Group of Baltimore City Community College employees, students call for removal of president
Dozens of disgruntled employees and students are demanding change on the campus of Baltimore City Community College. They made their concerns clear during a protest.
By Tim Tooten
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Dozens of disgruntled employees and students are demanding change on the campus of Baltimore City Community College. They made their concerns clear during a protest Tuesday.
Among those concerns are communication and the removal of the school’s president. Protestors said the issues have been on the table for some time.
The employees, backed by their union, took a break from the school day to voice the issues they said are affecting almost 4,000 students.
“We have nothing here. There’s no books in the bookstore, there’s no calculators in the bookstore,” student Sheneka Spencer said.
The rally also focused on what protestors called a lack of communication and transparency, leading to vacant staff positions.
“There have been whole departments that have been dismantled in the name of realignment, without any sort of transition plan to maintain compliance and complete the work, including academic operations and the call center,” employee Cynthia Wilson said.
There were repeated calls to remove BCCC president Debra McCurdy, who just a few weeks ago, gave Gov. Wes Moore a tour of the Baltimore City campus.
“It is with great sadness that we do this, but our president and the board of trustees leadership has failed BCCC, and its future is at risk due to their failed management. AFSCME is calling for President McCurdy to resign,” union president Nena Kutniewski said.
School officials didn’t respond to those calls for her resignation, but tried to shed light on recent challenges facing the school.
“BCCC is under legislative realignment, and with realignment comes growing pains. I think what you see here is BCCC and AFSCME are currently engaged in ongoing discussion as we lead the college out of realignment,” school official Gusener Augustus said.
Union employees, based on concerns raised Tuesday, believe a meeting of the minds is taking too long.
School administration did not indicate how soon those discussions will take place.
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