MATC District Board Meeting: Faculty Raise Serious Concerns

The strength of a community college lies in the health of its culture, yet recent testimony at the latest MATC District Board meeting suggests that culture is currently under significant strain. Members of AFT Local 212, incluing 8 faculty, staff, and 2 students, addressed the Board to voice urgent concerns about a deepening disconnect between college leadership and the frontline educators who serve our students. Testimonies described an environment that “lacks psychological safety,” marked by fear of retaliation, unprofessional conduct, and a lack of transparency that many say has now “reached a crisis point.”

Full-Time Faculty Advocate Dr. Kristen Barr presented a letter from an anonymous Community Education employee, highlighting patterns of communication breakdowns and administrative exclusion that many believe are beginning to undermine the very foundation of student success across the institution.

Key concerns included:

• Fear of retaliation

• Ongoing communication breakdowns and lack of meaningful dialogue

• Missed deadlines impacting programs, staffing, and compliance

• Exclusion from decision-making and lack of transparency

• Unprofessional conduct affecting staff and students

• Refusal to print schedules with key details for students

• Reassignment of roles without consultation, undermining program quality

• Administrative directives around registration that are undermining the three pillars of MATC’s Ascend Together Strategic Plan

These concerns reflect broader issues impacting morale, operations, and ultimately student success.

Board members acknowledged gaps in communication, the need for stronger alignment between leadership and faculty/staff experiences, and emphasized the importance of providing accurate data moving forward.

Read Dr. Barr’s full introduction here

Read the anonymous letter here

Read the letters for Concern here.

Read the letter to Dr. Cruz here.