Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community College system, has been serving the interests of students since Jan. 1, 2009, when he began his tenure, but there has been concern lately about a proposal that could give him more power. There are definitely ups and downs to this scenario, but it’s more likely that Chancellor Scott will not abuse his power, and use this new measure of strengthened position to benefit the students he was elected to serve. 

But not all seems right in this picture, because the proposal of additional power comes at the behest of none other than the Student Success Task Force.

The usefulness of the task force’s recommendations is no matter of small debate, an idea for a system that would make students sign onto an education plan upon enrollment and crank them out of the mold quicker during a time when so many of us have to figure out what we really want in this world. 

The fact that the proposal attempts to bring more power to the chancellor does make it suspicious, but is not enough to consider this a power grab. 

On several occasions the office of state chancellor has desired that power, and asked for it. Scott is not doing anything new.

Because a man desires power does not mean he’ll use it for some devious nature. It may stem from frustration at seeing flaws in the system the bureaucracy wasn’t able to fix. When you’re a man in that position, you should be able to put ideas through the proper channels. If the ideas he wants put into place would not work under normal conditions of power, perhaps suspicion lies with the channels.

More details of Scott’s intentions will undoubtedly unfold. Scott could just want power to fix some bugs laced into the fabric of the system. He may be asking for new authority to override the power of uncooperative people standing in the way of progress. Or, he could be nefarious, trying to steam roll over rightfully dissenting people.

While right now it is hard to say, only time will tell if Scott is impatient, a caped crusader or a villain trying to make the trains run on time.