Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Viewpoints

Media Credit: Gabriel Orendain-Necochea

Newspapers have played an indispensable role in the history of our nation. Many of our Founding Fathers were printers and journalists who had the courage to speak out against tyranny, intimidation and oppression. America's journalists - the only profession protected in the United States Constitution - shine spotlights on the good in our society and shine the penetrating light of truth under rocks to expose corruption, dishonesty and evil.

Today the student journalists of the Southwestern College Sun have decided to take a stand. By unanimous agreement, the Editorial Board of the Southwestern College Sun is calling for the resignation or termination of SWC Superintendent Dr. Raj K. Chopra.

This is a carefully considered decision based on nearly two years of ineffective and autocratic leadership by Dr. Chopra. The grace period is over. Dr. Chopra's ever-growing list of poor decisions has diminished the college's ability to provide the widest range of academic services to our community. His heavy-fisted reign of fear has spawned intimidation, paranoia and mistrust on this campus the likes of which have not been seen. Our long list of grievances includes:



Elimination of shared governance. Though Assembly Bill 1725, the state law mandating an administration-faculty partnership in the policy making at California colleges, is poorly written and vague, the spirit of the legislation is clear - our institutions of higher learning benefit from the rich diversity of ideas that can come from a population of educated, thoughtful people. Dr. Chopra is a singular leader who is famously non-inclusive. He has marginalized the Academic Senate, Classified Senate, department chairs and even his deans.



Plagiarism. Dr. Chopra's theft of portions of a Southwest Airlines newsletter last fall was ample ground for termination, in and of itself. Besides lifting whole paragraphs from the newsletter, he even took the publication's title, "The Spirit." This sort of academic dishonesty from a student is grounds for suspension or expulsion. After years of effort to create a climate of academic integrity at SWC, Dr. Chopra set back the cause with his indiscretion.

Unprofessional behavior. Dr. Chopra's thin skin and volcanic temper have gotten him in trouble during his other superintendencies from Arizona to Pennsylvania. Dr. Chopra does not brook dissent, even from people of good will who have the college's best interests at heart. He has frequently lashed out at and belittled employees who have had the temerity to disagree with him. Dr. Chopra has many of the hallmarks of a bully, and uses his positional power to insult and degrade others.

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