News
BY SOUMITRO SEN
Staff Writer
Incumbent Aaron Klein and challenger John Vodonick share a common passion in their race for the Sierra College board of trustees: Making the community college accessible to more people and increasing the number of online courses.
But Klein, an Auburn entrepreneur, and Vodonick, a Nevada City lawyer, differ widely on other points, including that of the institution's financial stability and administration.
They each want to represent Trustee Area 7 - covering western Nevada County and northern Placer County - on the Sierra Joint Community College District board.
Klein said the college has balanced its budget four years in a row and built $2 million in new surpluses during his tenure on the board.
Vodonick disagreed that the school's budget is in good shape.
"What's being done is money is being shifted from one of the funds to the general fund for Sierra College to create the illusion that the college is financially healthy," Vodonick said.
"The college is financially healthy within the context of extremely difficult economic times," said College President Leo Chavez, who answers to the board, of Vodonick's allegations.
Academic concerns
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an accrediting agency, has warned Sierra College that it would take action if the college fails to meet five standard requirements, President Leo Chavez said.
The college lacks a revised mission statement; it is not completing its annual self-evaluation; the college has not completed a strategic plan; the budgeting process does not reflect the priorities of a strategic plan; and the college has not developed a strategic learning outcome for every course in the college, according to the association's evaluation, Chavez added.
"We have been asked to submit an interim progress report to the (accrediting) commission Oct. 15," Chavez said.
Vodonick has made an issue of the warning, saying he would "get the college off the warning list and make sure it never happened again."
Klein said such plans already are in the works.
"We need to finish the job we started four years ago when we started developing our strategic plan, tying our priorities to our budgeting and improving student learning outcomes," Klein said.
Broader access
Both candidates said they would seek to broaden students' access to learning.
"If you give more access to college to people, you give them the skills to start new businesses and create new jobs," Klein said. "If you give our high school students a chance to take their first step into college, you create a more qualified workforce as well as better customers."
Vodonick also wanted to "create more classroom facilities (and) more online classes ...
"I also want to expand the initiatives that are going on related to vocational training," Vodonick said. "Why aren't we doing more with photography? Why aren't we doing more with outdoor education? Why aren't we teaching green construction?"
To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail ssen@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Aaron Klein
Aaron Klein has been representing Area 7 on the Sierra College board of trustees since 2004.
If re-elected, Klein wants to see Sierra College "invest more in online education, expand student services to make Sierra College more convenient for working people and give every high school student the chance to take their first steps into college before they graduate from high school," Klein said.
After graduating from high school, Klein helped his father in his business and couldn't go to college for lack of funds.
"That history has given me the passion to increase access to college for people who are like me," Klein said.
Klein has lived in Placer County since he was 7 and owns BizFlex, a software company in Auburn.
He and his wife live in Colfax and have a young son.
John Vodonick
John Vodonick wants to give back to the college system that "meant so much" to his late son.
He wants to "provide fiscal transparency" and make Sierra College "more accessible to students within the district. ...
"I want to ... create more classroom facilities (and) more online classes," Vodonick said. "I want to expand the initiatives that are going on related to vocational training. ...
"I have the energy, will, desire and the motivating factor" to make a difference, he added.
He's a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law and is working toward a doctorate in ethics and social theory at Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco.
Vodonick is a Nevada City lawyer and has two grown daughters.
Staff Writer
Incumbent Aaron Klein and challenger John Vodonick share a common passion in their race for the Sierra College board of trustees: Making the community college accessible to more people and increasing the number of online courses.
But Klein, an Auburn entrepreneur, and Vodonick, a Nevada City lawyer, differ widely on other points, including that of the institution's financial stability and administration.
They each want to represent Trustee Area 7 - covering western Nevada County and northern Placer County - on the Sierra Joint Community College District board.
Klein said the college has balanced its budget four years in a row and built $2 million in new surpluses during his tenure on the board.
Vodonick disagreed that the school's budget is in good shape.
"What's being done is money is being shifted from one of the funds to the general fund for Sierra College to create the illusion that the college is financially healthy," Vodonick said.
"The college is financially healthy within the context of extremely difficult economic times," said College President Leo Chavez, who answers to the board, of Vodonick's allegations.
Academic concerns
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an accrediting agency, has warned Sierra College that it would take action if the college fails to meet five standard requirements, President Leo Chavez said.
The college lacks a revised mission statement; it is not completing its annual self-evaluation; the college has not completed a strategic plan; the budgeting process does not reflect the priorities of a strategic plan; and the college has not developed a strategic learning outcome for every course in the college, according to the association's evaluation, Chavez added.
"We have been asked to submit an interim progress report to the (accrediting) commission Oct. 15," Chavez said.
Vodonick has made an issue of the warning, saying he would "get the college off the warning list and make sure it never happened again."
Klein said such plans already are in the works.
"We need to finish the job we started four years ago when we started developing our strategic plan, tying our priorities to our budgeting and improving student learning outcomes," Klein said.
Broader access
Both candidates said they would seek to broaden students' access to learning.
"If you give more access to college to people, you give them the skills to start new businesses and create new jobs," Klein said. "If you give our high school students a chance to take their first step into college, you create a more qualified workforce as well as better customers."
Vodonick also wanted to "create more classroom facilities (and) more online classes ...
"I also want to expand the initiatives that are going on related to vocational training," Vodonick said. "Why aren't we doing more with photography? Why aren't we doing more with outdoor education? Why aren't we teaching green construction?"
To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail ssen@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Aaron Klein
Aaron Klein has been representing Area 7 on the Sierra College board of trustees since 2004.
If re-elected, Klein wants to see Sierra College "invest more in online education, expand student services to make Sierra College more convenient for working people and give every high school student the chance to take their first steps into college before they graduate from high school," Klein said.
After graduating from high school, Klein helped his father in his business and couldn't go to college for lack of funds.
"That history has given me the passion to increase access to college for people who are like me," Klein said.
Klein has lived in Placer County since he was 7 and owns BizFlex, a software company in Auburn.
He and his wife live in Colfax and have a young son.
John Vodonick
John Vodonick wants to give back to the college system that "meant so much" to his late son.
He wants to "provide fiscal transparency" and make Sierra College "more accessible to students within the district. ...
"I want to ... create more classroom facilities (and) more online classes," Vodonick said. "I want to expand the initiatives that are going on related to vocational training. ...
"I have the energy, will, desire and the motivating factor" to make a difference, he added.
He's a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law and is working toward a doctorate in ethics and social theory at Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco.
Vodonick is a Nevada City lawyer and has two grown daughters.
