In an unprecedented rebuke, the Academic Senate representing the faculty of Santiago Canyon College voted last week on Resolution F2025.02 – “Vote of No Confidence in the Leadership of President Jeannie Kim”. As reported by the Senate President, Tara Kubicka-Miller at the November 10 Rancho Santiago Community College District board meeting, 24 faculty voted in favor of the resolution with one dissenting vote and one abstention.
“In accordance with Title 5 § 53200 and Board Policy 2410, the Academic Senate of Santiago Canyon College (SCC) bears primary responsibility for academic and professional matters, known as the “10 + 1”.
Vote of No Confidence in the Leadership of President Jeannie Kim
Title 5 § 53200 and Board Policy 2410 & 2510
Such an action is not taken lightly as it signals that the educators who form the foundation of the institution no longer trust their leader to guide the college in good faith.
In my 42 years in the Rancho Santiago Community College District, I have never seen such a move. Even the most self-serving and inept administrators of past years escaped a no confidence vote. The fact this vote occurred now speaks to just how serious and deep the discontent has become.
Governance Dismantled
The Senate’s resolution, meticulously grounded in state policy and documented grievances, reveals a pattern of administrative overreach and disregard for shared governance.
Faculty allege that under Kim’s leadership, transparency became optional and what should be a collaborative environment has instead become one marked by mistrust and low morale.
Beyond governance violations, the resolution outlines a troubling list of other failures including:
1. Repeated violations of collegial consultation and shared governance;
2. Failure to ensure transparent, ethical, and equitable hiring/appointments, budget, and planning processes;
3. Breaches of fiscal integrity and lack of accountability in financial and programmatic decision-making;
4. Erosion of student equity, success, and support through unilateral programmatic changes;
5. Ongoing failures of communication, transparency, and leadership are inconsistent with the values and mission of the college; and
6. Persistent disregard for professional, ethical, and participatory standards of conduct as defined in Board Policy 7001 (Code of Ethics)
The Erosion of Trust
California’s Title 5 regulations make one point unmistakably clear and that is faculty are central to academic and curricular decision-making. When those rights are dismissed, the entire governance structure collapses, taking with it the institution’s credibility and its ability to serve students effectively.
The vote reflects the faculty’s determination to restore integrity to a college that belongs to its students and our community.
The District’s Choice: Accountability or Avoidance
The responsibility now shifts to Chancellor Marvin Martinez and the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees. They must decide to confront this crisis directly and relieve President Kim of her duties or protect the status quo.
The Senate has called for accountability and a return to respect, transparency, and positive leadership.
Until that leadership emerges, the message from the faculty remains unmistakable – enough is enough.
Dr. Barry Resnick retired in 2022 after 42 years as a professor of counseling with the Rancho Santiago CCD. He has resided with his family in Orange for 38 years
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