SF State President Robert Corrigan has announced the resignation of Ethnic Studies Dean Tomas Almaguer.
Corrigan made the announcement during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate on Friday morning. He asked Kenneth Monteiro, a professor in the Psychology department, to act as dean of the college.
Corrigan also met with the Ethnic Studies faculty to tell them about Almaguer’s departure from SF State.
The resignation comes after a Diversity Matters recommended Almaguer be placed on leave.
Jan Gregory, a California Faculty Association member and lecturer in the English department, raised concerns over whether the most recent grievances filed against the dean would go forward or be withdrawn.
During the spring of 2003, California Faculty Association filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the dean. This action was prompted by regular complaints from faculty within the college since the dean was hired four years ago, according to sources in CFA.
The settlement between CFA, which represents the faculty of the College of Ethnic Studies, and the university administration called for an “assessment of the climate of the College in regard to race and gender” which resulted in the Diversity Matters report that was released in June.
Grievances that have been filed since this settlement will continue to be investigated unless they are withdrawn by the individual faculty members who filed them, said Gregory, citing an Academic Senate discussion meeting where this issue was addressed.
“The dean’s resignation is effective immediately,” said Ellen Griffin, director of public affairs. “[Almaguer] retains his tenure professorship in the college.”
Almaguer will work on a book that he is under contract with University of California Press to finish, Griffin added, saying “the president [Corrigan] accepted his resignation with deepest regret” and said the college made great strides towards fulfilling Almaguer’s vision in the last four years.
Monteiro will be acting dean while a nationwide search is held to find Almaguer’s replacement.
Griffin said she was “fairly certain” that the formal performance review of Almaguer, scheduled to start this fall, would not continue since he is no longer dean of the College of Ethnic Studies. Specific recommendations made in the Diversity Matters report about the faculty of the college will continue as planned.
University administration has yet to release a formal statement about Almaguer’s resignation.
