Reaction to PCC President/Superintendent’s Impending Departure Varies, Depending on Whether Friend or Foe

Reaction was varied to the announcement of Pasadena City College President/Superintendent Dr. Erika Endrijonas’ acceptance of a new position at Santa Barbara City College.

Dr. Endrijonas’ tenure at PCC has been marked by controversy.

Full-time PCC faculty affirmed a vote of no confidence in Dr. Endrijonas’ administration last May after strife related to Endrijonas’ handling of the post-pandemic return to in-person teaching led to clashes on a number of issues.

The newly-elected Board has grappled with the issue of a contract extension for Dr. Endrijonas, partly by retaining legal counsel some argued was better spent on education.

“Am I happy she will be moving on? Why, yes, yes I am,” said PCC faculty member Dr. Z. Bernardo.

“Ever since April 11, 2022, when I led a Vote of No Confidence against her in the Academic Senate, Endrijonas has known very well that the majority of the faculty at Pasadena City College had abandoned faith in her ability to lead. It has been said that the long years spent in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic illuminated both successes and abject failures of leadership. When Endrijonas was tested to lead us at PCC, she failed the entire school community – faculty, students, and staff.”

“Endrijonas, like an annoyingly lingering house guest costing the district about $27,000 a month has definitely overstayed her welcome – it is well past time that she left Pasadena City College. Now this current Board of Trustees, led admirably by Board President Sandra Chen Lau, after showing intense backbone by not retreating or being cowed by her petty attacks, has the incredible opportunity to seek out and find a much better fit for Superintendent-President of Pasadena City College,” Bernardo wrote to Pasadena Now.

Bernardo’s sentiments were not shared by Pasadena City College’s Management Association.

“Our loss is Santa Barbara City College’s gain,” the Association lamented.

“Under her leadership, PCC was named an Aspen Institute Top 10 Community College, received a prestigious $30 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, and passed a bond measure that had the overwhelming support of our community,” top leaders of the PCCMA said.

“ Although we are happy for Dr. Endrijonas, her departure is yet another unnecessary self-inflicted wound for PCC. If there’s a silver lining, the Board can stop the tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenditures it has been wasting trying to undo Dr. Endrijonas’ now obsolete contract.”

Former Board of Trustees member and PCC instructor Hoyt Hillsman echoed support for Dr. Endrijonas.

“I am deeply disappointed that PCC President Erika Endrijonas is leaving the college.  She is one of the nation’s most outstanding Community College leaders (as well as the first openly gay president of PCC) — under her leadership, PCC has been named as a Top Ten Community College for several years, received a coveted $30 million dollar grant from Mackenzie Scott, not to mention the overwhelming support of the community with its 70% vote in favor of a bond for the college.  Most importantly,” Hillsman wrote.

“President Endrijonas’s enthusiasm and dedication to the success of PCC students has been unparalleled.  This is a tremendous loss for PCC and a serious failure of the PCC Board of Trustees, who for more than a year has refused to extend or even vote on her contract, and have spent more than $75K in a misguided attempt to invalidate her legal employment contract.  I hope that the PCC Board will learn an important lesson from their mistakes to prevent further damage to a fine academic institution.”

Meanwhile David Krouse told Pasadena Now he commends “Board President Sandra Chen Lau for standing up for good governance and providing the oversight of the Superintendent-President that the public trusted her with.”

Pasadena Now contacted a balanced sampling of PCC thought leaders and hopes to receive more comments.