By Tim Leong, Director, Communications and Community Relations
The Governing Board of the Contra Costa Community College District (District) and Dr. Katrina VanderWoude have agreed that she will resign as Contra Costa College (CCC) President effective on August 14, 2019. A resignation agreement was approved by the Board at a special meeting on August 14, 2019.
A committee of constituent leaders from CCC will be appointed to participate in a process to select an Interim President, and Mariles Magalong will continue as the college’s Acting President in the near term.
“We want to thank Dr. VanderWoude for her leadership and contributions to the District,” said Chancellor Fred Wood. “We wish her well in her future endeavors.”
No additional information was provided by the district regarding her resignation. However, a news release by the African American Staff Association of Contra Costa College stated, VanderWoude and the college’s interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Susan Kincade and interim Vice President of Student Services Carsbia Anderson, were all placed on administrative leave on May 28, 2019 “pending investigations concerning a suspicious complaint.” Another news report claims the investigations “arose out of separate complaints filed by college employees.” A June article published on the website of The Advocate, the college’s student newspaper, stated the investigation of VanderWoude was “a personnel matter”, and that the two vice presidents were under “a separate investigation.” According to another article by The Advocate, VanderWoude was the college’s twelfth president and has been in her position just over a year. The two interim vice presidents were hired in January, this year.
The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
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