Regents take no action on president’s evaluation

Clarendon College Regents took no action on President Robert Riza’s evaluation or contract when they met last Thursday, March 28.
Riza currently has a contract through June 1, 2020, but the president’s relationship over the last several months has become publicly strained with certain board members, particularly Jerry Woodard and Darlene Spier.
Ahead of last week’s meeting, the administration and members of the board even disagreed on who would compile the results of the board’s evaluation of the president. Riza advocated the traditional method of having a college staff member compile the results, but ultimately it was Spier who compiled the results and handed the report to the regents Thursday.
Conducting the evaluation in open session, regents spent several minutes silently studying the compiled evaluations before Woodard asked if the president had seen the report. He had not. Woodard then recommended the board not take any action until Riza could review the evaluation and bring back a plan to address it.
Chairman Tommy Waldrop then said the topic would be postponed until Riza could “evaluate his evaluation.”
In other college business last week, regents approved minutes from the regular meetings in October and December as well as a special meeting also in December. No action had been taken on those records previously because regents wanted a legal opinion on whether public comments had to be included in the official minutes and whether citizens have to provide a copy of their comments to the board. Former vice president of external affairs Ashlee Estlack had addressed the board in October, and Roger Estlack had spoken at the two meetings in December.
Riza reported that the college’s attorney said that the minutes do not have to include a verbatim report of what citizens say in public comments nor do citizens have to provide a copy of their comments to the board.
Waldrop said he had also consulted with a municipal attorney and a school superintendent, both of whom gave like advice received by Dr. Riza.
Regent Edwin Campbell objected to the legal advice, saying that having served on a school board and having watched the Amarillo school board recently, he felt the college’s policy should be that citizens must provide their comments to the board and it should become part of the record.
“I disagree with what our attorneys are saying,” Campbell said.
Waldrop said the attorneys he talked to said minutes should be as brief and concise as possible.
“The more things you have, the more things can lead to litigation,” Waldrop said.
Regents approved the February financial report and the second quarter investment report but again took no action on December and January financial reports pending review of additional information provided by the president.
A resolution was adopted opposing any legislation to extend board representation to areas not paying the full college district tax. Motions were approved raising dual credit fees by $50 and setting a new technology fee for the RFO program. A lease agreement was approved for the Clarendon College Childress Center, and an interlocal agreement was approved with the City of Howardwick regarding tax delinquent property.
In his report, Riza discussed the on campus death of CC student Dalton O’Gorman and the services provided to students following that accident. Woodard said he appreciated an email Riza had sent to the board alerting them of the accident but felt it should have given more details. Riza said he had to be vague because all the details were not known at the time of the email, and Waldrop credited Riza for calling him, as board chairman, immediately when the accident happened.