Demotion of Two College Chiefs Debated : Trustees Considering Action as Part of L.A. District Shake-up

After hearing the impassioned protests of local Asian-American community leaders, the trustees of the beleaguered Los Angeles Community College District were considering whether to postpone a decision to demote West Los Angeles College President M. Jack Fujimoto to a classroom teaching assignment during a closed-door session Wednesday night.

After leaving the board meeting at 8 p.m., Fujimoto said the board members had told him they would not make a decision immediately. However, the board was deliberating late into the night and a spokesman said there was a “50-50 chance” they would act on the matter during the session.

The trustees also were considering the removal of Southwest College President Walter C. McIntosh, who may be transferred to an administrative post at the district’s downtown office.

Both actions are part of a major shake-up of the administration that, board sources said, are necessary to remedy the district’s severe legal and financial troubles.

The college district has been under attack for alleged mismanagement and recently ordered budget cutbacks and the layoffs of 143 tenured faculty members.

The district currently has 93,026 students, 33% fewer than four years ago when enrollment reached a high of 139,168, a district official said.

The decline has been most severe at West Los Angeles and Southwest, where enrollment has plummeted 44% and 56%, respectively, over the last four years.

According to Trustee Harold W. Garvin, the falling enrollment figures are the main reason behind Chancellor Leslie Koltai’s recommendation to replace Fujimoto and McIntosh.

A source close to the board who did not want to be named said the heads of East Los Angeles and Los Angeles City colleges also may come under scrutiny.

Fujimoto, former president of Sacramento City College, has headed the West Los Angeles campus since 1979. He defended his record in an interview, saying that it is unfair to hold him responsible for the enrollment plunge.

“I know enrollment has gone down,” said Fujimoto, who is one of the highest ranking Asian-American educators in California. But he complained that Los Angeles community college presidents are not given enough authority to shape their own programs. “Don’t hold my hands down and tell me (enrollment has) gone down,” he said.

Among his accomplishments, he cited the addition of multicultural programs and courses in business, psychology and Japanese language.

There was an intense lobbying effort on behalf of Fujimoto by Asian-American community groups, who began making phone calls and sending mailgrams of support to board members late last week.

Sixteen speakers claiming to represent more than 100 community organizations that support Fujimoto addressed the board Wednesday, calling the official an outstanding administrator and community leader.

“We are shocked and concerned by the rumor that Dr. Jack Fujimoto is being removed as president of West Los Angeles College,” said Irene Hirano, president of Leadership Education for Asian-Pacifics, a nonprofit educational organization. “As the only president of Japanese-American descent in the California community college system, he is a role model, he is a symbol, and he is a leader.”

Bob Suzuki, vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Northridge, said Fujimoto’s proposed removal is “a definite insult” to Asian Americans. “We believe this is discrimination,” he said.

Two speakers urged the board to retain McIntosh as Southwest president. There was no immediate word from the board on when it would act on the McIntosh matter.

The trustees also heard from about 20 angry students and faculty members who berated the board and Koltai for the recent layoffs.