Stanislaus State president’s tenure stands in contrast to revolving door at MJC | Opinion

The contrast is unavoidable.

When California State University, Stanislaus President Ellen Junn recently announced her upcoming retirement, people couldn’t help but compare her steady commitment with the constantly revolving door of presidents at nearby Modesto Junior College.

By the numbers: Junn will have served seven years when she leaves Turlock’s Stanislaus State at the end of June; the last MJC president, Santanu Bandyopadhyay — forced out in December — served 18 months.

In the past two decades, Stan State has had five presidents and interim presidents, while MJC has had more than three times that number.

Since 2000, the president’s average tenure at Stan State has been seven years. MJC’s average? 1.7 years.

Well, you say, maybe community colleges simply have more turnover than four-year universities?

Perhaps. But MJC also ranks last in executive retention when compared against the other 114 community colleges in California, an apples-to-apples fact The Modesto Bee has reported again and again. To repeat, the statewide average is 4.2 presidents per campus since 2000, while MJC has had 16.

Those undisputed numbers help explain the impressive, solemn verbal thrashing that several highly respected community leaders, including former MJC bigwigs, gave in a public meeting a couple of weeks ago to those who hire and fire MJC presidents: Yosemite Community College District trustees and Chancellor Henry Yong.

These community leaders have grown tired of negative news heaped on an institution they love, and in some cases, which they have served heart and soul. Their concern is real and well-founded, and many pray that the board and Yong will respond appropriately with the next recruitment.

Why this matters

Community colleges hold a special place in many of our hearts. Chances are excellent that you or someone you know got their start at a two-year college. They capture a large percentage of local high school graduates who aren’t yet ready or don’t have the money for a four-year university. And they provide a solid, low-cost option for adults of all ages returning for more education and job training; more than 8% of all students are older than 50.

Many visitors to all three YCCD campuses — east and west MJC in Modesto, and Columbia — come away impressed. Some MJC programs, like ag and nursing, enjoy good reputations.

But it’s high time to see MJC assume a higher profile in many community organizations, and to better respond to local workforce training needs, which will become more specialized and acute as Stanislaus County pursues its ambitious dream of becoming a bioindustry hub in the next decade. All of that starts at the top.

As for Junn, The Modesto Bee thanks her for her devotion to Stanislaus State, also a community gem.

For the record, the other Stan State presidents in the past two decades were Joseph Sheley (2012-2016), Hamid Shirvani (2005-2012) and Marvelene Hughes (1994-2005). (For consistency, in the statistics above Sheley was counted twice because he also served as interim president before taking the permanent job, and that’s how the Community College League of California keeps track for MJC and others.)

Junn’s accomplishments, as noted by reporter Ken Carlson, are many. She should remember her years here with pride.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Stanislaus State president’s tenure stands in contrast to revolving door at MJC | Opinion."