Citrus College Board of Trustee Area 2 candidates Laura Bollinger, Eric Kaljumagi and Joe Salas respond to questions from reporters regarding their goals and the future of Citrus governance ahead of the election on Nov. 3.
The following interview responses were compiled over the past six weeks following the candidate forum hosted by the Citrus College Faculty Association on Sept. 14.
Bollinger and Kaljumagi’s interviews were done over the phone while Salas called via Zoom. Bollinger was interviewed by News Editor Lucy Argaez while Kaljumagi and Salas were interviewed by Argaez and Managing Editor Alana Daly O’Brien. Each interview was conducted separately.
The questions were not provided in advance. The responses are not the full answers, but are quotes edited for length.
Laura Bollinger of Claremont
What made you pursue the BOT position?
“When (Sue Keith) talked about retiring it just felt right for me because I was in a position to run for the position of trustee because I was so familiar with Citrus, so involved; it’s just in my heart. I am also very familiar with Claremont and have volunteered here for 25 years.”
How would your experience contribute to Citrus College governance?
“My background in the business sector really helped me address issues of board leaderships.
“I never really shied away from difficult tasks like drafting policy, writing procedures and encouraging these non-profit boards to do budgeting and long-range planning.
“All those skill sets that you use on a non-profit board really helped me understand the roles of a board, and I was always drawn to organizations that really helped close the opportunity gap for students, libraries and things like that.”
What are significant parts of your platform?
“It was AB 288 that approved the dual enrollment program across the state of California, and that’s where we have the classes at— in Claremont High School and San Antonio High School. They are Citrus classes and they are college-level classes that are transferable to Citrus, and that’s one thing that we need to educate our community about.
“I want to look into the feasibility of reopening a child development center. I know that they still offer an associate degree and skill awards in child development, but we don’t have that physical child care center anymore at Citrus and I would really support a feasibility study to see if it was possible again.
“It has been a challenge for me to reach out to our community and understand that it is a place for students to go that want to transfer, that want the technical certificates and to just really explain to our community how important our community college system is to our economy and that economic recovery in this time. It’s all connected.”
Regarding diversity, equity and inclusion measures, how do you believe the school can better represent all students?
“The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force is really looking at hiring and promotion practices because it is really important to have a diverse academic environment because it fosters cultural awareness and it provides role models for kids.
Part of the hiring diversity comes with attracting a more diverse pool and all of that is ties up with fair pay and benefits for faculty.”
How does your experience differ from that of your opponents?
“My opponents say that you have to be an educator to do this job and I really disagree. … I disagree because there are many examples of school board members and college trustees that are not educators that have done a great job because of their diverse background and perspectives that have allowed them to do a thorough analysis of an issue from all sides.
“I come from a neutral position; my other opponents are very tied to the unions, and while I really support unions and would work with unions because I think they are really central to how a school operates and pays for its faculty and staff … this is a nonpartisan position too. The other candidates are very tied to the Democratic Party and endorsements from them. I would say that if I did my job right you would know what my positions are, what my passions are, but not what my political party is.”
Eric Kaljumagi of Claremont
What made you pursue the BOT position?
“When I found out that Sue Keith was stepping down, my ears really perked up. Community colleges is what I do … This is an opportunity to kind of have a dream job.”
How would your experience contribute to Citrus College governance?
“I have served on many college committees that directly relate to the work that boards of trustees do. These include accreditation, professional development, information technology, equivalencies and student preparation for success.”
What are significant parts of your platform?
“Creating a college that serves its students and their emotional well-being.”
“We need students to be safe. We need emotional safety; we need officers that are well trained. … I am personally kind of horrified at the six hour lockdown that occurred (last year). We didn’t have any plan for how to give these people water, or food, or privacy for when they need to use the bathroom.”
“Are we spending the money that we have appropriately? The previous three years took money from the general fund (which should not happen).”
Regarding diversity, equity and inclusion measures, how do you believe the school can better represent all students?
“You need employees that are diverse. … You need to make it so that the students can see themselves in this role. It is necessary to set up an environment where students see a variety (of people). You have to make certain that you are being inclusive of culture.”
“I think we have given a lot of lip service to equity. … Equity equals research and follow through.”
How does your experience differ from that of your opponents?
“I’ve been doing this sort of work that’s done by a board for well over a decade and they haven’t.
“The requirements for being a trustee are relatively low. … When I look at my opponents, I see people that went through Citrus and appear to be well meaning but they don’t know the back of house work.”
Joe Salas of Claremont
What made you pursue the BOT position?
“I was looking to see what was offered in this campaign, and when I looked at the platform of the current field of candidates, I (noticed) there’s a certain angle or perspective not being discussed by the current candidates.
“I am living through the greatest civil rights movement of our time. … I’m living through the Black Lives Matter movement right now. … I need to run to make sure that there are reforms going on in higher education that were not being advocated for by my other candidates.”
How would your experience contribute to Citrus College governance?
“I am the only candidate that has actually sat on government organizations. … I am the only one who has helped craft public policy on the city and county level.
“When you are a special education teacher (at San Bernardino City Unified School District), you look at everything that is between a student and their learning objectives. I have a very holistic approach to how I look at things.”
What are significant parts of your platform?
“I came from a family that had fluency in going on to higher education. I knew how to navigate the system. But a lot of our students who are going to Citrus now are first time college students. So I think Citrus College could do a better job at coming up with student services that are uplifting Latinx, African-American students, LGBTQ students, veterans and in those targeted groups.”
(Regarding homelessness) “My plan is actually to build student housing on campus.
“I’m really passionate about dual enrollment with Claremont Unified School District.”
Regarding diversity, equity and inclusion measures, how do you believe the school can better represent all students?
“The population of a full-time faculty and part-time faculty does not reflect the student population. There are the full-time faculty (who are) 58 percent white; you see a (better) representation of Latino professors in the part-time staff, but even if you look at the eight branches of administrative units that report to (Superintendent/President) Dr. (Geraldine) Perri, only two of those are headed by people of Latino descent.
“Why shouldn’t there be more diversity throughout the entire campus in the administration staff?
“I think these things are important because when you spend dollars on things, that means you value them; when you hire people, that means you value them.
“You can hire more black and brown professors, but can they authentically be themselves higher in academia?”
How does your experience differ from that of your opponents?
“Versus my fellow candidates, there’s a blur in there about addressing systemic racism. What does that mean? I’m going to lose 20 pounds, but how am I going to do it? I think I’m the only candidate with an actual plan to try to address these issues.”
I’m the Political Strategy Chair for the Democratic Party of Claremont. Ms Bollinger was invited to seek our endorsement and she accepted our invitation for an interview with our EBoard. I believe that I was the only dissenting vote on the EBoard and the EBoard made their recommendations to the general membership on the consent calendar. I pulled the recommendation and asked for it to go to a vote of the membership. She did not meet the threshold for endorsement. In fact, Joe Salas was just shy of receiving the endorsement of the Club
I’m confused. Laura, is the endorsement only of value when YOU get the endorsement?
Ties to the community, including the Democratic Party helps demonstrate the values that a we can identify with, even in a non partisan race. By Ms Bollinger’s statement she does reveal her values and that if something does no go her way, will she have trouble in her role as a trustee to work with her constituents
I’m an now convinced that I made the right decision in not supporting our EBoard recommendation and the Club saw the same