By Alicia Rivero
Academic Senators moved closer to a full vote of No Confidence in Vice President of Academic Affairs Isabelle Saber following a second reading of a resolution highly critical of the first-year administrator. Senators said they expected to take an official No Confidence resolution to the college governing board in mid-November.
Senators and faculty accuse Saber of a raft of violations to California’s Shared Governance Policy, which requires college administrators to consult with faculty on matters of teaching and learning. Saber is also accused of secretly introducing a controversial policy to cut classes as well as unprofessional behavior, controlling responsibilities beyond her job description, enacting changes with little or no notice, damaging morale and disrupting faculty and student success.
Professor Andrew Rempt said this is the first No Confidence vote in 13 since the 2010 effort to remove Raj Kumar Chopra as college president. Chopra was eventually forced to resign by an incoming board and later faced 16 felony charges by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for corruption, bribery and racketeering.
“No Confidence votes are huge,” said Rempt. “This is the most major action we, as a Senate representing the vote of voice of the faculty, can take. We arrived at this point unwillingly and unhappily because a vote of No Confidence is not just a matter of saying we don’t have confidence, but also that we don’t have faith and we do not have trust in the individual currently occupying the VP of the AA office.”
Some attendees said the No Confidence resolution does not go far enough and should also condemn college president Dr. Mark Sanchez, who hired and supervises Saber.
A vote of No Confidence in Saber will alert the governing board that the Academic Senate is reaching out to them for support, according to Senate President Dr. Jessica “Jetta” Posey.
“(Firing her) is up to the college president and the governing board,” said Posey. “There are steps forward to find an amicable resolution.”
Rempt agreed.
“The path (forward) is not as clear as one hopes,” he said. “We hope steps will be taken because…they can’t run this college without us.”
Adjunct instructor Geoff Johnson said Saber seems unconcerned about part-time teaching staff. He cited a “60-40” plan Saber unilaterally announced that could severely reduce the number of classes and the number of part-time positions.
“There have been a number of things Saber has done as VP that have created a great deal of uncertainty and precarity amongst what is by nature, a precarious group and that we are extremely concerned about,” said Johnson. “I think I can speak for those that are aware that we would be in support of this.”
Posey said she was startled by the number of Senators who have resigned due to fear of retaliation to them or their departments.
“I’ve been with the Senate since 2009 and I’ve never seen senators step down because they fear retaliation against their programs,” she said. “Five Senators have stepped down and for the first time in our college’s history, we’ve been asked to add proxy voting to prevent people from feeling like they are retaliated against.”
Posey said senators have brought forward concerns about a perceived lack of transparency regarding budgets and librarians unnerved by a mid-semester swap of program directors. She said the Senate is also protesting Saber’s cancellation of grants and decisions to block hiring of staff while the college adds administrators.
Saber was also accused of work code issues, unvetted attempts at reorganization and not knowing what her job entails. Posey said faculty has also complained of bullying and hostile treatment from Saber.
“We’ve let her know that positionality makes people feel intimidated,” said Posey.
Saber had some support at the Senate meeting, but even that was mixed. One speaker who did not give his name addressed the Senate with a voice shaking with emotion.
“I work very closely with Isabelle,” he said. “We have had very good conversations, but we’ve also had conversations that have left me wondering will the programs, will the work that I do for students—that we do for students—can we do it given the environment? That’s a terrible feeling to come to work every day not knowing if you’re going to say something or do something that it’s going to lead to the demise of all that you work for.”
Mathematics Professor Martha Carey said Southwestern’s administrative churn has saddled faculty with new VPs almost every year since she started in 2001.
“There have been more VPs of AA than I can count,” she said. “I think the number is 15. There is something inherently wrong in their job description. It is supposed to be devoted to the promotion and support of academics, not tasked with financial and fiscal balance. We have created a job description here at Southwestern that is inherently schizophrenic.”
Carey said responsibility rests with Sanchez.
“I would lay this at the feet of Mark Sanchez as the person tasked with fixing a very long-term problem,” she said. “We need a stable VP of AA whose interests are academics and whose activities are solely dedicated to the support of academics.”
Saber has had issues in past jobs, including her previous VPAA position at Antelope Valley Press. Articles in the Antelope Valley Press said Saber was hired as an assistant superintendent/vice president of academic affairs in December 2021 but was put on administrative leave less that a year later and let go.
Saber was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations for this article. She said she would like to after she returns from a conference she planned to attend.
Isabelle Saber Photo Courtesy of Isabelle Saber
