Tricoli out as Perimeter president; college faces a $16 million shortfall
Last week, a reader sent me and other AJC reporters a tip that the president of Georgia Perimeter College was out due to an audit that revealed a shortfall in the millions of dollars. Our higher ed reporter has been chasing down the lead ever since.
Today, the chancellor released a letter confirming that Anthony Tricoli was stepping down, but Hank Huckaby offers no details of what led to the $16 million shortfall and why it was not caught until now.
Clearly, Tricoli is not a candidate for the UGA presidency, as several blog posters suggested last week after the news broke that Michael Adams was retiring next year.
We have several Georgia Perimeter College employees who sometimes comment on the blog. Folks, can you enlighten us on this mess?
Here is the AJC.com story by reporter Laura Diamond.
Georgia Perimeter College President Anthony Tricoli has stepped down after officials disclosed that the college has a $16 million budget shortfall, Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced in a letter sent to staff Monday.
The shortfall is for the 2012 fiscal year that ends June 30. The college received about $50.2 million in state allocations for the year, according to university system figures.
Tuition and fees will not be increased to cover the shortfall, Huckaby wrote in the letter obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Instead, the college has suspended contracts, cut travel, delayed hiring and implemented other steps, Huckaby wrote.
The college and system staff are preparing a plan to balance the 2013 fiscal year budget since the underlying shortfall will continue, he said. “We do not know at this time precisely the impact in every budget area, but it will be significant and will likely impact personnel,” Huckaby wrote. “These actions are necessary to address a shortfall of this magnitude.”
Tricoli stepped down because “of the need for a fresh approach,” Huckaby wrote.
Alan Jackson, the vice president of academic affairs, will serve as acting president until Huckaby appoints in interim president.
Tricoli started has been with GPC since 2006. Since then enrollment has grown by about 7,000 students with more than 26,000 students taking classes at sites in Alpharetta, Clarkston, Covington, Decatur and Dunwoody. It is the state’s third-largest public college, behind University of Georgia and Georgia State University.
From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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188 comments Add your comment
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
5:53 pm
its simple. that arrogant so and so refused to stop spending despite the fact we were going broke.
service learning
sustainablity
community gardens
military outreach
student clinic
Jimmy Carter visit
and that man loves to throw parties
at a time when we needed to be retrenching and refocusing, he was
obsessed with getting us to State status.
he came in the door with one eye already on the exit
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
5:54 pm
and don’t forget the rampant cronyism. this whole financial affair is just part of the trainwreck known as Tricoli
Double Zero Eight
May 7th, 2012
5:57 pm
It got too big, too fast. There are too many campuses.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
6:00 pm
@Bootney – Most of these things you listed – service learning, sustainability, community gardens, military outreach – are good for the college and good for the community at-large. Service learning initiatives are largely funded through grants. Military Outreach is incredibly important for the state and the nation and will be a program that will bring money lt the college. And if you don’t get that sustainability is now, more than ever, important to the fiscal survival of the college, you are as stupid as you are ignorant. As to the gardens, they represent not only incredible learning opportunities for our students and faculty, but also serve as vehicles to improving town and gown relationships, addressing significant issues such as food security, which faces many of the communities we serve.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:02 pm
this is a tribute to how one man’s ego can destroy a school.
it was worth your butt to try to tell him anything he didn’t want to hear
Concerned GPC Prof
May 7th, 2012
6:03 pm
It had nothing to do with the size of the institution. It was cronyism and mismanagement, pure and simple. The housecleaning won’t be complete until the VPAA and the Dean of English are sent packing, as well, and the people they fired for no reason are restored to their positions.
yes i am worried
May 7th, 2012
6:04 pm
I think he was too ambitious for this state. He brought the California model (which has lots of merit) to an underfunded system. For those that know, he got agreements with most (all?) of the state’s 4 year colleges to accept GPC graduates that met the standards set by each school. It is a fabulous plan, especially given the escalating college costs.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:05 pm
@ jacketfan,
for you perhaps, but not while we’re going broke.
at some point you gotta stop spending – especially when broke
you can call me ignorant and stupid, but hell – even I can figure that one out.
hope you still feel this way when your job disappears
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
6:05 pm
Oh, look, the camps are already forming. Big surprise. The old, stale guard is already calling for the heads of the VPAA. *eyeroll*
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:06 pm
@ concerned,
the housecleaning’s gotta go a lot deeper than that.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:08 pm
@ yes,
nearly every time we bring in somebody from the west coast – we meaning the BOR – it ends up in some version of this. we really gotta start hiring people who get who we are and how we work.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:09 pm
the pro/anti Tricoli camps formed a long time ago.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
6:11 pm
what I never understood about him is if he didn’t wish to be president of a middle of the road two year school,
why’d he take the job?
Ron Burgundy
May 7th, 2012
6:12 pm
RENAME IT DEKALB COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND WATCH THE PROFITS SOAR!
Jimmy Jam
May 7th, 2012
7:17 pm
Cronyism is what destroyed the college. Too many unqualified people holding decision-making positions. The BOR needs to begin by having several department heads (and even whole departments) reapply for their jobs– they will be shocked to see the lack of relevant credentials of some of the college’s leaders- as evidenced by the financial officers who ran the school into a $16 million hole, for example. But several department heads should not be in decision making positions because they don’t hae the education or relevant experience.
The BOR can really do some good here if they put in the work. Otherwise the college will continue to be mismanaged.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
7:37 pm
@JimmyJam – I agree, but we did just go through SACS. Those things will pan out if you are correct.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
7:48 pm
No one saw this coming? Governor’s appointed BOR is deaf, dumb & dumber, and blind. 2 weeks ago, Tricoli forced a resolution through faculty senate to change the name to Georgia Perimeter STATE College. Supposedly, the BOR had only told him the day before that they would approve it, and they had to have an answer 2 days later. Given that it cost over $1million to change the name of GA Health Sciences, imagine the cost to re-brand 5 campuses. Hopefully, the BOR will reconsider this unnecessary and idiotic cost.
P.S. English dept. faculty scared and miserable. All of this – tip of an iceberg named GA Perimeter TITANIC College.
I love GPC, and our students, but GPC needs a major investigation and clear-out. Cronyism galore – just like the Jacqueline Belcher days. Same people on all committees. Many hated & incompetent campus dept. chairs. New promotion & tenure procedure violates BOR policies – BOR ignored it, even when Tricoli forced it ahead despite 2 faculty senate votes against.
Look back a few years – when GPC officials’ lack of oversight cost many $.
dedicated faculty member
May 7th, 2012
7:58 pm
I’ve been at GPC fulltime for five years, earlier as an adjunct when I was teaching full-time at another college. Call me naive — I thought Tricolli was all about the students and moving into the future (at the expense of the faculty, yes, but whatever). And then — cronyism appeared. The English Dean was hired at his call. Jensen retroactively changed faculty evaluations and removed FOUR Department chairs because they were courageous enough to speak up for their faculty and/or challenge her — even though it might cost them their positions. These are people with integrity, the people who truly represent GPC. I do hope things are restored to their former state.
I have wanted to speak up for so long. And btw — I don’t believe that the VPAA should be removed. I’ve always respected him. But maybe that’s just more of my gullibility.
NBCT
May 7th, 2012
7:59 pm
These people get paid tons of money and they can’t get it together? Its sad really,.. he will get a golden parachute and the college will have to pick up the pieces.
NW GA Math/Science Teacher
May 7th, 2012
8:16 pm
Why move him to the “system central office” if he did a poor job? Open.Georgia.gov says almost $200K last year. Is he really that valuable, that we need to just make something for him to do somewhere else? When we wonder what’s broken about education and where all the money goes…
Fact Man
May 7th, 2012
8:17 pm
The budget manager left a few months back and his replacement discovered that he hadn’t been properly entering costs and purchases into the system . . . for the past several years. I think it is sad that people are blaming this on anything other than the accounting mistake that it was. How is a president supposed to know he’s overspending when the budget office is giving him phony numbers?
Fact Man
May 7th, 2012
8:22 pm
On the issue of the English Dean, I only count two chairs gone, one of them before the evaluations even started. Perhaps it isn’t cronyism, but in-fighting and misinformation that are the problems. For instance, I find it interesting that people are talking about the English Dean and evaluations when the topic was supposed to be budgets.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
8:28 pm
They have to keep him on. He has a $500,000 “house” to pay for and a wife working as a college president in east TN to support. He certainly needs the money, and probably knows about a few skeletons. Appropriate that he’ll be involved in “long-distance education” – if he has to commute to Athens. Maybe they’ll send the ‘copter for him every day.
catlady
May 7th, 2012
8:30 pm
What a cluster++++. And they move him to the Central Office? Guess they are taking a page from the K-12 arena?
Mildly Amused
May 7th, 2012
8:35 pm
I remember when he sent out an email to all employees asking for ideas to save money. What competent leader has to resort to polling all employees to manage the finances of a college? I doubt more than a handful of people at the college are sorry to see him go. Dig deeper AJC, there is a lot more dirt to be uncovered! This man has been driving the college into the ground for years, all for personal gain. I for one am glad to see the egomaniac laid low. I am only sorry that the rest of us will have to suffer due to his incompetence.
Good ole Boys at the Gold Dome
May 7th, 2012
8:38 pm
Gov.Deal needs to set example and tell his friend Huckaby to fire him !!! Why would you move him to central office????
NW GA Math/Science Teacher
May 7th, 2012
8:45 pm
Sadly, Catlady is spot-on about “business as usual” for K-12.
How many admin really impact a school (positively) as much as multiple teachers? Couldn’t we just take it in turns to act as a sort of executive for the week and have our decisions ratified by a special bi-weekly council? (With apologies to Python)
Actually, apart from the time frame, sounds a bit like a more powerful version of a faculty senate…
JazzyMcK
May 7th, 2012
8:53 pm
As a student and SGA member I will say that Dr.T is one of the best things that has ever happened to GPC. He is very down to earth and genuinely cares about the students and it shows. I think it is horrible that he has stepped down and I hope that he will be replaced by someone as good as he is.
Chris
May 7th, 2012
9:05 pm
Whether you like President Tricoli or not, stick to the facts. The executive vice president of financial and administrative affairs who was made the number two person under a former interim president years ago and who was considered the “best” budget manager in the state and his assistant VP were let go because they weren’t minding the shop. The former budget manager who escaped in the nick of time to Chattahoochee Tech was keeping a ledger on a piece of paper in his desk draw, and his two supervisors (both vice presidents) missed it. The president met with his Executive VP of Financial Affairs regularly for updates on the budget. When the “best” budget manager in the state reports all is well, what was the president supposed to do? Get out his calculator and add the columns just to be sure? Dr. Tricoli is unfortunately collateral/political damage. It’s sad because he is the most innovative, creative president we’ve had in the past 25 years. If the chancellor wants a “fresh approach,” he should have kept President Tricoli at GPC. Thanks, Dr. T., for all you did.
hopeful
May 7th, 2012
9:06 pm
I’ve been a staff member at the college for more than 20 years and I have to say the best years were the years Marvin Cole was our President. Belcher was the beginning of the end and Tricoli ended it…
What is next for GPC??? I pray we overcome the scandals and focus on the students who are there for an education as well as the employees who have dedicated their careers to the college.
At this point it looks as though we are losing. GPC has the faculty, staff and students to get past this. Let’s step up and show everyone we can win!
old cool cat
May 7th, 2012
9:07 pm
Follow the money, people. Twenty-one million dollar “shortfall.” The taxpayers, the school, the faculty and staff and the students will suffer because of this. I hope the auditors and the GBI will be investigating. Twenty-one million dollars. Shortfall sounds as if we didn’t take in as much money as expected but that is NOT the case. We expected money not to go missing but it did. Money doesn’t get “lost” all by itself.
And service learning and sustainability projects can be good for a school and for the students but the amount of money GPC spend on these projects and others was unnecessary.
who is managing who
May 7th, 2012
9:09 pm
I want to know who was suppose to watch the man or woman that handles the money coming into the school? Why is he just finding out about the short fall? Because they’re all friends up in there. Watching the wrong people when someone should have been watching them obviously.
