(One of the reasons the majority of Texas Southmost College board of trustees gave for terminating former president Lily Tercero was the Texas Board of Nursing shutting down part of the nursing program because of low graduation rate. TSCs failed to meet the 80 percent standard since it reopened as an independent community college in fall 2013 under her leadership.
In 2013, the pass rate was 71.3 percent and at one point dropped to a low of 46.36 percent. After trustees terminated her, Tercero sued in federal court and a jury awarded her $13 million. She could go to the courts to complain. Where could students complain about her mediocre leadership that stymied their career plans and deprived them of that educational opportunity?)
By Jose Sandoval
In 2013, the pass rate was 71.3 percent and at one point dropped to a low of 46.36 percent. After trustees terminated her, Tercero sued in federal court and a jury awarded her $13 million. She could go to the courts to complain. Where could students complain about her mediocre leadership that stymied their career plans and deprived them of that educational opportunity?)
By Jose Sandoval
Brownsville
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Hello,
I am one of the many students whose lives were affected by the closing of the ADN (associate's degree in nursing) program at Texas Southmost College.
Hello,
I am one of the many students whose lives were affected by the closing of the ADN (associate's degree in nursing) program at Texas Southmost College.
Having enrolled at Texas Southmost College, one of the first things I did upon entry was to review the TSC ADN program’s requirements for admission. I made sure I took the courses which were required for this program, regularly spoke with my advisors, and met with the ADN program coordinator to see what I could do to make sure I was one of the few selected for this program.
Semester after semester, I double and triple checked I was following the correct path to my future as a nurse.
For the next several semesters I would eat, sleep, and dream of school. I was engrossed in the classes I knew I had to excel in to be considered for the nursing program.
For the next several semesters I would eat, sleep, and dream of school. I was engrossed in the classes I knew I had to excel in to be considered for the nursing program.
The time and effort I put into this endeavor was considerable. I took Anatomy & Physiology I, A&P I lab, A&P II, A&P II lab, Microbiology, Microbiology Lab, as well as other courses.
This entailed 6-plus hours at the school daily, not including the endless hours of studying.
In addition, I cannot fail to mention the financial sacrifices I had to take in order to enter this program. Classes I had to take were scheduled during working hours, so I had to cut my time at work, thereby cutting my wages.
In addition, I cannot fail to mention the financial sacrifices I had to take in order to enter this program. Classes I had to take were scheduled during working hours, so I had to cut my time at work, thereby cutting my wages.
Many of my friends would spend long nights at lectures, while their families took care of their children after they come home from work. That, as well as the additional money I spent on lab coats, supplementary books, study guides, etc. were expenses which placed a burden on my finances. Not to worry, I would remind myself, my sacrifices would be recompensed in my career as a nurse.
Long hours were spent as my friends and I studied for our Kaplan exams, required for admission into the ADN program at that time. We had all stuck to our game plan, the courses we needed, the grades we thought we would need.
Long hours were spent as my friends and I studied for our Kaplan exams, required for admission into the ADN program at that time. We had all stuck to our game plan, the courses we needed, the grades we thought we would need.
We were ready to take the next step and apply for the program.
That’s when we read that the ADN program had been stopped.
My heart sank as I realized that all my sacrifices had been for naught. I, as well as several scared others scrambled to find a degree which would accept most of the courses we had taken already. Why hadn’t we been advised the program was failing?
Why did the college allow me to sacrifice my time, my money and my efforts only to in turn shut down a program I spent so much time trying to enter?
I had to transfer to UTRGV, in Edinburg, for an alternative academic track, far from my hometown in Brownsville and separated from my family and friends support groups.
Many of the courses I painstakingly devoted my time and efforts show up on my transcripts as elective courses. Many (like trustee Art Rendon who voted against Tercero's termination and is pictured above with her and her lawyer) will say that so few of us were affected by this closure that it shouldn’t be a big deal.
To them I say, step into our shoes.
Myself, as well as so many others at this institution, have had to rethink our entire careers. TSC’s ADN program changed my life forever. It changed the lives of entire families who sacrificed so much for their students to enter this program.
At the end, there were no apologies, no multimillion verdict to indemnify the grievous injury caused to us; only frightened students, mothers, fathers, and members of your community scrambling to salvage their futures. You'll have to forgive us, but we don't really feel sympathetic for poor Lily.
