COD leaders moving in the right direction — so far
Is the governing board of College of the Desert starting down a new, more productive road?
Since 2021, we the public have watched a shadowy political soap opera orchestrated by COD leaders who seemed to forget who they were serving – the students – not themselves.
In May, former Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden became the newest board of trustees member of Area 3 after Fred Jandt resigned for health reasons. As he wrote in a recent Desert Sun Valley Voice: “We at COD need to do better.”
In June, the COD Board of Trustees named Laura Hope of Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga as COD's interim superintendent/president.
The institutional healing needed between COD and the community begins with transparency and current leadership seems to be invoking that spirit.
This must continue.
Rebuilding community trust requires consistency in actions – so, COD, show the students, the faculty and public more action.
The most important action is to fill the role of COD’s permanent president – a leader who is a consensus builder and innovator – and who is quick to put the resources where students need them.
At a recent “community update event,” COD leaders affirmed that both Cathedral City and Palm Springs campuses are still a go and classes are now slated to begin there at the start of 2026 and 2027, respectively.
The Cathedral City campus will consist of a 30,000-square-foot building that will be focused on training for automobile-related jobs, although Interim Superintendent and President Laura Hope said other non-automotive programs will also have a presence at that campus. That campus will be located near the intersection of Highway 111 and Perez Road, adjacent to the Cathedral City Auto Center.
It’s important for leadership to build toward what students need for every new campus built, no matter where it is located in the Coachella Valley.
As Hope said at the event:
“There’s been too much discussion in my view about east vs. west, about who deserves what. We need to try to serve everyone that our college needs to serve.”
Our community is invested. Leaders seem invested. So, COD, it’s time to make good on the $900 million-plus in tax hikes in 2004 and 2016 to pay for the bonds you took out to build the campuses and get it done.
Since its founding in 1958, COD has been a bedrock to future students’ success and today’s students deserve better.
The board’s next meeting is Friday, Oct. 20 at 9:30 a.m. Meetings take place at 43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260, Building C - Boardroom. Meetings are also live streamed on the College of the Desert YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: COD leadership needed change; it's heading in the right direction, so far
