The Pasadena City College Faculty Association Executive Board has endorsed four candidates in the Nov. 3 election for the Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees, according to a statement issued by the executive board.
The board endorsed Alton Wang for Area 7, Steve Gibson for Area 3, Kristine Kwong for Area 5 and Francis Pollara for Area 1, the statement said.
The executive board said it backed the four candidates because it believes they “have demonstrated a willingness to listen, an understanding of the role of PCC in our community, and a commitment to engaging with the issues facing our students, faculty, staff, and institution.”
“We know that endorsements carry weight, and we believe our members, our students, and our community deserve to know why we made these choices,” the executive board wrote.
In weighing candidates, the executive board said it looked for people who understand the role of a community college and the importance of listening to those who work closest to students.
According to the statement, the board believes the endorsed candidates are committed to engaging directly with faculty and listening to faculty concerns; accessible, high-quality public higher education; student success and educational opportunity; and responsible stewardship of public resources.
The statement also cited the candidates’ commitment to meaningful dialogue with faculty, staff, students and the broader community; collaborative and transparent decision-making; respect for the professional expertise of faculty and staff; and a strong Pasadena City College for the long term.
The association said it has a direct interest in the college’s leadership and policies because it represents the faculty who work with PCC students every day.
“The Faculty Association is not simply an organization that negotiates contracts,” the statement said.
The Board of Trustees is the district’s policy-forming body, according to the statement. Its responsibilities include approving district policies and budgets, authorizing expenditures and approving the employment of academic and classified personnel, the association said.
“In other words, Board elections matter to the people who work and learn at PCC,” the statement said.
The association describes itself as an independent union. Its guiding principle, according to the statement, is that “faculty working conditions are student learning conditions.”
“That is why the Faculty Association has a stake in Board leadership at Pasadena City College,” the Association’s executive board wrote.
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