Academic Affairs & Student Services Campus Forum on Restructuring Plans

A: Academic Affairs is restructuring as a result of the Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP). Per budget presentations going back to Spring 2024, the College is experiencing a budget deficit crisis. One effort to generate significant savings for the College was the SRP and the decision to only rehire no more than 30% of the retiree positions. 

A: The primary goal has been to support continuity of service to our students, faculty, classified professionals, and community given the reduced number of positions within Academic Affairs as a result of the SRP. Through this change we will continue to support student educational goals and success by maintaining our pathways for completion. Lastly, our goal includes maintaining the needed budget reductions as part of the SERP due to a reduction in the number of faculty, classified professional, and administrator (leadership) positions. 

A: The savings of the positions that are not being replaced across El Camino College is currently estimated to be $8,571,295 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. These savings are based on the actual costs for the specific employees who have opted to participate in the Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP). The estimate includes adjustments for those positions that are slated for replacement and the SRP fees paid to the agency supporting the program for the District. 
*Updated estimate provided by Fiscal Services on 5/1/25*

A: A total of 88 individuals elected to participate in the SRP by retiring in either December 2024 or June 2025. Of the 88 individuals, 35 of them come from Academic Affairs (39.8% of all SERPers):

• 16 Full-Time Faculty Positions
• 15 Classified Professional Positions
• 4 Administrator (Leadership) Positions

Of the total annual projected savings, approximately $3.69 million (43% of the total) is attributable to the Academic Affairs positions that are not being rehired.
*Fiscal Services estimate on precise annual savings contributed by Academic Affairs is pending* 
Academic Affairs has been approved to replace 8 of the SRP positions on a permanent basis as missions critical. This includes all current Admin II classified professional positions. Unfortunately, a number of administrator positions were not approved for replacement. These positions are the Associate Dean of Fine Arts, the Director of the Center for the Arts, and one of the two deans of CTE (either Dean of Business or Dean of ITEC). Additional positions impacted include classified and faculty positions across the Divisions.

A: The restructuring process is an operational process and not a hiring process. As such, for Academic Affairs administrators whose positions are being consolidated into new positions, seniority will be used to determine who will end up in each of these positions. 

A: The classified professional staff from the Division Offices that are consolidating will be merged. However, only those positions identified as mission critical from the SRP list are being rehired at this time. 

A: The process began by the formation of an Academic Affairs Restructuring Workgroup in November 2024. The workgroup held additional meetings on December 6th, and February 28th. During these meetings the workgroup developed a set of principles to guide the development of restructuring models, developed/reviewed approximately 9 different models, and ultimately narrowed the models down to two competing models. 

A: The workgroup is composed of representatives from faculty, classified professionals, and administrators from each Division. In addition, the Academic Senate has separate representation as does the Associated Students Organization (ASO).  
The list of workgroup participants are:

Faculty 
Darcie McClelland (NAT SCI), Larry Leach (BSS), Sean Donnel (HUM), Diaa Eldanaf (MATH), Marc Yeber (ITEC), Khai Lu (BUS), Laura Almo (Fine Arts), Camila Jenkin (LLR)

Classified Professionals 
Catherine Lo Iacono (BUS), Julie Meredith (HSA-Public Safety), Erica Soohoo (HUM), Matthew Hutcherson (ITEC), Gema Perez (LLR), Particia Amezcua (Fine Arts), Jacylyn Vega (MATH), Anh Pham (NAT SCI) 

Administrators 
Amy Grant, Scott Kushigemachi, Crystle Martin, Marlow Lemons, Betty Sedor, Jeff Baumunk, David Gonzales, Virginia Rapp, Chris Gold, Gerson Valle, Maricela Sandoval, Ed Rice, Walter Cox

Academic Senate 
Charlene Brewer-Smith, Maria Garcia

Students
Kelly Nguyen (ASO Director of Academic Affairs)

A: The dialogue relating to the need for the College to look significantly different as a result of the SERP began as early as the Spring of 2024. In terms of the work engaged in by the Academic Affairs Restructuring Workgroup, all constituent representatives were repeatedly asked to share the work with their colleagues at every step of the process and to bring feedback to the group during our meetings. Nothing the workgroup developed was considered confidential and all work could be shared. 

A: The Academic Affairs Workgroup met again on Thursday, May 1, 2025 to review the feedback that resulted from the Campus Forum. Another session is scheduled for Friday, May 9, 2025 to include any recommended changes. After this, the model will be presented to the Academic Senate, Associated Students Organization, and College Council in May. 

A: No, you will not have to move offices as part of the new structure in Academic Affairs. The same will hold true for classrooms and labs, however some changes may surface new collaborations or efficiencies that could result in changes to classrooms and labs. In addition, some of the consolidated divisions may result in closing or repurposing current Division Office space.  

A: At this time, classrooms and lab spaces are not expected to move as part of the restructuring. Faculty offices will remain as they have been assigned during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. Students, faculty, classified staff members may need to work with a new office location for their Division Office. 

A: No, the size of the El Camino College Class Schedule is not expected to be impacted by the restructuring. As stated above, the goal of the restructuring is to maintain programs, services, and schedules.