Trustees Oust Presidents of 2 L.A. Community Colleges

During an 8 1/2-hour closed-door session that ended in the wee hours Thursday morning, the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District voted to oust the presidents of two colleges where enrollment has nose-dived over the last four years.

M. Jack Fujimoto of West Los Angeles College and Walter C. McIntosh of Los Angeles Southwest College were removed from their posts--and were offered lesser positions--in the first stage of a major administrative reorganization of the district urged by Chancellor Leslie Koltai.

Acting presidents were named to replace them--at West Los Angeles, Linda Thor, formerly head of the district’s public information office and currently director of special job training; at Southwest, Thomas Lakin, currently vice president of academic affairs at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. The acting appointments are effective until June 30, 1987, when the board will make permanent assignments, according to district spokesman Norman Schneider.

Thor and Lakin will take over on March 3, when the removal of Fujimoto and McIntosh take effect.

The board voted 4 to 2, with Trustees Letitia Quezada and Marguerite Archie Hudson opposed, to replace Fujimoto, one of the highest-ranking Asian-American educators in California who has led the college since 1979. McIntosh, Southwest president since 1977, was removed by a 5-1 vote, with Quezada opposed. Voting to oust Fujimoto were Wallace Albertson, Arthur Bronson, Harold W. Garvin and Monroe F. Richman. Trustee Lindsay Conner was absent.

Both colleges have suffered more than the district’s seven other campuses from an enrollment plunge that began in 1982, the year that district enrollment had reached a peak of 139,168 students. Present enrollment districtwide is 93,026, a 33% drop from 1982.

The district has been under attack from faculty and students who have complained of mismanagement and layoffs of faculty and recently became the subject of a Los Angeles County Grand Jury audit for alleged fiscal irresponsibility.

Since 1982, West Los Angeles has lost 6,436 students, a drop of 44%. Southwest’s enrollment has declined by 3,064 students, or 56%.

In a press conference Thursday, Koltai said the ousting of McIntosh and Fujimoto is “in the best interests of the district and of the particular institutions involved.”

Fujimoto could not be reached for comment. However, leaders of the local Asian-American community who rallied to his defense at a public hearing Wednesday said that more than 100 community groups and Fujimoto himself would vigorously oppose his removal.

“We intend to fight the decision and support Jack in any way we can,” said Irene Hirano, president of Leadership Education for Asian-Pacifics, a nonprofit educational organization. Hirano also represents a separate committee supporting Fujimoto.

She called the board’s decision “a slap in the face” to all minorities, but particularly to Asians.

“Jack is recognized by the Asian-Pacific community as a role model and leader. . . .” People at this point are ready to fight for as long as necessary.”

Faculty reaction at West Los Angeles College, however, was mostly positive.

Although some teachers at a faculty meeting earlier this week expressed concern about Thor’s lack of any classroom teaching experience, a faculty spokesman said the staff believes that the new administrator will bring skills that have been lacking at the college under Fujimoto’s leadership.

“What we need,” said Jim Lee Morgan, president of the Academic Senate, “are the two skills she has--a good public relations background and (expertise in) funding special programs. The faculty does not have that expertise. . . . I think we’ve got a good marriage.”

According to district spokesman Schneider, Fujimoto has been offered a choice of two positions: vice president of academic affairs at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College or senior director of educational services in the district’s downtown office. A third option open to Fujimoto is to request a classroom teaching assignment, Schneider said.

McIntosh was offered, and accepted, the position now held by Thor, that of special job training director. He said he has no quarrel with the board’s decision to “do whatever they need to do” to improve the college.

“I have no choice, really,” the administrator said.

During the closed-door meeting Thursday, the trustees set a goal of increasing enrollment at West Los Angeles by 20% during the next year, district officials said. A similar goal will be established for Southwest and other campuses.

Garvin said Fujimoto and McIntosh are “partially victims beyond their control” but that changes at the top are necessary “to give those colleges a chance to succeed.”

Garvin said the board intends to give the new presidents more latitude to hire their own staffs than their predecessors had so that they can fairly be held accountable for progress, or lack of it, in retaining and recruiting students.