PatDowns
May 7th, 2012
9:16 pm
Here’s a good place to start…Take a look at Financial and Administrative Services. The VP and just about all of the accounting staff cleaned out. Question: why didn’t financial books = bank account balance?
Alanis NotMorrisette
May 7th, 2012
9:18 pm
It’s the cronyism, yeah. Anyone who’s a friend gets a six figure salary to be the Chief Executive Crony in Charge of Thumb-Twiddling. Like the Nepotistic Family Dynasty over in OIT. It’s nice to know that there’s an advancement track for women: marriage to someone with the right last name.
Don’t forget the gold-plated toilet seats, either. Last time they had furloughs OIT staff had to sit in an unheated construction site so the CIO could have prettier bathrooms in their rented space. Well, as long as they’re not wasting money on trivial things like people who actually support instruction…
Of course, the corruption pre-dates Tricoli. Don’t even get me started on the former CIO who flew his friend out from California every week. You know, the consultant he hired to replace him. He could pay for that, but he failed to renew the RedHat site license, leaving vital systems without security patches. Oddly, as soon as they had a security audit he announced he was leaving. Hm. Curious, that. He also lied to the VPFA to get a contract with a company he had a financial relationship with.
They need to send Rob Watts back in to clean house.
Just the Facts
May 7th, 2012
9:27 pm
Hey “Dedicated Faculty Member”; Since you’re buddies with the VPAA, ask HIM for the facts.
1. One chair was canned by the Dean of English after multiple chances–even HR said to send him back to the classroom. VPAA endorsed it. 2. The Dean of HUMANITIES canned chair two–he recommended multiple times to send her back to the classroom. VPAA agreed. 3. Another chair was promoted. Don’t know who the fourth is since the rest are still there. Don’t think I’m right? Ask the VPAA before you repost.
Captain P-Card
May 7th, 2012
9:27 pm
Many people at GPC knew that a house cleaning was coming–it was just a matter of time. Some people tried over the past 5-6 years to get BOR/USG officials to respond to documented proof of numerous unethical financial activities and breaches of BOR, state, and federal policy. Often there was no response, or a completely inadequate response. The problems with higher eduction in GA started when Stephen Portch arrived in the mid 1990’s. A recent article in the Athens Banner Herald on the lack of oversight of some 3 billion in debt that has accumulated in the USG due to public-private venture funding got it right when the writer cited Portch’s deregulating of the USG and allowing institutions to operate as independent “fiefdoms.” Many other negative changes came in during Portch’s years as chancellor, and Huckaby appears to be the first chancellor since him who has made an effort to reestablish some oversight and accountability. Nobody held Pres. Belcher in check during here 10-year reign, and Tricoli inherited the same freedoms and lack of oversight. But he had an even bigger ego and ambitions. Many of his grand schemes were costly and had little or nothing to do with the basic academic mission of the college. Go back 6 years and look at all of the high paying new bureaucratic positions he created during his time at GPC. Look at the huge expenditures on marketing. In the meantime, he and his hand picked academic administrators did nothing to support academic quality. I still remember reading the email in which Tricoli celebrated the fact that GPC was officially “exempted” from administering the Regents’ Exam in basic reading and composition. Nothing like doing away with monitoring of basic skills in core areas to speed up the “progress” of students and haul in more money. This change occurred through the academic administration without any participation of faculty or appropriate committees. It also showed that BOR officials had little or no interest in holding institutions accountable for basic academic standards. If the BOR doesn’t care, then why should Tricoli? I also agree that cronyism was rampant in Tricoli’s administration. Administrators who disagreed with him were bullied and minimalized, and only people who catered to his whims and demands were promoted and allowed to keep positions of power. This created a completely closed system in which faculty had no voice and nowhere to turn when they saw abuses and unethical practices. But finally, Tricoli and his cronies did what most people in power do when there is little or no oversight–they exploited the situation fully, covered up their corrupt practices as long as possible, and did serious damage to the institution. Too bad that so many honest, hard working faculty and staff will suffer for what they have done.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
9:35 pm
TODAY, Tricoli sent out an email announcing that he had appointed a “Coordinator of Diversity,” which I am willing to wager carries course release time. Now, diversity in general and GPC’s diversity in particular are wonderful, commendable achievements. When we are $16M in the whole, we can’t afford to deprive even one section of students instruction by a full time faculty member so that someone can run around “coordinating” diversity.
That’s just what we learned about today. Putting the rest of the “coordinators” and “directors” of such and such back into the classroom teaching full time would restore precious dollars to the instructional budget. I can only hope post-Tricoli leadership puts students above invented titles for huge egos.
Sunny D
May 7th, 2012
9:38 pm
Didn’t know all of that was going on the academic side, so the comments can’t be disputed, but the school is in crisis mode and the system is displaying damage control! Don’t believe the okie doke and don’t forget about Fin and Admin Affairs…………………just in case you forgot…….
1. President AT – stepped down
2. Director of Budgets – left in March
3. Director of Accounting Services – demoted, but still employed
3. EVP of Fin and Admin Affairs – retiring
4. AVP of Fin Affairs – ???
5. New Director of Accounting Services
6. New Assistant Director of Accounting Services
5. Bad audit in FY 10
6. Worse audit in FY 11 and who knows what else……..
This failure is a result of mismanagement, incompetence and gross negligence! Poor reflection of the great students, faculty and staff!
CURRENT and POTENTIAL STUDENTS – WE NEED YOU! EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INSTITUTION – ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD!
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
9:38 pm
while I put the ultimate blame on Tricoli -he’s the boss, and he created the atmosphere of intimidation – he didn’t do this solo.
every memeber of the executive team needs to be looked into
WellThen
May 7th, 2012
9:47 pm
At this point, all of this is just rumor and innuendo. It appears that the budget shortfall was the result of bad accounting procedures, and unfortunately the employees and students at GPC will suffer for the incompetence of a small group of people. People can put this in the context of a larger malaise if they want to, but I think we’re jumping to conclusions. It will take time to figure out how many of these “initiatives” and “centers” have really contributed to the budget shortfalls.
Joe
May 7th, 2012
9:48 pm
These comments show how important it is for a campus to have a strong and responsible voice of dissent. When bullied or made to feel like obstructionists, dissenting faculty and staff cannot provide legitimate alternative viewpoints. The best and most effective ideas do not emerge because they can’t possibly have won out on the battlefield of ideas. Scrutiny is what disappears. When this happens, colleges do function more like corporations in that they become susceptible to massive fluctuations in success and failure as they adopt wholesale the policies of an autocratic leader and an administration selected for its ability to agree. This occurs despite a history of unprecedented stability in our system of higher education that made it the envy of the world. My heart goes out to the faculty and staff at GPC. They are in for tough times. More than anything, though, I’m sad that the GPC students (current and future) will have limited resources and opportunities because of this mess.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
9:50 pm
@taxpaying teacher – there are many directors and coordinators in the classroom and many who are helping our faculty improve their classroom teaching to boost learning. The claws are out, I guess. When the proverbial manure hits the fan, it’s good to see how we immediately resort to backbiting and blame.
In the last few hours, I have seen some terrible comments on here from people whom I regard as colleagues. I just about name everyone of you and it’s just damn sad. One side digs in its heels and has been since the start. On the other side there are certainly those who have played the system. However, many of the initiatives and people involved in those initiatives who are being thrown under the bus on this blog are not the people to direct your anger or hurt. I fear this will tear us all apart before all said and done. The damnable thing about it is that we were so close to crossing the threshold of something really great – for our students, our faculty, and communities we serve, from Alpharetta to Clarkston to Newton.
These are the times that test the integrity of a community. I’m sad to say that on day one of this adversity, we have shown ourselves lacking. I hope tomorrow proves different.
Dear Joe
May 7th, 2012
9:53 pm
Be careful Joe about that voice of dissent. Look what happnes near the southeast campus when people speak up http://www.newtoncitizen.com/news/2012/apr/26/alcovy-principal-sues-over-website-comments/
zanderae
May 7th, 2012
9:55 pm
@ Mildly Amused: “I remember when he sent out an email to all employees asking for ideas to save money. What competent leader has to resort to polling all employees to manage the finances of a college?”
Lemme tell you something as a former USG drone: any given employee of such an institution can come up with a whole bunch of money-saving ideas that would never, NEVER be considered by administrators but which could save at least a small chunk of taxpayer dollars. In economic times such as these, one should not underestimate small savings, especially when one is talking about public dollars.
Example: develop another way for tenured professors to advance in their careers other than bumping them up to some level of (generally high-paid and low-work) administration because there’s just nowhere else for them to go.
Second example: quit holding self-congratulatory campus events and/or mandatory “ceremonies” masked as morale-boosters that are only attended because administrators force their staffs into attendance so said admins don’t look bad (or look “collegial”) to the powers that be – thus taking valuable work time away from taxpayer-compensated employees who really would just as soon take that wasted time to do their work as attend these inane lunacies. (”Administrator of the year”? “Campus Awards”? What?! Who cares?)
Third: quit providing make-work duties to departments and/or administrators just to justify their existence as dollar-sucking entities. Look. I don’t want anyone to become unemployed, but it it really necessary to come up with some bogus “institute” for a departing admin to head just so they can keep drawing a paycheck? On a smaller scale, is it necessary for every single staff person to receive a printed notice of an upcoming art exhibit on campus? Both of these happen all the time.
But no. Suggestions from the masses would never be considered when it comes to ideas to save money. Any such employee inquiry is merely a gesture. Gawd knows nobody in a staff/employee position could ever come up with a reasonable idea……
GPCstudentsupport
May 7th, 2012
9:58 pm
People need to stop jumping to conclusions and guessing things that happened. Only a certain number of people know the real story and I doubt they would be writing on this blog. It pains me to see Dr. Tricoli have to take the fall for mistakes he did not make. I personally know Dr. Tricoli and I can say he always had the students best interests at heart. He is a great man and I hope no one thinks poorly of him for this fiasco.
Being in the SGA (Student Government Association) and a Student I saw GPC from the inside and it is a great place for everyone. It became a second home for me and always will be. Don’t let this scare you into thinking GPC is a horrible place. It is a place filled with excellent professors, wonderful staff members, and a student body that brings GPC to life. I can’t wait to continue my education there after the summer and I hope my fellow students fell the same way.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
9:58 pm
Yo – taxpaying teacher – aka knuckle-dragging bigot. Many of GPC’s students come from poor and poorly-educated homes, and are all too happy to share their (and your) prejudices with everyone around them. As a faculty member, I have known students bullied because of their differences. I don’t agree with all of Dr. Tricoli’s ideas, but this is something that has already been put into place at most major GA colleges, and GPC is well behind the times in recognizing it. The faculty member asked to coordinate this effort has been with GPC for many years, and has worked on this effort for those many years without recognition or release time or extra pay. So please get over yourself!
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
10:12 pm
@Jacket Fan, I notice you chose to address me, but you did not provide one iota of evidence that GPC students are better off with “coordinators” and “directors” who do little or no teaching than they would be with the same folks teaching a full load. The important job of “helping our faculty improve their classroom teaching to improve learning” does not require release time of 1 – 4 courses per semester. At my last employer (which happened to be a darned fine teaching school), department chairpersons had one course release per term and managed to do the job well. Of course, they weren’t off attending endless meetings scheduled by all the coordinators and directors just to give themselves something to do.
Now is the time for every person at GPC — including VP’s, Assistant and Associate VP’s and Deans — who holds the appropriate credentials to teach a minimum of three to four courses per semester. What does ANYBODY at GPC do that matters more than actual teaching? And how better to mentor others than by example? I’m sorry if you consider that “being thrown under the bus” (a stale cliche if ever I read one).
