PCC Board of Trustees Extends Dr. Mark Rocha’s Contract to 2017

At its meeting of October 2, 2013, The Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract of Dr. Mark Rocha, Superintendent-President, to June 30, 2017.  Dr. Rocha was first appointed as Superintendent-President of Pasadena City College on July 1, 2010.

“This will insure that we will have Dr. Rocha’s effective leadership through our reaccreditation effort, the full implementation of our Educational Master Plan and the development of our facilities Centennial Master Plan,” said Board President, John Martin.  “The entire Board is grateful to Dr. Rocha for guiding PCC safely through the state budget crisis and maintaining PCC’s high student success outcomes.”

During Dr. Rocha’s tenure, the PCC Foundation has raised over $7 million in private donations for student scholarships and has been awarded over $26 million in external grants. Last year, Pasadena City College won the State Chancellor’s Award for Student Success for its innovative First Year Experience Pathways Program that has significantly increased student retention and persistence and has grown to serve over 1,500 students.  This fall PCC is offering more class sections to students than at any time in the college’s history.  On Dr. Rocha’s watch associate degrees in STEM fields have more than doubled.  Of the 2,000 community colleges in the United States, PCC is in the top 100 in every category for associate degrees awarded, and is ranked 35^th in the United States for degrees awarded to minority students.  Also, this year PCC was ranked eighth in the nation as a “Veterans Friendly College”.

“I am very grateful to the Board for its support, and the opportunity to serve Pasadena City College,” said Dr. Rocha  “We have the best faculty, staff and managers anywhere.  Thanks to their hard work and innovation we are expanding access to the American Dream for our students.  I am more optimistic and hopeful about PCC’s future than ever.”

The Board also granted the superintendent-president the same pay raise of 4.79% over two years recently approved by the Board for all classified staff and administrators.  The Board has also offered a pay raise to the faculty.  Negotiations on a new contract continue with the PCC Faculty Association, the collective bargaining representative of PCC teachers.

Dr. Rocha’s contract is a public record as are all salaries and benefits for all District employees.  Each spring, the District releases and publishes the previous calendar year’s earnings and benefits of all District employees.