
“We'll look back at this chancellor's legacy as one of the worst periods in the history of this college,” said a biology professor.
Sorry, professor, but that's way too harsh. Life has many more alternative paths and outcomes, it seems to us, and less of the preciseness of the physical sciences.
On balance, the Omero Years include many positives as well. For openers, he has lasted 10 years as a community college district with one more to go. That's double the average tenure, and so long that few observers were witness to the beginning and the end.
Ten years ago, the new chancellor crafted five master plans, crucial to a district sailing without navigation charts.
East County then had a reputation of never seeing a school bond issue it could accept, no matter whose children were harmed. Under Suarez's leadership, district voters approved Proposition R, a $207 million measure.
Today, Grossmont College has a new library and technology mall, science labs, digital arts, sculpture arts, athletic field and coming a parking garage. Today, Cuyamaca has a science lab and technology center, student center, communication arts, automotive technology and more.
That bond success also contained the seeds of dissension. Grossmont faculty assumed it would get the lion's share of the construction funds even though Cuyamaca had more land. Arguably, and that is what Grossmont and Cuyamaca faculties do too much of, Cuyamaca had more needs.
Area community college districts were poor stepchilds compared with others in the state. The state had a bizarre funding formula. That's the way it was, that's the way it would be forever more. No one reckoned on Omero Suarez. Suarez and his district led an effort to mobilize support and change that. It took years, but the funding inequality is history.
Today, both college campuses have many modern buildings and space to accommodate growing enrollments. Grossmont is at 18,000 and Cuyamaca, which some predicted would never succeed, has nearly 9,000.
The district has added a dozen or more major programs during the Omero Years. East County youths now can gain a base of knowledge in Web development, musical theater, tribal gaming, digital media, hospitality and tourism management or wastewater technology. A district education in automotive technology or horticulture is a sure ticket to a good job.
Gary Kendrick is an El Cajon city councilman, former trustee, and one of the people who hired Suarez. He's very much a believer today. The early years were the golden years, in Kendrick's view, with better faculty union relations, high growth and money flowing in from the state. Recent years have seen bitter arguments over how to divide available money. Says Kendrick: “That is the root of all issues in the district, in my opinion, the jealousy on how to split the money.”
Omero Suarez, both a magnet and cause of controversy, will be around for another 15 months. Controversy will not cease entirely. November's elections are unlikely to change the governing board. Suarez's biggest supporters were elected as a slate two years ago.
A change in direction or at least a more harmonious approach may arrive with a new chancellor, particularly if the board selects someone with a different management style – a peacemaker.
A more unified effort and ensuing results will come only when Grossmont and Cuyamaca faculties realize that this is one district, not two warring colleges, and that the governing board and chancellor are empowered with running it, not sniping faculty groups.
No college ever built a reputation by belittling itself.
