After reaching a dead end on budget issues that threatened the six-year partnership with EC, a door has finally opened. Chancellor Jack Scott has appointed a new interim special trustee, Thomas Henry, for Compton Community College.

Friday, it was announced that Henry will be the new interim special trustee, but those who previously knew him know he’s not an unfamiliar face around campus.

Henry actually worked as a trustee for Compton College before and now he has returned.

Some people believe Henry will be the one to pull this college back where it needs to be, including Saul Panski, Compton Center Academic Senate president.

“He has a vast wealth of experience in these types of situations,” Panski said “With his experience in aiding other colleges and even grade schools K through 12 that were also in this same situation, I believe Henry will be the one to get this college on the right track.”

President Tom Fallo said he was not pleased before how Compton College was not accredited and that its accreditation was revoked.

However, Fallo said even with Henry’s hiring, Compton College is going to have to go through a long process to attain accreditation.

Panski wasn’t the only person who supported the Chancellor’s decision in appointing Henry. The new appointee also had support from colleagues at the EC campus.

“I am confident that the returning Special Trustee Tom Henry and EC President Tom Fallo will have a strong working relationship that will benefit the fiscal soundness and academic progress of the Compton Educational Center,” Christina Gold, Academic Senate President, said.

According to the Compton Educational Center (CEC) Academic Performance Profile, A new category of transfer rate has been added to the peer group report this year using newly available data from the Chancellor’s Office.  Tracking first-time, full-time transfer-directed students through six years, Compton College’s transfer rate has steadily increased over the last three years.

“The EC Academic Senate is pleased to see clear academic gains made at the Compton Center since the beginning of the partnership,” Gold said.

“As far as the agreement between EC and Compton College, it will remain the same and in good standing now that they found a replacement,” she added

On another note, no one formally said that Compton College was moving toward its accreditation but that did not keep Panksi and Gold from believing that the college can work its way there toward being an accredited college.

“With Henry’s experience I see good things with Compton College, and I see us obtaining accreditation in the near future,” Panksi said.

With Gold in agreement she added that, “it will be a long journey back to accreditation for the Compton Center, but our faculty colleagues at Compton are making steady progress and Torrance campus faculty is here to support and assist them.

Gold also said that EC and Compton College are now in “good standing” after finding a new trustee.

Faculty members, including Panski, at Compton College can now look forward to growth, change and a better future with Henry there to assist.

“I believe the chancellor chose Henry because his past experience in working with troubled school districts, he is knowledgeable of the situation, understands accreditation and partnership,” Fallo said.