Key Aide to Chancellor : Saddleback Teachers Urge Firing of Official

A key aide to Saddleback College Chancellor Larry Stevens has become a new target of faculty criticism at the two-campus community college.

Forty-four full-time faculty members at Saddleback’s north campus in Irvine have submitted a petition to the college’s board of trustees asking that the aide, William Schreiber, be fired. The petition accuses Schreiber of “abusing his role” because he “is not acting as spokesman for the whole college community.”

William Watts, president of the board of trustees, said Tuesday that the charges against Schreiber are without merit and that the board strongly supports him. Schreiber holds the dual title of executive assistant to the chancellor and director of community relations and college development.

As principal spokesman for both Stevens and the board of trustees, Schreiber has frequently been asked by reporters for comment on various criticisms of the college administration raised by the teachers, who for more than a year have been seeking Stevens’ ouster.

Recall Effort Launched

After the seven-member board of trustees reiterated its support of the chancellor, an effort was launched last fall by the teachers to recall three of the board members. Leaders of the recall effort are now attempting to gather enough voter signatures to force a special recall election.

Brendan Jundanian, a political science professor at Saddleback North, presented the petition against Schreiber to the board of trustees meeting Monday night. “We’ll keep on reminding them (the trustees) about this,” Jundanian said Tuesday, noting that the trustees accepted the petition without comment Monday night.

“This is not a personal attack on Mr. Schreiber but against the confusion that is caused by the function he’s having to perform,” said Jundanian. “We keep seeing articles in print referring to him as the ‘campus spokesman,’ and we don’t feel he really represents the entire college.” Jundanian said Schreiber’s comments frequently defend actions by Stevens.

Watts, the board president, said he views the petition against Schreiber as part of an overall move by teachers “to control the college.”

Watts added: “Their motive is clear: If they can’t get to the chancellor and they can’t get to the board, then they try to get to someone who works for both.”

Watts is one the three trustees targeted for recall. The other two are Robert Moore and Robert Price.