In a conference room packed with faculty and employees, Attorney Nikki Staggs spoke on behalf of former Interim President David Andrus.
“I am stepping down from the position of Interim Superintendent President,” said Saggs, an attorney for Ogletree Deakins.
Faculty verbalized their opinions during open sessions
“Expressing shock and dismay that the members of this board would do something that has such a strong appearance of illegality,” said Jim Keller.
Canyons News recently spoke with the new Acting Superintendent President, Dr. Jasmine Ruys, who has been part of the College of the Canyons campus for over two decades.
When the Board of Trustees recently made the controversial leadership decision to release David Andrus, they turned to Ruys, who stepped up and said yes.
“I said yes, because I love this college. I love what we do for this college, and I want there to be civility. I want there to be a purpose for all of us. It was incredibly emotional. A lot of us have worked with David for a very long time, and I wanted to honor that work,” said Ruys.
We asked Acting President Ruys if she had been in communication with the former interim president.
“We have. He is very, very kind to me and helped me. We had what we called a mini transition meeting so that I knew what he was working on and how I can move forward. So he is. He’s incredibly helpful,” Ruys said.
Dr. Ruys will serve as interim until the end of the year, after which she plans to return to her role as Vice President of Student Services. Dr. Ruys stated that stability, fresh ideas, and commitment are central to the spirit of COC.
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