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Image provided by: Onondaga Community College
Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 3856 SYRACUSE. NEW YORK t h e o t h e r p c p e r Vol. 3 No. 6 Onondaga Community College March 1,1973 WHAT’S HAPPENING AT O.C.C. STATEMENT BY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE February 14, 1973 For several weeks now, an emotion-laden controversy has swirled about OCC. Great damage has been done to the good name and reputation of the College, its Board of Trustees and its Administrators. Much of this could have been avoided had cooler heads and more objective attitudes prevailed, and had proper authority and respon sibility remained where it has been vested by law and prior agreement and recognition. It is an uncontestable fact that the final authority in all matters pertaining to the operation of OCC, except budget, has been vested in the College Board of Trustees, subject only to approval by the State University Board of Trustees. This Board of Trustees, and this Board alone has that responsibility. That has been fir mly established as follows: 1. Article 126 of the State Edu cation Law specifically grants power to the Board of Trustees to adopt curricula and “discharge such other duties as may be appropriate or necessary for the effective operation of the College.” 2. The labor agreement between the College and the Faculty’s local of the American Federation of Teachers also clearly recognizes the powers of the Board of Trustees and the Administration “over the policies and administration of the College which are exercised under the provisions of law. . . including the establishment of work rules and regulations. . .” 3. The County Attorney, in an opinion requested by the Legislature last March, clearly stated that the Board of Trustees has the responsibility for adm inistration, and, general policy of the College. He also stated that all college employees are responsible only to either the president of the College and/or the Board of T rustees. 4. Finally, numerous members of the County Legislature, and, especially the Ways and Means Committee, have publicly stated that the Legislature’s only proper interest in the C o llege is in its fiscal operations, not p o licies, management and procedures. With this clear authority, the Board of Trustees has entered into a contract on behalf of the College with the Faculty, which establishes procedures for grievances. In fact, the matter of denial of tenure to six faculty members is now going through such established procedures. In a couple of months, a decision should be rendered by an ar bitrator who will either confirm or disallow the Board’s action. We would also like to make it absolutely clear that the Faculty does indeed participate exten sively in the decision-making processes of this College: 1. The initiation of curriculum development resides with the Faculty. 2. The Rank, Promotion and Tenure Committee of the Faculty exercises great in fluence over such matters before the Board of Trustees. 3. The granting of sabbatical leaves is recommended by the Faculty. 4. Scholastic standards are set and maintained by the Faculty. 5. Graduation is under ne jurisdiction of the Faculty. 6. The Faculty shares rights with the Administration in a weekly Administrative Conference through their elected Chair man. 7. The Faculty participates in the Faculty Student Association with two members appointed to the Faculty Student Board of Directors. Yet, in spite of this active par ticipation in decision-making and while following the established procedure, some of the faculty have also chosen to take their grievances to the County Legislature and the news media. In so doing, they have violated their contract and their own ethical standards. By allowing the faculty to present these grievan ces before them, the Ways and Means Committee has ignored and usurped the authority of the Board of Trustees. Some of the Legislators, by such action, may have lessened the ability of the Board of Trustees to administer the College, under the laws of the State of New York. The political and civic leader ship and the general public of this community have been treated to a full hearing of the opinions of our accusers. The result is that sincere people are forming their opinions without sufficient facts about the entire situation. And thus, we have an emotional - almost hysterical - climate in this community about the College. Unfortunately, too many people have forgotten what this Board of Trustees and its administration have accomplished during the past eleven years: When we opened the College’s doors at Midtown Plaza in 1962, instruction was limited to five major curricula. We have brought OCC to the point where today we have twenty five curricula Con’t. on Page 3, Col. 4 O.C.C. CONTROVERSY CHRONOLOGY By Duane Coughenour Controversy has follow ed Onondaga Community College since before its inception. The following is a chronology of only the latest problems. 1966 - Joseph Del Popolo takes over the operation of the OCC bookstore. 1970 - The OCC faculty starts seriously complaining about the OCC bookstore. September-December 1972 - An OCC employee draws a $5,000 personal check against the Faculty-Student Association. The em ployee replaces the money, resigns and reveals other unauthorized advances made from PSA. funds to the bookstore. Del Popolo resigns. The FSA transactions are considered an internal affair. An accounting firm reveals $31,000 of unauthorized advan ces from the FSA. Del Popolo allegedly signs a contract to run the bookstore. January 19, 1973 - The faculty votes “no Confidence” in the college Trustees and Ad ministrators. January 22 - Students meet and vote “no confidence” in the college Adm inistration and Trustees. January 24 - Students meet again. District Attorney Leo Hayes’ office, County Comp troller David R. Elleman’s office, the County Attorney’s office and auditors from the State Depart ment of Audit and Control each as a separate investigation under way. January 26 - Students and faculty meet. January 29 - Students again meet. The County Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing in which County Legislator presents evidence and calls for an investigation of the OCC bookstore and related problems. January 30 - The Ways and Means Committee votes seven to one to investigate. The lone dissenting vote comes from .republican Legislator Arthur W. Hyatt. Hyatt is a member of the OCC board of trustees. January 31 - Students meet OCC Vice President Dr. Charles. February 2 - Students meet with OCC President Dr. Marvin A. Rapp and Board of Trustees member Carolyn Hopkins. Upset over the results of the meeting, three hundred students march on County Executive John Mulroy’s office. Due to the lack room at this office the students meet with Mulroy at the Onon daga County War Memorial. Mulroy says he cannot answer the students’ questions until the in vestigations had been completed. February 5 - Students meet and begin circulating petitions calling for the resignations of the Board of Trustees and administrators. The Ways and Means committee starts its investigation. Chief Assistant District Attorney Jon K. Holcombe says the results of the D istrict Attorney’s in vestigation will be turned over to the Grand Jury. John O’Hara is assigned as liaison between the District Attorney and the Ways and Means Committee. State University Chancellor Ernest L. Boyer is notified of the OCC hassles. February 6 - The Ways and M e a n s C o m m i t t e e Holds, a hearing in which Dr. Charles, James Derrenbacker, Wayne Mousaw and Donald Kober are questioned. February 7 - Students meet with Dr. Charles and Carolyn Hopkins. During a heated debate between Dr. Joseph Agonito and Dr. Charles, the latter passes out and is taken to the hospital. The Ways and Means Committee holds another meeting. Dr. Jane Donegan, Verne Sugarman and Dr. Rapp are questioned. Bragman requests wiretap infor mation and further witnesses. February 8 - Bragman and Hayes clash over investigation procedures. February 12 - County Legislator James Salanger suggests the operating budget of OCC be placed under direct con trol of the County Legislator. February 14 - Ways and Means Committee meets to consider the resumption of its investigation. Ways and Means Committee recommends the contracts of Dr. Rapp and Dr. Charles should not be renewed when they expire on August 31. February 16 - Joseph Del Popolo and Charles Schultz plead innocent to a twelve-count joint indictment returned by the Onondaga County Grand Jury. The indictment includes charges of second larceny, second degree possession of a forged instrument and third degree conspiracy. Schultz alone is charged with two counts of second degree forgery. February 19 - Joseph Del Popolo closes the OCC bookstore. County and State auditors start checking the inven tory. «, February 21 - The Board of Trustees issues a statement which casts doubt as to whether Rapp and Charles will be asked to resign and is highly critical of the County Legislature, faculty and the students. February 22 - Ways and Means Con’t. on Page 4, Col. 1
