Top-Heavy Administration at Long Beach Community College

From the letters to editor, at last Thursday's Long Beach Press-Telegram:

Re "It's the government's fault" (Letters, May 3):

Taylor Ramsey notes it's the elected officials' fault, not just students and faculty. I couldn't agree more. In 1986, Long Beach Community College had approximately 25,000 students and one president, three vice presidents, nine deans and six associate deans. Today it has 26,729 students, one president, one executive vice president, four vice presidents, three associate vice presidents, 10 deans, three interim deans and 14 directors -- more than double the amount of administrators. Each of these administrators makes more than $140,000 a year (over $4 million in administrative payroll alone). Next time you hear about layoffs of classified staff, loss of teachers, students who can't get financial aid, can't get classes to graduate, or can't get in to college, remember that the LBCC Board of Trustees approved these huge salaries and the cuts to staff, teachers and classes that're now hurting students.

-- Michael Smith, Long Beach

Smith is responding to the letters from May 3rd, here.

And see the report on the recent campus protest: "Students proclaim death of education at Long Beach City College."

The faculty union has put the latest contract negotiations to a vote, and there's a lot of grumbling among the rank and file. The contract might be voted down and then the negotiations would require some kind of outside mediation. I'll update if there's local news coverage.

Until then...