SAN MARCOS—Ahead of the Palomar College Governing Board election this November, The Telescope met with all candidates to learn more about their positions on issues important to students.
The upcoming election will include a vote for three governing board trustees; in Area 2, Area 3, and Area 4. Palomar College Governing Board members are responsible for setting policies, overseeing budgets, and ensuring Palomar fulfills its mission. Voters can select which candidate to vote for during the general election on Nov. 5.
Roberto Rodriguez will not be on the ballot as he runs unopposed, but Telescope still wanted to interview him for candidate fairness. Rodriguez is part of Area 3, which includes Vista, Lake San Marcos, and Carlsbad. He has been on the board for four years and is in his second term.
Rodriguez spent 36 years as a high school teacher in the Sweetwater district in Chula Vista. For the last 12 years, he has worked with teachers’ unions and the California Teacher Association locally and statewide. Even though he retired from teaching, he is still involved in his work. He grew up in the South Bay and Tijuana and now enjoys spending time with his three puppies, learning to play the ukelele, and reading.
“Anything I can do in terms of education and improving the experience of students and their abilities to achieve their goals…I think part of the mission of a community college is to help you get to where you want to be,” Roberto said while explaining what motivates him. “Providing a space for student services to all be in one place and easily accessible is one of my goals,” he said when explaining his plans.
Teaching high school seniors and seeing them enter a community college allowed Rodriguez to see community college’s impact on those students’ lives. While on the California Teacher Association Board, Rodriguez learned more about legislation. He also spent two years as an administrator for the Sweetwater School District.
“Having that experience allows me to be a better advocate when our board goes to Sacramento and advocates for community college,” Rodgriguez said.
With his retirement, he has been able to spend more time at Palomar and plans to continue visiting the school. He shared that he likes visiting plays and the planetarium.
“I’m on campus quite a bit. I’ve also been to each and every one of the education centers…There’s a lot more to know because there’s always a lot of stuff happening, so I’m trying to do more,” Rodgriguez said.
As a president of the governing board, it’s crucial to analyze a diversity of perspectives. The best way to do so is to connect with the students. Rodriguez discusses how he wants to understand what issues are present.
He meets with both the Palomar Faculty Confederation and classified employees and non-teaching employees. However, finding ways to connect with students has been a struggle. During the interview, he was willing to be open to ideas on how to better connect with the students.
“The student part is the difficult part…I’d love to make myself available and talk about some of the decisions the board has made…I think it’s important to know what decisions are being made on their behalf,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez acknowledges the resources that Palomar offers students. He also explained that there needs to be a better job done to promote said resources and improve accessibility to get them.
“I’ve always said that budgets are a reflection of an institution’s priorities… Putting resources in places and in things that improve the student experience and student achievement, I think that is probably the number one thing that I’m looking at,” Rodriguez said.
He shared with Telescope staff that the board approved a new budget. At the last governing board meeting, it was shared that Palomar is shifting money from short-term hourly employees to classified employees. To be exact, there was a decrease of nearly $73,000 in funding for short-term hourly employees and an increase of over $570,000 for non-instructional classified employees. He also shared that there is an improvement and increase in office hours for part-time faculty.
“If you hire more permanent employees, they are more invested into Palomar College, invested in the success of students…They’re not necessarily direct ways in terms of spending money on students, but they’re spending money that helps [students] have a better experience…we want to be a more student-centered institution,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is driven to put students at the center of his work and his decision-making. He plans to put students first and always consider their needs. As he works towards building a stronger connection with the students, he sees more of the impact of his work.
“Whether it’s budgets, whether its programs, whether it’s the DEI work that we do, I think it’s all about improving the student experience. It’s all about allowing students to reach whatever goals that they have for themselves,” Rodriguez said.
When asked why students should vote for him, Rodriguez expresses again the importance he views students hold.
“One of the most fun days I have as a board president is shaking the hands of all the people that graduate…watching everybody and seeing how happy they are…that’s one of the best feelings…because for me, it shows this is why I’m on the trustee. Again, putting students at the center of our decision-making is critical,” Rodriguez said.
For more information on Roberto Rodriguez, visit his official website.
