Merced College to let dean’s contract expire

About two dozen students protested at Merced College on Wednesday, the day after the board of trustees voted unanimously to cut ties later this year with Everett Lovelace, the dean of student services at the college.

The group of students chanted and marched into the college’s administration building, demanding to know why Lovelace will lose his job at the end of the semester. The college’s board of trustees unanimously made the decision the night before not to renew his contract as of July 1.

College President Ron Taylor said he told the students he could not comment on why the college will let Lovelace’s contract expire. “Certainly there are reasons, there are always reasons,” he said. “But a lot of people don’t understand that we can’t actually provide them.”

Reached by email Wednesday, Lovelace declined to comment on the decision.

The board took its vote Tuesday after several students, colleagues and others spoke about Lovelace at the monthly meeting on campus.

“The decision to terminate or lay off Dr. Lovelace is a mistake,” said Charlie Bennett, 66, who recently retired from a counselor’s position at the college.

He said, while speaking during the public comment period, that he believes the board was showing “unconscious biases” against Lovelace, who is African American. He noted that Lovelace was the interim vice president for the Student Services Office but was not given the full-time position.

Lovelace served as dean of student services from 2008 to 2013, was the interim vice president for a year and returned to the dean’s position last year, according to the college.

Christopher Vitelli was hired last year as the vice president of student services.

During the board meeting, Ayesha Nunes, a Merced College student, said she believes “losing” Lovelace would be a blow to the student body. She said he has been a longtime advocate for students. “His termination is not just unjust, but it is uncalled for,” the 25-year-old said.

A handful of students held signs during the meeting with messages such as “We love Dr. Lovelace.”

One of the speakers during the meeting was not on Lovelace’s side. Dolores Ross, an administrative clerk in Lovelace’s department, called him “unapproachable” for students. She said she was “disappointed with the dean’s conduct,” saying he did not interact enough with students.

Another speaker, Merced High biology teacher Pamela Merritt-Bennett, spoke in support of the dean. She said Lovelace is important to the college. As the dean of student services, she said, he provides guidance for students of color, with disabilities or from low-income families.

“To remove him from his position as the school’s dean doesn’t just hurt him, it hurts more than 60 percent of the student population,” she said.

As a dean with a doctorate, Lovelace makes $142,464 annually, according to the college.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Merced College to let dean’s contract expire."