35 comments:
If you're having to attend TSC you've already "stymied" your career. LOL
Only LOSERS go to TSC!
How is it TSC's fault if the burros who are in the program fail? If anything, the students failed the college. If a program isn't meeting the state mandated graduation rate, how is it the president's fault? She can't take the tests for you, people.
Go make a presentation and read your well written article to the Board.
Send each a certified letter and ask them for a comment and apology and
finally go and vote and consider running for a seat on the Board.
Never never let the existing Board and new Board forget your personal
experience and I would think repeated by 100's of others. Deal with your
new challenges and good luck.
Crooked scumbags the whole lot of them, but who do you replace them with only another lot of scumbags once they have tasted the money and the benefits.
here is the deal in employment law. In Texas if you fire someone, and after you fire them you find an additional reason you could have fired them, the former employee will lose.
We can assume some wrong doing on the part of some Board members, but I am 100% confident the Court of Appeals will reverse the jury based on the use of the signature stamps. That is just cause and all TSC has to prove is just cause on one issue and they have it.
Also Judge Hanen will reduce the damages significantly.
Bobby WC
It is outrageous that you are still covering for the Board... why are you not demanding that the board members that voted to fire without cause turn in their resignation letters immediately! The firing without cause is not an opinion... it is the finding of a jury of our peers in federal court. You should be the first in line to make this demand of the board during the public comment section of the board meeting on 11/15. Yes, we know that the "settlement" will be dwindled down but it will still represents a significant blow to a community college that operates on a $40 million budget. The board members that elected to fire are either arrogant or incompetent or both and we can no longer accept this for our community. Your silence in this regards is deafening and your hypocrisy is self-evident.
The State of Texas is to blame. Too many requirements. New rules are needed.
Become a nurse if you want to be a nurse, no more classes, and no more exams.
You will learn at the hospital. Now students take pictures of online quizzes, share them with friends, or they take quizzes as a group and share the answers. The computers do not know. The State then gives you an exam and you can not pass it and students like you are hurt..... The State of Texas has to change.
There was no issue that was not left out, I was there. Tsc is guilty. There was an audio tape of board members that caught them not telling the truth
Yes, a very damaging recording said it all. It was taken from an execution session where Adela stated that as a chair she could do what ever she wanted
It was the new federal judge, Rodriguez, that heard the case. He was impressive
Trey committed a no no when he was communicating with Dino Chavez thru private email. Which to his surprise were brought out when he was testifying. The windstorm issue was all a sham. If you were not there, you are getting second hand information. Tsc guilty again and on and on
BobbyWC, as a former lawyer and seem to be versed in employment law, explain to us, what is a corporate resolution letter? It would be assumed that the TSC Board would have executed same with their depository, so where is the crime? Ay,ay, ay,ay, Canta y no Llores, Bobby!!!
The problem were the students and those instructors knew what the problems were with the nursing program and the students studying habits but it the instructors who knew the problems in their classes. Was that information never relayed to the president? The nursing students were always at the broad meeting meeting with the president but did these students tell the president what was going on in the classroom? Did these students told the trustees their concerns?. Playing politics in our education institutions
which is nothing new, BISD, UTPA and UTRGV which TSC decided to follow these high institutions into the valley of death. Why did TSC board fired J. Garcia for her mess up of TSC?
Just make sure you vote out these self-serving board members as they come up for re-election!
The victims of the TSC nursing program should complain to the obviously just proven incompetent board of trustees. They hire their friends instead of qualify professors! Compadrismo as usual!
I was not there, but the Herald reported that both sided agreed the expired stamps were used. The improper use of the stamps is just cause for discharge. There may be a million cons by the Trustees on other issues, but all the law requires is one just cause for discharge and TSC wins on appeal.
Employment law cases are a dime a dozen where appellate courts find the employee did a lot of wrong things, but because there was a valid reason for discharge all of the wrongdoing by the employer becomes meaningless
Bobby WC
You can lead a horse to water,
But you cannot make them drink it.
TSC losing the nursing program was not something that happened overnight, it was several years of poor performance.
Congratulations to all the nurses who have already passed the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). Maybe the new TSC President will get our nursing program back I hope.