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
10:13 pm
P.S. The diversity coordinator is not receiving release time, but is doing it in addition to teaching,student advising duties, and hours of volunteer efforts for GPC. This is not a new thing, but has been in place for some months already. The email was only to announce a report. How much was that wager you spoke of? If you find diversity so wonderful and commendable, I dare you to donate it to GPC’s diversity efforts.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
10:18 pm
@Longtime GPC Insider — GPC’s new Coordinator of Diversity may be the finest human on Earth, but right now we just flat can’t afford to award release time for what he or she does. Period. Your ad hominem attack on me, which you can’t support even tangentially, is a classic example of someone who knows he or she hasn’t a legitimate point. BTW, you can stop calling Anthony “Dr. Tricoli.” He won’t be able to protect you any longer.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
10:21 pm
@Longtime GPC Insider — Since you seem to know the Coordinator of Diversity so well, what exactly is his or her teaching load? If he or she teaches the same load as an average faculty member, I will gladly retract my statement and salute their outstanding effort. In fact, I’ll ask what I can do to help. My “knuckle dragging” bigotry exists only in your deluded brain.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
10:21 pm
@taxpaying “teacher” – what’s your evidence? Anecdotal pish is all I see. If you actually cared to find out, you could speak to our students about the benefits of service learning projects to their education our you could take the three seconds to perform a google search to see the benefits of having service learning coordinators on campus, or having a military outreach center, or initiating sustainability initiatives. And, sir or madam, I assure you those roles are full time and not “cushy” positions as you infer. Here, let’s try one:
http://bit.ly/
Dante and Randal
May 7th, 2012
10:22 pm
According to the rumors, on May 4th after Spring Commencement, President Tricoli, Ron Carruth – Vice President for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Sheletha Champion – Assistant Vice President of Financial Affairs were fired and escorted from their offices by campus police.
The rumor is that the financial discrepancies have something to do with employee benefits. This is rumor and regardless if it’s true or not, the frustrating issue about all of this is that we (GPC Faculty and Staff) can’t get any answers from anyone from the executive team. In fact most staff and faculty were unaware of any budget issues until the email outlining the new budget spending criteria was sent last week.
Dr. Tricoli surely didn’t invent cronyism at GPC, but he did stoke it’s fires. People he wanted were hired, those who resisted these new hires were retaliated against. Example: In a feud with Tricoli over a hiring issue the GPC CIO’s VP position was eliminated and moved under Ron Carruth.
Moreover, it’s more than cronyism that’s the issue. Since Tricoli arrived the institutional culture and mission has changed and not for the better. Tricoli’s goal was to grow the college, at any cost, even if resources for new enrollment were lacking. GPC has met that goal,. We’re busting at the seams with new students. With that retention has tanked.
Tricoli’s leadership style and behavior is rude, abusive and highly unprofessional. He is renown throughout the college for going off on anyone for any trivial issue. He has hired a cadre of people (example: the VP of Student Affairs, Dr. Vincent June) who emulates his leadership, and also acts in a highly unprofessional and dictatorial way.
The Customer Service program has gone way off the tracks from being a needed component to improve services to a club that is held over everyone and actually impedes services. GPC and BoR policies and procedures are ignored, bent or broken in order to increase enrollment and make students (and their parents) happy. Happy students, means keeping your job, and many folks over the past 5 years have learned to do almost anything to keep a student happy.
I have worked in colleges and universities for 20 years. I have never seen one as dysfunctional as GPC. It’s culture is one of fear and secrecy. Tricoli has done some good things (The TAG program for one), but he and the people he placed in power have met these goals by trashing many standards of professional conduct and accountability. For some leaders at GPC, the mission is not the students, the mission is personal power.
What GPC needs is for the AJC or any news outlet to do an APS style investigation. People are willing to talk. If these are rumors, than investigate and tell us what the truth is, because at this time no one at GPC is.
Redweather Foster
May 7th, 2012
10:26 pm
Say what you may about Belcher, but THAT president didn’t leave us with a 16 million dollar shortfall that is going to result in faculty moving to a 5/5 course load, a possible loss of summer pay THIS summer and perhaps next as well. We will be living with Tricoli’s debt for some time to come, and it will be upon our backs that the suffering will fall. This is by far the worst president we have had in years.
You may think his sustainability, service learning, community gardens, Jimmy Carter visit ect. are good for the college, but in reality, it was Tricoli’s way of building a resume on the back of the whole college. It was just two years ago this spring that he tried to leave GPC and sent out talking points to all department chairs to ensure he controlled the message.
When he failed to be hired there, he changed. Maybe even became a little paranoid. Once Virginia Michelich moved to the BOR, he no longer had anyone in front of him who would challenge his ideas or demands. From that point on, he wanted only those in positions of power that would go along without questioning the moral or ethical propriety of the process. He has a VPAA who NEVER answered to a faculty conflict.
I know for a fact that he told English department chairs that he cannot make faculty decisions suggesting that anything he wanted to do had to be cleared by a higher source. He has even admitted to other deans that he had no control over the Dean of English, that he doesn’t know where she is or what she does. He has only conducted one deans’ meeting since November, because the Dean of English felt they were unnecessary. He was controlled by his president and the Dean of English, which seems silly but is true.
Since he has been the VPAA and the Dean of English has been in place, there has been no administrator that the English faculty could go to for possible relief regarding faculty issues. We have felt as if we were left out to dry. The only recourse for some has been HR, and that has offered limited help.
And for those who are writing here who are not part of the English department, you have no idea what is in store for you, if the “norming” tool for faculty evaluations is introduced across the divisions, which the VPAA has endorsed and is in the process of looking at its implementation. The “norming” tool is a dangerous and manipulative instrument that gives those who are not in contact with faculty members control over the evaluations. It is worse than the old faculty evaluation method and was not created with faculty input. It was formulated and enforced by one individual, the Dean of English, and until Tricoli’s sudden exit, it was coming to the entire college as the tool of evaluation.
The power of the “norming” tool over faculty is enormous, especially when those in control are accomplices in its implementation. I know that when one English faculty member’s evaluation was changed by the Dean of English, she was told that the faculty member would only appeal. Her response was, “Let him, he has to appeal to me and Alan.” The implications there are very unsettling.
I think once the entire faculty learns just what we will have to carry on our shoulders, the only remedy will be a complete house cleaning at the very top. Tricolit is gone, the VP of Finance is gone (because he wouldn’t stand up to Tricoli), the VPAA should be removed because he was at best an enabler, at worst, an accomplice to Tricoli (his job was more important to him than doing the right thing), the Dean of English should be removed because she is totally incompetent in her job and is probably going to cost the college even more in lawsuits before this is over.
The English Department Chair in Dunwoody should be given his job back, the English Department Chair in Newton should be given her job back. The English Department Chair in Alpharetta should be given his job back, and the on line college should have a new leader in that division of the college. The “norming” tool should be removed, tossed into the heap, and all evaluations should be returned to the score set by Department Chairs prior to “norming.” True college leaders and faculty excellence comes from those who do their jobs endlessly and tirelessly. They should not be punished by an incompetent administrator who was “awarded” her position for her loyalty and unexplained admiration for a president who lost or misplaced 16 million dollars.
I hope the AJC pushes hard and looks into every dime that was misplaced or misused. I understand Tricoli, who was just featured in an article about how he and his wife are college presidents (ironic), used GPC funds to train staff from his wife’s college in Tennessee. That’s a rumor I’d like to see investigated. There are more issues that need to be dug out and followed. But for me, I’m tired of not getting raises, tired of being bullied around by an inept Dean of English, tired of being a part of a broken system when what we should be is what we can be, an incredible gateway for students to go to college.
I will conclude by saying this, Tricoli did some good things. The tag program is wonderful. Continuing our growth during the years of the GGC nightmare was genius. I supported him every step of the way, but he once asked us to trust him. He stood on the stage at Cole Auditorium and asked for our trust. Many of us gave him that trust and he, in turn, over a five year period violated it to the tune of 16 million dollars. I don’t trust him anymore, and I don’t trust those who helped him stick it to us. Get rid of them all. There are great faculty who can rise to these positions waiting right now in the wings. Let’s tap a few new faces and restart this wonderful school.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
10:27 pm
@JacketFan — Now is truly the silly season. Cite a single word I wrote criticizing service learning, military outreach, or sustainability. One word. My point is that in the face of an unprecedented budget shortfall, the coordinators of these initiatives need to be teaching full time, as commentator Longtime GPC Insider has implied (but not directly stated) the Coordinator of Diversity does. How could anyone at a teaching college find that idea objectionable?
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
10:29 pm
Where was I …
http://bit.ly/KhrZmW
What gets folks like you up in arms has nothing to do with any reality, it’s only your curmudgeonly cynicism from years of resentment for those in your profession who have surpassed you. Or, perhaps, just an innate need to bitch. In either case, it’s as stale as my cliche.
Good luck with that. I’m sure it will get you far.
Lots of dishonesty at GPC
May 7th, 2012
10:32 pm
Tricoli may be getting what he had coming, but the holier than thou (or him) attitude seeping from many of the posts here is so predictable. Tenured faculty at GPC engage in what I will call “colleague nepotism” 24/7. If you’re tenured, you’re okay; if you’re not tenured, you’re invisible; if you’re in the administration, you’re worthless. They have absolutely no credibility in my view. Some of them couldn’t teach a dog how to fetch a bone. Having served on committees with them, I can tell you that rank-and-file tenured faculty members are no better than Tricoli and his “cronies.” They’re good at whining about the administration and protecting their own turf. That and working four days a week.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
10:35 pm
@taxpayer – teaching college or not, it doesn’t change the job requirements of some of these coordinators. The jobs require grant writing, developing curriculum, designing professional development programs, managing student interns (e.g. Americorps Students, Bonner scholars), building community partner relationships, fundraising (non-grant), etc. Do you really think someone with those responsibilities could do good by two or three sections of students and still perform? You’re supposedly an academic. You tell me.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
10:36 pm
it still comes back to this: in better times, Tricoli’s initatives aren’t bad things. in these financial times, they’re unsupportable due to overworked people and evaporating budget.
I don’t give a damn how great they may be, or how much it makes some faculty feel good we have them. we can’t afford them right now.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
10:38 pm
Here is the job description for the sustainability position. Is this sufficient enough to not require a significant teaching load?
http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?Jobcode=175534128&aID=788&print=yes
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
10:39 pm
@ taxpaying,
I know the DC, but not personally. what I find objectional about it is we’re all overloaded already.
to ask him/her to take on this additional duty without more money is wrong. to hire someone new to do it is fiscally irresponsible.
OpsFac
May 7th, 2012
10:42 pm
@bootney – the sustainability initiatives lead to saving money. Just addressing low-hanging fruit, such as paper usage, HVAC usage, lighting, etc. could save 2 million a year. Funny, we tried motion sensor lighting and broadening the temperature points, but FACULTY complained until those measures went away …
See. Doesn’t feel so good when the back biting is on your back.
bootney farnsworth
May 7th, 2012
10:43 pm
all this and SACS coming up hard.
we’re in for a rough time.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
10:44 pm
To taxpaying teacher: I have only met the diversity co-ordinator 2 or 3 times – different campus – discussed hate crime, speech, & acts on our campuses. If you had read our student newspaper, you might be aware of this. Perhaps you are among the supporters. Students I know talk of the increasing lack of respect for others among students, and have talked about disparaging remarks from faculty, but are afraid to report. “Dr.” Tricoli is his academic title, it is a matter of courtesy – should I be acquainted with you, I would at the very least refer to you as Mr., Mrs., or Ms.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
11:00 pm
@bootney — Agreed. We probably can’t afford a DC right now. As we all know, this financial catastrophe is unprecedented. The budget will be balanced after next June, and we should probably hold the job open for the person selected until then.
@JacketFan — I am shaking my head in amazement that you could try to defend anyone at GPC teaching one solitary three hour course per academic year. I stand by my statement that everyone at GPC with the credentials needs to be teaching multiple sections per semester. No one’s job is too important to override this one absolutely essential college function.
@Longtime GPC Insider — I’m still waiting on that teaching load. You said the DC isn’t receiving release time, so you should be happy to answer this one question unless, of course, the facts don’t support you.
OpsFac
May 7th, 2012
11:08 pm
@taxpayer – funny how you crow the importance of teaching, yet fail to recognize the importance of programs designed to improve our abysmal retention rates. Just teaching isn’t really working, is it? Though, not surprising coming from you.
William Casey
May 7th, 2012
11:09 pm
I was an undergrad at a USG school in 1970 and a Student Government Officer at a time when students were first allowed to serve on school committees. I was often amazed by the pettiness of some administrators and faculty. I can see that some things never change. One thing HAS changed: there has been a massive proliferation of administrative positions.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
11:09 pm
This is all so pointless.
