Ccs Chief Criticized By Black Community New Chancellor Changed Job Title, Duties Of A Black Vice Chancellor

The new chancellor of Community Colleges of Spokane has come under fire from members of Spokane’s African American community for changing the job title and duties of a black vice chancellor.

Jennifer Roseman, CCS vice chancellor for institutional advancement, has been reassigned as associate vice chancellor for public relations. The change is part of a reorganization led by Charles Taylor, who took over the top CCS post last summer.

Taylor also is black.

More than a dozen people turned out at CCS board of trustees meeting Tuesday to urge Taylor and board members to keep Roseman as a vice chancellor.

“We are very disappointed with what the chancellor is doing. We don’t like it at all,” Eileen Thomas, president of the NAACP Spokane chapter, said Wednesday. “Jennifer is well respected and well loved in this community.

“We don’t have enough people of color here, so why would you turn around and demote a person of color?”

The show of support for Roseman came as Taylor announced the appointment of two vice chancellors from outside the region. One is a former colleague of his from Texas.

Roseman, who has been on voluntary leave from her job since late February, wasn’t present Tuesday. It’s not clear whether she plans to return to her post at CCS. On the advice of her attorney, she declined to comment.

The job change will take place in July.

Taylor said his reorganization plan was made with input from board members, staff, faculty and students. The changes, he said, are in the best interest of CCS and its mission for the future.

“This makes it a more efficient operation and opens up channels of communication,” Taylor said. “The purpose of Community Colleges of Spokane is to be flexible and innovative and better serve the community and the region.”

Taylor oversees Spokane Community College, Spokane Falls Community College and the Institute for Extended Learning. He pointed out that the administrative structure he inherited was created a mere three weeks before he arrived at CCS last summer.

Ronald Bell, who served as interim director before Taylor’s arrival, created four vice chancellor positions last July.

The new positions promoted two vice presidents and two district directors, including Roseman. Roseman, who had earned $67,330 annually as director of communications, marketing and development, was bumped up to $84,000.

The salaries for Taylor’s associate vice chancellors have not been determined.

Another vice chancellor will be given the “associate” title. He is Geoff Eng, who oversees general administrative services. He will become associate vice chancellor for work force development and research.

Eng couldn’t be reached for comment.

In addition to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, those showing support for Roseman represented the Spokane chapter of Links, the Northwest Black Pioneers, the African American Voice newspaper, New Hope Baptist Church and Bethel AME Church.

“I personally appreciated their comments and as a newcomer, it gave me better insight as to the feelings of the community,” Taylor said.

The new administrators appointed Tuesday are Connie Sherman, who will be vice chancellor for systems administration, and Greg Stevens, vice chancellor for human resources.

Sherman comes from St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas, where she has served as budget officer since 1998. Taylor served as president of St. Philip’s before coming to CCS.

Stevens most recently was director of human resources at Butte-Glen Community College District in Oroville, Calif.