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​​​​The Management Association of Compton College recognizes the need for middle management leadership throughout our local campus environment. This site is dedicated to clarifying the rationale and overarching purpose for establishing a management body who can utilize its professional expertise and wisdom to unify campus constituents while prioritizing manager objectives.


MA Rationale

A primary reason we are moving forward with this action is to increase support and transparency, as well as to extend participative governance to more administrators, managers, and supervisors. The best way to encapsulate this action is through the lens of an inclusive organizational reset or amendment. In reacting to the current state of affairs at Compton College, we align with the belief espoused by Arthur W. Jones, “all organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get!”

  1. 63.6% of LA County Community College Districts believe it is important to offer managers the agency to participate in the life of the College and recognize this reality by working in coordination with their District's management association (6 Districts or 6 LA County Colleges) or bargaining unit (1 District or all 9 LA Colleges).
    1. This accounts for 15 out of the 19 colleges in Los Angeles County, or 79% of all LA County Community Colleges.

  2. It appears Compton College has been designed to limit collegial discussion and recommendations by administrators not assigned by the President/CEO.
    1. The current structure appears to limit the spirit of the Principles of Community (p. 6, Collaborative Governance), which state,
      i. "Compton College welcomes contributions of the community at large to promote diversity, creativity, accountability, and transparency. Through Collaborative Governance, all constituent groups work together, in good faith, to make decisions related to policies, procedures, and practices for the benefit of the students and community that we serve.
      I.   Diversity - We embrace and uphold the culture, achievements and unique contributions of all stakeholders. 
      2.  Creativity - Collaborative Governance values creativity, including the perspectives and viewpoints of all constituents at Compton College.
      3.  Accountability - Accountability defines roles, responsibilities and timelines, and leads to evidence-based decision making.
      4.  Transparency - Collaborative Governance commits to open communication and collaboration amongst all stakeholders in the recommendation and decision-making process."

      ii. Through President/CEO assignment of administrators and managers to institutional standing committees, administrators/managers and those not appointed miss the opportunity to hear/comment on the perspective being brought back to the committee on issues that impact the management ranks. 
1.  This infringes upon the spirit of Collaborative Governance.
2.  Creates an environment of limited information passed on to stakeholders.
3.  Limits the ability to express diverse perspectives based on manager experience.
4.  Shudders the possibility of there being more creativity sent forward.
5.  Impacts accountability, by limiting committee members ability to hear from colleagues that might have more knowledge on the subject matter.
6.  Leaves a stain on the concept of transparency by limiting the voice of all administrators in the recommendation and decision-making process.


3.  It has always been the will of the administrators that the President/CEO maintain his position at the College. We recognize his diligence and impact on bringing Compton College back as an accredited institution. However, for the on-going success of the College, we recommend the right-setting of the organization by encouraging the Board of Trustees to transfer administrator, manager, and supervisor right of assignment to the Management Association of Compton College. In so doing, Compton College will for the first-time be allowing all employees to benefit from the true intent of the Collaborative Governance document, full participation as stakeholder groups. 

  1. Understanding that the President/CEO and any manager/administrator may apply for jobs at other institutions, it is only prudent that we organize our community in a way that will help stabilize the College structure for the future.
  2. Since 15 out of 19 LA County Community Colleges utilize an administrator/manager structure similar to what’s being recommended by the Management Association of Compton College, and Los Angeles is a microcosm of California, it is likely the current President/CEO could land in a system that operates similarly to 79% of all LA County Community Colleges.
  3. Currently, the administrators of Compton College are not governed by any bargaining unit or association that conveys its relationship to the College, and are the only constituents identified as individual administrators, or, as listed on p. 9 of the Collaborative Governance document,
    1. Administrators/Managers/Supervisors (p. 9) - As outlined in the definition of Collaborative Governance, Administrators, Managers, and Supervisors lead, organize, plan, supervise, consider the needs of faculty, and value collaborative governance based upon the recommendations made with faculty colleagues. Collegiality is a reciprocal obligation that is central to Compton College's recommendations and decision-making process. (Underline, bold and italics added)
    2. Definition of Collaborative Governance (p. 5) - Collaborative Governance at Compton College is the cornerstone necessary to achieve the mission, vision, and strategic initiatives of our institution. Decisions at Compton College are the result of the participation and collaboration among all constituent groups, including the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students. Collaborative Governance ensures diverse and creative input, transparency, and accountability so that decisions made will drive student success at Compton College. (Underline, bold and italics added)
    3. Administrators are currently not represented at Compton College as a constituent group. They are assigned to be on committees by the President/CEO as individual administrators and the information conveyed within their committees is never brought back to the constituency because there is no group in existence.
    4. Therefore, the Collaborative Governance Flow Chart as depicted on p. 13 of the Collaborative Governance document is not fully operable because Recommendations do not pass-through Discussion with Administrators/Managers/Supervisors as intended for truly accountable and transparent decision making.

