Cynthia Azari, interim president of Fresno City College, insisted last Friday that the sudden reassignment of Tim Woods, vice president of instruction, to the Career and Technology Center (CTC), was initiated by Woods himself.

“He has requested a voluntary reassignment,” Azari told the Rampage. “And so I have been able to honor that.”

Azari said she received a written request from Woods but could not immediately provide the date of the request.

The first indication of the change came via an email from the State Center Community College District’s human resources office announcing the availability of the full-time position of interim vice president of instruction at FCC. A few hours after the announcement, the president’s office sent an email specifying that Woods asked to be reassigned and is headed to the CTC.

Azari’s email also noted that Natalie Culver Dockins, dean of Workforce Development at the CTC, will be transferred from her position at the CTC to the counseling department at FCC, at the same time that Woods is being assigned to the CTC.

The circumstances that led to the sudden decisions are not clear, but Azari maintained that Wood’s reassignment was “voluntary”.

“I want to thank [Woods] and thank all of you for your continued support,” Azari stated in the email sent on Oct. 14.

Woods could not be reached for comments.

Azari said that prior to the announcement of the transfer, she had met with the deans to notify them of the upcoming decision and the process in reassigning Woods.

“I said, ‘you will be seeing a posting for an interim-vice president [of instruction]’,’” Azari said. “I wanted to directly report to the deans — to know about this — before the email came out.”

She said that college officials request reassignments all the time for various reasons.

The opening for the position for VP of Instruction was available only for five days, according to Diane Clerou, vice chancellor of human resources for SCCCD.

“The process that Dr. Azari and I have talked about is that at the end of five days, she and a committee will interview those people who express an interest in the interim position,” Clerou said.

The vice-president of instruction, according to the job description posted online by the human resources office, “contributes to the overall planning and decision-making processes for the campuses with regard to instruction.”

Wood’s request for assignment is expected to be brought up to the SCCCD Board of Trustees at their Nov. 3 meeting. If approved by the board, it is after this, Azari said, that Woods will officially leave the main campus of FCC to his new position at the CTC.

As for who will step in as a temporary vice-president of instruction until an interim is selected, Azari said she “will do that.”

“I was a vice-president of instruction for seven years,” Azari said. “I can probably handle it.”