Lots of dishonesty at GPC
May 7th, 2012
11:15 pm
So what happened to my comment? Did I ruffle some GPC faculty member’s feathers? Or are generalizations only allowed to posters who want to wag fingers at Tricoli and his so-called cronies?
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
11:18 pm
@ Longtime GPC Insider — You don’t know what the DC’s teaching load is, but you KNOW he or she isn’t getting any course releases? SMH
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
11:22 pm
@taxpaying – oh, shut it. If you wanted course releases you could have them, if you had the initiative to do so. You sound like sour grapes.
taxpaying teacher
May 7th, 2012
11:38 pm
@JacketFan, you really don’t get it. Most of us faculty went into this profession because we truly love teaching. We have already heard from multiple sources that, thanks to Anthony Tricoli’s incompetence (the kindest word that can be used to describe him now), we are going to see our summer pay cut and our teaching loads increased. Yet you’re so worked up because some administrator might have to teach that dreaded second course per year. How sad that you regard full time teaching as, to use your own words, “sour grapes.”
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
11:45 pm
@taxpayer – you’ve changed your position. You were arguing for a 3/3 or some such for directors/coordinators. Now it’s a 1/1. Hell, most would do a 2/2 if asked. Don’t change your story and expect to get a fair argument.
And it wasn’t AT’s incompetence. His budget office was telling him all is well. You’re showing your true colors now. Just another anti-Tricoli faculty member.
I’m worked up because the initial straw man attacks have been on people who have nothing to do with this kerfuffle.
JacketFan
May 7th, 2012
11:47 pm
And what makes you think the summer pay will be cut? Hyperbole isn’t necessary.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 7th, 2012
11:59 pm
Dearest taxpaying teacher (aka knuckle-dragging bigot) – should you know the co-ordinator’s name, you may easily look up the teaching load for some previous years on the GPC website – http://www.gpc.edu – FYI. You poor dear – the position was only created mid-term (as you should well know, if you are privy to GPC email).
Should you be (to the detriment of GPC or any other student) an actual teacher, please share with us what unpaid, and extracurricular duties that you might unwillingly do. I serve on more committees than I care to, and because I work at GPC, and there is what is known as “charm school” for those who disagree, I will not name them, except truesdale. I do many tasks beyond my job description because they are required, especially in our current economy. Much of my time would be better used, but we are required to provide evidence of engagement in the college for promotion and tenure, as in most institutions. You are truly fortunate should your employer(s) (not college level perhaps), not require such extra effort.
I do not respect some of the current administration (VPAA excluded, don’t ask about Student Affairs – Google June). However, GPC is the state’s largest feeder into Georgia’s 4-year institutions, and although I disagree with the discontinuance of some remedial programs, I will always believe in the mission of 2-year or community colleges. Our transfer students have been shown statistically to do better at 4-year institutions than those who began at them. Georgia’s high schools have failed many students, and many GPC students are coming back for 2nd careers and need what we once offered before the BOR intervened .
Longtime GPC Insider
May 8th, 2012
12:11 am
P.P.S. See article dated 5/6 from the Chronicle of Higher Education: “2 Presidents, 2 Campuses, One Long-Distance Marriage”? http://www.chronicle.com
taxpaying teacher
May 8th, 2012
12:12 am
@JacketFan — I never said a 1/1 load for the Sustainability Director would be fine by me. I merely pointed out a major problem in a link you posted. I stand by my comment that you have shown a true dread that some precious administrators have to take on a dreaded second section per year. We will known this month if my comment that I have heard from multiple sources summer pay will be cut. I sincerely hope I am wrong. As for your defense of Tricoli, well, I’ll simply say I am honored to be attacked by a reality blind Tricoli supporter.
@Longtime GPC Insider — That’s three paragraphs to acknowledge you can’t — or more likely, won’t — discuss the teaching load of the DC, which you have said you know is not being reduced. And you toss in the obligatory bogus “bigot” label. Interesting, then, you’d care to characterize the many students who under perform on the Compass as “remedial,” an epithet they probably won’t much appreciate. About 25 years ago, out of respect for the diversity and variety of reasons students under perform, professors nationwide moved toward the kinder label “developmental,” which in turn has given way to the both kinder and more accurate “learning support.” In your case, it’s quite clear someone doesn’t like what they see in the mirror.
Longtime GPC Insider
May 8th, 2012
1:12 am
Beloved “taxpaying” – only overly PC sensitive instructors worry about the term “remedial”. Pre-PC, the term “developmental” meant something less than remedial. GPC has no developmental courses. We have “Pre-college composition”, “Advanced reading skills, “Beginning algebra” and “Intermediate algebra” – please see online course list.
Enjoyable as this has been, we are far from the original topic. You brought up the co-ordinator of diversity issue, and it is also far from the most important of GPC issues. Take your meds, focus, and get back to the original issue. How did GPC, after $50.2 million this year of GA $, end up $16 million under? Most importantly, how will it “likely impact personnel”? The term “personnel” means actual individuals I know and work with, not soylent green. “Say goodnight, Gracie”.
teaching taxpayer
May 8th, 2012
1:50 am
@ Longtime GPC Insider — Your ignorance in endless hate filled, ad hominem, baseless bull is quite clear, and in that respect it is a good night. Oh, and there’s also this: Anthony Tricoli is no longer President of Georgia Perimeter College, and his minions are scrambling for cover. If you’re a budget manager, you’re going to have some explaining to do yourself.
Yes, it is a very good night.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
May 8th, 2012
3:11 am
“(A)n audit?” Who conducted the audit? Were the auditors competent, disinterested and from out-of-state? Where is the original audit report? How often are audits by competent, disinterested, out-of-state entities conducted at GPC? At all USG institutions? Are unredacted reports of any and all such audits presented in mass-circulation print and electronic media?
2legit2quit
May 8th, 2012
5:33 am
GPC has already lost by the slow discontinuance of Learning support programs beginning this Fall. They may end up with just about 17k-18k of enrolled students which only solidifies the significant impact on personnel about to occur. Cuts should begin at the top and not at the people considered the “face” of GPC because they are only doing what the people who hide behind closed doors instruct them to do. The executive asst. the chief executive made over $101,000 for doing what?? Why are there orbs on every campus office doors? Why, in the midst of faculty and staff not receiving raises for the past four years did the top-heavy management receive increases in pay? I pray the students don’t receive the bad end of the stick because of such financial mismanagement.
redweather
May 8th, 2012
6:54 am
@zanderae, I was recently named to become one of those “dollar-sucking entities” you mentioned. If I had to guess, that appointment might evaporate over the next few days.
@jacketfan, when the manure hits the fan people will say just about anything no matter how false or mean-spirited it might be. Worst of all, they feel good about saying it.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
7:22 am
@ Dr. Craig,
it’s my understanding -emphasis, understanding – the audit was done as a routine part of SACS prep. who actually did it originally I’m not sure.
Long-time USG employee
May 8th, 2012
7:43 am
In case you missed the tip earlier AJC, KEEP DIGGING. It goes way deeper than AT. Yes, he may have had the student’s best interest at heart, but who there doesn’t? That man’s ego and intimidation tactics did more damage than did his good intentions. Dig deep, AJC. Look into reports to HR and reports of ethics violations. I love the USG and am shocked they kept him around…what dirt must he have on them?! Interview employees, please! The house is not clean yet. There are many more who need to “step down” before GPC isn’t tainted.
Our students and devoted employees deserve better than Tricoli and the atmosphere he created. I’ve worked at several USG institutions and have never been a part of such a toxic environment.
“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang is on perpetual loop in my head. Now let’s clean the rest of it up so we can go about our business of preparing these amazing students for the workforce.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
7:44 am
the bottom line is this:
under AT we spent far more money than we had access to.
under AT we were supposed to contract, but instead he forced us
to grow – well beyond our ability to sustain it.
under AT we were PROMISED he’d do something about the chronic low pay of P/A and general staff. not only did he do nothing, he increased the payroll with more 100,000 plus positions than ever before. positions we didn’t have, probably didn’t need, and obviously couldn’t afford.
AT came in PROMISING the days of the Belcher style magic wand for promoting favorites was over. it’s been anything but.
AT spend about 1 MILLION dollars launching the Atlanta Center/bringing in Jimmy Carter while we were furloughing people.
AT sent Richard Beauvian to India – INDIA – to try to drum up distance learning students when we couldn’t successfully proctor them in Macon.
AT continually sought ways around the nepotism rules to try to find a high profile job for his wife. see Atlanta Center and Deborah Gonzalez.
all the while he was doing his damnest to get a new job somewhere else.
or have you all forgotten the email telling us what to say if the school from Florida called?
and none of this even touches the ethics complaints swamping this place.
the Beth Jenson and Chris Albers messes alone could cripple us for years.
all of this may or may not have been done with good intentions. what it did was pave the expressway to hell. worse, he’ll not have to pay the price – it’ll be our part timers, our middle managment, our faculty, and hour lowest paid who pay for this disaster. at the minimum.
do not lose sight of the even bigger issue. SACS. while we’ll not lose our accreditation, its gonna take a hit. that means standing, competitveness, and MONEY are all at stake.
big changes will be occuring people. big ones. and more than a few of us won’t be here to see how they play out.
Inman Park Boy
May 8th, 2012
7:56 am
Perimeter College (then DeKalb College) offered me an opportunity many, many years ago when it was a two-year college, and a stepping stone for me to Georgia State. I went on to acheve a masters and a doctorate, and it might not have happened without DeKalb College, so I am and will always be a great supporter of Perimeter. It serves a unique function in the metro area, and should be supported by us all. I regret Tricoli’s mismanagement, but lets move forward under new leadership.
taxpaying teacher
May 8th, 2012
8:07 am
This link at the USG website may contain some useful information about audit procedures at GPC and elsewhere: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/documents/BOR_Presentation_-_DOAA_-_FINAL.pdf
No definite word, however, on when or by whom GPC’s most recent audit was conducted. Word is we will now see a “forensic audit” that may (not necessarily will, but may) result in further sanctions against the college and the responsible individuals.
dedicated faculty member
May 8th, 2012
8:30 am
Hi, Just the facts. Ask any single person in the English and Reading Division if they’re happy. We’re all terrified and miserable. The only things that keep me going are my students and my dedicated colleagues. The Dean did in fact retroactively change faculty evaluations — just ask HR. And why she was hired? Because she and Tricoli are “tight.” She was the fourth choice out of four recommended by the committee, but the President had the final say. Maybe you need to get YOUR facts straight.
I hope SACS is reading this.
Lee
May 8th, 2012
8:51 am
$16 million? That’s a drop in a bucket by government accountability standards. Lol
—————-
So, what we have learned today, boys and girls, is that a lot of these Phd types couldn’t run a hot dog stand, but fill your head with mindnumbing drivel. Trust me, you don’t know how bad they are until you have worked for a few years and then go back to school or attend a seminar. ( caveat, I’m speaking of the business professors, but I’m sure other disciplines have there numbskulls.)
Lee
May 8th, 2012
9:03 am
“their”. Dang iPhone….
TimeOut
May 8th, 2012
9:08 am
I wonder if others think that we have too many separate colleges and universities with the bulk of them of mediocre quality———not that their faculty isn’t qualified, but that you can only make so many silk purses out of so many sows’ ears. It’s probably a highly offensive query to many folks, to wonder aloud if we should strip colleges and universities of their expensive non-academic functions. Communities could still make money via sports, just not as ‘college’ sports. Teams could affiliate with municipalities and the mingling of sports, recreation, entertainment, and education monies would end. We could also look at how many separate administrative teams we could dissolve, opting instead for centralized administration with satellite campuses. We just don’t need all of these college presidents, provosts, etc. We don’t need exponential bureaucracy. Streamline our entire system of colleges and universities even more so than ever before. Condense, consolidate, and eliminate overlap. Stop using pubic monies for elaborate student unions, sports complexes, etc. We could have stellar community resources available to all in those same areas without making them the exclusive venues of universities’ employees and students. I suppose that this is too radical and that those of us who don’t care at all about ‘go dawgs’ ‘how ’bout them dawgs’ and other such things will hear the shout-down from those for whom such things are tantamount to religious practice.
