Regents vote to end president’s contract

Clarendon College Regents voted unanimously last week to end the contract of President Robert Riza at the end of this year.

Speaking during the board’s regular meeting Thursday, November 21, Chairman Tommy Waldrop said he saw three options for Dr. Riza’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of May 2020. Those options were to leave the contract as is, to extend the contract, or to end the contract and buy Riza out.

The chairman had suggested moving the meeting into closed session, but Riza preferred to keep it in open session.

Waldrop said the coming end of the semester and the lack of having people in key positions as reasons the board needed to address the contract issue.

Regent Darlene Spier said she was worried about an upcoming visit from SACS-COC, the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools – Commission on Colleges which accredits the college, and “putting the institution at more risk.”

Waldrop asked for a motion to extend the contract. There was none. He then asked for a motion to leave the contract in place, and there was again no motion. He asked for a motion to terminate the contract by December 31, 2019, and regents discussed needing to get an attorney involved.

Spier made a motion to end the contract, but there was no second only more discussion about how to engage the attorney. Regent Edwin Campbell said that he wanted the process to be fair to Dr. Riza.

Campbell later offered a motion to end Riza’s contract by December 31, 2019, pending negotiations. Carey Wann seconded the motion, and the remaining regents present voted in favor: Waldrop, Spier, Campbell, Wann, Ruth Robinson, Lon Adams, and Jerry Woodard. Regent Susie Shields was absent from last week’s meeting.

Earlier in the meeting the board accepted the resignation of Regent Bill Sansing. He is the second board member to resign this year.

Jack Moreman resigned after the April board meeting, during which his motion to extend Riza’s contract following the president’s annual evaluation failed by a vote of 4-5.

At press time Monday, the Board of Regents were scheduled to meet Wednesday, November 27, in a called meeting to discuss Riza’s contract, possible action on an interim president, and a presidential search.