SANTA ANA : Unused Vacation Time Issue Erupts

When Robert D. Jensen leaves his job as chancellor of Rancho Santiago Community College later this month, he will collect about twice as much back pay for unused vacation time as is allowed by district policy, a college trustee said this week.

The college’s Board of Trustees voted last week to give Jensen $45,000 in back pay, or about $400 for each of his unused vacation days beyond the 54-day limit for administrators. Had the board not agreed to do so, Jensen could have begun using his vacation days immediately, leaving the district without a chancellor.

“He’s having us pay him an extra $22,000 on his way out,” said Trustee Charles W. (Pete) Maddox, who voted against paying Jensen the money. “I think we were had by the chancellor. I think if the board had known this was $45,000 worth of vacation pay, the vote would have been different.”

Maddox contended that trustees were not told how much unused vacation time Jensen had accumulated when they amended the chancellor’s contract. This week, the district’s personnel department told Maddox that Jensen will have accumulated 107.5 vacation days by the time he leaves the district at the end of the month to begin a new job as chancellor of Contra Costa Community College District.

Jensen countered that he had legitimately earned the vacation days and was providing a service to the district by staying on until a new chancellor is hired.

“They aren’t giving me something I didn’t earn,” Jensen said Thursday. “I’m a workaholic. I happen to be leaving now. If I wasn’t leaving, I wouldn’t be getting the money; I’d be trying to use up some of the vacation days.”

Other board members also said they were not aware of the number of unused vacation days Jensen had amassed but added that it was not an issue with them.

“I’m not really concerned about it,” said Trustee Carol Enos. “I really do believe it’s money we owe him. The things that Bob will be doing for us between now and when he leaves is worth at least that much, probably more. I’m sure that Bob didn’t mean to put us in this situation; he didn’t do it on purpose.

Trustee John Dowden agreed. “Cumulatively, it looks like a lot, but you have to realize that it was accrued over seven years,” he said

Trustee Brian Conley said he believed he had no choice but to approve the vacation pay because the district could not afford to be without Jensen’s services until an interim replacement is found.

“I am very concerned with the amount of money Jensen is receiving,” Conley said. “It certainly bothers me that we are allowing administrative staff to build up such a huge amount of vacation days, then have to pay out additional money on them.”

Jensen, who has been district chancellor since 1984, said pressing matters such as contract negotiations and new construction projects kept him on the job during many of his vacation days.

“Frankly, I resent the implication that I am getting something for nothing,” he said. “I’ve worked damned hard.”