Staff Report
SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE — Adela C. Garcia, a former president of the Southwestern College Foundation says that since she left, the organization has diverted money from scholarships for students to retreats for administrators and support for political causes. J.R. Chantengco, current president of the Foundation, could not be reached for comment.
The story by Tanya Sierra appears in the Friday, Nov. 5, edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
J.R. Chantengco • Nov 20, 2010 at 7:50 pm
It is interesting that the principal source in the story, Adela Garcia, was the Foundation President in 2008 who voted for Prop R expenditures both times. As she knows, these were one-time, not annual costs.
In reality, the Southwestern College Foundation spends more on scholarships and student-related activities than construction. When taking the Prop R expenses into consideration, the ratio of scholarships, student programs and charitable giving to the 2008 budget is 76%.
On an annual basis, the Foundation supports the Student of Distinction Awards, the premier awards program to academically worthy students. It also supports the Athletics, Math, Science & Engineering, Literature, Dental Hygiene, Social Science departments as well as the Sun newspaper, among others.
As Ms. Garcia knows, the Foundation sees the College’s physical plan translating into more classes and better services to our community including valuable jobs and internships for our students. The corner lot project will also create hundreds of new jobs.
Moreover, Prop R is funding more than the corner lot. It includes more energy-efficient classrooms and science lab renovations, reducing the College’s utility bill.
We take our students and their accomplishments very seriously, and will continue to support their educational endeavors.
J.R. Chantengco
Chula Vista
President, Southwestern College Foundation