4C’s Board of Trustees Hear Concerns From Faculty During Meeting

Claudine Barnes, a full-time faculty member, speaks during the Cape Cod Community College Board of Trustee's meeting.

Claudine Barnes, a full-time faculty member, speaks during the Cape Cod Community College Board of Trustee’s meeting.

BARNSTABLE – Cape Cod Community College’s Board of Trustees held a public meeting on Thursday to hear from college’s faculty union about specific concerns they had of President John Cox.

Over 100 people attended the meeting, which included nearly an hour of speeches from more than 10 current and former faculty members of the college.

About 66 members of the tenured faculty at the college signed a petition that supported a vote of no confidence in President Cox.

The petition alleged an environment of fear, bullying and sexual harassment.

“We are particularly concerned about what many perceive to be a systemic abuse of power that has evolved and eroded our campus culture,” said Michael Bejtlich, a full-time professor and coordinator of the Business Administration Programs.

The Board of Trustees listened to a number of union members who signed the petition and heard their concerns, which acknowledged that there has been a lack of communication, high employee turnover and questions about institutional priorities and policies.

“The problems are arising often simply because the rationale behind these decisions are not being given to those who are directly impacted by them, and the end result is confusion and frustration by faculty, staff and students,” said faculty member Nancy Willets.

Union faculty members also brought up issues and concerns with that actions of four administrators on campus and that Cox was “generally aware” of what they were doing.

The Board declined to hear about any reports of sexual harassment and wanted to discuss the daily operations of the college instead.

A number of faculty members also spoke out against the petition, saying that they have not heard or saw for themselves, any issues on the campus and that the petition did not point out any instances specifically or with any detail.

Trustees did not make a decision on Cox but said that they are committed to making whatever improvements and changes need to be made to try and address the issues raised.

Cox said he understood the criticism and is focused on improving the college.

“I respect and I appreciate those who have raised these concerns,” said Cox. “I’ve learned from each of you and have taken away valuable lessons for my work here in the future as we learn from each other, which is the very essence of a community college.”

By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter

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Comments

  1. Maria Padilla says

    President John Cox is a fraud and a charlatan. He has made some very serious mistakes that have cost the College millions of dollars. In a recent notable gaf, he hired the discredited former head of Human Resources from Roxbury Community College, Paul Alexander, as the CCCC Vice President of HUman Resources. Together, through mismanagement and non-management they will probably cause the College to be permanently shuttered. Maybe BSU will make CCCC a satellite campus.

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