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Mark W. Rocha

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Mark Rocha
Mark Rocha in 2010
Born (1953-08-29) August 29, 1953 (age 71)
The Bronx, New York
Alma materVillanova University, Bachelors
California State University, Fullerton, Masters
University of Southern California, PhD
EmployerCardenio Consulting
Spouse(s)Nancy Rosenberg (married 2005-2021), Elizabeth Handley (married 1993-2003), Barbara Rocha (married 1980-1990).

Mark William Rocha (born August 29, 1953, in the Bronx, New York) is a former Chancellor of City College of San Francisco[1] and a former Superintendent-President of Pasadena City College. He is an English professor and Fulbright scholar.[2]

Early life

Rocha was raised in the Bronx, New York. He is one of three siblings. His father, William, a native of Colombia, was the first in his family to receive a college degree.[3] Rocha earned his bachelor's degree in English from Villanova University in 1975, his master's degree from California State University, Fullerton,[3] and PhD in English from the University of Southern California.[4] His scholarly work focused on African American and Latino drama and literature, including playwrights August Wilson[5] and Tennessee Williams.[3][6]

Rocha publicly spoke out against Proposition 187, a 1994 ballot measure intended to restrict undocumented immigrants from access to California's public education system.[3]

Career

Rocha taught for a year in Caracas, Venezuela at the Universidad Simon Bolivar.[7][8]

Rocha became dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Humboldt State University in 1996.[7] He was previously a professor and associate dean of Cal State Northridge's School of Humanities.[7] Two years later, in 1998, Rocha became provost of Seton Hall University.[9]

He left Seton Hall for Santiago Canyon College, where he was the college president for the 2000–2001 school year.[3] After he left, Rocha became president of Argosy University/Los Angeles-Orange Campus in September 2001.[10] He later was the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at Los Angeles Mission College prior to becoming president of West Los Angeles College in 2006.[11] Rocha was the president of West Los Angeles College until 2010, when he left the school to become the president of Pasadena City College.[8]

Rocha became president of Pasadena City College in July 2010.[6][8] He replaced Lisa Sugimoto, who was the interim president following the resignation of Paulette Perfumo.[8] In 2012, the Pasadena Area Community College District (PACCD) Board of Trustees extended Rocha's contract as PCC's Superintendent-President through the end of the 2016 academic year.[12]

In March 2013, an ad hoc faculty committee and the Associated Students of PCC placed votes of "no confidence" in Rocha. The faculty committee vote showed 92% displeasure with his management of the college.[13] In April 2013, the Academic Senate voted against him 23–0, with one abstention. The votes followed Rocha's defense of the PACCD Board of Trustees' approval of a 2013–2014 academic calendar without a winter session.[13] The PACCD Board of Trustees offered a statement supporting Rocha following the votes of "no confidence"[14] and extended his contract until 2017.

When the PACCD Board of Trustees removed faculty and staff input on his performance evaluation, in March 2014 the Academic Senate conducted its own evaluation, using the existing college evaluation forms. The majority of respondents answered "nothing" was working at the college, and frequently suggested that Rocha's departure would improve the college.[15][16]

Rocha announced his retirement from Pasadena City College in August 2014, following a failed attempt to take on the presidency of Kingsborough Community College in New York. He said that it was "time for me to spend more time with my family and return to my passion for teaching and writing".[17][18][19] Although the PCC Board of Trustees initially denied the fact, Rocha was paid over $403,000 plus legal fees for his salary through to early 2016,[20] but the settlement given to him by the PCC Board of Trustees was overturned on April 29, 2015, by LA Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell, ruling on the lawsuit filed in August 2014 by Californians Aware. The settlement had been decided in a closed session, in violation of open meeting Brown Act laws. Rocha, who had threatened to sue the board regarding negative comments made about him, was required to return the $403,000 and renegotiate the settlement agreement.[21] In May 2015, Rocha was one of four finalists to become Chancellor of North Orange County Community College District but his name was withdrawn from consideration.[22]

Rocha spent three years working for the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery, a New York state government effort focused on restoration of residences damaged in major storms. He became the chancellor of City College of San Francisco in July 2017.[2] In June 2019, Rocha worked with college and city leaders to secure long-term funding for the Free City program, which offers free tuition for San Francisco residents,[23] but the college remained in a difficult financial situation. In March 2020, the college announced that Rocha had been placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons.[24] Soon after that announcement, he resigned as part of a confidential agreement in which he was paid $340,000 and given a year of free health coverage.[24]

References

  1. ^ Waxmann, Laura. "CCSF Leaders Give New Chancellor Favorable Marks". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Mark Rocha selected as CCSF chancellor". San Francisco Chronicle. 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Mark Rocha, President, Pasadena City College, A Passion For Universal Access to Education" (PDF). Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. 2011-11-14.
  4. ^ University of Southern California Alumni, archived from the original on 2016-03-04, retrieved 2014-02-21
  5. ^ Bloomberg Businessweek[dead link]
  6. ^ a b Chapman, Justin (22 September 2010). "Act II, Scene I". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Callender, Ealena (April 29, 1996). "Professor Named to Humboldt State Post". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d Charles, Brian. "Mark Rocha named PCC's new president". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  9. ^ "New faces at Seton Hall" (PDF). Seton Hall. Fall 1998. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Santiago Canyon President Resigns". Los Angeles Times. 2001-08-11. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  11. ^ "Presidents". Vol. 18, no. 24. Community College Week. 2006-07-17. p. 20.
  12. ^ "PACCD Board of Trustees Extends Contracts". Pasadena / San Gabriel News Journal. December 26, 2012. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014.
  13. ^ a b "PCC president Rocha responds to no-confidence votes". Pasadena Star News. 2013-03-15. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  14. ^ "Pasadena City College's Academic Senate Votes No Confidence in President". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  15. ^ Coleman, Andrea (8 May 2014). "A lack of leadership". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  16. ^ "Big Apple bound?". 17 June 2014.
  17. ^ Gold, Lauren (August 7, 2014). "Embattled Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha to retire". Contra Costa Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014.
  18. ^ Bernal, Raymond (August 7, 2014). "President Rocha will retire Aug. 31". Pasadena City College Courier. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  19. ^ Song, Jason (August 7, 2014). "Pasadena City College president is leaving after rocky tenure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  20. ^ Song, Jason (August 14, 2014). "Pasadena City College's retiring chief gets $400,000, documents show". Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Henry, Jason (April 29, 2015). "Judge voids $403,000 resignation payoff to former Pasadena City College president". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2020 – via Pasadena Star-News.
  22. ^ "Revised Schedule for NOCCCD Chancellor Finalists May 12 Open Forums" (PDF) (press release). North Orange County Community College District. May 8, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2015.
  23. ^ Waxmann, Laura (June 26, 2019). "Funding deal secures future for Free City program". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Mojadad, Ida (26 March 2020). "CCSF Chancellor Mark Rocha resigns, collects $340,000 settlement". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
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