Candora
May 8th, 2012
9:13 am
Because of Tricoli’s propensity for verbal abuse and retaliation when his decisions or actions were questioned, there has been a very poor atmosphere at GPC. Administrators and others who worked with him directly had to chose between working to make things better or having a job. He and he alone is responsible for the choices he made regarding the extravagant spending on non-instructional affairs. He should be held accountable for this mess and should not be shuffled into some other position in the USG.
dedicated faculty member
May 8th, 2012
9:17 am
Hi, Lee. I’m one of those PhD’s who fill your head with mind-numbing drivel. Like the difference between there and their : ) Just teasing.
HS Public Teacher
May 8th, 2012
9:23 am
With so many choices out in the world, why would any organization settle for a candidate that is below par in any way?
Look what happened to DeKalb County School System with their previous selection for Superintendent!
Certainly, there MUST be a person out there better qualified with sufficient morals and ethics.
goodbyeAT
May 8th, 2012
9:26 am
Common sense, decency and politeness went out the window when Tricoli came to GPC. Noted for his foul language in meetings, along with his abusive treatment of staff, students and faculty, Tricoli brought a new vision of an administration based on the insanity. Think of all the extremes that he brought to the college including millions for advertising, allowing thousands of students to come to classes without completing the the financial process and paying the tuition, the Faculty Evaluation Instrument forced on faculty against the vote of the Faculty Senate, the take over of the 1/8 of the Student Center for a Service Learning Center to create fancy offices for an administrator who left the the week after the opening and ended up vacationing in Thailand, the “Trust Me” campaign, public fingering of dissenters, refusal to answer Open Records requests, huge banquets for administrators, doubling of classes (non-existent) to pad the number for the big boys downtown, and on and on. Did the BOR under Errol Davis know what Tricoli was doing? YES Did they know that the money was getting funny? YES See previous audits. Why are we paying the BOR millions for no oversight. Goodbye Tricoli. Have a good time in the BOR’s Golden Ghetto with all the other fakes and failures on the state dole.
blackbird13
May 8th, 2012
9:57 am
I was once a GPC student and enjoyed my time there. I was an adult student going back to get a degree and, for cost reasons, chose to start at GPC and then transfer to Georgia State. In my view, GPC should stick to the mission of preparing students for 4 year degrees and acting as a “catch up” program for those long out of high school or those who neglected their studies in high school. It appears that some of what they are doing there goes beyond that mission. That may have been fine during the boom times for this state, but with current economic and political conditions there should be a focus on the core mission of academic instruction. Start by cutting non-classroom expenditures–if it isn’t part of the classroom, it should be on the table for elimination, period.
Beverly Fraud
May 8th, 2012
10:31 am
Diversity? As in divert funds to take care of a crony? That seems to be the only WORKING definition of diversity that rings true in these parts.
A Conservative Voice
May 8th, 2012
10:32 am
Close ‘er down boys. Our state cannot afford it. Before long it’ll be just like the USPS…….a black hole that can never be filled.
gpc whistleblower
May 8th, 2012
10:39 am
Don’t be fooled, watch channel 2 news tomorrow at 5:45 pm & 6:45 pm Richard Belcher is doing a story on Tricoli, Ron Carruth & Karen Truesdale. Also it was learned that Tricoli has six issues in front of the BOR that is being hidden but will be brought out tomorrow night.
gpc whistleblower
May 8th, 2012
11:12 am
waiting for my comment to be shown, why is it being held up
taxpaying teacher
May 8th, 2012
11:24 am
@Blackbird — Well said! I hope you and other alumni will write the Chancellor and reiterate the point that until this extreme financial crisis passes, teaching should take precedence over every other priority at GPC. No administrator, coordinator, or director should be exempted, up to and including the academic Vice President.
Bill Bixby
May 8th, 2012
11:34 am
Dr. T was not escorted by cops. I was with him. RELAX
IC it here
May 8th, 2012
11:48 am
Positions are created out of thin air to provide friends, family and HOA members positions. Jobs are created for things like hiring someone for facebooking, not for the whole college but for one small department. Jobs are created at a whim, so much so that people are hired without even so much as a cubicle to sit in. Cronyism & Nepotism by any means. Cafe, bookstore that hyphens money from the school and a deliberate blind eye to it all. Each pet project has “new employees” and favorites of VPs are allowed to create jobs.
Bill Bixby
May 8th, 2012
11:51 am
I cannot speak to much for the academic side of the house on a day to day basis, but I can speak big picture. I loved working with Anthony and I appreciated his toughness. There are far to many people at the college who do not contribute and simply sit and an office o r cubicle or read from a PowerPoint and say they are teaching. We are adults. If you are up in arms because he wasn’t “nice” to you or said a n”naughty word” then that’s just sad. Some one mention too much ambition. The fact that many people think you can be TOO AMBITIOUS is why we needed him as President. I do agree the buck stops whit him and he should have been dismissed, but it will hurt our college in the long run. No other college president fought as hard for our students and that’s why many did not like him. Because he wanted people to work hard, and working hard in higher ed or government for that matter is not common. …as for the professor who claims that all non-teaching stff are in- essential to the college ….c’mon son!
gpcfollower
May 8th, 2012
12:08 pm
Yes, the buck stops with the President. However, where is the BOR in all of this? What controls and processes did they have in place…they are so far removed from what is actually happening on the campuses. And this extends out to other units, someone needs to review the expeditures in the Office of Information Technology under the CIO, Reid Christenberry, a boondoggle to Apple??? $$$ thrown at consultants likes it going out of style
Candora
May 8th, 2012
1:25 pm
Bill Bixby, I don’t believe that anyone faults Anthony for fighting for our students. We fault him for his belief that looking good is more important than being good, for spending our money on fabulous projects that would be acceptable in times of plenty but not now, and for showing nearly complete disregard for the faculty and their opinions.
Faculty 1987
May 8th, 2012
1:52 pm
The only stable areas of the college are student affairs and institutional advancement. Both these VP’s include their staff in decision making, trainings, etc. Work well with faculty, staff, and students and are willing to deal with the president head on to protect and advocate for their areas.
Student @ GPC
May 8th, 2012
1:59 pm
As a student at GPC I would like to know what’s happening behind the scene. Com’on guys lets get a little more dirt out. Where my tuition and fee really going!
Btw GPC is truly a great school and cheaper alternative. Thank you faculty and staff!
IC it here
May 8th, 2012
2:03 pm
I notice that there are many comments from faculty. We Staff also see the corruption. Why are there people still in high ranking positions that have already caused the college to be sued, due to unfair hiring practices. this is not just a financial issue it has become a legal issue and nothing has been done. there is no resolution or accountability.
GPC Worker
May 8th, 2012
2:25 pm
Whoever said that non-teaching staff aren’t important…there would be no classes if it weren’t for non-teaching staff members. I speak from experience!
Prof
May 8th, 2012
2:49 pm
Question to GPC insiders: how will your branch campuses likely be affected? I know faculty and administrators at your Clarkston campus. What’s likely to happen there?
Those of us on the outside just read these posts and shake our heads. I have to say that I have heard some of the complaints before at recent scholarly conferences.
GPC Worker
May 8th, 2012
2:55 pm
@Prof: Well, we can’t buy supplies/materials we need. So I know the science department at Dunwoody will have to pull some crazy stunts to get through the next semesters, that’s for sure.
BillyBobby
May 8th, 2012
3:15 pm
I have continually complained that the budget process was wrong. When I first arrived I could not believe how no one cared when I tried to get someone to notice this. The budget director never returned any calls. This, I am told, has been going on for at least three years before I arrived. There are administrators in the college that complained in meetings and with top officials that something was wrong. Nothing was done.
Old GPC Staff Member
May 8th, 2012
3:27 pm
The cronyism and poor budgeting is older than Tricoli and happens in ALL the segments of GPC. Logic never plays a role in decisions and the mental stress put on staff members by cronyism has demoralized the entire staff in our dept. They have “meetings” with us telling us that we lie and steal and that is why the college budget is having problems and then they go on golf trips during work and tell us not to call them. We always joke that you can’t get fired if you work for the state (because yes we are aware of people that have stayed on after lawsuits and such)…well maybe the idiots have finally run the ship into the ground and something will be forced to get looked at. But really I doubt it, this is just another story that will be old news in a few days and everything will be swept under the rug.
One Cool Guy
May 8th, 2012
3:41 pm
Prof, many rumors are afloat, but not much has been confirmed yet. There is a current hiring and spending freeze enacted just a couple of weeks ago. We were informed of this via surprising and unexpected email. What happens at Clarkston campus will likely happen at the other campuses. As for me, the most plausible short-term scenarios are reduced summer pay and increased teaching load, but lots more is and should be on the table in the weeks to come. As Huckaby said in the WABE article, next fiscal year will be a trying one.
adminsec
May 8th, 2012
3:51 pm
To the students who think Tricoli was the greatest thing in the world: Wait until you find out what your student fees have been used for – a “call center” where misinformation is disseminated, a civic engagement staff (headed by Brumfeld, another crony of Tricoli’s), an assistant for his personal assistant! And to all of you tax paying citizens like me, did you know that HOPE pays for remedial classes? Yup. Found that out last semester. It’s disgusting on two fronts: First that students are passed through K-12, and second they are coddled even more at the college level. Get a grip people. Tricoli still has a state job. Carruth still gets his retirement check. The worker-bees are going to be the ones who suffer for all this mess, not the students and certainly not the executive staff.
theTruth
May 8th, 2012
5:00 pm
Damn republicans
PissedProf
May 8th, 2012
5:00 pm
I agree that the worker bees will be the ones to suffer. We always do. It’s a shame. Reduced summer pay seems likely and it’s worrisome for me and my household and for some colleagues that I know who are already struggling. No raises in 5 years. Heavier workload. Expectations to serve on God knows how many committees.
It pisses me off that faculty and staff will be the ones to pay for these idiots’ mistakes. I’m so livid about this, but what does it matter? No one listens to the faculty and it seems that no one really cares. As long as they continue to collect their big paycheck…..
Candora
May 8th, 2012
5:32 pm
This is not about republicans. This is about a man whose decisions at GPC were all designed to make his resume look good. What he has done to this college is appalling. He should be arrested, not handed a job in another part of the USG.
Maeve
May 8th, 2012
5:41 pm
Speaking as a GPC Staff member, I can’t say that I am sorry to see the back of Dr. Tricoli. The good things that he set up at the college will stay good because the people who have made them work will continue to do so. The students will still benefit – there are too many people who are here for the students for anything else to happen.
Dr. Tricoli was, on several occasions in my presence, rude, disrespectful and completely dismissive of ideas that did not march with his own. He gave the impression of a self-centered man who cared more about his own appearance than the morale of those people he was to lead. A joke that talks of a person who approaches a stranger and states “I am their leader – which way did they go?” has accompanied my sightings of him for a long time now. He had a vision, but it was his values and his voice that were most important.
He did do some good. He did have the students at mind. He just didn’t make many friends with his methods and he pushed and pulled too many people who weren’t qualified (or any better at dealing with people) in around him to get his agenda completed – all of it, not just the parts that other people actually agreed with. And he let them have free reign for their own petty reactionary decisions. And good people got caught in the firing range.
I do not believe, nor do I hold him responsible for the financial mess. Neither do I believe or hold responsible the others that are being made to pay. Did they miss it? Yes. Should they have caught it several years ago when it began? Yes. Would it have been easy? Probably not, if it had been, they would have done so.
That is the real problem that I see prevalent in many areas of GPC. People are missing things because they are busy trying to keep their heads down (this I do blame Tricoli for), make themselves look good or make others look bad so that no one will look at them anyway. And the people, who do their jobs, with the little that is available and even try to clean up some of the little messes as they go along, will suffer in the coming years as this big mess is cleaned up. And some of the people who are coasting through and not doing their jobs will still be around, still not doing their jobs.
