Dear President Yao,

We, the undersigned APC, CSUEU, and CFA members present this petition on behalf of CSUCI staff, faculty, and counselors who have been impacted by Dean Elizabeth Orozco Reilly’s mismanagement of the School of Education. Having received no redress from the Dean’s immediate superior, Provost Mitch Avila, union representatives request a meeting by June 1st, 2024, to discuss and find remedy for the issues described below.

List of Concerns Regarding Dean Elizabeth Orozco Reilly, School of Education

Inability to effectively follow policy, supervise staff, or lead department:

• Since May 2023, 7 employees have left SOE and not one of these positions has been filled. Rather than filling the positions, the duties and responsibilities have been distributed amongst the remaining SOE employees with little to no additional compensation.
• Dean Reilly inequitably rescinded employee telecommuting agreements under false pretenses. Telecommuting options were rescinded as a result of staff not agreeing to take on additional workload, while other SOE staff were able to keep their telecommuting agreement. After a complaint was made to HR, the Dean went to every staff member’s office stating that “someone is saying bad things about the SOE in this area, and it needs to stop” and threatened to make a formal complaint of her own about staff members.
• Dean Reilly presented staff members with revised job title and position description without proper notification.
• When asked for training for additional duties, the Dean shifted responsibility and offered no support. If she finds out of a skill someone possesses, she appoints them to take on roles/ responsibilities even if these are outside their job description or classification.
• Dean Reilly leaves campus for extended travel without providing notice, without designating an administrator in charge, and leaving staff members without support.
• Dean Reilly does not understand the credential counselor role and how to support staff members in their work.
• Dean Reilly has violated the CBA on order of workload assignments and has stated that she ultimately has the assignment power.
• Dean Reilly has failed to address significant concerns regarding chair leadership.
• Dean Reilly was made aware of curriculum changes to ECS courses that impact articulation agreements with the California Community College and approved them anyway.
• Dean Reilly is aware that a previous grievance for ECS student teaching required the establishment of a job description outlining responsibilities and guidance for travel/compensation, yet it has not been completed.
• Dean Reilly has not followed up with NTTF who have asked to be a part of department meetings and committees for which they are eligible to participate in formally or even attend as a guest.

Unprofessional behavior that creates a toxic, dysfunctional work environment:

• On multiple occasions, Dean Reilly has disciplined staff or faculty for errors that were not their responsibility or that originated from the Dean’s office. Faculty and staff fear humiliation and retaliation because of the Dean’s behavior, as described below.
• Dean Reilly discriminates against female subordinates. Some male employees have expressed their knowledge and awareness of the maltreatment towards women while not experiencing the same behavior by Dean Reilly.
• Though she has the highest expectations for faculty and staff communication, Dean Reilly is unresponsive to emails or requests for support.
• Dean Reilly regularly makes negative remarks about former employees, current SOE employees who are not present, and even staff, faculty, and administrators from other campus departments. She has also made diminishing remarks about faculty in front of their colleagues and chair while said faculty were present.
• While telecommuting agreements remained in place for a staff member (A), Dean created a false narrative that other staff members were upset with staff member (A) thus causing them to feel alienated (this staff member has resigned).
• There have been multiple situations of Dean Reilly yelling at staff members.
• Both staff and faculty do not feel comfortable visiting each other’s offices if they are in Madera for fear of crossing paths with Dean Reilly. Staff members will use the downstairs restroom (despite one being upstairs) to avoid running into Dean Reilly in the restroom. Staff members also go downstairs, travel down the hall, then back upstairs to access the building break room to avoid having to pass Dean Reilly’s office. Staff members report “shuddering” when the door opens in fear of encountering Dean Reilly.

Ongoing impacts and lack of accountability:

• 7 SOE positions have become vacant in less than a year. Whether these departed employees decided to disclose their reasons for resigning or not, there is a clear indication of the ongoing issues Dean Reilly has brought upon the School of Education, which continue to be ignored by the University.
• APC and CSUEU have raised concerns, and HR has tried to facilitate them, but the Dean and Provost have not worked in good faith with either union.

President Yao, we urge your prompt attention to these matters, as they not only affect the well-being of School of Education staff, faculty, and counselors, but also jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of our institution.

Your intervention is crucial in addressing these pressing issues and restoring a positive and productive work environment with the School of Education.