If you wanted a ADN why did you not applies at STC? Problem solved.
Back in the 1980's Margarita Barradas was the head of RN nursing @ TSC. TSC had a 100% passing rate on state nursing exam (check and you will verify)TSC DID NOT depend on UTPA or UTB. It stood on its own.
Once mergers and partnerships started, everything went down.
Dr. Besteiro kept EVERY TEACHER and student accountable. Vocational education was just as important as college oriented education.
Today, you have technical schools and technical colleges that appeared out of nowhere after the partnerships, dual enrollment courses that are taught in high school by high school teachers that ARE BOUND to BISD more than to TSC and teach their classes to high school students because they are still in high school even though their class says dual. MOST TSC students today, want (and many times get) the brakes they got in high school. The "good student" does NOT take Comp I, American Literature, Biology I or Chemistry at TSC. They ALREADY took those courses as dual enrollment, or advanced placement (AP) iin high school and go directly to UTRGV taking courses in Brownsville and Edinburg using Metro-Connect.
Presidents come and go, some get fired and others submit to their master. The Glory days of TSC are GONE. Albert A. Besteiro, Desi Rios, Margarita Barradas, ALL ARE DEAD. The generation of the 21 century know NOTHING of their efforts in building TSC as a Junior College, all they care is their time, and it's not even their work time.ee
Congratulations the unfortunate situation sent you to UTRGV! But doesn't UTRGV have a Brownsville Campus? They have a Bachelors of Nursing program which will be more beneficial to all your hard work. I say good riddance and move on to better things.
Hey Juanito, ever wonder why nobody gives a shit about what Bobby Wigthman says? Ever wonder why nobody comments on his blog??? Do you think he does?
Get rid of ALL higher education institutes and let's ALL get back to working the farms and cattle ranches.
This is the only way you can get rich in brown-town, sue any government agency its full of incompetent people, its like hitting the lottery.
Anonymous said...
This is the only way you can get rich in brown-town, sue any government agency its full of incompetent people, its like hitting the lottery.
November 14, 2018 at 10:09 AM
Tercero sure does NOT need the money, but, she will probably keep it. Wouldn't you? She cleared her name, proved a point and got a poor local community stuck with the bill. None of the board members that fired her were individually sued because it was an institutional issue not a personal issue, yet, WE, taxpayers are stuck with the bill through our tax rate to the Texas Southmost Junior College District and some of us don't even have kids at TSC.
Again, everybody seems to be missing the point here. I hope the person who wrote the letter is reading this. You claim you had to go to Edinburg. Why wouldn't you just go to the UTRGV campus here in Brownsville. Also, if you were looking for an ADN program, you could have gone to Harlingen.
Again, blaming the former president of the college isn't going to change the fact that students failed causing the program to be lost. The students failed.
All Adela, Ruben and Trey’s fault. Vote those idiots out!!
Se acaba el basebol menso
You complain to Juan who else
10:09 comment, many of us don’t have students at BISD and we still have to pay taxes..pendejo
MANY OF US DON'T RIDE BIKES AND WE STILL HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
iTS 9:31 MENSO NOT 10:09. buy some reading glasses and then pay your sales taxes estupido
I don't have kids at BISD either and I PAY taxes to BISD and TSC.
Your vocabulary use says a great deal about your IGNORANCE.
I am a woman with higher education than you will probably ever have.
Find the CORRECT definition of "pendejo". Better yet, just LOOK IN THE MIRROR.
Everyone is missing the legal issue on which the verdict was rendered. The verdict of termination on the bases of no cause arises not from the allegations that Tercero committed, but on the new contract extension approved by the Board after the allegations were committed. Once the old Board extended her contract, the new Board had no justifications on terminating Tercero’s contract, based on any previous administrative violations. What I can’t understand is that Boardmembers Trey Mendez and Ruben Herrera are seasoned Attorneys and should have known better. They should have just allowed Terecero’s contract to expire or simply by her out to prevent a lawsuit. But worse, where was Frank Perez, Board counsel who is paid to advise the Board. This 12 million dollar verdict is an indictment on the incompetence of the past and present boardmembers. The victims are the students and the community. FIRE TREY MENDEZ AND THE REST OF THE BOARD. I weep for the students.
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