But I also believe that GPC, or GPSC as we will be – due to changes already approved by the BOR, will survive. And will thrive. Will we have 40,000 students by 2015? No. But we shouldn’t have been pushing for that anyway – we need to get really good at handling the 27,000 students we have now and grow as we are able to and as resources become available. Will we lose 2,500 students because of the learning support changes? Who knows? We will find out in August once classes begin. Will we have new direction? Yes. But we should always be moving in the direction of educating students, preparing them to be productive – that is the mission of a two-year college, and that is what GPC is – a couple Bachelor’s degrees does not change that in any way.
Maybe if we all could focus on that and let the facts come out when they will and not invent rumors, charge into pointing fingers at folks who probably had nothing to do with this current mess either and maybe, just maybe, things really will all work out in the end. Of course, then people wouldn’t get to vent so much, and where would the fun be then?
GPCStudent01
May 8th, 2012
6:06 pm
As a student I feel betrayed! How can there be at least 16 million dollars missing? I don’t think it is a short fall by any-means; the college has a spending problem. The solution to that problem is to start over at square one, re-evaluate all positions from top to bottom, and trim the fat. Though the problem is much deeper than it appears on the surface, I would agree there is a lot of wasteful spending that occurs by student organizations, and such. Those issues are just a small slice of the pie compared to the real problem. I suppose we will find out more as this story develops kudos to the whistle blower! I can only hope we get to the root of the problem, my guess is it will all tie up nicely to the good ol’ boy network here in Georgia. And nothing will ever come of it.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
6:42 pm
@ Prof / what will happen at Clarkston
the educated guess -nobody’s talking, and to be fair I suspect nobody knows yet – based on the Chancellors letter is layoffs, and a fair amount of them.
the most probably senarios are:
-most of the part time F/S will not be returning after June
-things like the Atlanta Center and the Southern Academy for Literature (whatever its name is) will quietly fold and go away.
-things like International Education will go away, or scale back so far they don’t really exist.
-another year of no raises
-furloughs
-there is alot of talk about a 4 day work week. the tech school next door does it and they seem to be functioning fine
-skyrocketing benefit costs
-any prestige programs like sign language will go away unless they can find a way to show a profit
-longer hours
-even more of a workload
-large departments like OIT & PR will take big hits
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
6:47 pm
@ student 01
we spend like you can’t believe. I keep waiting for Collegian to do
a investigative story on it.
many of us have tried for some time to raise flags, only to find ourselves in the crosshairs of HR. GPC has a sweet policies and proceedures manual the IRS would envy. none of us are capable of
being in complete compliance of the rules
which, of course, allow HR and the political wonks to do as they wish.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
6:53 pm
@ maeve,
you should hold Tricoli responsible.
it is-was- his job.
he stacked the deck so no one could stand against him, used HR like his personal hit squad, and established the culture of intimidation guarenteed to create abuses of power.
as somebody pointed out earlier, this concept of favorites and gift jobs goes back to DeKalb College days. Tricoli promised to reign it in, and instead put it on steriods.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
6:55 pm
people, you keep forgetting SACS in just around the corner.
we’re in serious trouble.
the school will survive, but we probably won’t recognise it.
GSU_Insider
May 8th, 2012
7:59 pm
Sorry to hear this about GPC. Sounds like there were a lot of folks involved and now the students and the rank-n-file are going to pay for it while the VP’s get richer. The BOR should also be held accountable for letting it go on for so long. – just my two cents.
Here’s a Tip for you AJC: There’s something fishy going on at Georgia State University… check it out you might be the first to break that story. While you’re there, check in on IS&T (IT unit) something fishy with how they hire people too. I’m sure staff and faculty will give you some nice information.
GPCer
May 8th, 2012
8:44 pm
Some people have referred to the Vice President for Academic Affairs in these comments. He almost certainly isn’t responsible for and probably not connected to the financial mismanagement, but as several have stated, he’s been enabling many of the current problems. One commenter said that he/she didn’t “respect some of the current administration (The VPAA excluded . . . ).” The current VPAA isn’t worthy of much respect. He is lazy, communicates poorly, doesn’t take action when he should, takes action when he shouldn’t, and relies on sarcasm as a stand-in for thoughtful deliberation. He has good points: he isn’t usually malicious in his actions, and he leaves others alone to do their work as they see fit. However, if he goes down in this mess, GPC won’t lose out on much.
GPCer
May 8th, 2012
8:56 pm
Maeve and Redweather Foster both hit bullseyes.
JacketFan
May 8th, 2012
9:04 pm
I spent the whole day trying not to get dragged down into this mess, but all of these comments about things NOT RELATED to the budget issue are driving my batty. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. You think this is constructive? Publicly slandering your institution? For those of you who haven’t been through the sort of house cleaning many on here are mentioning, let me tell you, it isn’t fun for anyone. You think things are bad now … you haven’t seen bad. You’ve all got your pitchforks out for this person or that. Well, ask yourself this question: how will I fair when my performance gets scrutinized by a state agency? Knowing many of you (and, I do know, with near certainty, who many of you posting on here are – it’s not too hard to figure out), I would say that you wouldn’t fair too well. Lot of strict nine-to-fivers on here. Lots of folks who shirk things like professional development, service to the college, and service to the community. Many of you in departments with ABYSMAL pass rates and who point fingers at department chairs or blame the students (if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a faculty member blame the students). Keep up the conspiracy theories and the corruption talk and the USG will clean house, from top to bottom, and I doubt many of you will like what that work environment is like. I’ve gone through it. It’s Hell.
Watching the mayhem
May 8th, 2012
9:12 pm
Everyone, good or bad has supporters. Students feel they received an education and therefore feel Tricoli was good. Those who experienced his foul, unprofessional and hostile behavior were beaten into submission or fired. As for the TAG program, it was only useful for transfers out of state or to private colleges. The truth is USG doesn’t have community colleges, it has two year colleges within the university system. This allows seamless transfer to all USG four year schools. So there was no need for TAG for transfer to other USG colleges. However, Tricoli used it to intimidate and terrorize academic advisers. One student told him “advisement sucks” and the man went on a complete and utterly unnecessary warpath against advisement. So now academic advisement and new student orientation really do suck because of Tricoli and his minions.
When Tricoli came to GPC he called meetings to tell staff that he wanted to increase enrollment in order to be the LARGEST college within the USG. He even strategized that the GA State president was leaving the following semester, which he stated should reduce that institution’s enrollment.
Tricoli was able to carry on this madness for all of these years because he hired and/or promoted incompetent puppets. Look at his VP’s and Assistant VP’s. GPC became way too top heavy with administrators. These people were either just as crazy as he with foul attitudes or they did not have the academic background and experience for the jobs they were promoted to and therefore had to do what Tricoli said. Or they didn’t know enough to help him do something constructive and meaningful. Let’s see how far some of these people get now. A competent new president will get rid of all of them. However, the BOR will be wise to begin the process now. I am sure the $16 million is going to six figure salaries for several VP’s and AVP’s who don’t know high education from a whole in the wall. Check closer and you will see that some of the people he hired were publicly run out of their former institutions.
Whoever said it was power hungriness and egomania that led to all of this is correct. Tricoli took on roles in human resources that were inappropriate. He micro managed and yelled and screamed when he didn’t get his way.
A Proud GPC Employee
May 8th, 2012
9:46 pm
I have been proud to work at GPC. As several of our students have mentioned in their comments on this blog, the college has fulfilled its mission in them and helped them to achieve their goals. GPC is filled with very hardworking professionals, who strive to contribute to the lives of our students, our employees, and the community. It sickens me to think of anyone who is not responsible for the funding problem suffering injury to their livelihood, including our many dedicated adjunct faculty and part-time staff who are often hoping for a full-time gig with the college.
Given the shortfall, GPC obviously spent $16 million that it shouldn’t have. Let’s act like a family and find a solution that causes the least harm to the fulfillment of our mission, the well-being of our employees, and the culture of the college. We may not be responsible for the shortfall, but it is the cards we have been dealt.
I don’t want to see new initiatives like the Atlanta Center or Sustainability be shut down. Can they go into some sort of hibernation for a year running on a shoestring budget? Can we institute the four-day work-week for the summer? Can we halt all technology purchases except those that are central and necessary? Can we halt all new projects for the coming year? Can all employees agree to not receive college funding for conferences for a year? I know a lot of people have ideas about where we can make cuts. So why don’t we put our heads together and make it happen, because let’s face it, we have to anyway. And let’s do it with class and dignity. I believe in our institution, and I believe we can get through this.
TenuredConsultants?
May 8th, 2012
9:54 pm
Hum…….where is the Assistant VP of Financial and Administrative Affairs in all of this? She’s been missing in action and it’s her area of responsibility!
Where are those consultants? Too bad we paid them boo-coo’s of $$$ and look what mess they’ve left! They got away with murder and they owe us big-time! Then again, they were given free reign (by “them”) to work as long as they pleased. The best job ever:(
niecey
May 8th, 2012
9:57 pm
@adminsec, if you work at gpc, then you know that it is not only kids straight out of high school that require “remedial” subjects. i bet a bunch even you would find it difficult to test into college level math!
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
9:59 pm
@ GPCer
I actually feel bad for Alan. he’s in over his head.
and I agree he’s probably not at fault for the money mess
but he could have and should have headed off the whole Beth Jensen mess. and in its own way that mess will be worse than the money mess.
bootney farnsworth
May 8th, 2012
10:08 pm
I have zero problem “slandering” my own institution when my institution acts as if its above the law, lacks the most basic human decency, and has allowed the out of control arrogance of 1 man & his lapdogs essentially destroy said institution and the jobs/careers of good people.
we’ve been out of control and acted absymally. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. I’m not gonna deny it.
JacketFan
May 8th, 2012
10:19 pm
@bootney – then you will reap what you sow, friend.
Alex
May 8th, 2012
10:45 pm
GPC will be merged with Atlanta Metro and Gainesville’s Oconee campus! Bank on it! Lots of employees administrative and faculty will be terminated in the merger. Plans are already underway.
drjd@gpc
May 8th, 2012
10:50 pm
There’s just no good place to start. Under Tricoli, rules were changed so that if if you published anything, you were not allowed to mention your association with GPC, unlike a columnist member of the Regents. Such a policy has to be illegal.
SACS will do little and is far too easily fooled.SACS is a toothless rodent only able to go after local school systems. Sue it and it will back off with apologies. A SACS review is the equivalent of buying a car by driving past a dealership. A superficial glance, with deals to be made afterward. I’ve seen it, done it, been there, but didn’t buy the t-shirt. The process is as transparent as GPC’s financials.
Today the Regents approved the name change to GA Perimeter State College. This should cost at least half as much as the GPC deficit. Please send your protests to the Regents and the Governor.
All of this is a black eye for GPC. I agree that taxpaying teacher should look at the big picture instead of a taking narrow focus on small-minded issues. There are many jobs at stake, and even worse, the reputation of a GPC education may suffer. Say what you like, but the TAG agreements were a great accomplishment, although some of the out of state agreements were odd.
The Vice President of Academic Affairs, Alan Jackson, is one the the best and most fair people at GPC. Many campus chairs are unqualified and have no idea of personnel management, and you shouldn’t even ask about racial prejudice.
I have read the comments about various GPC departments. I don’t know about OIT, but would certainly recommend that Human Resources first, and then the tutoring centers, the libraries and the computer lab operations be looked into. There is something badly wrong in the operation and management of these at some campuses according to student and faculty comments I’ve heard.
All things considered, Georgia got what it deserved when Tricoli was hired. The Regents wanted a good-looking figurehead, someone who looked presidential who would appeal to parents. Help me, but he and Romney are twins. Their wives and mothers wouldn’t notice a switch. Tricoli’s PhD dissertation should have given a clue. “IDENTIFICATION AND RATING OF CRITERIA RELEVANT TO THE SELECTION OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENTS AS USED BY BOARD OF TRUSTEE CHAIRPERSONS”, basically how to look like a community college president. At least he refrained from bad language in it, unlike on the job. Having looked him up, some of us laughed when he was hired, but aren’t laughing now. Style but little substance.
Why has GPC not hired and groomed people who can be moved up to stay with GPC? Once, faculty members moved up and eventually became the leaders in their colleges. Now we have immigrant college presidents and vice-presidents who move on every few years, Alan Jackson being the GPC exception. Charm may not be his strength, but he has the character and substance to be college president. GPC could do and has done so much worse, thank you Virginia Michelich (former GPC VP) now at the Board of Regents, who must share complicity with Tricoli and any others. I wonder how much this has to do with Tricoli staying on at the home office to save the Regents’ equally complicit faces.
