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La V z News vote

Volume 63, Issue 1

The voice of De Anza since 1967

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025

Conflict of interest

lavozdeanza.com

Facilities sends student government quote from admin relative's company Survey finds some college PHOTO BY GAVIN RUST

Vice President of Instruction Ram Subramaniam (left) sits with staff at a De Anza College Academic Senate meeting on Monday, Oct. 27 in the Media and Learning Center.

employees fear retaliation 72% of 225 employee respondents did not think De Anza makes transparent decisions

By Gavin Rust LA VOZ STAFF

DASG Chair of Finance Alan Ma, 19, electrical engineering and computer science major, asked the DASG senate to send the bike program’s funding request back to his committee over what he called “serious issues” at its Wednesday, Oct. 22 meeting in the Student Council Chambers.

PHOTOS BY ANN PEÑALOSA

By Ann Peñalosa LA VOZ STAFF

The DASG Senate put off approving $22,000 to place vinyl covers over its bicycle corrals on Oct. 22, sending the proposal back to its finance committee to look into “serious issues” with its procurement process, namely a conflict of interest. Operations Specialist and Student Activities Coordinator Dennis Shannakian said Foothill College Director of College Operations, Edgar Tovar, sent him the quote on Wednesday, Oct. 8. DASG Chair of Finance Alan Ma, 19, electrical engineering and computer science major, asked the senate to send the request back to his committee and said it “ought to look into” the quote more. The senate passed Ma’s motion unanimously in the Student Council Chambers. “There are serious issues with how the quote for this proposal was (procured),” Ma said. The quote, which expired Friday, Oct. 31, would have covered labor costs for assembly and installation for brand new frames, as well as a three-year limited warranty on the new structures; the four structures from the last set of coverings remain standing outside the Registration and Student Services building, with only the vinyl coverings blown away. This is despite the district having a section on work orders and service requests, shifting labor costs away from the district and college, and

BEING QUEER ON CAMPUS OPINIONS — 5

De Anza College’s most recent campus climate survey results show that 28% of employee respondents feel the college makes decisions transparently and 38% of employee respondents feel they can freely criticize the college without retaliation. For faculty, those figures dip to 19% and 32% respectively. The 59-question voluntary survey, which the college conducted last spring quarter, covered both students and employees. This was the first climate survey the college had conducted since 2014. The De Anza Academic Senate discussed the survey’s results at its Oct. 20 meeting, where Academic Senate President Erik Woodbury called survey results below 25% “beyond a failing grade.” “This can be a useful tool for

where we want to effect change to make ourselves happier with our campus climate,” Woodbury said. “When I see something below 25% is how a particular group feels, I’m like, ‘OK, how do we definitely make that better?’” Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Accreditation Mallory Newell said over 900 employees worked for De Anza last spring quarter. Less than one in four employees took the survey – similar to 2014 results, where around 20% of more than 1,000 employees responded to the survey. Newell said the college will conduct its next climate survey in 2027. The numbers still raised concerns from employees, including one classified professional from Admissions and Records who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. See "Survey" on page 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF YVONNE CHAMBERLAIN-MARQUEZ

DASG bike 78’s gears and chains have visibly collected rust after repeated exposure to rain, as pictured in the DASG bike corral on Oct. 27. Other DASG bikes have sustained damage, with some of the program’s e-bikes having broken electronics. onto the student government. The senate would have pulled the money for this project from its pool of special allocations, which DASG Accountant Lisa Kirk said had

Foothill-De Anza Public Information Officer

$152,441 remaining as of the finance committee’s Oct. 20 meeting. The DASG Bike Program, which the student government launched in 2011, previously had two of its corral coverings blown away by heavy winds; first in 2023, then again in December last year. The Office of College Life put in the recent funding request for new coverings to protect bikes in the corral from further damage. Before the college installed bike coverings, the student government dealt with elemental damage to the bikes. In October 2019, former DASB Bike Coordinator Casey Cosgrove and Environmental Sustainability Chair Steve Hoang reported the issue, noting repairs cost See "Bike corral" on page 3

HOMECOMING KICKS OFF PHOTO ESSAY — 6, 7

THE HUB ROARS TO LIFE FEATURES — 8

"An employee involved in obtaining quotes had a personal connection to one of the vendors." Ellen Kamei

Staff members guide student residents through the process of moving in on Sept. 19, the first official student move-in day.

Students move in, McClellan Terrace residents move out Some parents say reloca- some worry about the impact on their children’s schooling. tion separates children “They’re (current tenants) probfrom friends, schools ably comfortable here, but a lot of By Zain Kane LA VOZ STAFF

The Foothill-De Anza district purchased and then converted the McClellan Terrace Apartments into student housing over the summer. Current tenants must relocate by June 30, 2026, to make room for Foothill and De Anza students, but

STAY-C ON ‘STAY TUNED’ TOUR OPINIONS — 9

the students who are moving in really needed the space,” Student Resident Assistant, Julia Rodriguez, 19, political science major, said.