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Contra Costa College has been left in an administrative lurch as its three top executives, the president and two interim vice presidents, have been placed on investigative leave by the community college district's chancellor.
With little details shared by the college, President Katrina VanderWoude and two interim vice presidents, Susan Kincade and Carsbia Anderson, were placed on leave pending the results of separate investigations, according to a report from The East Bay Times. The reason for the investigations remains a mystery, with the college declining to provide any further details, but the investigations are said to be of a “personnel matter.”
“We have no additional information at this time,” Contra Costa spokesman Timothy Leong said in an email. “The matter is under investigation and we await the outcome of the investigation that we project will be completed by July 1.”
VanderWoude was replaced during the leave with Acting President Mariles Magalong, director of Contra Costa business services. Fred Wood, chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District, said in an email to staff members obtained by The East Bay Times that he recognized this left a void in the university’s leadership.
“I know these decisions leave a leadership void at the college and our district is committed to mitigating the impact,” Wood wrote.
VanderWoude started as president of the college in August of last year. Last November, the college was criticized during its national search to fill the two vice presidential positions when it was found potential candidates for the positions had sexual harassment and domestic violence allegations in their past.
After the backlash, VanderWoude sent an email to members of the college saying there was “extensive misinformation” about the process and said she would cancel the search in favor of filling positions on an interim basis. In February, those positions were filled by Kincade and Anderson as vice presidents for student affairs and student services, respectively. Kincade and Anderson were the first to serve in dual vice president positions in the college’s history.
Magalong has promised to provide more information as it becomes available.