GPCer
May 8th, 2012
11:09 pm
@ A Proud GPC Employee, Nicely stated.
@ Alex, I doubt it. Check on the school’s name-change status to Georgia Perimeter State College.
Old Person
May 8th, 2012
11:16 pm
Look at the career programs for more mismanagement. A few months ago the Department Chair of Nursing packed her bags and walked out on a Friday. Why? An amazing attrition rate has occured in Dental Hygiene over the last several years but does anyone take notice? Doubtful. There is a pervasive mistrust of the Dental Hygiene Department Chair and the Dean of Health Sciences and calls for assistance from the previous VPAA and the Omnsbudsman fell on deaf ears. A tenured faculty member retired under duress without the due-process that should have happened because the chair wanted her gone. The administration folded under the pressure. There has been a huge increase in the amount of money that has gone to paying part time adjunct faculty when the work load of the full time faculty was under the load required of others. Work from home rather than reporting for work 5 days a week like others do is frequent. Department Chairs are expected to teach one course a year but comments have been made that the Dean requires the Chair to not teach at all. Spending in the Dental Hygiene Department is without hesitation and morally corrupt. Students are an inconvenience and laugh at the Department Chair; I have seen this. Lots to look into. Clean house at lower levels too.
Sunny D
May 8th, 2012
11:26 pm
@ A Proud GPC Employee – sounds good, but it’s not up to GPC employees to make those decisions at this point – too late. When we should have spoken up and raised the roof, we didn’t raise it high enough. Seems like everybody has a comment, but there was no concerted effort to march on the 3rd floor at Decatur until something happened or change occurred! So, you’re right – these are the cards we have been dealt and we have to play the hand! Now everyone is concerned about the students, but if we really cared, we have taken care of business years ago. Unfortunate, but true.
GPCer
May 8th, 2012
11:30 pm
@ Watching the mayhem, Well stated. Tricoli seemed to base some major policy shifts or initiatives on the random comment or complaint of a student, parent, employee, or community member. Not to say that the original point he would hear was meaningless or worthless, but he seems too easily influenced by random comments or encounters without applying the necessary analysis or planning to implement some of the suggestions he would hear. Also, as all of us are prone to do, he seemed to hear only what he wanted to hear, but in his case this selective listening seemed especially pronounced, further contributing to the tunnel vision at the the top of the administration.
A Proud GPC Employee
May 9th, 2012
12:14 am
@Sunny D It’s true that the BOR may step in and make unilaterally decisions about cuts. Unfortunately, outsiders who are not intimately familiar with what makes GPC tick are likely to make cuts in the easiest and most obvious places, such as by eliminating personnel.
I may be a desperate Polyana, but i’m hoping they are willing to look to those who know the inner workings of the institution best and those who are putting constructive ideas forward. Personnel cuts most likely won’t be avoided completely, but perhaps they can be minimized and very strategically done.
bootney farnsworth
May 9th, 2012
4:54 am
@ proud,
with this kind of shortfall, and with SACS looming, personnel cuts are impossible to avoid.
while there’s a chance the BOR will take our input, I doubt it. we-GPC- got ourselves into this mess, and I can’t see why the BOR will trust us to get out of it.
bootney farnsworth
May 9th, 2012
4:57 am
reaping what’s been sown…
yeah, I’d say that’s pretty accurate. pity AT didn’t consider that before he went on his path of personal destruction
bootney farnsworth
May 9th, 2012
5:08 am
@ sunny
I know some of us tried. most of the humanites faculty tried, and they just got it worse. Debbie Davis tried-she’s effectively out. Phil Smith tried-tossed to Lakeside. Virginia M. tried-exiled to the BOR.
and then there’s the middle managment tier who tried and got Truesdale sicked on them
alot of good people tried.
but a lot more sat on their hands and choose not to get involved. they cried, they moaned, but when it was time to stand up and be counted..?
bootney farnsworth
May 9th, 2012
7:26 am
@ old person,
calling on the Ombudsman is the most self destructive thing a person can do. our Omb. is little more than administrations muscle. remember the old saw about knowing its a snake when you pick it up..?
Maeve
May 9th, 2012
10:07 am
The name change was a done deal as soon as the Bachelor’s programs were approved. There was no way around it. It may have been presented to the faculty/staff as a possibility, but it wasn’t. GPC became GPSC when the programs were approved. The BOR just had to have a vote on record.
SACS will pick up on this. The changes in the college structure, setup, personnel and condition will be obvious to the visiting team given that the written report was complete before all this became public. GPC will not escape unscathed.
taxpaying teacher
May 9th, 2012
10:58 am
I think I have been misrepresented here. With all due respect to drjd@gpc, I don’t accept the characterization that I’ve been “taking narrow focus on small-minded issues.” My primary concern is and has been the instruction provided to GPC students. Toward that end, I’ve made two suggestions: 1) that until the budget is balanced in FY 2014, the many coordinators and directors around the college temporarily be put back into the classroom full time (and I endorse the recommendation by another commentator that their initiatives operate on a shoestring budget for this brief time only); 2) that every administrator at the college, up to and including the VPAA, teach at least three courses per semester until the deficit is repaid. I don’t see how, in good conscience, any administrator can say that being asked to serve our students directly during this unprecedented budget crisis is unreasonable. If tine constraints are a major problem, some could choose to help out by teaching at the most rapidly growing “campus,” GPC Online.
I lack the qualifications and knowledge to comment on how best to protect our overworked and underpaid staff during this time. Maybe the Staff Senate can provide some input, and maybe the administration will listen. If, however, anything I have said has been misconstrued as being less than 100% supportive of our staff, I want to set the record straight: the faculty can’t do their jobs without admissions, enrollment, student support, the libraries, and tutoring and testing center, and (probably most of all) the department secretaries doing theirs.
I want nothing more than to see GPC not only survive but thrive, and I am willing to do my share. The terseness of some of my earlier comments came while defending myself against vicious, ad hominem attacks by two other posters. I stand more than ready to discuss — and disagree — civilly with those who share with my an abiding love for the institution.
taxpaying teacher
May 9th, 2012
11:02 am
P.S. My reference to GPC Online and time constraints does not at all mean that I think teaching online is less work that teaching face to face. In fact, it’s more. What I mean is that the schedule is flexible for people who have meetings and other time constraints that might make a 10:00 a.m. class impossible. I apologize if I have been less than clear.
Voice of Reason
May 9th, 2012
11:32 am
@taxpaying teacher, you seem oddly obssessed with attacking the DC. How do you even know he/she doesn’t teach a full workload, and why are you so concerned with this particular person when there are FAR more positions that you could be attacking. Furthermore, not all people have to physically be in the classroom to make a difference. Some of these programs, including diversity, are formed to IMPROVE the quality of the academic curriculum. Grow up.
How about we all focus on the issue at hand instead of attacking our colleagues?
taxpaying teacher
May 9th, 2012
11:40 am
@Voice of Reason, your post speaks for itself. You are clearly and deliberately misrepresenting what I have said. Your accusation that I have attacked anyone is a lie. How do YOU propose making up a $16M deficit. Be specific. Otherwise, your uncivil post merits no further reply.
redweather
May 9th, 2012
12:30 pm
@taxpaying teacher, if GPC does what you argue it must, a whole lot of underpaid adjuncts will be left out in the cold. As for moving administrators into the classroom, it will be interesting to see if the BOR mandates that.
PissedProf
May 9th, 2012
12:33 pm
Administrators back in the classroom? Yeah right. Pigs will fly before that happens. Again, the bulk of this mess will fall on faculty and staff.
Candora
May 9th, 2012
12:39 pm
Redweather, you are correct about adjuncts being left out in the cold. In my department, the term-to-term faculty have already been told their jobs are gone, too.
the DC
May 9th, 2012
1:17 pm
Wow. As the actual DC (my new name), the anonymity of these comments is creepy although I do have to say that the anonymous support trumps the anonymous attacks. For the record, I receive no class release time for coordinating diversity although I am/was paid a little more. I have taught a full course load and worked on diversity for free for over 20 years at GPC and will continue to work on the Safe Space program and the women’s conference in March, 2013 regardless of pay or release. I do like the comment about donations to diversity seeing as how I couldn’t award the student who drew the artwork for the Safe Space logo the $200 that was promised to her. Anybody want to go in on half?
While I do agree that taxpaying teacher is wound a little tight and seems to have lots of free time, I agree that adminstrators/directors/coordinators should have to teach, not only to save money but also to remind them of what we actually do at GPC. It’s the students, stupid.
Also, if all the commentors saw the email about the Diversity Task Force that Dr. Tricoli sent as he went out the door, then why is everyone pretending that you don’t know who I am? This he/she stuff is getting a little insulting. I am obviously Mike Hall. Duh.
One final, ridiculously optimistic comment: the reward of working at GPC has never been the pay; it is having a career that helps people. I don’t see that changing.
redweather
May 9th, 2012
1:39 pm
Rob Watts has just been named the Interim Pres. at GPC.
Candora
May 9th, 2012
1:53 pm
Yeah! Welcome back, Rob. Please feel free to close the sustainability center, the literary center, and the service learning center immediately.
Alanis NotMorrisette
May 9th, 2012
2:10 pm
1. Bootney Farnsworth’s comments about the Ombudsman are 100% accurate aside from being an implied insult to snakes. I won’t tell the Concerned Ophidians Against Defamation if you don’t.
2 I’m delighted that the USG agrees with me about their need for Mr. Watts’ expertise in this matter. Welcome back, Rob! I’ll be equally delighted if you see point #1. You Oughtta Know.
MathRulz
May 9th, 2012
3:12 pm
DRJD,
You said “I don’t know about OIT, but would certainly recommend that Human Resources first, and then the tutoring centers, the libraries and the computer lab operations be looked into. There is something badly wrong in the operation and management of these at some campuses according to student and faculty comments I’ve heard.”
The tutoring centers recently became a college-wide unit with Alan Craig as Interim Director. I am sure he would be interested in hearing any concerns about the tutoring centers.
Gael
May 9th, 2012
3:26 pm
It’s sad to read all of this. But the one thing I hoped to read, I didn’t find. I know the faculty in my department will go into every class and still do the best job they can – in spite of it all – and teach their hearts out. The students won’t suffer in the quality education they receive. Our faculty are way too good for that. A raise would be nice though … in this lifetime. Maybe this will be the opportunity to get the administration back to basics – academics. That we do well!
taxpaying teacher
May 9th, 2012
3:41 pm
@ Mike Hall — Thanks for clarifying that you don’t receive release time as DC. If the worst thing anybody ever called me was “wound a little tight,” I would have lived a charmed life. In defense of my comments on this board, I must protest that it’s hard not to take a little umbrage at being called (not by you) a “knuckle dragging bigot” and “soylent green.” I do hope you didn’t take anything I said as attacking you because that was not my intent.
Regarding your request for financial assistance: the student does, indeed, deserve to be paid. To put my money where my mouth really is, I will meet you halfway or, as you’d probably see it, half of halfway. Next week, when I am on your campus, I will leave an envelope containing $50 in your mailbox. Also, whenever you need assistance promoting diversity on campus, please send out a genmail. I and many others will be happy to help.
Gael
May 9th, 2012
3:58 pm
Wow – look at the change in spirit
Taxpaying teacher @ Mike Hall. That is who we faculty are at GPC when we’re focused on what counts: our students. I see so many dedicated, hard working faculty every day and I don’t think the readers of this blog will go away knowing what I know unless, of course, they are GPC faculty. It takes dedicated teachers to work the load we work for the pay we get and the hits we take to carry the baggage of others. Count me in for another $20. It will find its way to you Mike.
