CC Regents vote down extension for Riza contract

A divided Board of Regents voted down a contract extension for Clarendon College President Robert Riza, and one regent indicated his intent to resign from the board following the president’s evaluation last Thursday, April 18.

The 4-5 vote came after most regents spoke about the president’s performance. Riza deferred his comments until after the vote was taken.

Regent Jack Moreman started the discussion and offered the motion to add one year to the president’s contract, which expires in June 2020 and said he thought the board should entertain a raise also.

“We’d be hard pressed to replace the man we have now,” Moreman said. “I’ve served or worked with all of our presidents since Kenneth Vaughn. He [Riza] and Bill Auvenshine are the best of them.”

Moreman went on to address financial concerns some board members have had, attributing them to former vice president of administrative services Lana Ritchie and said “some of this stuff is old… going back three years.” He also said he had calls in support of Riza.

Regent Edwin Campbell said he had averaged the board’s evaluation figures, which were done on a scale of one to five, five being the best, and said the average in each main category was more than three, which meant expected or good performance. Campbell said Riza’s overall evaluation average was 3.36.

“We’ve got a president that this board evaluated a little bit above average, understanding that there are some things that need improvement,” Campbell said. “We’ve got a good evaluation. It’s not one that I would like to have or give; but looking at the overall board, this is what this board did in evaluating him.”

Regent Darlene Spier focused on the areas of weakest scores – fiscal operations, personnel accountability, and leadership – and wanted to know what Riza’s plan was to improve those areas.

Regent Ruth Robinson, who seconded Moreman’s motion, said she wanted the board to work together.

“We can work together better than we are,” she said.

Regent Bill Sansing praised Riza, saying he’s done more in less time than anyone before him and said he did not want to try to find a replacement after having been through three presidential searches.

“The caliber of person that Dr. Riza is can’t be found on the street corner,” Sansing said. “And I hope all would agree with what Ruth said. We didn’t use to have this lack of harmony. It used to be fun to come to board meetings.”

Chairman Tommy Waldrop said he likes Dr. Riza but that he’s concerned about finances and the college’s reserve funds.

“I’d like to keep Dr. Riza, but I’d like to see growth in our finances,” Waldrop said. “I’d like to just let this thing sit since he has another year left on his contract. Let’s see what happens.”

Regent Susie Shields said she agreed with the previous comments that there were good things and things that could be improved.

Regent Lon Adams made no comments, and Regent Jerry Woodard said he had asked for facts and financial things and never gotten them and asked for things to be placed on the agenda that never were. He said there are good things and said the board could work together.

Waldrop said that he thought the people in the room could work together better.

“I would rather go for a monthly colonoscopy than come to these meetings,” Waldrop said.

The motion then failed with Moreman, Robinson, Shields, and Sansing voting for the extension of the contract. Adams, Woodard, Campbell, Spier, and Waldrop voted against the measure.

Later Riza laid out the accomplishments of his administration and said he would put the successes of CC up against anyone.

He recalled when he hired on he said he would make mistakes and own up to them and that he could have handled some things differently with the board.

“Some have stated that I don’t resolve conflicts well. Actually I’m very good at it,” Riza said. “However, when my character is attacked by members of this board for reasons that are proven incorrect, I don’t apologize for that.”

He said memos of understanding expanding opportunities for high tech dual credit classes and education classes through universities were on his desk but were pending the results of that day’s meeting.

Responding to some evaluations that claimed they had not observed his efforts with the state, Riza reviewed his work with the coordinating board, on state committees in which he’s the only college president member west of I-35, and how he was the only college president asked to testify on Senate Bill 2. He discussed the college’s success numbers, how dual credit numbers had doubled since 2014, how he’d been included on a conference call with the White House, and how state appropriations had gone up $850,000 under his watch.

He closed his comments by addressing concerns about his leadership and noted that the college nearly collapsed under the previous administration due to a loss of enrollment.

Riza then distributed information regarding the current review of the actions of the board by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges. He said the best case scenario would be a monitoring period and the worse would be a warning or probation. Woodard asked when the board would have a chance to respond, and Riza said the board won’t because SACSCOC communications go through the president’s office. However, he did say that SACSCOC President Belle Wheelan is considering coming to Clarendon herself.

Before the meeting adjourned, Moreman said he had spent 50 years working for the college or serving it.

“If you think I’m not interested in Clarendon College, that should tell you that I definitely am,” he said. “I think I’ll just walk.

You’ll get a letter from me. My life is more important than serving on this board.”