~ For the success and economic stability of families in the feeder districts of Compton, Lynwood, and Paramount.

perspectives on having a ma

 A place to network and gain mentorship 

 Support, influence on decision making and shared governance, bargaining power, training, events. 

 Common interests and concerns being addressed. 

 Improved communication with other departments, gathers stakeholders to achieve set goals. 

 Protection 

 When thinking of having a Management Association, I think of a safe space to discuss management issues, a space for support, and a new way to create buy-in for those in management to stay at Compton long-term. 

 Having a voice. Being a valued member of the college. 

 Having the ability for administrators to be on a united front in a similar fashion to the faculty union to strategize, connect, support, and advocate for each other and reduce the feeling of management isolation. 

Survey responses

Desire for a Management Association

Please state your definitive interest in beginning a Management Association here at Compton College.

Comfortability with Management Association Concept

How comfortable or uncomfortable are you with the idea of a Management Association here at Compton College?

The Spark

November 23, 2021 Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees - Open Session Remarks

A lot of time and resources go into acquiring the talented mix of staff, faculty, educational administrators, classified managers, and supervisors (described here forward as Managers and Supervisors) here at Compton College. Arriving here at various junctures in their professional journey, each makes a unique contribution. As a middle manager here at the College, I believe we as an institution have what it takes to keep more of these individuals from transitioning to other colleges by heightening collaboration and trust with middle management leaders. Each community college district in LA County has its own structure. Institutions that exhibit the highest fidelity towards their managers/supervisor have a bargaining unit; others, like that being proposed today, allow a Management Association or Committee to emulate the structures and process of a bargaining unit, while welcoming the perspectives and observations of their managers as recommendations to be considered in decision making. These two categories correspond to 4 out of 11 districts, or 36.4%. 3 out of 11 districts, or 27.2%, offer a Professional Development based structure which allows managers to preside over and coordinate activities involving managers and supervisors. 4 out of 11 districts, or 36.4%, utilize a structure similar to what is currently being used at Compton College. On November 18, 2021, Lynell Wiggins sent an email to the managers and supervisors at Compton College, asking that they complete a questionnaire and consider participating in a new structure that affirms the capabilities of employees through a Management Association. Of the 34 employees emailed, 12 responded to the questionnaire (3 didn’t complete it), 9 answered all four questions, with 88.9% of the 9 respondents answering Yes to having a definitive interest in starting a Management Association, and 88.9% of the 9 respondents saying they are extremely comfortable with the idea of starting a Management Association here at Compton College. Finally, 9 out of 34 managers/supervisors, or 26.5%, completed the questionnaire over the five days it was administered. Richette Bell offered a live reading of the resolution for the creation of the Management Association of Compton College. ~Lynell Wiggins, Resolution Writer

Surveying Other Districts

Surveying Other Districts

⮚ 1 of 11 districts, or 9.1% has a management bargaining unit ⮚ 6 of 11 districts, or 54.5% have management associations/teams/committees that make recommendations to be considered in College decision making ⮚ 2 of 11 districts, or 18.2% get to manage a Professional Development Committee ⮚ 2 of 11 districts, or 18.2% have no representation other than serving at the bequest of the President (Compton College and Glendale Community College) ⮚ 9 of 34 managers/supervisors, or 26.5%, completed the questionnaire ⮚ 88.9% of respondents answered Yes to starting a Management Association ⮚ 88.9% of respondents stated being extremely comfortable with the idea of starting a Management Association at Compton College

Management association resolution

Resolution for the Creation of the Management Association of Compton College
Whereas Compton College Board Policy 2510 describes Participation in Local Decision Making for the Academic Senate, Staff, and Students, and the policy assigns Consultative Council as the official body of these representatives’ joint involvement, and nothing in this policy will be construed to interfere with the formation or administration of employee organizations or with the exercise of rights guaranteed under the Educational Employment Relations Act, Government Code Sections 3540, et seq.,

Whereas Compton College Board Policy 7250 delineates the constitution of an educational administrator in instruction and student services, and BP7260 identifies a classified administrator other than an educational administrator being a classified supervisor or manager,

Whereas the Compton College Collaborative Governance document highlights the principles of community as diversity, creativity, accountability, and transparency for all individuals and the expertise they bring to the Collaborative Governance process,

Whereas, outlined in the definition of Collaborative Governance, Administrators, Managers, and Supervisors lead, organize, plan, supervise, consider the needs of faculty, and value collaborative governance based upon the recommendations made with faculty colleagues,

Resolved, that the Administrators, Managers, and Supervisors be identified as the Management Association of Compton College to represent the collective voice of non-contracted managers in collaborative governance and other matters and address and resolve issues of concern to the Management Association with the Board of Trustees of the Compton Community College District or its designee, which includes consulting and giving respectful consideration to the opinions expressed by the Management Association before taking action in the following areas: 

  • Management professional development activities
  • Management evaluation procedures
  • Management hiring procedures
  • Management wages, hours, and conditions of employment
  • The Management Association also appoints noncontracted managers to college committees, task forces, or other groups dealing with the issues listed above.