Watching the mayhem
May 9th, 2012
5:05 pm
Before you look at OIT, tutoring and the libraries, look very closely at the administrative offices, such as HR and the VP’s and AVP’s. There is where the hatchet people, the minions, the unqulaified, the hostile and the incompetent, but over paid, are. Tricoli named himself an omsbudsman in HR. He was such a micro manager and an ego maniac he had to know what was going on with the budget. Finanance staff were promoted and given raises under his poor leadership. And, I wonder if this short fall actually began in 2012. I am sure things were getting progressively worse each year. Look at the destruction he has caused in just six years and yet the BOR gives him another six figure job. I am now correcting what I said early, don’t count on the BOR to clean anything up. If fact, I bet they put Tricoli in charge of investigating what happened at GPC. Now wouldn’t that be a slap in the face?
dedicated faculty member
May 9th, 2012
6:21 pm
There are some colleagues who deserve to be attacked. There are far more who deserve to be praised and admired.
dedicated faculty member
May 9th, 2012
6:23 pm
BTW — Good for you, Mike. Most profs I know (and staff) are there for the students.
1htalp9
May 9th, 2012
7:07 pm
I was fired because I resisted Tricoli and Carruth. I did my job well with integrity and loyalty to GPC. What do I have to show for it? A life in shambles, a family struggling to survive, a career lost.
As to Tricoli, Carruth, and hopefully several others… Karma, baby… you reap what you sew.
One Cool Guy
May 9th, 2012
7:14 pm
Any comments/thoughts on the Belcher/channel 2 stories tonight?
JP
May 9th, 2012
8:30 pm
Dr. Tricoli was the fall-guy for the financial and administrative affairs department led by VP Ron Carruth and his staff. VP Carruth presented reports to the president twice each month detailing the state of GPC’s budget. VP Carruth attended Executive Team meetings to inform the president and all the vps of the state of the budget and until just recently he stated that all was well. Unfortunately, the reports presented a false picture and the president didn’t know until VP Carruth admitted in the past few weeks that we had the problem. If the president had known, he would have acted immediately. When VP Carruth shared the information, the president reported it immediately downtown and took action. Unfortunately, the president took the hit. This blog presents a false picture of the college. The bitterness and hatred, fortunately, is limited to a handful of people. We could identify the majority of them with about five names. The rest of us want to thank Dr. Tricoli for all he has done for the college. He took us to a new level and we are proud that he was our president.
Digger
May 9th, 2012
8:43 pm
As one who knows… there is much more to the devil dealings of senior administration at GPC. Those stories are emblematic of a greater problem within GPC, and that is the unchecked power of the Department of Human Resources tendency to rush to judgment .
The College fails to support mid-level leadership and when a problem occurs; rather than solving it at the lowest possible level, response is escalated to the highest levels of administration, resulting in distrust, fear and lack of communication. These people, some of whom are now gone, do not know how to properly run an organization and breed a culture of trust, integrity, and honesty.
Jeff
May 9th, 2012
9:02 pm
Unremarkable. Not newsworthy. As my dinner companion commented, “Why is this on the news?”
Fan of GPC
May 9th, 2012
9:06 pm
JP (previous comment) is wrong, wrong, wrong. The majority is mostly silent, as it always is, and many, many hardworking and dedicated people have been treated poorly (to say it mildly) or ignored in the last several years. Many of them feared for their jobs. Obviously JP was one of the favored few who had no such concern.
CWC
May 9th, 2012
10:41 pm
The majority of the college feels the way JP does. The bitterness expressed on this blogg represents the views of a handful of people using different names. Yup, we know who they are. No, I was not a “favored” one, having only talked with President Tricoli 4 or 5 times since he arrived, but I saw what he did and many of my friends have jobs because he refused to eliminate 350 of them when the system office told him to five years ago. Instead, he worked like a dog to improve the college and to increase enrollment and retain jobs. It’s our loss. Best wishes, Dr. T, and sorry you took the fall.
Dismayed
May 9th, 2012
11:52 pm
Atter watching the channel 2 news, my thoughts are accurate. Human Resources does not serve the GPC community. The complainant becomes the enemy. Too many issues brought to Human Resources have been ignored. Many employees that commit unethical acts use Human Resources as a haven because they know they will suffer no consequences.
Old Person
May 9th, 2012
11:57 pm
@Bootney You might be correct about the Obm, but very wrong about your other recent comment. DD is part of AT’s inner circle and created the same atmosphere charged to AT within her department. Rampant verbal abuse, unchecked spending from several budgets, and lots of other aubses of the system.
Digger
May 10th, 2012
9:00 am
@Watching the Mayhem You are right on target and obviously have an intimate knowledge of senior leadership at GPC, as do I. The BOR is in the business of selling USG institutions, not supporting them by doing the right thing. There has NEVER been a single appeal by a fired employee that has been given a proper hearing before the BOR, according to their own policies, nor has any appeal been granted by the BOR. The BOR simply rubber stamps the misguided, malfeasant actions of college leadership. You are correct in naming the Ombudsman. My comment above was heavily edited by the moderators of this blog, I named names… but this office has been run unchecked and unhindered by leadership, leaving a wake of destroyed lives in its path. I have personal knowledge of actions taken by this office without the knowledge or approval of senior leadership. It wields impunitive power and must be reigned in. Hopefully Rob Watts will look at what has happened and is happening with objectivity and take the necessary action to clean house.
helloagainRW
May 10th, 2012
11:04 am
Remember:
When we worked like dogs under RW on committees to create an organizational structure, recreate shared governance and other committees to remake GPC after the disaster that Belcher left. RW assured us that the BOR had to pass on all the plans and that it would be good to get them done before the new president came in. Remember what happened?
Remember when RW organized the student government reps bringing in students from then South Campus to sign off on the new student fees that were approved without minutes in a hastily called closed meeting. That was the beginning of a strategy that all colleges would later follow to get buildings and parking decks built on student money. When confronted RW did not lie. He said that he had to do it for the college! Look at what has happened to student fees since then. The colleges soaked the HOPE fund until the fees were finally capped. It did not stop the fees from rising and it looks like the 2012 legislature has allowed more bond money for “improvements” that students will fund.
Remember when the search committee for the presidency deadlocked and we got new candidates. Among the weak slate, AT stood out. At least he pledged that he loved his wife and he bought an overcoat for Atlanta weather.
Remember when instead of accepting the new organization and shared governance, AT said that he wanted to get feedback. That lasted for two years and by the time that AT came up with his weird plans, the college was already tilting into chaos. We were assured that the BOR had to accept any plan. Guess what? The BOR did not care and let the entire process fade away.
Then look at the year before recent audit that substantiated faculty claims that GPC was allowing students to register and attend classes for weeks without final acceptance.
Remember that RW was appointed to oversee two-year colleges for several years. Hmm,, I guess he oversaw them into extinction. Are there two or three left?
Where is the BOR? Where is the oversight? Even the BOR auditor in a candid remark stated that the BOR was incompetent, ineffective and totally politicized. Since S. Portch, individual colleges have had independence to do the right thing or jump off the cliff. GPC sure got a couple of flim-flams. Third time is a charm, RW. But 15 years of corruption and mismanagement is a huge task.
raggedjag
May 10th, 2012
4:32 pm
Does GPC teach accounting ?? 50+ mill from the state and 16 mill to the bad?? Looks like administration needed remedial math classes. No accountant here but CRIPES, I KNOW I can do better than that! Perhaps this fiasco can be used to show accounting students what not to do. Just breathtaking. But all too common. No one perpwalked…. yet. As for Tricoli not knowing … “Captain, did you know the bilgerat was at the helm?? Captain?? Captain??” Good luck to the rank and file. Hopefully they’ll get all the bilgerats off the ship.
Fred in DeKalb
May 10th, 2012
5:04 pm
Jeff, this is news because it is something about the educational factory in DeKalb. Notice that Emory does not publicly acknowledge affiliation with DeKalb (though Atlanta could be just as bad).
blunderbuss
May 11th, 2012
8:11 pm
Best faculty, best staff, welcome Rob Watts!! As our interim president takes care of business (which he can do), the rest will take care of itself. I hope “Staff Development Day” (May 18th, don’t miss, as requested) presents Everyone with their new (or at least renewed) vision.
Budget shortfalls at Perimeter College go back several years | Get Schooled
May 13th, 2012
11:49 am
[...] Many of the posters have said that Tricoli was unaware of the massive shortfalls. But, as we have been discussing on the blogs on the firing of principals in APS schools where there was widespread cheating, aren’t top leaders responsible for what occurs under their watch? [...]
CW
May 13th, 2012
2:49 pm
To Budget Shortfalls: How can a president be responsible if those directly in charge of Financial and Administrative Affairs are showing him documentation with false numbers? The latest article quotes one of the Regents saying “We have to be fair and we have to get all the facts….We have got to find out who knew what and how this happened.” Shouldn’t this have been done before the president was removed? They also say the “situation isn’t clear cut” and that they “need more time.” Why then the rush to remove the president? It doesn’t seem as if he got his day in court, but then scapegoats never do.
CW
May 13th, 2012
3:04 pm
To Budget Shortfalls: How can a president be responsible if those directly in charge of Financial and Administrative Affairs are showing him documentation with false numbers? The latest article quotes one of the Regents saying “We have to be fair and we have to get all the facts….We have got to find out who knew what and how this happened.” Shouldn’t this have been done before the president was removed? They also say the “situation isn’t clear cut” and that they “need more time.” Why then the rush to remove the president? It doesn’t seem as if he got his day in court, but then scapegoats never do.
Digger
May 14th, 2012
8:40 am
@CW- Have you considered that there were many other issues with Tricoli’s conduct and that the budget shortfall was simply the straw that broke the camels back? Sure, Tricoli did some good things for GPC… but he also did some very bad things that, if committed by the rank-and-file, would have resulted in immediate termination.
Redweather Foster
May 14th, 2012
6:14 pm
Tricoli, VPAA, and the English Dean/Director of Policy and On line education, all out, a trifecta. The college will be saved now and made better for these decisions. There are a couple of department chairs that need to be reinstated and the nightmare that was Tricoli will be over. Good work Rob Watts. You have done the moral and ethical thing here.
Digger
May 14th, 2012
10:20 pm
I wonder what RW will do for the people who unjustly lost their jobs or were demoted by AT? Rob’s a nice guy, and I have always respected him… but I’m not holding my breath.
Dismayed
May 15th, 2012
2:47 pm
I concur that RW is doing a great job, however, much work still remains. We must address the issues with HR. HR needs to serve the GPC community as a whole, not run rampant and serve as the muscle for leadership in a pitbull fashion. Many policies have been violated by the department that is supposed to enforce them. These transgressions must be addressed.
HR Needs to go!
July 7th, 2012
7:14 am
Rasmus needs to go! Truesdale needs to go! They are cronies of a different sort. They were Carruth’s cronies. Watts should put them out immediately before the drag him down like they dragged Tricoli down.
Tricoli got ripped off
July 7th, 2012
7:37 am
So many people on this blog are angry. But you’re angry about the wrong thing.
Many have missed the big picture too busy looking at the colors in your own kalidescope. Tricoli didn’t kill the budget, the budget manager did, or the asst vp finance did, or the exec vp for finance and budget did. Do you actualy think he had the time to move moey from one line item to another line item, get with it people.
He was runnning a multi-million dollar business called education. Just like Mike Adams or Mark Becker, this is both a business and a college, we heard him say that before.
He trusted his staff, that was his mistake. Carruth ran the college into the sewer financially, not Tricoli. I was in some of those budget meetings, The finance people lied straight to our faces, all of us. The 50 members (mostly faculty) of the Strategic Planning Budget Committee members were all told year after year that we were in the black. They lied to us and the college president. Tricoli asked the same questions that many of us asked, and the lied straight to our faces. I’m telling you Dr. Tricoli was the fall guy for something much bigger in the USG.
I feel bad for all of those who were laid off (hell they were fired) and one of my best colleagues was one of them. She told me that she holds no ill will toward Dr. T. She said he sacrificed his career for GPC first and bad people took him down.
I believe she’s right. I hope he rises like a Pheonix and reaps hell on them. Someone had a big plan to destroy our college, and they needed a strong president out of the way before they could move that plan forward. Watts is nothing more than a puppet for the Atlanta downtown crew. He’s here to break us up then walk away and leave it to the next poor sap to fix it. But our college will never be the same, we will never be the same. Dr. T got ripped off, now the rest of us are getting ripped off too!